TNAG-0748-FCO40-952-Visits-of-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 8

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The following are my comments on the points raised by encouraging, Lord Goronwy-Roberts on my report of 9 November (Mr Jones' minute of 27 November). The report itself is also attached.

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Civil Servants Forty per cent of the 600 top posts in the Hong Kong Civil Service are now held by Chinese. I am quite sure that that represents an improvement on the position when I was last in Hong Kong, but it is difficult to make direct comparisons because of the major government reorganisation in 1971. Governor and his senior advisers are well aware of the need for

The

further progress: Sir Donald Luddington placed particular emphasis on this point during his chairmanship of the Public Service Commission. In the meantime there are a number of very good

Chinese officers immediately below the top levels:

there is

for example a possibility (no more than that at present) that the next Financial Secretary could be a Chinese.

Career

3. I have the impression that bilingualism among expatriate Hong Kong civil servants has not made much progress. Administrative Officers are required to become proficient in Cantonese, and some do very well, but most other officers, who are employed on "agreement" terms and often spend only a few years

It is a difficult in the territory, do not make the effort. problem and I do not know the answer.

4.

Professor Turner's Report I am sorry to say that Professor Turner did not go to Hong Kong in November, despite the efforts made by the Minister of State to secure his release from

When the Cambridge University. He is now travelling this week. Overseas Labour Adviser and I lunched with him on 1 December I

He replied: "You do not asked why he had not gone out earlier. know Cambridge politics" and did not elaborate; he would not have to be back in Cambridge for the beginning of next term and would still be able to spend two months in Hong Kong if necessary. He would not commit himself on when his report would be ready. My personal feeling is that we will be lucky to see it

before March.

5.

but he said that

As regards unrest in the Civil Service, the Hong Kong

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Secretary for the Civil Service announced on 16 November that the Government intended to establish a new independent review body to advise the Government on the class structure and salary scales of the whole Civil Service. This will probably be known as the "Standing Commission on Civil Service Salaries and Conditions of Service". The background is best explained

Flag C in the Governor's telegram No 1446 in which he asked the Hong Kong (HOK 4391) Commissioner in London to ask Mr Peter Williams, who recently Holo

retired as Commissioner for Labour, if he would be interested in becoming Secretary-General of the new body (Mr Williams has agreed). There is a clear need of new machinery of this kind and I am sure the Governor is right to go ahead. When I mentioned this init- iative to Professor Turner, he commented that the Government were proceeding on lines which he had privately recommended to them. 6. Independent Commission against Corruption The complaint which some people made against the amnesty was that it had made it much more difficult for the RHKPF to rid itself of all the officers suspected of being involved in corrupt activities before the cut-off date; there were still some left in comparatively senior positions despite the ætion taken under Colonial Regulation 55 earlier this year. I also heard the argument that the amnesty had encouraged other public servants to feel that strike and mutiny tactics can pay dividends. But I would not want to make too much of these points: as I said in my report, the great majority of people to whom I spoke thought the amnesty decision had been right.

7. Macau I did not raise the new constitutional arrangements in Macau with the Governor. Perhaps I should have done, but he was clearly pressed for time. I am in any case doubtful whether the Macau precedent is particularly relevant to Hong Kong. Just about the only similarities between the two territories are that they are neighbours and that both depend upon Chinese goodwill for their continued existence.

вытерми

R JT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

6 December 1978

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Mr McLaren, HKGD

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Lord Goronwy-Roberts has seen your report of 9 November and subsequent minuting and has commented as follows:-

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"A very interesting and valuable report. In particular, a well-presented statement of achievement on which we should draw for PQs and debate.

On taxation (and social security), it may well be that Hong Kong should go for a non-contributory system of social security. It would mean a simpler and leaner administration, and should not alarm business: a contributory system will boost wages.

ध

Civil Service: Did Mr McLaren notice any increase in the proportion of Chinese in the Civil Service particularly at the higher and middle levels since 1969? And more bilingualism among expatriates. The language difficulty among magistrates is a serious matter.

Professor Turner's Report: We should have this quite soon, and his recommendations will need to be tested against the evidence put to him by the Unions. And I hope he will address himself to the causes of unrest in the public services (PO workers, nurses etc).

ICAC: I do not quite follow the complaint about the amnesty. Any act of corruption after the stop-date can be prosecuted.

Representative Government: Still unsatisfactory. It will need to be pushed. And did Mr McLaren have an opportunity of discussing the developments in Macau with its Governor?

"1997 and all that" It is not too early to probe Chinese attitudes. Once we are in the 80s (about a year ahead) anxieties will intensify, and confidence will begin to shake."

27 November 1978

Cc:

PS/PUS

Mr Cortazzi

Sir A Duff

Mr Murray

Lynton Lover

JI Jones

SLord Goronwy-Roberts

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