GRS 200
RESTRICTED
FM HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
Ithu odole POFY ник осон
RECEIVEL. REGISTRY
- 2 JAN 1986
6a16
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 2921
DES
OF 210525Z DECEMBER 85
INDEX
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
ICFA
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
614
YOUR TELNO 2011: HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY ORDER IN
COUNCIL.
THE
WE HAVE CONDUCTED RESEARCH ON THE SUBJECT RAISED IN YOUR TUR. THE 400 FORMER SERVICEMEN IN HONG KONG PROBABLY COMPRISE MEMBERS FROM THE FOLLOWING THREE ASSOCIATIONS WITH A CERTAIN DEGREE OF OVERLAPPING. THESE ARE THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION (LOCAL BRANCH), HONG KONG PRISONERS OF WAR ASSOCHATHON AND THE SECOND WORLD WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE ONLY GOT THE MEMBERSHIP LIST WITH SERVICE PARTICULARS OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR VETERANS ASSOCIATION TO HAND. ACCORDING TO THE LIST, THE ASSOCIATION HAS 145 MEMBERS AS AT SEPTEMBER 1985. OF THESE, 139 SERVED WITH BRITISH UNITS SUCH AS THE BRITISH ARMY AND GROUP, THE ROYAL ARTILLERY AND THE ROYAL ENGINEERS DURING THE WAR YEARS. ONLY SX OF THEM SERVED WITH HONG KONG UNITS E.G. THE HONG KONG CHINESE REGIMENT AND THE HONG KONG VOULNTEERS. IN THE ABSENCE OF SIMILAR INFORMATION ON THE OTHER TWO ASSOCIATIONS, WE HESITATE TO CONCLUDE THAT THE PATTERN 4S INDICATIVE OF THE ENTIRE EX-SERVICEMEN POPULATION.
2. WE COULD ASK THE TWO ASSOCIATIONS FOR COPIES OF THEIR MEMBERSHIP LISTS IF THESE ARE AVAILABLE. BUT IN VIEW OF THE SENSITIVITIES THAT THIS MAY GENERATE ESPECIALLY WHEN THE DRAFT NATIONALTY ORDER IS ABOUT TO BE DEBATED IN PARLIAMENT, WE WOULD PREFER NOT (NOT) TO DO SO UNLESS YOU THANK THE INFORMATION IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.
YOUDE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/NTD
RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)
DEP HD/PUSD
PS
PS/MR RENTON
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
MR WILSON
COPIES TO:
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT. LEGAL ADVISERS
R GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD
MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE
MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON
MF NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE
ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.
MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE
MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS
RESTRICTED