Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Murray of Blidworth on 7 December 2022 (HL3693), when they will reach the decision on whether to grant Hong Kong military service veterans entitlement to British citizens passports and right of abode in the UK.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
Parliament will be updated at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when the decision whether to grant Hong Kong military service veterans entitlement to British citizens passports and right of abode in the UK is to be announced.
Answered by Lord Murray of Blidworth
The Government remains committed to implementing a policy to ensure Hong Kong military service veterans are treated in a similar way to other non-UK service personnel who were based in Hong Kong prior to the handover.
We will update Parliament with more details once collective agreement on this policy has been reached. .
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the remarks by Lord Sharpe of Epsom on 8 March (HL Deb col 1370) that "the Government remain committed to implementing a solution to the issue of British Hong Kong veterans before the end of this calendar year", whether they will still "update Parliament by the end of June".
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The option identified by the Home Secretary in December 2021 is being further refined to ensure it will be a sufficient solution for British Hong Kong veterans.
The Government remains committed to implementing a solution by the end of this calendar year, and will provide a further update at the earliest opportunity
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Williams of Trafford on 14 May 2020 (HL3768) and the letter sent by the Minister for Future Borders and Immigration on 9 June 2020 in the response to the letter from Lord Craig of Radley on 19 March 2020, whether they have made a decision on the requests of 64 Hong Kong Military Service Corps veterans for right of abode in the UK.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, introduced in 1990 and run until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as British citizens.
We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.
Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel, who hold British National (Overseas) citizenship, may be eligible for the Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visa which opens on 31 January and provides a route to settlement in the UK.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer from Baroness Williams of Trafford on 16 March (HL2050), whether they have received the requests of 64 Hong Kong Military Service Corps veterans for right of abode in the UK enclosed with my letter to the Home Secretary, dated 19 March 2020; whether they will respond individually to veterans; and if so, when.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
The letter concerning the request of 64 Hong Kong Military Service Corpsveterans for right of abode in the UK has been received and is being considered. The Minister for Future Borders and Immigration will respond in due course.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 17 February (HL1247), when they expect to complete their consideration of the right to abode requested by former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel which has been under assessment since January 2016.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Further to my response of 17 February, we continue to actively consider representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bates on 26 January 2016 (HL4968), whether they have completed their assessment of the request of former members of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Navy Service for the right of abode in the UK; and if so, what was the outcome of that assessment.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Under the British Nationality Selection Scheme, that was introduced in 1990 and ran until 1 July 1997, a limited number of Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were settled in Hong Kong could apply to register as a British citizen.
We are giving careful consideration to representations made on behalf of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 6 July (HL9019), what decision they have reached following their active consideration of the request of 301 former British Hong Kong servicemen to be granted British citizenship.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
Further to my response of 6 July, we continue to actively consider representations made on this issue, including those provided recently by the noble Lord.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Williams of Trafford on 24 April (HL6972), when a decision, said to be made "as soon as practicable", will be reached on the request of 301 British Hong Kong Servicemen to be granted British citizenship.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We are actively considering the wider issue of those former Hong Kong Military Service Corps personnel who were unable to obtain citizenship through the selection scheme.
Asked by: Lord Craig of Radley (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by the Minister of State for Immigration on 19 March (HC132570), when a decision will be made on the request of 301 British Hong Kong Servicemen to be granted British citizenship, made in a petition handed to the then Prime Minister David Cameron in 2015 and subsequently raised by a delegation of those servicemen at a meeting with the Home Secretary Amber Rudd in November 2017.
Answered by Baroness Williams of Trafford - Captain of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms (HM Household) (Chief Whip, House of Lords)
We have received a number of representations on this matter, all of which are being carefully considered and a decision will be made as soon as practicable.