TNAG-0901-FCO40-1111-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 5

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COFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FCO 0817542 AUG 70

NO PRIORITY HONG KONG

MLEGRAM NUMBER 635 OF 8 AUGUST

HKK340

K3401

54

FOR GOVERNOR FROM MCLAREN.

NATIONALITY LAW

51,52,53

No

་ང

1. YOU WILL HAVE SEEN FROM FCO TELS NOS 51-53 TO ANGUILLA THAT

THE HOME OFFICE ARE NOW PREPARED TO CONSIDER DIVIDING THE

PRESENT CITIZENSHIP OF THE UK AND COLONIES INTO 3 SEPARATE

CITIZENSHIPS, INSTEAD OF 2 AS PROPOSED IN THE 1977 GREEN PAPER.

: THIS IS ENCOURAGING. THE TELEGRAMS HAVE BEEN DESPATCHED LARGELY

TO SEEK THE VIEWS OF GOVERNORS OF TERRITORIES OTHER THAN HONG

KONG, WHO HAVE NOT HITHERTO BEEN INFORMED OF THE 3-TIER IOCA.

2. YOU WILL ALSO HAVE SEEN THAT THE HOME OFFICE ARE BEING VERY

RESTRICTIVE ABOUT POSSIBLE TITLES FOR THE PROPOSED CITIZENSHIP

FOR THOSE CONNECTED WITH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES, WOODFIELD HAS

TOLD ME THAT MR WHITELAW IS ADAMANT THAT QUOTE CITIZEN OF THE

UK AND COLONIES UNQUOTE CANNOT BE USED (FOR THE REASON OPEN IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF FCO TELNO 52 TO ANGUILLA): AND IS EQUALLY

OPPOSED TO QUOTE CITIZEN OF VK COLONIES UNQUOTE, WHICH I

UNDERSTOOD TO BE YOUR FALLBACK POSITION, ON THE GROUNDS THAT IT

SOUNDS TOO MUCH LIKE THE PRESENT TITLE. WOOD FIELD ALSO SAID THAT QUOTE BRITISH CITIZEN (HONG KONG) UNQUOTE OR QUOTE BRITISH

CITIZEN OF HONG KONG UNQUTOE WOULD BE UNACCEPTABLE, IT IS NOT

CLEAR WHY.

3. IT WOULD THEREFORE BE PARTICULARLY HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR

COMMENTS ON TITLES. ! SEE VERY LITTLE PROSPECT OF MAKING HEADWAY WITH QUOTE CITIZEN OF UK COLONIES UNQUOTE, BUT WE MIGHT DE ALDE

TO PERSUADE THE HOME OFFICE TO GIVE FURTHER CONSIDERATION TO SOMETHING ON THE LINES OF QUOTE DRITISH CITIZEN OF HONG KONG

UNQUOTE IF YOU THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE BETTER THAN THE UNAPPEALING

TITLES NOW SUGGESTED.

CARRINGTON

FILES

HKG Q

NTD

FR MURRAY MR FIGS.

CONFIDENTIAL

!