10
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 1992
ONE
THE
OF
GOVERNOR:
IN THE DAYS WHEN I USED TO ACTUALLY SIT IN AS PRESIDENT OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, I USED TO SAY TO PEOPLE WOULD THEY PLEASE ASK SIMPLE SINGLE QUESTIONS AND NOT DOUBLE-BARRELLED OR TRIPLE- BARRELLED. I'LL TRY TO DEAL WITH ALL THOSE. I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY READ THROUGH THE REMARKS BY MR ZHOU NAN ON THE OUTCOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS ON RTHK. MY WISH WOULD BE A VERY SIMPLE ONE, AND THIS IS NOT MEANT TO BE AN OVERLY BRIEF ANSWER. IT IS SIMPLY THAT THERE WOULD BE BETTER UNDERSTANDING AS A RESULT OF WHAT OUR INTENTIONS ARE, AND THAT'S THE OBJECTIVE OF IT. YOUR SECOND, UDHK, YES I HAVE GOT A MEETING WITH SOME OF UDHK TOMORROW. I DON'T KNOW WHAT SUGGESTIONS THEY ARE GOING TO MAKE TO ME, EXCEPT FROM LISTENING TO THE MEDIA, AND SO I WOULDN'T. ANSWER THEM BEFORE THEY HAVE MADE ANY PROPOSALS TO ME. BUT THE SORT OF GENERAL POINT I WOULD MAKE ABOUT THE BUDGET AND AMENDING BUDGET, OR MOTIONS TO AMEND THE BUDGET, UNDER THE STANDING ORDERS THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, IF THERE IS ANY AMENDMENT WHICH COSTS MONEY ΤΟ THE PUBLIC PURSE, SO IT REMOVES MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC PURSE, THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR PERSONALLY, IN OTHER WORDS IT IS SOMETHING WHICH IS VERY UNUSUAL INDEED AND WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SPECIAL REASONS. NOW I WON'T GIVE AN ANSWER TO WHATEVER THEY ASK ME UNTIL THEY HAVE ACTUALLY ASKED ME, BUT THAT'S A GENERAL POINT I THINK WORTH MAKING. YOUR OTHER POINT WAS AUDITING THE ACCOUNTS. HONG KONG HAS FINANCIAL AUTONOMY AT THE MOMENT, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF STRUCTURE OF HONG KONG. WE RUN OUR OWN FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC AFFAIRS. THERE IS NO AUDITING FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM, THERE IS NO NEED AND THERE IS NO CONSULTATION WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM ON SOMETHING LIKE PREPARING A BUDGET, FOR INSTANCE. HONG KONG SAR, AFTER 1997, LOOKS AFTER ITS OWN FINANCES AND ECONOMY, A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE JOINT DECLARATION. I THINK BOTH OF THOSE THINGS SHOW THAT AUTONOMY AND FINANCIAL MATTERS FOR HONG KONG IS CRUCIAL AND THAT I DON'T THINK MEANS THAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE SOMETHING LIKE AUDITORS COMING IN TO LOOK AT THE BOOKS. THE BOOKS ARE TO BE LOOKED AT BY HONG KONG.
QUESTION:
LORD WILSON, FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION ABOUT TEXTILES. YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WELCOME THE SORT OF VICE-MINISTER ΤΟ VISIT HONG KONG. I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO THE VICE-MINISTER OF THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY WHEN HE CAME HERE HE HAD DIFFICULTIES IN OBTAINING A VISA AND THE HONG KONG SECTION OF THE TEXTILE INSTITUTE HAS TO SPONSOR HIS VISIT HERE AND WE EXERT A LOT OF EFFORT IN OBTAINING A VISA TO ENABLE HIM TO COME TO VISIT HONG KONG. THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY IS A VERY IMPORTANT SECTOR AND THE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE TWO REGIONS IS VERY IMPORTANT ON THIS ISSUE. CAN YOU TELL ME WHY IT WAS SO DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN A VISA FOR HIM. SECONDLY, YOU HAVE KINDLY ADDRESSED US ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS HONG KONG HAD MADE DURING THE PAST FIVE YEARS UNDER YOUR GOVERNORSHIP. NOW, CAN YOU LIST SOME OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS HONG KONG SHOULD ACHIEVE IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS?
GOVERNOR:
THOSE ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT QUESTIONS. I'LL TRY. ON THE FIRST ONE, AND I SAID, INCIDENTIALLY, I'D WELCOME MINISTERS AS WELL AS VICE-MINISTERS, AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE MINISTERS DEALING WITH TEXTILES. I DON'T KNOW WHY ANY VICE-MINISTER SHOULD HAVE A PROBLEM GETTING A VISA HERE. CAN I JUST ASK YOU IN RETURN WHEN THIS WAS, HOW MANY YEAR'S AGO?
QUESTION:
ABOUT FOUR YEARS.
/GOVERNOR: