ME 2AEK
CONFIDENTIAL
MR RENTON'S VISIT TO HONG KONG (27 31 OCTOBER 1985)
9.
NATIONAL I TY
POINTS TO MAKE IN PUBLIC
1.
Published draft Nationality Order in Council in
White Paper on 17 October in order to give people of Hong
Kong two months to express their views before first
debate in Parliament.
Order follows exactly lines
earlier this
foreshadowed
in debates on Hong Kong Bill
year. Encourage people of Hong Kong to comment.
In
light of these comments proposals will be debated in
Parliament in preliminary way before draft Order is laid
formally next year.
DEFENSIVE
2.
stage,
(Parliamentary timetable) Cannot be certain at this
hope first debate will take place in
but
mid-December.
1
3.
(Transmissibility)
Pressed hard in the negotiations
for transmissibility. Chinese not prepared to
that anyone born in Hong Kong after
accept
acquire BN(O) status
Hong Kong.
June 1997
by virtue of a connection
should
with
4.
(Right of abode in the UK) Since 1983 right of
abode in the UK goes with British citizenship. BDTCs do
not have such a right. Government do not consider it
appropriate to give right of abode to any group of persons in Hong Kong who do not have it at present.
(If BN (O)s forced to leave Hong Kong) Government
has every confidence that agreement reached with Chinese
5.
CONFIDENTIAL