CONFIDENTIAL
Treasury let us make progress on SPOS adjustment until this
is settled.
5.
On compensation we have been looking at ways of re-casting out benefits proposal in order to make it more acceptable to HMOCS officers and to provide a stronger inducement for them to stay at least until 1997, some options are listed on the attachment: none would involve a significant increase on the maximum possible total of £38 million to £41 million which we previously gave the
Treasury.
ว
X
exploring the ponsibiliting
(a) -)
secvey
6. On early retirement, Hong Kong have confirmed that it would not require new legislation or a high-profile ExC
were it is extend to endorsement of our scheme to allow HMOCS officers to retire
Conq up to 30 June 1997 with immediate payment of pension by administrative means. However the Governor is opposed to this on Hong Kong grounds andThe Mr Galsworthy and Sir R McLaren have all cautioned that the Chinese reaction
could be very negative. Mr Galsworthy thinks that the Chinese might even renege on their Joint Declaration
commitment and refuse to pay pensions for officers who retired before the normal retirement age. JIt would not be possible to keep a commitment to allow such early retirement seeret If we to discuss the proposal with the Chinese in the next few months the prospects of their agreeing it are remote. Proceeding unilaterally could be damaging. We are inclined to think, however,that with some creative thinking there may be a way around the mine-fields which have been
Hal identified. Subject to Minister's views we should like to try on Peking and UKREP JLG the possibility of blurring the issue somewhat with a quite best endeavours assurance: ie:
would tell the HMOCS Association that although in principle we accepted the strength of their case for a right of early retirement, we were not at present in a position to
(6) swoje whole Chiesa fachang
་་
X
NC1ACQ/3
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.