Widows' plight
Sir: Your article (The widow's mite', 7 July), about war widows resident in Hong Kong argued that some guarantee should be given to such people about their right to come to the United Kingdom if they wish to do so. The Government has in fact done exactly this.
During the Second Reading of the Brit- ish Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill, the Home Secretary gave a clear assurance that the widows of former servicemen who served in the defence of Hong Kong during the second world war would be allowed to come here at any time, either before or after 1997, irrespective of their husband's nationality.
This follows an assurance which the then Home Secretary gave in 1986 that any ex-servicemen who had fought in defence of Hong Kong and were still resident there would be allowed to settle in this country at any time together with their dependents. In addition, to those of them who were British Dependent Territories Citizens he undertook to exercise his discretion and register them as British Citizens if they so applied.
Peter Lloyd
Home Office, Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1
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