TNAG-1086-FCO40-1336-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1981 — Page 168

CONFIDENTAL

GPS 200

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 120400Z OCT 81

TO PRIORITY FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 915 OF 12 OCTOBER

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

HKK 340/1

مين

20.10

P60 27/10

403,

YOUR TELNO 787.

NATIONALITY BILL.

400

I HAVE EXPLAINED THE POSITION DESCRIBED SO FRANKLY AND HELPFULLY IN THE LORD PRIVY SEAL'S TELEGRAM.

See (412

(4-15)

2.1 AM AFRAID THE HOME OFFICE'S LEGAL OBJECTIONS TO THIS GEDDES AMENDMENT FAIL TO CONVINCE HERE. UMELCO FEEL THAT SINCE THE AMENDMENT COINCIDES SO EXACTLY WITH THEIR OWN FEELINGS AND THOSE OF

SO MANY CONCERNED PEOPLE IN HONG KONG IT WOULD BE WRONG NOT TO SEND GEDDES A PERSONAL TELEGRAM OF THANKS AND SUPPORT. ON THE OTHER HAND IN DEFERENCE TO THE VIEWS IN YOUR TELEGRAM PARA 4 AND THOSE OF SIR PAUL BRYAN THEY WILL NOT LOBBY AS THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED TO DO 3. YOUR PARA 6. IF THE GOVERNMENT APPEARS UNLIKELY TO TAKE A DECISION SHORTLY BEFORE THE THIRD READING IN THE LORDS, BECAUSE THE POSSIBILITIES OF DEFEATING THE GIBRALTAR AMENDMENT IN THE COMMONS CANNOT ACCURATELY BE ASSESSED AT THAT TIME, I WOULD BE GRATEFUL TO KNOW AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE.

4. PLEASE CONFIRM MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IN ANY CASE ACTION IN THE

COMMONS WILL BE LIMITED TO AN ATTEMPT TO DEFEAT THE GIBRALTAR AMENDMENT, AND THAT IF THE AMENDMENT STANDS A COMPENSATORY AMENDMENT COULD NOT THEN BE INTRODUCED. IN OTHER WORDS, THAT THE THIRD READING IN THE LORDS WILL BE THE LAST TIME AT WHICH ANYTHING

POSITIVE COULD BE DONE FOR HONG KONG.

5. TEXT OF TELEGRAM TO LORD GEDDES FROM SENIOR MEMBER IN MIFT

MACLEHOSE

LIMITED

424

See (408

See (404)

HRGD

NYO

AS

PSILPS

PSILORD YREFGARNE Psipus

MR DONALD

MR ADAMS

COPIES

MROR FORD

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE LONDON

THIS TELEGRAM

WAS NOT

ADVANCED

CONFIDENTAL