16A
SECRET
SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 29130OZ FCO
TELNO 1090
OF 2912OOZ MARCH 90
(251)
135457
MDHIAN 6495
THE 340/4
RECEIVED IN PEGISTRY
2 5MAY 1990
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR
UK NATIONALITY SCHEME: THE GARRISON
·
DESK OFFICE.
PA
INDEX
1 IN OUR ORIGINAL CONCEPT OF THE NATIONALITY SCHEME, WE TOOK THE VIEW THAT SINCE THE LOCALLY ENLISTED PERSONNEL (LEP) IN THE GARRISON ARE THE DIRECT RESPONSIBILITY OF HMG, ANY ASSURANCE OF. A RIGHT OF ABODE FOR THEM SHOULD BE DEALT WITH SEPARATELY OUTSIDE THE SCHEME. ONE FACTOR IN THIS THINKING WAS THAT LEPS WILL BE PHASED OUT BY 1997. THE REASONS FOR MAKING SPECIAL PROVISION FOR THEM WERE THEREFORE PARTLY TO FULFILL A MORAL OBLIGATION TO THOSE WHO HAD SO DIRECTLY SERVED HMG, AND, PARTLY TO ENSURE THAT SUFFICIENT LEPS REMAINED IN PLACE TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE GARRISON UNTIL FINAL WITHDRAWAL. THE OBJECTIVES WERE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE OF THE GENERAL
NATIONALITY SCHEME WHICH WERE TO KEEP KEY PEOPLE IN HONG KONG UP TO
AND BEYOND 1997.
2. MINISTERS, HOWEVER, TOOK THE VIEW THAT ANY GRANT OF RIGHT OF ABODE FOR LEPS WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF THE 50,000 LIMIT. TAKING ACCOUNT OF THIS DECISION WE THEN LOOKED AT HOW LEPS COULD BE INCLUDED IN THE SCHEME AND CAME UP WITH THE FOLLOWING PROPOSALS:
(B) OTHER LEPS, IE OTHER RANKS, WOULD BE ABLE TO APPLY UNDER OUR PROPOSED GENERAL ALLOCATION SCHEME (SAS) ON THE SAME BASIS AS OTHER CIVIL SERVANTS. BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNITION GIVEN TO CROWN SERVICE UNDER THE POINTS SYSTEM, THEY WOULD ENJOY AN EDGE OVER THE PRIVATE SECTOR. IT WAS THUS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT A FAIR NUMBER OF LEPS WOULD SUCCEED.
3. MINISTERS HAVE SINCE DECIDED THAT THE GAS SHOULD BE SEVERELY RESTRICTED IN SCOPE. THE CONSEQUENCE OF THIS IS THAT LARGE SECTIONS OF THE CIVIL SERVICE AS WELL AS LEP OTHER RANKS ARE NO LONGER
Redacted under FOI
exemption section 27(1)
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