- 5
should not be reduced in any way. To preserve our British
connection and status we maintain that the British
Nationality of CBDTS should be clearly stated in the Bill. We ask for nothing more than to provide under the law the assurances given by HMG in the course of Third Reading
debate in the House of Commons".
Lord Geddes had earlier indicated that should this
amendment fail he proposed to move another to substitute "British Dependent Territories Citizen" (BDTC) for "Citizen of the British Dependent Territories" (CBDT) and to permit the alternative description "British (Hong Kong) Citizen" to be used in passports.
This
On 13th October 1981 Lord Geddes' first amendment was
narrowly lost in the Lords by 105 votes to 102. UMELCO was then advised that the latter part of Lord Geddes' fall-back amendment, aimed at incorporating the title "British (Hong Kong) Citizen" in Hong Kong passports, could not be accepted for debate. was because a very similar amendment had been moved by Lord Elwyn-Jones earlier and had been withdrawn for lack of support. UMELCO had not been aware of the Elwyn-Jones' amendment and we
were greatly disappointed at the loss of this provision from the
Lord Geddes' fall-back amendment.
UMELCO viewed the change from "CBDT" to "BDTC" as being largely of cosmetic value and declined to be associated
with it. Lord Geddes' limited second amendment was accepted by
HMG without a division on 20th October 1981.
On 30th October 1981, the British Nationality Bill was passed into law and it will come into force on 1st January 1983.
In the period since UMELCO have continued to represent that passports issued to Hong Kong's British subjects should contain a nationality description. The matter was pressed further when the Lord Privy Seal (Mr Humphrey Atkins) visited Hong Kong in January this year, and Mr Atkins agreed to consider the matter. However, he was unable to reply before resigning his office over the Falklands crisis.
...../6