C
SECRET AND PERSONAL
7. The Working Group has not discussed the details of the new scheme of British Overseas citizenship as it will apply to persons connected with the dependent territories. In the FCO it is felt that it might not be acceptable or even advisable to adopt the same criteria for the acquisition of British Overseas citizenship either at or after Royal Assent by persons connected with the dependencies as is proposed in the case of British citizenship. We think particularly of acquisition through the female line and acquisition by marriage to a woman citizen. These details will have to be decided later but it would be interesting to have such tentative views as you might form at this stage in advance of the possibility of local consultation.
8. The main purpose of this letter however is to invite your comments on the conclusion of the Working Group that a British Overseas citizenship should be created. I know that some of the Governors to whom I am sending this letter will have serious doubts about the effects of any change but given the basic aim of the review they may perhaps feel able to agree that, given a change will have to be made, what is now proposed provides as acceptable a way forward as can be devised.
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9.
The West Indies Associated States need separate mention in view of their special status. With the disappearance of the status of citizenship of the UK and Colonies elsewhere in the world it would not be feasible to retain it in their case. Their peoples would therefore also need to be made into British Overseas citizens under the new scheme. This would of course only be a change of name for those who were CUKCS at Royal Assent but the implications of the point I make in paragraph 7 above will need careful examination. Consideration could also of course be given to the possibility of making provision for the activation of the dormant citizenship chapters of the constitutions of the States with a view to bringing them into force at the same time as the new UK nationality legislation rather than waiting until complete independence. I should be grateful for the views of the BGR Castries on these two courses. It is realized that each of them will necessitate amendment of the constitutions of the Associated States and of the West Indies Act 1967.
10. I ought to mention two further points. The first concerns the status of British subject and the equivalent expression "Commonwealth citizen" in the law of the UK and many Commonwealth countries. For technical reasons it will probably be necessary to retain these in the case of both British citizens and British Overseas citizens. We envisage however that for practical purposes the term "British subject" will cease to be used.
11. The second point is the difficult question of local consultation which I am sorry cannot be authorized.
I hope you will bear with us here in spite of the fact that in the absence
/of local
No comments yet.
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