Mr Quantrill minute
Mr McLaren
miałe
J.
UNCLASSIFIED
Reference.
HKK 43
RECEIVED IN WRING. 51
MP'S LETTER: HONG KONG: MRS CVPENHEAROW
Problem
No
REAR
8/10.
برای همه
(38)
11
Flag A
22
1.
How to respond to the Hong Kong Government's refusal to consider an ex gratia grant to the widow of a Hong Kong Government Civil Servant who claims to have lost several hundred pounds as a result of delays by the Government.
Recommendation
2.
That Mr McLaren write to Mr Rowlands on the lines of the attached draft.
Background
3. Viscount Cranbourne MP (Dorset S - Conservative) wrote to Mr Blaker on behalf of the widow, Mrs C V Penhearow, on 25 July complaining that she lost over £300 as a result of over- assessment of her husband's income tax by the Inland Revenue Department and delays in refunding her this money and in paying her the money owed to her from her husband's estate. This was because the value of the Hong Kong $ dropped considerably between the death of her husband and the payments of the monies.
Play B 23 Hay (32) complaint.
Playi Play=
Floy F
4.
An interim reply was sent to Viscount Cranbourne on 1 August. -We wrote to the Hong Kong Government on 30 July asking for their
comments and suggesting that Mrs Penhearow did have cause for On 7 September James So, Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service, replied. He said that there had been no undue delays in processing Mrs Penhearow's case and that as a result of these enquiries the Commissioner of Inland Revenue had reviewed the matter and decided that a further refund was due to the husband's estate.
5. I was not happy with the reply and minuted the papers to Mr Quantrill at folio 33. He concurred with my view and agreed that I should write to Mr So explaining our reaction. This I did at folio 35, explaining that as we saw it the Hong Kong Government's response was less than natural justice required.
6. Mr So has now replied to our second letter at folio 37 declining to offer Mrs Penhearow any ex gratia payment, pointing out that she declined an offer of an advance of the monies due to her and that the monies owed her were payable in Hong Kong dollars not sterling.
7. I am still convinced that Mrs Penhearow has lost out through no fault of her own but as a result of red tape within the Hong Kong Government and the devaluation of the Hong Kong dollar, and that she does have a case for an ex gratia payment.
I appreciate that this sort of situation is not covered by the rule book but it does seem to be one that calls for special consider- ation. I believe that Mr Blaker would take a similar line and
CODE 18-77
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