TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 125

422

GRS 220

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 1610157 OCTOBER 81

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 940 OF 16 OCTOBER

HKK 340|1

་་་སང

REQUIVAD) T1369esy PD. 51

1.9 OCT 1981

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

INFO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

(415)

MY TELNO 9331 NATIONALITY BILL

ло

FURTHER TO MY PARAS 1 TO 3, I HAVE NOW RECEIVED A

PA

22.6.

LETTER FROM ALL UMELCO MEMBERS THE OPERATIVE PART OF WHICH IS IN MIFT,

423

QISTRY

Action Taken

PGx 23/10

See

400

2. I SHOULD MAKE CLEAR THAT IN PASSING ON YOUR VIEW THAT IT WOULD BE UNFORTUNATE IF UNOFFICIALS BECAME TOO DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN SUPPORT OF GEDDES' 1ST AMENDMENT (YOUR TELNO 787 PARA 4) | STRESSED THAT YOU COULD NOT GUARANTEE THAT YOU COULD SUCCEED IN ACHIEVING AN ALTERNATIVE FALL-BACK FOR HONG KONG. UNOFFICIALS HAVE BEEN UPSET BY THE COMBINATION OF THE UNEXPECTEDLY CLOSE VOTE ON TUESDAY, WITH DISCOVERY, WHEN IT WAS

TOO LATE, THAT THE FALL-BACK FORMULA WOULD HAVE TO BE EMASCULATED, AT ANY RATE IN ANY AMENDMENT IN THE LORDS.

445

3. WHILE THEIR LETTER ADDS NOTHING TO MY TELNO 933 IT DOES REFLECT THE STRONG EMOTION BEHIND THEIR REACTION AND THEIR HOPE THAT SOMETHING MAY YET BE TRETRIEVED BY ADMINISTRATIVE

MEANS.

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

HK & GD

N & TO

PS

PS/LPS

PS/LORD TREFGARNE

PS/PUS

MR DONALD

MR ADAMS

COPIES TO:

DR FORD HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE

LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL