CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
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PRESS THE HOME SECRETARY, EVEN THOUGH NOT ASKING HIM TO AMEND
THE BILL ITSELF ANY FURTHER. HE AGREED, HOWEVER, THAT MR BLAKER
SHOULD RAISE THE POINTS IN PARAGRAPHS 2(A) AND (B) OF YOUR TUR
WITH MR RAISON, THE HOME OFFICE MINISTER PILOTING THE BILL
THROUGH THE HOUSE WITH MR LUCE.
5.
MR BLAKER TACKLED MR RAISON YESTERDAY AND WAS ABLE TO
KINDLE ONLY ONE SPARK OF HOPE. EVEN THIS IS STILL SUBJECT TO
FURTHER CONSIDERATION WITHIN THE HOME OFFICE. MR RAISON SAID
THAT HE WOULD CONSIDER ASKING MR WHITELAW TO REPEAT THE
ASSURANCE GIVEN BY MR LUCE IN COMMITTEE ON 28 APRIL THAT CBDTS
WOULD REMAIN BRITISH NATIONALS (IN THE LIMITED SENSE EXPLAINED
BY MR LUCE), THOUGH WITHOUT A RIGHT OF ENTRY AND ABODE IN THE UK.
HE GAVE NO FIRM COMMITMENT, HOWEVER.
6.
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ON THE OTHER HAND, MR RAISON WAS ADAMANT THAT THE HOME
SECRETARY COULD NOT, REPEAT NOT, GIVE AN ASSURANCE THAT THIS
DESCRIPTION WOULD APPEAR IN CBDT PASSPORTS. THERE WOULD BE NO
PROBLEM IF EITHER OF THE QUALIFICATIONS ABOUT RIGHT OF ABODE
SUGGESTED IN YOUR TELNO 495 WERE TO BE ENDORSED ON PAGE 5 OF
HONG KONG PASSPORTS BUT TO GIVE A PUBLIC ASSURANCE RELATING TO
NATIONAL STATUS AND PASSPORTS WOULD ONLY CREATE THE KIND OF
CONFUSION ABOUT CITIZENSHIP AND NATIONALITY (NOT CONFINED SOLELY
TO HONG KONG) WHICH IT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THE BILL TO CLARIFY.
7.
MR BLAKER ASKED WHY IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE IN RELATION TO A
BILL ENTITLED THE NATIONALITY BILL' TO REMOVE DOUBTS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL STATUS OF BRITISH PASSPORT HOLDERS IN HONG KONG.
MR RAISON, WHILE ADMITTING THAT THIS BILL IN EFFECT DEALT WITH
CITIZENSHIP, SAID THAT IT FOLLOWED IN SEQUENCE A NUMBER OF ACTS
WHICH SINCE 1948 HAD ALL BEEN LABELLED NATIONALITY ACTS,
COVERING A WHOLE RANGE OF CONNECTED PROBLEMS SUCH AS NATIONALITY, IMMIGRATION RIGHTS AND PROTECTION. THERE WERE WIDER
CONSIDERATIONS THAN HONG KONG AND ACCOUNT HAD TO BE TAKEN OF
THESE AND THE POLITICAL REALITIES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM.
8.
I REALISE THAT IT IS ESSENTIAL TO REASSURE HONG KONG
ABOUT THE LINKS BETWEEN THE UK AND THE TERRITORY AND I BELIEVE
THERE WILL BE NO PROBLEMS HERE. THERE STILL REMAINS A HOPE THAT
THE HOME SECRETARY WILL GIVE THE PUBLIC ASSURANCE IN THE STRICT
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