CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
108
Separate copies to:
Mr Martin, SED
Mr Smith, SAmD
cc for information, Mr Morrice,
HK&GD
PS/Mr Luce
see (109
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Mr. W
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4.3
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HICK 34011 RELEWIESENANDAY NO. 51 - 9 MAR 1981
DESK OLACER
INDEX
مثل
PA
stage,
4/3
REGISTRY Action Take
ken
$303. fire 3+13
NATIONALITY BILL: POSITION OF THE DEPENDENCIES
1.
Mr Luce has asked that we give urgent consideration to possible ways of deflecting the requests for changes in the Nationality Bill from the major dependent territories. The purpose of this minute is to ask for your views on this question.
2.
In the case of Hong Kong action is already in hand. We are discussing with the Home Office various suggestions for changes in the Bill which do not affect the main structure of CBDT but which provide some reassurance to at least certain people in Hong Kong. We also have the visit shortly of the Governor of Hong Kong from which he expects to be able to demonstrate the efforts that are truly being made on behalf of Hong Kong. There is also the Secretary of State's visit to Hong Kong later this month during which we hope he will be able to give similar reassurances. Mr Luce wonders whether there is anything we can do on these or similar lines in respect of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.
3.
As I see it in the case of Gibraltar it is more difficult than in the case of Hong Kong. The proposals for changes in the Bill being pressed on behalf of Gibraltar are for their incorporation into British citizenship or the automatic right for Gibraltarians to British citizenship on application with no strings attached. It is surely impossible to grant this, and there is no other change in the Nationality Bill which could substitute for those proposals. From a purely nationality point of view, therefore, it seems to me that the answer to Gibraltar has to be more on the lines of firm response
resist
on their proposals, with a stress on the major benefits which they already enjoy from membership of the EC and from the administrative concession for entry into the UK. We shall repeat our willingness to use a title including Gibraltar in passports eg CBDT (Gibraltar), and we may be able to go further as they propose and provide for the use of 'CBDT of Gibraltar'; but though this should please Gibraltarians I doubt whether it would be seen as an adequate response to their requests. But is there more that could be done to placate these lobbies, both in Gibraltar and in the UK? Would a Ministerial visit to Gibraltar help in this respect? Is there anything else we could offer them or say to the Parliamentary lobby in this country on behalf of Gibraltar apart from firm but sympathetic so to the major proposals that they have put forward? Ministers clearly feel that they cannot treat lightly this Parliamentary lobby amongst Conservative MPs of behalf of Gibraltar.
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CODE 18-77
S$ 8/78
CONFIDENTIAL