David Scott Esq
Chairman
Expatriate Inspectors' Association
Royal Hong Kong Police Headquarters
Arsenal Street
Hong Kong
Thank you for your submission of 15 January and your subsequent letter of 19 January on issues of concern to your Association.
You mention that some of your members are experiencing problems in obtaining citizenship for their spouses in the United Kingdom.
Under Section 6(2) of the British Nationality Act 1981, the
non-British spouse of a British citizen may be naturalised as a
British citizen if he or she has been resident in the United Kingdom
for three years up to the date of application. However, the Home
Secretary may waive this requirement if, on the date of application,
the person to whom the applicant is married is serving abroad in
Crown service or is in service designated by the Home Secretary as
being closely identified with the overseas activities of Her
Majesty's Government.
All eligible officials in the government of a dependent
territory, which includes those members of the Hong Kong Police Force, who are British citizens and whose recruitment took place in
the United Kingdom, are covered by the British Citizenship
(Designated Service) Order 1982 and will, therefore, benefit from
the appropriate provisions in the 1981 Nationality Act.
You ask about compensation arrangements and pension guarantees for
members of HMOCS after 30 June 1997. We are, examining to what extent it would be appropriate to compensate officers for the loss. of protection afforded by membership of HMOCS. This matter is being carefully considered and I hope to be able to announce our
conclusions before long. Payment of pensions after 1997 will be the
responsibility of the Hong Kong SAR Government. The Joint
TOBAAC