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Dr Conrad Lam (through interpreter): Mr President, Mr Governor, I'm sure that you understand that the senior Government officials are coming under tremendous pressure, mainly because of the objection from China to the measures taken by Mr Chris Patten. Will Mr Patten be doing anything in future to help the Government officials to reduce the pressure? For example, will the Governor be lowering his profile in the Government hierarchy? Say, for instance, in the next Legislative year, will you be asking the Chief Secretary to sit up there to answer Members' questions?
Governor: I think the Chief Secretary has enough to fill her 24 hour day without taking on additional responsibilities, but what the Honourable Member will know I've been saying for at least 18 months, is that the closer we got to 1997, the more I would wish to delegate responsibilities and authority to my senior officials and the more I would want to bring them on and involve them, not only in the decision-making of Hong Kong but in the presentation of the Administration's policies to the public of Hong Kong. That not only makes sense in general management terms but it clearly makes sense given the reality of 1997. After 1997, unless there is some miracle of which I'm not yet acquainted, after 1997, I won't be here but most of my senior officials will be and it's important that they and politicians in Hong Kong are involved more and more in the Administration of the territory. That is a sensible way for the Governor to behave and it's the way in which the Governor intends to behave.
Can I just add one other point. I regard my colleagues in the Administration as working for Hong Kong. I think they work in the best interests of Hong Kong now and will work in the best interests of Hong Kong after 1997, and I don't think that they will or should feel any schizophrenia because of 1997 and the transition and the change of sovereignty. They're working and working extremely effectively for the people of Hong Kong, that's the way it is today and that's the way I'm sure it will be after the transition.
Mr Peter Wong: Thank you Mr President. Mr Governor, as Governor of Hong Kong and if today happens to be your birthday and you're given three wishes, what will those three wishes be?
Governor: A British Ambassador in Washington was once asked a similar question at Christmastime, asked what he would most like, and gave a reply, and heard on the radio the next morning that the French Ambassador had been asked what he would most like and said. "World peace"; that the Soviet Ambassador had been asked what he would most like and he'd said, "An end to civil wars"; and the British Ambassador had been asked what he would most like and replied, "A box of crystallised fruits".