TNAG-1085-FCO40-1335-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 132

CONFIDENTIAL

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10.

It would be very helpful to air some of these ideas at the meeting. I know that HMG's decision on whether or not to push opposition to the Gibraltar amendment through to a Commons vote is very relevant, and that if things were left to that late stage amendments to the Bill itself would be very difficult. But would they be totally impossible if we had discussed them in advance with the Home Office?

If not, my recommendation would be that we should submit to Ministers in advance of the parliamentary resumption stressing the political difficulties likely to arise from retention of the Gibraltar amendment and asking them to consider very simple alternative texts for amendments to the Bill to be introduced immediately after the Government was defeated on the Gibraltar amendment. We should do this in good time so that if the Home Office prove totally adamant against amendments to the Bill we could then fall back on some administrative change in passports.

Бир

16 September 1981

R D Clift

Hong Kong and General Department

сс

Mr Fearn, SAmD

Mr Edwards, WIAD

Mr Payne, MCD Mr Daunt, SED

Mr Adams

CONFIDENTIAL