6
HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 14 March 1984
in the EEC. In this connection, the Hong Kong Government Office in Brussel in close contact with the Commission and have presented in detail Hong K views on the matter. I also raised this issue with the Minister for Trade, the Rt. Hon. Paul CHANNON on 1 March 1984, when he was in Hong Kong. Sir, at present we are closely monitoring the situation.
DR. TIEN:-Sir, what action is being taken by our overseas offices at Brussels and Geneva to counter a possible 'French-German' pact to further restrict exports of Hong Kong quartz watches into France and Germany?
SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY:--Sir, as I have already stated in my reply, Hong Kong does not consider that a case exists for protection for France or elsewhere in the EEC; this includes Germany. In this connection Mr. TIEN will wish to be aware that the Minister for Hong Kong Commercial Relations in Brussels, Mr. D. J. C. Jones, recently visited Bonn to consult with relevant German officials on this subject. I can assure this Council that our representa- tives in Brussels, Geneva, as well as London, remain vigilant.
MR. BROWN: Sir, in view of the very genuine disquiet of the people of Hong Kong who just cannot understand why France is still refusing to honour its international obligations, will the Secretary undertake to inform this Council further, say, within about one month, the actual progress made in resolving this important issue?
Secretary for Trade and INDUSTRY:-Certainly, Sir.
Power failure
4. MR. YEUNG PO-KWAN asked: In view of the three hour blackout which occurred on 4 March, will the Government inform this Council:- (a) what measures would be taken to safeguard life and property should such a
breakdown occur again, particularly if it occurred at night; and (b) what steps can be taken to prevent any recurrence of such a breakdown?
SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES:-Sir, in the event of any emergency situation, including a major power failure, the police will, of course, respond to safeguard life and property. Thus, members of the Police Force will be deployed to ensure that there is no breakdown of order. The Traffic Police will proceed to major interchanges and junctions in order to secure as far as possible a smooth flow of traffic.
If a major power failure were to occur during the hours of darkness, additional members of the Police Force would be deployed as necessary.
The Fire Services Communication Centre, which is manned 24 hours a day, is responsible for ensuring adequate fire and ambulance cover throughout