Crown. The concern we have shown for Hong Kong Chinese in the nationality package may also be contrasted unfavourably with our alleged abandonment of British expatriate civil servants to the
SAR.
24. A combined compensation/incentive scheme should be defensible, however, on the grounds that it has been designed to suit the particular circumstances of Hong Kong in a way which, to quote the
1960 White Paper, "reflects the interests of both the officers and
the Government concerned." We could point out that the Joint Declaration provides that expatriate officers may remain in service
with terms and conditions no less favourable than before. HMOCS
members in Hong Kong will therefore be in a better position than those in other dependent territories where, if expatriate civil
servants were permitted to stay on, they were put on contract terms after independence with no guarantees as to how long they could serve. We could also point out that although there is no provision for immediate payment of pension, HMOCS officers in Hong Kong would be able to retire with their pensions frozen until normal retirement age. In other dependent territories and in Hong Kong until 1988,
HMOCS members who left the service before normal retirement age forfeited all pension rights.
25. Ideally, we ought to consult the staff associations before we consult the Chinese. But in view of the hostile reception our proposals are likely to receive, it would probably be unwise to do so. We will therefore need to inform the staff associations after
we have cleared our lines with the Chinese. A Ministerial visit to
Hong Kong might offer the last opportunity to do this.
Timing of announcement
26. We cannot afford to delay announcement of the scheme much longer. Pressure among HMOCS and other expatriate officers in Hong Kong for an early decision is growing. As the Chief Secretary, Sir David Ford, emphasised when he came to see me recently, this
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