Mr.Gardner
mimik
sap. R 18/v..
Kelly's minute on (23)
Reference.....
wih (23
2. I believe there may be reason to object to some of
Hong Kong's plans.
-
3. Memorandum Xcc(72)46 sets out the reasons for and the objects of the proposed amendments to the ordinance.
There are two issues. The first is the extension of the
power to alter conditions of admission to Immigration Officers this is said to be justified by pressure of
work. The x second is the devolution of some of the
Immigration Officers powers onto Immigration Assistants.
Both steps have the effect of of devolving upon relatively junior officers, powers held previously only by senior ones. The suggestions therefore need to be examined with a critical eye.
4. On the first issue we are not in a position to judge
the need for the step to be taken. We are told that there were 19,000 applications for variation of conditions in the first three months of 1972 but have no figures for other periods or previous years. If the step_is_justified by the number of applications I suggest that adverse decisions be made subject to a referral to the Director (the definition of that term includes other officers desides the Director persoanlly) and not to a "senior level" - see paragraph 5 of the memorandum. As the Directorate is the only authority at present empowered to vary conditions, I do not believe this would cause any administrative difficulty. This issue appears to be still under consideration in the Council.
5. The second issue is the devolution some of the Immigration Officers powers on the Immigration Assistants. The step is said to be justified on the grounds that Immigration Assistants perform these functions already. I have spoken to John Couch in B3 Division in the Home Office who has served a period on secondment to the Hong Kong Immigration Department. He gave me some back- ground on Immigration Assistants. He told me that there were two grades and that both were "dogsbodies". Their duties include driving, sorting landing and departure cards and guard duties. The main obstacle to their
advancement is that they speak little English. I asked Couch to equate their rank to one in the Civil Service scale. He told me that they would fall somewhere