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Mr Martin Lee: Supplementary, Mr President. Mr Governor, are you prepared to have a debate with me on this issue at a date and at a time and in a place and in a forum or your choice?
Governor: I've been happy to debate with many Members of this Council, though not in a head to head way but as the legislation goes through, I would be perfectly happy to argue my case and the Administration's case, in public, with the Honourable Member or other Honourable Members, anywhere. I feel very strongly about this though I had no direct part in negotiating the agreement. I think that it is incumbent upon me to do everything I possibly can to ensure that the rule of law and the institutions of the rule of law survive and prosper beyond 1997. I think the argument about the Court of Final Appeal is highly germane to this. I find it difficult to understand why some lawyers having taken the position they did in 1991, have so much difficulty in looking again at the arguments and the facts and coming to a different set of conclusions in the interests of Hong Kong. I think that some of the arguments that are put forward against going ahead with the Court of Final Appeal are very bad arguments indeed and having said that, in due course, I will be happy to debate with the Honourable Member. I'd be happy to debate with the head of his professional body or with any other lawyers or non-lawyers in Hong Kong. I happen to take the view that the law is so important that sometimes non-lawyers like me should be able to have a word about it.
Mr Albert Chan (through interpreter): Mr President, now Mr Governor, there are ten items for discussion for this session including slope safety, airport, Court of Final Appeal and so on. Now many items are awaiting solutions. Now Mr Governor, you have been in Hong Kong for quite a number of years and you have reported to your seniors in the UK and you've gone on overseas trips and you have been described as an "off-shore" Governor. Now many problems in Hong Kong are still outstanding; solutions to them are still awaited. So will you reduce your overseas trips so that you can spend more time to deal with Hong Kong issues? For example of the ten items for this session, one says slope safety. The rainy season is coming again, so what measures will be taken by the Administration to reduce the possibility of slope collapse so that Hong Kong people will have their lives and properties safeguarded?
Governor: The answer to the first question is a resounding no. I think it's an absolutely ridiculous question. I've actually travelled in two and a half years slightly less than my distinguished predecessor. Like my distinguished predecessor, the trips that I have made have been in the interests of Hong Kong. If when last year the Cabinet was discussing the negotiations with China about, for example, our electoral proposals, I hadn't gone back to join those Cabinet Committee Meetings, the Honourable Member and others would have been vociferous in their criticism of the fact. So I and the Chief Secretary and the Financial Secretary and other Hong Kong Government officials will continue to travel abroad when necessary. This is an international community and not to put the case about Hong Kong's future internationally would be a dereliction of duty and that's not something that I intend to be guilty of.