KOFGRED
HOPO 034724
00 FCO
DESKBY 24120OZ
GR-300
ABY
Hkk 02613
HIS
кум выгор
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 24120DZ
FM HONG KONG 241034Z NOV 82
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
(T+1)
HKED
NO DISTRIBUTION
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1369 OF 24 NOVEMBER
FOR CLIFT
YOUR TELNO 969 OF 19 NOVEMBER
VISIT OF LORD BELSTEAD: PENSIONS
THERE HAS BEEN SOME ANXIETY EXPRESSED BY LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS ABOUT THEIR PENSIONS. THERE WERE REFERENCES IN THE PRESS SOME WEEKS AGO AND A GROUP OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OFFICERS DISCUSSED THEIR CONCERNS WITH THE DIRECTOR.
2. THE SUBJECT WAS ALSO RAISED BY THE POLICE ASSOCIATION YESTERDAY AND IT IS THEREFORE LIKELY TO BE RAISED WITH LORD BELSTEAD, E.G. AT SOCIAL FUNCTIONS AT WHICH CIVIL SERVANTS ARE
PRESENT.
3. PENSIONS AND GRATUITIES ARE PAID OUT OF GENERAL REVENUE AND THEY ARE NOT FUNDED.
4. IF THE MINISTER IS ASKED ABOUT THIS WE SUGGEST HE SHOULD RESPOND ON THE FOLLOWING LINES:
(1) THE PENSIONS AND GRATUITIES OF CIVIL SERVANTS ARE A CHARGE ON THE REVENUE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND THEY HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN MET.
(2) TALKS IN PEKING HAVE ONLY JUST STARTED. THE PRIME MINISTER HAS EXPRESSED HER CONFIDENCE THAT, GIVEN THE COMMON OBJECTIVE OF MAINTAINING THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY OF HONG KONG, AN AGREEMENT CAN BE REACHED WHICH WILL BE ACCEPTABLE TO CHINA AND BRITAIN AND WHICH WILL BE WELCOMED BY THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG MUST INCLUDE CIVIL SERVANTS.
4. THOUGH WE SEE NO NEED FOR LORD BELSTEAD TO SAY MORE THAN THIS, THE FOLLOWING FURTHER QUERIES MAY BE RAISED AND WE HAVE SUGGESTED SOME TENTATIVE ANSWERS.
Q.1 IS IT NOT A GOOD IDEA AND WHATERVER THE OUTCOME OF THE TALKS
TO FUND PENSIONS?
A.1 IT HAS NOT BEEN NORMAL PRACTICE, AND WE SEE NO REASON WHY IT SHOULD BE NECESSARY. WHATEVER ARRANGEMENTS ARE AGREED FOR THE FUTURE THERE IS NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT CARRY OUT ITS OBLIGATIONS.
Q.2 THE PENSIONS OF CERTAIN OVERSEAS OFFICERS OF FORMER
DEPENDENCIES NOW INDEPENDENT ARE PAID BY HMG. WOULD HMG DO THE SAME FOR HONG KONG AT SOME DATE IN THE FUTURE? A.2 THE QUESTION IS HYPOTHETICAL BUT HMG HAVE NEVER FALLEN DOWN
ON THE IR OBLIGATIONS.
Q.3 WE UNDERSTAND THAT THE PENSIONS OF CERTAIN PENSIONERS IN
RESPECT OF SERVICE IN THE SHANGHAI MUNICIPALITY WERE NOT PAID. WOULD THIS BE REGARDED AS A PRECEDENT WHICH HONG KONG SHOULD
NOTE?
A.3 HONG KONG IS UNIQUE AND I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE VERY
HELPFUL TO DRAW PARALLELS WITH SITUATIONS WHICH WERE VERY DIFFERENT. IN ANY CASE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT EMPLOYEES OF THE SHANGHAI MUNICIPALITY WERE NOT CROWN SERVANTS.
YOUDE
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