- 1 -
Governor's transcript
The following is a transcript of the media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after visiting the Regional Services Department today (Wednesday):
Governor: I very much enjoy my visit to the Regional Services Department. I'm gradually visiting all the different branches of the civil service as well as continuing my visits to district boards and I was pleased today to have a briefing from the Regional Services Department and see for myself some of the services which they provide, particularly this leisure facilities and the covered market there. I was very pleased to have such a cheerful reception at the covered market, to get so many flowers. You have got some flowers for me?
Question: Can you answer some questions?
Governor: As ever, the Governor of Hong Kong always answers questions in Hong Kong, in Macau, everywhere.
Question: Can you confirm that there is a Government source said that the possibility to table the legislation of Court of Final Appeal to the Legislative Council in the next session is not excluded. Is it true?
Governor: I don't think you expect me to comment on what you say an unnamed Government source may have said. Our position is absolutely clear. You know the timetable for setting up the court. That hasn't changed at all. You also know that Chinese officials have had a copy of our Bill, faithfully implementing the 1991 agreement, for over a year. You know that as a gesture of our sincerity and our commitment to establishing the court, we responded very positively to the PWC suggestions the other day, at least to all those that were in line with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and I hope that will mean that the next round of expert talks go smoothly and produce agreement. That's what we all want to see. We haven't been looking for an argument. We've trying to implement an agreement. It's obviously best if we can go ahead on the basis of a continuing consensus within the community and with the officials from Chinese.
Question: When is the next meeting?