HKK 340/1
L M Davies Esq CMG OBE
Secretary for Security Government Secretariat HONG KONG
RESTRICTED
}:
NEXT REF.
8 June 1977
37
29
GREEN PAPER ON NATIONALITY
I am
1. Thank you for your letter SCT 39/2091/72 of 9 May. afraid that there is not much that we can say at this stage in answer to your questions, but I hope the following will help.
2. Any dates that might be suggested at present for consider- ation of the Green Paper would be pure guesswork. Until there is a target date for any particular stage it will not be possible to estimate when other stages are likely to be reached. There has been no debate as yet in the House of Commons on the Green Paper and no date has been fixed for one. However, the Home Secretary's statement on 27 April provoked a number of comments which gave an indication of likely reactions to the Green Paper. The statement by Mr Whitelaw, Shadow Minister for Home Affairs, for example, showed that attitude the major opposition party is likely to adopt. I enclose the relevant extract from Hansard in case you have not seer it already.
3. It is not certain that there will be a White Paper; draft legislation without a White Paper is thought at present to be a more likely way of proceeding. There is no significance in the change of phraseology to which you refer in paragraph 3 of your letter. There are no signs that the process of considering the Green Paper is being hastened or shortened with a view to legislation at an earlier date.
36 4. I have, of course, since seen your telegram no. 555 of
1 June. Nationality and Treaty Department who, as you know, are the department primarily concerned, are working on the answers to your queries.
CC:
Mr Amy (N&TD)
ST Kidd Esq CBE
RESTRICTED
JA B Stewart
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.