MUGAAN
PS/Mr Maude
I submit a draft reply
Mrs Edwina Currie MP
House of Commons
London
SW1A OAA
Rosalind Hand
1. VI.70
RM Marsden
cc: Mr Paul,
HKD
Thank you for your letter of 6 May enclosing one from
Mr A D McInnes, President of the Association of Expatriate Civil
Servants of Hong Kong about various matters of concern to members of
his Association. I shall try to deal with these points in turn.
First, the security of pensions after 1997. The Joint Declaration
and the Basic Law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(SAR) both contain very clear assurances about the continued payment
of pensions after 1997. They state that the Hong Kong SAR Government will pay pensions on terms no less favourable than
before, and irrespective of the nationality or place of residence of
the persons concerned. The Joint Declaration is a binding
international agreement and its provisions should not be dismissed
lightly.
the Supplementary
Secondly, Mr McInnes expresses concern about Pension for Overseas Service (SPOS). I know that the arrangements are considered by some to be inequitable, but I believe that the