Mr. Wong Tin-fat, Flat 412, 4/£., Block 1,
San Fat Estate, Castle Peak,
New Territories.
DRAF T
Dear Sir,
I am directed to reply on behalf of
the Prime Minister to your letter dated 23rd June
1981 concerning the British Nationality Bill.
As has been explained in the White Paper
"British Nationality Law: Outline of Proposed
Legislation" published by Her Majesty's Government
in July 1980, there is a need to amend the British
citizenship laws which are out-of-date.
In
particular, the most serious drawback to the
existing single citizenship of the United Kingdom
and Colonies is that it does not provide a ready
definition of the right of entry to and abode in
the United Kingdom. It was with a view to clarifying
and updating its citizenship laws that Her Majesty's
Government introduced into Parliament the British
Nationality Bill 1981 in January this year.
The main purpose of the Bill is to replace
the existing single citizenship of the United Kingdom and Colonies by three parallel categories of citizenship,
namely:
(a)
British Citizenship to be held
by persons with the right of
entry to, and abode in, the