DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT: xxit/letterødder/despatch/note

FROM:

RE ESCRITT

DEPARTMENT:

FINANCE

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

Top Secret

B Nelson Esq Treasury

Secret

Confidential

TEL. NO:

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

Reference

Your Reference

Copies to:

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

CAVEAT....

.In Confidence

Enclosures-flag(s)......

1.

SUBJECT: HONG KONG: ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)

PASSPORTS

Thank you for your letter of 6 January about the issue

of passports to BN(0)s in Hong Kong.

2.

It

I must correct what appears to be a misconception.

is the procedure that we are proposing that is more consist-

ent with our practice elsewhere (i.e. in other dependent

territories). On re-reading my letter to you of 16 December

last, I accept that I may not have made the matter suffic-

iently clear. The passports which the Hong Kong Government

issue at present are not United Kingdom passports. (Appli-

cations from British citizens resident in Hong Kong are sent

to London for processing by the Passport Office).

dependent territories generally the Governor exercises the

royal prerogative in the issue of passports, the name of the

dependent territory is printed on the front cover of pass-

ports, supplies are ordered direct and paid for by the

dependent territory government, and it rests with that

government both to set the passport fee and to use the

revenue as it sees fit.

In

Although we encourage the dependent

territory governments to set their passport fee at a level

comparable to the United Kingdom fee charged under our

Consular Fees Order, there is no compulsion on them to do so.

/3.

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