TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 31

DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT:

CONFIDENTIAL

minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note

FROM: Mr Figg

DEPARTMENT:

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Secret

Top Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

TO:

DHJ Hilary Esq AUSS

Home Office

Lunar House

40 Wellesley Road

CROYDON CR9 2BY

TEL. NO:

TYPE: Draft/Final 1+

Reference

GNN 340/24

Your Reference

Copies to:

PRIVACY MARKING

.In Confidence

CAVEAT..

Enclosures-flag(s).............

SUBJECT:

NATIONALITY BILL: DEPENDENCIES

1. Looking ahead to the time when a nationality bill is

presented to Parliament, we anticipate problems in many of the

dependent territories if the impression were given that we

were taking unilateral action without consulting them. Beren A day or so's advance notification of what the bill will con-

will tain is likely to be insufficient to prevent bitter resentment

in some of the dependencies, even though they may not find

much in the bill to which they could reasonably object.

of course, could depend on the outcome of the 2/3 tier

citizenship controversy but, even leaving this aside, there is

no doubt that certain Governors would be placed in a very

awkward situation if they were not given the opportunity to

discuss the proposed provisions in the bill with the

appropriate local advisers some time in advance of its

publication.

Much,

2. Some of the dependencies would no doubt claim that, as a

result of Ministerial promises over the years, HMG are

obligated to consult them (the Hattersley Memorandum re

Gibraltar is a case in point) and although it could be argued

that their comments following publication of the Green Paper

were taken into account when the draft bill was formulated and

/hence

CONFIDENTIAL