§ Lord Zouche of Haryngworthasked Her Majesty's Government:
How many Hong Kong British Dependent Territory citizens may be left stateless in 1997.
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Home Office (Lord Glenarthur)None. Under the draft Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order, we propose that all those who are British Dependent Territories citizens by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong will be entitled to become British Nationals (Overseas). They will need to have acquired this nationality by 1st July 1997 or before 31st December 1997 if they were born in the first six months of that year. Any British Dependent Territories citizens who have not become British Nationals (Overseas) by 1st July 1997 and have no other form of citizenship will not be stateless because the draft order proposes that they should automatically become British Overseas citizens on that date. The provision of British Overseas citizenship and British National (Overseas) status fully meet our international obligations under the 1961 United Nations Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.