CODE
18-77
Mr West PSE ODM
8
Reference..
HKA412/393/3
33
HONG KONG: RECRUITMENT POLICY
NO
1. Hong Kong have been trying to persuade us that, to protect their policy of localisation of Public Service posts, qualified expatriate officers should not be considered for a vacancy until it has been shown that no local officer can be found and no local candidate from outside the Service has been found suitable. As you will see from the minuting below, I was tempted to follow this line, but excepting permanent and pensionable officers.
2. Mr Hall has pointed out however, and Mr Swan of HK Government Office has confirmed, that once a contract officer has been appointed he enjoys all the same advantages of seniority etc as any p&p officer. Furthermore there is no distinction between promotion within one department and transfer from one department to another. Can you confirm that this ties up with the situation in other DTs? Mr Hall suspects that HK's view is that of Sir
D Luddington, who dealt with localisation in the Solomons. Hower the situation in Hong Kong is quite different. They are not localising prior to independence, nor has a compensation scheme been introduced (or even considered).
3. I should be grateful for any comments you may have
14 March 1978
LAG!
N F GREEN Hong Kong & General Dept
K272
Page 15Page 16
CODE
18-77