TNAG-0334-FCO40-370-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 57

CONFIDENTIAL

posting to meet HMG's commitments in other dependent territories

and to give wider experience to officers who return to Hong Kong.

5. In order to achieve these aims terms and conditions of service

in Hong Kong would need to be broadly in line with those in other

dependent territories. The recommendations of the Hong Kong 1971

Salaries Commission, if accepted, go some way to solve Hong Kong's

domestic staffing problems. They do not, and cannot help to bring

about the mobility of administrative officers which we believe is

essential to the long term staffing of higher posts in Hong Kong

and also to meeting HMG's worldwide commitments.

6. The World Wide Review of expatriate staffing needs of dependent

territories now being undertaken in the FCO aims to meet this

requirement. On present thinking we envisage new arrangements by

which UK-based administrative staff in the dependent territories

would enjoy as far as possible uniform grades, salary scales and

general terms of service applicable in all dependent territories.

These arrangements would be underwritten by HMG and involve assistance

from UK. It is doubtful however how far there could be guarantees

of interchangeability or absorption into the UK Public Services.

It is essential to associate the expatriate element of the Hong

Kong Administrative Service as far as possible with the new proposals

once these have taken concrete form. The intention is they should

cover all types of administrative officers whether new recruits,

serving officers in the field or seconded officers from the

Diplomatic Service or the Home Civil Service.

7. The Hong Kong Government may be reluctant to relinquish the

idea of a self-contained service. On the other hand a career based

3

CONFIDENTIAL

/ in