33-APR-1992
IN CONFIDENCE
3
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=.05
afforced he opportunity co do SO With honour and Wich adequate compensation. Yet what is now being offered is འ general scheme manifestly Less favourable han the provisions of the limited scheme for officers affected by constitutional change and
no way comparable to what was provided by way of general compensation elsewhere.
HMOCS officers are rightly proud and supportive of the position that HMG has taken over the years in opposing communist and other totalitarian regimes. For HMG to such cfficers With no option in 1997 but Communist Chinese Sovereignty or 20 resign with inadequate compensation for the
their careers, would amount
loss
HO
0%
leave Work under
The
o a repudiation and rejection of their allegiance and loyalty unprecedented in the history of British service. situation clearly calls for a general compensation scheme which on overall terms is no less favourable than the limited scheme and adequately reflects the withdrawal of British particularly by comparison with lesser, concerns arising from supercession for promotion
before 1997.
that
the seriousness with which sovereignty is regarded, the very real, but somewhat
8.
We have limited our response at this stage to the broad issues, but there are other more detailed matters that we will wish to raise in the consultations. These include, for example, determining the date on which compensation first becomes payable, the need to recognise the special position the judiciary and the need to devise an exchange mechanism would operate neutrally and would not serve to seduce compensation payable as is likely to be the case with the mechanism proposed in the outline general scheme. There is also of course the parallel issue of sterling guarantees for pensions that we would expect to go hand in hand with compensation, as occurred elsewhere, and that we will wish to discuss at the same time as the compensation scheme.
/9.