TNAG-2710-FCO40-3916-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-and-Par-1993 — Page 47

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.

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. Under this scheme full British citizen passports are being 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 residence in Britain to acquire citizenship. The

Selection Scheme under the Act operates in two tranches. The

projection is for 38,000 places to be allocated in the first tranche which closes at the end of 1993. The remaining places

will be allocated in the second tranche. The second tranche

opens in January 1994 (enabling those who have moved into key

positions since 1991 to apply).

28.

The three month period for applications for British citizenship under the first tranche ended on 28 February 1991.

The total number of applications received was over 66,500, ie

the scheme was over 50% oversubscribed. Nearly 91,000

registrations had been authorised under the Selection Scheme

by the middle of August 1993 (34,283 principal beneficiaries

and 56,249 dependants as at 21 August).

29. The Government are confident that the scheme has

successfully targeted the key people whose presence is

essential for the future success of the territory, ie key

ipu.conf.PR

SLM

10

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