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MO 6/19/1D
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CONFIDENTIAL
SECRETARY OF STATE
HKD st PS PS/Mr Maude
Mr Gumore
Mr McLaren
Mr Lidington
SAX 43/3
HONG KONG ASSURANCES
I have seen your memorandum (OD)(K)(90)1 on this subject. As today's meeting of OD (K) has been postponed, I thought it would be
helpful to set out in writing my comments on the recommendation that
no special allocation should be made for locally entered staff of
the Hong Kong garrison.
2. When OD(K) met last July, it was recognised that garrison staff should not be disadvantaged compared with those working for the Hong
Kong Government. At the last meeting in December 1989, the Committee expressed concern that the numbers likely to qualify under the scheme as then envisaged would be very small, with possibly adverse effects for the security of Hong Kong. OD (K) also
recognised at the meeting in December that the Government had an
"inescapable duty" to provide for those who have helped maintain security in the colony.
3. The proposal that the garrison staff should simply take their chances under the General Allocation Scheme (GAS) fails to meet
these concerns on a number of counts. First, exclusion of the
garrison staff from the Disciplined Services Scheme clearly disadvantages them compared with Hong Kong Government employees indeed, they would be the only significant body of staff concerned
with the security of Hong Kong to be so excluded. Second, on the basis of the figures in your paper, the number of garrison staff likely to qualify under the GAS would be even less than the number described by the last OD (K) meeting as "worryingly few". further concerned that the selection process for the GAS will
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