OCMIAN 3368
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 30010OZ HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
291500Z APR
GRS 1094
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
(
629
TO DESKBY 300100Z HONG KONG
TELNO 780
OF 291500Z APRIL 86
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
MIPT: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL:
THE INDIANS
P COPY
630
HHH 34011 нии
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 MAY 1986
33368 - 1
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY
Action Taken
HOME SECRETARY'S REPLY TO
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF MR HURD'S LETTER:
1.
BEGINS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LETTERS OF 17 FEBRUARY AND 3 AND 25 MARCH ABOUT THE HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL. IT WAS VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO HAVE THESE EXPRESSIONS OF THE COUNCIL'S
VIEWS.
THE GOVERNMENT HAS VERY CAREFULLY CONSIDERED ALL THE POINTS MADE IN YOUR LETTERS. WE RECOGNISED THE CONCERN THEY REPRESENTED AND WE EXAMINED EACH OF THE ASPECTS WITH GREAT CARE
TO SEE WHETHER IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION THE COUNCIL SUGGESTED. BUT, AS YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM MY STATEMENT IN PARLIAMENT ON 23 APRIL, WE FINALLY CONCLUDED THAT IT WOULD NOT BE RIGHT TO DO SO. I KNOW THIS WILL COME AS A GREAT DISAPPOINTMENT TO THE COUNCIL, AND I WANTED THEREFORE TO WRITE TO YOU MYSELF TO EXPLAIN WHY WE HAVE REACHED THIS CONCLUSION.
AS YOU KNOW THE DRAFT ORDER ENTITLES ALL THOSE WHO ARE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS BECAUSE OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG TO BECOME BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS)
1
CONFIDENTIAL