TNAG-1082-FCO40-1332-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 39

DRAFT LETTER

ADDRESSEE'S REFERENCE

FILE NUMBER

TO

ENCLOSURES

COPIES TO BE SENT TO

The Rt Hon Roy Hattersley MP

House of Commons

Copy of note on

new clause

Copies (with enc)

LONDON

SW1A OAA

(FULL POSTAL ADDRESS)

Other members of Standing Committee

F (list attached).

Mr Boys-Smith

Mr Woodfield

Mr Hilary

Mr Pakenham-Walsh

Mr Addison

Mrs Evans

Mr Coles

Mr Jones FCO

Mr Ingman

Mr Grant

Mr Daly

(FULL ADDRESSES, IF NECESSARY)

Mr Raison

(NAME OF SIGNATORY)

LETTER DRAFTED FOR SIGNATURE BY

BRITISH NATIONALITY BILL: GOVERNMENT AMENDMENTS

You will see on tomorrow's order paper that the Government has put

down further amendments to this Bill, Since these affect parts of

the Bill which we may well reach very shortly, I thought it would be

helpful if I provided some information now about these amendments

for you,

and for the other members of the Committee to whom I am

copying this letter.

H.O. EST. 112

The main amendment is a new clause which would enable citizens of the

British Dependent Territories, British Overseas citizens, British

subjects under the Bill, and British protected persons to have an

entitlement to British citizenship after completing 5 years residence

in the United Kingdom, provided they do not exceed certain specified

periods of absence from the United Kingdom during the qualifying period, and provided they are free of restrictions on their stay at the time of their application. The Home Secretary would also have discretion to register under this provision, in the special circum- stances of a particular case, anyone holding these statuses, who has at any time served in Crown or closely related service under the government of a dependent territory. Further details of this new clause are given in the attached note.

Bas 56629/408 80m 6/79 TP

I