TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 149

18

Mr Paterson

N & T Dept

CONFIDENTIAL

NATIONALITY LAW REVIEW

Reference.

GalPA

HKK 340

RECEIVED

DESK OFFK

INDEX

no 1 219.6

1. Your circular minute of 1 June.

70

टा

Story Kony Section file)

Y

212.6 WE

8715%.

2. I was surprised to see from the copies of papers which you sent over (under a compliments slip dated 4 June) that there had only been one half-hearted protest, and non-governmental at that, from the territories administered by WIAD when the Green Paper on Nationality Law was circulated last year. Presumably territories will have a further opportunity to comment if the proposals in the Green Paper, or any other set of proposals, were to be upgraded to the status of a White Paper. In the meantime, however, I think it would be reasonable to include a sentence in any current submission on the subject to the effect that WIAD's territories might protest if the proposed changes in Nationality Law took effect, but not violently.

3. We discussed on the telephone this morning the estimated dates for independence for our Associated States and dependent territories, which for the sake of convenience I set out below:

Associated States

St Vincent

St Kitts-Nevis

Autumn 1979

late 1979

(Anguilla to revert to a formal dependent territory: see below)

Antigua

Dependent Territories

Cayman Islands

St Helena

Ascension Island

Tristan da Cunha

Anguilla (see above)

Bermuda

Turks & Caicos Islands

British Virgin Islands

Montserrat

CODE 18-77

15 June 1979

cc: Mr Quantrill, HK & GD

first half of 1980

Likely to remain dependent for at least

5 years, and probably longer in some

cases.

Likely to go independent within the next 3-5 years.

CONFIDENTIAL

Fuolmes

B T Holmes

West Indian & Atlantic Dept