TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1993
2
GOVERNOR SPEAKS TO REPORTERS
THE
THE GOVERNOR,
PATTEN, CHRISTOPHER HON RT
SPEAKS
то
REPORTERS AFTER VISITING TIN YIU AND TIN SHUI ESTATES TODAY (TUESDAY):
GOVERNOR
OUR NEWEST THIS IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST TOWNS AND ONE OF
VISIT COMMUNITIES AND I AM PLEASED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COME BACK AND
TRAIN, BUT I IT.
THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE A
SEE I WAS PARTICULARLY PLEASED TO HAVEN'T MANAGED TO DO THAT TODAY.
MOST EXCITING THE NEW HARMONY BLOCKS WHICH I THINK ARE ONE OF THE
ARE AUTHORITY'S PROGRAMME.
THEY HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PARTICULARLY GOOD FLATS AND I WAS PLEASED TO SEE HOW MUCH PLEASURE THE FROM THEIR NEW FAMILIES WHO'VE MOVED INTO THESE FLATS ARE GETTING HOMES.
YESTERDAY.WE
THE
A RATHER MORE JUST ONE THING WHICH I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON
ACTIVITY IS TAKING SOMBER NOTE. WE KNOW HOW MUCH NEW CONSTRUCTION
ONE. I PLACE IN HONG KONG TO BUILD HOMES AND COMMUNITIES LIKE THIS
AS SUPPOSE IT'S INEVITABLE THAT PEOPLE SHOULD WANT TO FINISH THE JOB
FOR TAKING QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BUT THAT'S NO ARGUMENT, NO EXCUSE RISKS, FOR CUTTING CORNERS, FOR PUTTING SAFETY AT PERIL. HAD ANOTHER FOUR FATAL ACCIDENTS IN DEVELOPMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. IN THREE CASES, NO SAFETY HARNESS WAS WORN, NO FOR THE LIFE LINE ATTACHED. WHAT THOSE FIGURES WHICH ARE SO TRAGIC
LIKE то FAMILIES AND FRIENDS OF THOSE CONCERNED MEAN, AND I
WHAT THOSE FIGURES MEAN IS OFFER MY CONDOLENCES TO THOSE FAMILIES, THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR NOW HAD 90 DEATHS THROUGH INDUSTRIAL ACCIDENTS, INDUSTRY. AND 74 OF THOSE DEATHS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSTRUCTION THOSE ARE ABSOLUTELY APPALLING FIGURES. THEY ARE MUCH HIGHER THAN FIGURES FOR 1992. THEY ARE NOT FIGURES WHICH WE SHOULD TOLERATE IN CIVILISED COMMUNITY, A SUCCESSFUL, DEVELOPED COMMUNITY LIKE HONG KONG, SO I WANT TO SAY ONCE AGAIN THAT WE WILL TAKE STERN ACTION WHEREVER WE WE ARE TOUGHENING UP SEE THE LAW ON INDUSTRIAL SAFETY BEING BROKEN.
WOULD
THE
A
THAT LAW AS WELL. BUT I DO WANT TO MAKE AN APPEAL TO EMPLOYERS AND TO IN EMPLOYEES, NOT LEAST ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILJES OF THE MEN WHO WORK
THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY,
INDUSTRY, I WANT TO MAKE AN APPEAL TO THEM EVERY PRECAUTION, TO BE SENSIBLE, NOT TO FORGET ABOUT SAFETY THE CONSEQUENCES OF FORGETTING ABOUT SAFETY ARE THE SORT OF THAT TRAGICALLY WE SAW AGAIN YESTERDAY.
TO TAKE BECAUSE ACCIDENTS
THE
SO CAN YOU MAKE ANY SENSE THE
QUESTION : AS MR LU PING HAS SAID THAT THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF 18TH ROUND OF TALK BECAUSE BRITAIN HAS PRONOUNCED THE
AND THE MESSAGE TO CHINA TO CONFIRM IF BRITAIN HAS DONE THAT THEM THINK THAT THE 17TH ROUND IS THE END OF THE TALKS IN AND SECOND UNDER WHAT CONDITIONS BRITAIN WILL RECONSIDER DELAYING TABLING OF THE BILL OF REFORM ?
/GOVERNOR