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in every sense of the word. There is no question of this Bill having the slightest adverse effect on our relationships or our ties. Indeed, it is a source of great satisfaction to us that there exists in Hong Kong such a strong feeling of the need to maintain and even to strengthen the links which exist between us. May I quote the words of my right honourable friend the Home Secretary when he said in another place in 28 January:
''We are aware of the strength of feeling in Hong Kong on the need to maintain the ties between the Territory and the United Kingdom. I should like to reaffirm that the proposed legislation is in no way intended to weaken those links, to which we attach great importance.''
'I welcome this opportunity to reaffirm that relationship, and that it is as important as ever to Her Majesty's Government. As I have made clear, the Government opposed the Gibraltar amendment precisely because we believe that all citizens of the British dependent
territories should be treated uniformly, but its passage against our advice does not alter in any way our obligations to the people of Hong Kong and the other dependent territories'.
6.
7.
Mr William Whitelaw in a letter to Sir Paul Bryan following an exchange in the House of Commons on 27 October 1981:
'I was glad that you said that you realised that any concern in Hong Kong about the Bill was probably based on a misunderstanding of the very real sense of commit- ment to Hong Kong which this Government feels.
As you know, I have myself underlined in Parliament the importance of that commitment to Her Majesty's Government: and other Ministers have frequently done the same. The British Nationality Bill does not effect Her Majesty's Government's relationship with Hong Kong or the strength of the Government's support for that or any other Dependent Territory.'
Lord Belstead in the House of Lords on 19 May 1982:
'I see no cause for any lack of confidence in the future of Hong Kong. Her Majesty's Government's commitment to the territory and the interests of the people remains undiminished.'
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