G.F. 73C 0000733
Fr
Ref(257) in
P.A.O.
531/6
CONFIDENTIAL
MEMO
To.
Commissioner
Tel. No.
Your R....................
11th November, 1977
dated
Date.
о
Mr. B.G. Kennett, a PWD Estate Surveyor, telephoned me at 10.30 a.m. today to report a conversation he had just had' on the telephone with a woman officer in the Immigration and Nationality Department in the Home Office, at Croydon. He had telephoned the Home Office regarding the issue of a Passport to his adopted daughter, who is Chinese.
2.
According to Mr. Kennett, the woman told him that "discussions were going on about Hong Kong's independence in the 1980s". He was so astonished by this statement that he telephoned me to ask whether it was correct. assured him that it was not.
3.
7
I
I asked Mr. Kennett whether there was any possibility that he might have misunderstood what the woman was saying whether, perhaps, she was talking about changes in British nationality regulations, which are under discussion. assured me that he had not misunderstood.
He
4.
This seems to me to be a very serious matter. Knowing the situation in Hong Kong, Mr. Kennett rightly doubted the statement and checked with this Office. Another enquirer, knowing less about Hong Kong, might have accepted it at face value.
5. I am afraid Mr. Kennett was not able to give me the name of the woman or her extension number, but I think we should try to find out who she is, so that we can prevent her from repeating the statement.
6.
Mr. Kennett will be on leave in the U.K. until November 28th. His address is 19 Silverdale Road, Pett's Wood, Orpington, Kent. (Telephone: Orpington 24670.)
RB/jt.
(Ronald Boxall)
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