Governor's transcript
The following is a transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, today (Tuesday) after visiting the Wu Oi Christian Centre in Sai Kung:
Governor: This is the second drug-related visit that I've made since the drug summit a few weeks ago. And I'll be making similar visits to this over the coming months and indeed years because I do want to continue to give priority to our efforts to combat drug abuse here in Hong Kong. The first visit I made was to one of the LEAP projects, one of the efforts to improve education for young people about substance abuse and drug abuse. I deliberately want to come to this Gospel-based rehabilitation centre as soon as possible because we are undertaking an objective, comprehensive review of what works best in the field of detoxification and rehabilitation. I don't think we can afford to have any hang-ups about individual programmes of rehabilitation, I think we want to have a detailed look of what works most effectively where we can best put our resources as a community not only in financial terms but in terms of voluntary activities and professional work as well. And I must say I am very impressed by what everybody is doing here, it's a very difficult but hugely important job. I'll be looking at more Gospel-based rehabilitation centres over the coming weeks and months. I would like to, once again, say how grateful I am to all those who run this centre, who've built it from nothing and who've made it work so successfully. One other thing I should say is that tomorrow I'll be tabling the amendments to a drug trafficking legislation in order to toughen up the measures against illicit profits from drugs and laundering money made from trading in drugs. We've got to remember all the time that there are of course two sides to the campaign against drugs. One is the positive measures that we have to take, the other is the negative measures that we must take as effectively as possible and to stop people who traffic in drugs and to deal with them as toughly as possible when we catch them. So two sides of the campaign and it's a campaign that I intend to continue to pursue as vigorously as possible.
Question: How can the Government maximise the facilities here......which is under- utilised by about half at the moment?