CONFIDENTIAL
ZCZC
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO ROUTINE HONG KONG
TELNO
OF 06160OZ DECEMBER 85
INFO ROUTINE PEKING
[TG1AHQ]
ROUTINE
YOUR TELNO 2661: HONG KONG AGREEMENTJ: NATIONALITY: PASSPORTS 1.
We and the Home Office have considered your further arguments carefully but still cannot agree to either of your proposals.
2.
The EC dimension cannot be dismissed. The issue of the Common format passport is of particular sensitivity in the EC context, and British Ministers' credibility is closely engaged. The Home Secretary has stated categorically that we will bring in the CFP in 1987. To issue the CFP Look-alike in Hong Kong before. it was generally available here would, by drawing attention to the fact that the CFP passports were not available here, seriously embarrass Ministers. An explanation to EC partners along the lines suggested in your para 2 would simply make matters worse. The Home Office are adamant that it will not be possible to issue the CFP have until 1988 and that it would be wholly inappropriate to issue it in Hong Kong before it was generally available here. While it would have been administratively convenient to issue cfps to BN (0)s from 1997, it. is, after all, simply a coincidence that 1987 is both the date on
HKD
JN POWELL
which
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