TNAG-1190-FCO40-1492-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 106

SECRET

DSR 11 (Revised)

DRAFT: minute letter teleletter/despatch/note

TYPE: Draft/Final 1-+-

FROM:

Reference

1

Secretary of State

DEPARTMENT:

TEL. NO:

The Rt Hon William Whitelaw

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

TO:

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

..In Confidence

CAVEAT......

Blind ccs to: Lord Gordon Lennox

Mr Donald, Mr Clift HKGD.

Your Reference

Copies to:

Private Secretary NO 10 PS/Lord Belstead

Mr Partridge, MVD, Mr Freeland, Legal PS/Mr Rifkind Advisers, Mr Rushford, Legal Advisers Mr Ceurvorst, WED. SUBJECT:

There has been an exchange of correspondence between our

departments ending with Wilfred Hyde's letter of 31 August

to Kelvin White about the proposal by the Unofficial

Members of the Hong Kong Executive and Legislative Councils

that the term 'British national' should be entered in

British passports issued by the Governor of Hong Kong.

Jour Hyde wrote after reference to you and recorded/strong

opposition to the Hong Kong proposal.

î

Enclosures-flag(s)..............

While I recognise some of the legal and administrative

complications outlined in your letter (to which I will

shan refer later) I am afraid that there are very weighedty

revent

foreign policy reasons for agreeing to the Hong Kong

white's

request. These reasons were outlined in Hyde's letter, and

them

undarmice

I should like to elaborate on this later particularly since

you yourself have expressed concern at the possible

implications for people in Hong Kong.

As you know It was conceded by Home Office and FCO legal

advisers at a meeting on 11 August with the Hong Kong

Attorney General that there could be no legal objection to

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