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B
such service by former members of HMOCS should count as "a strong Crown connection". Any officer in Hong Kong who is an HMOCS officer must have been recruited by the Hong Kong Government before March 1985. Most were recruited well before that date. Thus, in 1997, they will all have had at least 12 years Crown service.
7. We therefore propose that the procedures to be followed under the Residence Rules should make provision for a new category of applicant who may be eligible for those rules to be waived. The provision would be for a new category of resident outside the UK "because he/she, or one of his or her parent's is an ex-member of HMOCS serving the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region". If such an applicant was, or one of his parents were, a British citizen or a British National (Overseas) citizen, this would constitue a "strong Crown connection". I have set out how this might be shown in the attached flow chart, which applies, I understand, to the RAF.
If we can agree this formulation then we would be able to issue the statement at paragraph 1(b) above.
8.
taking this up with the various branches of the armed forces, I should be grateful for your comments, and for any from the Home Office. It would be very helpful if I could have these quickly.
You Sincerah,
PF Ricketts
Peter Racketts
Hong Kong Department
cc:
AR Rawsthorne Esq
Home Office
ALKADG
CONFIDENTIAL