TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 297

20

27

A

779

DO/ME

PS/Mr Blaker

MP'S LETTER: HONG KONG: VISCOUNT CRANBORNE MP

Problem

Draft

bisne

6AM

15/2

HKK 430/1

NO.

Mis PAW 21/2 H.

Мо

1 To send a substantive reply to Viscount Cranborne MP (Dorset S

Conservative) who wrote to Mr Blaker on 25 July 1979 about a

constituent's complaint against the Hong Kong Government. Mr Blaker acknowledged Viscount Cranborne's letter on 1 August 1979, and sent

C & D him further interim replies on 18 October 1979 and 7 February. (42) 192

B(25

23

79

Recommendation

2 I recommend that Mr Blaker should reply to Viscount Cranborne on

the lines of the attached draft.

199

(31A) (37

GO

Background

3

Viscount Cranborne's constituent, Mrs C V Penhearow, is the widow

of a building services engineer who died in Hong Kong last January,

where he was employed by the Hong Kong Government. She claims that

she lost over £300 because of the fall in the value of the Hong Kong

dollar between the time of her husband's death and the time she

received the outstanding salary and a tax refund due to his estate from

the Hong Kong Government. The exact amounts were £281.52 in respect

of the salary and £47.32 in respect of tax.

4

We have been corresponding with Hong Kong about this case since E & F July. Taking account of Mr So's letters of 7 and 27 September 1979, and

Hong Kong telegram No 17 of 3 January, I think we must accept that the

time taken to pay the salary arrears was not unreasonable: indeed,

as explained in Hong Kong telegram No 17 of 3 January, the Hong Kong

Government went out of their way to try to speed up the normal

processes. But there was a delay in refunding the overpayment of tax,

/and