DSR 11 (Revised)
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minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
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..In Confidence
SUBJECT: HONG KONG BILL
1. Thank you for your letter of 15 November, and for
letting us have a draft Bill so promptly. The
following points occur to us.
Enclosures-flag(s)...........
Clause 1(1)
2.
We think it important to distinguish between
territorial sovereignty, which will cease as from
1 July 1997, and title to land in private law which
may continue after that date. To give a concrete
example, after 1997 it is possible that the Crown may
wish to retain some private law title to premises in
Hong Kong for use by the British Representative,
although the Crown will retain no sovereignty over any
part of the territory. It occurs to us that in this
ts connection the rather old precedence on which you have
relied, and which include the word "title" may be
slightly misleading. We would prefer to follow the
precedent of Section 1 of the Cyprus Act 1960 (c.52),
by providing that Her Majesty shall cease to have
"sovereignty or jurisdiction" over any part of
Hong Kong. This would make it clear that sovereignty
/would
CONFIDENTIAL