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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1985
+AS THE POLITICAL ADVISER SAID WHEN HE CAME BACK, WHAT THEY WERE DOING WAS HAVING A DISCUSSION ON ALL THE TECHNICAL PROBLEMS IN THE HOPE THAT THERE WILL BE POSITIVE RESULTS FROM THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP, HE SAID.
ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE LIKELY OUTCOME OF THE SINO-BRITISH AIR TALKS IN LONDON, SIR EDWARD SAID THE TALKS WERE NOW IN PROGRESS, AND THAT + IT WOULD BE A LITTLE RISKY OF ME TO TRY TO PREDICT EXACTLY WHAT WILL HAPPEN.
+BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR MORE SERVICES PARTICULARLY BETWEEN HERE AND THE MAINLAND, BECAUSE WE THINK THE TRAFFIC IS THERE TO SUSTAIN IT. SO I'M HOPING FOR SOME POSITIVE RESULTS OUT OF THESE TALKS.+
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER THE THIRD UNIVERSITY WOULD BE LIKE THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WHICH COMPRISED SEVERAL COLLEGES, SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD JUST STARTED PLANNING IT, +SO I DON'T THINK WE WANT TO COME TO ANY CONCLUSIONS YET AS TO EXACTLY WHAT FORM IT WOULD TAKE.
+BUT YOU CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE'LL GET ON WITH IT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. YOU'VE PROBABLY GATHERED BY MY PRESENCE HERE THIS AFTERNOON THAT EDUCATION IS ONE OF THE SUBJECTS WHICH I PAY MOST ATTENTION TO,+ HE NOTED.
ASKED HOW ACTIVELY THE GOVERNMENT WAS PLANNING FOR THE THIRD UNIVERSITY AS IT HAD BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS, SIR EDWARD SAID: + I'VE JUST ANNOUNCED IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO THAT THE PLANNING IS BEGINNING, AND I DON'T THINK THAT YOU SHOULD TAKE IT THAT WE HAVEN'T BEEN DOING SOME THINKING ABOUT IT.
+THE FIRST PART OF THE PLAN OF UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WAS EXPANDING EXISTING UNIVERSITIES, WAS MAKING FULL USE OF THE FACILITIES WHICH EXIST ALREADY. AND THEN, NOW THAT WE HAVE UNFORESEEN RESOURCES, IT IS MOVING ON TO THE THIRD UNIVERSITY.+
SIR EDWARD ADDED THAT HONG KONG HAD MADE VERY
CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS IF ONE PUT TOGETHER THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS JOINING THE UNIVERSITIES AND POLYTECHNICS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
ASKED WHETHER THE PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE SCHEME OF THE CHINESE UNIVERSITY WAS A WASTE OF PUBLIC RESOURCES, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT WAS WHAT HE CALLED A LOADED QUESTION+.
HE ADDED THAT SIXTH FORM EDUCATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT FROM SIXTH FORM EDUCATION WAS UNDER STUDY BY THE EDUCATION COMMISSION.
+WE SHOULD BE WAITING CAREFULLY AND WE SHOULD BE STUDYING CAREFULLY WHAT THEY PRODUCE, HE SAID.
ASKED TO OUTLINE SOME OF THE OPTIONS OF THE REDRESS SYSTEM WHICH HE MENTIONED WHEN HE ADDRESSED THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, SIR EDWARD SAID YOU WILL FIND THAT THE OPTIONS WILL BE DESCRIBED WHEN WE PRODUCE THE DISCUSSION DOCUMENT.
/+AND IF