CONFIDENTIAL
HAR 340/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY MO.
3 NOV De
DESK OFFICER,
PA
ĢISTRY PAchon Taken
PS/LPE
INDEX
INO
NATIONALITY BILL: HONG KONG
Drafthoms done,
and is milt
Love Pring Seal
1
take inti asment W. Clif
umpiling
1. I agree that the form of words worked out by officials for Mr Whitelaw is about the best we can make by way of an under- taking or answer to Sir Paul Bryan.
454A
see (454)
2. The Governor has clearly been put on the spot by his Unofficials and it may be that he has sent his suggested questions to Sir Paul Bryan for purely tactical reasons. I suggest that
when the outcome of the debate in the House of Commons is known,
the Lord Privy Seal may care to send a further telegram to the
Governor which Hong Kong Department will be drafting.
3. A point to bear in mind is that the Falkland Islanders
have been at the bottom of the pile in recent weeks. Hong Kong
may point out that Gibraltar appears to have done better than
Hong Kong but there have been no sweeteners for the Falkland
Islanders at all.
4. I heard today that instead of having one omnibus amendment
to the Nationality Bill to take account of Lord Geddes'
amendment (British Dependent Territories Citizen) the Home
Secretary has agreed that he will introduce the 101 separate
amendments covering all references in the Bill. This should at
least please Hong Kong but I doubt if there will be much gratitude for it!
27 October 1981
CONFIDENTIAL
Artmald
A E Donald