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it was then, and we had. We are at There is no doubt nality that we had in a concept that was What we want is ed, citizenship in the most other countries ere are rights. How- a separate hey are related, and ion on that matter, sent, if one wanted s one could do that change in the law
es
are
W. Lyon: While to issue the Green e omission of some the working party es the recommen- andable, I under-
issues have been ers, but the issue sh citizens to have pe seems to me to Il. Will my right hat, although this n with our Com- overnment ought e at any rate that have free move- mmunity, so that of British citizens
Friend is right. f saying that the hd report of the e chaired have and that we are * colleagues for n in relation to the matter. The e United King- nationality con- ed in Europe is t citizenship in pted elsewhere. we get it right, should mean ace given that the right to e because we Until we get there will be
reen Paper is dvance of the
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Mr. Rees: Civic rights are not part of nationality law. It must be made abso- lutely clear that that is the case. As I said to the right hon. Member for Down, South (Mr. Powell), it is not the case that nationality by itself, basically important as it is, is connected with civic rights. The State has the right to give civic rights to whom it likes. We have taken such a line over the years.
British Nationality Law 27 April 1977
Commonwealth Conference, and as most Commonwealth countries in recent years have brought their own law of nationality up to date, will the right hon. Gentleman have consultations with Commonwealth leaders, if they seek them when they come here, or at least invite their obser- vations on the Green Paper? Is it not correct to say that our nationality law, based on an Imperial concept applying in 1948, is so outmoded that all the efforts to deal with, for example, immigration problems through concepts such patriality and the right of abode have further complicated the law because we have delayed in dealing with nationality.
as
Mr. Rees: The hon. and learned Gen- tleman is right on the last point. That is the basic reason for the publication of the Green Paper. Whatever differing views right hon. and hon. Members may hold, I think that we are at one in agreeing that the whole concept is out of date. The hon. and learned Gentleman asked about consultations with the Commonwealth. Our High Cominissioners have already been instructed to consult Commonwealth Governments, and Her Majesty's Gov- ernment will be ready to take into account any views they may wish to put forward. Indeed, in the preparation of the Green Paper I myself have studied what Com- monwealth countries are doing.
Several Hon. Members rose-
Mr. Speaker: Order. May I seek the help of the House? With the agreement of the House, I shall call only those right
hon. and hon. Members who have stood so far, because there is a very long state- ment to follow this one and also a Second Reading debate. We obviously want to get on.
Mr. Scott: Is the right hon. Gentleman satisfied that, in publishing the Green Paper and envisaging a prolonged delay before legislation, there is not a danger that some groups of people around the world who presently have the right of abode in the United Kingdom will be frightened into trying to exercise their right before legislation is produced? May I urge upon him the point that many people will feel that civic rights are an integral part of the concept of citizen- ship and that there will be some dis- appointment that this point was not dealt with more fully in the document?
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The hon. Gentleman referred to there
being a danger that some groups of people might be frightened into trying to exercise their rights before legislation is produced. This document has been published as a Green Paper. I have made clear the time scale involved. I see little danger that people will jump to conclusions. If there were proposals which were to be effec- tive next week, the situation would be different, but when the hon. Gentleman reads the Green Paper and studies the immigration aspects he will see that the effect on immigration in the short run, even when the Bill is published, will be very small. In the long run, however, it will be quite different, because there is a conceptual argument involved
in
change of nationality law, and in the long run there will be a difference of tone as well as an effect on what was once the
Empire.
Mr. George Cunningham: Is it not a reflection of an appalling mess that the Green Paper deals with no less than one- quarter of the world's population and that the majority of the population of no fewer than 35 countries are, in British law, British subjects and entitled as such, if they happen to be resident in this country on a magic date in October each year, to vote in our elections? Will my right hon. Friend reconsider the connection between civic rights and citizenship on the ground that we historically gave civic rights to British subjects and it was only because we botched the job in 1948 and did not notice that time had passed that we have had to give civic rights to people of other independent countries, a practice which is not operated in most of the rest of the world, where they see things more clearly?
Mr. Rees: Of course there is a mess. I think that most right hon. and hon. Members agree that the law is a mess in this matter. My hon. Friend's view of the question of civic rights is different from that in most other countries.
If
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