TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 124

f

CONFIDENTIAL

-2-

a) those with the right of abode in the UK, to be

known in future as "British Citizens";

b) those with the right of abode in a Dependent Territory, who would continue to be known as CUKCS;

c) the remainder, who would be known in future as

"British Overseas Citizens", "

Paragraph 8 of your draft submission could then be omitted.

6. I should also like to see paragraph 5 of the draft submission expanded by the addition at the end of it of something on the following lines:-

"The Governor of Hong Kong has suggested that the present title of CUKC should be retained to described British citizens belonging to Dependencies. Although this

description might be held to be ambiguous if it is retained alongside the new category of "British Citizens" people in Hong Kong would be less likely to feel that the British Government were deliberately down-grading their status if they retained their existing title, than if they were given a new one."

7. I understand that you are aiming for a meeting between Home Office and FCO Ministers and officials to go over the ground. If so, I suggest that this idea should be included in your submission and draft letter to the Home Office. I wonder, inci- dentally, whether you are right to think in terms of an approach to the Home Office at Minister of State level. Given the imperviousness of the Home Office to our arguments so far, it might be better to recommend that the Secretary of State should write to Mr Whitelaw. If, however, you do decide that the letter should go to Mr Raison, you will want to amend your draft to take account of the fact that the Governor had a meeting with Mr Raison at which the subject of nationality was discussed at some length. You will already had seen my minute of 15 June to Mr Murray, recording what was said at that meeting.

8. I should also like to see the draft letter amended to reflect the Governor's proposals more specifically. This might be done by recasting the second paragraph from the fourth sentence onwards as follows:-

...

abode in any territory. I suggest that the term "British Overseas Citizen" should be used to describe these, and that people who belong to Dependent Territories should be allowed to retain the present title "Citizen of the United Kingdom and Colonies". I realise that some ambiguity would be involved in retaining this title alongside the new title of "British Citizen". But the Governor of Hong Kong has argued that, if there is to be a change, the least

/damage

CONFIDENTI AL