TNAG-1849-FCO40-2624-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 53

24 MAY

'89 23:30

FROM COI TECH RADIO

TRANSCRIPT J: SELECT COMITTER RE HONG KONG

24 MAY 1989

-16-

PAGE.01.056

MR. TIX RENTON (COBTD):

I understand that it was the Hong Kongers themselves, Mr. Temple Morris, who were particularly

anxious to have clearly available to them a continuing

"British” in it after 1997 and it status that had the word

was for that reason that BOC is there for those who might otherwise be stateless after June 1997, in the same way as it is in many other parts of the world.

MR. HARRINGTON:

They particularly wanted a status that was seen as

direct successor to BDTC, which BOC is not.

CHAIRMAN :

Could we push on now to the question of acquiring

Mr. Taylor. British citizenship by settlement?

10

MR.

IAN TAYLOR:

Under the 1981 Nationality Act, there are only two ways by which British citizenship can be acquired: firstly, by fulfilling the residence requirement which means effectively settlement and secondly, for Crown Servants only, by discretion,

BDTCS, BNOS and BNOCS are entitled to register as British citizens if the residency requirements are

fulfilled.