TNAG-1325-FCO40-1737-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 261

PARA 10:

THIS PARAGRAPH WILL BE READ WITH VERY CLOSE ATTENTION HERE. THE REFERENCE TO THE POSSIBLE AMENDMENT OF THE BNA WOULD, AS DRAFTED, RAISE MORE QUESTIONS THAN IT ANSWERS AND WOULD BE BETTER OMITTED IF IT CANNOT BE CLARIFIED. WE SUGGEST THAT ALL BUT THE FIRST SENTENCE OF THIS PARAGRAPH BE AMENDED TO READ:

''THE ISSUE OF NATIONALITY IS AN EXTREMELY SENSITIVE ONE. I CAN ASSURE HON MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING IT MOST CAREFULLY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. ALL I CAN SAY NOW IS THAT HMG ARE FULLY AWARE OF THE IMPORTANCE WHICH MANY BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZENS IN HONG KONG ATTACH TO THE RETENTION OF BRITISH NATIONALITY AFTER 1997, AND TO THE RETENTION OF THE RIGHTS ATTACHED TO THEIR BDTC STATUS. HMG WILL OF COURSE TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THE POSITION OF BRITISH NATIONALS IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. BUT IT WILL BE OUR AIM TO REACH AN AGREEMENT WITH CHINA WHICH WILL MAKE HONG KONG A PLACE WHERE ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE TERRITORY CAN FEEL THAT THEY HAVE A GENUINE FUTURE. SQURE BRACKETS BEGINS I SHOULD ADD THAT IF AN AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED ALONG THE LINES WHICH MY RIGHT HON FRIEND HAS DESCRIBED, WE SHOULD NEED TO CONSIDER A MORE APPROPRIATE TITLE THAN BDTC FOR THOSE WHO DERIVE THEIR BRITISH NATIONALITY FROM THEIR CONNECTION WITH HONG KONG. ANY PROPOSALS TO AMEND THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 AS A RESULT OF CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE IN HONG KONG IN 1997 WOULD OF COURSE NEED THE APPROVAL OF THIS PARLIAMENT. SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS

PARA 11:

YOU MAY WISH TO LOOK AGAIN AT THE FOURTH SENTENCE WHICH SEEMS TO US TO INCORPORATE TOO MANY DIFFERENT THOUGHTS.

HADDON-CAVE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

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