3.
We
The Bill is also unlikely to cause difficulties with the Chinese. The Chinese agree with the establishment of a Court of Final Appeal and would therefore expect us to be enacting such legislation. are well advanced in negotiations with the Chinese on the details of the Court and hope to resolve remaining differences soon. We have stressed our wish to establish the Court in 1992 or at least four years before the transfer of sovereignty to allow it to gain working experience. If we reach agreement with the Chinese and then are unable to establish the Court because our own legislation is not in place, this would go down badly in Hong Kong and damage our credibility with the Chinese.
4.
For these reasons I should be grateful if the Future Legislation Committee would now agree that there should be provision in the 1991/92 programme for the Hong Kong (Appeals) Bill.
The European Communties (Amendment) Bill
5. I continue to attach the highest priority to this Bill, which was included by FLG on a contingency basis. The aim of the Bill is to ratify the treaty on Political Union which is likely to emerge from the
Inter-Governmental Conference. It is still too early to give a firm assessment on timing but negotiations are unlikely to be concluded before the Maastricht European Council on 9/10 December. Policy clearance and instructions would follow as soon as possible. might be ready for introduction early in 1992.
The Bill
/The Antarctic