PRIORITY
IN CLAIR
GRPS 295
HKA 42/393/3 (5
RARIVED
STRY NO. 5T
8 MAR 1978
Acro · Tukan
FM HONG KONG 280755Z
UNCLASSIFIED
Tup Copy
TO PRIORITY F.C.O TELNO.286 OF 8 MARCH 78.
YOUR TELNO.159: COLONIAL REGULATION 18.
1. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PROMPT REPLY. I AM AFRAID WE DID NOT
EXPLAIN OUR PROBLEM SUFFICIENTLY CLEARLY. THE POINT IS THAT A POST IS ONLY A ''PROMOTION POST' WHEN THIS IS SPECIFICALLY STATED IN THE RELEVANT ''DETAILS OF POST''. IN THE CASE CURRENTLY BEING CONSIDERED, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VACANCY IS FOR CHIEF QUANTITY SURVEYOR IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT. THE DETAILS
OF POST PROVIDE THAT THIS IS A PROMOTION POST FOR QUANTITY SURVEYORS AND SENIOR QUANTITY SURVEYORS IN THAT DEPARTMENT. IF THERE IS NO QUANTITY SURVEYOR OR SENIOR QUANTITY SURVEYOR IN THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT SUITABLE FOR PROMOTION, THE VACANCY IS ADVERTISED IN THE PRESS. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT OFFICERS WHO HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR APPOINTMENT (AS DISTINCT FROM CLAIMS TO PROMOTION) ARE LIKELY TO APPLY FOR APPOINTMENT ON TRANSFER. WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS THAT, BECAUSE OF OUR LOCALISATION
POLICY, ALTHOUGH A LOCAL PWD SENIOR QUANTITY SURVEYOR WILL HAVE PREFERENCE OVER OUTSIDERS IN COMPETITION FOR THE VACANCY, EQUALLY QUALIFIED OVERSEAS OFFICERS SHOULD NOT BE INTERVIEWED
UNTIL IT IS SHOWN THAT:
(A) NO LOCAL OFFICER CAN BE APPOINTED ON TRANSFER AND
(B) NO SUITABLE AND QUALIFIED OUTSIDE LOCAL CANDIDATE CAN
BE APPOINTED.
2. WE FEEL WE MUST TAKE THIS LINE, BECAUSE ANY OTHER POLICY WOULD
ALLOW OVERSEAS APPLICANTS TO ENTER GRADES WE HAVE NOT YET SUCCEEDED IN LOCALISING YET (E.G LAWYER) AND THEN TRANSFER FREELY TO GRADES WE HAVE NO DIFFICULTY IN LOCALISING (E.G AUDITOR). THIS WOULD LEAD TO OUR SINCERITY IN LOCALISATION BEING EVEN FURTHER QUESTIONED AND, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY SENSITIVE TOPIC.
MACLEHOSE
FILE S HK & GD (5) LEGAL ADVISERS
L
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