LegCo Paper No. CB(2) 1711/96-97(01)

LegCo Panel on Security

Outstanding Items for Discussion
(as at 9.4.1997)

A. Items raised by members

1. Deployment of Mainland Troops in Hong Kong

Members decided at the Panel meeting on 29 January 1996 that this would be a standing item for discussion once every two months as from the April meeting.

2. Permanent residency after 1997

Members decided at the Panel meeting on 28 October 1996 that this would be a standing item for discussion once every two months.

3. Follow-up on issues of Non-Chinese ethnic minorities

Latest developments

  1. Legislation was passed on 19 March 1997 in the UK enabling solely British ethnic minorities in Hong Kong to apply for registration as British citizens. The legislation will -

    1. require applicants to have been solely British before 4 February 1997, the day on which the Home Secretary made his statement. This means that anyone renouncing another nationality on or after that date will not qualify;

    2. require applicants to be ordinarily residents in Hong Kong;

    3. provide for all solely British individuals, including spouses and children, to qualify in their own right; and

    4. provide for British citizenship to be given from 1 July 1997.

  2. The British Trade Commission in Hong Kong will make a further announcement about the procedures for registration.

4. Follow-up on repatriation of Vietnamese migrants

Members agreed at the meeting held on 16 December 1996 to follow-up the issue at a future meeting (paragraph 9 of LegCo Paper No. CB(2) 1674/96-97 refers).

5. Visa application for visiting Hong Kong beyond 1 July 1997

Raised by Hon Howard YOUNG on 13 January 1997. Secretary for Security’s written reply to Mr YOUNG’s question at the LegCo sitting on 5 March 1997 is attached at Annex A.

6. Statutory power to shut down vice establishments

Raised by Hon James TO on 28 February 1997. A note from Mr TO is attached at Annex B.

7. Minimum safeguards against unfair deportation

Referred by the Bills Committee on Immigration (Amendment) Bill 1997 on 26 March 1997. The subject was proposed by Hon Christine LOH. A note from Miss LOH is attached at Annex C(1). A paper provided by the Administration on "Deportation of foreign nationals" and statistics on deportation orders issued by the Secretary for Security in the past three years are attached at Annex C(2) and Annex C(3) respectively.

B. Items raised by the Administration

1. Review of the Organised and Serious Crimes Ordinance

The Security Branch has conducted a review of the Ordinance and intends to submit a report to the Panel for its meeting in May. The report will cover, among other things, the exemption of the Ordinance from the provisions on the protection of journalistic material in the Interpretation and General Clauses (Amendment) Ordinance 1995. The opportunity will also be taken to report on the exemption of the Drug Trafficking (Recovery of Proceeds) Ordinance from those provisions.

LegCo Secretariat
9 April 1997

Last Updated on 21 August 1998