TNAG-2269-FCO40-3268-Hong-Kong-Her-Majesty-s-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-poli-1991 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

was

arrangements,

qualify

uncertain and because its wealth meant that it would not for help on aid grounds. Some 35,000 pensioners are covered by the which are administered by the ODA, at a cost in 1984-85 of s ome £82 million. (The ODA also administer 8,000 pensions earned in service in India, Pakistan and Burma, mos t which were taken over in the 1940s and 1950s against reimbursement by the Indian Government).

of

HMOCS IN HONG KONG

3.

proposal

-There are currently some 700 members of HMOCS in Hong Kong. There are approximately 100 other pensionable Overseas officers who may be eligible for HMOCS status but have not as far applied for it. There are also some 2400 overseas officers on contract terms: however, the Hong Kong Government is considering making that it should no

longer entertain further applications from these officers to convert to pensionable terms except that they will offer a once and for all option to convert to some 580 overseas police officers who were eligible for appointment on pensionable terms. A preliminary estimate is that perhaps a further 300 officers may as a result of these factors become members of HMOCS. The resulting total, approximately 1000, will decline through retirement, Hong Kong having halted overseas recruitment on pensionable terms with effect from the date of the signing of the agreement. Hong Kong pensioners count as overseas officers (including drawing dependants' pensions). Payments to them by Hong Kong are running at an annual rate of £10.5 million.

Some 1730

440

4. These serving officers and pensioners naturally expect that the protective measures listed above will also be applied to them. Many have served in other dependent territories and are familiar with compensation schemes and pension take-over arrangements; a number will already know from the ODA that pensions they have earned elsewhere are covered by the take-over

programme.

5. The factors which bear оп HMOCS compensation Hong Kong differ in two important applied elsewhere.

relieving the Hong Kong/SAR government

responsibility for

and pensions

pensions from

financial

this limits

respects from

First, there is no case on

of

those which have

aid grounds for

the

these ben/fits.

Among other

other things

CONFIDENTIAL