GR 400
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDEMTIAL
ALSO AT HICK 02612
HICK RECEIVED
3401 WAY MO. SI
3 CMAR 1981
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BESTRY JAction Taker
Cro ily
DESKBY 381000Z
FM HONG KONG 300618Z MAR 81
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 351 OF 30 MARCH
FOLLOWING FROM PRIVATE SECRETARY TO SECRETARY OF STATE
FOR DONALD AND CLIFT
NATIONALITY BILL
see
43
+246
1. SIR S Y CHUNG CALLED ON LORD CARRINGTON THIS MORNING. THE POSSIBILITY OF FURTHER AMENDMENTS TO THE NATIONALITY BILL INEVITABLY
CAME UP. SIR S Y CHUNG MADE A STRONG PITCH FOR A CHANGE IN THE
NOMENCLATURE.
COPY WITH
MR CUT
2. CHUNG ARGUED THAT THE BILL WOULD MAKE LIFE DIFFICULT FOR CBDTS WHEN TRAVELLING OVERSEAS BY MAKING THEIR NATIONALITY LESS RATHER THAN MORE CLEAR. HE ACCEPTED THAT THERE WAS A DISTINCTION BETWEEN
NATIONALITY AND CITIZENSHIP: AND THAT WE HAD UNDERSTANDABLY DECIDED
TO LABEL THOSE WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AS ''BRITISH CITIZENS'' AND TO USE A DIFFERENT TITLE FOR THOSE WITH THE RIGHT OF ABODE ELSEWHERE. BUT SINCE WE WERE ALL AGREED THAT CBDTS WOULD REMAIN BRITISH NATIONALS, IN INTERNATIONAL LAW, (THE SECRETARY OF STATE HAD DRAWN ON FCO TELEGRAM 290 TO HONG KONG), CHUNG COULD NOT SEE WHY THE NOMENCLATURE SHOULD NOT MAKE THIS EXPLICIT. HE ASKED WHAT ANSWER CBDTS WOULD HAVE TO GIVE IN THE FUTURE TO THE QUESTION ABOUT NATIONALITY ON STANDARD IMMIGRATION CARDS. THE TERM CBDT WOULD BE MEANINGLESS IN THAT CONTEXT. WOULD CBDTS CONTINUE TO REPLY THAT THEIR NATIONALITY WAS BRITISH'' (AS WAS IN FACT THE POSITION)? IF SO, SHOULD THEIR PASSPORT NOT MAKE THIS CLEAR, AS IT DOES AT PRESENT. IN PLACE OF THE PRESENT BRITISH SUBJECT: CITIZEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES'' ON THE TITLE PAGE OF A PASSPORT, WHY COULD WE NOT HAVE HENCEFORTH ''BRITISH NATIONAL : CBDT ETC (AS APPROPRIATE)''.
3. HAVING EXHAUSTED THE POINTS IN HIS BRIEF (NO 20, PARAGRAPH 4)
LORD CARRINGTON HAD DIFFICULTY IN REFUTING CHUNG'S EMINENTLY LOGICAL LINE OF ARGUMENT. HE TOLD CHUNG FIRMLY THAT WE HAD FOUGHT
HARD FOR AMENDMENTS REQUESTED BY HONG KONG, WITH SOME SUCCESS (FOR WHICH CHUNG WAS GRATEFUL), AND THAT THE HOME SECRETARY HAD EMPHASISED BOTH TO HIM AND TO THE GOVERNOR THAT THE HOME OFFICE WAS NOT PREPARED TO MAKE A FURTHER ADJUSTMENT TO THE NOMENCLATURE,
WHICH IT REGARDED AS LYING AT THE HEART OF THE BILL. BUT, AS YOU WILL APPRECIATE, IT WAS HARD TO EXPLAIN TO CHUNG WHY HIS PROPOSAL WOULD OFFEND AGAINST THE SPIRIT OF THE BILL.
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