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HOME OFFICE WHITEHALL, 9.7.1.
11/4/2
29th December, 1967
1/5/2
You spoke to the Home Secretary's Private Secretary about a letter sent by Kr. 3. B. Jackson-Lipkin on 19th September to the Home Office, and later sent her the enclosed letter from his dated 13th Noveber. I m sorry that I have not been able to write to you soonar, but I have thought it right to discuss thie with the Commonwealth Office before replying.
I think my best course will be to deal with the points raised in Kr. Jackson-Lipkin's two letters and to ask you to pass on what I say to him, and for this purpose I ma enclosing a copy of this letter. I agree, incidentally, that it would have been better to have replied to Ir. Jackson-Lipkin more fully than was dona in the Home Office letter of 9th October and I am sorry about this.
As regards the attitude of the Immigration Department ia Hong Kong, it is of course a department of the Hong Kong Government to which we have delegated authority to issue entry certificates to those persons desiring to come to the United Kingdom and who clearly meet the requirements for admission we have laid down. It has no responsibility whatsoever for our policies in this matter and when, on occasion, a doubtful case arises it may be necessary for the department to refer an individual application to the Home Office in London for a ruling. I can assure you that the Hong Kong Department has full information about our requirements ani gives them dus publicity, It is not true that British subjects in Hong Kong are required to amly for visas, as is reported in Er. Jackson-Lipkin's letter. The Hong Kong Government does, however, strongly advise independent travellers to Britain to apply in their own interests for entry certificates to avoid the distress and the expense of a fruitless journey should they prove to be unqualified for admission for the purpose or period for which they wish to enter this country.
Next as to the system of immigration control itself. The Government in 1962 were, as you know, forced by the pressure of events to interfere with the hitherto unrestricted right of British subjects, whether from independent Commonwealth territories or dependent ones, to enter the United Kingdon, and the Commonwealth Immigrants Act was accordingly passed. Since the prasent government came into power it has been found necessary to restrict still further the numbers of people allowed to come to work and settle.
Sir George Binclair, C.M.0., 0.B.2., K.P.
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