TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 17

to bear on these local governments to be less restrictive in this respect.

It is clear that the Governors and people of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands still want, and hope, to get full British citizenship. We made it plain in our discussions, and FCO agreed, that any arrangement for a separate citizenship for British Colonies would have to apply to all and that we could not undertake to give preferential treatment to Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands. In practice both these two Colonies have preferential treatment: Gibraltar entered the EEC on our coat tails which means that Gibraltarians have, under the Treaty of Rome, the right to enter this country to seek or take up employ- ment; the Falkland Islands have had from Ministers of successive Governments an indication that in the last resort we would be ready to allow them to come here, for example, if the Argentine made their lives intolerable or committed an act of aggression.

If the Home Secretary and the l'oreign Secretary agree that a third citizenship is acceptable in principle, officials of the FCO and the Home Office will agree the terms of a draft telegram to be sent to the Governors of Colonies which we think should be approved by the two Secretaries of State before being despatched, The precise title of a third citizenship need not be settled at this stage, though one or two possible titles might be suggested in the telegram.

I am sending a copy of this minute to Mr Figg in the FCO who will report in similar terms to the Lord Privy Seal in Lord Carrington's absence in Lusaka.

31 July 1979

(P J WOODFIELD)