TNAG-0991-FCO40-1210-Policy-on-salaries-and-pensions-for-civil-service-in-Hong-Ko-1980 — Page 93

the disciplined ranks in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force was established as a matter of government policy. As far as we are aware the policy towards I.C.A.C. pay remains unchanged, and we decided, at an early stage, that in setting the pay of I.C.A.C. departmental grade staff our objective should be to restore this relationship which had been disturbed following our First Report on Civil Service Pay. We then considered three options for achieving this objective.

8.

Firstly, we considered whether the I.C.A.C. departmental grade staff should be paid from the Disciplined Services Pay Scale. The work of certain of such staff is not dissimilar to that of the Criminal Investigation Department or other specialist divisions of the 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 has regard to certain management and policy considerations. On balance, therefore, we considered it preferable not to pay I.C.A.C. departmental grade staff from the Disciplined Services Pay Scale.

9.

Secondly, we considered a suggestion made to us that I.C.A.C. departmental grade staff should have their own separate scale. By this means, the relationship between I.C.A.C. and Police pay which existed prior to our First Report on Civil Service Pay could be restored more closely. It was also suggested to us that a separate scale might serve to underline the independence of the I.C.A.C. However, we do not find the arguments in favour of a separate scale overwhelming, and indeed its introduction could have significant implications. In general, we believe that it should be possible to provide appropriate pay for I.C.A.C. staff within the framework of one of the existing civil service pay scales.

10.

Finally, we considered paying staff in the departmental grades of the I.C.A.C. from the Master Pay Scale, with the rank scales suitably adjusted to bring them broadly into line with the pay of ranks in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. While this option also has certain drawbacks in that it is not possible to restore the previous relationship exactly and requires special conversion arrangements, we consider it by far the most preferable of the options available to us in that it involves minimal departure from existing I.C.A.C. pay policy. The recommendations which follow provide accordingly.

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