Hong Kong

EDM number 247 in 1989-90, proposed by Tim Devlin on 20/12/1989.

That this House, grateful to Hong Kong for the many services its people have rendered, in war as in peace, to the United Kingdom, conscious of its own commitment that this last remaining Crown Colony shall continue to be stable and prosperous over the years while it remains under Parliament's control and determined that there shall be a peaceful and orderly finale to the British empire in Asia, welcomes the Government's decision to introduce legislation that will offer full citizenship to a substantial number of those British Hong Kong subjects whose contribution to the Colony's public service and economic life is essential if these objectives are to be met; reserves its position on the exact number and details of the selection scheme put forward by the Secretaries of State but notes that nothing less will be adequate to prevent a further damaging exodus of these essential workers; and reminds the Official Opposition, whose hostility to these proposals smacks more of political cynicism and prejudice than it does of statesmanship, that the proposed admission of a maximum of one skilled Hong Kong Chinese and his family for every 1000 or so persons already resident in Britain, will be accepted by the wise and generous-hearted majority of their constituents as being, in all the circumstances, in the best interests of both Hong Kong and Britain.

This motion has been signed by a total of 1 MPs.