HL Deb 13 January 1997 vol 577 cc15-6WA
Lord Lester of Herne Hill

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the speech of the Baroness Blatch on the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 12th December (H.L. Deb., cols. 1228-31), whether their guarantee to the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong of admission to the United Kingdom for settlement "if ever they come under pressure to leave Hong Kong" is based upon clearly prescribed criteria published in Hong Kong; if so, what are the criteria, and if not, whether they will publish the criteria; and

Further to the speech of the Baroness Blatch on the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 12th December (H.L. Deb., cols. 1228-31), what they regard as sufficient evidence of (a) "pressure to leave Hong Kong"; (b) "discrimination"; and (c) "racial harassment"; and

Further to the speech of the Baroness Blatch on the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 12th December (H.L. Deb., cols. 1228-31), why they have stated that they would admit members of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong to the United Kingdom only if "they had nowhere else to go"; and

Further to the speech of the Baroness Blatch on the Second Reading of the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 12th December (H.L. Deb., cols. 1228-31), how the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong can be "secure" in their knowledge of the Government's intentions as to their future in the absence of prescribed criteria "setting down in detail the specific circumstances which would need to be met" for the Government's assurances to come into effect.

Baroness Blatch:

I refer the noble Lord to the position which I set out during the debate on the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill on 12th December, in particular at column 1231. The guarantee applies only to those with nowhere else to go because members of the ethnic minorities in Hong Kong who are not solely British nationals, but hold the nationality of another country, will have the option of going there. We have not prescribed detailed criteria for operation of the guarantee, but we have undertaken that it will not be interpreted narrowly or restrictively.