DSR 11C
340/1(13)
ex B(Hong
1
Kong)
340/1(13)
ex C, Part A
lklands)1981
produced a Green Paper which gave rise to considerable
public discussion. In 1978 the Home Office began work on a
White Paper under a Labour Government and continued on it
on broadly similar lines under the Conservatives until'its
publication in July 1980. The Bill, which was introduced.
in Parliament on 13 January 1981, was thoroughly debated in
both houses of Parliament.. A number of amendments were moved,
the most substantial of which were based on representations
made by administrations in the dependent territories,
notably Hong Kong, Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. The
Bill finally received the Royal Assent on 30 October 1981.
There is nothing on Nationality and Treaty Department files
to suggest that the sovereignty dispute with Argentina had
any direct influence on either the timing or the content of
the Act.
lo 188 on
340/1(13)
ex C (1981)
Hong Kong
4 In its citizenship provisions for dependent territories
the Act emerged in much the same form as proposed in the
White Paper.
With the exception of Gibraltar, whose
belongers were granted the entitlement to registration as
CONFIDENTIAL
/British