in Britain will not be passed for more than a year, it was revealed yesterday.

And the UK has cleared up confusion over the offer of full UK citizenship with a promise to give a blanket grant -- with the option to opt out if wanted.

Premier Jennifer Smith told MPs that the December 31 deadline for responses from the Overseas Territories was not the deadline for individuals' decisions on whether to accept or not.

Ms Smith said: "In fact, it is anticipated that scheduling, and thus debate, in the British Parliament of the legislation to provide for citizenship will not happen until late 2000 or early in the year 2001.'' Ms Smith quoted UK Home Office junior Minister Barbara Roche, who addressed the first meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in London last month.

The Premier said: "Because of concern still being expressed over the UK's citizenship offer, which is extended to each individual citizen, I have also attached...the full text of the Hon. Barbara Roche, Minister of State, Home Office, remarks.'' Ms Roche told the Overseas Territories' heads of government: "This proposal reflected the long-expressed wish that the British citizenship should be made available.

"It also took account of the view, held in a number of the Territories, that British citizenship should not be imposed, but that individuals should have a choice in the matter.

"I think that this was an imaginative solution to the question of choice.'' Ms Roche added: "But of course, there is an issue of resources here. We are dealing with individual cases.

"There would be major resource problems both for the Overseas Territories and for the Home Office if everybody in the Overseas Territories who wanted British citizenship expressed that choice by applying on an individual basis.

"What we have decided, therefore, is that we should bestow citizenship on the majority of the Overseas Territories population collectively, by legislation.

"Those who are opposed to the idea may withdraw from British citizenship afterwards, either actively or passively, if they so wish.'' Ms Roche added that residents of Bermuda and the other colonies who do not have the current British Overseas Territories Citizen status could still be eligible for full UK passports -- but only after gaining status.

And she warned the Territories that the UK expected tough Immigration and passport policies and tight procedures to register births, deaths and marriages to avoid fraudulent applications.

Ms Roche said: "We will not allow this route to be used to get around our Immigration policies in the UK.'' She added: "British citizenship and BOTC status will be held simultaneously.

In those circumstances, possession of British citizenship can be either accepted and utilised or simply left dormant.

Premier speaks on status of UK White Paper "In the latter case BOTC status would continue to be the only one used for passport and other such purposes.

"A third option -- under which a person who becomes a British citizen automatically happens to feel very strongly opposed to the whole idea and wants to have that status removed -- is to enable the British citizenship to be formally renounced.

"This will entail completing a form declaring the renunciation and sending it to the Home Office.'' And Ms Roche added that Foreign Secretary Robin Cook will be unlikely to find a spot for the change in the law before the Queen's Speech this month -- making spring or summer 2001 most likely.

Ms Roche said: "If all the administrative arrangements are in place by then, we would be able to bring the Act into force very quickly thereafter.

"But there is much work to be done and you will have an important part to play in this process and helping us to keep to this timetable.'' And she said she would be consulting with colleagues in the UK Education Department on students working in the UK after graduation -- although she said schemes did exist to allow that.

Ms Roche said: "The problem may simply be a lack of understanding in the Territories about what is and is not permissible. We will make sure that full information about this is available.'' Ms Smith yesterday released last month's statement to the consultative council on Constitutional change in Bermuda.

As reported in The Royal Gazette , the Premier asked for an end to dual seat constituencies fixed on parish boundaries, so single seat constituencies of more equal size can be set up.

Ms Smith also said the Bermuda Constitution should be amended to reflect the amount of powers in theory held by Governors, but in practice delegated to Government.

She added that the General Election change of Government had shown that there was no provision to reconstitute the Public Service Commission to reflect the change of Government and no timetable for an outgoing Premier to resign.

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