TNAG-1851-FCO40-2626-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 174

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Miss Marsden

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HONG KONG: FAC ENQUIRY: ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1. The Committee Clerk asked you a number of questions last week about nationality and the possibility of UN involvement in guaranteeing the Joint Declaration. You already have UND's note on

the latter.

2. On nationality, I sent out the attached minute. I do not yet have all the replies, but have gleaned the following information:

On II, the Home Office simply do not know how many non-expatriate Britons around the world have right of abode here. There are however around 800,000 people in South Africa who are eligible for British passports, either because they were born here or by descent from their fathers. Their dependents would need to be reckoned on as well. Around 300,000-350,000 of this group actually hold British passports.

On I, I have no clear views yet. MVD have advised that the existence of the common format passport does not bear in any way on immigration policies, and that my answer in square brackets is probably right. However, I await guidance/confirmation from the Home Office. I do not yet have any views on I(a), although I am trying to get through to the Home Office.

HKB 011/3

15 June 1989

etwo

C T Wood

Hong Kong Department

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