DSR 14 (Revised)
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Lord Trefgarne
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Timothy Raison Esq MP
Home Office
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NATIONALITY BILL:
FINAL STAGES
When we discussed the Gibraltar amendment at the.
Home Secretary's meeting on 17 September we did not
reach the point of considering how opposition and other
non-Governmental amendments on Hong Kong might be dealt with in the Lords at Report Stage. Given the
unpredictability of how the Gibraltar and Falkland
Islands amendments will fare it is important to consider ways of meeting and preferably preempting the objections
which are likely to arise from other dependent territories
especially if a difficult amendment on Hong Kong is proposed in the Lords.
Indeed the Governor has already made clear Hong Kong's preference for a clause declaring
that those covered by the Bill should remain British nationals. As you know Hong Kong's concern is not to
achieve right of entry to the United Kingdom but to underline their political connection with Britain at a time when maintenance of confidence is of great importance for them, as indeed it is for us.
In the circumstances I wonder whether it might not be
prudent to seek a formula for an amendment that we ourselv can deploy in the Lords at need. The aim would be to
find something that would meet Hong Kong's requirements while leaving the principle of CBDT intact, and that would
enable the Governor of Hong Kong to assure his Executive and Legislative Councils that we had taken account of thei
interests.
/We think