Our Ref: 302690
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FLOAT HKD
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3 November 1993
Tim Yeo Esq MP House of Commons London SWL OAA
MKD 340/8
RECE
- 2 DEC 1993
JISTM
INDE
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
London SWIA 2AH
From The Minister of State
Teine
34
Thank you for your letter of 18 November to Mark Lennox-Boyd enclosing one from your constituent, Mr E A Nolan of 87 Chaplin Road, East Bergholt who is concerned about the refusal of the British Government to grant British passports to the widows of Hong Kong servicemen who lost their lives in the service of the Crown. I am replying in Mark's absence overseas.
I can well understand Mr Nolan's feelings about the widows whose husbands bravely served in the defence of Hong Kong during the Second World War. Those men made a heroic contribution to Hong Kong. I am sure that this is not ignored in this country.
The question of British citizenship for this small group of women
The problem is has been very carefully considered by Ministers. that there is no provision in nationality law to grant British citizenship to a person who is not resident in the United Kingdom. So we do not have the power to grant what they are asking for. But assurances have been given by Ministers that these women could settle in the United Kingdom at any time and We have also apply for British citizenship in the normal way. done all we can to ensure that if any of these women want to apply for entry clearance to the United Kingdom, their applications can be processed very quickly.
ALASTAIR GOODLAD
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