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An enquiry made by the War Office in 1947 for its own purpose, covering such goods and services as clothing, washing, servants, chemical and toilet supplies transport, recreation and rent, but not food, showed that for such articles the cost of living in Singapore was some 30 per cent higher than in Hong Kong. I do not know whether any subsequent enquiry has been made by the Treasury but this difference in the cost of living in the two places is reflected in the rates of foreign service allowances which are paid to home civil servants when posted there for duty. These rates are as follows:-
Accommodated
Married Accompanied
Hong Kong
£525 plus
Service Rations
on payment
Malaya
£725 plus
Service Rations
on payment
Married Unaccompanied
£220 plus
free messing
£240 plus
free messing
Single
£58 plus
free messing
£75 plus
free
messing
the figures in fact tha food generally higher
:. S'have
Hong Kong
Malaya
£825 plus
Unaccommodated
Service Rations on payment
£465 plus Service Rations on payment
£950 plus
£590 plus
Service Rations
Service Rations
on payment
on payment
£300 plus Service
Rations
on payment
£425 plus Service Rations on payment
The Lo Committee, however, came to the conclusion that the cost of living in the two places is approximately the same. As regards the price of foodstuffs etc, this X is not disputed but the report of the Committee gives no
indication that it has enquired into the cost of the other services etc. mentioned. Paragraph b(2) of the report indicates in fact that the enquiries of the Committee were by no means excessive. In these circumstances it is difficult to accept the conclusions of the Committee that the cost of living in the two places is roughly equivalent. It is stated that foodstuffs amount to rather more than 50 per cent of the
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