TNAG-1379-FCO40-1827-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 174

CONFIDENTIAL

"SCHEDULE STAND PART"

NATIONALITY

INTRODUCTION

My Lords we have had a very full debate on the nationality

provisions of the Bill.

The purpose of paragraph two of the Schedule to the Bill is

to enable the Government to make the nationality provisions necessary as a consequence of the UK ceasing to have sovereignty or jurisdiction over Hong Kong on 1 July 1997.

The paragraph enables a subsequent Order or Orders in

Council to be made to ensure that British Dependent

Territories citizenship cannot be retained or acquired on

or after 1 July 1997 by virtue of a connection with Hong

Kong and to create a new form of British nationality that

may be acquired before that date by persons who are BDTCs

by virtue of such a connection. It is intended that the new form of nationality should be known as British National

(Overseas).

wa s not easy

to devise a title which meets all the

necessary requirements. On the one hand it needs to make

CONFIDENTIAL