TNAG-2420-FCO40-3522-Hong-Kong-Her-Majesty-s-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-poli-1992 — Page 123

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036006.

*MDHIA 3616'

6. TWO FINAL POINTS:

(A) WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU MAY BE ATTACHING UNDUE EMPHASIS TO POTENTIAL HMOCS OFFICERS. WHILST THE 1954 HMOCS REGULATIONS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THEY MAY NOT BE REVOKED OR AMENDED TO THE DISADVANTAGE OF A SERVING MEMBER OF HMOCS, THESE OFFICERS ARE NOT YET MEMBERS OF HMOCS, NOR IS THERE ANY CERTAINTY THAT THEY WILL WISH TO BECOME MEMBERS. WE ALSO BELIEVE THAT ONCE DETAILS OF THE COMPENSATION SCHEME ARE AVAILABLE, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HOLD OUR OPTION DEADLINE OF 30 JUNE 1992 FOR TRANSFER TO PERMANENT AND PENSIONABLE TERMS.

(B) THE DEFENSIVE LINES ON STERLING SAFEGUARDS AND FOR BRIEFING THE CHINESE (TELNOS 547 AND 548) SHOULD BE AMENDED TO REMOVE SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE HKG. WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH ALL THE POLITICAL ARGUMENTS ON THIS BEFORE, BOTH WITH RESPECT TO CHINA AND LOCALLY. WE SUGGEST YOU SIMPLY SAY THIS ISSUE IS BEING CONSIDERED, BUT NO DECISIONS HAVE YET BEEN TAKEN. MENTION OF A COMMERCIAL LOAN OPTION WOULD ALSO BE MOST UNHELPFUL LOCALLY. WE HAVE JUST HINTED TO LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS THAT THIS IDEA, WHICH AROSE IN THE CONTEXT OF LOCAL PENSION SAFEGUARDS, IS LIKELY TO BE A NONSTARTER AND IS ALMOST CERTAIN NOT TO GET THROUGH EXCO.

WILSON

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

40

OVERSEAS

DISTRIBUTION

40

.HER MAJESTY'S

.CIVIL SERVICE RESTRICTED

HKD

LEGAL ADVISERS//MISS BROOKS

FED

NEWS D

RAD//MR WYE

RMD

NNNW

OVERSEA PENSIONS/ODA//MR FISH

PS

PS/LORD CAITHNESS

PS/PUS

SIR J COLES

MR BURNS

MR KERBY

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