TNAG-1084-FCO40-1334-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 54

Mr Adams

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Mr Clift, HK&GD

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NATIONALITY BILL: AMENDMENT ON GIBRALTAR

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HKR 340/1 ник

RECEITA: Y BARY NO. 51 ? 1 JUL 1981

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KAMSTRY

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You will have seen Mr Clift's minute to the Chief Clerk of 13 July on this subject. I must say that I find it difficult to understand why there should be a danger of such a serious risk to relations between the UK and Hong Kong if the Gibraltar amendment were to succeed. Of course Hong Kong (and other dependencies) would resent it if one dependency received more favourable treatment than others but I cannot see why it should undermine confidence in Hong Kong to the extent suggested and that they must have some compensating concession on nationality. What is suggested as compensation is not radically different from what Hong Kong have been asking for for the last 5 years; and I see no logical reason why a continued refusal by HMG to give it should undermine confidence in Hong Kong anymore than it has done in the past. Of course Hong Kong will want to get something if they can but that does not mean a crisis.

To

2. On the change of nomenclature suggested in Mr Clift's minute I have said previously that to use the title 'British Dependent Territories Citizen' in passports instead of 'Citizen of the British Dependent Territories' should not present a problem. use the title 'British: Dependent Territories Citizen' is objectionable. It was I believe one of the proposals put forward when the issue of nomenclature was last raised seriously with Hong Kong and the Home Office. The objections to it Office. Whether one uses the National' or simply 'British' or solely in the passport the

are precisely those used by the Home title 'British Subject' or 'British and whether one uses it in the Bill effect is the same.

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3. I am not suggesting that there will be no problem with Hong Kong if the Gibraltar amendment succeeds. My own view is that if the amendment were to succeed in Committee which is by no means certain the Home Office will take their time before deciding whether they really will try to amend the provision at Report in the Lords or subsequently in the Commons. I suspect that they will be right to do so - at least they will be right not to conclude immediately that they should not try to reverse the decision in October. Consequently I think that they would be most reluctant, rightly so, to make an immediate offer, as Mr Clift suggests, which would in effect amount to a major change of

/policy

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