TNAG-1085-FCO40-1335-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 78

Mr Howells

Mr Adams

HKK 340

340/1

MEGET IN PASTRY NO. 51

- 1 OCT 1981

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

مد

PA

16,60

ICTED

Action Take

10 10 مماه

Minule talou

es Aftfixe? yes

My Bonche

m... CofE HUGO

зво

C. 1. Mowatt 27/4

Mr. Williamm

Al I pl. see

alongside the Bill

NATIONALITY BILL: CITIZENSHIP OF THE BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

We have received a copy of an Amendment to be moved by Lord Elwyn-Jones at Report Stage which reads

After Clause 14

Insert the following new Clause.

('Before the commencement of this Act, the Secretary of State shall, subject to the approval of both Houses of Parliament, make provision for the respective citizenships of each of the dependent territories listed in Schedule 6')

Leave out Clauses 15-25 [dealing with the dependent territories].

2. I do not know the reason for this amendment. be an attempt to

a) scupper the Bill; or

But it may

L-

force a full debate on the merits of separate citizenship for the dependencies.

b)

The latter is perhaps the more likely because separate citizenships were not dealt with at great length in Committee. The question was overshadowed by the Gibraltar amendment and consideration of nomenclature eg British Hong-Kong Citizenship.

3.

The Home Office will let us have for comment copies of their Notes on the amendment in due course. I believe that before drafting they will try to ascertain what lies behind the amendment.

Matina

29 September 1981

RESTRICTED

H M PATERSON

Nationality & Treaty Department