why?
CONFIDENTIAL
The Treasury is content to regard HMOCS as constituting a "public service" for this purpose. The implication of this is that, subject to all the relevant conditions, in appropriate circum- stances the requirement for fair and open competition could be set aside to allow the appointment to a Home Civil Service post of a member of HMOCS. It has to be said, however, that this is unlikely to happen very often. Only very exceptionally would an appointment be made without prior competition or advertisement and it would be even rarer for a member of a "public service" to be appointed preferentially without competing for the relevant appointment. Furthermore, the dispensation would not extend to the dependants of members of HMOCS. In the circumstances, therefore, it would be prudent not to draw attention to this provision but to rest on the assertion that British
British citizens living or working in Hong Kong either before or after 1 July 1997 will remain qualified on nationality grounds for appointment to the Home Civil Service.
In passing, I should mention that, as a consequence of complications being experienced on the European front, the Home Civil Service nationality rules may not in future be as liberal in some cases towards old-Commonwealth citizens as they are currently. In preparing any statement, therefore, it would be important not to give the impression that members of HMOCS, irrespective of nationality, would be eligible generally for appointment to the Home Civil Service.
Security clearance
Unfortunately, no general guarantees can be given as to the suitability of members of HMOCS or their dependants for security clearance. Each case is considered individually on its merits, and like all candidates applying for posts attracting security clearance, members of HMOCS would be vetted in accordance with the policy set out in the Government's published vetting statement, a copy of which is enclosed. The most one can say is that individuals will be granted security clearance subject to the satisfactory completion of the normal vetting process.
to
That said, it will clearly become increasingly difficult complete such checks satisfactorily after the SAR Government takes over in July 1997. In that respect, it would be misleading to pretend that the appropriate authorities are likely to be able readily to obtain reliable information on the security status of individuals after 1 July 1997.
So I can see considerable difficulties in giving members of HMOCS, or their dependants, an assurance that they will not be disadvantaged for the purposes of security clearance if they stay on in Hong Kong after 1997.
CONFIDENTIAL