RIGHT OF ABODE FOR FORMER BRITISH-HONG KONG SERVICEMEN

That this House recognises the enormous contribution to Britain of the former Hong Kong armed forces from 1857 until 1997; believes that those remaining soldiers of the Hong Kong Military Service Corps and the Hong Kong Royal Naval Service who did not receive a UK passport following the handover of Hong Kong to China should now be offered that choice; notes that not more than some 500 soldiers were given a UK passport in 1997 under the then passport selection scheme; further notes that the remainder of the Military Service Corps and some 100 Royal Naval servicemen were left behind; acknowledges that these men and their ancestors have served UK commitments in South East Asia greatly, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Britain throughout two world wars, as well as alongside Britain in France, Burma, Korea, Malaya, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and the UN for King, Queen and country; and calls on the Government to recognise that the decision not to have asked each serviceman to freely transfer their nationality from British-Hong Kong to Hong Kong-Chinese was unjust and an error that should now be rectified.