CONFIDENTIAL
CALL ON MR GOODLAD BY MR BARRIE WIGGHAM, SECRETARY FOR THE
CIVIL SERVICE: 20 MAY 1992
Background
HMOCS
1.
The consultations in Hong Kong were difficult. There
was no detailed discussion of our compensation/incentive
proposals: the HMOCS Association stuck to their claim for retirement in 1997 with early payment of pension (and full compensation) and said that our proposal offered no fair basis for discussion. We succeeded in tabling our proposal
but did not manage to elicit detailed comment. Nonetheless the Association made some new points, and we were able to disengage without a break-down.
2. We are now considering the way ahead and will aim to put options to the Minister of State soon after his return from
Hong Kong. We are consulting Peking and UKREP JLG about the
Chinese dimension to any HKG decision to allow officers the
right of early retirement (although the present Governor opposes this on general Hong Kong grounds).
3. On the question of a sterling safeguard for HMOCS pensions, we await a reply from Mr Portillo to the Secretary of State's minute of 1 May.
4.
Civil Service Branch helped arrange the consultations but did not take part in them. Mr Wiggham is sensitive to the need to be seen to put his general responsibility to the Hong Kong civil service ahead of his personal interests as
an HMOCS officer. There are differences of assessment
SISADM/5
CONFIDENTIAL