HC Deb 25 July 1922 vol 157 cc419-20

As amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.

CLAUSE 1.—(Amendment of definition of natural-born British subject.)

Section one of the principal Act (which contains the definition of a natural-born British subject) shall be amended as follows:

(1) The following paragraph shall be substituted for paragraph (b) of Subsection (1): (b) Any person born out of His Majesty's dominions whose father was, at the time of that person's birth, a British subject, and who fulfils any of the following conditions, that is to say, if either— (v) his birth was registered at a British Consulate within twelve months after its occurrence, or, in the case of a person born on or after the first day of January, nineteen hundred and fifteen, who would have been a British subject if born before that date, within twelve months after the first day of August, nineteen hundred and twenty-two; and

Sir J. BAIRD

I beg to move, in Subsection (1, b, v), to leave out the words "twelve months" ["within twelve months after its occurrence"], and to insert, instead thereof, the words one year or in special circumstances, with the consent of the Secretary of State, two years. This Amendment is put down to give effect to to a promise I made to the Committee. The House will recollect that the Bill provides that a British subject who has a child born abroad may secure British nationality by registration of that child at the Consulate. The child, on attaining the age of 21 years, confirms that intention by making a declaration at the Consulate. It is provided that there should be an extension of time for the making of this subsequent declaration on the attainment of the age of 21, and it was pointed out that it would only be fair that some extension should be granted to the parent for making the original notification. That is what the words I move would provide.

Amendment agreed to.