Mr Burns
PS/Lord Caithness
PS
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: A R Paul
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 6 September 1990
Cc: Mr McLaren
HONG KONG: MP'S LETTER ON MATTERS OF CONCERN TO MEMBERS OF
HER MAJESTY'S OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVICE (HMOCS)
KI
A
Problem
The Rt Hon Merlyn Rees MP has written to the Secretary
of State enclosing a letter from the Association of
1.
Expatriate Civil Servants (AECS) of Hong Kong raising issues
of concern to HMOCS members. How should we reply?
Recommendation
2. I recommend that the Secretary of State should reply in
the terms of the short draft letter attached. ODA and Legal
Advisers are content.
Background
3.
The letter from the AECS is apparently associated with a briefing paper which Mr Rees has not enclosed. However the
two issues identified in the letter
-
supplementary pension
for overseas service (SPOS) and protection against
depreciation of the Hong Kong dollar - are both familiar
subjects to us. They are tied in with the wider question of
sterling safeguards for pensions for Hong Kong members of HMOCS and with compensation arrangements for HMOCS members
at the transfer of sovereignty in 1997.
ROFANE/1
CONFIDENTIAL