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MDHIAN 7
GARRISON AND OTHER UK ORGANISATIONS
5. WITH THE LIMITED NUMBERS AVAILABLE IT WILL NOT/NOT BE POSSIBLE
FOR MEMBERS OF THE GARRISON OR OTHER UK INSTITUTIONS TO BE TREATED
IN ANY SPECIAL WAY IF THEY ARE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL PACKAGE. I HAVE PROPOSED TO THE HOME OFFICE TEAM THAT THOSE IN THE GARRISON ETC
SHOULD BE SUBSUMED
IN THE SENSITIVE SERVICE SCHEME (SSS). OTHERS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH IN THE SAME WAY AS THE REST OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AND THE COMMUNITY, IE THEY WOULD COMPETE FOR PLACES IN THE GENERAL ALLOCATION SCHEME (GAS). THERE WOULD CLEARLY BE BOTH PRACTICAL AND PRESENTATIONAL DIFFICULTIES IF THE GARRISON AND OTHER UK INSTITUTIONS WERE GIVEN ANY PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT UNDER THE PACKAGE. NOR WOULD THERE BE ANY NO GOOD REASON FOR DOING SO, AT LEAST PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE OF THE GARRISON WHOSE MEMBERS WILL HAVE TO BE DISCHARGED BEFORE 1997 AND WHO ARE NOT EMIGRATING IN ANY SIGNIFICANT NUMBER. FOR ALL CONCERNED THE SCHEME HAS TO BE DESIGNED TO KEEP PEOPLE IN HONG KONG RATHER THAN AS A REWARD FOR PAST SERVICE, HOWEVER DESIRABLE THE LATTER WOULD BE IF WE HAD THE RIGHT NUMBER OF PLACES.
PRINCIPAL OFFICIAL
6. MY THIRD CONCERN RELATES TO THE PROBLEM WE FACE WITH THE CHINESE
OVER THEIR INTERPRETATION OF THE CHINESE NATIONALITY LAW AND THE NATIONALITY REQUIREMENT FOR PRINCIPAL OFFICIALS OF THE SARG. WE
MUST DO WHAT WE CAN TO ENSURE THAT THE SARG WILL NOT BE DEPRIVED OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP ON 1 JULY 1997 AS A RESULT OF MOST LOCAL
OFFICERS OF SECRETARY RANK HAVING OPTED FOR UK PASSPORTS UNDER THE PACKAGE. WE MIGHT THEN BE LEFT WITH INEXPERIENCED OFFICERS, OR CANDIDATES HAND-PICKED FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNIST RANKS, HAVING TO FILL MANY OF THE SENIOR SARG POSTS ON 1 JULY 1997.
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