TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 124

GRS 550

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTİ:

FM HONG KONG 161028Z OCTOBER 81

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 941 OF 16 OCTOBER

мір

MIPT

422

HIK 340/1

VCBY RD. $1

CT 1981

SK OFFICER

PA

Мо

£5.!!.

RAQUSTRY

Action Taken

:

HAVING BEEN PERSUADED TO ADOPT THIS STRATEGY BEGIN SQUARE

BRACKETS OF NOT LOBBYING IN FAVOR OF LORD GEDDES AMENDMENT END SQUARE BRACKETS WE WERE SHOCKED

TO LEARN YESTERDAY MORNING THAT THE SECOND PART OF LORD GEDDES' THIRD READING AMENDMENT, TO PLACE BRITISH (HONG KONG) CITIZEN''

IN PASSPORTS, HAD BEEN REJECTED BY THE CLERK OF THE PARLIAMENTS ON THE GROUND OF ITS SIMILARITY TO AN EARLIER UNSUCCESSFUL AMENDMENT TABLED BY LORD ELWYN-JONES. WE ARE ESPECIALLY DISTRESSED

THAT WE DESISTED FROM LOBBYING WIDELY IN SUPPORT OF LORD GEDDES' FIRST AMENDMENT, BECAUSE WE BELIEVED THAT A VIABLE

FALL-BACK POSITION WAS AVAILABLE TO US. INDEED, THE THIRD

READING FALL-BACK AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY LORD GEDDES WAS OF SIMILAR BREADTH AND IN SIMILAR TERMS TO THE CONTINGENCY AMENDMENT

MR ATKINS HAD HIMSELF PUT TO THE HOME SECRETARY. WE RECEIVED

NO PRIOR HINT NOR WARNING THAT IT MIGHT BE RULED OUT OF ORDER.

THE SORRY POSITION IN WHICH WE NOW FIND OURSELVES IS A

DIRECT RESULT OF THE ADVICE WE HAVE RECEIVED. HAVING FAILED

TO GIVE ALL-OUT SUPPORT TO LORD GEDDES FIRST AMENDMENT, WE FIND OURSELVES LEFT WITH A MEANINGLESS COSMETIC AMENDMENT.

THERE IS NO COMPARISON BETWEEN THE VALUE OF THE TWO AMENDMENTS

AND WE HAVE NO ANSWER TO CRITICISMS FOR HAVING FAILED TO HAVE GONE

ALL-OUT IN SUPPORT OF THE FIRST.

WE BELIEVE WE HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY MISLED AND MOST EARNESTLY

APPEAL TO YOUR EXCELLENCY TO PERSUADE HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT

TO MAKE SOME CONCESSION TO PLACE THE BRITISH IDENTITY OF

HONG KONG'S BRITISH SUBJECTS BEYOND DOUBT. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT,

CONTRARY TO EARLIER ADVICE, THERE IS ANOTHER OFFICIAL VIEW THAT THE DESCRIPTION IN PASSPORTS MAY TAKE THE FORM OF **BRITISH (HONG KONG) CITIZENS WITHOUT LEGISLATIVE BACKING. WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL, SIR, IF YOU WOULD ALSO PURSUE THIS FOR US.

MACLEHOSE

Bil

noted pas 23/10

تھیلی

822.10

of 22

LIMITED

HK&GD

NTD

PS

PS/LPS

PS/LORD TREFGARNE PS/PUS

MR DONALD

MR ADAMS

COPIES TO:-

DR FORD

HK GOVT.OFFICE LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL

423