TNAG-2630-FCO40-3821-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-National-(Overseas)-1992 — Page 24

CONFIDENTIAL

GRO:

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

BY FAX

27 November 1992

Mr John Dean

Division 3

Security Branch

Government Secretariat Hong Kong

Dear

Mr Bean,

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

Your ref SBCR 4/2091/84

BN (0) REGISTRATION PROGRAMME

1.

Thank you for copying to us your letter of 17 November attaching the draft ExCo paper on the registration programmed for BDTCS/BNOs. We have not seen the Home Office's response, but I understand from Chris Kelly that they had no substantive comments.

2. As your paper notes, FCO and Home Office Ministers have given their agreement in principle to the drafting of the necessary Order in Council. Our Legal Adviser is content with your latest draft. We do have a concern (and I know that the Home Office share it). This is to ensure that sufficient time be allowed for the drafting and subsequent passage of this Order in Council and the other which will be going forward in tandem (the amendment to the Selection Scheme associated with the 1990 British Nationality HK Act.) Your proposed programme for registration as set out in your Annex C makes the timing rather too tight. The Home Office have, as you know, informed us that it should prove possible to complete the legal and parliamentary process within a 6 month time frame. The first registration period proposed in the draft (July to October) will surely need to start (and finish) later and your draft might point out the need for flexibility on the exact timings listed at Annex C.

Yours ever,

helwah Bames Dones,

HKD 346/

Deborah Barnes Jones

Hong Kong Department

cc: Paul Ronchetti, WCD,

Chris Kelly

BA Division Home Office

CONFIDENTIAL

bnoreg.NAT

3 ONCU 199.

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