TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 25

Mr Gray, NTD

CL 501

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference....

HKK340|1 for

48

NATIONALITY LAW: TRANSMISSION OF CITIZENSHIP (DEPENDENCIES)

1.

Your minute of 19 July.

2. We agree with Migration and Visa Department (Mr Brownlee's minute of 1 August) that Dependent Territories should certainly be asked for their views on this complex issue. Mr Brownlee may be right in thinking that they would not be in favour of automatic transmission of citizenship through the female line. But we can recall discussions about citizenship at fairly recent constitutional conferences held for Associated States at which a wish was expressed to permit citizenship to be transmitted through women.

Of course, Associated States are not Dependent Territories; but there are a number of Dependent Territories close to the Associated States in the Caribbean, and I would not be all that surprised if the Dependent Territories adopt a similar attitude.

3 August 1979

cc Mr McLaren, HKGD (K246) Mr Daunt, SED (W 70)

Mr Ure, SAmD (K 267)

Mr Snodgrass, SPD (G 85/1) Mr Shakespear, MCD (K 364) Mr Brownlee, MVD

CONFIDENTIAL

B T Holmes

West Indian & Atlantic Department