CONFIDENTIAL
062116
MDHI 4508
VARIOUS INSURANCE SCHEMES SPECIFICALLY FOR HONG KONG PEOPLE. IN SHORT, THE SCHEME HAS ALREADY DONE ITS PART IN RESTORING LOCAL CONFIDENCE.
IMPLICATIONS OF A SHORTFALL
4. ALTHOUGH THE RESPONSE TO THE SCHEME HAS NOT BEEN AS GREAT AS WE HAD EXPECTED, WE BELIEVE THAT POLITICALLY HANDLING THE NUMBER NOW LIKELY WILL BE EASIER THAN DEALING WITH AN EXCESSIVELY LARGE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS. GROSS OVER-SUBSCRIPTION WOULD INEVITABLY HAVE LED TO RENEWED LOCAL DEMANDS TO INCREASE THE QUOTA BEYOND 50,000 HOUSEHOLDS.
5. A LOWER TAKE-UP DOES NOT MEAN THAT SOME SUCCESSFUL APPLICANTS WILL BE OF LOW QUALITY. WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE SCHEME WILL BE PROVIDING FOR THE PEOPLE TARGETED. OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE APPLICATIONS ALREADY RECEIVED SUPPORTS THIS ASSESSMENT. AS THE POINTS SYSTEM IS TOTALLY TRANSPARENT, POTENTIAL APPLICANTS ARE ABLE TO ASSESS THEIR OWN SCORES. WE BELIEVE THAT ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE NUMBER OF APPLICANTS IS NOT GREATER IS THAT ONLY THOSE WHO FEEL SURE THAT THEY HAVE REASONABLE CHANCE OF SUCCESS HAVE APPLIED. IN ANY CASE, THE PROBABILITY OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT KEY BEING SUCCESSFUL HAS ALWAYS EXISTED BECAUSE OF MY LACK OF DISCRETION. WE WOULD, INCIDENTALLY, BE GRATEFUL FOR A COPY OF THE HOME OFFICE LEGAL ADVICE REFERRED TO IN PARA 3 OF TUR.
EXTENSION OF DEADLINE
6. AN EXTENSION OF THE DEADLINE MIGHT IN THEORY HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF PROVIDING TIME FOR A FEW MORE APPLICATIONS. IN PRACTICAL TERMS, ANY EXTENSION WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE KNOWN BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF THE DEADLINE. PREPARING FOR THIS WOULD NEED 48 HOURS NOTICE. IN OTHER WORDS THE ANSWER TO YOUR PARA 4 IS THIS, A FIRM DECISION TO EXTEND WOULD BE REQUIRED BY 26 FEBRUARY.
7. I WOULD, HOWEVER, ADVISE STRONGLY AGAINST ANY EXTENSION FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS
-
A. THE ADDITIONAL NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT MIGHT BE RECEIVED
IN THE EXTENDED PERIOD WOULD BE ANYBODY'S GUESS. A MARGINAL INCREASE WOULD MAKE THE EXTENSION MEANINGLESS. WHAT WOULD WE DO THEN? ANOTHER EXTENSION OR GO AHEAD WITH PROCESSING AT THAT
POINT, REGARDLESS OF NUMBERS:
B. AN EXTENSION WOULD INEVITABLY ENCOURAGE THE NOT-SO-WELL-
2
PAGE CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.