§ Lord Lester of Herne Hillasked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by Lord Bassam of Brighton on 10 January (WA 78), in what circumstances they have discriminated and they would seek to discriminate on the basis of national origins in the grant or refusal of British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981. [HL597]
§ Lord Bassam of BrightonThe grant of British citizenship under the British Nationality Act 1981 requires certain statutory requirements to be met and, in some cases, involves the exercise of discretion. Although some registration provisions statutorily exclude certain applicants on the basis of nationality (for example, British nationals alone have an entitlement to British citizenship if they meet certain residence requirements) an applicant's national origin is, for the most part, irrelevant when it comes to the exercise of discretion. Exceptions have been made in the past in relation to one or two groups of people in Hong Kong for reasons connected with the territory's special circumstances. Similar flexibility may be needed in the future.