TNAG-2396-FCO40-3483-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-policy-1992 — Page 169

Mr Archer

CONFIDENTIAL

Reference

CIVIL SERVICE NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS: ON 28 APRIL

MEETING HELD

1.

I attended the above meeting chaired by Mr Holroyd, Dep Sec OMCS. ECD (I) and Legal Advisers also represented the FCO.

The meeting discussed progress made since the 11 March meeting, responses to the EOM paper of 3 April and how to proceed.

2.

PROGRESS IN THE MEIJER CASE

3.

The immediate pressure is off because the Meijer case is being settled out of court. Apparently and rather suprisingly the defence of historical ties with the Republic of Ireland and Commonwealth countries to justify special treatment for their nationals regarding Civil Service

recruitment so impressed Meijer's solicitors that they decided to settle out of court. The Inland Revenue has offered £2,500 to Meijer to settle. A reply is awaited.

A NEW EOM PAPER

The meeting decided that OCSC would shortly (by 18 May) circulate around departments a revised EOM paper inviting comments on the following recommendations:

4.

a) that departments define a number of core posts as "public service" to which in future only UK nationals be recruited. In defining these posts departments would be encouraged by new OCSC guidelines (as yet unwritten) to adopt a liberal policy and restrict this core to a small number of posts.

This recommendation will mean a loss of rights currently enjoyed by Irish nationals. The extent of the loss will depend on how many (or few ) posts are designated "public service".

b) that existing civil servants who are Irish or non-UK Commonwealth nationals be unaffected by departments' new recruitment policies. Such people will therefore continue to be eligible for "public service" posts throughout their careers. There will clearly be a lengthy transition period before the proposed

recruitment policies ensure that all "public service" posts are occupied by UK nationals only.

CODE 18 77

ID 3144

CONFIDENTIAL