11
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1993
MRS PEGGY LAM (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR GOVERNOR, ORIGINALLY I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU BUT I HAVE READ THE LIST AND I UNDERSTAND THAT AS A FEMALE LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLOR IF I DIDN'T ASK THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION OTHER FEMALE COLLEAGUES MIGHT NOT HAVE THE CHANCE BECAUSE MS ANNA WU IS ABOUT TEN NAMES BEHIND ME SO I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THIS PARTICULAR QUESTION. MR GOVERNOR, IN YOUR POLICY ADDRESS IN PARAGRAPH 114 YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE STATUS OF WOMEN AND ABOUT CEDAW (CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN),
ABOUT WHETHER THIS SHOULD BE INTRODUCED INTO HONG KONG. MR GOVERNOR YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE POSITIVELY CONSIDERING THE VIEWS OF LEGCO AND THE PUBLIC ON THIS POINT BUT A LOT OF WOMEN'
'S RIGHTS ASSOCIATIONS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT A WOMEN'S COMMISSION SHOULD BE SET UP AND YOU'VE MENTIONED NOTHING ABOUT THIS. DOES THAT MEAN THAT MR GOVERNOR YOU DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT IS NECESSARY FOR US TO HAVE SUCH A COMMISSION? IF NOT, THEN HOW WOULD YOU SUPPORT THE SETTING UP OF THIS WOMEN'S COMMISSION? THANK YOU.
REPLY
IT'S A
CHINA, THERE
THE GOVERNOR: I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THE GOVERNMENT'S DEFINITIVE TO THE CONSULTATION EXERCISE ON THE GREEN PAPER THIS AFTERNOON. AS I SAID YESTERDAY IN THE SAME PARAGRAPH, AND IF I CAN SAY IN PASSING, I THINK THE DECLARATION OF SISTERHOOD AT THE OUTSET OF THE HONOURABLE MEMBER'S QUESTION WAS IMPORTANT. I POINTED OUT YESTERDAY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO RESPOND IN PARTICULAR TO THE ARGUMENTS WHICH HAVE BEEN LOUDLY AND FREQUENTLY EXPRESSED BY THIS COUNCIL AND HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED OUTSIDE FOR HONG KONG TO ACCEDE TO THE CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN OR CEDAW. LEGCO PASSED A MOTION ON THIS I THINK LAST DECEMBER. CONVENTION WHICH ALREADY APPLIES TO THE UNITED KINGDOM AND TO BOTH THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE SOVEREIGN POWERS AND I DARE SAY ARE GOING TO BE VERY MANY MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL WHO WILL SAY, "WELL, IF IT APPLIES TO BRITAIN AND CHINA WHY CAN'T IT APPLY TO HONG KONG?" WITHOUT DOTTING I'S AND CROSSING T ́S ANYMORE THAN THAT, I WOULD SAY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE ACCOUNT OF THOSE PERSUASIVE ARGUMENTS WHEN WE RESPOND TO THE COUNCIL IN THE NEW YEAR. I REGARD THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A WOMEN'S COMMISSION AS BEING A RATHER SEPARATE ISSUE JUST AS I REGARD THE QUESTION OF A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION AS BEING A RATHER SEPARATE ISSUE ΤΟ THAT OF WHETHER YOU HAVE A BILL OF RIGHTS. MY POSITION ON A WOMEN'S COMMISSION IS RATHER SIMILAR TO MY POSITION ON A HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, I AM NOT IN FAVOUR OF SETTING UP COMMISSIONS UNLESS THEY HAVE A GOOD PURPOSE, UNLESS THEY'VE GOT A PROPER AGENDA AND A PROPER ROLE TO PERFORM AND WE WILL HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT ARGUMENT WHEN WE ARE CONSIDERING THE RESPONSES TO OUR GREEN PAPER.
MR KK FUNG (THROUGH INTERPRETER): MR PRESIDENT VIA YOU I WOULD LIKE ΤΟ ASK THE GOVERNOR A QUESTION. IN THE POLICY ADDRESS THE GOVERNOR SEEMS TO HAVE PAID PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY IN THE CHAPTERS ON A SECURE OLD AGE AND HE MENTIONED THAT THERE WILL BE HOUST G AND SOME MORE ALLOWANCES FOR THE ELDERLY PEOPLE AND THERE WILL BE * RE WELFARE MEASURES FOR THEM. AND I THINK THAT I FIND THE CLEAREST DIRECTION HERE, AND I THINK THE DIRECTION HERE IS VERY CORRECT. BUT SO MANY DEPARTMENTS WILL BE IN CHARGE AND THIS GIVES AN IMPRESSION THAT THERE IS NOT MUCH CO-ORDINATION. SO MR GOVERNOR ABOUT THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY I WONDER WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION CAN CONSIDER A PARTICULAR INSTITUTION, FOR EXAMPLE, A CENTRAL COMMITTEE ON THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY WHICH IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE TO THE ADMINISTRATION SO THAT IT CAN FORMULATE THE ELDERLY CARE POLICY AND SO THAT IT CAN EXECUTE THE POLICY. THANK YOU.
US
/THE GOVERNOR: