CONFIDENTIAL
3. The instructions follow the same lines on those of the paper
circulated to QL and OD (K). The provisions on privileges and
immunities have been cleared with the official committee concerned
(IM).
4.
(a)
t
(b)
Two details the Secretary of State will wish to note are:
that we have asked the Parliamentary Counsel to draft the
enabling clause on nationality in such a way as to be subject
to affirmative procedure, and the enabling clause on modification of statutes in such a way as to be subject only to
annulment procedures. We believe that this is the form most
likely to be acceptable to Parliament, but this is essentially a political judgement. Neither of these aspects of the
legislation is essential to ratification. We could therefore
if we had to accept affirmative procedures in both cases.
that we have proposed that the clause on the termination of
sovereignty should be subject to a trigger whereby the
provision will only enter into force on the date on which the
Joint Declaration itself enters into force. This is to ensure
that if for some reason the agreement is not ratified the
provision for termination of sovereignty will not come into
effect.
t
Is this usual?
Salom
12 November 1984
A C Galsworthy
Hong Kong Department
CONFIDENTIAL