TNAG-2710-FCO40-3916-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 35

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

North Lantau Express Way, and the £610 million airport

platform contract.

Nationality

27.

Under

Because of concern about the exodus of talented people from Hong Kong (up to 60,000 departures a year) the British

Government felt that special measures had to be devised to give key people in the public and private sectors of the community the confidence to remain in Hong Kong. These measures took the form of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990, which came into force on 7 November 1990.

are being this scheme full British citizen passports will be offered to a maximum of 50,000 key personnel (plus spouses and children under 18) both in the public and private sectors, without the beneficiaries having to leave the territory and take up

AL

is residence in Britain to acquire citizenship. This scheme has contributed to the restoration of confidence in Hong Kong. The deadline for applications for the first tranche of passports was 28 February 1991. The first tranche was heavily oversubscribed (65,000 applications were received). The Hong Kong Government and a Home Office team are processing these applications now and aim to complete the first tranche during

It is estimated that 39,500 applications will be

successful. The remaining places in the second tranche

(10,500) will be issued between 1994 and 1997 in order to

provide an opportunity to those Hong Kong people who will by then have moved into key positions.

1993.

28. As well as implementing the nationality scheme, Britain has also taken every opportunity to encourage our partners and allies, especially those with close economic and social ties

with Hong Kong, to consider taking similar measures. The results have been encouraging and a range of countries, including Singapore, the USA, France, the FRG, Belgium and

ipu.conf.PR

SLM

10

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