TNAG-2050-FCO40-2920-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 102

the details of this, but we hope it will be possible to

start providing this service very soon.

As you know, the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act

1981 is based on the principle that British citizenship,

for both men and women, should involve a period of residence in this country. For the spouse of a British citizen, that period is 3 years and is designed to ensure

that the non-British spouse has some links with the

United Kingdom independent of marriage and that he or she

meets the requirements of the 1981 Act to be of good

character.

For the most part, we expect the wives of expatriate

British citizens will achieve settlement and, eventually,

qualify for citizenship in the normal way if they, in due course, accompany their husbands to the United Kingdom. However, special arrangements apply for British citizens serving abroad in Crown or designated service. The spouse of such a person can be naturalised under section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981 without a period of United Kingdom residence if the employing organisation

can show that this would be in its, and the United

Kingdom's, interests.

(3) Pensions

and

You express concern about security of pensions specifically about preservation of the value and payment of pensions after 1997. Pensions are of course the responsibility of the Hong Kong authorities, rather than

HMG.

As you know, the Sino-British Joint Declaration and

the Basic Law contain very clear assurances in repsect of the continued payment of pensions after 1997, and there is no reason to believe that these undertakings will not