TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1984
· 3
Q: BUT THAT IS THE PROCEDURAL STEP. DO YOU THINK THEY ALSO SHOULD HAVE AN INFORMED DEBATE
A: YOU MEAN AT A LATER STAGE? I AM SO SORRY, I MIS-UNDERSTOOD YOUR QUESTION. I THINK, MYSELF, THAT THE WHOLE QUESTION OF, WHEN WE PRODUCE AN AGREEMENT, IT IS MOST IMPORTANT, MOST IMPORTANT, THAT HONG KONG SHOULD HAVE TIME TO ABSORB THAT AGREEMENT, TO ASSESS IT, TO REFLECT UPON IT, TO GIVE THEIR VIEWS UPON IT. NOW, IN THAT CONTEXT, IF THIS IS YOUR QUESTION, THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OBVIOUSLY HAS AN IMPORTANT ROLE TO PLAY. AND IT WILL BE FOR THEM, OBVIOUSLY, TO DETERMINE WHAT KIND OF DISCUSSIONS THEY HAVE AS WELL.
IF UNOFFICIALS OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL PARTICIPATE IN A LEGCO DEBATE, ON 1997, WOULD THAT CONSTITUTE A BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY?
A: I THINK THE WHOLE QUESTION OF THE RULES AND PROCEDURES OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHICH ARE ALL CLEARLY LAID OUT, ARE A MATTER FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS AS TO WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DEBATE. WHAT THEY ARE DEBATING IS A PARTICULAR MOTION, AND IT GIVES THEM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS. I SEE NOTHING UNUSUAL OR EXTRAORDINARY IN THIS AND I CAN ONLY SAY THAT I THINK IT IS NATURAL. WHAT THEY ARE NOT DEBATING, IF THAT IS YOUR QUESTION, IS DETAILED AGREEMENT BETWEEN CHINA AND BRITAIN ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG BECAUSE THERE ISN'T, AS YET, A DETAILED AGREEMENT. BUT THEY CAN, OBVIOUSLY, IN THIS DEBATE, EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
Q: BEFORE A FINAL AGREEMENT IS ACTUALLY ANNOUNCED TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT, I MEAN
A: YES. BEFORE IT IS FINAL WILL THEY HAVE A DEBATE? IS YOUR QUESTION.
Q: NO.
NO. NO. IF THEY DO HAVE A DEBATE ON 1997 BEFORE ANYTHING IS GIVEN TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT FOR CONSIDERATION, WOULD THAT CONSTITUTE A BREACH OF CONFIDENTIALITY.
A: I SHOULD VERY MUCH DOUBT IT. I HAVEN'T GOT TO THE STAGE OF CONSIDERING WHAT THE PRECISE DETAILS OF HOW WE TEST THE OBJECTIVE WE HAVE IN MIND - WHICH IS THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THIS TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL WILL HAVE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE. AND PERHAPS I COULD GO ON TO SAY SOMETHING ELSE; WHICH IS IMPORTANT, AND THAT IS, WE HAVE SAID THIS AGREEMENT MUST BE ACCEPTABLE, OBVIOUSLY, NOT ONLY TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BUT TO THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT. AND, I WILL ASK YOU TO PUT YOURSELVES IN THE MIND OF ANY BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIAN. HE WILL, BEFORE KE VOTES, WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG BEFORE HE ACTUALLY VOTES. AND SO, THE REFLECTIONS OF THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, EXPRESSED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, AND YOU HAVE HIGHLIGHTED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AS ONE ELEMENT IN IT. AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT IN IT, WILL BE A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR WHEN THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT COMES TO ASSESS THE OVERALL AGREEMENT.
/Q: CAN I