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British Nationality
ELYSTAN-MORGAN.]
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whether the appellation dependent territory" is as appropriate in relation to the territories which this House knows we are dealing with in this Bill as com- pared with the title "associated territory". Briefly my case is that "dependent territory is a concept and a nomenclature that belongs to a past age and that it would be proper, in shedding the old colonial cloak, for us to get rid of this appellation in the same way. When this matter was mooted at an earlier stage of the Bill, we were told then that the alternative suggested of associated territory" would cause great con- fusion because it was already used in another part of the Bill. As I understand it, that other part of the measure has now suffered a sea change and that the term associated territory is not used anywhere else in the Bill. I beg to move.
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Lord Trefgarne: My Lords, as the noble Lord said, the amendment seeks to alter the description of the territories listed in Schedule 6 to British associated territories, and I presume it is his intention that the change should be carried through elsewhere in the Bill and that citizens of the British dependent territories would then be known as citizens of British associated territories. We have carefully considered this change, but we see some difficulties in it. For one thing, to refer to the dependent territories as associated territories would lead to confusion, as the noble Lord rightly apprehended, because, as your Lordships will know, certain dependent territories in the Caribbean are known as associated states, which is slightly different from what the noble Lord was referring to. They enjoy a considerable degree of self-government and differ significantly from other dependent territories. It might well be assumed that in making the proposed change, we had it in mind to alter the status of other dependencies to put them on a par with the associated status. This is of course not so, but there would undoubtedly be scope for uncertainty and misunder- standing which I believe could be harmful to some of the dependencies.
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Moreover, the term dependent territories well understood internationally and I think accurately reflects the relationship of the territories listed in Schedule 6 in the international sphere, since of course their external relations are a matter for the United Kingdom and not the dependencies themselves. It is true that they enjoy varying degrees of self-govern- ment, and the extent to which they can be said to depend on the United Kingdom in, say, economic activities varies very much. But in international terms, they are dependent territories and it is appropriate that they should be described as such. I do not think therefore that this description is incorrect or demeans the inhabitants of the territories in any way. It is an apt reflection of their status and we do not favour altering the description of them, particularly in the way pro- posed by the noble Lord. I hope therefore that the amendment will not be pressed.
Lord Elystan-Morgan: The amendment will not be pressed, my Lords. We are disappointed, though not perhaps totally surprised. We are however sorry to see that the fluid and able mind of the Minister is now settling and cooling in the rigid mould of the
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Foreign Office. I beg leave to withdraw the amend-
ment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Lord Skelmersdale moved Amendment No. 155: Page 60, line 37, leave out (" Belize ").
The noble Lord said: My Lords, this is consequential on Amendment No. 123. I beg to move. On Question, amendment agreed to.
Lord Skelmersdale moved Amendment No. 156: Page 60, line 46, at end insert (“ St. Christopher and Nevis "). The noble Lord said: I think it would be for the convenience of the House, my Lords, if I spoke at the same time to Amendment No. 157. We discussed when speaking to Amendment No. 124 the reasons for moving Antigua, soon to be known as Antigua and Barbuda, from Schedule 6 to Schedule 3. Amend- ments Nos. 156 and 157 achieve the removal from Schedule 6. We also thought it desirable at the same time not to distinguish between colonies and associated states in the list of dependent territories. The dis- tinction has very little significance for nationality law and it seems better that there should be one list of dependent territories.
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I feel that I should put on record my understanding that the House authorities have agreed that the italicised subheadings Colonies" and Associated states may be allowed to disappear by way of printing, rather than by amendment. Amendment No. 156 therefore moves St. Christopher and Nevis ", our last associated state, to its appropriate alphabetical position in the amalgamated list. I must stress how- ever that this is not in any way intended to reflect any general change in the status of St. Christopher and Nevis as an associated state. There need be no fears on that score. I beg to move.
On Question, amendment agreed to. [Amendment No. 156A not moved.]
Lord Skelmersdale moved Amendment No. 157:
Page 61, leave out lines 7 and 8.
On Question, amendment agreed to.
Schedule 7 [Consequential amendments]:
Lord Belstead moved Amendment No. 158:
Page 61, line 10, at end insert-
(“ACT OF SETTLEMENT (12 & 13 Will. 3. c. 2) In section 3, the words from “That after the said limitation shall take effect" to "in trust for him" (which impose certain disqualifications) shall not apply to Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Republic of Ireland.”).
The noble Lord said: My Lords, the amendment clarifies an otherwise dubious point of construction of Section 3 of the Act of Settlement of 1700. That section provided that no person born outside the kingdoms of England, Scotland or Ireland or their dominions could be a member of the Privy Council or of either House of Parliament. Schedule 4 of the British Nationality Act repealed that provision so far as it related to British subjects and citizens of Eire. The repeal schedule of the 1948 Act, however, is now to be repealed in this Bill, with the result that a doubt could conceivably be
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