TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 128

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Mr Fairweather, ECD ( I )

FROM:

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HKK OF 407 $28 074028

D W PARTRIDGE, NTD

DATE: 9 MAY 1985

Copies to: Mr Barrington

Mr Renwick

Mr Cambridge, MVD Mr Galsworthy, HKD Mr Sanderson, WIAD Mr Adam Fergusson

Mr Eaton, Legal Advisers Mrs Denza, Legal Adviser:

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CFP STYLE PASSPORTS : BRITISH NATIONALS WITHOUT EC RIGHTS

1. In my suggested revision that I sent you yesterday of the minute to the Home Secretary on passports for British nationals without EC rights, I deleted the penultimate paragraph from your original draft. This read 'with your agreement and that of colleagues I would propose to set in hand the necessary arrange- ments'. I omitted in my covering minute, however, to explain why.

2.

When the Passport Office was transferred to the Home Office on April 1 last year, responsibility for passport policy matters passed to the Home Secretary. The Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary still has responsibility for the actual issue of pass- ports at posts overseas and Governors retain that responsibility in the Dependent Territories. It was also made clear at the time of transfer that we should expect to be consulted on matters of policy:

It is and the appropriate desk was left in NTD. however now the Home Secretary who has primary responsibility for passport policy and it would therefore be more appropriate for

Once the him to decide on how to carry the matter forward. policy decision has been taken, it will be for him to set in hand the 'necessary arrangements'. We however should be the channel for transmitting instructions both to overseas posts and to Dependent Territories.

3.

This raises a question in my mind over whether it would be appropriate for the Secretary of State to take the initiative in copying the minute to OD(E) colleagues.

9 May 1985

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D W Partridge

Nationality & Treaty Department

CONFIDENTIAL