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Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SW1 2AH
From The Minister of State
6 March 1991
I would like to correct a fundamental inaccuracy in Gerald Segal's commentary of 5 March on our Nationality Scheme for Hong Kong. Mr Segal is wrong to state that 250,000 people from Hong Kong have been offered places. The true situation is that there are places for 50,000 heads of households and their families available under the Scheme: 43,500 now, in the first tranche, and the rest are to be allocated closer to 1997. The total number of applications for this first tranche was 65,723. Mr Segal claims that less than 10% of the available places had been applied for. In fact the Scheme was over subscribed by more than 50%.
The Scheme is targetted on key people in Hong Kong whose presence there is essential for the future success of the territory. The aim is not to lure them to Britain. On the contrary, the aim is to give them the confidence to stay on.
The announcement of the Scheme, by demonstrating the Government's commitment to Hong Kong at a time when confidence in the territory was at a low ebb, undoubtedly had a stabilising effect on the public mood there. It also helped to encourage other Governments to provide similar assurance schemes for Hong Kong people.
Tavs since
५ Put with
THE EARL OF CAITHNESS
(Approved by the Minister and signed in his absence)
The Editor
The Guardian
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