TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 128

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as he would have wished, which would have resulted in CBDTs being able

to express this status in passports as 'British (name of dependency)

Citizen' since a similar amendment was defeated in Committee. So his

amendment seeks to use, as a replacement for or alternative to CBDT,

the title 'British Dependent Territories Citizen' (that is, a simple

re-arrangement of the words to put 'British' first as it is in all other

titles).

I very much hope that you will be able to accept this amendment.

It seems innocuous so far as the Bill is concerned, and from the Hong

Kong angle opposition to it by HMG would weaken confidence in the

sincerity of our commitment to the Territory. I recognise that with

the overthrow of the Gibraltar amendment in mind you would prefer not

to be seen to be making concessions to individual territories. But if

you agree, when you see the amendment, that it is acceptable I think it should be possible to deal with it as one that brings all the titles

into line rather than makes a concession. It can be treated as quite independent of the Gibraltar amendment. Indeed, it would, I suspect, be very difficult to muster effective arguments against such a change

in the word order and it might well be carried in the Lords even if

we opposed it. So tactically it should suit our purposes all round to

have it played in the lowest possible key. It should then be possible

to argue convincingly that, for the sake of uniformity, it remained

essential to reverse the Gibraltar amendment.

I am copying this letter to Bertie Denham and Michael Jopling.

Yus

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