CONFIDENTIAL
International
Covenants
as
remain
in
applied to
Hong Kong will force. All this to be enshrined in Basic Law and remain unchanged
for 50 years.
Annual Debate
13. Cannot guarantee annual debate, but conscious of the importance
regularly informed of keeping Parliament
on implementation
the
of
in and
that No doubt
Parliament will maintain interest agreement. commitment to Hong Kong that it has already clearly demonstrated.
Compensation Arrangements for HMOCS
14. Agreement on future of Hong Kong provides satisfactorily for continuity of service by serving officers in the public service in Hong Kong, on terms and conditions, including pay and pensions, no less favourable than 30 June 1997. These provisions apply to members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS) serving in
Hong Kong as well as to other civil
of servants. Resumption sovereignty over Hong Kong by the People's Republic of China raises similar issues in respect of HMOCS as independence has in other dependent territories. Not possible, however, to define now, 12 and
of constitutional
ail the change,
arrangements which will apply to members of HMOCS serving in Hong Kong and to payment of their pensions by the Hong Kong Government
after 1 July 1997.
a
half
years
in advance
Will Governor be member of Joint Liaison Group
15. Precise membership of the Group has not yet been decided.
Agreement for date 13 years in future unreal?
16.
The agreement is of course a unique one. Dealing with a known
arrangements
for future
time limit fixed by duration of New Territories lease. Essential
that
should be settled and known well in
advance. Important to establish climate of stability in Hong Kong in which people of Hong Kong can plan ahead.
Chinese constitution to
apply to Hong Kong after 1997? Possible Conflict between Basic Law/Chinese constitution?
17. We expect Basic Law to make clear which provisions of Chinese Constitution apply to Hong Kong.
Cannot conceive that the Basic Law
CONFIDENTIAL