CONFIDENTIAL
LORD
PRIVY
SEAL
1340/34-B.
With Tou
HKK 340
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1
14 September 1979
NATIONALITY BILL
nee (ioit A
10
As a result of an unfortunate oversight, a copy of your letter to Francis Pym of 22 August, with its enclosure, was not received at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office until 7 September. However, I do not think any harm has been done since FCO officials are in contact with your Nationality Division and they are continuing discussions on the issues involved.
as
In brief, the FCO's position on the outstanding issues is follows.
Three-tier proposal we have not yet resolved the problem but we hope that a further meeting at Under-Secretary level will lead to agreement in the very near future. Citizenship by descent
a)
b)
Crown Service We can accept that this matter be left for the drafting stage. One possible solution to the immediate problem of preparing the draft bill is for the miscellaneous provisions to include one empowering the Secretary of State to make an Order stipulating the categories of employment which will count Crown
Service. We agree with you that the more we extend the
definition of Crown Service the more difficult it
becomes to restrict the claims of businessmen, SO we must draw the line at a clearly defensible level. Upgrading of Citizenship We are still not satisfied
that something on the lines of the New Zealand formula
The Rt Hon William Whitelaw MP
Secretary of State for Home Affairs
50 Queen Anne's Gate
London SW1
CONFIDENTIAL
/could