TNAG-1081-FCO40-1331-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 84

HICK 340/1

COMMENTINGNE DAY M. 51

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Mr Donald No Clift

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CC

16 MAR 1981

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693 Ola-thright REGISTRY

Mr Woodfield Taken

INDEX

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Mr Agip on My 2315

Mr Fakenham-Walshi Mr Ingman

(22A)

Mr Boys Smith

Meeting on British Nationality Bill with Governor of Hong Kong

The Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Murray Maclehose, is to meet the Home Secretary and Mr Raison at 12.15 on Wednesday 11 March. He will wish to put to Ministers the current difficulties which the British Nationality Bill raises for Hong Kong, in

particular for the Government of the Crown Colony. The Governor has said that the

Bill has created a crisis of confidence among the key individuals with whom he has

to work most closely, and he sees it as essential that amendments are made to the Bill which would enable him to say that some concession had been made to take account

of Hong Kong's views.

2. Sir Murray will have met Lord Carrington on the preceding day and, after he has put his points to Home Office Ministers also, it may well be desirable for the

Home Secretary and the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary to meet. The latter may wish to be clear about the probable outcome of the Hong Kong pressure before he visits Hong Kong on 29 March.

3. We do not think the Home Secretary will wish to give Sir Murray a final answer on any of his points (it would hardly be possible to do so). There would, however, be no harm in telling the Governor of the very real difficulties which the Home Secretary and Mr Raison see in particular proposals and which would need to be

overcome if changes to the Bill were to be made. It should be borne in mind that

the Governor will probably report points made at the meeting to his Executive and Legislative Councils which means their becoming public knowledge unless specifically asked not to.)

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4. The Home Secretary will no doubt wish to express great sympathy for the Governor's difficulties and to emphasise that the Bill is in no respect intended to place Hong Kong at a disadvantage as compared with the present situation. So far as

the right of entry to the United Kingdom is concerned, the Bill makes no difference. The Home Secretary may wish to repeat yet again what was said in paragraph 16 of the White Paper: "The establishment of a separate citizenship for the British Dependent Territories would in no way alter the relationship between those territories and the United Kingdom, nor the Government's obligations and commitments to the Dependent Territories and to their citizens. N