Mr Clift HKGD
HKCK 3401,
KKYIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
0 9 MAY 1980
DESK OFFICER
Replind
INDEX
No
PA
रिचार
9/5
REGISTRY
Action Taken
Awalst
see
на
48
1.
I think that if we are to do as you suggest in paragraph 1 of your minute we need to be absolutely clear on what we mead by reserving the FCO's position on the draft White Paper. As I under- stand it, the Home Secretary's objective is to get the FCO's agreement to whatever is to be contained in the White Paper before it goes to the Home and Social Affairs Committee. The time-table has already slipped and it is already going to be uncomfotably tight to meet the Government's wishes to present the White Paper before the Summer Recess. I can see no possibility of meeting that deadline if your suggestion means that after reference to the Dependencies there should be further exchanges with the Home Office before the White Paper is put to the Home and Social Affairs Committee.
2.
If this is right the most we can do by way of reserving the FCO's position is to say that we wish the White Paper to give correspondingly stronger assurances about HMG's support for the Dependencies if they cannot be told in the White Paper that the prefix " British Subject" will be retained for them and for British Citizens. We might also ask that the White Paper should not rule out the possibility of retaining the prefix " British Subject" in this sense. The Dependencies
The Dependencies - or at least Hong Kong have had and used ample opportunities to express their views on this subject, and there can scarcely be anything new for them to say.
3. As I see it, we should expect the following from the White Paper. It should not unduly upset the Dependencies by being more depressing on the subject of nomenclature than it need be. But it should not be unduly optimistic or concealing, for it is far better that the Dependencies should know what the score is likely to be from the White Paper and to be able to express their views on it than that they should be taken by surprise when the Nationality Bill eventually appears.
4. I agree with the point in your paragraph 2. I think we must now envisage a White Paper appearing during the second half of July.
kuones
ايه
W Jones
Nationality and Treaty Department
7 May 1980