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Mr Lee Wing-tat (in Chinese): Mr President, the Chief Secretary, in her main response, indicated the Preparatory Committee is to set up a Provisional Legislature. My question is this: Do you think that in the Government there is a policy which is anti-Provisional Legislature but moving towards indirectly and silently helping with the setting up of the Provisional Legislature?
CS: The Selection Committee has clearly defined responsibilities in accordance with the Joint Declaration and Basic Law. We are committed to offering co-operation on those fronts within the three established parameters.
Mr Cheung Kar-foo (in Chinese): Thank you Mr President. My question is similar to that asked by Mr K K Fung but before I ask my question I must say I appreciate the Chief Secretary for being on her feet all the time answering our questions. Back to RTHK. I do not think the Government is taking such --
The President: Since you have touched on this point and the Chief Secretary is standing and that no two members ought to be standing at the same time, you might be raising a point of order but I purposely turn a blind-eye to the fact as I do not wish to see the Chief Secretary sitting down and then jumping up again so very often. Mr Cheng, you may continue.
Mr Cheung Kar-foo (in Chinese): I think to respect the Chief Secretary I should stand up and ask my question. Anyway, let us not waste time. Back to RTHK. I do not think the Government has taken the initiative with regard to the RTHK issue. When Mr K. K Fung's question was answered, the feeling we got is that we have to wait until China clarifies its position and its request before the Government takes action. Can I ask, at this very moment, whether the British and Hong Kong Governments have a clear position that they should protect the editorial independence of RTHK? Can the Chief Secretary confirm this on behalf of the Governments so that RTHK, in the future, would not become a sub-branch of the China Government station?
CS: Mr President, I thought I made it clear in an answer to an earlier supplementary question that we do not intend in any way, and there is no question of us undermining the editorial independence of Radio Hong Kong. I said that on the basis that the editorial independence of Radio Hong Kong will not in any way be adversely affected, and within our established broadcasting policy and the clearly laid out regulatory framework, we would be prepared to consider to offer air-time. But before we do so. we need to have further details from the Preparatory Committee.