§ 12.3 am
§ Mr. Ivor Stanbrook (Orpington)With your permission, Mr. Deputy Speaker, and that of the House, I beg to ask leave to present a petition signed by 91 Britons resident in Belgium concerning their position under the British Nationality Bill. This is the third such petition that I have had the honour of presenting to the House. The others were from Britons resident in Venezuela and Sierra Leone.
This petition draws the attention of the House to the provisions of the British Nationality Bill which completed its Committee stage this evening—to the great relief of most of us who were members of the Committee. It will deprive Britons born abroad of the right to transmit their nationality to their children born outside the United Kingdom. In some cases it will render the children stateless. The petition was organised by Mrs. Hilary Naqvi on behalf of the Association for the Rights of Britons Abroad. The petition reads:
Wherefore your Petitioners pray that your Honourable House amend the British Nationality Bill so as to ensure that: at commencement, all citizens of the United Kingdom and Colonies with the right of abode in the United Kingdom, wherever born, shall be entitled to transmit their nationality to their children;Britons by descent shall be entitled to transmit their nationality to their children, which children shall in turn be permitted to transmit their nationality to their children if they have a continuing close connection with the United Kingdom, such connection being defined in accordance with certain specified criteria which shall not include employment;And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray.I beg leave to present the petition.
§ To lie upon the Table.