16 Facts About Philip Haddon-Cave

Philip Haddon-Cave was the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong from 1971 to 1981 and the Chief Secretary of Hong Kong from 1981 to 1985.

Philip Haddon-Cave was educated at the University of Tasmania and King's College, Cambridge.

Philip Haddon-Cave joined the British Colonial Service in 1952 was assigned to Kenya, British East Africa.

Philip Haddon-Cave became the Financial Secretary of Hong Kong in 1971, succeeding Sir John Cowperthwaite.

Philip Haddon-Cave recognised a broader responsibility for the government in economy.

In July 1974 the price of US$1 fell below HK$5.05 which force Philip Haddon-Cave to announce the Hong Kong dollar to float free from its link to the US dollar on 27 November.

Philip Haddon-Cave followed Cowperthwaite line to insist the colony did not need active monetary policies because of the economy's automatic adjustment mechanism although he later came close to admit that the era of automatic adjustment was over.

The government projected a three years substantial government deficits, in which Philip Haddon-Cave described as "clearly quite unacceptable".

Philip Haddon-Cave proposed several tax reforms to increase the government income and change the lack of progressivity in the system.

Philip Haddon-Cave proposed tax on dividends, following Cowperthwaite had proposed a decade earlier.

Philip Haddon-Cave was appointed Chief Secretary of Hong Kong in 1981.

Philip Haddon-Cave helped establishing the District Boards and the first District Board elections in 1982 and the second elections in 1985.

Philip Haddon-Cave oversaw the establishment of the Provisional Regional Council.

Philip Haddon-Cave witnessed the Sino-British negotiations on the Hong Kong sovereignty after 1997, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visit to Beijing in September 1983 and the finalisation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in December 1984.

Philip Haddon-Cave died of heart attack while in a taxi near his retirement home in Oxford, England on 27 September 1999.

Philip Haddon-Cave married Elizabeth Alice Simpson in 1948, who designed many of Hong Kong's commemorative coins, including the reverses of the "Return to China" set of 1997.