TNAG-2382-FCO40-3463-Hong-Kong-nationality-approved-secondment-scheme-1991 — Page 6

HKD

CONFIDENTIAL

340/7.

FROM:

J C Morris

DATE:

Hong Kong Department

9 October 1991

Mr Ricketts

Mr

Burns

M.

CC:

Mr Cox o/r

Me Myland

Carver

BK 20/12 pl

10/10

BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) ACT 1990: APPROVED

SECONDMENT SCHEME

S

A

1.

When the Selection Scheme was in gestation, a number of

British firms in Hong Kong were very keen on the idea of an

Approved Secondment Scheme (ASS), under which it would have been possible to second an employee to a UK affiliate for

two years (not necessarily in one block) which, together

with a further three years working for the same company in Hong Kong, would have enabled them to naturalise as British

argued citizens. The Home Office were against this Scheme, that the provision of British links points in the Selection

Scheme made the ASS unnecessary and hoped, with the passage

of the Act, that it would die a natural death. But because

the business lobby remained keen on an ASS during the

passage of the Bill, we secured the Home Secretary's

agreement that we should monitor the operation of the Scheme

towards the end of 1991, to see whether British links points

were proving a significant advantage to employees of British

firms.

B

2. As a first step I sought Jeremy Page's views on whether

we could yet see how well British Undertakings staff were

doing. His reply (attached) indicates that HKID will not be

able to produce a computer profile until all the

POPAKP/1

сс

CONFIDENTIAL