TNAG-1564-FCO40-2129-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 69

APR.23 '86 15:12 GMT HO 2 LUNAR HOUSE

DRA LETTER

ADDRESSEE'S REFERENCE

TO

K Sital Esq JP

Vice President

Council of Hong Kong Indian

Associations

c/o TST

ENCLOSURES

FILE NUMBER N11/00 $8,92

17.

pencitted comments put to Milyon. pa Not. 225/4

ра

COPIES TO BE SENT TO

Mr. Hilt

Im

Pl connder carefully.

2314

PO Box 95106

HONG KONG

(FULL POSTAL ADDRESS)

HHU 380/1

2 8 APR 1986

REOLIVED IN REGISTRY

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

(FULL ADDRESSES, IF NECESSARY)

LETTER DRAFTED FOR SIGNATURE BY

Home Secretary

(NAME OF SIGNATORY)

Thank you for your letters of 17 February and 3 and 25 March about

the Hong Kong Nationality Order in Council.

It was very helpful

for us to have these expressions of the Council's views.

The Government has very carefully considered all the points made in your letters. We recognised the concern they represented and we examined each of the aspects with great care to see whether it would be right to move in the direction the Council suggested. But, as you will have seen from my statement in Parliament on 23 Apr, we had finally to conclude that it would not be right to do so. I know this will come as a great disappointment to the Council,

I wanted therefore to write to you myself to explain why we have

reached this conclusion.

and

whic will reficer ver

r3d you can give 1997

2072

H.O, EST. 112

As you know, the draft Order provides for a continued form of British nationality for those British Dependent Territories citizens who would otherwise be stateless in 1997, and for their children and grandchildren. We believe that the most appropriate form of British nationality4s British Overseas citizenship, which properly reflects

Posti the natu of the-eARK.

"Hong Kong British Dependent Territori.

With

British citizens, both with the Urribed Kingdom and Hong Kong. citizenship, itke Britist: Dependent Territories-citizenship, cannot

1

34388 9/84 XLY0381