CO129-546-7 Leave and passage regulations 3-1-1934 - 26-11-1935 — Page 30

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to six months leave exclusive of the time occupied in

travelling. As regards passages, the effect of the

Committee's proposals and of the existing regulations is

in the average case the same, in so far as pssages for the

officer and his wife are concerned, since both provide for

free passages after normal tours. As regards children the

Committee, while not ruling out the grant of assistance

towards the cost of passages in appropriate oases, expressed

the view that such assistance cannot be regarded as an

obligation of the Government in the same way as the provision

of the passages for officers themselves and their wives.

You will no doubt consider the Committee's view on this point

in the light of existing practice in Hong Kong.

5.

Other changes which the Committee's proposals

involve relate to study leave, and to the privileges which

should be granted to officers who are invalided from Hong Kong

and to officers who are found unfit to return to duty on the

conclusion of a period of leave. On the former point the

Committee's proposals are decidedly less generous than the

regulations now in force, but on the later point they would

call for an addition to the present regulations which do not

provide specially for oversoas leave or extensions of leave

in cs638 of sickness. In his despatch No.579 of the 9th

August 1952 Sir Thomas Southern wrote that it was not

considered feasible to provide for special leave to England on

account of sickness. I feel, however, that this question

deserves further consideration. The adoption of the

Committee's recommendations nɔed not involve any incresse in

the number of officers who are granted overseas leave for

ressons of health, and it would still be open to the

Government to take full advantage of the arrangements for

granting sick leave locally; but the Committee'a schome would

enable

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