TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 107

Mr Quantrill

Mr

Mr McLaren

CONFIDENTIAL

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Reference.

HKK 340

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BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW

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1. I had lunch today with Mr Bray, Hong Kong's Commissioner in London. He told me in confidence which should be protected from the Home Office that he had a talk last night with Mr Roger Sims MP and PPS to the Home Secretary on the proposed British Nationality Bill.

2. Mr Sims said that, whatever the Home Office officials might say, the Government were not in a hurry to enact this legislation; there was no Christmas deadline. The Hong Kong angle was well understood by Home Office Ministers and he expected the Home Secretary to give way to the Foreign Secretary in the Cabinet on the question of nomenclature. I did not have time to question Mr Bray in any detail on this but Mr McLaren may wish to do so when he sees him next Thursday.

3. Mr Bray also told me that Sir Paul Bryan was intending to put Hong Kong's case to Mr Whitelaw forcibly (and I presume in the House of Commons) in the near future. Mr Bray was collecting information for Sir Paul to enable him to do so.

21 September 1979

Juichiamon Эйлий

маши

P J Williamson

Hong Kong and General Department

There may

be an element of wishful thinking in this, ent it is none the less very encouraging and shows that we should not accept defeat until the matter has been taken to Cabinet level (something which I have suspected NTD of being reluctant to do).

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL

W.E. Chantill

21/9