SECRET
C.
Liability for Pensions and Compensation for Public Officers and their Dependants
Present Position
21. The Hong Kong Government is under a liability to pay
pensions and other retirement benefits granted to members
of the Hong Kong public service and to their widows and other
dependants under Hong Kong pensions legislation. It is
responsible for paying pensions etc already granted to or in
respect of retired officers and as pensions etc are granted
to or in respect of serving officers or their retirement,
it will be responsible for paying these also. HMG have no
legal liability at present for paying these pensions.
Pensions etc are calculated and paid in Hong Kong dollars
except that SPOS payments for HMOCS officers
are converted into sterling at the rate of exchange
prevailing at the relevant date of retirement and paid
accordingly. In the event of the complete collapse of the
exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar, HMG might be obliged
to fix upon an arbitrary rate of exchange for the
conversion of Hong Kong dollar pensions into sterling payments.
Maintenance of Existing Arrangements
22.
So long as the United Kingdom retains its present
responsibility for the government of the colony, HMG will be
able to ensure that pensions etc granted to retired
Hong Kong public officers and their widows and dependants
will continue to be paid from Hong Kong Government funds.
13 SECRET
/Constitutional
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