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DD HONG KONG DESKBY 240030Z
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FM FCO 231715Z JANUARY 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
INDE
Lo
TELEGRAM NUMBER 150 OF 23 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PQ: NEW NATIONALITY TITLE
24 JAN 1935
THY
1. MR IVOR STANBROOK MP HAS PUT THE FOLLOWING PQ DOWN FOR
PRIORITY WRITTEN ANSWER: BEGINS
TO ASK THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH
AFFAIRS, WHY THE NEW CATEGORY OF BRITISH NATIONALITY (OVERSEAS)
IS PROPOSED FOR HONG KONG ISTEAD OF THE EXISTING CATEGORY OF
BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP: AND IN WHAT SIGNIFICANT RESPECTS
THE FORMER DIFFERS FROM THE LATTER. ENDS
2. SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, WE PROPOSE TO REPLY: BEGINS
THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG ARE
UNIQUE AND SHOULD BE REFLECTED IN A UNIQUE STATUS. THERE ARE
ALSO REASONS WHY BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENSHIP WOULD NOT BE AN
'APPROPRIATE STATUS' WITHIN THE TERMS OF THE UK MEMORANDUM.
EXAMPLE, BOC STATUS MAY BE ACQUIRED AT ANY TIME BY REGISTRATION,
BUT THE UK MEMORANDUM IMPOSES TIME LIMITS ON THE ACQUISITION
OF THE NEW STATUS.
FOR
THAT
THE BENEFITS TO BE ACCORDED TO HOLDERS OF THE PROPOSED NEW
STATUS OF 'BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS)' ARE SUBJECT TO
PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL. THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS, HOWEVER,
THEY SHOULD BE BROADLY THE SAME AS THOSE ENJOYED BY BRITISH
DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS, EXCEPT FOR TRANSMISSIBILITY.
THIS MEANS THAT THERE ARE UNLIKELY TO BE MAJOR DIFFERENCES UNDER
UK LAW IN THE BENEFITS ENJOYED BY HOLDERS OF THE PROPOSED BRITISH
NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) STATUS AND THE EXISTING BRITISH OVERSEAS
CITIZENSHIP. ENDS
3.
HOWE
GRATEFUL FOR COMMENTS DESKBY 240900Z.
NNNN
DISTRIBUTION:
LIMITED
HKD
FED
COPIES TO:
MR EMERY, B4 DIVN, HOME OFFICE
MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS
NTD
DR WILSON
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