FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 1986
1986, A YEAR FOR LISTENING, SAYS CS
****
THIS YEAR IS A YEAR OF LISTENING IN PREPARATION FOR THE 1987 REVIEW, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
SPEAK ING TO REPORTERS AFTER OFFICIATING AT THE LAYING-OFF CEREMONY OF A SEWAGE OUTFALL IN JUNK BAY, HE SAID IT WAS TOO EARLY TO SAY YET WHAT WOULD BE IN THE REVIEW SINCE IT WAS STILL 18 MONTHS AWAY.
THIS IS A YEAR IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE LISTENING TO THE OPINIONS WHICH ARE BEING EXPRESSED VERY WIDELY IN HONG KONG, COLLATING AND COLLECTING THEM, AND DISCUSSING THEM WITH PEOPLE, HE SAID.
+AND OF COURSE, THIS IS A YEAR IN WHICH THE CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE ON THE BASIC LAW WILL ALSO BE WORKING.
+SO THIS YEAR IS REALLY A YEAR OF LISTENING, HE SAID.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION, HE DESCRIBED AS +SPECULATIVE+ REPUKT THAT THE 1987 REVIEW WOULD ONLY CONCENTRATE ON THE ROLE AND STRUCTURE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, AND THAT IT WOULD NOT TOUCH ON ISSUES SUCH AS THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNOR,
IF THE PUBLIC WISH TO DISCUSS THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL THE PUBLIC WILL DISCUSS THE POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,+ HE ADDED.
IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON THE LIKELY OUTCOME OF THE REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO THE UK GOVERNMENT OVER THE BN(0) PASSPORT ISSUE, SIR DAVID SAID HE COULD NOT SAY EXACTLY WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD DECIDE.
+BUT I AM QUITE SURE THAT THOSE REPRESENTATIONS WILL BE GIVEN VERY FULL AND DETAILED CONSIDERATION,+ HE SAID.
+
+BUT THEY DO, AS I SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL EARLIER THIS WEEK, GIVE RISE TO IMPORTANT MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE - AND THEY ARE QUITE DIFFICULT MATTERS OF PRINCIPLE BECAUSE THEY INVOLVE NOT ONLY HONG KONG BUT A WHOLE RANGE OF PROBLEMS - AND THEREFORE THEY WILL REQUIRE DETAILED CONSIDERATION BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.+
ASKED TO ELABORATE ON THESE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS, SIR DAVID SAID THE THREE ISSUES WHICH WERE RAISED IN THE LETTER BY MISS LYDIA DUNN WERE ALL IMPORTANT QUESTIONS OF PRINCIPLE AND +CURRENT BRITISH POLICY HAS TO EE LOOKED AT IN RELATION TO THOSE ISSUES WHICH HAVE BEEN RAISED+,
/ON 245