CONFIDENTIAL
6663
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AND HONG KONG CAN LIVE WITH. WE SHALL BE DOING FURTHER WORK ON
THIS.
4.
I HAVE JUST SEEN YOUR TELNO 110. AS YOU WILL SEE FROM PARA 2 ABOVE MINISTERS WILL BE TAKING THE LINE THAT THEY WILL BE
LISTENING TO VIEWS AND CONSIDERING WHETHER ANY CHANGES TO THE
ORDER ARE NECESSARY. TO THIS EXTENT THEY WILL BE ACTING AS YOU
PROPOSE. YOUR TELNO 110 IS ON ITS WAY TO THE HOME OFFICE, BUT
BECAUSE THEY ARE IN CROYDON WILL NOT ARRIVE THERE UNTIL MONDAY. IT WILL BE FULLY CONSIDERED, AND THERE MAY BE ELEMENTS IN IT
WHICH WE CAN USE. BUT I CAN SEE NO REALISTIC PROSPECT TAHT
MINISTERS WILL BE ABLE TO MODIFY THEIR LINE TO THE EXTENT YOU
PROPOSE BEFORE THE DEBATE. FOR ONE THING THEY WILL WANT TO
LISTEN TO VIEWS AND TEST THE STRENGTH OF FEELING IN
PARLIAMENT HERE BEFORE DECIDING WHAT TO DO. THEY MAY WELL
WANT TO SEEK FURTHER INFORMATION ON THE EX-SERVICEMEN AFTER
THE DEBATE. I AM SURE THAT WE AND THEY WOULD ALSO WELCOME ANY
FURTHER INFORMATION YOU CAN GIVE US ON THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES.
BUT IT IS HIGHLY UNLIKELY THAT IT WOULD BE EVEN TECHNICALLY
POSSIBLE TO EXTEND BRITISH CITIZENSHIP IN THE ORDER UNLESS IT
WERE DONE FOR ALL WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BECOME STATELESS.
5.
THE ABOVE IS A PERSONAL VIEW: THERE HAS BEEN NO TIME TO
GET REACTIONS OUTSIDE HKD. I MAY BE ABLE TO SEND YOU A MORE
CONSIDERED VIEW ON MONDAY. THERE IS A DANGER OF OVERLOADING THE
SYSTEM WITH PAPER.
HOWE
LIMITED
HKD
PS/MR RENTON
SIR W HARDING
DR WILSON
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CONFIDENTIAL