TNAG-1562-FCO40-2126-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 25

Treasury Chambers

Parliament Street London SW1P 3AG

Telex 262405

R E Escritt Esq

Finance Department

Telephone Direct Line 01-233

Rease

Mr. Marten

соруто Mr Marelin (NTD)

Switchboard 01-233 3000 me Hill (HK))

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Old Admiralty Building

Whitehall

London SW1

Miss Kaye (Cournlaw )) Mr. Mc Dougall (MUD))

Your reference

Our reference

ど

then return to me

"CNP 343/32

Date March 1986

༥

1966

3

Des lickerd

HONG KONG: ISSUE OF BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS

Thank you for your letter of 21 February.

I accept that it would be difficult for HMG to sustain a case for retaining the profit from the issue of BN (0) passports. Although in a strict legalistic

legalistic sense, one could argue that there is а clear distinction between the Governor acting on his own behalf and acting as an agent of the Secretary of State and therefore it does not follow that the financial benefit the Hong Kong government have become accustomed to should necessarily continue, in practice they will still issue passports and collect the fees (albeit for a different type of passport). It would be hard to justify penalising the Hong Kong government because of the Communist Chinese government's sensitivity colonialism.

There can, of course, be no question of the UK Government at any time making up the "profit" the Hong Kong government will have to

to forego because of the lower fee

be charged under the UK Consular Fees Order.

to

Yours Sincech

ват нев

B NELSON