on merit and achievement.
The criteria are both fair and
objective and the scope for bias or corruption has been, as far
as humanly possible, eliminated.
The principal aim behind the scheme is to rebuild confidence as
To this end, those recommended by the
Governor will, if acceptable,
quickly as possible.
be registered on the Home
Secretary's behalf by a team of officials based in Hong Kong.
I hope that those selected under the scheme, and other British
citizens in Hong Kong whose passports need renewing, will take
advantage of the arrangements which are being made to issue
British citizen passports in Hong Kong. These will be standard
machine-readable passports and identical to full passports issued
elsewhere.
Mr Speaker this scheme will, I believe, serve Hong Kong well and
by extension the interests and responsibilities of the People's
Republic of China and of the United Kingdom as we both have a
duty and a concern to maintain the stability and prosperity of
Hong Kong in the years immediately ahead. I therefore commend
the Order to the House and ask for its approval.
9
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.