TNAG-1081-FCO40-1331-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 19

CONFIDENTIAL

place in the queue for naturalisation along with aliens. Another point of contention was that the Bill as drafted discriminates against Crown Servants employed by the dependent territories in applying for British citizenship by naturalisation. They would in fact be worse off in this respect than an alien

who happened to be employed by a British Government Department

abroad.

4.

People in Hong Kong therefore feel that they have

been misled over the effects of the Bill. This in its turn

has revived the basic worries over the significance of the

new citizenship titles. I have explained to the Governor the fundamental difficulty of making any change over nomenclature.

He understands this but has pursuaded me that we can only

avert a major row with Hong Kong if urgent steps are taken to

remove the practical disadvantages which the Bill at present

imposes on dependent territory citizens. The Governor will explain this in more detail: but I think that the very

minimum which would be acceptable would be to allow dependent

territory citizens the right to register as British citizens

after five years in the UK and provisions under which the

Home Secretary could use his discretion to grant naturalisation

to persons who had rendered substantial service to the Crown

in a dependency. This would keep the door ajar and go a long

way towards allaying the concerns of those who have given long

and loyal service to this country. I think it would be right to link this with an additional provision allowing public

service overseas to count towards the residence requirement

for naturalisation after the person concerned had obtained

entry to the UK.

5.

I would be very grateful for your help in giving

a fair wind to these ideas. A good deal is at stake in

terms of our relations with Hong Kong, including in the

commercial field. I think it is essential to get action under

CONFIDENTIAL

/way