-23younger an OWP applicant is admitted, the easier it will be for him or her to adapt to Hong Kong’s education system.”60 60. The OWP scheme therefore favours younger children as immigrants and they are given the largest sub-quota (60) of the 150 daily quota. They are likely to be qualified to settle in Hong Kong before their parent (usually the mother) on the Mainland (spouses separated for over 10 years being given a sub-quota of 30). However, younger children obviously need parental care. Since 2002, Mainland authorities have facilitated visits by spouses to their families in Hong Kong by allowing them to apply for two-way permits as and when they wish once they have applied for a OWP.61 This effectively allows family reunion to take place while the Mainland parent’s own OWP is pending. The Task Force Report recommended that such spouses should be encouraged to take advantage of this to familiarise themselves with Hong Kong conditions and to help themselves decide whether to settle here.62 H.3 How the OWP scheme bears on the seven-year requirement 61. It is evident from the foregoing that no support for the CSSA seven- year requirement can rationally be derived from any aspect of the OWP scheme. The humane and laudable purpose of that scheme is the promotion of family reunion, respecting the right of abode of children of Hong Kong permanent residents under the Basic Law. It gives preference especially to younger children because they integrate more easily. And realistically, to provide them with adult carers, their Mainland parents, usually their mothers, are encouraged to come to Hong Kong on two-way permits pending issue of the OWP applied for, eventually settling here as Hong Kong residents in their own right. 60 At §2.27. 61 Minutes Welfare Panel Meeting on 10 March 2003, LC Paper No CB(2)1738/02-03, §13. 62 At p ix.