TNAG-1082-FCO40-1332-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 119

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RELOVED A ROZVY MO. 51 3 0 MAR 1981

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HONG KONG: PQ ON NATIONALITY

1. Mr Alfred Morris MP (Labour) has put down the following question for written answer on 20 March:-

2.

To ask the Lord Privy Seal, what procedures he has followed to consult the people of Hong Kong on the provisions of the British Nationality Bill that affect them; if he believes

that these provisions are acceptable to the Hong Kong community; and if he will make a statement.

I attach a draft reply which has been agreed with the Governor of Hong Kong. NTD agree.

attached

3.

Sir M MacLehose considers that it would be unwise to comment on the acceptability of the Bill at this stage (Hong Kong telegram No 305). This would seem right, but if it were felt necessary to answer Mr Morris's question fully, the following could be added:

'I hope that the Bill will be generally acceptable to Hong Kong'.

4. If it were felt necessary to say something in the answer about the nature of the representations made by Hong Kong, the following could be added: -

'These mainly concern the circumstances in which a citizen of the Dependent Territories might be eligible to apply for British Citizenship, for example, after residence in the UK and by virtue of service to the Crown'.

Hong Kong have asked that 'nomenclature and' be inserted after the word 'concern'. This, however, could be unnecessarily provaative and it would therefore, on balance, be better not to include this additional information.

5. We can always keep it in reserve in case there are further questions pressing for more details.

19 March 1981

cc: Mr Adams

Mr Jones NTD

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6. Morrice

P Morrice

Hong Kong and General Department

I

have discussed with Mr. Adams

CONFIDENTIAL