TNAG-2966-FCO40-4245-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Consular-representation-of-European-Coun-1993 — Page 87

09-SEP-1993 10:08

UKREP EC BRUSSELS

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39.

Mrs Ip reiterated that to grant inviolability of residence to other members of the EC Office would be out of the question as there would be considerable legal as well as policy difficulties to provide such inviolability even to the head of the office. There was policy difficulty because even Consuls-General did not enjoy such inviolability under our laws and legal difficulty because Cap

190 was predicated on the head of Office being designated by the

Governor as a holder of high office. The Governor was being

consulted on whether he would be prepared to do so.

40.

In reply to Mr Edwards' question on the seniority of the

officer likely to be the head of the EC Office in Hong Kong, Mr Brüser said that of the 105 EC delegations all over the world,

one was headed by a Director-General, seven by Directors, and the

rest were headed at a lower level. Due to the personnel policy of

the Commission, it was difficult to fix the head of an office at a

certain level. It was unlikely that a Director-General would

initially be posted to Hong Kong, and even if one was to be posted, there was no guarantee that his successor would be of the same level. Nevertheless, the EC would let Hong Kong know the following day

whether they could confirm in writing that the head of the Office

was a senior or high officer.

41.

In reply to Mr Brüser's question, Mr Edwards said that in the absence of the head of the Office, the person officially acting in that position would receive the same treatment.

Exemption from taxation of office premises and residences

42.

Mrs Ip explained that under Part I of First Schedule to Cap 190, it was possible to grant exemption

grant exemption from taxation of office premises. It was also possible to grant exemption from rates and stamps duty of the residence of the head of the EC Office under the

Stamps Duty and Rating Ordinances. However, it would not be possible to grant this exemption to the residences of the other officers of the EC Office, as it would go beyond what was provided to consular representatives under Cap 259.

/Freedom