(145181) Dd. 737490 750M 1/71 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry
No. HKK 18/10
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT
LETTER
Type 1 +
From
To:-
Mr Royle
Telephone No. & Ext.
Peter Blaker Esq MP
House of Commons
Department
I am sorry I have not been in a position
before this to reply to your letter of 26 August
about the Hong Kong Immigration Bill.
In 1969 the Hong Kong Government enacted
legislation which extended to Commonwealth citizens
the controls which it operated, through a system of
visas and re-entry permits, over the entry of
aliens into the Colony. Controls of this nature
over the entry of Commonwealth citizens had already
been imposed by most countries, both inside and
outside the Commonwealth, and the Hong Kong
the
Government considered at one time that it was
necessary in the Colony's own interests that they
should take similar action.
The Immigration Bill to which you
refer in your letter does not seek to impose any
additional restrictions on the freedom of entry
into Hong Kong of citizens of the United Kingdom
and Colonies.
Visas are not necessary in the case
of citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies who
hold United Kingdom passports issued in the United
Kingdom unless they are issued on behalf of another
Government. No change in these requirements is
contemplated in consequence of the enactment of the
Bill.
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
/However