NOTE FOR THE MEETING
CONFIDENTIAL
The current proposal may be inexpensive but it does not appear to meet welk any other criteria for a successful
scheme.
There are four potentially conflicting aspects to this
issue:
(i) HMG: we wish, (a) at the minimum necessary
expenditure, (b) to fulfil those commitments to HMOCS members which we think are required to satisfy Parliament while (c) at the same time maintaining a
stable administration in Hong Kong up to 1997 and, if
possible beyond.
(ii) HMOCS Member: who wish to receive the same general
package as in previous colonies: actuarially assessed compensation at a given sterling rate payable on 1 July 1997 and the early payment of pension.
(iii) The Chinese Government: whose reaction to any scheme
is difficult to predict. A scheme which involved payments by HMG to serving SARG officers is likely to create clear suspicion. A scheme which would lead to
an exodus of HMOCS members in 1997 could also be
viewed with suspicion. No scheme might be their
favoured option.
(iv) HKG: which will want to ensure that whatever HMG does
it will t lead to a split in the civil service (essentially the Police and the Administrative Service) between HMOCS members and local officers or
ALDAEU/1
CONFIDENTIAL