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19th Century, when formalised recruitment and appointment procedures were adopted in London to provide staff for the public services in the various Colonies, Protectorates and other territories which were dependent on HMG in the UK.
3.
Membership of HMOCS has been open to certain expatriate officers appointed by, or on behalf of, the Secretary of State to serve in the Dependent Territories. With the coming of independence or other constitutional changes worldwide from the Late 1950's onwards, HMOCS is now a rapidly declining service.
Transfers between territories are now very rare.
4. In Hong Kong, there have been no new appointments eligible for membership of HMOCS since March 1985. There are currently 723 members of HMOCS in the Hong Kong public service (mainly Royal Hong Kong Police and administrative services). All are expatriate officers serving on permanent and pensionable terms of service. Despite HKG's Localisation policy, about 400 are
likely still to be in service in 1997. In addition approximately 240 officers serving on contract terms, whose initial appointment was made before March 1985, retain the right to apply to transfer to permanent and pensionable terms of
service and then to enrol in HMOCS.
5. HMG have historically accepted a special obligation towards members of HMOCS wherever they serve. This obligation was set out in 1954 and 1960 policy statements by HMG and established through practice and precedent in all other dependent territories and by UK pensions legislation. The main points which we consider to be relevant in the Hong Kong context are that when, as a result of constitutional change, the Secretary of State ceases to have authority over HMOCS officers and they come under the authority of a successor government: