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Third Myth: that Britain accepts that international law limits the ability of the UK to provide consular protection to BNSS recipients who are dual nationals, but does not accept it in the case of other British Nationals. Again, untrue. Let me read to you the relevant sentence, based on international law, that is printed in every single British passport, BNSS or otherwise, including this passport, which happens to have a certain meaning for me since it is my own. Let me quote - if I can read it - I am getting short- sighted:
"British Nationals who are also nationals of another country cannot be protected by Her Majesty's representatives against the authorities of that country."
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Britain accepts that is my passport and it is the same as any other British passport - Britain accepts that international law limits the ability of the UK to provide full consular protection to dual nationals in the country or territory of their nationality. But it is a matter for the United Kingdom to decide what representations it makes in any individual case; and, crucially, Britain does not accept that the way in which a British citizen obtained his or her passport would of itself be evidence of dual nationality.
Fourth Myth: that Britain will regard any BNSS recipient seeking consular protection at the British Consulate as a dual national. Again, that is not true. British consular officials will not know from individual's passports whether they have obtained their passports under the BNSS scheme, and they will not ask them whether they have done so, because as far as Her Majesty's Government is concerned, that is completely irrelevant. A British citizen is a British citizen, full stop. British practice in Hong Kong will be exactly the same as it is in France, or Belgium, or the United States, or Canada or anywhere else in the world where British Nationals may be in difficulty. If an individual presented himself or herself at the British Consulate, claiming to be a solely British National, the British Consulate would accept that and act on his or her behalf, unless it was presented with acceptable evidence of dual nationality. The Consul-General would not seek such evidence. Even if Britain were persuaded that someone was a dual national, that would not in itself stop it from making representations on his or her behalf. That is something which Honourable Members know perfectly well we do already, including in cases in China.
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The British Government takes seriously its responsibilities to all British Nationals in Hong Kong, irrespective of how their British nationality was obtained and of whether they hold Chinese nationality. Britain would not repeat not regard any claim by the local authorities that a British passport had been obtained under the British Nationality Selection Scheme as of itself relevant or acceptable evidence of dual nationality. It is for the British Government and the British Government alone to determine whether or not an individual holds British nationality. Britain cannot accept any suggestion that this can ever be a matter for any other government.