TNAG-2050-FCO40-2920-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 97

ROYAL

HONG

KONG

M Yami

ACG

POLICE

(2)

(3)

2

SUPERINTENDENTS' ASSOCIATION

OF THE

ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE FORCE

POLICE HEADQUARTERS

ARSENAL STREET

HONG KONG

1.5 The SPA believes that a period of six years from

the date of the initialling of the Joint Declaration is more than sufficient time for such arrangements to be formalized. Moreover, with just over that same period to expire before constitutional change occurs, it is time to provide the officers affected with the assurances and safeguards they require or, at the very least, to inform them of a date when such special arrangements and assurances will be made known to them.

Status of Non British Wives of HMOCS Members

2.1

2.2

"have, rightly,

The unequivocal statement in Paragraph 2 of a report (Colonial No. 306) (See Annex 'A' and Annex 'B') by HMG in 1954 that (inter alia) members of HMOCS (formerly H.M. Colonial Service) regarded themselves and have been regarded as belonging to a general service under the Crown as well as to local civil services of the territories in which they are immediately serving." is pertinent.

The fundamental status of HMOCS officers as Crown (UK) servants has, despite representations by individual officers, not fully been taken into account when determining the status of their non U.K. British wives for the purpose of immigration and obtaining full British Citizenship.

2.3 The SPA requests the Foreign and Commonwealth Office make representations to the Home Office on behalf of its loyal servants to declare publicly and unequi- vocally on this issue.

2.4 We share the Expatriate Inspectors' Association's (EIA)

concerns on this issue and will appreciate an early declaration to allay the fears of officers for the well being of wives and children.

Pensions

3.1

The guarantee of the payment of pensions and, in the case of expatriate officers, the provision of safeguards for the sterling value of pensions earned under HMOCS up to 1997 is another major worry of members.

3.2 It is felt that the Joint Declaration does not go far

enough to meet the expectations of Hong Kong civil servants in general and the members of the RHKP in particular. Our members possess very serious concerns over the preservation of the value and payment of pensions. Their fears are not allayed when recalling that the same problems arose when some previous Colonies/Territories were given independence.

/ P. 3.