WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17, 1991
CS EXPLAINS GOVERNMENT'S POSITION ON AIRPORT TALKS
*
THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR DAVID FORD, TODAY (WEDNESDAY) REASSURED MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT IT IS THE GOVERNMENT'S POSITION THAT IF AN UNDERSTANDING ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT CAN BE REACHED WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD WISH ΤΟ TELL THE COUNCIL AND THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG EXACTLY WHAT IT CONTAINS,
A GOOD DEAL HAD BEEN SAID IN THE DEBATE ABOUT THE CONTENTS OF THE TALKS BEING MADE PUBLIC, SAID THE CHIEF SECRETARY WHEN CONCLUDING THE MOTION DEBATE PROPOSED BY THE HON MARTIN LEE.
"WE, FOR OUR PART ARE NOT IN ANY WAY FRIGHTENED BY THAT PROSPECT. BUT AS WITH MOST DISCUSSIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS BOTH SIDES HAVE AGREED WHILST THE TALKS ARE IN PROGRESS THE CONTENTS SHOULD BE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL.
"THIS IS FOR THE SIMPLE REASON THAT, IF AT EACH STAGE THE DIFFERENCES STILL OUTSTANDING BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES WERE ΤΟ BE PUBLICISED IT WOULD OBVIOUSLY MAKE THE PROSPECT OF REACHING SATISFACTORY AGREEMENT THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT, SIR DAVID SAID.
+7
A
NOTING THAT MANY MEMBERS HAD REFERRED TO A LACK OF INFORMATION ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT, THE CHIEF SECRETARY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD, OF COURSE, MADE AVAILABLE A LARGE AMOUNT OF INFORMATION INCLUDING A NUMBER OF CONSULTANCY REPORTS FOR THE LEGCO GROUP CHAIRED BY THE HON STEPHEN CHEONG.
"WE HAVE FULLY BRIEFED THAT GROUP ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS.
"WE'VE HAD A FULL-SCALE DEBATE IN THIS CHAMBER WHICH RESULTED
IN AN OVERWHELMING SUPPORT FOR THE AIRPORT PROJECT.
"WE PARTICIPATED IN NUMEROUS PUBLIC SEMINARS FOR BUSINESSMEN, DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS, ENGINEERS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS,
M SIR DAVID SAID.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO EXPAND ITS INFORMATION PROGRAMME ON THE PROJECT, AND ALREADY IT HAD IN PREPARATION A LIBRARY OF PADS INFORMATION WHICH WOULD BE OPEN ΤΟ ANYONE IN HONG KONG.
ON THE SUGGESTION BY SOME MEMBERS THAT HONG KONG HAD HAD LITTLE OR NO INFLUENCE ON THE COURSE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE AIRPORT WHICH HAD BEEN TAKING PLACE IN PEKING, SIR DAVID SAID: "I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IN FACT, THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAVE BEEN FULLY ('ONSULTED AND INVOLVED AT EACH STAGE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS.'
TURNING TO THE PRINCIPLE THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN ADOPTING IN THE DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT ISSUE, SIR DAVID SAID HE WOULD LIKE TO REFER ΤΟ REMARKS MADE BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE DURING HIS RECENT VISIT TO PEKING.
/"HE SAID