necessary or expedient in consequence of or in connection with the
provisions of section 1(1) of this Act for repealing or amending,
far as it relates to Hong Kong, any enactment forming part of the
law of, or of any part of, the United Kingdom or of a British
possession other than Hong Kong and any provision contained in
Northern Ireland legislation.
SO
(3) An Order under this paragraph may be made SO as to have effect
from the relevant date or as respects any time before or after that
date.
(4) A statutory instrument containing an Order under this paragraph
shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either
House of Parliament.
The effect of this amendment would be to enable HMG to provide by
Order in Council for the payment of pensions and other benefits to
persons who are members of the Hong Kong Civil Service before 1 July
1997.
RESIST
LINE TO TAKE
The purpose of this
I will now consider amendment No
amendment seems to be to enable the Government to provide by Order
in Council for matters relating to members and ex-members of the
Hong Kong public service, particularly as concerns the payment of
pensions and other benefits.
The first thing to say about this amendment is that it is not
necessary for the purpose which I assume the noble Lord has in mind. The Government already has extensive powers to make provision for
pensions and other benefits under the Overseas Pensions Act 1973.
Moreover in the extremely unlikely event that these powers were ever to prove insufficient in the case of Hong Kong, it would be possible
to amend or add to them by means of an Order-in-Council under this
paragraph as already drafted.
The Government remain fully alert to their responsibilities for
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