THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992
GOVERNOR:
I THINK THE HONOURABLE MEMBER RAISES AN EXTREMELY IMPORTANT POINT, A POINT WHICH IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY IN HONG KONG BUT IN OTHER COMMUNITIES AS WELL. I THINK THAT IT
IS, ALAS, OBSERVABLY THE FACT THAT INCREASINGLY, CRIME IS COMMITTED BY YOUNGER PEOPLE ELSEWHERE AND ALL TOO OFTEN WE'VE SEEN THE SAME THING, I KNOW FROM LOOKING AT THE FIGURES, IN HONG KONG AS WELL. I HOPE THAT THE PROPOSALS THAT WE'VE MADE ON EDUCATION WILL AT LEAST HELP TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS MENTIONED BUT I RECOGNISE THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WAYS IN WHICH NOT ONLY EDUCATION, NOT ONLY THE PARENTAL ROLE, BUT ALSO OUR YOUTH SERVICES AND OUR SOCIAL WORKERS CAN CONTRIBUTE.
IF I MAY SAY SO, THERE IS ANOTHER WAY IN WHICH TO CONTRIBUTE AND IN WHICH THE COMMUNITY IS CONTRIBUTING IN DEALING WITH THE PROBLEM AND THAT IS BY TRYING TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS AS GOOD AND CO-OPERATIVE A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR EXCELLENT POLICE FORCE AND YOUNG PEOPLE. I WENT ON WHAT HAS FOR ME BEEN THE HOTTEST DAY OF THE SUMMER, TO THE POLICE CALL CAMP AND SAW THERE PROBABLY THE BEST EXAMPLE IN THE WORLD OF YOUNG PEOPLE AND THE POLICE ENJOYING THEMSELVES TOGETHER, AND YOUNG PEOPLE LEARNING A GREAT DEAL IN THE PROCESS. SO I HOPE THROUGH COMMUNITY INITIATIVES LIKE THAT, AND IN OTHER WAYS, WE CAN HELP TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM. BUT IF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER HAS ANY PARTICULAR IDEAS WHICH SHE WOULD LIKE US TO FOLLOW THROUGH, I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO EXAMINE THEM.
-
MR JIMMY MCGREGOR:
GOVERNOR, I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ABOUT THE AIRPORT IT WAS BOUND TO COME UP. I THINK HONG KONG HAS TRIED VERY HARD TO MEET THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND SEVERAL TIMES MAJOR PROPOSALS HAVE BEEN PUT TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BY THE CHINESE WHICH HAVE BEEN ACCEPTED, BROADLY, BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WHICH HAS THEN GONE BACK TO CHINA AND AGREED BASICALLY BUT ADDED SOME FURTHER POINTS. AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T HAVE ANY AGREEMENT ON THE AIRPORT FROM THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHEK LAP KOK SITE. WHAT I SHOULD LIKE TO ASK IS: IF IN THE VERY BAD SITUATION WHERE WE DO NOT HAVE AGREEMENT WITHIN A PARTICULAR LENGTH OF TIME, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE BUILDING PROGRESS ON THE AIRPORT? DO WE REACH A POINT IN TIME WHERE CONTRACTS HAVE TO BE STOPPED, THE WORKERS HAVE ΤΟ BE LAID DOWN, LAID OFF, THE CONTRACTS WILL HAVE TO BE RE- NEGOTIATED OR COMPENSATION DEMANDED BY PEOPLE WHO ALREADY HAVE CONTRACTS AND SO ON? DO WE REACH A POINT IN TIME WHERE YOU AS GOVERNOR AND AS GOVERNMENT CANNOT TAKE THE AIRPORT PROPOSAL FURTHER FORWARD?
GOVERNOR:
WE CERTAINLY REACH A TIME WHEN WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK FAIRLY RADICALLY AT THE OPTIONS IN TAKING THE PROJECT FORWARD. FOR EXAMPLE, WHETHER RATHER THAN TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING, WE SHOULD AGREE TO FINANCE WHAT WE CAN OURSELVES BETWEEN NOW AND 1997 AND THEN LEAVE OTHER MATTERS TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SAR GOVERNMENT. IF WE WERE TO ARRIVE AT THAT SITUATION, THEN THE ADMINISTRATION WOULD HAVE ΤΟ COME TO THIS COUNCIL IN ORDER TO HAVE PARTICULAR PROJECTS FUNDED, SO THE ROLE OF THE COUNCIL IN ANY DEVELOPMENT OR NECESSARY SHIFT IN OUR POLICY, WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL.
/PERHAPS I