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Hong Kong has gone through an industrial restructuring, a move from being a primarily manufacturing economy to a primarily service based economy without any of the high unemployment or long-term unemployment or social upheaval that has occurred in other similar developing economies or other developed economies and I want to see us continue to apply those lessons here in Hong Kong. I'm told that it's not just manufacturing industry or the more sophisticated service industries which have been exported. I'm told that now the majority of the "dim sum" that are eaten in Hong Kong are actually made outside Hong Kong, are actually made in mainland China. When that is happening it's a reminder of the importance of us being competitive in every sector and that must be the principal priority of the Government. But I want to repeat something I said earlier. I recognise the real passionate concern that Honourable Members, like the Honourable Member who has asked the question, feel about unemployment even though unemployment by international standards is, thank god, reasonably low. That is no argument for complacency; it's every argument for the Administration listening carefully to people like the Honourable Member and trying to convince him and others that the approach we're taking is the right one.
Miss Christine Loh: Thank you, Mr President. Governor, I would like to ask you a question on the Court of Final Appeal, knowing that discussions are on-going. However, I think you are well aware that the last sitting of this Council is going to be I think on the 26th July. Today is the 1st June. Many Members here have not actually had the benefit of really scrutinising the existing draft and if you are successful in negotiating something with the Chinese then presumably there will be areas of amendment. What do you think is the last day you can bring a Bill to us giving us still sufficient time to scrutinise the Bill during this session?
Governor: That's a very fair question to which I'm going to respond at a level of generality which the Honourable Member may not regard as entirely satisfactory. Soon.
Miss Christine Loh: Well, Governor, I think we can kind of also work backwards. But even if you were to gazette the Bill, let's say next week, and we expedite the hearing process, I mean you know we are already talking about perhaps the second week of June, so with time for CSA and so on, at the very most you're not going to give us more than three or four weeks effectively, maybe four weeks, to look at the Bill, if you brought it next week. But since you gave me such a short answer, perhaps the President would allow another question for me to make up.
I'm wondering, in your attempts to go back to the negotiating table you've decided to accept rather than to say you would consider some of the suggestions by the Preliminary Working Committee. You certainly did not afford this Council the same courtesy of asking us. So I'm just wondering why you would accept the PWC's suggestions straightaway without ever bothering even to come to us to consult us?