CO129-599-2 Salaries Commission- 1947 Report 1-1-1947 - 31-12-1949 — Page 36

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58.

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We do not consider that staff receiving

Chinese New Year Bonus should be excluded from the receipt of payments for overtime. We recommend that Chinese New Year bonus should be retained, but should not be extended beyond the classes covered by the present General Order.

Travelling and Subsistence Allowance in the United Kingdom.

59.

We recommend that officers on study leave or on duty in the United Kingdom should receive a refund of their travelling expenses and payment of subsistence allowance on the same conditions and at the rates for the time being approved by H.. Treasury for civil servants of comparable status in the United Kingdom.

Allowances for Special Qualifications.

60.

While we

We have received representations from the Acting Director of Medical Services that medical officers possessing special qualifications should receive a special non-pensionable allowance. agree that it is in the interests of the public service to encourage public officers to obtain the best technical and professional qualifications possible which will assist them in the performance of their dutios, wo see no justification for the payment of any special allowances to officers who obtain such qualifications. We suggest that the possession of such qualifications should be one of the conditions but not necessarily the

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only condition for the passing of efficiency and promotion bars and we also recommend that there should bo Adequate provision of specialist posts in all departments concerned. In our opinion there are in the Medical Department, for example, insufficient specialist posts. We make no specific recommendations on this subject, but suggest that consideration might be given to the creation of such additional posts in the Medical and other Departments as may appear justified.

Allowances for previous experience.

61.

Several Foads of Departments have represented to us that a system should be laid down whereby duc credit is given to the value of previous experience in fixing a new entrant's point of entry on a particular scale. While we agree that special experience may morit the grant of a certain number of increments abovo the initial point of entry on a scale, we are of opinion that the value of experience varies so greatly that each case should be assessed on its merits.

Medal and Good Conduct Allowances

62.

In view of the substantial increase in basic salary which we have recommended for the rank and file of the Police Force, we recommend the abolition of medal allowance but favour a proposal by the Commissioner of Police that instead of medal allowance, a non-pensionable good conduct allowance. should be paid to the rank and file of the Police Force up to the rank of sergeant. Good conduct allowances would be payable at the discretion of the Commissioner and could be withdrawn at any time, if the Commissioner