DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT: minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
FROM:
DEPARTMENT:
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
TO:
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
TEL. NO:
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
Reference
Your Reference
Copies to:
PRIVACY MARKING
CAVEAT....
..In Confidence
Enclosures-flag(s)...........
SUBJECT: FALKLAND ISLANDS (BRITISH CITIZENSHIP) (NO 2) BILL
Introduction
1. Lord Bruce of Donnington is expected to press for a
second reading of his Bill to amend the British Nationality
Act 1981 (BNA 1981) so as to grant British citizenship
to all Falkland Islanders.
2.
This will probably occur in
the second half of October and is likely to succeed.
Amendment of the Act in this way would create very
serious problems for the FCO, particularly in the Hong
Kong context, and for the Home Office in regard to
immigration. The Home Office lead in nationality matters.
Objectives
3. To decide what action the Government should take on
Lord Bruce's amendment.
Line to Take in Cabinet Committee
4. Lord Bruce's amendment will reopen in Parliament the
wider issue of British Dependent Territories citizenship
(BDTC). BNA 1981 has few friends.
There are some members
of both Houses who object in principle to its provisions
and might like to unravel the legislation before commence-
ment on 1 January 1983. Others, particularly Lord Bruce,
may wish to embarrass the Government. Whatever tactics are
/used