TNAG-1188-FCO40-1490-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 94

Immigration Department

人民入境事務處

樓次

Floor 7/F

Tel

5-456065 Ext 160

In reply please quote this ref

(136) in IMM/CR 1/1291 Pt 2

an avoing & will reply to than

castes.

BY DIPLOMATIC BAG

Mr P J Williamson

Hong Kong and General Department

King Charles Street

LONDON

SW1A 2AH

United Kingdom

Dear Patrick,

Enter a back to

Jove

40

ம

are cwitt

ད

com.

7 May 1982

HKK 340/1

TRY NO. SI

(34

I am due to call on the Home Office on either

22 or 23 June to discuss specifically with them the "Entitlement of Readmission to the United Kingdom" (please see attached copy of the letter). I hope, however, that I will also be able to discuss with them various aspects of naturalization and registration under the British Nationality Act 1981,

At present, the fees we charge for naturalization and registration more or less reflect those charged in the United Kingdom for the same services though we also take into account our costs for providing these services. Whenever there is an increase in fees in the United Kingdom, we adjust our fees upwards, but we have never been able to introduce new fees on the same date as in the United Kingdom. FCO Circular '0' 47/82 of 2 March 1982 was received here on 15 March 1982, obviously leaving insufficient time to change local fee regulations with effect from 1 April 1982, This is not important where routine increase of existing fees are inyolyed, but the British Nationality Act 1981 creates new categories of applicants, some with an entitlement and some without, and each inyolying varying amounts of staff and other resources. I propose therefore, to explain to the Home Office why we need at least three months of advance notice before the Act comes into force. It is not just a question of preparing a paper for Exco, but Finance Branch will no doubt want to do a costing exercise, We may be able to start drafting procedures if I can find out from the Home Office how they propose to deal with the various types of

International Building 141 Des Voeux Road, Central, Hong Kong

Telegrams MIGRATION HONG KONG

I.D. 147

+--

Telex 專用電訊 75656

See