CONFIDENTIAL
SAVING TELEGRAM
BY BAG
FM FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
(GNN 340/14)
TO ABIDJAN TELNO 1 SAVING OF 28 MARCH 1977 AND SAVING TO CERTAIN POSTS
PUBLICATION OF CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON A NEW BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW
1. Guidance Telno 66 contains material about the forthcoming Green Paper on a new British Nationality Law.
2.
High Commissioners/Governors/Commissioners/British Government Representative Castries, should, unless they see objection, pass a copy of the final draft of the Green Paper (being despatched separately) to Ministers/Members of Executive Councils shortly before the date of publication and explain the proposals. Those who have access to the document should be asked to take great care in its
handling until the Green Paper is published. Ambassadors in countries with a particular interest may at their discretion explain HMG's proposals to Ministers or senior officials before publication.
3.
The Green Paper will be seen by members of Commonwealth Governments only a matter of weeks before the opening of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, It is not however the Government's intention that nationality law should be placed on the agenda for the Meeting. There are already sufficient subjects of moment on the agenda to occupy Heads of Government fully during the time available. Nationality law is a complex matter, hardly suitable for discussion at the level of this meeting. It is our hope that any Commonwealth Government that wishes to raise the matter with the British
Government will do so bilaterally.
4. Expressions of opinion by the public on the proposals should simply be acknowledged and copied to the FCO. The Green Paper gives the address of the department of the Home Office to which members of the public may write direct.
5.
Some posts will have particular problems over the presentation of the proposals. Individual telegrams are being sent to Gibraltar, Hong Kong, Madrid, Peking, EEC Capitals, UKREP Brussels, Honiara, BGR Castries, Brunei and Guatemala City.
OWEN
FCO DISTRIBUTION
N & TD
CONFIDENTIAL
COPIES TO
MR W M LEE
HOME OFFICE, B4 DIVN