TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 105

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HKK 34011

RECEIVED IN RES

0 1 APR 1980

PS/Mr Luce

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

0751

REGISTRY Ketten Fak

AW114

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llrum J31.3

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39

Α

NEW NATIONALITY LEGISLATION

PROBLEM

1. The Home Secretary wishes to put a draft White Paper on new

nationality legislation to the Home and Social Affairs Committee as

soon as possible. He would like to discuss soon with Lord Carrington

any differences that cannot be resolved at official level. The only

major difference relates to the way in which we describe the citizenship of colonial belongers in particular, whether to retain

the title 'British Subject' to link the separate citizenship

categories.

RECOMMENDATION

2. I recommend that Lord Carrington should support the views

expressed in this paper for the retention of 'British Subject'.

Attached is a list of Points to Make if he agrees with the

recommendation.

BACKGROUND

3.

At a meeting on 18 March of FCO and Home Office officials it was decided to prepare an agreed background paper setting out the respective views on citizenship categories and titles and that each

Department would submit separate advice before a meeting of Ministers to decide the question. A copy of the agreed paper is

attached. It concludes that the title to describe colonial belongers

in the new Act should be on the lines of 'Citizen of the British

Dependent Territories'. The Home Office believe that this title

alone is adequate. But the FCO believe that alone it is inadequate for the dependencies; it might be acceptable if, in addition to the separate citizenship titles, the title 'British Subject' were

/retained

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