TNAG-0979-FCO40-1198-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-British-nationality-1980 — Page 14

PS/LPS

AKK 34011 RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 0.5 JUN 1980

REGIS AY

Action Tue

DESK OFFICER

CONFIDENTIAL

INDEX

PA

мо

710.6

Aw1016

55)

UK/HONG KONG RELATIONS AND NEW NATIONALITY LAW

52

1. The Lord Privy Seal may wish to see Hong Kong telegram No 703 of 31 May which contains a personal message to the PUS from the Governor about current irritants in UK/Hong Kong relations.

2.

The Lord Privy Seal is of course familiar with the problem of the Civil Aviation Authority's decision not to license Cathay Pacific on the London/Hong Kong route. Sir Ian Gilmour wrote to Mr Nott on the subject on 7 April. We will be making separate recommendations to the PUS on this aspect as well as the problem of overseas students' fees.

3.

The purpose of this minute is to note the Governor's concern about the forthcoming White Paper on a new Nationality Act. The Lord Privy Seal will be discussing this with the Home Secretary shortly, including the question of the nomenclature for Dependent Territories citizens. Although Sir Murray MacLehose achnowledges that the FCO is doing everything possible in Hong Kong's interests, his telegram puts the problem very neatly in the context of our overall relations with the Territory. The difficulties which he describes would certainly be aggravated if the agreed citizenship title under the new legislation does not retain as close a link as possible with Britain, on the lines described in Mr Figg's submission of 28 March. The Lord Privy Seal may wish to draw on this in his meeting with Mr Whitelaw, in underlining our current problems with Hong Kong.

3 June 1980

сс

PS/PUS

Sir D Maitland

Mr Donald

Mr Adams

Mr Jones NTD

R D Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL

כ-