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policy in the concept of the Bill which they have so far firmly resisted. The fact is that the Government will not have made a concession to Gibraltar; and if Parliament insists that Gibraltar is a special case and that they alone should be extracted from the dependent territories citizenship it is arguable that the Government should not feel obliged to make any other changes in the Nationality Bill or administratively in consequence of this.
4. I doubt whether a change in nomenclature on the lines suggested would give much satisfaction to the dependencies other than Hong Kong.
Conclusion
5.
Agreement to the use of 'British Dependent Territories Citizen' in passports should not present a problem. 'British: Dependent Territories Citizen' would be a major departure. The Government should not conclude at an early stage that they would not seek to reverse in October a successful pro-Gibraltar amendment. So there should be no question of a quick pre-emptive offer to Hong Kong. A new concession to Hong Kong is not inevitable.
14 July 1981
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гони
W Jones
Nationality and Treaty Department