TNAG-1081-FCO40-1331-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 70

"

M. Mcclclore's

brief

SECRET

HKK 3401l

Brief for the Governor's Meeting with Lord Carrington and Mr. Whitelaw RECEIVED TRY NO. 51 in London, March 1981

1 1 MAR 1981

DESK OF INDEX

Suggested Tactics in Pursuing Hong Kong Amendments to the British Nationality Bill

CER

PA

123

REGISTRY

Action Takes

Pas 3013

A separate Aide Memoire has been prepared setting out the main amendments proposed by Hong Kong and the arguments in support of them. It can be left with officials of the Foreign

and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office.

2.

The advice of Executive Council on these amendments

is summarised below together with some suggestions as to tactics:

(a) Common Citizenship with the UK

(Paras. 3-8 and Annex A of Aide Memoire)

(i)

(ii)

(iii)

The purpose of the amendment is to create, de facto but not de jure, individual

citizenships for the remaining dependencies but to enable CBDTs to carry the titles of "British (Hong Kong) Citizens", "British (Gibraltar) Citizens", etc. It also seeks

to change the collective title CBDT into "British (Dependent Territories) Citizens".

Unofficials are keen that this should be

put forward although they recognise that it is probably impossible to achieve politically. They have also advised that

efforts should continue to be made to

introduce the concept of a British (Hong Kong)

citizen.

Mr. Alexander Lyon, a Labour back-bencher on the Standing Committee, has proposed a series of amendments which would, inter alia,

remove all the provisions in the Bill

relating to CBDT and require the Home

Secretary, before the commencement of the

Act, to "proclaim by orders, subject to

the approval of both Houses of Parliament, schemes for the citizenship of each