CONFIDENTIAL
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4.
WE DO NOT THINK MINISTERS WILL SEE ANY DIFFICULTY IN
REPEATING DURING THE DEBATES ON THE WHITE PAPER THE ASSURANCES AS
TO THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT ALREADY GIVEN TO PARLIAMENT.
THE DETAILED WORDING IS STILL TO BE DISCUSSED.
C.
ARTICLE 4(2)
5. THE FIRST VERSION OF THE WORDING PROPOSED BY OSWALD CHEUNG IS
BROADLY ACCEPTABLE, SUBJECT TO MINISTERIAL APPROVAL, BUT FOR ACCURACY WE SUGGEST 'SHALL BE ENTITLED
TO BE REGISTERED AS A
BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) AND TO HOLD OR TO BE INCLUDED IN A
PASSPORT APPROPRIATE TO THAT STATUS'. AS TO USE OF THE TERM
REGISTRATION: WE REPEAT THAT THIS WAS NOT MENTIONED IN THE
MEMORANDUM BECAUSE THE STATUS IN QUESTION WAS NOT RECORDED THERE
AS A NATIONALITY STATUS. THERE MUST BE SOMEWHERE A CENTRAL
RECORD OF BN (0)S. THAT RECORD WILL CONSTITUTE A REGISTER, AND
THE RECORDING IN IT WILL CONSTITUTE REGISTRATION. FOR EXAMPLE, A
PERSON APPLYING FOR BN(0) PASSPORT OUTSIDE HONG KONG WILL HAVE TO
BE FORMALLY ENTERED IN THE REGISTER, IE REGISTERED, BY THE HONG
KONG AUTHORITIES. IT IS A FORMALITY DESIGNED TO FIT WITH A
TRADITIONAL METHOD BY WHICH THE VARIOUS FORMS OF BRITISH
NATIONALITY ARE ACQUIRED UNDER OUR LAW.
D.
ARTICLE 4(3)
6. THIS IS MERELY DESIGNED TO MEET THE TERMS OF THE UK
MEMORANDUM WHEREBY A PERSON WHO IS NOT A BDTC ON 30 JUNE 1997 CANNOT REMAIN A BN (0). IT IS CONVENIENT TO SET OUT THIS
PROVISION IN THIS WAY. A BDTC COULD NOT FOR EXAMPLE RENOUNCE
BOTH BDTC AND BN(0) STATUS AT THE SAME TIME IF THAT WOULD LEAVE
HIM STATELESS. WE WOULD THEREFORE PREFER TO LEAVE THIS AS IT IS.
ARTICLE 6(3)
E.
7. NOTED.
F.
8.
TIMETABLE
SUBJECT TO OUR OBTAINING EARLY EXCO AND
MINISTERIAL APPROVAL TO THE
TERMS OF THE WHITE PAPER, WE SEE NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD NOT BE
PUBLISHED IN THE TIMESCALE ENVISAGED.
9. OUR FURTHER REVISIONS OF THE DRAFT WHITE PAPER ARE NOW ALL
INCLUDED IN MY 3 IFTS. THESE ARE MINOR AND, WE HOPE, ALL
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CONFIDENTIAL