THURSDAY, AUGUST 2, 1984

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SPEAK UP ON GREEN PAPER, SIR PHILIP URGES

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IT WAS MOST IMPORTANT THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE SPEAK UP ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER AND THAT ON THIS OCCASION WE DID NOT HAVE A SILENT MAJOR ITY+, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID TODAY.

+ +TO THIS END, HE SAID, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DOING ITS UTMOST TO STIMULATE PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ON THE PROPOSALS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO.+

SIR PHILIP SAID THAT 145 000 COPIES OF THE GREEN PAPER HAD

MADE -- AND WOULD BE BEEN DISTRIBUTED AND ANY NUMBER COULD BE AVAILABLE ON DEMAND.

HE WAS SPEAKING ON THE MOTION BY THE HON ROGER LOBO WELCOMING GOVERNMENT'S PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG AND COMMENDING IT TO THE PUBLIC FOR EXAMINATION AND COMMENT.

SIR PHILIP WELCOMED UNOFFICIAL MEMBERS' SUPPORT FOR THE GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE GREEN PAPER WHICH, HE SAID, WAS ENSHRINED IN ITS TITLE.

SUPPORTING THE MOTION, SIR PHILIP SAID, +1 CERTAINLY BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG CAN BE COMMENDED TO THE PUBLIC FOR EXAMINATION AND COMMENT,+

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S SPEECH:

+THIS DEBATE HAS BEEN TIMELY.

IT IS IMPORTANT THAT BOTH

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC AT LARGE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE PRESENT STATE OF MEMBERS' THINKING ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT IN HONG KONG.

+THE IR THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS WILL BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT WHEN THE WHITE PAPER COMES TO BE DRAFTED FOR SUBMISSION TO EXECUTIVE COUNCIL FOR ADVICE AND HOPE THAT THIS DEBATE WILL ENCOURAGE THOSE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE NOT YET EXPRESSED THE IR VIEWS ON THE GREEN PAPER TO DO SO NOW.

+AS DR HO KAM-FAI, MRS RITA FAN AND SEVERAL OTHER MEMBERS HAVE STRESSED, IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE SPEAK UP ON THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER AND THAT ON THIS OCCASION WE DO NOT HAVE A 'SILENT MAJORITY'.

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+TO THIS END, THE GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN DOING ITS UTMOST TO STIMULATE PUBLIC DISCUSSION AND DEBATE ON THE PROPOSALS AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. TODAY, 145 000 COPIES OF THE GREEN PAPER

THIS IS A VERY LARGE, EVEN AMAZING, HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED. FOR AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION AND I'M ADVISED THAT THE LOCAL SHORTAGES - AND THEY WERE SHORT LIVED - HAVE BEEN OVERCOME. CERTAINLY ANY NUMBER CAN BE AND WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE ON DEMAND AT ALL THE USUAL CONTACT POINTS.

/+THE GOVERNMENT .....

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