XN000022-1982-11-11 — Page 15

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1982

POW PENSIONS ISSUE REVIEWED

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A REVIEW OF THE ISSUE ON PRISONERS OF WAR PENSIONS ORDERED BY THE GOVERNOR WAS COMPLETED LAST MONTH BY A SENIOR OFFICER WITHOUT PREVIOUS INVOLVEMENT IN THE MATTER, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

SIR PHILIP SAID THAT THE OFFICER CAME TO SIX CONCLUSIONS IN HIS REVIEW:

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PENSIONS PAYABLE TO THOSE WHO WERE POWS IN HONG KONG DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR OR THEIR DEPENDENTS IN RESPECT OF DISABILITY OR DEATH HAVE BEEN PAID AT THE SAME RATES AND ON THE SAME CONDITIONS AS APPLICABLE TO MEMBERS OF THE UNITED KINGDOM'S REGULAR FORCES.

MEDICAL TREATMENT AVAILABLE TO POWS LIVING HERE COMPARES FAVOURABLY WITH THAT IN THE UK.

* GRANTS PAID BY THE WAR MEMORIAL AND FAR EASTERN RELIEF

FUNDS TO BENEFICIARIES ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN THOSE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE LOCAL PUBLIC ASSISTANCE SCHEME, AND ARE FAIR AND REASONABLE IN RELATION TO AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD INCOMES IN HONG KONG.

MEDICAL CONSIDERATIONS CONTAINED IN THE RICHARDSON REPORT ON FORMER CANADIAN POWS OF THE JAPANESE HAVE BEEN FULLY TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

* BY USING MOST OF THE MONEY REALISED BY THE SALE OF JAPANESE

ASSETS FOR COMMUNITY PROJECTS, RATHER THAN BY DISTRIBUTING IT EQUALLY AMONG POWS, THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT INTEND ANY SLIGHT ON THE POWS SERVICES. THE GOVERNMENT SIMPLY RECOGNISED THAT IN HONG KONG, THE POWS' SUFFERING COULD NOT BE FAIRLY DISTINGUISHED FROM THAT OF THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

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THERE IS NO CASE FOR HONG KONG TO CHANGE ITS POLICY OF PAYING PENSIONS ONLY TO THOSE ASSESSED AS DISABLED DURING SERVICE OR TO THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS OF THOSE KILLED. THE BASIS FOR THIS CONCLUSION WAS THAT IT WOULD BE INVIDIOUS TO MAKE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN HONG KONG'S POWS AND THE CIVILIAN POPULATION WHICH ALSO SUFFERED GRIEVOUSLY AS HONG KONG, UNLIKE CANADA, WAS OCCUPIED BY THE ENEMY DURING THE WAR.

ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT CONSIDERED THAT THERE IS ANY CASE FOR PENSIONS TO BE PAID TO ALL POWS AS OF RIGHT, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMUNITY HAVE ALWAYS RECOGNISED A SPECIAL DEBT TO THOSE WHO SERVED HONG KONG LOYALLY DURING THE WAR, SIR PHILIP SAID.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS FULL CONFIDENCE, HE SAID, THAT THE HONG KONG WAR MEMORIAL FUND COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE TO BE GENEROUS IN THEIR DETERMINATION OF GRANTS AND ALLOWANCES PAYABLE TO POWS AND OTHER ELIGIBLE BENEFICIARIES.

/ON OCTOBER 1