f
CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference.
HKL 12 340/10
51
Separate copies:-
Mr Clift
--
Miss Brooks
HKGD
-
230/5
Legal Advisers
Mr Archer
SASD
Mr Gatty MVD
HKK. 340
YAO. 51
RECEIVED !!!
"
- 2 JUN 1980
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
мо
J10.6
REGISTRY
Action Tuken
Awielb
See (53
WHITE PAPER ON NEW NATIONALITY LAW
1. We have just received the second draft of this White Paper from the Home Office. I attach a copy. The Home Office hope that the FCO will now agree to this draft so that it can be submitted to the Home and Social Affairs Committee by the Home Office with FCO concurrence. To meet the timetable set by Ministers we shall have to submit to FCO Ministers within the next few days.
2.
There is one major point concerning the title of citizens of the British Dependent Territories which is still to be settled, and there are a number of other points where the proposed provi- sion in the new legislation is still disputed with the Home Office (e.g. parts of the citizenship by descent provision and possibly parts of the citizenship by virtue of marriage and statelessness provisions); FCO Departments who have an interest in these provisions are aware of the points at issue. Other Departments have an interest in the general presentation of the Paper because of the impact it may have in dependencies and certain Commonwealth countries, and it is on this point that I seek your immediate views.
3.
We suggested some presentational changes to the first draft of the White Paper after consulting various FCO Departments. The Home Office have accepted many but not all of these. Never- theless the Paper as it now stands seems to me to be largely acceptable presentationally. There are quite a number of drafting changes we intend to propose, but we expect to be able to settle these at official level with the Home Office. We have a meeting with them this afternoon, Friday, at 3.00 pm in Clive House. It will be most helpful to me if you could let me know if there are any significant points of presentation which occur to you which we could take up with the Home Office at today's meeting. You will, of course, be able to suggest detailed drafted changes later: my main interst for today's meeting is to know whether there are any presentational points which appear to you to be of sufficient importance that if the Home Office at official level are not prepared to change we should have to brief our Ministers on
them. The points will mainly concern British Dependent Terstory Citizens and UKPH.
4.
I apologise for this extremely short notice.
30 May 1980
CONFIDENTIAL
Imone!
W Jones NTD
Mr Willen