CO129-602-1 General orders relating to government quarters and rent allowance 6-8-1946 - 17-2-1947 — Page 37

JEB

Tel. No.: Whitehall 1234

NATIONAL

Your Reference53738/46

Treasury References. 52892/09

TREASURY CHAMBERS,

GREAT GEORGE STREET,

37

LONDON, S.W.1.

6th January, 1947.

Dear Miss Ruston,

10

Please refer to your letter of 1st January regarding the increased rent allowances proposed for Government servants in Hong Kong.

We can now agree to the payment of the new allowances as set out in the amended version of PartIV of Hong Kong General Orders which you enclosed with your letter, reference as above, of 50th September Payment may be made with effect from 1st May, 1946.

I must however make it clear that our concurrence in these new scales of rent allowance, as a temporary measure to relieve hardship among Government servants in consequence of the present accommodation difficulties in Hong Kong, is on the understanding that rent allowances like other emoluments will be considered in the overhaul of salaries in the Colony that we are promised during the coming year.

I must ask you, therefore, to urge the Governor to review this question as part of the general examination of the salary structure.. In particular I hope that advantage will be taken to amend the position whereby locally domiciled officers in Hong Kong, unlike most other territories in the Colonial Empire, receive rent allowance (see paragraph 4 of Governors' Despatch of 6th August, 1946)

In conclusion we trust that there will be no question (see the last paragraph of the Governors

Miss A.M. Ruston,

Colonial Office.

/despatch