TNAG-1405-FCO40-1880-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 160

CONFIDENTIAL

повору

du. Elnagh Mes Pussy Bisk Sanrfacing

але пре

FROM:

HKK 0401

040/200

1 APR 1985

DW PARTRIDGE, NTD

DATE: 12 APRIL 1985-

но

39

Mr Galsworthy, HKD

Ли

Copies to:

14

Mr Fairweather, ECD(I) Mr Cambridge, MVD

Mr Atkinson, Consular Dept Mr Burrows, Legal Advisers Mrs Denza, Legal Advisers

ABOLITION OF FRONTIER CONTROLS WITHIN THE EEC: COMMON FORMAT STYLE PASSPORTS FOR BRITISH NATIONALS WITHOUT EC RIGHTS

36

1.

Thank you for your minute of 10 April.

2.

32

I am sorry if paragraph 7 of my minute of 26 March to Mr Fairweather was not quite clear. The final sentence of that paragraph refers to passports which will be issued in dependent territories on the authority of the Governors in their exercise of the royal prerogative. This will include passports issued in Hong Kong showing the holder's status as BDTC but, as it has been agreed that such passports will have a maximum validity to 30 June 1997, there should be no difficulty over their bearing the name of the territory on the front cover.

3.

So far as the passports to be issued to BN(0)s are concerned, those issued in the United Kingdom will be issued on the authority of the Home Secretary in his exercise of the royal prerogative, whereas those issued in Hong Kong as well as those issued at our posts overseas will be issued on the authority of the Foreign Secretary in his exercise of the royal prerogative: although this difference will not be evident from the passport itself in which the rubric will refer to 'Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State'. Our intention would be that all such passports wherever issued should be in the same format as those issued to other categories of British nationals without EC rights. The only except- ions might be passports issued to BN(0)s in a dependent territory other than Hong Kong which would show the name of the issuing territory on the cover, although it is the practice of most dependent territories to send non-BDTC applications to London or to one of our overseas posts for processing under the 'bag scheme'.

4.

I hope this has clarified the position.

12 April 1985

CONFIDENTIAL

или г

D W Partridge

Nationality & Treaty Department