TNAG-1385-FCO40-1833-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 153

GRS 220

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2059

OF 03095OZ OCTOBER 25

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

397

CONFIDENTIAL

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Ряпо

TOD KE

ник охо

040/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

DESK

INLI

- 4 OCT 1985

KIER

'A

ма

YOUR TELNO 1326 HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY ORDER-IN-COUNCIL.

1. PARA 1 (F) OF OUR TELNO 1742 RECORDED EXCO'S VIEW THAT THE DRAFT ORDER-IN-COUNCIL SHOULD BE DEBATED IN LEGCO BEFORE THE FIRST DEBATES ARE HELD IN PARLIAMENT. THIS CLEARLY WILL BE ESSENTIAL. HOWEVER, GIVEN THE DEPTH OF FEELING OVER NATIONALITY MATTERS, WE WOULD NOT WISH THE DRAFT ORDER-IN-COUNCIL TO BE THE FIRST SUBJECT OF DEBATE IN THE NEW LEGCO. IT WOULD BE FAR BETTER TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE NEW MEMBERS HAVE MADE THEIR MAIDEN SPEECHES AND OUTLINED THEIR PLATFORMS IN THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ADDRESS.

2. ACCORDINGLY, WE THINK THE EARLIEST FEASIBLE DATE FOR THE DEBATE IN LEGCO ON THE DRAFT ORDER-IN-COUNCIL WOULD BE 27 NOVEMBER. THIS WOULD ALSO ALLOW A PERIOD FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD CONFIRM THAT THE TIMETABLE IN TUR IS STILL VALID AND THAT THERE IS NO LIKELIHOOD OF THE DEBATES IN PARLIAMENT BEING DROUGHT FORWARD BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF DECEMBER.

YOUDE

!

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

LIMITED

HD/HKD HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RES 》 (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/UR RENTON

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVS MR MARTIN ASST STAFF

CABINET OFFICE

MR MALLABY CABINET OFFICE MR DRC CHRISTOPHER

CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADDOCK NO 10 DOWNING ST.

PS/PUS

BIR W HARDING

MR WILSON

SIR J FREELAND

MR J CROWLEY PUSD

CONFIDENTIAL

419

-Y

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