7.
Question: One of the cargo franchises goes to HAECO. Do you expect that Jardine will get the CT-9 agreement settled?
Governor: I think the allocation of the franchises has underlined the way we do business in Hong Kong. We've gone about it in the usual way, fair, open, clean, with proper competition between firms and the ones that were offering the best deal have" won and I hope we can do business in exactly the same way with the other franchises on the airport. But I would like to congratulate the negotiators who have had a very long and grinding series of talks. I'm obviously sorry that it's taken over four years to get this agreement and there are a lot of other agreements that we've still got to reach,20 so while it's encouraging to have got this and to have got the franchise, we've still got a lot more work to do and the people of Hong Kong expect us to get on with that work as rapidly and energetically and constructively as possible.
Question: What do you expect the JLG talks that's coming next week?
1.
Governor: The JLG has a lot of big issues on the agenda. I don't think that with what I know of the situation, I don't think we are going to see an avalanche of agreements at next week's JLG meeting. I hope I'm proved wrong. But as you know, we're very constructive and trying to co-operate and I hope that the Chinese officials will come to the party as well. What I think we'll be looking for most of all next week is a sign of a more constructive atmosphere that will help us in the expert talks that take place between JLG meetings to make a lot more progress over the coming months.
Question: What is wrong with Mrs Patten today? What's wrong with her leg?
Mrs Patten: I sprained my ankle walking down the stairs.
Governor: Not playing tennis or anything, she was taking the dogs out for a walk.
Question: In Government House?
Governor: In Government House. She missed her step.
Mrs Patten: But I'm on the mend.
End/Friday, June 30, 1995