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CONFIDENTIAL
Redacted
under FOI exemption section 27(1)
Secondment Scheme
18. As indicated in my submission of 26 January, officials have discussed with a number of firms their likely degree of interest in the secondment scheme. Although all, without exception, expressed disappointment that the scheme was to be within the 50,000 ceiling, rather than an "extra", and said that their interest would be diminished as a result, only two of the seven said that they would be unlikely to participate. The others thought that they would, though not necessarily with large numbers. The companies who were interested were attracted by the idea of being able to select key staff of the future from the younger age ranges not favoured by the General Allocation Scheme and, by arranging postings in the UK, virtually guarantee those selected British citizenship.
19. It must be said that HKG and the Governor personally are strongly opposed to the secondment scheme, now that it is within the overall package. They see the secondment places as being at the expense of others who do not happen to work for a participating organisation, and believe that future key staff can most fairly be dealt with as part of the second tranche under the General Allocation Scheme. They have also raised concerns about the possibility that selection by companies may lead to corruption, and about the resources necessary to check firms bona fides. HKG is likely to participate in implementation only reluctantly.
20. Although we
understand HKG's disappointment that the secondment scheme is
is not an added extra, the proposal was announced in fairly firm terms by the Foreign Secretary on 20
CONFIDENTIAL
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