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MEMBERS OF HMOCS WHEREVER THEY SERVE. THIS OBLIGATION HAS BEEN SET OUT IN 1954 AND 1960 POLICY STATEMENTS BY HMG. IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS OBLIGATION AND AS ESTABLISHED THROUGH PRACTICE AND PRECEDENT IN ALL OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES:
(A) HMG SHOULD INTRODUCE COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS WHEN THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AUTHORITY PASSES TO A SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT UPON A CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY: AND
(B) HMG WILL MAKE ARRANGEMENTS TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROTECTION OF PENSIONS OF FORMER HMOCS OFFICERS THROUGH THE INTRODUCTION OF A FIXED STERLING EXCHANGE RATE ADJUSTED IN-LINE WITH UK INFLATION.
5. THE HMOCS OBLIGATION HAS BEEN HONOURED WITHOUT EXCEPTION IN ALL BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES UPON A CHANGE OF SOVEREIGNTY. INSOFAR AS COMPENSATION IS CONCERNED, THIS HAS BEEN BY THE INTRODUCTION OF A COMPENSATION SCHEME UNDER WHICH OFFICERS WERE COMPENSATED WHEN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE OCCURRED. THE EXACT FORMAT OF THE COMPENSATION SCHEME VARIED FROM TERRITORY TO TERRITORY AND IN SOME CASES WAS CAST PARTLY AS AN INDUCEMENT SCHEME TO ASSIST IN THE RETENTION OF THESE OFFICERS BY THE SUCCESSOR GOVERNMENT. INSOFAR AS PENSIONS WERE CONCERNED THE OBLIGATION WAS HONOURED BY INTRODUCING STERLING PENSION SAFEGUARDS AND PROVIDING FOR PENSIONS TO BE UK INDEX LINKED.
6. IN VIEW OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE SUBJECT, WE HAVE DECIDED TO ADDRESS THE DIFFERENT ELEMENTS SEPARATELY BEGINNING WITH
COMPENSATION
7. THE OBLIGATION TO INTRODUCE SUCH ARRANGEMENTS IS A HISTORICAL
ONE WHICH CANNOT BE AVOIDED. HOWEVER AS HMOCS IS THE
RESPONSIBILITY OF HMG IT IS FOR HMG RATHER THAN HKG TO MAKE SUCH
ARRANGEMENTS.
8. THERE ARE 723 HMOCS OFFICERS SERVING IN HONG KONG. OF THESE
469 ARE AGED CURRENTLY 50 OR BELOW AND MIGHT STILL BE EXPECTED TO BE IN SERVICE BY 1997. OF THE TOTAL, 368 ARE CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE RHKPF AND 107 IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE.
9. WE INTEND THAT IN THE CASE OF HONG KONG THE COMPENSATION SCHEME WILL BE CAST AS A COMPENSATION/INCENTIVE SCHEME. PART WILL
BE PAYABLE AS COMPENSATION FOR THE REMOVAL OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S AUTHORITY IN 1997: AND THE OTHER PART AS AN INDUCEMENT TO PERSUADE OFFICERS TO CONTINUE IN THE SERVICE OF THE HONG KONG
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