Mr Howells NTD
(CL 537)
CONFIDENTIAL
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Here
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RECITED
File
34011
2018. $1
13 OCT 1981
INDEX
DESK OFFICER
PA
us
28.00
BAUSTRY
Action Taken
4027/10
Pho
405
NATIONALITY BILL : DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
1. I am very grateful for your help in ensuring that Hong Kong's case is understood in the Home Office. As we have said to Hong Kong, we now need to see how things work out and in particular whether the Home Office are prepared to undertake contingency planning.
2.
There are, however, two specific points on which I would be grateful for your advice :
a)
b)
If Lord Geddes introduces a simple amendment to vary the designation of CBDT to 'British Dependent Territories Citizen', with no other refinement, would it be credible for the Government to oppose this? Should we not brief Ministers to press the Home Office to accept this as a reasonable man's compromise? would have thought that to do so, without any variation of British Hong Kong Citizen' would not seriously weaken the Government's case for the defeat of the Gibraltar amendment.
,
We are agreed that 20 October (Lords Third Reading) is the last occasion on which anything can be done for Hong Kong in the Bill. However, I believe that we should examine whether absolutely nothing can be done. for the Dependent Territories by administrative means if the Gibraltar amendment remains on the Statute Book. Are the Legal Advisers adamant that no change (eg British Dependent Territories Citizen) could be made without amendment by legislation? I think we should examine this possibility against the contingency that we end up with a major row with Hong Kong.
Blin
12 October 1981
сс
Mr Donald
Mr Adams
R D Clift
Hong Kong and General Department