TNAG-2945-FCO40-4221-British-Nationality-Hong-Kong-Act-(BNHKA)-1990-passports-for-1993 — Page 13

06-JUL-1993 14:52

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Lord Wyatt of Weeford: My-bordsy is the noble Earl aware that we badly let down the 3 million Hong Kong Chinese residents by taking away all the passports to which they had previously been entitled? They never wished to come to live here. It was only as an escape route, should the Chinese turn nasty, and as a place to park themselves for a little while before moving to warmer and less socialist climes. Is the noble Barl further aware that

· those Chinese who served in the forces in Hong Kong would obviously be the first to be victimised, if the Chinese turn nasty? They should, in honour, be given the same rights as others on the quota. If they are not included in the quota, then they should be.

Earl Ferrers: My Lords, I agree they are on the quota, but the way in which the quota was designed gives them a certain proportion while others also have a share. One must remember that that particular branch of people, the disciplined services, covers not only the Navy and Army but also the police, the prison services,

government Alying SCMVĀCC,

independent commission against corruption, customs and excise, the file service and the immigration service. They all have to be fitted in, and they all have great claims. That is why the Army and the Navy have been giver-tire quotas; they received:

Lord Geddes: My Lords, as regards the reply which he gave to the supplementary question of the noble Lord, Lord Shackleton, is the Minister aware that the maximum number of locally employed personnel who have not yet received the status of a full British passport is estimated to be no more than 1,000? Is he further aware of the problems of recruiting already being experienced within Hong Kong because, as the noble Lord, Lord Wyatt, says, of the fear over their status from 1997 onwards? The cost of replacing those locally employed personnel with UK personnel is estimated to be an additional £3 million per annum.

Earl Fox/Gas! My Loads, I do not think that one can go too far down the road of investigating the alternatives. We went through all this problem when the Bill came to your Lordships House and if we have a limited number, we have to abide by that limit. Having set the limit, we have to separate it into reasonable proportions. Many people have good claims to British passports: from the Army, 630 people have applied and from the Navy, 123 have applied. The first tranche of 159 have received passports: the Navy has 43. In the second tranche, there has been an alteration to the formula which gives both the Army and the Navy a benefit over what they would have had under the original regime.

Lord Bonham-Carter: My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that his answers to these questions indicate that the Government have created the problem for themselves? The problem is such that they are indicating

indicating that they have

have no sense of obligation whatever towards people who have been prepared to serve in the Armed Forces and to risk their lives for this country. not ashamed of that?

Are they

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