CONFIDENTIAL
minded to rule out the Approved Secondment Scheme (his minute of 27
March. But Hong Kong Government and Home Office officials are
considering urgently how the points for British links might be rearranged to the advantage of British companies. Increasing the number of points for British links could distort the ratio between
the public and private sectors in favour of the former, unless some
built in preference was given to the private sector.
But any
adjustment to the points to favour British companies would further
disadvantage BTC and British Council employees, whose chances of
success are already minimal.
Loss of BDTC Status
Redacted under FOI exemption section 27(1)
8. Clause 2(2) of the present draft provides for British Dependent
Territories' Citizens to cease to have this status on acquisition of
Citizenship under the scheme. This is to ensure that we cannot be
said to be in breach of the UK Memorandum which states that BDTCs
will be eligible for a status which does not confer the right of
abode in the United Kingdom. The Home Office is concerned that this
could lead to certain people in subsequent generations possibly
becoming stateless because citizenship is not transmissible (whereas
eligibility for BN(0) status will be). The Home Secretary will be
consulting the Attorney General about whether clause 2(2) should be
retained. I am strongly inclined to recommend that we retain
clause 2(2).
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