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TUESDAY, MAY 3, 1994
TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION
THE
BY THE
FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION GOVERNOR, THE HT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER VISITING THE STU SAI WAN ESTATE THIS (TUESDAY) AFTERNOON : –
IS
GOVERNOR: GOOD AFTERNOON. THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE VISITS THAT 1 MAKE REGULARLY TO HOUSING ESTATES. I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT HOUSING IS PROBABLY OF ALL SOCIAL LIVELIHOOD ISSUES, THE ONE THAT PEOPLE ARE MOST CONCERNED ABOUT HERE IN HONG KONG. IT'S STILL THE CASE THAT OVER HALF OF OUR POPULATION LIVE IN RENTED ACCOMMODATION, EITHER PUBLICLY-RENTED OR PRIVATELY-RENTED, AND CLEARLY, A MAIN CONCERN THAT PEOPLE HAVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A DECENT QUANTITY OF HIGH QUALITY AND AFFORDABLE RENTED ACCOMMODATION. SINCE THE AUTUMN OF 1992, WE'VE BEEN COMPLETING 146 FLATS A DAY WHICH IS MORE THAN THE TARGET OF 100 WHICH WE SET OURSELVES AND 1 AM DETERMINED THAT AS PART OF THE PROPOSALS THAT WE BRING FORWARD IN JUNE ON PROPERTY PRICE INFLATION, WE SHOULD INCLUDE PROPER HOUSING AUTHORITY PROVISION. IT 18, OF COURSE, TRUE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, THE 48 PERCENT WHO ARE OWNERS OF THEIR OWN PROPERTY AND THOSE WHO WISH TO BECOME OWNERS, PARTICULARLY BOTHERED ABOUT PROPERTY PRICE INFLATION AND THE PROPOSALS THAT WE BRING FORWARD IN JUNE WILL, OBVIOUSLY, BE DIRECTED TOWARDS THEIR CONCERNS. I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNISES THAT WHILE WE WANT TO DAMP DOWN THE MARKET, WH DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING WHICH UNDERMINES THE FUNDAMENTALS OF THE PROPERTY MARKET. SO, IT IS A DIFFICULT BALANCE ΤΟ STRIKE BUT ONE WHICH WE ARE DETERMINED TO GET RIGHT, BUT I REPEAT THAT IN ANY PROGRAMME OR MEASURES THAT WE BRING FORWARD ON PROPERTY PRICE INFLATION, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE DUR ACCOUNT OF THE CENTRAL ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, DO YOU FEEL. THAT MR LU PING IS QUITE LOW KEY WHILE IN HONG KONG THIS WEEK?
AS
GOVERNOR: I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR DIRECTOR LU'S PROGRAMME. BUT, HAVE SAID BEFORE, I HOPE THAT HE HAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL VISIT. 1 HOPE THAT HE MEETS AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AND HEARS AS MANY OPINIONS AN POSSIBLE. AND I HOPE THAT WHILE HE IS HERE, HE'LL HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS FOR PEOPLE.
QUESTION: ARK YOU DELIBERATELY TO MAKE YOUR SCHEDULE SO TIGHT THAT MINIMISE YOUR EMBARRASSMENT THAT YOU ARE NOT INVITED TO HIS...?
GOVERNOR: NO. SOME OF YOU HAVE SPENT A GOOD DEAL OF TIME OUT WITH MR ON VISITS LIKE THIS AND WE WILL KNOW THIS IS WHAT I DO WEEK AFTER WEEK AFTER WEEK AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND A BIT.
QUESTION: YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO TALK TO LU PING ABOUT HOUSING AND CIVIL SERVICE, BUT DO YOU HAVE A MESSAGE FOR HIM NOW ABOUT HOUSING AND CIVIL SERVICE?
/GOVERNOR: