TNAG-1564-FCO40-2129-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 178

Our reference: NTY/86 1/387/8

Your reference :

HOME OFFICE

Lunar House, Wellesley Road, CROYDON CR9 2BY

Telephone: 01-760 2832

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CO Hum Esq

Hong Kong Department

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

LONDON SW1A 2AH

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

22 APR 1986

DESK OFFICER INDEX

PA

REGISTRY Action Taken

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Cro' 8/4

18 April 1986

Dear Christopher.

HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER: ARRANGED PARLIAMENTARY ANSWER

minute

If we secure collective approval for the proposals in the Home Secretary' $ of 16 April to the Prime Minister, we shall need to move quickly if we are to make the announcement on 23 April. I understand in particular that it will be necessary for you to clear the text of the statement with the Foreign Secretary over the weekend so that you can give it to the Governor in draft on 21 April.

I attach, therefore, a draft Answer. As you will see, we have tried to keep it as short as possible, while at the same time making clear what the requests are and what is our response. We have also incorporated the form of words about the passport endorsement which will need to be quoted in full in the leaflet to accompany each endorsement.

We have not gone into too great length with the arguments about the non-ethnic Chinese minority. These will have to be rehearsed at length in the Parliamentary debates, and we doubt if there is much benefit in developing them in the Answer. We propose also not to include the statement about our expectations if the situation in Hong Kong for the ethnic minorities were to change which you suggested in your letter to Jerry Emery of 2 April. We think this would rather unbalance the statement, and is best kept to the Parliamentary debates.

I should be grateful for any immediate comments you may have on the text of the draft. I am copying this also to colleagues in the Home Office in case they would also wish to comment. If we are to make the weekend box, we shall need to agree the final draft by 2 p.m. today.

Co

Mr Hyde

Mr McDonough Mr Acton

Yous

Zale Myan вра

M LYON

Head of Nationality Division