TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 120

CODE 18-77

Mr Morrice 220m

22일

CONFIDENTIAL

35

Reference........ НКК 340/1

Mr Williamson J3

PA.

NATIONALITY LAW

•

HKCK 340ll

RECEIVED IN REGISTKY NO. 51 2 1 MAR 1980

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

1 At a meeting at the HomeN de SA 18 Action Take was agreed between Mr Cortazzi and Mr Woodfield that FS and Hoffice officials would now jointly prepare a position paper. setting of their respective positions on nomenclature. This would include the question of whether the term "British Subject" might be retained as a prefix for the citizenship descriptions. Each Department will then submit the position paper separately to their respective Ministers (in our case the Secretary of State or the Lord Privy Seal) who will then meet. It is likely that the main point at issue will be the "British Subject" one to which the Home Office at present object strongly.

2.

We will then send a telegram to Hong Kong making clear that Ministers have considered their representations and outlining the agreed package. This will enable the Governor to have another round of discussions with EXCO.

3. The aim will be to complete this discussion between the FCO and the Home Office Ministers by Easter in order to enable the draft White Paper to go to the Home Affairs Committee of the Cabinet by the end of April. It will still be necessary thereafter to give the dependent territories advance notice of the contents of the White Paper before publication in June.

রখ

19 March 1980

R D Clift

CONFIDENTIAL

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