TNAG-2429-FCO40-3531-Hong-Kong-Her-Majesty-s-Overseas-Civil-Service-(HMOCS)-poli-1993 — Page 38

627

PRESIDENT:

OVERSEAS SERVICE PENSIONERS' ASSOCIATION

The Lord Grey of Naunton, GCMG GCVO OBE

SECRETARY:

D. F. B. Le Breton, CBE

MKD

HKA 233/1

ADVICE AND BRABI REPT

PLEASE. Nick All-

C

The Rt. Hon. Alastair Goodlad, .MP, Minister of State,

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street, London SW1A 1AH

Date:

138 High Street Tonbridge

Kent

TN9 1AX

Telephone: 0732-363836 18 November 1992

Our Ref:

Your Ref:

20/1

PL1

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Like Paris

Dear Mr. Goodlad,

HONG KONG OVERSEAS PENSIONERS

1.

2.

For many years this Association has represented the interests of overseas pensioners, including those who served in Hong Kong as members of Her Majesty's Overseas Civil Service (HMOCS) and as associate members pensionable officers still serving and those who may retire under the Hong Kong New Pension Scheme with entitlement to a deferred pension. Our President, Lord Grey of Naunton, was last in correspondence with your predecessor, culminating with the Earl of Caithness's reply of 11 December 1991. At the same time we have been in correspondence with the officials in the Hong Kong Department and the head of the Overseas Pensions Department in the Overseas Development Administration, Mr. D. Fish. We are also in touch, through members of our Executive Committee who are Hong Kong pensioners, with the Hong Kong Government.

It seems that, since the formation of the Association of Members of HMOCS in Hong Kong and the Statement on behalf of HMG in opening consultations with HMOCS representatives in Hong Kong, and then the visit of officials to Hong Kong last May, this Association has not been included in any of the consultations or kept informed by either the FCO or the ODA as to progress.

3. We understand that HMG is now seeking to deal with all

HMOCS matters as a package, namely:

a.

b.

c.

a compensation scheme for serving Hong Kong HMOCS Officers in 1997:

sterling pension safeguards after 1997 for such officers; and

protection of existing pensioners between now and 1997 to take account of exchange fluctuations through a revision of the SPOS arrangements or by other means.