TNAG-2367-FCO40-3440-British-Dependent-Territories-(British-Overseas-Territories)-1991 — Page 132

18 January 1991

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DIEU-E

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

4

London SW1 2AH

Miss V Dews B2 Division Home Office Room 910

Lunar House

40 Wellesley Road Croydon

CR9 2BY

Dear Vivienne,

213/1

нко

RECEIV

DESE

2 4 JAN 1991

INDEX

DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WORK PERMIT QUOTA

Thank you for your letter of 8 January, proposing an interdepartmental meeting to settle this issue.

I agree that it would be sensible to try to reach agreement at official level before we resume Ministerial correspondence. I also accept that in announcing a decision to abolish the Quota it will be necessary to be able to explain the decision in an honest and convincing way.

Our difficulty with any explanation linked to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act is, as you know, that the objective of the Act (namely to anchor key people in Hong Kong) is totally different from the purpose of the Quota (namely to allow a limited number of skilled people of Hong Kong to come to Britain to work).

Although this is essentially a point for the Department of Employment, who will presumably have to take the flak after the abolition of the Quota is announced, I would have thought that to link the two issues would serve only to add insult to injury as far as supporters of the Quota are concerned.

We would be happy to attend a meeting to discuss these matters further if you would like to set a date.

I am copying this letter to Bob Niblett in the Department of Employment.

VIMACK

CC

Yours Sincerely Alan Paul

AR Paul

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