POLICE JUNIOR OFFICERS (New structure and salary scales) (Statement by the Minister for Home Affairs)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Prof. Wong Lin Ken: Mr Speaker, Sir, during the Parliamentary session in October, 1971, the Minister for Finance informed the House that the Lee Soo Ann Committee's recommendations on the structure and salary scales for the Junior Officers and Constables of the Regular Police Force had been accepted in principle by Government and would be implemented in the new fiscal year on 1st April, 1972. He stated that as soon as the principles of conversion were resolved, the new salary scales would be implemented. The House was also informed that pending implementation of the new salary scales on the 1st of April this year, Government had decided that the Junior Officers and Constables should be given with effect from the 1st of November, 1971, an interim allowance of 10 per cent of salary and of all allowances drawn, except Public Utilities Board and Housing Allowances.

I am pleased to announce that Government has accepted in principle most of the other recommendations of the Lee Soo Ann Committee Report. Officials of my Ministry and the Finance Ministry have been working closely together and a formula of conversion has now been worked out and approved by Government. The new total emoluments will be computed on the following basis: Salary as at 1-4-72 + Allowances to be abolished + Interim allowance of 10 per cent (made up of 10 per cent of salary and of all allowances drawn, except P.U.B, and Housing Allowances) Convert to the nearest higher point in the new scale + Increment credits(if any) + Allowances to be retained (if any). The conversion will come into effect on 1st April, 1972, and, as from that date, payment of the 10 per cent interim allowance will cease. The conversion to the new salary scales, including the allowances to be retained, will cost the Government an additional $3.2 million per annum.

About 5,220 Junior Officers and Constables in the Regular Police Force, excluding members of the Gurkha Contingent and the Guard and Escort Unit, will be affected by the conversion. Those holding the rank of Corporal and below will be emplaced on the new salary scale for Constables. Staff Sergeants and Sergeants will be emplaced on the new scale for Sergeants. Sub-Inspectors will be absorbed as Assistant Inspectors, who will also be known as Station Inspectors. All serving officers will convert to the new salary scales as follows:

(a) those with the School Certificate or equivalent qualifications will convert to the appropriate new scale in accordance with the conversion formula and progress up the scale in the normal way;

(b) those with Secondary Il/Ill or equivalent qualifications will convert to the appropriate new scale in accordance with the conversion formula. They will not proceed beyond $425 in the new scale for Constable; $505 in the new scale for Sergeant and $690 in the new scale for Assistant Inspector (Station Inspector), as the case may be, until such time as they obtain the School Certificate or pass an examination to be conducted by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Public Service Commission and accepted as an equivalent to the School Certificate, when they will be allowed to cross the bar at these points;

(c) those without Secondary II but with specialist qualifications, e.g, bandsmen, helmsmen and engine drivers (about 170 of them) will convert in the same way as for category (b) above;

(d) those without Secondary II or specialist qualifications (about 800 in number) will convert to the appropriate new scale in accordance with the conversion formula and be dealt with as follows.

Government has accepted the recommendation that serving officers without Secondary II or equivalent qualifications should be converted to the new salary scales and stagnate at their respective points of conversion. Of the 800 men who do not have the Secondary II or specialist qualifications, 340 would be eligible for retirement in the normal course of events before 1st July, 1974. These 340 men will convert to the new salary scales and remain at their respective conversion points until they retire.

The remaining 460 men will convert to the new salary scales and be retired on enhanced terms specifically provided in Section 9 (1) of the Pensions Act as recommended by the Lee Soo Ann Committee Report. Retirement under this provision gives an enhanced pension factor of One over five hundred (1/500) of an officer's annual pensionable emoluments for each complete month of pensionable service, as compared to a pension factor of one over six hundred (1/600) for an officer who retires in normal circumstances on account of age or for medical reasons. It is the intention of Government that the retirement of these 460 men will be so phased out that actual retirement will commence on 1st April, 1973, and be completed by 30th June, 1974. Those who are physically fit will be offered employment with the Guard and Escort Unit, which will by then have been reorganised into a statutory board and run on commercial lines, if they take up employment with this statutory board, they will be eligible, in addition to their pensions, for the full salary paid by the board. Efforts will also be made to assist those in Police quarters to find alternative accommodation.