The Rt Hon Timothy Raison MP House of Commons
London SWLA OAA
i
Thank you for your letter of 14 March about Sir Richard Francis' letter of 5 March and the effects of the Hong Kong Nationality Bill on locally engaged British Council staff in Hong Kong.
Ministers have decided after much careful consideration that the scheme should be designed to cater for two key groups those essential to the effective administration of Hong Kong in the years up to 1997, and those whose work is vital to Hong Kong's prosperity. I enclose a copy of the Bill and an explanatory memorandum for your information.
They did not think it appropriate to make special arrangements for British Council or British Trade Commission employees as such. But the staff will be eligible to apply insofar as they fall into one or more of the occupational groups making up the seven areas of work which comprise the main part of the scheme. These
seven areas are:
-
Business and Management
Accounting
Information Services
Education
Law
Engineering
Medicine and Science
Proficiency in English and British links are two of the factors which will be considered when assessing such candidates. British Trade Commission candidates will be at an advantage over other similarly qualified candidates without such links.
One consequence of this choice of occupational groups is that less skilled individuals, such as clerical and secretarial staff, will not be eligible to apply under the scheme. The elimination of lower skilled groups goes right across the board and covers both private and public
sectors.
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