(3) An Order under this paragraph may be made
SO as to have effect
from the relevant date or as respects any time before or after that
date.
(4) A statutory instrument containing an
instrument containing an Order under this paragraph
shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either
House of Parliament.
The effect of this amendment would be to enable HMG to provide by
Order in Council for the payment of pensions and other benefits to
persons who are members of the Hong Kong Civil Service before 1 July
1997.
RESIST
LINE TO TAKE
I will now consider amendment No
The purpose of this amendment
seems to be to enable the Government to provide by Order in Council
for matters relating to members and ex-members of the Hong Kong
public service, particularly as concerns the payment of pensions and
other benefits.
The first thing to
thing to say about this amendment is that it is not
necessary for the purpose which I as sume the noble Lord has in mind.
The Government already has extensive powers to make provision for
pensions and other benefits under the Overseas Pensions Act 1973.
Moreover in the extremely unlikely event that these powers were ever
to prove insufficient in the case of Hong Kong, it would be possible
to amend or add to them by me ans
paragraph as already drafted.
of
an Order-in-Council under this
The Government remain fully alert to their
to their responsibilities for
seeing that adequate arrangements are made for the payment of
pensions earned in the service of the Government. As I explained to
my noble friend Lord Gridley when he raised this issue during the
debate on the Second Reading, the Government consider that the
agreement provides satisfactorily for the continuity of service by
members of the public service in Hong Kong on terms and conditions,
including pay and pensions,
no less favouable than on 30 June 1997.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.