TNAG-0472-FCO40-537-Hong-Kong-government-policy-on-education-1974 — Page 55

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8. QUARTERS

(i) Government quarters (i.e. non-departmental quarters, departmental quarters

and private tenancies) are provided (but see (v) below), 'Family' when

used in relation to quarters means the officer's wife, sons under the age of 19 years and unmarried daughters under the age of 21 years. Non-depar mental quarters are allocated by a Quarters Allocation Committee on a points system which takes into account the officer's salary, length of unbroken Colonial or U.K. Civil Service, size of family if in the Colony, and any period spent in hotels or in temporary quarters. Departmental quarters are allocated by the Head of Department to certain officers who by the nature of their duties are required to live in a particular place, e.g. some doctors, Inspectorate rank (and some Gazetted rank) officers in the Police Force and some officers of the Prisons Department. Any officer may be required to live in a particular

area or in a particular quarter.

(ii) A private tenancy may be arranged by direct negotiation between the officer and the landlord of the premises; if a private tenancy is approved the Hong Kong Government will reimburse the officer with the cost of rent and rates within certain limits, subject to the rent being considered reasonable. If the rent is considered to be too high, reimbursement will be limited to the rent which the Government considers to be reasonable, even if the actual rent asked is within an officer's limit. The limits vary according to an officer's salary and whether he is single, married without children in the Colony or married with children in the Colony. The limits are reviewed periodically and an officer may obtain information about the limit applicable to himself from the Quartering Officer, to whom private tenancy proposals are made. The Quartering Officer also possesses current lists of flats suitable for letting as private tenancies. If Government quarters are available, a proposal for a private tenancy may be refused.

(iii)Government quarters are divided into grades. Officers eligible for quarters

are similarly divided into grades according to their salary. By the normal quartering allocation rules an officer is eligible for a quarter of his own grade, one grade higher or one grade lower. Officers of F. and G grades may apply for D gradë quarters on equal terms with officers of D and E grades. In general an officer without children in the Colony is not eligible for a quarter with three or more bedrooms.

(iv) The rent is charged as a straight 74% of basic salary except in certain

circumstances when an officer is accommodated "out of grade". Rent Platforms to determine eligibility for the grades of quarters are as follows:-

Substantive salary range (including expatriation pay in $ per month)

15,500 and above

7,701 - 14,000

6,140 - 7,700

5,315 6,139 (5,276 - 6,139)

4,217 5,314

www

Appropriate grade

of quarter

AA

А

B

SARO

CD

(4,099

--

3,542

(3,429

2,707-3,541

(2,611 3,428)

2,377 -2,706

5,275) 4,216 4,096)

D

E

F

Rent payable

per month

7% of salary

(plus expatriation pay, where applicable)

(2,292 - 2,610)

1,792 2,376

(1,754 - 2,291)

This rent is charged while the officer is living in a non-departmental quarter, a private tenancy or hotel accommodation. Female officers pay rent according to the salary bracket listed above, but their appropriate grade of quarters is that appropriate to the corresponding point on the male officer's salary scale.