CO129-590-27 Ex-employees of Hong Kong Government- relief payments and allowances 27-3-1942 - 16-8-1943 — Page 54

Ref. co letter

5412343

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

Colonial Office

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be

of 19 march.

F 1530/17/10

[CYPHER]

kept under Lock and Key.]

The.

of State

Lips

B. Foster Hall

69

SECRET

53

DEPARTMENTAL NO. 1

02

ob

No. 292

FROM FOREIGN OFFICE TO CHUNGKING.

23rd March, 1943

D.

5.10 p.m.

24th March, 1048

25 MAR1943

kkkkk

Your despatch No. 2 [of 1st January: civil servants of Hong Kong Government].

O. O. REGY

relief of Chinese

Please see my telegram No. 60 [of 15th January] suggest- ing provisional issue of ad hoc allowances in lieu of pensions to officers of ten or more years' service; greater part of petition has thus already been answered.

2. As regards proposal that men under a certain age should not be pensioned off, grant of a pension on abolition terms carries obligation to return to Government service if required, and therefore issue of ad hoc allowances equivalent to "abolition" pensions carries similar obligation.

3. Treatment laid down in my telegram No. 470 of 1942 [4th April] should be accorded in addition to pay issued with notice, provided need for continued assistance is shown. This would conform with authority given in my telegram No. 709 of 1942 [16th May], paragraph 4.

4. As regards officers who have worked for Japanese, please see my telegram No. 286 [of 23rd March].

5.

Colonial Office agree that contributors to widows and orphans pension scheme should be given guarantee that pensions will be paid if and when the occasion arises. Contributions cannot be refunded to married men but refund of one half of contributions made by bachelors should be made where sufficient evidence to establish bona fides is available.

6. Refunds of security deposits lodged with Hong Kong Government by civil servants may also be made under the safe- guards prescribed by Sedgwick.

Colonial Office agree to the rent of premises for a Civil Servants' Association on the terms stated in the penulti- mate paragraph of Sedgwick's letter of 2nd December, provided you consider scheme to be worth while.

OTP.