TNAG-2943-FCO40-4219-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-ethnic-minorities-1993 — Page 64

lt.howell.NAT

JEB

September 1993

Rt Hon David Howell

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee House of Commons

When I appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee at your

invitation on 14 July, members raised various questions about

the status after 1997 of members of the non-Chinese ethnic

minorities in Hong Kong. I undertook to respond after

consulting colleagues in the Home Office.

They have

On the question of British citizenship for ethnic minorities, Home Office Ministers have considered the case carefully (including the arguments put forward in debate in the House of Lords debate on 15 July and the points made by the Foreign Affairs Committee itself when I gave evidence). concluded that there are no grounds for changing the Government's long standing policy, and Charles Wardle announced this decision in a Written Answer to a Question from

Graham Allen on 26 July. (I enclose a copy for ease of

reference).

I was asked by Dennis Canavan, in the context of the

Government's assurance to members of the non-Chinese ethnic

minorities in/Hong Kong, to define what criteria might be used when considering individual applications from of this community for entry to the UK. Mr Canavan asked in particular

whether discrimination against them would trigger the sympathetic consideration of application to come to the UK.

I