TNAG-1188-FCO40-1490-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 2

United Kingdom and Colonies", whereas in future, I understand, the respective wordings will be:

(i) "British citizen";

and

(ii) "British Dependent Territories

citizen".

To reduce this to the most practical level alone we are all aware that nearly all immigration forms simply do not have room for such a lengthy title as (ii).

3.

I do believe most strongly that we must devise a title which is short enough to be entered easily in the space available and not give rise to queries about national status. I understand from Dick Clift (his letter of 8th March) that you will be writing to me separately about this point, but that it would not be possible to juggle with the designation in passports by administrative means and without legislation. This is, of course, a repetition of the views of FCO's Legal Advisers which you have yourself conveyed to me last October. On the other hand, and given that the Act now refers to "British Dependent Territories Citizens" rather than CBDTS, it strikes me as a layman that the formulation "British (Hong Kong) Citizen" is sufficiently close to "British Dependent Territories Citizen" to enable it to be argued, possibly, that the one is a direct derivative from the other, necessary for the purposes of identifying the passport holder with the particular dependent territory to which he belongs.

4.

I would therefore urge that a decision be taken in favour of "British (.....) citizen" for each of the remaining dependent territories. If that presents immense legal difficulties, I very much hope you can see your way clear to agreeing that the entry on page 1 of a BDTC passport

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CONFIDENTIAL