TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 31

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From The Minister of State

De Anthay,

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Simon Censur:

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London SW1A 2AH

14 August 1990

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RECEIVER SCISTRY

2 O AUG 1990

INDER

PA

Thank you for your letter of 27 July to Tristan Garel-Jones enclosing one from your constituent, Mr D V Pean of 5 Jubilee Terrace, Chichester, about ex-servicemen and war widows in Hong Kong. Malcolm Caithness has now taken over Francis Maude's responsibilities for Hong Kong in the Foreign and Commonwealth office but I am replying in his absence.

Mr Pean refers to an article in the Spectator of 7 July

("The Widows' Mite") which argues that action should be taken to enable ex-servicemen, their wives and widows to come to this country if they wish to do so. The Government has in fact done exactly this.

During the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 19 April 1990, the Home Secretary gave a clear assurance that the widows of former servicemen who served in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War would be allowed to come here at any time, either before or after 1997, irrespective of their husband's nationality.

This follows an assurance which Douglas Hurd, the then Home Secretary, gave in May 1986 that any ex-servicemen who had fought in defence of Hong Kong and were still resident there - a group numbering about 270 in all - would be allowed to settle in this country at any time together with their dependants. In addition he also undertook to exercise his discretion in favour of any ex-servicemen who were already British Dependent Territory Citizens and wished to apply for British citizenship under Section 4 (5) of the British Nationality Act.

Anthony Nelson Esq MP

House of Commons

LONDON

SW1A OAA

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The Rt Hon William Waldegrave