TNAG-1428-FCO40-1911-Future-of-the-Hong-Kong-public-service-1985 — Page 53

8.

Lastly, provision is made in Section I of Annex I, which deals with constitutional arrangements and the structure of government, for appointments to the most senior posts in the public service to be made by the Central People's Government on the nomination of Hong Kong's Chief Executive.

9. I am satisfied that the arrangements in Annex I to the Joint Declaration ensure the continuation of existing management systems for the Hong Kong public service largely in their present form and that they also safeguard the terms and conditions of service of members of the public service. I appreciate that there will be a few officers whose career prospects will be adversely affected after 1997 by what is proposed and, therefore, special arrangements will need to be made for them in due course by the Hong Kong Government. With these few exceptions, all members of the Hong Kong public service will be able to complete their careers in the same way as before.

10. I realise that many of you will have questions about Annex I and the two sections to which I have made particular reference. I would ask that you raise these, at least initially, through your representatives on departmental consultative councils, or at departmental meetings, where points raised can be recorded and answers provided, where possible immediately but, if not, at a subsequent meeting.

11. In due course, I intend personally to meet as many representative groups as possible to discuss the draft agreement generally with them. But let me make three points now by way of explaining why the draft agreement is being commended to > the people of Hong Kong:

First, the draft agreement, once signed and ratified, will become a binding international instrument.

Secondly, the draft agreement contains a provision that its terms will be stipulated in a basic law to be passed by the National People's Congress. Thirdly, the draft agreement contains sufficient detail and clarity about the systems and arrangements which will prevail in Hong Kong for 50 years after 1997 to command, I believe, the confidence of the people of Hong Kong and the international community.

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Yours sincerely,

Налла. Сам

(PHILIP HADDON-CAVE) Chief Secretary

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