TNAG-1413-FCO40-1889-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-report-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kong-1985 — Page 94

+

OCMIAN 3196

CONFIDENTIAL

RR PEKIN

FM FCOLN TO HOKON

1112152 DEC

GRS 1439

TO.COM 64

CONFIDENTIAL

3196 1

Link 040/40

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

13 DEC 1985

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG

TELNO 1968

OF 111215Z DECEMBER 85

INFO ROUTINE PEKING

(6263

MY TWO IPTS: HONG KONG AGREEMENT:

PARLIAMENT

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

ti

RESTRICTED: ANNUAL REPORT TO

FOLLOWING IS NEXT PART OF REVISED TEXT OF THE ANNUAL REPORT TO

PARLIAMENT.

BEGINS.

11. AT THE SAME TIME AS THE WHITE PAPER WAS PUBLISHED HER

MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ISSUE OF

BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS FROM 1 JULY 1987. THIS

WILL ENABLE THE PRESENT PRACTICE OF ISSUING PASSPORTS WITH A

TEN-YEAR VALIDITY PERIOD TO CONTINUE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION, AND

WILL GIVE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THIRD COUNTRIES TO GROW

ACCUSTOMED TO THE NEW PASSPORTS. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL

BE APPROACHING OTHER COUNTRIES TO EXPLAIN THE NEW PASSPORT TO

THEM ONCE THE DRAFT ORDER HAS BEEN MADE.

12. IN AUGUST 1985, HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT INITIATED

DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ON THE WORDING OF A

STATEMENT TO BE INCLUDED IN BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS

WHICH WOULD INDICATE CLEARLY TO IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES IN THIRD

COUNTRIES THAT THE HOLDER HAD THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.

AGREEMENT WAS SOUGHT FOR THE STATEMENT TO REMAIN VALID OVER THE

LIFE OF THE PASSPORT. IT WOULD THUS BE VALID BOTH BEFORE AND

AFTER 1997. AT THE SAME TIME, AGREEMENT WAS SOUGHT FOR THE NEW

1

CONFIDENTIAL