41
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1992
KIT CUMINGS: DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION?
QUESTION;
WELL, IT ANSWERS THE QUESTION BUT IT DOESN'T LEAVE ME VERY HAPPY, BECAUSE AS YOU KNOW, IN THE UNITED KINGDOM IN THE LIGHT OF THE RACE RELATIONS ACT, ANY IMMIGRATION OFFICER WHO ASKS SOMEBODY TO PROVE THEIR CAUCASIAN, INDIAN OR RACIAL ANCESTRY BEFORE OBTAINING SOME PRIVILEGE, WOULD LEAVE THAT IMMIGRATION OFFICER LIABLE TO ARREST. AND YET WE'RE SITTING AND PUTTING UP WITH THIS SITUATION YEAR ON YEAR HERE.
GOVERNOR:
WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU PROPOSE THAT WE DO WHEN WE'RE NEGOTIATING IN THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP? WHAT I WANT TO COME OFF WITH IS PROPOSALS WHICH ARE AS SATISFACTORY AS POSSIBLE FOR THE WHOLE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING THOSE WHO PERHAPS WEREN'T BORN IN HONG KONG OR PERHAPS HAVE A DIFFERENT PASSPORT, AREN'T REGARDED AS CHINESE CITIZENS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF VERY COMPLICATED ISSUES ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY IS MEANT BY NATIONHOOD OR CITIZENSHIP AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THOSE OUT IN A WAY WHICH WILL PROVIDE AN ACCEPTABLE LONG TERM SOLUTION. I UNDERSTAND YOUR ANXIETIES, THEY'VE BEEN PUT THROUGH A NUMBER OF FORA, INCLUDING I THINK SOME OF THE CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO EXPLORE THOSE ISSUES WITH THE AUTHORITIES.
CHINESE
QUESTION:
PERSON, AND
GOOD MORNING. I AM A PARENT OF A DISABLED MENTALLY HANDICAPPED. YESTERDAY, I HEARD IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS I LISTENED TO THE PART ABOUT SERVICES FOR SUCH PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE PRIORITY FOR THE ELDERLY, AND YET WE HAVE A GROUP OF CHILDREN, THEY ARE 16 ALREADY, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE NOW LIVING AT HOME. THERE ARE NO INSTITUTES THAT WILL TAKE CARE OF THEM. SO WHAT IS THE GOVERNOR'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS THEM?
GOVERNOR:
WELL, CAN I SAY STRAIGHT AWAY THAT YOU ARE IN FACT A MEMBER OF ONE OF THE GROUPS WHICH I REGARD AS QUITE PROPERLY HAVING PRIORITY IN OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMMES. I'VE BEEN GOING ROUND THE TERRITORY, YOU'LL PROBABLY KNOW, SPENDING DAYS HAVING A CLOSER LOOK AT SOME OF OUR SOCIAL PROBLEMS, SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WELL AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO BETTER, AND ONE OF THE EARLIEST DAYS THAT I SPENT WAS IN THE SOCIAL WELFARE SECTOR. I SAW RESIDENTIAL CARE, I SAW CARE AND ATTENTION HOMES, I SAW SHELTERED WORKSHOPS, I SAW FOR INSTANCE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE WITH THE HANDICAPPED AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE FOR THEM, THE MENTALLY HANDICAPPED. AT THE END OF THAT DAY I WAS TAKEN TO VISIT A FAMILY WHERE THERE WERE EIGHT CHILDREN, ONE OF WHOM WAS MENTALLY HANDICAPPED,
THE MOTHER WAS HAVING, OF COURSE, ENORMOUS DIFFICULTY YOU MAY BE IN THE SAME POSITION YOURSELF COPING WITH A MENTALLY HANDICAPPED SON WHO HAD NOW LEFT SCHOOL AND SHE WASN'T ABLE TO GET HIM A PLACE IN A SHELTERED WORKSHOP OR IN A DAY CENTRE.
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/NOW, I