TNAG-2091-FCO40-2977-Royal-Hong-Kong-Police-Force-1990 — Page 81

CONFIDENTIAL

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Measures to Promote Confidence

There are a number of areas in where it is felt that confidence could be bolstered. These are as follows :

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

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(e)

(f)

'Home Student'

in

status for all Hong Kong students studying the United Kingdom, of whatever ethnic origin. The present costs to parents having their children educated in the UK, particularly at the tertiary level, are, in many cases, crippling;

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Higher UK investment in Hong Kong it seems somewhat ironic that UK investment in the United States is higher than investment in the USA by any other foreign country, and yet trails significantly in Hong Kong;

Better and more personalised treatment of British Dependent Territory Citizen/British National Overseas passport, and Certificate of Identity, holders at ports of entry into Britain special counters, longer periods of stay, less inquisition etc;

More favourable EEC quotas and tariffs;

More favourable consideration to applications from Junior Police Officers, and their immediate families, to emigrate to the United Kingdom. The sort of scheme propounded is one whereby Junior Police Officers i.e. those of Constable, Sergeant and Station Sergeant rank, could apply for the right to land (initially), on reaching normal retirement age (55 years) and whose service has been certified by the Commissioner of Police as having been 'satisfactory'. A further and perhaps appealing restriction could be to limit applications to those officers who retire after 1997 (and who, of course, have taken up service before the change of sovereignty); and

Your announcement on the right of abode package in the House of Commons on 20 December, 1989, has obviously generated enormous interest. Until more details are announced, however, I am not in a position to make an editorial comment. It is, nevertheless, to be hoped that the unique value of the Royal Hong Kong Police to Hong Kong will be given all

all due weight in the processing of applications from Police officers.

Generally, may I also say that whilst, no doubt, an enormous amount of work is being done behind the scenes at Whitehall - in furtherance of Hong Kong's interests there is a wish on the part of many that there could be more frankness and openness on the progress of major issues. A general view is that the British Government's philosophy 'tell them only what you must, rather than tell them all This paragraph applies, mutatis mutandis, to the Hong Kong Government as well.

is one of

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CONFIDENTIAL