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MR MAUDE: WELL I HAVEN'T BEEN ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THAT IT WILL MAKE IT THROUGH THE HOUSE, I BELIEVE IT WILL, I BELIEVE THE ARGUMENTS ARE PERSUASIVE, AND I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY WILL SUPPORT IT. BUT NO MINISTER CAN EVER TAKE PARLIAMENT FOR GRANTED, THAT IS THE THING ABOUT ELECTED ASSEMBLIES, I THINK THE ARGUMENTS THAT WE HAVE, AND THAT HONG KONG HAS PUT FORWARD, WILL CARRY THE DAY. SO FAR AS PUBLIC OPINION IS CONCERNED, I THINK THAT ALL OF US HAVE FOUND THAT THIS HASN'T IN FACT BEEN A VERY HIGH PROFILE ISSUE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM SINCE WE MADE THE PROPOSALS BACK IN DECEMBER. IT HAS BEEN IN WESTMINSTER, AMONG CERTAIN PEOPLE, BUT NOT IN THE COUNTRY AT LARGE. AND I THINK THERE AREN'T, IN THE COUNTRY AT LARGE, VERY STRONG VIEWS HELD IN EITHER DIRECTION BY MORE THAN A RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBER OF PEOPLE. BUT I BELIEVE THE ARGUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN USED BY THE GOVERNMENT, WHICH HAVE BEEN USED BY HONG KONG, WILL BE PERSUASIVE WITH, I BELIEVE, A MAJORITY OF MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.
NORMAN
REES: IT HAS BEEN AN EMOTIVE ISSUE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS, AND GIVEN THATCHER'S VERY POOR POLITICAL STANDING AT THE MOMENT, WHAT WILL YOU BE SAYING TO THOSE TORY MP'S ON THE SIDE ON THIS ISSUE FOLLOWING YOUR VISIT HERE?
MR MAUDE: WELL I SHALL MAKE TWO POINTS TO THEM. ONE IS THERE IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL BRITISH INTEREST IN HONG KONG, AND SO IT IS NOT JUST A QUESTION OF US MEETING OUR OBLIGATIONS TO A COLONY TO DO WHAT WE CAN FOR ITS STABILITY AND PROSPERITY, ALTHOUGH THAT'S THE SECOND ARGUMENT WE SHALL PUT, BUT THERE IS ACTUALLY ALSO A VERY DISTINCT SELF-INTEREST HERE FOR BRITAIN, IN ENSURING THAT THIS TERRITORY, IN WHICH THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF BRITISH INVESTMENT, WHICH IS A SUBSTANTIAL MARKET FOR BRITISH GOODS AND SERVICES, THAT IT REMAINS SUCCESSFUL.
SIMON MACKLIN (SCMP): MR MAUDE, SINCE YOU SAY THAT YOU ARE NOT ABSOLUTELY CONFIDENT THE BILL WILL PASS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU HAVE PLANNED THAT BRITAIN MIGHT DO FOR HONG KONG IN CASE THE BILL ISN'T PASSED?
MR MAUDE: WELL I'M NOT GOING TO PRE-EMPT THE DECISION OF PARLIAMENT, I BELIEVE THAT PARLIAMENT WILL SUPPORT THE MEASURE, AND WE SHALL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO PERSUADE OUR COLLEAGUES IN PARLIAMENT THAT IT SHOULD PASS.
ELSE?
SIMON MACKLIN: IS THIS ALL YOU HAVE TO OFFER? THERE IS NOTHING
MR MAUDE: WELL I AM GOING TO TAKE IT ONE STEP AT A TIME. WE'VE GOT A JOB TO DO IN GETTING THIS MEASURE THROUGH PARLIAMENT, MRS THATCHER HAS A VERY CONSIDERABLE PERSONAL COMMITMENT TO HONG
KONG, SHE'S DETERMINED THAT IT SHOULD GET THROUGH, AND WE SHALL ALL DO WE CAN TO GET IT THROUGH.
WHAT
NORMAN REES (ITN): WHY IS IT THEN MR MAUDE THAT YOU SAY WON'T RESIGN IF SHE LOSES THE VOTE ON THIS, THAT SHE
SHE
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