Enka 8 2117
H
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
From the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State
21 July 1981
Richard Luce, MP
い
51
HR 34.0
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO.
2 1 JUL 1981
DESK OFFICER
(316
INDEX
PA
REGISTRY Action Taken
110
fri.
See (327)
BRITISH NATIONALITY BILL: AMENDMENT ON GIBRALTAR: OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
see
317
Вая
1.
I should be grateful for your help over the line we should take with the otherDependent Territories in the event of the House of Lords' amendment to give Gibraltarians the right to register as British Citizens being passed. Although the most satisfactory reaction would be an early statement by HMG that they would seek to reverse the decision, I think to take this line at this stage would be counter productive in the context of our position on the Lords Report Stage and in the Commons. However, I know you will appreciate that it would cause major difficulties with the other dependencies if they got the idea that we were considering conceding the Gibraltar amendment.
2. We believe in any event that we would need to say something to the other dependencies quickly, in order to try and contain the situation and to avoid fresh demands being put forward. I have in mind therefore to send the enclosed personal message to all Governors in order to try to cool the temperature. You will see the suggested difference between our public and private positions.
As you
3. I believe this is necessary particularly in order to maintain relations with Hong Kong on an even keel. know, they have been under strain in the shadow of uncertainties over the future of the Territory. We should be able to hold the line for the moment on the ground that we are not publicly changing our policy although, of course, behind the scene we will need to consider the implication of the Lords' decision.
If
Lord Belstead
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State Home Office
cc: Timothy Raison Esq, MP
Home Office
CONFIDENTIAL
/at
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.