CONFIDENTIAL
aef1.cp/84.1/sb/let1.19.3
HM Treasury
EY MON
DROIT
Parliament Street London SWIP 3AG
Telephone 071-270
4719
143
in the first instance.
PS Ricketts Esq
Hong Kong Department
Foreign & Commonwealth Office HKA 23311
Whitehall
LONDON SW1
Dear PEIN
HONG KONG:
HMOCS
Mu
20 March 1992
M
fox an
Mr Story 23/3 ON 243 Miss bithiums
ра
121
1.29
23/m2
report
Thank you for your letters of 13 and 16 March and for your on Lord Caithness's visit to Hong Kong. We are grateful to be kept in touch in this way with developments in the consultations with the HMOCS, and in talks with the Chinese.
I
I must say that we do wonder whether the Chinese will be anything as like as interested in discussing what might or might not be HMG's obligations to HMOCS officers, and in particular in the question of a sterling safeguard on pensions, as you suppose. see no need to deploy any material of the kind you suggest unless it is called for by questioning from the Chinese side. In that event, I should suggest your using to brief the Chinese the slightly amended and retitled text on obligations which is at Annex A.
As to the statement to staff, should it become necessary, I suggest the amended text on sterling safeguards and SPOS which is at Annex B below.
I hope that the suggested changes are self-explanatory, but do let me know if you would like clarification on any point.
We were grateful to Michael Stone for sending Jamie Mortimer some information on former dependent territories and HMOCS issues. This appears to make clear that responsibility for the provision of sterling safeguards rested and rests with the successor authorities in the territories concerned. The point is made most clearly at Michael's 1(a). This indicates that in the Bahamas, Brunei and Bermuda, where the payment of pensions has not been taken over by HMG (ie, their situation is analogous to that in Hong Kong where the continued payment of pensions is assured under the Joint Declaration,) it is the territories themselves, not HMG, which are legally committed to the provision of a sterling safeguard should this become necessary.
Thank you again for keeping us in touch with developments.
У снач
no? fia
candum.
MRS S D BROWN
Switchboard 071-270 3000
Fax 071-270 5653
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