TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 153

Registry

No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret.

Secret.

Confidential.

Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

...................................................................................In Confidence

DRAFT

To:-

CONFIDENTIAL

P J Woodfield Esq CB CBI Home Office

Type 1 +

From

LC W Fige

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

IBKIT

1. Following our meeting on 31 July we informed the

officers administering the Governments of Colonies that

there would now be three categories or citizenship and

asked for their views.

2. I do not think there will be auch difficulty about

finding a title for the second category, ie for British

citizens who have right of abode in dependent territories,

except in the case of Hng Kong, which is discussed below.

other The reactions of the Colonial territories haw been varied,

but after we analysed the we came to the conclusion that

they could all probably settle for some such title as

"Britisi citizen of name or dependent territory7". I gu

aware that you see difficulty with this title, but unless

there is some overriding reason for excluding it I think

ve cught to re-examine this possibility in due course. I

might add, incidentally, that none of the dependent

territories objected to provision for transmission

of citizenship through the female line except for

Gibraltar, and its objection is not a strong one.

3. However our jor concern is now for Hong Kong and as

this is the tervisory with overwhelmingly the greatest

number of "Colonial" citizens I think we shall have to

re-examine the problem from the beginning, try to resolve

this probled fiest and then consider whether the

an be toptied es Puk other

Da lobons 308M

Adependent”