Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee says the Government and Mainland authorities are discussing the implementation arrangements for "overage children" of Hong Kong residents applying for one-way permits.

"Overage children" refers to Mainlanders who were aged below 14 at the time their natural parents obtained Hong Kong resident status before November 1, 2001.

Mr Lee told lawmakers today while neither the Government nor Mainland authorities have accurate information yet on the number of eligible overage children, it is estimated there will be tens of thousands.

Noting Mainland authorities have occasionally adjusted the one-way permit scheme, Mr Lee said the Government will liaise with them to reflect local views, such as optimising the utilisation of the unused permit quotas to facilitate the early entry of eligible people.

In the first 11 months of last year, 44,627 people had come to Hong Kong on one-way permits. Of them 4,616 were certificate of entitlement holders, 548 belonged to spouses separated for 10 years or more and their accompanying children, and 39,252 permits were granted to other categories of applicants. These categories include spouses separated for less than 10 years and their accompanying children, unsupported children who need to join their relatives in Hong Kong, people coming to Hong Kong to care for unsupported aged parents, and unsupported elderly people coming to join their relatives in Hong Kong.