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British Nationality (Hong Kong | Bill
19 APRIL 1990
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill
1576
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has taken pains to explain to the Chinese our reasons for introducing the proposais. and we believe that they will in time come to accept them as a sincere contribution to Hong Kong's successful transition to Chinese sovereignty. It is also profoundly to Britain's advantage to secure such a transition. That is why the Bill serves the joint interests of the British people and of the Queen's subjects in Hong Kong. I commend it to the House.
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Mr. Roy Hattersley (Birmingham, Sparkbrook): It is less than a year since the slaughter in Tiananmen square. so it is easy enough to understand the apprehension with which the people of Hong Kong anticipate the handing over of the colony to China seven years time. That upprehension is. I believe. :eit by all the people-more than 5 million residents, including more than 3.25 million British dependent territories citizens.
There cannot be a solution to the prooiems of the colony and the confidence of the residents that does not address the needs of all the necie, not just a few. There can be no just or even practice, solution in a scheme that offers a special escape route to avoured and arbitrarily chosen minority. Selection emphasises the existence of the problem. but offers no way out of it for the majority of Hong Kong residents. The real solution-the only solution that meets the needs of the people—is to make major progress towards democracy in the colony and to make it so complete and tights organised that dismantling it in 1997 would be virtually impossible. That is the policy that the Labour party advocates and will pursue in Government.
Sir Peter Blaker (Blackcoc.. South): To how many Hong Kong Chinese would the Labour party give United Kingdom passports or the night of abode in this country?
Mr. Hattersley: The right hon. Gentleman anticipates a subject that I shall address in a moment. It is not our view that such matters are best decicec by thinking of a number first and working out the categones afterwards.
Mr. Paddy Ashdown (Yeovil So the only thing that the Labour party will offer the people of Hong Kong is democracy. Has the night hon. Gentleman then not learnt anything from the experience of Tiananmen square? Democracy is not a magic wand to be waved in front of a Chinese tank. It needs to be supported by something; it must be supported by the night of those people to leave as they wish with British passports and come to Britain. Why does the Labour party hand cemocracy to Hong Kong with one hand and damage and wound it with the other?
democratisation in Hong Kong against the Basic Law which has been passed with the support of Hong Kong delegates votes? How does he possibly argue that a Labour Government could introduce that democratisa- tion?
Mr. Hattersley: I propose to argue in a little detail. if given the chance. that the next Labour Government will pursue the path towards democracy at the speed that the people of Hong Kong have always asked for and that was once offered to the people of Hong Kong by the present Government. The Government have finched from making adequate progress towards full democracy. I believe that the Bill is intenced to disarm the most vocal and influentiai minority and therefore make it easier for the Government to follow that craven course. The Bill is the alternative to the progress towards democracy which Hong Kong needs and deserves.
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Mr. Hattersley: The right hon. Gentleman will understand in a calmer moment that I am about to address some of the questions that he has asked me. But as he has intervened, let me make one thing absolutely clear. It seems to me that the most cynical policy of ail is to pretend to offer entry to every citizen : Hong Kong on the basis and understanding that most of them will not take up that right. That sounds very nooie when spoken in a single sentence, but it is not a policy that bears a moment's moral or intellectual examination.
Mr. Andrew Faulds (Warley. East): Does my right hon. Friend agree that it is somewhat cynical aiso to pretend that a Labour Government could introduce greater
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John Walden, the former director of home affairs in the Hong Kong Government. has no doubt where the root cause of falling confidence lies. Writing in today's The Times. he says: "within a
Agreement
year of Parliament's endorsement of
of the joint declaration with China in December 1984- "Foreign Office officials had secretly agreed to China s demand that Britain slow down its plans for democratic reform.
He continued:
"The collapse of conndence in the future of Hong Kong was precipitated not by the tragic events in Tiananmen Square in June 1989 but by Britain's failure to stand up to China in November 1985 and to secure the political safeguards written into the Joint Declaration."
Mr. Ray Whitney (Wycombe): Will the right hon. Gentleman give way?
Mr. Hattersiey: I shall give way to the hon. Gentleman in a moment, but I should like to make some progress first.
I promise to bear him in mind.
Mr. Whitney: I am most grateful.
Mr. Hattersiev: It has been claimed that the Bill discharges a debt of honour that we owe to the people of Hong Kong. However, no one explains how a debt of honour to 5 million people, 3-25 million of them British dependent termones citizens, can be repaid by selecting 50.000 of their number for special treatment. It has been claimed, in contradiction of opinion within Hong Kong, which I shail presently quote, that the Bill will increase confidence in the colony. However, no one explains what effect the Bill will have on the confidence of the overwhelming majority of residents who will not benefit from its provisions. The Bill legitimises the fear that an escape route is needed after 1997, but it offers the chance to escape to less than one resident in 20. There is not and cannot be such an escape route for the majority of the colony's residents. If general confidence is increased by the measure. it will be the first time that the morale of the other ranks has been improved by the announcement that the officers will retreat first.
Mr. Whitney: The right hon. Gentleman quoted with approval the artcie by John Walden in The Times today. Is he aware that Mr. Walden suggested that China's opposition is the best reason why the Government's Bill should be supported today? Does he therefore accept Mr. Walden's proposition?
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