THURSDAY, APRIL 10, 1986
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+HIGH DEGREE OF LOCALISATION IN CIVIL SERVICE+
*****
THERE IS ALREADY A VERY HIGH DEGREE OF LOCALISATION AT ALL LEVELS THROUGHOUT THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).
REPLYING TO QUESTIONS FROM REPORTERS AFTER PRESENTING AWARDS TO ORGANISATIONS WHICH TOOK PART IN THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTION PROGRAMME OF THE COMMUNITY CHEST AT HIS HOME IN BARKER ROAD, SIR DAVID SAID THE DECISION TO TERMINATE THE SERVICES OF SOME PEOPLE AT THE AGE OF 57 APPLIED GENERALLY JUST TO A FEW EXPATRIATES.
THIS WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO BRING ABOUT THE CORRECT DEGREE OF LOCALISATION OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME, HE ADDED.
SIR DAVID POINTED OUT THAT GOVERNMENT SERVANTS HAD ALWAYS RETIRED AT THE AGE OF 55, BUT WITHIN RECENT YEARS, SOME GOVERNMENT SERVANTS HAD HAD THEIR SERVICES EXTENDED FOR TWO YEARS, AND THEN ANOTHER TWO YEARS, AND ANOTHER YEAR AFTER THAT.
+ THINK ALTOGETHER NOW THERE ARE SEVERAL THOUSAND GOVERNMENT SERVANTS AT ALL LEVELS WHO ARE NOW SERVING ON BEYOND THE AGE OF 55, HE SAID.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID IT WAS NOT TRUE THAT LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS WOULD ONLY BE ALLOWED TO WORK UP TO THE AGE OF 55.
+EXTENSIONS OF SERVICE IN SELECTED CASES WILL CONTINUE UNTIL THE AGE OF 60, AND OF COURSE, GOVERNMENT IS CONSIDERING NEW ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE SERVICE AS A WHOLE, HE SAID.
THE PACKAGE SHOULD BE COMING OUT WITHIN SEVERAL MONTHS' TIME, HE ADDED.
REPLYING TO ANOTHER QUESTION, SIR DAVID SAID REPORTS THAT SOME 400 CIVIL SERVANTS HAD APPLIED FOR BRITISH NATIONALITY CERTAINLY DID NOT SUGGEST THAT THERE WAS A CONFIDENCE CRISIS WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT.
HE SAID THERE WAS NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY IN THE FACT THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAD APPLIED FOR BRITISH OR OTHER NATIONALITY AT A PARTICULAR TIME.
+THIS IS A MATTER FOR INDIVIDUAL DECISION, HE ADDED.
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