TNAG-2099-FCO40-2988-HM-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-policy-matters-1990 — Page 69

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

proposals:-

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Numbers Involved

(a) It is very difficult accurately to predict how many HMOCS

members may remain in 1997, how many will leave in 1997 and

what wastage rate there will be after 1997. There are

currently about 500 HMOCS members. However there are also

about 390 officers who have the right to become HMOCS officers

if they wish. Clearly the extent to which this latter group

will take up there right to HMOCS membership will depend on how

favourable the package is. We and Hong Kong Government have

examined the historical wastage rates of the main groups of

officers who make up the above. Based on this and on other

assumptions regarding the limited compensation scheme, we

estimate that by 1997 there will only be remaining 585 HMOCS

members. We consider that in 1997, and after the compensation

has been granted, about 30% of the remaining HMOCS members will

leave. We estimate that in the years after 1997 about 40

officials will leave each year.

It could be argued that the departure of 30% of the remaining

HMOCS members in 1997 represents a failure of this scheme to

induce them to stay on beyond 1997. However, compensation

payment in 1997 is inescapable and if it is not reasonably

substantial it will not even serve as an adequate incentive to

persuade officers to serve until 1997. If they can be persuaded to serve until 1997 then there is a good chance that

a proportion will continue beyond 1997. If that proportion is

70%, as we hope, then this should be regarded as a major

achievement.

The Payments

We have considered in great detail with the Hong Kong

Government the form that the scheme should take. We have

concluded that we should have a scheme based on:

(a) a payment to compensate for the Loss of the Secretary of

States protection in such areas as disciplinary procedures and

promotion). We propose to make a 10% payment in 1997 of the

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