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SECRETARY
4KG 340/1
2 4 NOV 1981
Mr. Williging
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For advice by 27 Nov". pse
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QUEEN ANNE'S GATE LONDON SWIH 9AT
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BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 DATE OF COMMENCEMENT
Mr Adams
Passport Office
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As you may know, my officials have been in touch with yours and those of other interested Departments to identify what needs to be done before I can make an order' bringing the British Nationality Act 1981 into effect.
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The main burden will fall on our Departments, who will be concerned with preparing the Regulations which will prescribe the fees and the manner in which applications for citizenship and the oath of allegiance are to be made. Passports will be affected and new application forms, guidance notes to the public and instructions to staff both at home and abroad, also have to be prepared on all these matters. Parallel Regulations, forms, and instructions will be needed for the new British Dependent Territories' citizenship and this will entail consultation with the dependencies.
The Regulations are subject to a negative resolution procedure and we need to be sure that they will not be annulled before I can bring this Act into force.
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There is also the matter of training our staff, both at home and overseas. cannot be carried out effectively until the paperwork is done. I understand that the Passport Office would find it very difficult to train their staff during the peak Summer period or in the run up to it.
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This is a complex piece of legislation whose implementation will need very careful. handling. It affects most of the people living here and many living abroad. It is therefore essential to get the preparatory work right. I am convinced that the earliest realistic date by which I can have everything ready is 1st January 1983.
There is much to be said for announcing this date as early as possible both to pre-empt enquiries and to avoid accusators of creating tension in the ethnic minorities by keeping everyone unnecessarily in suspense. I therefore propose, subject to any comments I receive by the end of this month, to announce the date by way of an arranged Question early in December.
I am sending copies of this letter to the Prime Minister, Members of H Committee, the Secretary of State for Defence, the Secretary of State for Industry, the Secretary of State for Trade, the Secretary of State for Energy, the Attorney General, the Lord Advocate and Sir Robert Armstrong.
24/11
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