TNAG-1329-FCO40-1756-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 96

爱秀

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

P G F Davis Esq

Pay Division 2

Room 118/3

HM Treasury

Dear Davis,

HONG KONG:

TEST OF ACCEPTABILITY

16 August 1984

1. As I am sure you know, for the past two years we have been negotiating with the Chinese Government over the future of Hong Kong after the lease on the New Territories expires in 1997. It is now our hope that an agreement can be initialled and published before the end of September. HMG are then committed to testing the acceptability of this draft agreement to the people of Hong Kong through an exercise of consultation in the territory.

2. I enclose a number of documents which have been tabled in Parliament and which describe the form that this test of acceptability will take. The first paper, dated 18 July, gives general details of the exercise. The second and third papers, dated 7 August, give the terms of reference of the Assesment Office and the Monitoring Team which will be established as part of the machinery of the test of acceptability. It is in connection with the Monitoring Team that I am writing to you.

3.

In the view of our Ministers, it is an essential aspect of the impartiality of the Monitoring Team that it should be both appointed and paid by HMG. They have decided that one of the two Monitors should be a Hong Kong Chinese, and Mr Justice Li, a Hong Kong Justice of Appeal, has agreed to serve. The other Monitor will be Sir Patrick Nairne, a former Permanent Secretary at the DHSS who is now Master of St Catherine's College, Oxford. Mr Justice Li will be relieved of his court duties during the period of the test of acceptability (some two months): but it would clearly be inequitable if the fee he was offered was less than his normal salary. It would be equally inequitable if the other Monitor did not receive the same fee. Our Ministers have therefore concluded (subject to Treasury approval) that the monthly salary of a Hong Kong Justice of Appeal should be the bench mark which would regulate the level of fee paid to both the Monitors. This works out at a monthly fee of HK$43,500 (taxable in Hong Kong), equivalent in sterling to a daily fee of approximatly £143.00. The likely total expenditure on fees for two monitors over two months would amount to HK$43,500 x 4 = HK$174,000 or roughly £17,400.

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