TNAG-1189-FCO40-1491-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 100

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COVE ADMINIIAU

to what extent the issue of the sovereignty of

the Falklands influenced either the content or

the timing of the BNA 1981.

(ii) whether the settlement of citizenship provisions

for Hong Kong, the colony which presented the

most serious problems, was calculated to

persuade the Falkland Islanders to accept equal

terms before HMG entered discussions with the

(ili)

Argentines on sovereignty.

to what extent (a) the wishes of the Falklanders

and

(b) the sensitivities of the

Argentines

were taken into account in framing the new

nationality legislation.

Long debate on the new legislation

3 The need for new nationality legislation had been

debated for a number of years. The Conservata

Government reviewed the issues as early as 1970, and

the Labour Party proposed a new Bill in their 1974

manifesto. In April 1977 the Labour Government

CONFIDENTIAL

/produced