TNAG-2198-FCO40-3152-Hong-Kong-nationality-spouses-and-widows-of-British-expatria-1990 — Page 96

CONFIDENTIAL

MDHI

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15.5

FICERS VERY MUCH SMALLER THAN THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EXPATRIATE OFFICERS ON OUR BOOKS. INDEED, MOST OF THEM HAVE ALREADY SURFACED IN THE RECENT SPATE OF REPRESENTATIONS FOLLOWING THE INTRODUCTION OF THE BRITIS NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) BILL 1990. THE NUMBER OF SUCH SPOUSES IS ESTIMATED AT 100, AS GIVEN IN MY LETTER OF 11 MAY TO ALLEN PAUL, WITH ABOUT 50 OF THEM IN THE POLICE FORCE AND 10 IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE.

6. WE ENTER THE REALM OF SPECULATION WHEN WE TRY TO FORECAST HOW MANY MORE UK RECRUITED OFFICERS WHO ARE NOW SINGLE WILL MARRY NON- BRITISH SPOUSES AND THUS BECOME THE BENEFICIARIES OF ANY NEW ARRANGEMENT. THERE ARE 675 SINGLE EXPATRIATE OFFICERS IN THE SERVICE. WITHIN THIS GROUP, WE SHOULD REALLY ONLY LOOK AT THOSE WHO ARE IN THE 20-34 AGE GROUP, AT THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET MARRIED DURING THEIR REMAINING SERVICE IN HONG KONG. THEY NUMBER ABOUT 425. DISCOUNTING THE 73 FEMALE SINGLE OFFICERS IN THIS GROUP, WHO ACCORDING TO PAST TRENDS ARE MOST UNLIKELY TO GET MARRIED LOCALLY, AND THOSE WHO WERE NOT RECRUITED FROM THE UK, THE NUMBER COMES DOWN TO ABOUT 300. ASSUMING THAT AS MANY OF HALF OF THEM GET MARRIED IN THE NEXT THREE TO FOUR YEARS, AND THAT A THIRD OF THOSE GETTING MARRIED DURING THIS PERIOD WILL BE MARRIED, LIKE THEIR PRECURSORS, TO NON-BRITISH SPOUSES, WE ARRIVE AT AN ADDITIONAL FIGURE OF 50. (WE HAVE DISCOUNTED THOSE WHO WILL HAVE BEEN MARRIED FOR LESS THAN 3 YEARS BY 1997 AND WHO DO NOT MEET THE NORMAL CRITERION IN THIS RESPECT). HENCE THE ESTIMATE OF A TOTAL OF 150 BRITISH EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS WITH WIVES IN THIS CATEGORY GIVEN IN PARA 3 OF MY LETTER OF 11 MAY 1990 (100 CURRENT CASES PLUS 50 FUTURE CASES).

7. ON QUESTIONS (II) AND (III) IN TUR, I SHOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT/NOT ASKING FOR A CHANGE OR RELAXATION OF THE RESTRICTED CRITERIA SET OUT IN PARA 2(B) OF TUR. ALL THAT IS NEEDED IS SYMPATHETIC CONSIDERATION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE CRITERIA. IN THE LIGHT OF WHAT IS BEING OFFERED TO LOCAL OFFICERS UNDER THE NATIONALITY SCHEME, I THINK IT WOULD BE REASONABLE TO SUPPORT ALL APPLICATIONS UNDER SECTION 6(2) OF THE BNA FROM THE SPOUSES OF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICERS, POLICE OFFICERS AND OTHER DIRECTORATE OFFICERS WHOSE MARRIAGES HAVE SUBSISTED FOR THREE YEARS OR MORE. SPECIAL CONSIDERATION WOULD BE GIVEN ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS TO THOSE MARRIED FOR LESS THAN THREE YEARS AND TO ALL APPLICATIONS FROM THE SPOUSES OF THOSE OUTSIDE THESE THREE STREAMS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS LIKELY TO RECEIVE MY SUPPORT ACCORDING TO THESE CRITERIA SHOULD NOT EXCEED 300 UP TO 1997, PHASED OVER THE NEXT SIX TO SEVEN YEARS.