TNAG-1385-FCO40-1833-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 282

CONVIDENTIAL

GRS 1400

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KUNC

TO IMMEDIATE FOU

TELNO 1874

OF 11100OZ SEPTEMBER 35

ник

040/4

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

SEP 1985

TOP COPY

INDEX

PA

xen

391

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

383-3

387

390

}

YOUR TELNOS 1261 + 1263, AND 1273 AND OUR TELNO 1862: HONG KONG AGREEMENT : NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL.

WE HAVE SOME FURTHER DRAFTING COMMENTS ON THE DRAFT WHITE

PAPER WHICH ARE AS FOLLOWS:

GENERAL

(A) WE RECOMMEND THAT, FOR CLARITY, TERMS LIKE DDTCS', 'CUKCS', 'BN (0)S' AND 'BDT STATUS' BE SPELT OUT IN FULL EVERY TIME THEY APPEAR. WHILE ABBREVIATIONS ARE ALWAYS HELPFUL IN ORAL DISCUSSIONS,

THOSE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SUBJECT OF NATIONALITY MIGHT FIND THE

TEXT MUCH EASIER TO FOLLOW IF THESE TERMS ARE SPELT OUT IN FULL:

(D) WE ALSO RECOMMEND THAT, FOR THE AVOIDANCE OF DOUBT, THE FULL

TITLE OF THE HONG KONG ACT, 1.E. HONG KONG ACT 1995, BE SPELT OUT

IN FULL IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA. 2, IN THE FIRST SENTENCE OF

PARA. 6, AND IN PARA. 3:

(C) AS RECOMMENDED BY EXCO MEMBERS (PARA. 6 OF FIFTH TUR), *E

SUGGEST THAT AN EXPLANATORY NOTE DE INCLUDED IN PARA. . TO THE

EFFECT THAT REFERENCES TO THE MASCULINE GENDER SUCH AS 'HE',

THIS FATHER OR HIS MOTHER', IN THE DRAFT ORDER COVER 'SHE' AND THE FEMININE GENDER, UNDER THE INTERPRETATION ACT. WE NOTE THAT THE

WHITE PAPER ITSELF REFERS TO THE MASCULINE GENDER ONLY IN SOME PLACES, BUT BOTH THE MASCULINE AND FEMININE GENDERS IN SOME PLACES, (SUCH AS IN THE FIFTH SENTENCE OF PARA. 14). WE RECOMMEND THAT, FOR CONSISTENCY, REFERENCES TO THE' OR HIS' SHOULD RE REPLACED BY HE OR SHE', OR HIS OR HER WHEREVER THEY APPEAR. INSTANCES WHICH WE SPOTTED ARE AS FOLLOWS-

(1) 'HE' IN THE FIFTH SENTENCE OF PARA. 11:

(11) 'HIS' (TWICE) IN THE SIXTH SENTENCE OF PARA. 11:

(111). "HE' IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARA. 12:

(IV) 'HIS' IN THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA. 15: AND

(V) 'HIS' IN THE SECOND SENTENCE OF PARA. 24:

(D)

AGAIN FOR CONSISTENCY WE RECOMMEND THAT THE WORD 'PURPOSES'

IN PLURAL SHOULD BE USED WHEREVER THE PHRASE FOR THE PURPOSES

OF THE ORDER' APPEARS.

/SPECIFIC

CONFIDENTIAL