TNAG-1428-FCO40-1911-Future-of-the-Hong-Kong-public-service-1985 — Page 61

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(d) Reaction within the civil service

Administrative Officers are a small group in

relation to the size of the civil service as a

whole and the impact of dropping the British

nationality requirement is not expected to create

much of a reaction among the rest of the civil

service.

(e) Reaction within the Administrative Service

It is unlikely that members of the Administrative

Service will react strongly. They are aware of the

contents of the Joint Declaration and of the Chief

Secretary's letter of 27 September, and will accept

the move as inevitable.

Younger members will

probably feel that, since most of their service is

to be with the SAR Government, the requirement

should be dropped without delay. There could be a

limited number of enquiries from serving officers

as to whether they are permitted to change their

national status. A possible way to deal with such

enquiries would be to inform those officers that,

while any change in status is not officially

favoured or recommended, it may in certain

G.F. 326

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