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THAT THEIR CASES WOULD BE DEALT WITH BY THE APPROPRIATE
AUTHORITIES. THEY WILL NOT OF COURSE BE COMPELLED TO APPLY FOR
CHINESE NATIONALITY.
22.
I BELIEVE THEREFORE THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE DRAFT
ORDER, TAKEN TOGETHER WITH THE GUARANTEES GIVEN IN THE AGREEMENT
GO AS FAR AS WE SENSIBLY CAN IN ENSURING THAT ALL BRITISH
DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS RESIDENT IN HONG KONG REGARDLESS
OF THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN OR FUTURE CITIZENSHIP STATUS ARE ENSURED
OF A SATISFACTORY AND SECURE FUTURE THERE AND THAT THE PROVISIONS
ARE FAIR AS BETWEEN THEM ALL.
23. I WOULD LIKE TO TURN NOW TO A MATTER WHICH, WHILE IT DOES
NOT COME DIRECTLY WITHIN THE TERMS OF THE DRAFT ORDER IS
NEVERTHELESS CLOSELY LINKED WITH IT. THAT IS THE DETAILED
ARRANGEMENTS WHICH WE PROPOSE TO FOLLOW IN ISSUING PASSPORTS TO
BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS) ONCE THE ORDER COMES INTO EFFECT. 24.
WE HOPE TO ISSUE THESE PASSPORTS FROM 1 JULY 1987. THIS
WILL ENABLE HONG KONG BDTCS TO HAVE A CHOICE BETWEEN A BDTC
PASSPORT WITH A RESTRICTED VALIDITY UNTIL 1 JULY 1997 OR A BN(0)
PASSPORT VALID FOR A FULL 10 YEARS. IT WILL NOT OF COURSE BE
POSSIBLE TO CARRY BOTH A BN(0) AND A BDTC PASSPORT.
25.
MUCH WORK STILL HAS TO BE DONE IN PREPARING APPLICATION
FORMS AND EXPLANATORY LEAFLETS, AND A NUMBER OF DETAILED POINTS
STILL NEED TO BE RESOLVED. WHILE THE GREAT BULK OF PASSPORT
ISSUING WILL CLEARLY BE DEALT WITH IN HONG KONG IT WILL OF COURSE BE
POSSIBLE TO APPLY FOR BN(0) PASSPORTS FROM PASSPORT
OFFICES IN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND FROM CONSULAR POSTS OVERSEAS.
WE HOPE THIS WILL HELP THOSE WHO WANT TO APPLY FOR A PASSPORT
WHEREVER THEY MAY BE AT THE TIME. THE FEE WILL BE SET UNDER THE
CONSULAR FEES ACT 1980 AND, SAVE FOR EXCHANGE VARIATIONS, IT WILL
BE THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.
26.
THE GOVERNOR IS AT PRESENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ISSUE OF BDTC
PASSPORTS IN HONG KONG BUT SINCE BN(0) PASSPORTS WILL CONTINUE IN
FORCE AFTER 1997, WE THINK IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR THEM
TO BE ISSUED IN THE NAME OF THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
SECRETARY. THIS REQUIRES A FORMAT WHICH MAKES IT QUITE CLEAR
THAT THE DOCUMENT CARRIES THE FULL AUTHORITY OF HER MAJESTY'S
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