TNAG-2629-FCO40-3820-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1992 — Page 16

CONFIDENTIAL

Immigration and Nationality Department

Nationality Office 3rd Floor India Buildings Water Street Liverpool L2 0QN Telephone 051-236 4723

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ind

cc.

73

Miss Broch

2216.

J Woodrow Esq

Hong Kong Department

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

London

SW1A 2AH

Dear M. Woodrow,

Your reference

Our reference

NTY/90 387/1334/1

Date

HKD 340/1

ARRANGEMENTS FOR REGISTERING HKBDTCS AS BN(0)s

72)

19 June 1992

Thank you for your letter of 8 June received here on 11 June. The tight deadline has meant that I have been unable to copy the

advisers before replying, papers

legal our

to

consulted with them by telephone.

but I have

We have strong reservations about Hong Kong's thoughts on having two separate Parliamentary bites at this subject, the first an Order-in-Council setting a series of cut-off dates for BN(0) applications and a second, later measure setting a single cut-off (This in fact would be an date for applications for HKBDTC. Order-in-Council made under paragraph 2(3) of the Schedule to the 1985 Hong Kong Act amending the British Nationality Act 1981. The memorandum for EXCO needs to be amended to reflect this). Our view is that Ministers would wish to avoid, if they could, It would be more having to go to Parliament twice on the issue. efficient to deal with these related points together and better not to provide more than the one opportunity to those MPs who might wish to re-open the issues that were raised during the Act 1990. (Hong Kong) British Nationality passage

the Parliament and the public should get the complete picture on what

same and the

It would hardly be is proposed at

а debate on BN (0) cut off dates without possible to have explaining what was intended with regard to HKBDTC status.

of

one

time.

CONFIDENTIAL