Mr Adgs
PS/M/L/
Private Secretary
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Minister
171
Home Office officials
think
need to table the amemo maent
before Clause I is reached-twit
Early as
HKK 340/1
Martin
seel
173
RECEIVED ANY NO. 51
3 0 MAR 1981
NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION: HONG KONG
DESK OF
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
AiGo 314
Problem
1.
The Home Office have asked for the agreement of FCO
Ministers to the tabling of a new clause in the Nationality Bill
to meet the points recently discussed by the Governor and Home
A (138) Office and FCO officials. Text of the clause is attached.
+1139
B
142
Recommendation
2.
I recommend that FCO Ministers should agree to this clause
as drafted.
NTD agree.
The Governor and EXCO have been consulted
in strict confidence and they also agree that it meets the points
discussed.
Background and Argument
3.
-
In my minute to the Private Secretary of 13 March
describing the 3 main points discussed, I said that two had been
quickly agreed in principle and that Home Office officials had
agreed to recommend a provision, still to be drafted, to cover
the third point the possibility in special circumstances for
a Crown Servant in a dependency to acquire British citizenship
at the Home Secretary's discretion. The attached clause has
been drafted by Parliamentary Draftsmen and has been approved
by the Home Secretary. It covers satisfactorily all 3 points.
It provides for registration rather than naturalisation.
Kong have been consulted on the outlines of the proposals and
agree that they meet their requirements. If FCO Ministers agree
to the clause the only consideration is the tactical timing of
its tabling.
Hong
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/4.
26th
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