TNAG-1192-FCO40-1494-Implications-for-Hong-Kong-of-changes-in-the-British-nationa-1982 — Page 99

Mr Howells (NTD)

SECRET

HKK

2340/1

༔ ་

184 PA

Перегра

My Morn

HONG KONG PASSPORTS

182

1. Thank you for copying to me your minute of 25 October with the further draft submission about the nomenclature on Hong Kong passports.

2. From MVD's standpoint, the Home Secretary's arguments appear to have more force than our own. In particular I think that the warning noted in the first sentence of paragraph 3 of Mr Coles' letter may prove to be prophetic. I am therefore in some difficulty in offering comments on the proposed draft to Mr Walters. I should however like to make the following suggestions.

(i)

(ii)

I have doubts as to whether we ourselves should be proposing a nomenclature on passports issued in Hong Kong that differs from that on passports issued in other dependent territories, However your proposal to consult other Governors does give them a chance to fight their corner if they wish. I do not think however that we should so lightly pass over the embarrassment to which HMG will be exposed if giving way to Hong Kong leads to a similar claim being made for

'British national' to appear on BOC passports. The immi- grant organisations (especially JCWI) are a strident and effective lobby who have no difficulty in getting sound legal advice. We should acknowledge this. I suggest therefore that the first sentence of paragraph 5 should read:

''We would then resist any claim for the words 'British

national' to be added to the passports of British Overseas Citizens, British Protected Persons and British Subjects on the grounds that the words did not appear in the passports of British citizens nor the citizens of dpendent territories except for Hong Kong where exceptional considerations apply,

Can we then really sustain an agreement that passports issued by the Governor of Hong Kong should contain a different nomenclature from passports issued to Hong Kong belongers elsewhere? I accept however that 'this is more a point for NTD rather than MVD.

I suggest that the second sentence of paragraph 6 should be expanded to make clear that it is not only our own Immigration Officers but also those of other countries who could be confused by transposing the words 'Holder is subject to control under the Immigration Act 1971'. It might read 'But we doubt the practicality of

SECRET

/moving