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TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984
QUESTION SESSION
0: CAN I ASK YOU IF YOU THINK THIS IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO DISCUSS THE 1997 ISSUE? AND, IF SO, HOW MUCH REAL INFORMATION CAN THE LEGCO COUNCILLORS BE GIVEN ON THE STATE OF THE 1997 TALKS?
A: WELL, THIS IS A MATTER FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG. UNDER THE RULES, THEY ARE PERFECTLY ENTITLED IF THEY WISH TO DO SO, TO HAVE THIS PARTICULAR DEBATE, AND MY OWN VIEW IS THAT IT IS PERFECTLY NATURAL AND PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE THIS DEBATE, AND IT WILL BE FOR THEM TO EXPRESS THEIR OWN VIEWS.
QI HOW MUCH REAL INFORMATION CAN YOU GIVE THEM?
AI WELL, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. THEM, IT IS THEIR CHOICE, THEY ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE THEY WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THE IR OWN VIEWS. THEM.
Q:
JULY.
THAT IS FOR THIS DEBATE.
THAT IS FOR
PEKING HAS SET VARIOUS DEADLINES, LIKE SEPTEMBER, OR JUNE, OR WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO HEAR WHAT THE BRITISH PROPOSALS ARE? WE HAVE HEARD WHAT PEKING'S PROPOSALS ARE. WHEN CAN WE HEAR WHAT BRITAIN'S PROPOSALS ARE?
A: WELL. AS I SAY, THE TALKS ARE PROCEEDING STEADILY. WHAT REALLY MATTERS, IT SEEMS TO US, IS TO FIND THE BEST SOLUTION, THE RIGHT SOLUTION, IN OUR JUDGEMENT, FOR HONG KONG. I HAVE SAID BEFORE, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS SAID BEFORE, MANY A TIME, WE HAVE NO DEADLINE. BUT WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO PROCEED AS FAST AS IS REASONABLE. WE ARE PROGRESSING STEADILY. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO JUST THAT. I THINK THE ONLY WAY I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION IS - THAT WE DON'T HAVE A DEADLINE. BUT, OBVIOUSLY, IT IS IN EVERYBODY'S INTERESTS TO SEE US REACH AN AGREEMENT AS SOON AS IS SENSIBLE AND POSSIBLE.
BY JUNE OR JULY?
Q: 50.
A: OH. WRONG.
Q:
WE CERTAINLY, I CANNOT GIVE A TIME SCALE- IT WOULD BE QUITE BUT WE ARE MAKING STEADY PROGRESS.
JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION. YOU SAID THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WAS ENTITLED TO THIS DEBATE. ARE YOU TALKING THERE ABOUT DEBATE, ABOUT DEBATE ON MARCH 14, OR ARE YOU SAYING THAT LEGCO IS ENTITLED TO HAVE AN INFORMED PRIOR DEBATE ON WHATEVER THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENT IS?
A: WELL, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL PROPOSE OF THEIR OWN ACCORD TO HAVE A DEBATE, IN MID-MARCH, ON THE SUBJECT THEY HAVE DETERMINED. IT GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO EXPRESS THE IR VIEWS. WHAT I HAVE SAID TO YOU IS THAT, UNDER THE RULES, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, IT IS A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF HONG KONG, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. THEY ARE ENTITLED TO HAVE THIS DEBATE AND ALL I AM TELLING YOU IS THAT THINK IT IS PERFECTLY REASONABLE, PERFECTLY UNDERSTANDABLE AND PERFECTLY NATURAL.
Q: BUT THAT