Why
11 Nov fr HK Legolatin
DSR 11C
national' should appear only in passports issued by the
Governor of Hong Kong and not in passports issued in
the name of the Secretary of State to Hong Kong belongers
by our Passport Offices in the United Kingdom or by our
missions abroad or in other dependencies.
The suggestion that the words 'Holder is subject to
control under the Immigration Act, 1971' might be trans-
ferred to page 1 in Hong Kong passports has attractions.
But we doubt the practicality of moving this endorsement
from the place where Immigration Officers are accustomed
to find it. As the requirements of immigration control
would make consistency essential we should have to do the
same with the passports of the other dependencies
which would open up the question of their description
as British nationals which we wish to avoid.
there is no convenient space on the first page without
redesigning the format which might mean waiting for
about 12 months until present stocks of passports were
exhausted.
Furthermore
Our people are very aware of the 1 January 1983 deadline
and of the need to issue clear and timely instructions
to passport issuing authorities in the United Kingdom,
in the Islands, at our missions abroad and in the dependen-
cies. They will be glad to discuss this question with
yours as soon as possible. Meanwhile they are preparing
a sample Hong Kong passport for the Prime Minister in
which in the first version at least, the entry under
}
/Nationality