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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1984
HOWE: PERHAPS YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO DEAL WITH THIS AT THE APPROPRIATE PLACE. WE TOOK PAINS TO ENSURE FIRST OF ALL, AND I'LL COME TO THIS POINT IN A SECOND, THAT THERE COULD BE NO POSSIBLE AMBIGUITY ABOUT WHAT THE GROUP'S FUNCTIONS WILL BE. IT WILL BE IN NO SENSE A SHADOW GOVERNMENT. THE AGREEMENT MAKES PLAIN THAT THE GROUP SHALL BE AN ORGAN OF LIAISON AND NOT AN ORGAN OF POWER THAT THE GROUP SHALL BE, IN THE CHINESE PHRASEOLOGY, AN ORGAN OF LIAISON AND NOT AN ORGAN OF POWER AND THAT THE GROUP SHALL TAKE NO PART IN THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG. THE AGREEMENT ALSO STATES EXPLICITLY THAT BRITAIN WILL REMAIN FULLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UNTIL 1997. AND LET US ASSURE THE HOUSE OF THE GOVERNMENT'S WHOLE-HEARTED COMMITMENT TO THE FULL EXERCISE OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES THROUGHOUT THAT PER LOD.
I COME BACK TO THE POINT RAISED BY MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND THE MEMBER FOR GUILDFORD, OF COURSE THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG WILL NEED TO BE PROPERLY REPRESENTED ON THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP. THE EXACT COMPOSITION OF THE GROUP HAS YET TO BE DETERMINED, BUT I SHOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT SURE THAT THE BRITISH DELEGATION WILL INCLUDE OFFICIALS FROM THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THAT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE THE FULLEST CONSULTATION WITH THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND I KNOW SO WITH OTHER REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THAT THE GROUP SHOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY THE KIND OF CONFIDENCE THAT IS ESSENTIAL IF IT IS TO CARRY OUT ITS ROLE PROPERLY.
RUSSELL JOHNSON (LIBERAL): ARE YOU SAYING THAT WHILE THERE WILL BE OFFICIALS OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT ON THE BRITISH SIDE OF THE LIAISON GROUP, THERE WILL BE NO UNOFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES ? IS THAT CORRECT ?
HOWE: IF THE HON. GENTLEMAN WOULD LOOK AT THE PROVISIONS ABOUT THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP ITSELF IS A DIPLOMATIC GROUP - I'M LOOKING AT ANNEXE TWO TO THE JOINT DECLARATION, PAGE 25 OF THE WHITE PAPER... THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP SHALL ENJOY DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES. IT IS IN FACT A DIPLOMATIC GROUP AND THERE IS PROVISION FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THAT KIND TO THE GROUP. BUT OF COURSE IT IS IMPORTANT THAT AS THE GROUP DOES ITS WORK, NO DOUBT WORKING THROUGH A VARIETY OF METHODS AS TIME GOES BY, THERE IS FULL REPRESENTATION OF THE VIEWPOINT OF THE HK PEOPLE. IT'S A POINT THAT HAS OF COURSE BEEN RAISED WITH ME IN A NUMBER OF PLACES. THE GROUP ITSELF IS AS I'VE DESCRIBED IT. BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT THAT WE SHOULD TAKE SUFFICIENT ACCOUNT, AS I HOPE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, DURING OUR NEGOTIATIONS THUS FAR, THAT AS THE GROUP'S WORK INTENSIFIES, OF COURSE THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT.
MR ROBERT ADLEY (CONSERVATIVE) 15 HE SAYING THAT THE JLG WILL REMAIN AS IT IS PRESENTLY INTENDED TO REMAIN THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD OF 12 YEARS OR SO, THAT IT IS NOT IN FACT IN ANY WAY GOING TO EVOLVE ... IT WILL REMAIN, IN HIS OWN WORDS, A PURELY DIPLOMATIC BODY.
/HOWE: THE ....