TNAG-2092-FCO40-2978-Royal-Hong-Kong-Police-Force-1990 — Page 97

HKLIST

From The Minister of State

The Hon Francis Maude MP

P E Halliday Esq Chairman

Superintendent's Association Royal Hong Kong Police Force Police Headquarters

Arsenal Street

HONG KONG

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

4 April 1990

HWB 431

F.

15 JUN 1990

ken

Dea on Halliday

Thank you for your letter of 13 January about various matters of concern to members of your Association.

As you

First, the protection of pensions after 1997. know, the Joint Declaration contains very clear assurances about the continued payment of pensions after 1997 and there is no reason to believe that this undertaking will not be honoured by the future Hong Kong SAR Government. If however the situation warranted it, I am sure that the British Government of the day would take appropriate action in recognition of its responsibilites for HMOCS officers.

I

Secondly, your concerns about the possible politicisation of the police. I believe that these concerns are unfounded. It is certainly not the wish of the Hong Kong Government that the Police Force should become an executive arm of Government in the way you suggest. entirely agree with you that the Police Force should remain apolitical and impartial and answerable only to the law. This is our intention and the Joint Declaration provides the framework for a continuing apolitical Police Force after 1997.

You ask about the Supplementary Pension for Overseas Service (SPOS). I know that the arrangements are considered by some to be inequitable, but I believe that the majority regard them as satisfactory.

I am not

therefore convinced that there is a case for changing them, although we naturally keep the matter under review.