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123 JAN 1985
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Aution Tekn
SPEECH BY RT HON SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, QC, MP, TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS IN THE DEBATE ON THE SECOND READING OF THE
HONG KONG BILL, 21 JANUARY 1985
time.
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read a Second
I have it in command from Her Majesty The Queen to
acquaint the House that Her Majesty, having been informed of the purpose of the Hong Kong Bill, has
consented to place Her Prerogative and
as they are affected by the Bill, at Parliament for the purposes of the Bill.
interests SO far
the disposal of
Mr Speaker, the Bill that is before us today is short, but nevertheless of historic importance.
The House had a full opportunity to discuss the Sino-British agreement on the future of Hong Kong on
December. I was heartened by the warmth and unanimity
of the support with which members approved the
Government's intention to sign it. I am confident that
it provides satisfactorily for the continued stability
and prosperity of Hong Kong into the twenty-first
century. As the House knows, it was signed by my rt hon
Friend, the Prime Minister and her Chinese counterpart
Premier Zhao Ziyang in Peking on 19 December.
A number of hon
It was clear from the debate in December that the
House saw the agreement as a good one and one that me t the needs of the people of Hong Kong.
and rt hon Members raised the concerns expressed in Hong
Kong about certain aspects of the agreement.
concerns have also
These
have also been fully documented in the report
of the Assessment Office.