Trevor Moniz is a happy camper this week.

News that the UK House of Lords has passed the British Overseas Territories Bill, which restores full British citizenship to citizens of the UK's colonies, is getting a two thumbs up from the MP.

Those who doubt that the British Overseas Territories Bill will bring significant benefits to locals just don't get it, he said.

The significance of the Bill was downplayed by Baroness Rawlings after its third reading in Britain's Upper Chamber last week.

The Baroness said that because the benefits of citizenship only come into play when an individual takes up residence in the United Kingdom, those who chose not to leave their territories will be "largely unaffected" when the bill becomes law.

And she questioned the significance of Britain's educational opportunities to Overseas Territories citizens when they too would have to live and work in Britain to take advantage of a huge difference in fees paid by foreign and local students.

"We are presented with that all-important distinction between British citizens from the overseas territories and British citizens resident in the United Kingdom," Lady Rawlings said. "I hope that that distinction does not come to jeopardise the possible wealth of opportunity open to British Overseas Territories citizens.

"The truth of the matter is that no British citizen gets home fees if they don't live in the United Kingdom," he said.

"British citizens who live abroad do not pay home fees. I presume the reason for that is that they don't pay taxes which supports those fees... The distinction is between those who are resident in the UK and those who are not."

He said he knew of people who had tried to qualify for the lower school fees by purchasing property in the UK but failed.

"It's a question of where you are resident and that's not an unusual requirement."

And he referred to the bill as a "great advantage" for people from the Overseas Territories. "If you want to live and work in the United Kingdom or in the European Union, there you go," he said. And all will find travel overseas a lot easier- currently Bermudians have to stand in the line for foreigners when they arrive in Europe. As full British citizens they will be fast tracked.

And he pointed out that a number of Bermudians already enjoyed advantages of British citizenship because of their ancestry, while most don't.

"It's a good thing," he said of the Bill. "I don't see how people can say otherwise because young people will have tremendous freedom. At least it will allow them to attain their potential."