TNAG-2930-FCO40-4205-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 58

01 FEB '93 16:31 B4 LINO 051 255 1160

P. 10/10

Draft letter to OPD(K)

British Nationality Hong Kong

Orders in Council.

I am writing to seek your agreement and that of colleagues on OPD (K) to our proceeding with the drafting of two Orders in OPD(K) Council relating to British nationality in Hong Kong.

2. One of the Orders would amend the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Selection Scheme which OPD was instrumental in drawing up three years ago. Both Orders would be subject to the affirmative resolution procedure and we envisage them being presented to Parliament at the same time, probably in May this year.

BN(0) cut-off dates

3. The first Order concerns a scheme for registering British Dependent Territory citizens (BDTCs) as British Nationals (Overseas) (BN(0)s). The object is to ensure the orderly and timely acquisition of BDTC and BN(0) status by those who wish to acquire it before Hong Kong revert to China in 1997. BDTC status expires at that point and those who wish to have BN(0) status must acquire it before then, first obtaining BDTC status if they do not already have it. Only 400,000 of the 3.3 million people who are or will be eligible for BN(0) status have so far applied, and Hong Kong fear that there will be a last minute, unmanageable rush unless deadlines are put in place to enable applications to be dealt with in phases. The scheme envisages these deadlines being set by age group. The first, for 22-26 year olds, would come into effect soon after the passing of the Order and the deadlines would extend up until the end of 1996. The Governor would have discretion to accept late applications where applicants had good reason for not applying by the appropriate cut-off date.

IB.2/JM