•AECS
3 September 1991
Rt. Hon. Sir Richard N. Luce, MP
House of Commons,
LONDON SW1A OAA
England
Dear Sir,
Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service Officers - Pensions
It is now some time since you met representatives of our Association during your visit to Hong Kong in February 1986. Since then we have seen continuing wild fluctuations in the value of the Hong Kong dollar against the Pound sterling and consequently in the value of pensions paid to retired officers in the United Kingdom. This, you will recall, was one of our main concerns.
I am pleased to report that the Hong Kong dollar (with its link to the US$) has improved from a low of over HK$15 = GBP1 to a high of HK$12.5 in recent weeks although it has slipped back again since. However, it does not pay to get too excited as temporary improvements have happened before and it is no answer to the long term problem.
That problem is the lack of certainty as to the pound value of pensions - many pensioners who were lower and middle ranking civil servants are on modest incomes and a 20% fall in their pensions in a matter of weeks can leave them in financial difficulties. The long term solution is the stabilisation of the pound value, either by an improvement to the SPOS (Supplementary Pension, Overseas Service) system or possibly by the pensions being collected from Hong Kong by HMG and the pensioners being paid in pounds sterling as if they were Home Civil Service pensioners.
Despite the efforts of the Overseas Pensioners' Association (OSPA), HMOCS members in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and our Association and the support of Members of Parliament we have seen no progress, although we now understand that discussions between the two governments have begun. It is for this reason I am writing to seek your continued support that is for quiet pressure on the FCO for results sooner rather than later.
As we have stressed before, we are responsible civil servants and we have no wish for a high public profile for this, or any other, problem. We are committed to the good government of Hong Kong up to 1997 and beyond.
I hope that we will see you again in Hong Kong before long and look forward to meeting you then. In the meantime, if you need any further information
please let me know.
Yours faithfully,
Sen
Peter Leeds,
Chairman, Pensionable Service Committee, A.E.C.S.
ASSOCIATION OF EXPATRIATE CIVIL SERVANTS OF HONG KONG