24-APR-1992 16:57
JAMES LEE
F.05
TRANSCRIPT B
MR.
CHRIS PATTEN
PC
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LONDON
24 APRIL 1992
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friend but I don't regard either of them as deserving the epithet
of "wet blanket" let alone those who advise them.
I repeat what I said earlier: I can't think of many, if any, kore
difficult or interesting or challenging jobs and when the Prime
Minister and the Foreign Secretary first mentioned the job to me,
I am bound to say that I responded with considerable and immediate
I don't regard that as suicidal though I am of course
enthusiasm.
aware of my own mortality and indeed of yours!
TERRY GRIFFITHS (SUNDAY POST):
MI.
can you say something of your initial thoughts about
what sort of staff you will want to bring with you? There have
been a lot of suggestions that as a Minister you might want to
have a Parliamentary Private Secretary in Government House and so
on. What are your initial thoughts on that?
MR.
PATTEN:
Lord Wilson is visiting London next week and I will want to talk
to him and to others about matters like that but I am aware of the
fact that Hong Kong is served by an outstanding civil service,
some of whom I have met myself in the past. I know what an
extraordinarily good job they have done and I shall look forward I
hope in five years to making the acquaintance of at least some of
the 180,000 civil servants who work in Hong Kong but matters like
staff I will want to consider when I have had a chance of talking
to Lord Wilson and to others.