Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign and
Commonwealth Affairs presents his compliments to Their
Excellencies and Messieurs the Heads of Diplomatic Missions in
London and has the honour to inform them that the British
Nationality Act 1981 will come into operation on 1 January 1983.
The main provisions of this Act are summarised in the enclosed
explanatory memorandum. This summary is provided for the
information and convenience of Missions and of their domestic
authorities concerned. For a full and authoritative statement
of the position it will of course be necessary to refer to the
terms of the Act itself.
Among the changes introduced by the Act are certain alterations
in nomenclature for existing categories of United Kingdom
nationals. Where provisions using the existing titles of cate-
gories of United Kingdom nationals occur in, or in association
with, international agreements or arrangements to which the
United Kingdom or Her Majesty's Government are a party, Her
Majesty's Government intend with effect from 1 January 1983 to
interpret those provisions in the light of the relevant provi-
sions of the new Act, sections 11, 23, 26 and 51 of which are
particularly relevant. Her Majesty's Government will proceed on
the assumption that other parties to such agreements or arrange-
ments will follow the same practice.
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