Press conference by Prime Minister
Following is a transcript of a press conference, given by the Prime Minister, the Rt Hon John Major, today (Monday):
Governor: Good afternoon and welcome, as David Frost would say. The Prime Minister will make a few remarks and then questions. If you could as ever declare your identity and which great organ you represent it would be helpful. And time is a bit limited because some of you - us - including the Prime Minister - have somewhere else to go this evening. That is Korea.
Prime Minister: Well Chris, thank you very much. I don't propose to say a great deal at the outset of this press conference. I have had opportunities elsewhere on this visit to say what I had to say, most noticeably at lunch-time and I dare say most of you have had the opportunity of seeing that before deciding what questions to ask this afternoon.
Let me just simply say how much I have enjoyed this particular visit to Hong Kong. It is over four years since last I was here. The speed of change here never ceases to amaze me but I am delighted to have been here again and on this occasion have enjoyed the visit as much as I always do.
We've had a very lively debate on one or two issues over the last couple of days - I enjoyed my meetings with ExCo and LegCo this morning and I just want to say one or two general things about the present circumstance and the future.
The first thing I would like to say is just to add to a point I know that the Governor has made on many occasions in the past and that is just to express my admiration for the way in which the civil service has coped with matters here in Hong Kong over the last few years. I think Hong Kong are extremely lucky in the quality of their civil service, in the apolitical nature of their civil service, and I think that is something that is well understood here and well appreciated, also, in London.
Let me say a word or two about the natural fears that I think many people may have about the transition. There are some very important issues that I know are of concern to people, still, in Hong Kong. The question of the future of LegCo, whether the through-train arrives at its destination or whether there is a stop in 1997. The question of the Bill of Rights. Both of those 1 touched upon earlier and on earlier occasions but they may well come up again this afternoon.