HKK380/2
CONFIDENTIAL
Parliamentary Unit
сде
No
(34)
cd Mr Crowley PPD
Af Mr Brighty POD
Mr Marshall Security Dept
A-38
B-
(32)
PQS: HONG KONG:
HOMOSEXUALITY
1. I submit draft replies to 2 PQs by Mr Robert Parry MP
for priority written answer on 23 February.
prepared by the Hong Kong Government.
The drafts were
2. The Hong Kong policy of not employing homosexuals has
come to the public notice and attracted some attention in
this country following the leaking of a confidential circular
from the Secretary of the Civil Service to Government Departments
in Hong Kong paragraph 3 of Hong Kong Telegram No 162
19 February.
-
of
The circular merely restated present policy which
is that no known homosexual should be appointed to the Hong
Kong Civil Service irrespective of rank or grade. In the case
of serving officers convicted of a homosexual offence
consideration is given to terminating their services and
where an individual is merely known or suspected to be a
homosexual the case is considered individually.
3.
This Question and the reply to it may increase interest
in this issue and lead to further Questions about the circular.
Since homosexual acts between consenting male adults remain
an offence the policy is quite logical in respect of male
However the circular refers to homosexuals of
officers.
either sex and the Hong Kong Government have stated that
it is theoretically possible for females to be convicted for what
are known in general terms as 'homosexual offences' paragraph 1
of Hong Kong telegram No 167.of 20 February. I do not under-
stand this since the legislation specifically referred to in
CONFIDENTIAL
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