PAYAGE
CONSOLIDATED FUND DEBATE, 11 MARCH:
THE HONG KONG CONSTITUTION AND THE BASIC LAW :
MR EGGAR'S WIND-UP SPEECH
1.
I would like to thank the hon Member for Wrexham for giving this House the opportunity to return to the subject of Hong Kong.
It is understandable that members of the House would wish to raise
the question the Hong Kong constitution and the draft Basic Law. The draft law is intended to implement the policies contained in the Joint Declaration, which forms part of a solem and internationally binding Treaty between the People's Republic of China and the United Kingdom, which was debated in the House. It is therefore right that the House should want to give its views on the implementation
of this Treaty in the draft.
2.
The Hon member will recall the debate in this House on 20
January, following publication of the 1987 annual report on Hong
Kong. It was a very good debate. It demonstrated that very ma
many
members on both sides of the House continue to take anwelt informed
interest in the future of the territory. And of course the debate
also aroused a good deal of interest in Hong Kong itself. On that occasion, members may remember, the debate was broadcast live in Hong Kong. Many people there sat up into the early hours of the morning to hear what Westminster had to say on the subject of Hong Kong. They would, I think, be pleased to know that now we are sitting up into the early hours to discuss this subject further.
3. I think it is important to set this debate in the context of the progress we are making with the Chinese in implementing the terms of the Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong. The Joint
Declaration must be the starting point of any consideration of Hong Kong's future development and provides the essential framework for the development of our policy and for our contacts with the Chinese over Hong Kong. I make no apologies for reminding the House what a
remarkable document the Joint Declaration is. It represents a
unique and historic achievement on the part of the British and