21. That is why the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary announced on 20 December 1989 that the Government proposed to introduce legislation to give British citizenship to 50,000 key people and their dependants, without their having to leave the territory in order to qualify. This legislation is designed to anchor people in Hong Kong so that they can continue to make their contribution to the territory's success and prosperity. The British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill was published on 4 April 1990 and had its second reading on 19 April. Details of how the selection scheme might operate were set out in an Explanatory Note which has also been laid before the House.
22. The reaction in Hong Kong to the Government's nationality package has been generally positive. OMELCO has said publicly that the package will be a helpful contribution towards slowing down the brain drain and have expressed confidence that those who receive passports will have the peace of mind to remain in Hong Kong and contribute to Hong Kong's future. People from the business sector have also said that the scheme will help to anchor key people in Hong Kong. A number of recent surveys by professional bodies in Hong Kong show that the majority of those currently planning to emigrate would stay in Hong Kong if granted British citizenship under the scheme. For example, 85 per cent of chartered surveyors, 88 per cent of government doctors and 80 per cent of civil engineers have said that they would change their plans to leave Hong Kong if granted British citizenship.
23. The Committee recommended that the Government should take the lead at the earliest opportunity in mobilising international support for Hong Kong (paragraph 4.15). The Government have taken every available opportunity to raise this issue with their partners in the European Community and the Commonwealth, with the United States and with a number of other countries. The Government have made clear that Hong Kong is an international centre, with huge international investment and that its major trading partners have a strong interest in its continuing stability and prosperity. Some countries, of their own volition, have already found ways to give Hong Kong people assurances without their having to leave the territory and the Government have encouraged others to do so. Singapore has already introduced a scheme to give permanent residence status to up to 25,000 blue collar workers and their families without requiring them to leave Hong Kong for a number of years. Within the European Community, France, the Federal Republic of Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg are implementing schemes to provide the right of entry to employees of French, German, Belgian and Luxembourg companies and their families. The possibility of new immigration arrangements for Hong Kong is under consideration by the United States Administration and there have been expressions of support in the United States Congress, including a proposal that the immigration quota from Hong Kong should be increased to 20,000 a year and that beneficiaries should be allowed to defer settlement in the United States until the year 2002. Taken together, these measures could add substantially to the impact of the Government's scheme.
24. The Committee recommended that Section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act (BNA) 1981 should be used more generously in the future (paragraph 4.21). But as the Committee themselves pointed out, the then Home Secretary made clear at the time of the introduction of the BNA 1981 that Section 4(5) was intended to be used sparingly. The Government have decided to cater for the needs of public servants and the private sector by means of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill. There is thus no obvious need to make more generous use of Section 4(5) in respect of public servants, although it will still be available for use at the Home Secretary's discretion, in appropriate cases.
25. The Government have accepted the Committee's recommendation that war widows should be given assurances that they can come to Britain at any time (paragraph 4.22). The Home Secretary announced on 19 April 1990, that widows of former servicemen who served in the defence of Hong Kong during the second World War under the Government of Hong Kong, will be admitted to the United Kingdom at any time on the same terms as spouses of people settled here, provided that they are still resident in Hong Kong, have not remarried and do not have citizenship of another country other than China.
26. The Committee took the view that the Government have an obligation to provide British citizenship to non-Chinese British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs) in Hong Kong (paragraph 4.23). The Government considered very carefully whether to make
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