HC Deb 22 January 1990 vol 165 cc525-6W
Mr. Teddy Taylor

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the names and populations of overseas territories of members of the EEC; if he will further indicate what plans there are to allow persons from such territories the right of abode within the EEC; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Maude

The list of member states' overseas territories and their populations (estimates for the year in brackets) is:

Numbers and year
United Kingdom:
Anguilla 7,000 (1985)
Bermuda 56,000 (1985)
British Antarctic Territory 1Nil
British Indian Ocean Territory Uninhabited
British Virgin Islands 13,000 (1985)
Cayman Islands 23,400 (1987)

Numbers and year
Falkland Islands 1,916 (1986)
Gibraltar 29,692 (1987)
Hong Kong 5,736,100 (1988)
Montserrat 11,900 (1988)
St. Helena 5,564 (1987)
Tristan Da Cunha 311 (1988)
South Georgia 2—
South Sandwich Islands Uninhabited
Turks and Caicos Islands 14.000 (1988)
France:
Overseas Departments
Martinique 336,952 (1988)
French Guiana 11,0000 (1989)
Guadeloupe 334,000 (1988)
Reunion 578,500 (1988)
Territorial Collectives
St. Pierre et Miquelon 6,500 (1987)
Mayotte 67,000 (1985)
Overseas Territories
French Polynesia 188,814 (1988)
French Southern Antarctic Territories 3Nil
New Caledonia and Dependencies 164,173 (1988)
Wallis and Futuna Islands 13,100 (1985)
Netherlands:
Aruba 60,312 (1981)
Netherlands Antilles 175,395 (1981)
Portugal:
Macao 500,000
1 Populated by scientists and technicians.
2 Army unit and staff at British Antarctic Survey, Bird Island.
3 Population only 200 scientists and staff.

The Overseas Departments and the Territorial Collectives are part of metropolitan France and their citizens are therefore EC nationals. Gibraltar forms part of the EC and its citizens are therefore EC nationals. Citizens of the other territories listed in the table do not have rights of entry into the Community unless they hold a passport of a member state which specifically entitles them to entry.

We are not aware of any plans by other EC member states to amend the existing rights of entry to the Community for their overseas territories.

On Hong Kong, I refer my hon. Friend to the statement my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs made in the House on 20 December.