TNAG-1408-FCO40-1883-Future-of-Hong-Kong-passports-and-visas-1985 — Page 43

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CONFIDENTIAL

ROUTINE

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Posts to British citizens, BDTCs and all other British nationals. The BN (0) passport will incorporate all the necessary changes to meet the terms of the exchange of memoranda associated with the Joint Declaration and to continue after 1997. No-one need be put to the inconvenience of having to change to the new format. There will be millions of old-style British passports still in circulation for years after the introduction of the new format and we do not expect, nor could we cope with, a situation where all British passport holders felt obliged to hand back their old style passports before expiry in the mistaken belief that their old passports had been devalued by the new format document. British passport holders themselves felt this, we would have difficulty convincing other countries that this was not true. we agreed to the free replacement for BN (0)s this would, by implication, confirm that we believe that there was a devaluation and there would be a great pressure for us to do the same for all British nationals. The potential loss to the Exchequer would be

enormous.

5.

are

If

You may assure EXCO that the Home Office is doing all that it can to achieve the introduction of the new format passport as soon as possible. You will of course be kept fully informed on technical issues, both in the computer plans and in the design and production of the new documents.

If

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ΜΑΙΝ

HONG KONG AGREEMENT:

NATIONALITY

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