TNAG-0902-FCO40-1112-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1979 — Page 59

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CONFIDENTIAL

upgrading of the status of first generation born overseas to equate with that of a

British citizen by birth or that he could automatically transmit his E citizenship to any of his children born overseas was feasible. Mr Luce wrote

to Mr Raison on these lines on 17 August and we still await a reply. In brief, both FCO Ministers and some Ministers in the Home and Social Affairs Committee

are still not satisfied that the Home Office proposals go far enough and

consideration of alternatives continues.

3.

Amongst alternatives which I think are worth consideration are

a) automatic transmission to the second generation born in a dependency if one of the parents is a British citizen and a grandparent was born in the UK (for which I think there is a case to be met in any circumstances)

b) transmission to the second generation in foreign and Commonwealth countries by consular birth registration within a specified period of, say, 5 years with no provision for late registration (provided one of the parents is a British citizen and there is descent from a grandparent born in the UK);

c) (as an alternative to (b)) a system of registration by the Home Office of second generation children born in foreign and Commonwealth countries provided certain specified conditions demonstrating links with the UK are met;

d) a New Zealand type provision (which would probably not be necessary if there were a provision on the lines of (b) or (c) above);

e) a provision along the lines proposed by the Home Office which will be necessary in any event.

There are difficulties with some of these possibilities which I need not list

here.

We have asked the Home Office for copies of all the replies from members of the Home and Social Affairs Committee to the Home Secretary's letter of 22 August and I expect to receive them on 4 October. We know Mr Heseline has proposed a scheme which would involve the registration of British families with strong overseas traditions to enable them to secure the transmission of their citizenship beyond the first generation. We should like to examine this and any other proposals before recommending that Ministers should press for the adoption of one or more of the provisions mentioned in para 3 above. In makin any such proposal FCO Ministers would presumably wish to involve the members o the Home and Social Affairs Committee. The main point at present is, I believ that the position has been kept open and we now need to work out the best

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