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POSSIBLE TO RELY ON THE WORDS BY VIRTUE OF A CONNECTION WITH
HONG KONG'
31. THE ORDER WILL THEREFORE DETAIL WHO IS ELIGIBLE TO ACQUIRE
THIS NEW FORM. IT IS HMG'S INTENTION THAT THE NEW FORM OF
BRITISH NATIONALITY SHOULD CARRY BROADLY THE SAME BENEFITS AS
BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENSHIP, EXCEPT THAT IT WILL
NOT BE TRANSMISSIBLE BY DESCENT. HOLDERS OF THE NEW STATUS WILL
BE ABLE TO USE BRITISH PASSPORTS. THEY WILL BE ELIGIBLE FOR
BRITISH CONSULAR PROTECTION IN THIRD COUNTRIES. THEY WILL BE
COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS AND WILL HAVE A RIGHT TO REGISTRATION AS
BRITISH CITIZENS ON THE SAME TERMS AS BDTCS. IN SHORT, THE ORDER
WILL IN EFFECT REDEFINE THE SCOPE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT
1981 TO COVER THE NEW STATUS WHERE IT IS APPROPRIATE.
32. THE ORDER WILL ALSO SET OUT THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH
PERSONS WHO MIGHT BECOME STATELESS AS A RESULT OF THESE
PROVISIONS, AND THE CHILDREN BORN AFTER 1 JULY 1997 TO HOLDERS OF
THE NEW STATUS, IF THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE STATELESS, MAY ACQUIRE A FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY, WHICH WILL BE BRITISH OVERSEAS
CITIZENSHIP.
33. THE ORDER WILL ALSO MAKE PROVISION FOR HOLDERS OF THE NEW
STATUS TO BE DESCRIBED AS COMMONWEALTH CITIZENS, AND TO BE
ENTITLED TO REGISTRATION AS BRITISH CITIZENS, ON THE SAME TERMS
AS BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS.
34. EVEN THOUGH THE PROPOSALS CANNOT YET BE FINAL, WE THOUGHT IT
RIGHT THAT THE BILL SHOULD CONTAIN A CLEAR INDICATION OF THE
GOVERNMENT'S INTENTIONS WITH REGARD TO NATIONALITY, AND SET OUT A
FRAMEWORK FOR THE SUBSEQUENT SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION THAT WILL BE
NECESSARY. PARLIAMENT QUITE RIGHTLY EXPECTS TO HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY OF CONSIDERING WHAT THE GENERAL NATURE OF SUCH
LEGISLATION WOULD BE. MOREOVER, TO DO OTHERWISE WOULD PERPETUATE
UNCERTAINTY IN HONG KONG AND MIGHT LEAD TO DOUBTS AS TO THE
GOVERNMENT'S WILLINGNESS TO IMPLEMENT THE PROVISIONS OF THE UK
MEMORANDUM. I AM SURE THAT HON MEMBERS WOULD AGREE THAT THIS
WOULD BE MOST UNSATISFACTORY.
35. I URGE THE HOUSE, FOR THE REASONS I HAVE OUTLINED, TO REJECT
THE REASONED AMENDMENT STANDING IN THE NAMES OF THE RT HON
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