TNAG-1568-FCO40-2134-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 172

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BUT

WE HAVE BEEN CONSIDERING WITH THE HOME OFFICE HOW WE CAN

DISCREETLY PROTECT THE 'C' SERIES PASSPORTS DURING THE SHORT TIME

THEY WILL BE ISSUED IN HONG KONG. WE HAVE CONCLUDED THE BEST WAY

TO DO THIS IS TO PRE-STAMP THE BN(0) STATUS IN THE PASSPORTS IN

QUESTION USING A SECURE INK. STAMPING WOULD TAKE PLACE IN

LONDON, BEFORE DESPATCH TO YOU. THIS IS A RELATIVELY CHEAP AND

EFFECTIVE METHOD OF PROTECTING THE BN(0) 'C' SERIES PASSPORTS

THAT WILL BE ISSUED IN HONG KONG. IT WILL OBVIOUSLY NOT BE

POSSIBLE FOR ALL OVERSEAS POSTS WHICH MAY ALSO ISSUE 'C' SERIES

PASSPORTS TO BN(O)S TO BE RE-STOCKED WITH SUCH SECURE INKS.

WE CONSIDER THAT, FROM THE SECURITY POINT OF VIEW, IT IS

ACCEPTABLE FOR A MAJORITY OF BN(0) PASSPORTS TO HAVE THE

SECURE-INK FEATURE. THERE WOULD OF COURSE BE NO QUESTION OF A

LEGITIMATE BN(0) PASSPORT HOLDER BEING REFUSED ADMISSION TO THE

UK SIMPLY BECAUSE THE STAMP IN HIS PASSPORT DID NOT SHOW THE

CORRECT LIGHT REACTIVE QUALITIES. HMSO'S CURRENT ESTIMATE FOR

THE COST OF THE OPERATION (WHICH, AS YOU WILL BE MEETING THE COST

OF ISSUING THE PASSPORTS AND RETAINING THE FEES, WILL BE FOR YOU

TO MEET) IS BETWEEN 1P AND 2P PER PASSPORT.

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IF

THERE IS THEN THE QUESTION OF THE TWO ENDORSEMENTS (RIGHT

OF ABODE AND VISA/EC). AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ALREADY AGREED

BETWEEN US THAT THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT SHOULD BE STAMPED

AND NOT PRINTED (A POINT WHICH THE CHINESE INSISTED ON). IT HAS

OCCURRED TO US THAT TO PRE-PRINT THE VISA/EC ENDORSEMENT MIGHT

CAST UNFAVOURABLE LIGHT ON THE STAMPED RIGHT OF ABODE

ENDORSEMENT. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS ON THIS.

YOU THINK IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE FOR BOTH ENDORSEMENTS TO BE

STAMPED, WE WOULD SUGGEST THE MOST SENSIBLE ARRANGEMENT WOULD BE

FOR TO YOU STAMP BOTH WHEN ISSUING THE PASSPORTS. (STAMPING OF

THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT WILL IN ANY CASE HAVE TO BE DONE

BY YOU, AS ONLY YOU WILL KNOW THE RELEVANT ID CARD NUMBER.)

AS YOU WILL RECALL, WE UNDERTOOK TO SUGGEST A SUITABLE

MACHINE READABLE CODE FOR THE NEW BN(0) STATUS. AT PRESENT THE

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CONFIDENTIAL