TNAG-2097-FCO40-2986-HM-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-general-correspondence-1990 — Page 26

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From The Minister of State

The Hon Francis Maude MP

Mrs Edvina Currie MP

House of Commons

London

SW1A OAA

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

4 June 1990

HISS.

Dear Mrs Currie,

Joar

Thank you for your letter of 6 May enclosing one from

Mr A D McInnes, President of the Association of Expatriate

Civil Servants of Hong Kong about various matters of concern to

members of his Association. I shall deal with these points in

turn.

First, the security of pensions after 1997. The Joint Declaration and the Basic Law for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) both contain very clear assurances about the continued payment of pensions after 1997. They state

that the Hong Kong SAR Government will pay pensions on terms no

less favourable than before, and irrespective of the

nationality or place of residence of the persons concerned. The Joint Declaration is a binding international agreement and

its provisions should not be dismissed lightly.

Secondly, Mr McInnes expresses concern about the Supplementary

Pension for Overseas Service (POS). I know that the