CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 221530Z FCO
TELNO 2321
OF 221048Z JULY 91
CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 233/1
FROM COX, HKD IN LORD CAITHNESS' PARTY
9+
YRTELNO 1302: HMOCS
102
112044
MDHIAN 6300
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
1. IT IS STILL NOT CERTAIN WHETHER THE MINISTER OF STATE WILL SEE HMOCS REPRESENTATIVES HERE ON 25 JULY, BUT THE ADVICE HERE IS THAT THE FORM OF WORDS IN TUR WILL NOT MEET THE REQUIREMENT. GRATEFUL TO KNOW ASAP WHETHER THE FOLLOWING, WHICH MAY HAVE MORE CHANCE OF HOLDING THE LINE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE TO YOU AND
TREASURY:
BEGINS. IN MARCH 1985 FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN BOTH HOUSES, BARONESS YOUNG MADE A STATEMENT THAT 'HMG FULLY RECOGNISED THE
PARTICULAR CONCERNS OF HMOCS OFFICERS IN HONG KONG AND WOULD CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR INTERESTS IN MIND IN THE 12 YEARS LEADING
UP TO 1997.' THIS WAS AMPLIFIED BY MR RICHARD LUCE WHO IN A
LETTER TO THE OVERSEAS SERVICE PENSIONERS' ASSOCIATION STATED THAT HMG RECOGNISED THAT THE TRANSITION OF HONG KONG TO A SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION OF CHINA ON 1 JULY 1997 WOULD RAISE PROBLEMS IN RELATION TO HMOCS COMPARABLE TO THOSE RAISED IN OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES AT INDEPENDENCE. MR LUCE ALSO REFERRED TO THE FACT THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR HMOCS SERVICE TO CONTINUE IN HONG KONG AFTER 1997.
SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN FURTHER MINISTERIAL ASSURANCES THAT THE CONCERNS OF HMOCS MEMBERS ARE RECOGNISED
I CAN NOW CONFIRM THAT HMG IS IN THE PROCESS OF DRAWING UP APPROPRIATE ARRANGEMENTS FOR MEMBERS OF HMOCS IN HONG KONG WHICH RECOGNISE THE CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY IN 1997. SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WILL HAVE REGARD TO THE PRACTICE ADOPTED IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS ELSEWHERE BUT WILL ALSO TAKE ACCOUNT OF HONG KONG'S SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES).
(I EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A CLEARER PICTURE OF THESE ARRANGEMENTS BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR). ENDS
5)
WILSON
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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