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THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1994
I WANT ΤΟ REPEAT ONCE AGAIN THAT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF OUR SCHEME IS THAT THERE SHOULD BE AN ABSOLUTELY IRON- LINK BETWEEN CONTRIBUTIONS PUT IN AND BENEFITS TAKEN OUT AND THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH I BELIEVE, IN THE INTEREST OF PRUDENCE, WE HAVE ΤΟ STAND BY. I'VE SEEN TODAY THE WORK THAT THE FIRE SERVICE IS DOING IN ORDER TO GIVE US MORE SECURITY. I'VE SEEN THE WORK THAT ORBIS IS DOING IN ORDER, PARTICULARLY WITH THE ELDERLY BUT WITH OTHERS AS WELL, TO GIVE GREATER HELP. I THINK THAT OUR PENSION SCHEME PROVIDES GREATER SECURITY AND IT PROVIDES MORE HELP TO THOSE WHO REALLY NEED IT. WE DO, AS A COMMUNITY, HAVE OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES TOWARDS OUR OLDER CITIZENS WHO'VE CREATED THIS EXTRAORDINARY ECONOMIC MIRACLE AND I HOPE THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND MONTHS, WE WILL CONCLUDE THAT WE SHOULD DELIVER ON THOSE OBLIGATIONS AND INTRODUCE A COMPREHENSIVE SCHEME.
QUESTION: MR PATTEN, WILL YOU DISCUSS WITH JOHN MAJOR THE HONG KONG ISSUE DURING YOUR VACATION BREAK?
GOVERNOR: YES.
QUESTION: AND IN WHAT SCOPE?
GOVERNOR: I'LL BE SAYING A FEW WORDS TOMORROW ABOUT MY TRIP TO UNITED KINGDOM. I'LL CERTAINLY BE SEEING JOHN MAJOR PROBABLY ON MONDAY BUT I'LL CONFIRM THAT FOR YOU TOMORROW.
QUESTION: HOW ABOUT THE CHINESE SIDE TOLD MR GOODLAD THAT THE APPOINTMENT OF THE HIGHER-RANK CIVIL SERVANTS IN HONG KONG ENTIRELY INTERNAL MATTERS FOR CHINA AND THE SAR GOVERNMENT? EXTENT DO YOU THINK THAT THAT STAND WILL AFFECT THE SMOOTH TRANSITION OF THE CIVIL SERVICE?
ΤΟ WHAT
GOVERNOR: I DON'T THINK THAT'S, AS I RECALL FROM THE NOTES OF THE MEETINGS OF THAT ISSUE, ACTUALLY CAME UP. I DON'T THINK MR GOODLAD RAISED IT. HE DID TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE. I THINK THAT'S AN OBJECTIVE, THAT WE ALL SHARE BUT 1'VE SEEN ONE OR TWO SPECULATIVE ACCOUNTS OF WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SAID WHICH DON'T BEAR ANY RESEMBLANCE, I THINK, TO WHAT ACTUALLY TOOK PLACE.
J
QUESTION: MANY LEGISLATORS SAID THAT
MR GOODLAD'S VISIT, THERE WAS NO IMPROVED SINO-BRITISH RELATIONSHIP. WOULD IT IN A WAY AFFECT THE TALKS ON THE NEW AIRPORT'S FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS, ANY PROGRESS NOW IN THE TALKS?
GOVERNOR: I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IT WILL HELP TO SPEED UP THOSE TALKS BECAUSE THERE IS VERY LITTLE, AS 1 UNDERSTAND IT, BETWEEN THE TWO SIDES. I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO REACH AGREEMENT IF THE CHINESE SIDE IS SINCERE AND WANTS TO REACH AN AGREEMENT VERY QUICKLY. 1 HOPE WE CAN DO THAT. I WISH TO THINK IT'S BETTER EVEN WHEN YOU DISAGREEMENTS TO TALK TO PEOPLE RATHER THAN NOT TALK TO PEOPLE AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE VIEW OF MOST OF THE WORLD AND I CERTAINLY THINK IT'S THE VIEW OF THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG.
HAVE
/QUESTION: