TNAG-2271-FCO40-3270-Hong-Kong-Her-Majesty-s-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-corr-1991 — Page 102

URGENTLY

'TO

Mr Hughes

Reference

PLEASE

BY FAX: 011- 491- 4360.

C3/0

RESIDENCY RULES FOR APPLICANTS TO THE UK ARMED SERVICES: ELIGIBILITY FOR WAIVERS

1. We spoke about eligibility for waivers of the residence rules. As you know, I would like the sons/daughters of the British expatriate civil servants known as "Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service" (HMOCS) now working in Hong Kong, to be eligible for such a waiver. This is because service with HMOCS does in fact constitute crown service. I attach the white paper of 1954 which established HMOCS and which demonstrates this.

I

2. As I explained, service with the Royal Hong Kong Police Force was very recently included in the regulations, as a factor which could make an applicant eligible for a waiver. I think service with HMOCS should also be included alongside this. This indeed constitutes a very strong connection. understand from Miss Woodhouse, that part of the problem with this is the possible difficulties in making accurate security checks if documents are held abroad. There should be no problem with making reliable and realistic security checks of applicants from Hong Kong Government records. The FCO has close links with and often works in tandem with the Hong Kong

Government.

3. To add further weight to the argument that the sons and daughters of HMOCS members should be eligibile for a waiver of the residency rules, HMOCS members are British citizens and their spouses are either British citizens or British Dependent Territory citizens. Many of them were born and resided in the UK for a considerable period before joining the Hong Kong Civil Service.

4. To recap, service with the Hong Kong Government as a member of HMOCS is crown service. There should be no difficulty in accessing reliable records held by the Hong Kong Government on these people. I would be grateful, therefore, if service with the HMOCS could be included in the rules, making an applicant eligible for a waiver of the residence rules.

Gil soglin

Ms G J Coglin

Hong Kong Department

270 2652

WH 303

21 August 1991

CODE 18-77

WINAMX JRB

I would be very gratefn

far

an urgent reply

this.

18

I also attach the Letter

in thong

behind my

/ from the Assorichon in

Kang, which b request.