Mr. James Y.C. So.,
Deputy Secretary for the Civil Service,
Government Secretariat,
Lower Albert Road,
Hong Kong.
B.U
HKK430/1
35
با مقدمه
13 September 1979
P/J.W.
4/10
RIHR
18/9.
see (37
Thank you for your letter of 7 September, reference PEN/CV/1.
38
-32
2. Whilst we take your point that the delays in paying Mrs. Penhearow her husband's outstanding salary were not excessive, she did lose out as a result of the delay. Similarly, the over- assessment of tax and delay in making refunds to her resulted in her receiving less in sterling than she would have done had the mistake not been made. I would add that we cannot understand why she should be thought to be content because it has been discovered, as a result of Viscount Cranbourne's intervention, that the mistake, and therefore her losses, were even greater than previously calculated.
3. As seen from here, the Hong Kong Government's response to this problem seems less generous than natural justice would require. Before we submit to Ministers on this therefore, we should be grateful if you would re-consider your decision with a view to recompensing Mrs. Penhearow for the financial loss she has incurred apparently through no fault of her own.
P.J. Williamson
Hong Kong and General Department