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He said there had also been preliminary discussion within the Joint Liaison Group concerning information about individual civil servants.
"But it is not clear either from what the Chinese side have said in the Joint Liaison Group, or from their recent public statements, precisely what information the Chinese side is requesting or why such information would be useful to them," the spokesman said.
"The Hong Kong Government is however ready to continue to discuss this subject with the Chinese side in the Joint Liaison Group or elsewhere, with a view to clarifying this point."
To clarify any possible misunderstanding on the current practice regarding integrity checking, the spokesman reiterated that the results of such checks are kept on file, but the detailed material required to establish the integrity of individuals is destroyed.
On the question of nationality and right of abode, he stressed that these were not among the criteria considered when assessing a candidate's suitability for promotion, so information on these questions was not collected.
The spokesman made clear that the formal approval of the Secretary of State was required only for the appointment of the equivalent of Principal Officials. Brief biographical details only were sent to London with the Governor's recommendations for these posts, he said.
The spokesman added that the handling in the transition period of personal information on civil servants was, as all parties were aware, a matter of extreme sensitivity.
The spokesman said: "It has a direct bearing on the morale of individual civil servants. It needs to be addressed in a way which takes account of their concerns, and therefore enhances rather than undermines confidence in the transition within the
civil service.
"The Hong Kong Government is willing to do everything possible in accordance with the Joint Declaration to address legitimate concerns which Chinese officials might have on this issue. But we also need to conduct these exchanges in a manner which commands the support of the civil service and the community as a whole."
End/Tuesday, January 17, 1995