TNAG-1378-FCO40-1826-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 149

SCHEDULE

PARAGRAPH TWO: NATIONALITY

NOTES ON AMENDMENTS

(b) AMENDMENT NO

Mr J noch Powell

Schedule, page 2,

nationality" and

ACTUAL TEXT

2.- (1)

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-

line 17, leave out

line 17, leave out "new form of British

insert "status".

(a)

Nationality

Her Majesty may by Order in Council make provision whereby-

British Dependent Territories citizenship cannot be

retained or acquired on or after the relevant date by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong; and

(b)

persons who are British Dependent Territories citizens

by virtue of any such connection may before that date (or before 15 the end of 1997 if born in that year before the relevant date) acquire such new form of British nationality as is specified in the Order.

EFFECT OF THE AMENDMENT

The effect of the amendment would be to suggest that the Order in Council will give BDTCs by virtue of connection with Hong Kong a status which is not a new form of British nationality.

The intention of Mr Powell's amendment is presumably to leave it open to amend the Order in Council to state that BDTCs will cease to have any form of British nationality in 1997. In the Second Reading debate, he opposed the continuation of British national status for Hong Kong BDTCs after 1997.

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