TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 73

Territories to be held by those, and onlv those. who had close personal ties

with the dependent territories. To give the Gibraltarians entitlement to

British citizenship would seriously undermine what was in the Government's view

the most important principle in the Bill, namely that British citizenshin should

be held only by those whose most intimate connections were with the UK itself.

The Government's view was that this was the right and proper balance. The fact

that they were Gibraltarians gave them British Dependent Territories citizenship.

But if they wished to come and live here for 5 years, then British citizenship

would be open to them as it would be to any other BDTC. He went on to say that

the fact that people from Gibraltar were included in the definition of national

for EC purnoses did not mean that thev should have particular privileges in

acquiring our citizenship. It meant only that they should enjoy the benefits of

membership in the EC in the same way as other citizens of the UK.

In no way

would this be altered when the Bill was enacted.

6.

He also made the point that the other denendencies were not likely to

accept arguments on behalf of Gibraltar. They, and in particular Hong Kong.

did sav and would say that if all Gibraltarians were automatically

to have British citizenship then they would want similar privileges. What we

granted to one we should be under great pressure to concede to others. He

therefore questioned whether the Committee should think that we were wise to

try to pick and choose between dependencies.

7. Lord George Brown agreed with this view, and invited the Committee to

reject the amendment essentially on the grounds that it was not right to make

a specific exception for Hong Kong. Lord Boyd Carpenter made the point that

the Gibraltarians were already treated differently from Hong Kong from the

extremely important point of view of movement, immigration and coming to take

up work and that therefore the other dependent territories would not have a

strong case for seeking the same concession as the Gibraltarians.

8. Lord Mishcon said "The amendment was specifically worded in a way that

it was in order to show that there is not an identity between Hong Kong and

Gibraltar. Hong Kong is not a member of the EEC and the right of an EEC member

- which has been repeated to the Committee is precisely to do with what we

are giving to the people of Gibraltar which we are not giving to any other

dependent territory".