TNAG-2195-FCO40-3132-Hong-Kong-nationality-package-1990 — Page 147

I come now to the substance of our proposals.

I have laid before

the House two documents: a Bill and an outline selection scheme.

We shall listen carefully to views on both of these documents

during the Bill's passage. I shall deal with them in turn.

First, the Bill. It is a short enabling instrument, leaving the

details of the selection scheme to be submitted to Parliament

separately for approval under an Order-in-Council. It would not

be sensible to attempt to prescribe the detailed scheme on the

face of the Bill. It must remain capable of amendment subject

of course to further approval by Parliament - in order to reflect

any change in Hong Kong's needs or in the pattern of emigration

from Hong Kong.

For this reason, and because we want to be able to offer

assurances to people moving into key positions later on, we

intend to reserve a proportion of the 50,000 places for

allocation closer to 1997. The Bill accordingly enables me to

limit the number of recommendations to be submitted to me in any

specified period.

We have given careful thought to the roles of the Governor and

Secretary of State. The Bill is designed for Hong Kong's benefit

and it is therefore right that it should give the principal

operating role to the Governor: it is he alone who will have the

necessary local knowledge

administrative machine.

and

command

of a sufficient