CONFIDENTIAL
45
051345
MDLIAN 7496
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 3829
OF 310306Z DECEMBER 90
PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD
FROM SHIPLEY, CSB
HKB 233/1
TOP COPY Q DIST?
HMOCS MATTERS: THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH OSPA ON 20 NOVEMBER.
1. THE RECORD OF THE CHIEF ENTIRELY ACCURATE AND THE MORE POSITIVE THAN WAS IN
AGAINST WHICH SOME OF THE
APPARENT.
GF 141,
feffe
SECRETARY'S MEETING WITH OSPA IS NOT GENERAL TONE SUGGESTS THAT WE WERE MUCH FACT THE CASE. MOREOVER THE BACKGROUND
COMMENTS WERE MADE IS NOT ALWAYS
2. PARA 2. IS A CONDENSED AND GARBLED VERSION OF WHAT WAS SAID. THE CHIEF SECRETARY POINTED OUT RIGHTLY THAT HMG HAS ARRANGED
STERLING SAFEGUARDS FOR HMOCS PENSIONERS FROM ALL OTHER FORMER DEPENDANT TERRITORIES. HE SAID THAT WE WERE DISCUSSING WITH YOU WHETHER SIMILAR ARRANGEMENTS COULD BE INTRODUCED FOR HK HMOCS PENSIONERS (NOT HKG PENSIONERS) BY MEANS OF A SCHEME ON THE LINES
DESCRIBED IN THE SECOND SENTENCE. IN RESPONSE TO A QUESTION I DID
SAY THAT YOU WERE RECEPTIVE TO THE EXTENT OF BEING PREPARED TO
CONSIDER THE MATTER. I DID NOT MAKE ANY REFERENCE TO HMG'S
LIABILITIES. THE REMARKS ABOUT ANY ARRANGEMENTS BEING FOR THE FUTURE WERE MADE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF REQUESTS THAT ANY ARRANGEMENTS SHOULD BE BACK DATED AND RATES OF EXCHANGE SHOULD BE FIXED AT THE LEVEL PREVAILING ON THE DATE AT WHICH THOSE
CONCERNED RETIRED.
3. AS REGARDS PARA 5 OF THE RECORD THIS IS PUTTING WORDS INTO THE
CHIEF SECRETARY'S MOUTH. WHAT HE SAID WAS THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY HMG WOULD TAKE OVER THE PAYMENT OF PENSIONS AGAINST REIMBURSEMENT BY THE HKG. THIS IS IN KEEPING
WITH THE FIRST PART OF THE OSPA PROPOSAL. REFERENCE TO THE CURRENT EXCHANGE RATE WAS AGAIN MADE AGAINST THE BACKGROUND OF OSPA WANTING SOMETHING MUCH BETTER AND NO IMPRESSION WAS GIVEN
THAT THIS WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO HMG. INDEED WE DID OUR BEST TO
DAMPEN EXPECTATIONS IN THIS AREA.
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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