45
emoluments are inadequate,
40
It is admitted that their present emoluments
do not allow a standard of living as high as that which was obtainable before the war but reduced standards have had to be accepted throughout the world as a result of the general economic desequilibrium caused by the war. The figures quoted in Schedule F for the cost of living expenses of Chinese and Russian members of the Police Inspectorate do not accord with evidence received by the Salaries Commission. Expatriate officers are not alone in having to save for leave and eventual retirement.
Paragraph 15 One of the main reasons why local officers have not always in the past displayed the same qualities as expatriate officers is that they have rarely been given the necessary status, training and opportunities for assuming responsibility. The implementation of the policy in Colonial White Paper No.197 may be expected in time to rectify any such failings and one of the chief grounds for the continued employment of expatriate officers is that they should in a sense be specialists and train local officers eventually to take their place.
Paragraph 16 The arguments put forward by the petitioners regarding rent for quarters, fuel and light and field and hardlying allowance have already been dealt with in my comments on paragraph 7 of the petition. As regards hardlying allowance, which was temporarily granted before the salaries revision to Police officers in the New Territories, it is pertinent to state that living conditions are now greatly improved.
Outstations are without exception within a few hours' travel of the urban district and conditions in these stations cannot be compared with remote outposts in larger and more primitive territories. The retention of Medal, Drill, Teachers and Instructors allowances was carefully considered by the Salaries Commission before their discontinuance was recommended. Instruction of his subordinates should be part of every officer's normal duties and employment as an instructor means that an officer is not required to do night duty and excuses him from other duties of a more onerous and dangerous kind.
Paragraph 17 It is true that the duties of a Police officer differ con- siderably from those of officers in many branches of the public service and for this reason it is not possible to treat Police officers and members of other disciplined bodies in exactly the same way as other civil servants. Such duties are however normal in any Police Force and must have been expected by petitioners when they first joined.
Paragraph 18 I am not in a position to comment on the statements made regarding the practice in the UnitedKingdom of granting Police officers more favourable terms than other civil servants in the assessment of service for pension purposes but I am informed that a Police officer in the United Kingdom with 25 years service would not receive a pension of more than one half of his pensionable emoluments on retirement. Under their former pension terms Police officers did not receive any addition to pensionable emoluments in respect of their privilege of free quarters. This was to some extent offset by the more favourable rate at which their service counted for pension. The previous system was devised to induce officers who had no further prospects of promotion by the time they had reached the age of 45 to retire. Under the existing policy of replacing expatriate officers by local officers wherever possible, it would be wasteful to induce such expatriate officers as are retained to retire at 45. I understand that 7in most Colonies Police officers are now on the same terms for pension as
other members of the public service. The fact that Police officers common with other Government servants may be required by Government to retire at 45 will not prevent officers transferred from the Metropolitan Police from being awarded pensions both in respect of their service with the Metropolitan Police and with this Government. The position of officers who come to Hong Kong from other United Kingdom Police Forces is still under discussion but as far as pension from Hong Kong funds is concerned only those officers who were over 35 on first appointment to Hong Kong
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