Sessional_Paper_1948 — Page 25

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ALLOWANCES FOR SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS

60. We have received representations from the Acting Director of Medical Services that medical officers possessing special qualifications should receive a special non-pensionable allowance. While we agree that it is in the interests of the public service to encourage public officers to obtain the best technical and professional qualifications possible which will assist them in the per- formance of their duties, we see no justification for the payment of any special allowances to officers who obtain such qualifications. We suggest that the possession of such qualifications should be one of the conditions-but not necessarily the only condition-for the passing of efficiency and promotion bars and we also recommend that there should be adequate provision of specialist posts in all departments concerned. In our opinion there are in the Medical Department, for example, insufficient specialist posts. We make no specific recommendations on this subject, but suggest that consideration might be given to the creation of such additional posts in the Medical and other Departments as may appear justified.

ALLOWANCES FOR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE

61. Several Heads of Departments have represented to us that a system should be laid down whereby due credit is given to the value of previous experience in fixing a new entrant's point of entry on a particular scale. While we agree that special experience may merit the grant of a certain number of increments above the initial point of entry on a scale, we are of opinion that the value of experience varies so greatly that each case should be assessed on its merits.

MEDAL AND Good CONDUCT ALLOWANCES

62. In view of the substantial increase in basic salary which we have recommended for the rank and file of the Police Force, we recommend the abolition of medal allowance but favour a proposal by the Commissioner of Police that instead of medal allowance, a non-pensionable good conduct allowance should be paid to the rank and file of the Police Force up to the rank of sergeant. Good conduct allowances would be payable at the discretion of the Commissioner and could be withdrawn at any time, if the Commissioner considered that it was no longer merited. We recommend a rate of $3 per month for every three years of good conduct subject to a maximum of $9 per month.

OTHER POLICE ALLOWANCES

63. We recommend the abolition of drill instructors allowances and teachers and instructors allowances in view of the improved scales we are recommending for the Police Force, and because, in our opinion, acting as an instructor to recruits should be part of the normal duties of a Police officer. The Commissioner of Police has represented to us that it is desirable for the Police Force to employ technicians not as civilians, but as members of the Police Force and we recommend the grant of non-pensionable technician allowance at the rate of $15 per month to members of the rank and file up to the rank of sergeant in the Police Force who qualify and are employed as technicians, such as motor drivers, mechanics, telephone operators, etc. We recommend the retention of detective allowance and in addition the grant of a reasonable allowance in lieu of uniform to Police in the Detective Branch varying with the cost of clothing. We recommend that where appropriate, technician allowance should be granted to officers of other departments such as the Prisons, Imports and Exports and Fire Brigade employing disciplined uniformed staff.

OUTFIT ALLOWANCE

64. While we consider it reasonable that Government should supply free uniform or an allowance in lieu to officers who are required to wear uniform on duty, we see no justification for the continuance of the recently instituted grant of an outfit allowance of £60 to overseas officers on first appointment. Such officers will receive expatriation pay in addition to basic salary and we consider that expatriation pay should cover any additional expenditure on tropical clothing which an officer may have to incur during the course of his service overseas. We recommend that where an overseas officer on first appointment requires funds to make initial purchases of tropical clothing a reasonable advance recoverable over a reasonable period might be made to him.

FAMILY OR CHILDREN'S ALLOWANCE

65. We have received strong representations from several Heads of Departments and from the European Civil Servants' Council that a system of family or children's allowances should be instituted. We appreciate that married officers with children are the most hardly hit by the present high