TNAG-1568-FCO40-2134-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 256

GRS 450

CONFIDENTIAL.

FM HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY FCO

Confidential

AKK 310/1

TELNO 2097

OF 03092OZ JULY 86

RECEIV

- 4 JUL 1986

897

FROM IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

BN (0) PASSPORT RECORDS.

CPM

77.86

1. IN OUR TELNO 603 OF 26 MARCH 1985 ITEM (1), WE CONFIRMED THAT WE COULD MAINTAIN A SEPARATE REGISTER OF BN (0) PASSPORT HOLDERS. WE WOULD BE DOING SO INITIALLY ON A MANUAL BASIS UNTIL SUCH TIME WHEN AN AUTOMATED RECORD INDEXING SYSTEM CAN BE DEVELOPED FOP THIS PURPOSE AS IT IS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) UNLIKELY THAT OUR PRESENT COMPUTER INDEXING SUSTEM (CINDEX) CAN BE SUITABLY MODIFIED TO EXTRACT A SEPARATE LIST FOR TURNING OVER TO THE UK CONSULATE-GENERAL ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE HONG KONG SAR. THIS IS BECAUSE CINDEX IS BASICALLY A COMPUTERISED CENTRAL INDEXING SYSTEM DESIGNED TO PROVIDE ONLY SEARCH AND CROSS-REFERENCING FACILITIES TO DEPARTMENTAL RECORDS HELD EITHER IN MICROFILMED OR PAPER FORMAT AND TO

DEPARTMENTAL WARNING INDICES.

2. AS YOU KNOW, A REQUIREMENTS JUSTIFICATION STUDY IS NOW EXAMINING THE COST-EFFECTIVENESS OF USING COMPUTERS TO ISSUE BN (0) PASSPORTS AND OTHER TRAVEL DOCUMENTS IN THE ICAO MACHINE READABLE FORM IN JULY 1988. THIS STUDY WILL ALSO BE EXAMINING THE TYPE OF AUTOMATED RECORD INDEXING SYSTEM REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A SEPARATE

RESGISTER. BEFORE WE PROCEED FURTHER, WE REQUIRE HOME OFFICE'S

CONFIRMATION OF THE FOLLOWING:-

(A) THE PARTICULARS ON THE SEPARATE PEGISTER OF EN(C) PASSPORT HOLDERS WILL BE: NAME, CHINESE COMMERCIAL CODES, SEX, DATE OF BIRTH, PLACE OF BIRTH, DATE OF EN(0) REGISTRATION, PASSPORT NUMBER, DATE

OF ISSUE, DATE OF EXPIRY, AND OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY, IF ANY).

(B) WE INTEND TO MICROFILM BN(0) PASSPORT APPLICATION FORMS AND DESTROY THE PAPER VERSION AS IN OUR CURPENT PRACTICE WITH RDTC PASSPORT APPLICATIONS. WE HAVE KEPT PASSPORT RECORDS IN MICROFILM SINCE 1978 TO OVERCOME STORAGE PROBLEMS AND TO EXHANCE SECURITY.

YOUDE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT: NATIONALITY

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD NTD

RESEARCH D (MR WALKER)

DEP HD/PUSD

PS

PS/MR RENTON

PS/PUS

SIR W HARDING

MR WILSON MR BARRINGTON

COPIES TO:

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR GRAINGER, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR D MCDOUGALL, MVD

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