TNAG-1084-FCO40-1334-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

-3-

mount and it would be necessary to consider possible fall-back

proposals to prevent serious damage to our relations.

8.

On

The Governor of Hong Kong has suggested (without consulting

the Executive Council) that a fall-back which might ward this off

would be an adjustment to the nomenclature of the present Citizenship

of the British Dependent Territories. He proposes using the term

'British Dependent Territories Citizen' in the Bill (so as to put

'British' first) and accompanying this by the following wording

in passports: 'British : Dependent Territories Citizen'.

9. The first part of this proposal should not cause any policy

problem, being primarily a psychological change of word order.

the proposed wording in passports, NTD's view is that it is a major

departure from the Bill (since it implies a 'British nationality'

status for which there is no provision in the Bill) and that such an

important step cannot be taken by purely administrative means. Their

view is that if some such change is to be introduced there must be

an amendment to the Bill perhaps introducing the term 'British

national' for CBDTs (and BOCs and the other special categories).

The Home Secretary has previously rejected a proposal on these lines.

So it is clear that it would not be possible to get quick agreement

on it.

10. This department believes that it may be necessary at some

stage to reconsider this proposal in order to prevent a breakdown

in relations with Hong Kong but it would not be practicable to make

an early offer on these lines in order to forestall other demands.

Nevertheless should we learn that HMG have decided to concede the

/Gibraltar

CONFIDENTIAL