TNAG-2786-FCO40-4005-Hong-Kong-UK-Parliamentary-and-other-interest-in-constitutio-1993 — Page 48

dr Buyer

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

79

London SWIA 2AH

From The Minister of State

14 June 1993

David Martin, Esq, MP House of Commons

London SWIA (AA

012/5

RECEIVED IN ACISTRY

see (78

DESK

INDEX

Jea

Jariti

1993

REGISTRY Action Taken

77

Thank you for your letter of 7 June about the concerns of your constituent Mrs D S French, Flat 11, Greenwich Court, 25 King Street, Southsea over the granting of British Citizenship to Locally Enlisted Personnel working in Hong Kong..

The British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990 was introduced by the British Government in order to enable key people in the public and private sectors of the Hong Kong community to obtain British passports. Under the scheme, which operates on a points system, full British passports will be offered to a maximum of 50,000 heads of household. The spouses and children under 18 of these principal beneficiaries will also receive passports. These 50,000 places are now being allocated to successful applicants in two tranches. The deadline for applications for the first tranche of about 40,000 places was 28 February 1991. The Hong Kong Government and Home Office team are currently processing these applications and aim to complete them some time this year.

The remaining places in the second tranche 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.

Local serving members of the Royal Navy are able to apply under this scheme and there is a specific allocation of places for them. However, because of the constraint on numbers and the need to provide for all sectors of the Hong Kong community, competition to obtain a place is strong and there are bound to be disappointments. Points are awarded for attributes such as age, experience, qualifications, and only those applicants who score sufficient points will be recommended for registration as British citizens. I understand that a number of Royal Navy personnel who applied, have already been registered as British citizens. Those who do not qualify under the first tranche of the scheme, can of course apply a second time when applications are invited for the second tranche, at the beginning of 1994.

/If