TNAG-0660-FCO40-809-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1977 — Page 194

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available to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Tho alternative of telegraphing a lengthy precis would be both unsatisfactory and expensive, costing HMG many thousands of pounds. A month for this important purpose is not long in relation to the lapse of 5 years between the establishment of the Group on Nationality Law Review and late 1979, the earliest date for implementing an Act.

HEADS OF COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENTS MEETING IN JUNE 1977

11. Publication of the proposals at any time before the Meeting would clearly lead to ill-informed, lengthy and probably hostile discussion at the Meeting, which would dic- tract Heads of Government from their agreed agenda and jeopardize the success of the meeting. Should ministers nevertheless decide to publish before the meeting, it is doubly important that Commonwealth consultation should be carried out fully beforehand, so that Prime Ministers and Presidents arrive in London with their worst misapprehensions removed or allayed. To carry out only perfunctory Commonwealth consultations would cause resentment and ensure that the pro- posals were the subject of controversy at the Meeting. Before the introduction of the Nationality Act in 1948 a Commonwealth conference was called in 1947 to discuss any changes. There have been major developments in the Commonwealth in the 30

years since then, but Commonwealth Governments still have a legitimate interest in United Kingdom nationality law. The 1948 Act preserved the common status of British Subject for citizens of the United Kingdom and all other Commonwealth

countries. Through their status in our law Commonwealth citizens (and the Irish) enjoy civic privileges in Britain, including the right to vote in elections.

12. If publication were to be after the Meeting, a decent interval should be allowed to elapse. There might be advantage at the Meeting in the Prime Minister paving the way by in- dicating to his Commonwealth colleagues that careful consider- ation is being given to the revision of the British Nationality Act 1948, since it is now both out of date and in many ways anomalous. But he could hardly escape going on to give an out- line of the proposals.

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