aefl.kw/docs/6.4.12
HM Treasury
Mr NC G Whitney
Hong Kong Department FCO
London SW1A 2AH
ET MON
HKA 233/1
NTIAL
Parliament Street London SWIP 3AG
Telephone 071-270
8712
Richelts
Mr Moyles 8/12
File.
Mavis
Mr Fish, ODA
18/12
4 December 1992
644
ominous?
Dear Nigel.
HMOCS: LINE TO TAKE WITH THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION
GHI
Thank you for your letter of today's date.
We can support changing the word "hopes" to either "intends " or "aims" if it helps to clear up the ambiguity in the minds of the HK HMOCS Association Committee. But we can go no further on our existing line as set out in the first paragraph of your letter.
We
cannot accept the revised line proposed by the HKG. We are not agreed on a compensation scheme on "traditional lines", and to say that we are considering a "revised" compensation scheme risks raising HK HMOCS' expectations unduly.
More generally, though we must (and are) seeking to meet the legitimate expectations of HK HMOCS members, we must not be swayed in pursuing HMG's interests in this matter, particularly in terms of the contingent costs we will be taking on, by paying undue attention to the political machinations in Hong Kong.
We are in the process of formulating a response by the Chief Secretary to the Secretary of State's letter of 18 November. Some important technical issues have still to be resolved. I have in mind the relationship between a sterling safeguard and SPOS. We will reply as soon as
these have been worked out to our satisfaction.
Yours, Kevin Wordfull.
KEVIN WOODFIELD
Switchboard 071-270 3000
Fax 071-270 5653
Telex 9413704