SECRET
XCX(93)54
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In Hong Kong, there have been no new appointments eligible for HMOCS since March 1985. There are currently about 700 members of HMOCS in the Hong Kong Civil Service (mainly in the Police Force and Administrative Service), all serving on permanent and pensionable overseas terms of service. Despite normal retirements and the advance of localisation, around 400 are likely still to be in service in 1997.
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HMG has a special obligation towards members of HMOCS wherever they serve. This obligation is set out in 1954 and 1960 White Paper policy statements by HMG. In accordance with this obligation and as established through practice and precedent in all other dependent territories -
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(a)
(b)
(c)
HMG will introduce compensation arrangements and permit them to retire when the Secretary of State's control over them passes to a successor government upon a change of sovereignty. This is referred to as a General Compensation Scheme;
HMG should ensure that all officers who are retained in the service of the previously dependent territory should enjoy terms of service no less favourable than before, in respect of salaries, allowances, benefits and pension entitlements; and
HMG will introduce 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.
The HMOCS obligation has been honoured without exception in all British Dependent Territories upon a change of sovereignty : insofar as compensation is concerned, by the introduction of a compensation scheme under which officers were compensated and could retire when the constitutional change occurred. Terms and conditions of service aspects were covered by a Public Officers Agreement negotiated with the successor government. Pensions were dealt with by introducing Sterling pension safeguards and providing for pensions to be UK index linked.
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