CONFIDENTIAL
051700
MDHOAN 20
- (IF PRESSED) VERY ROUGHLY THE AMOUNT COULD BE SEVERAL TENS OF
THOUSANDS OF POUNDS BUT SPREAD OVER QUITE A NUMBER OF YEARS FROM
1997.
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST, WHO PAYS, WHEN WILL IT HAPPEN?
-
CANNOT YET SAY HOW MUCH THE COST WILL BE. BUT WHATEVER THE COSTS FOR THE PROPOSALS UNDER CONSIDERATION, HMG WILL PAY. PAYMENTS WILL BE MADE FROM 1997 ONWARDS.
WHAT ABOUT STERLING SAFEGUARDS AND SPOS?
THE QUESTION OF STERLING SAFEGUARDS IS A DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX ONE.
NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN TAKEN.
ON SPOS, WE HAVE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIONS FROM RETIRED HMOCS OFFICERS. WE ARE CONSIDERING WHETHER ANY
AMENDMENT TO THE OPERATION OF THE RULES FOR CALCULATING SPOS
WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
IS HONG KONG GOVERNMENT INVOLVED?
-
NO, DISCUSSIONS ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE STATEMENT ARE A MATTER BETWEEN HMG AND THE HMOCS OFFICERS.
(IF PRESSED ON HKG'S INVOLVEMENT IN STERLING SAFEGUARDS) THIS IS
A DIFFICULT AND COMPLEX QUESTION. THE ISSUES ARE STILL UNDER CONSIDERATION. CANNOT COMMENT FURTHER.
HAVE THE CHINESE BEEN CONSULTED? WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION?
- WE HAVE INFORMED THE CHINESE OF OUR INTENTION TO OPEN
DISCUSSIONS WITH HMOCS ON THESE ISSUES. THE CHINESE HAVE
LISTENED CAREFULLY TO WHAT WE HAD TO SAY.
WILL THIS NOT BE VERY DIVISIVE VIS A VIS LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS?
MORE A QUESTION FOR HKG TO ANSWER. WE ARE VERY MINDFUL THAT
LOCAL AND EXPATRIATE OFFICERS WORK TOGETHER SIDE BY SIDE IN HKG.
WISH THAT TO CONTINUE THAT IS WHY SCHEME INTENDED TO ENCOURAGE
HMOCS OFFICERS TO STAY. PAYMENTS REFLECT FACT THAT HMOCS
OFFICERS LOSING THEIR PARTICULAR STATUS AS OF 30 JUNE 1997.
WILL LOCAL OFFICERS WITH BRITISH PASSPORTS BE ELIGIBLE?
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