TNAG-1385-FCO40-1833-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 307

CONFIDENTIAL

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THE UK MEMORANDUM AS YOU PROPOSE, BUT IN A MORE LOGICAL ORDER

(LOSS OF BDTC STATUS, ACQUISITION OF BN(0) THEN PASSPORTS).

PARA 7 OF THE WHITE PAPER

(E) (YOUR PARA 3(E) (II) AND (P)(I)). WE HOPE THERE IS NO

MISUNDERSTANDING AS TO THE EXTENT TO WHICH THE ROYAL

PREROGATIVE IS LIMITED BY THE AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 4(2),

WHICH AS YOU RIGHTLY SAY IS SUBJECT TO MINISTERIAL APPROVAL.

THE AMENDMENT IS CONFINED TO ESTABLISHING AN ENTITLEMENT TO

HOLD A PASSPORT. IT DOES NOT ALTER THE PRESENT OR FUTURE

POSITION AS TO THE ISSUE, RENEWAL OR REPLACEMENT OF

PASSPORTS, NAMELY THAT THESE ACTIONS ARE AND WILL BE

PERFORMED UNDER THE PREROGATIVE. NOR DOES IT EXTEND MORE

WIDELY THAN THE PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ORDER AS

APPLYING TO HONG KONG ALONE. THIS ARRANGEMENT WILL

PERPETUATE THE EXISTING SITUATION WHEREBY PASSPORTS MAY BE

WITHELD UNDER THE PREROGATIVE FROM CERTAIN PEOPLE (REF DSP

25, CHAPTER 1). THIS WOULD NOT OF COURSE PREVENT ELIGIBLE

PEOPLE FROM BECOMING BN (0)S, ALTHOUGH PHYSICALLY THEIR

PASSPORT MIGHT HAVE BEEN RETAINED BY THE ISSUING AUTHORITIES.

PARA 10 OF THE WHITE PAPER

(F) (YOUR PARA 3(G)(II)).

WE HAVE MADE THE FIGURE FOR BDTCS IN

HONG KONG THREE AND A QUARTER MILLION IN ORDER TO MAKE YOUR

FIGURES INTERNALLY CONSISTENT.

PARA 13 OF THE WHITE PAPER

(G) (YOUR PARA 3(J)(II)). THERE ARE CATEGORIES OTHER THAN THOSE

GIVEN AS EXAMPLES, INCLUDING THOSE WHO REGISTER UNDER

SECTION 6(2). SEE ALSO SERIAL A6 IN OUR REVISED LIST OF

BDTCS AFFECTED (OUR TELNO 1297). WE THEREFORE WISH TO RETAIN

OUR WORDING.

PARA 17 OF THE WHITE PAPER

(H) (YOUR PARA 3(M)). WE HAVE DELETED THE REFERENCE TO

NATURALISATION.

PARA 19 OF THE WHITE PAPER

(I) (YOUR PARA 3(N) (I)). WE FIND YOUR REDRAFT MORE CONFUSING

THAN THE ORIGINAL, AND HAVE THEREFORE RETAINED THE FORMER, PARTIALLY AMENDED.

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CONFIDENTIAL