TNAG-2932-FCO40-4207-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1993 — Page 42

25 May 1993

HICD 34071

R

Mrs Elsie Tu

2 6 MA. 1993

Chairman

Legislative Council House Committee Legislative Council Building

Hong Kong

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

los

London SW1A 2AH

ра

26/5.

From The Minister of State

Dear Osie

102

Thank you for your letter of 12 May. You ask that Her Majesty's Government should defer tabling the Order in Council that will introduce a phased programme for registering British Dependent Territory Citizens (BDTCs) as British Nationals (Overseas) (BNOS) in order to give LegCo more time to discuss the matter further.

We

I note you agree that the Hong Kong Government must take measures to anticipate a last minute rush for registration. cannot be sure, but possibly as many as 3.5 million Hong Kong people may choose to register as BNOS before 1997. Under 500,000 have applied to date. If millions of applications were made close to 1997, there would be no guarantee that the Hong Kong Immigration Department would be able to register all the applicants before their power to do so ceases on 1 July 1997. It was against this background that we decided to introduce a programme to phase the registration by means of prescribed cut-off dates (by age group). This is a familiar mechanism in Hong Kong, used for the orderly issue of identity cards. The Governor would have discretion to accept late applications. We took this decision after close consultation with the Hong Kong Government. The Executive Council of the Hong Kong Government has twice endorsed the programme, most recently on 4 May. Provision for the programme would need to be made by Order in Council.

The implementation of the programme will guarantee that all those British Dependent Territory Citizens who wish to apply will receive BNO passports before 1 July 1997. Both the Hong Kong Government and Her Majesty's Government consider that it would be irresponsible not to take steps to provide such a guarantee when it lies within our power to do so.

Nevertheless, we are conscious that some members of the Legislative Council continue to have misgivings. We understand that a delegation from the Legislative Council House Committee will visit London in the week of 7 June to raise this and other nationality issues with Ministers. We look forward to hearing their views and will carefully consider with the Home Office what might be done to alleviate their concerns. We have no plans to introduce the Order in Council before that visit.

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Alet нис

ALASTAIR GOODLAD