CO129-612-2 Police Department- petition from European memebers of Inspectorate 29-1-1948 - 22-7-1949 — Page 33

54247/9/48

Code

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES

TO FONG KONG

(61r A. Grantham)

POVÁZE SANA, MOCY LIA 9 TO 5 2004 SKOG JAART

3ent 2nd March, 1949

23, 00 hrs

No. 37 Confidential

FETY KARLSTADENAROVA APARCO STRANA OPERA

33

29.

Your despatch No. 88 of 25th November, 1948.

Police Petition Pension rights of Ex-Borough

and County Policemen

*

I regret that Home Ofice have stated definitely that they are not prepared to propose to the County and Borough authorities concerned that the men recruited for their forces in 1945 for the Hong Kong Police should be regarded as on seconòment. It must

therefore, I fear, be accepted that so far as the country County

and Borough authorities are concernod, the United Kingd om pansion rights of theed men were forfeited upon resignation to join the Hong Kong Police.

2.

This decision will have to be conveyed in reply to paragraph 24 (e) of the petition enclosed with your despatch under reference and will naturally be e disappointment to the men conoe med. They may perhaps feel themselves to have been less sympathetically treated than were their colleagues from the Metropolitan Police Those pension position was safeguarded and, as suggested in perngrapa 4 of your despatch No. 253 of 31st October 1947, their grievance has perhaps a certain justification,

You may therefore consider that, in the Anteroste of the morale and contentment of the Police ForvG some comeseadon might be made to the men concerned whereby the Hong Kong Coverrcent would assume responsibility for et least a proportion of thote pensionable police service in the United Kingdo (The officers have prestanably received 2 refund of contribucions paid by them under thede United Kingdon Police Pension schone). I appreciate that tile concsesion would require special legislation and that there may be objsations to it on gerezal grounds an

I shall avalt your Zaether obarvati pig before sulmiting the petition to the King sad should be grateful for your early ouggestions as to chu tome in which Hi Nejeety should now be advised to reply on this particular point.