GRS 4200
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG 100710Z JANUARY 82
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
TELEGRAM NUMBER 22 OF 10 JANUARY 82
TOP COF¡
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02613
INFO IMMEDIATE SEOUL ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
FOR NEWS DEPARTMENT F C O
SEOUL FOR MR ROGER WESTBROOK
LORD PRIVY SEAL'S PRESS CONFERENCE
151
Flos 1811
9
FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN
BY THE LORD PRIVY SEAL IN HONG KONG TODAY BEFORE HIS
DEPARTURE FOR SEOUL :
See tren 040/
101
198
LPS: BEFORE I START ON MY VISIT TO HONG KONG, THERE IS ONE
THING THAT I WANT TO SAY AND THAT IS THAT I AM DELIGHTED
TO BE THE FIRST CABINET MINISTER IN PERSON TO CONGRATULATE THE
GOVERNOR ON HIS LIFE PEERAGE. THIS HAS GIVEN ENORMOUS PLEASURE TO EVERYBODY AT HOME, AND I THINK IT HAS HERE TOO. IT IS OF COURSE THE CULMINATION OF TEN YEARS OF VERY HARD AND VERY
SUCCESSFUL WORK, BUT I THINK ALSO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD
BE CONGRATULATED AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNITION OF ALL THAT
HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN HONG KONG DURING THOSE TEN YEARS. NOW
AS TO MY VISIT HERE, IT'S A VERY SHORT ONE, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN TO HONG KONG FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, I WAS PUT SPECIFICALLY IN CHARGE OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN THE FOREIGN OFFICE. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A CABINET MINISTER HAS
HAD THIS SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG IN THE U K GOVERNMENT, SO I THOUGH THAT I SHOULD COME HERE AS SOON AS I COULD JUST TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON DURING THOSE 13 YEARS.
NOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE VERY LONG, BUT I'VE TALKED TO THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD, I WENT TO THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL
AND THE NEW POLYTECHNIC, AND I'VE SEEN THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, OF COURSE, AND THEN YESTERDAY I WENT ROUND WITH THE GOVERNOR AND SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE
NEW TERRITORIES AND IN PARTICULAR I SAW THE NEW HOUSING PROJECTS
IN TUEN MUN AND ALSO THE NEW HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME IN SHATIN,
AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF TALKING TO MR AKERS-JONES, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES (SIC) AND A LOT OF HIS PEOPLE TO FIND OUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS THERE. NOW, AN IMPRESSION AFTER A SHORT VISIT, AN IMPRESSION WHICH I
DISCUSSED WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND WITH UMELCO WHOM I SAW YESTERDAY, IS ONE OF INTENSE ACTIVITY AND PROGRESS AND CONFIDENCE. EVERYBODY IS WORKING AWAY VERY HARD AT DEVELOPING
HONG KONG AND IMPROVING IT AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LET UP IN
THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON ALL THESE YEARS. AND
I MUST SAY EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN I HAVE BEEN MOST IMPRESSED WITH. I KNOW, AS I SAY, IT WAS A SHORT VISIT, BUT I THINK I HAVE GOT INTO IT AS MUCH AS I COULD DO, AND I AM HOPING VERY
MUCH IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME I COME HERE. NOW THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO START WITH, NOW THE BEST THING, I THINK, IS TO ASK YOU TO ASK ME QUESTIONS.
/REPORTER: COULD