TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 136

GPS 600 CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 151124Z OCT 81

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 933 OF 15 OCTOBER

INFO HONG KONG GOVI OFFICE LONDON

400

403

FOR LORD PRIVY SEAL FROM GOVERNOR.

YOUR TELNO 787 AND MY 915: NATIONALITY BILL.

1. THINGS HAVE TAKEN A MOST UNHAPPY TURN HERE?

Hiele 340/! ник

15 OCT 1931

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

مثل

PA

$22.00-

16023/10

(415)

(A) UMELCO FELT THAT, HAD THEY NOT BEEN INFLUENCED BY SIR PAUL See HKCR $40/1 (415)

BRYAN'S AND YOUR ADVICE NOT TO LOBBY, LORD GEDDES AMENDMENT ON TUESDAY WOULD HAVE BEEN CARRIED: AND

Goo

(B) IT NOW EMERGES AS A RESULT OF ADVICE FROM SIR PETER HENDERSON TO LORD GEDDES, THAT AN ADDITIONAL CLAUSE WITH THE VARIATION OF ''BRITISH (HONG KONG) CITIZEN (YOURTELNO 787 PARA 3) COULD NOT BE TABLED IN THE LORDS BECAUSE THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DEBATED ON A MOTION OF LORD ELWYN-JONES ON 23 JULY AND DEFEATED, ALBEIT IN A DIFFERENT CONTEXT. THERE IS THEREFORE NO QUESTION OF GEDDES' TABLING AN AMENDMENT FOR THE 3RD READING OTHER THAN TO REQUIRE THE ALTERNATIVE WORDING BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN''

BUT THE PRIME INTEREST HERE IS TO HAVE THE PHRASE "BRITISH (HONG

KONG) CITIZEN'' IN PASSPORTS (PARA 6 OF MYTEL NO 912) 398)

COULD NOT

3. IF MEMBERS HAD KNOWN THAT THE FALL-BACK POSITION

INCLUDE THIS VARIANT IT WOULD HAVE HAD NO ATTRACTION FOR THEM AND

THEY WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE LOBBIED ON TUESDAY.

3. THIS HAS RESULTED IN VERY SILLY TALK OF A CONSPIRACY TO MISLEAD

THEM, AND I WAS OBLIGED TO BRING A MEETING THIS EVENING TO AN

ABRUPT CLOSE.

4. LORD GEDDES IS NOW TABLING HIS FURTHER AMENDMENT IN ITS NECESSARILY TRUNCATED FORM. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MEMBERS EVENTUAL ATTITUDE WILL BE, BUT THEY ARE CONCERNED AT THE PROSPECT OF BEING CRITICISES FOR SUPPORTING SUCH A MINOR AMENDMENT WHICH THEY CONSIDER OF LITTLE VALUE IN INTSELF

5. PERSONALLY I FEEL IF THE GOVERNMENT WERE TO ACCEPT THE NEW AMENDMENT, WHICH HAS NO EFFECT ON THE BILL WHATEVER, AND COUPLE IT WITH A FEW WARM WORDS ABOUT THEIR DESIRE TO EMPHASISE THE CONTINUING BRITISHNESS OF DEPENDENT TERRITORY RESIDENTS AND BRITISH RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THEM, IT WOULD HELP A GREAT DEAL IN THE PRESENT SITUATION. I AM CONCERNED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS ISSUE BEING INFLATED BY RESIGNATIONS FROM UMELCO.

1982

See (117)

427

1421

1418

See HKK 3401

6. BUT IT IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAT THE SHORT DESCRIPTION THEY WANT

SHOULD BE WRITTEN INTO THEIR PASSPORTS. TO ACHIEVE THIS,

THEY WOULD GALDLY ASK LORD GEDDES TO WITHDRAW HIS AMENDEMTN IF

THIS WOULD HELP. WHAT ARE THE PROSPECTS OF ACHIEVING IT?

7. BEFORE SEEING PARA 7 OF YOUR TELNO 787 I HAD BELIEVED THAT WHAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE PASSPORTS WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER PURELY FOR THE FCO. GRATEFUL TO KNOW WHETHER THE LEGAL ADVICE IS STILL THAT

THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE WITHOUT LEGISLATION. MALLEHOSE

LIMITED HK vGD NTD PS

PS/LPS

PS/LORD TREFGARING

PS/PUS

MA DONALD

MA ADAMS

copy To :

DR FORD.

CONFIDENTIAL

HONG KONG GOVT Office

LONDON

31

1982

fee

421