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06-JUL-1993 14:50
B4 IND LIVERPOOL
44 051 236 3386
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Official
(Extract from Official Report, House of Lords Monday 5 July
Columns 1061-5 >
Hong Kong: UK Passports Quota
Lord Shackleton asked Her Majesty's Government: Whether they will consider enlarging the quota of full British passports which can be granted to Chinese Hong Kong personnel who serve in the Royal Navy and the Army, if necessary by introducing legislation.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Earl Ferrers): My Lords, the quota of British citizenship places which is available to locally enyayeû selvice personnel was determined by the formula which is prescribed in the British Nationality (Hong Kong) (Selection Scheme) Order 1990. We see no case for altering the position.
Lord Shackleton: My Lords, can the noble Earl say how many Chinese servicemen, British-employed, will receive United Kingdom
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Earl Ferrers: My Lords, as regards the number of Army people who are locally employed personnel who have been given passports on the first tranche, the figure is 159; for the Navy, it is 43.
The Ear] of Selkirk: My Lords; is my noble friand aware that there are people from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada who are prevented from getting passports to come to this country after wartime service, perhaps even having been wounded during their service?
Earl Ferrers: My Lords, we had this problem right at the very beginning. It was decided that a certain quota of passports would be given to those people who reside in Hong Kong. The figure was 50,000. It was considered that the appropriate method of doing so was to apportion to general occupation classes 36.200: to disciplined service
classes. 7.000 And to the sensitive service classes, 6,300. That is the way in which the figures were broken up.
Lord Molloy: My Lords, is the noble Earl aware - I am sure he is that those of us from both Houses who have visited Hong Kong periodically have been impressed with the loyalty to this country of the Chinese Hong Kong people, despite a Communist power breathing down their necks? will the noble Earl be kind enough
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Earl Ferrers: My Lords, of course, we have considered this. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Molloy, that the loyalty of those people has been impressive. However, the original figure of 50,000 was arrived at after a good deal of discussion and consideration not only as to what was appropriate to Hong Kong but what would be appropriate to this country. For the reasons I have given, I believe that the figure should remain the same and that the break-up within that figure should remain the same as originally suggested, with one or two amendments to the second tranche.
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