1
following recent enquiry by war Office for its own
purposes, covering such goods and services as clothing,
washing, servants, chemical and toilet supplies,
transport, recreation and rents, but not food, goes
to show that cost of living in Singapore is
appreciably higher than in Hong Kong. Indeed for
services listed difference is calculated at
+
upwards of 30-in-favour of Hong Kong and war office
are fixing their local overseas allowances accordingly.'
Cost of living allowances proposed for the two
colonies by respective Salaries Commissions do not
appear to reflect this difference and I should have
wished to give this point further consideration, had
it not been for the urgency of making an announcement
will
in Hong Kong.. You/appreciate that, apart from merits
of case, difficulties may arise in making arrangements
for U.K. military and civilian personnel who will
be called upon to serve in either ialaya or Hong Kong.
3. Should the anomaly which appears to exist
as between Hong Kong and Malays be substantiated on
further study, I would ask that it should be
rected as soon as possible when the rate of cost
ring allowances is reviewed. This should be readily accomplished if there is full
on and co-operation with Singapore and
e proposed reviews. One of the first
f the Boards of Reviewers, when sot up,
pubt be to consider at roughly what points
tive cost of living allowances should
ecommendations of Malayan Salaries
ffer from those of Hong Kong Commission
flat rate of cost of living allowances
a salary, but neither the Malayan nor
Commission recommends tapering off
(see
281