TNAG-2059-FCO40-2937-Hong-Kong-Overseas-Service-Pensioners--Association-(OSPA)-1990 — Page 25

PRESIDENT:

The Lord Grey of Naunton, GCMG GCVO OBE

SECRETARY :

Mr. C. D. Stenton

63 CHURCH ROAD

HOVE

SUSSEX

BN3 28D

Your Ref:

Our Ref: FNMP/RJH/F3H.K.

Telephone: Brighton (0273) 721630

LA

R.J.T. McLaren, Esq., C.M.C.,

Assistant Under Secretary of State,

Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Whitehall,

SWLA 2:3.

London,

April, 1990

Miss Marsden, HK)

atta choil

i I have acknowledged (using a

2. I should be grateḥ for advice a

Dear Mr. McLaren,

anto reply

See

how

476

I do

not myself

th

не

caribų

for protechin on the stime of purcizio

not responsible for the jai;

when they

7

of them.

3.

on X overent, did

quile from

ar

letter conizun

Calict' sow?

Thank you for your letter of 13th February 1990, which I have now been able to discuss with my colleagues in the Asst

Also under discussion has been a

uncil at open from

the latest

Sir David Ford, Chief Secretary, Hong Kong, outlinin position there on pensions, in response to a query as to progress on the recommendations of the Executive Council last year (copies of correspondence attached for easy reference).

Iou will see that there has been no progress to speak of although a token paper to the Executive Committee is cromised for April to set up a small fund for one off payments to distressed pensioners, and to make pension increases a statutory right rather than a the discretion of the Hong Kong Government.

Significantly, Sir David repeats that "there is no satis- factory means whereby the Hong Kong Government can provide currency protection for the pension of overseas officers alone and that

Government". "this ust therefore remain a matter for Her Majesty'

Frankly, we find it difficult to reconcile this position with that expressed by you in your letter of 13 February, 1990, when you said "the question of the protection of the value of Hong Kong pensions

we consider to be the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government."

」

...

Sir David has been challenged on this contradiction, and this is now to ask if you can resolve it. Hong Kong/United Kingdom pensioners cannot be left to fall between two stools.

In what

pears to be an impasse it must surely be within the powers of the Foreign & Commonwealth Cice to direct the Hong Kong Government to assume rightful responsibility for its pensioners?