TNAG-1564-FCO40-2129-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 157

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

TO DESKBY 22110OZ FCO

TELNO 1189

OF 22092OZ APRIL 86

INFO DESKBY 23010DZ PEKING

POP C

Han 340/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

23 APR 1986

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

554

REGISTRY

PA

Action Taken

Sus (546)

FOLLOWING PERSONAL

YOUR TELNO

HUM, HK DEPT FROM GOVERNOR

AND 715: NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

1. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ASKED

THE CLERK OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AT LUNCH TIME TODAY WHETHER

IT WAS TRUE THAT MINISTERS HAD TAKEN A DECISION: AND IF SO WHETHER

IT WOULD BE NORMAL FOR EXCO TO BE INFORMED. THE CLERK FOLLOWED

THE USUAL PRACTICE OF DECLINING TO COMMENT ON EXCO BUSINESS.

2. THE ONLY PEOPLE AWARE OF THE DECISIONS IN YOUR TELEGRAMS UNDER

REFERENCE WERE MEMBERS OF EXCO THEMSELVES AND TWO SENIOR OFFICIALS

IN SECURITY BRANCH, NONE OF WHOM COULD HAVE SPOKEN TO THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. NOT ONLY HAD THEY JUST ACCEPTED THE NEED FOR STRICT SECRECY BUT THE COUNCIL ITSELF WAS AT THAT POINT ONLY

JULST DISPERSING.

3. THE ENQUIRY COULD HAVE BEEN PROMPTED BY THE PAPER BEING INFORMED BY ITS CORRESPONDENT IN LONDON THAT SOME DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN AS THE RESULT OF THE QUESTION BEING TABLED: OR 4T MIGHT SIMPLY HAVE BEEN A FISHING EXPEDITION BASED ON SUPPOSITION THAT IF A

DECISION HAD BEEN TAKEN EXCO WOULD BE INFORMED. THE LAST IS THE MOST

LIKELY BUT IT IS NOT TO BE EXCLUDED THAT THERE WILL BE A

SPECULATIVE REPORT OF SOME SORT IN THE PRESS TOMORROW MORNING.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/NTD

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING MR WILSON MR BARRINGTON

MR HYDE, HOME OFFICE

MR EMERY, B4 DIV, HOME OFFICE, CROYDON

MR NICHOLSON, PASSPORT DEPT, HOME OFFICE.

ROOM 236, CLIVE HOUSE.

MR MCDONOUGH, B2 DIV, HOME OFFICE

MR WOOD LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL