From The Minister of State
Richard Luce MP
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
15 April 1985
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Dear in Pennell. দি
Pusmalli
In my interim reply of 13 November 1984 to your letter of 26 October on Hong Kong pensions, I promised to give you a full reply as soon as possible on the important issues. you had raised. Mr Stenton, the Secretary of your Association, has since written to me on 26 March, asking to know the latest position on this subject in view of your Association's next council meeting on 17 April.
Your letter of 26 October raised a number of specific issues regarding the future position of HMOCS members in Hong Kong, and the benefits payable in regard to such Hong Kong service. The Government recognise that the transition of Hong Kong to a Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China on 1 July 1997 will raise problems in relation to HMOCS comparable to those raised in other Dependent Territories at independence. As you will be aware, Lord Gridley raised similar issues in debates in the House of Lords during both the Second Reading and the Committee Stages of the Hong Kong Bill. My colleague, Lady Young, speaking for the Government, took the opportunity on both occasions to reassure Lord Gridley and the House that: "The Government fully recognises the particular concerns of HMOCS officers in Hong Kong and will continue to keep their interests in mind in the 12 years leading up to 1997, including the question of a public officers' agreement. I do not rule out a public officers' agreement in due course: such an agreement may prove to be the best means of laying down the provisions to be applied to HMOCS in Hong Kong in respect of benefits payable after 1997. It is equally possible that in the unique circumstances of Hong Kong there may prove to be other ways of achieving these ends. In due course there will need to be discussions with the Hong Kong Government on this subject. But I might sound one note of caution: if we wish to make arrangements which will be truly durable, and thus provide a real assurance for HMOCS in Hong Kong, we should not make them precipitately or without full consultation and discussion of the issues" (Hansard 14 March 1985 col 248).
FNM Pusinelli Esq CMG OBE MC
Overseas Service Pensioners' Association 63 Church Road
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