§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the lease covering Hong Kong expires; and whether there was provision for an extended term in the original deed.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe lease on the New Territories is due to expire in 1997. It did not cover the question of renewal. The island of Victoria, the southern part of the Kowloon Peninsula and Stonecutters Island are not subject to any lease.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reactions have been received from the Government of the People's Republic of China to the question of British occupancy of Hong Kong under the terms of a subsisting lease.
§ Mr. RowlandsNone.
§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Comonwealth Affairs how many people in Hong Kong have British passports; and what is their position should the lease expire.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe total number of Hong Kong British passports issued between 1st January 1965 and 31st December 1975 was 334,106, of which about 325,000 are still believed to be valid. It is not possible to predict what the effect on British passport holders might be should the New Territories lease expire.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been 786W rehoused in the Government of Hong Kong's building programme in each of the last five years; and how many people it is proposed to rehouse during the next five years.
§ Mr. RowlandsThe following are the figures for each of the last five years:
1971–72 133,100 1972–73 117,000 1973–74 50,000 1974–75 68,600 1975–76 110.300 479,000 It is the intention to produce new housing for 773,100 persons over the next five years.
§ Mr. Hordernasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the amount of sterling balances held by Hong Kong in December 1974, December 1975, and at the latest convenient date.
§ Mr. RowlandsIt is not the practice of the Hong Kong authorities to make public statistics of official external reserves.