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Ms Emily Lau (in Chinese): Mr President, can I ask the Chief Secretary whether she understands that the people of Hong Kong know what is required by the Chinese Government? We want to discuss it now but the way you are dealing with it is this: although you have not made a final decision but you have had preliminary discussions before you made any announcement. Is this not in breach of an open, a fair and accountable Government? You should in fact give us all the details before we make a collective decision. Or have I misunderstood you altogether?
CS: Mr President, in the areas in which I have indicated we have already co-operated with the Preparatory Committee and are prepared to continue to do so, I do not think that these are issues on which members of this Council would take issue.
As regards the other areas, we await clarification from the Preparatory Committee Hong Kong Office and when that clarification is available we will be very happy to discuss our final response with members of this Council.
The President: Mr Lee Wing-tat, do you have a point of order?
Mr Lee Wing-tat (in Chinese): Mr President, there was a question earlier on but you have made a ruling that Dr Tse's question seeks a legal opinion, but if I remember clearly, the question asked by Mr Henry Tang was similar, he asked the Chief Secretary why she did not use the word "illegal" to describe the Provisional Legislature and he was allowed the question. Can you explain why you have differed in your opinion and why the first question was not seeking a legal opinion but the second one was?
The President: This is not a point of order, you are seeking an explanation of my rulings.
Mr Albert Chan (in Chinese): Mr President, my question is about the Provisional Legislature, I am not asking for a legal opinion, I am simply asking for the Government's position. My question is this: On the setting up of the Provisional Legislature the Chief Secretary said earlier on that this was not mentioned in the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. Because of this, would the Hong Kong Government think that the Provisional Legislature is in breach of agreements? This is not a legal opinion, I am simply asking for the Government's position.
The President: ... for helping Dr Tse to rephrase it.
CS: Mr President, I think I have made the Government's position on the Provisional Legislature abundantly clear. I really have nothing to add to my previous remarks.