TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 150

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considerations.

We have been advised that these policy and management considerations remain as important today as they were when the I.C.A.C. departmental grades were first introduced. In reviewing the pay of these grades, we have therefore taken as our prime objective the restoration, as far as practicable, of the relationship between the pay of the I.C.A.C. and the pay of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force as it existed prior to the adoption of the recommendations contained in our First Report on Civil Service Pay. However, the achievement of this objective has proved to be no simple

matter.

8.

We have first considered whether departmental grade staff of the I.C.A.C. should in future be paid from the Disciplined Services Pay Scale. The work of certain of such staff is not dissimilar to that of staff in the Criminal Investigation Department or other specialist formations of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. In addition, all I.C.A.C. staff are subject to strict disciplinary provisions and, to an extent, the factors which led to our affording special treatment to the Disciplined Services in our First Report on Civil Service Pay apply to them. However, while there are similarities between Police and I.C.A.C. work, there are also differences and the present pay practice makes it difficult, if not impossible, to convert I.C.A.C. staff to the Disciplined Services Pay Scale while at the same time maintaining the relativities which existed prior to our Report No. 2.

9.

Secondly, we have considered whether I.C.A.C. departmental grade staff should continue to be paid from the Master Pay Scale but with rank scales adjusted to maintain a broad relationship with the pay of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and to recognise the special nature of their duties, including the disciplinary aspects. Again, however, we found that the structure of the Master Pay Scale was such that even with adjustments to rank scales previous relativities would be seriously distorted.

10.

After carefully considering the above and a number of other options, we have concluded that the best if not the only way of achieving our objective is to provide a separate scale for staff of the departmental grades of the I.C.A.C. Only by this means can we ensure that its departmental grade staff are afforded, comparable treatment to those disciplined staff in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force to whom they have been related and at the same time give due recognition to the historical background to the setting up of the I.C.A.C. and its special position within the Government. A proposed I.C.A.C. pay scale (ICACS) is set out in the Table annexed to this Report.

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11. Within

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