Governor: I was interested in what Mr Raymond Chan, the Secretary of State for, I think, Asian Affairs in the Canadian Government said about threats to dismantle the legislature and the effect which he thought that would have on, inevitably on confidence, not least business confidence in the territory. I thought that was a very sensible observation on his part. You will also recall that a few weeks ago, Margaret Thatcher said, and I think she was right, that the problem about these threats to dismantle the legislature is that they raise questions inevitably about China's intentions in other areas.
Question: Any comments on the..
Governor: What I will say to you is that I think everybody in Hong Kong signs up to the polluter pays principle. But sometimes rather curiously when it actually comes to the polluter paying even very modest amounts, people oppose it. We are putting in place a first class sewage treatment strategy which will clean up the waters around our shores. In the first place which will reduce the pollution load in Victoria harbour by 70 per cent. That's important for our environment. It's a significant step forward in making Hong Kong a more decent city to live in. It costs money. A scheme like that doesn't, to borrow a phrase, fall off a tree, we have got to pay for it and if it's not paid for by a sensible system of charges, it has to be paid for out of general taxation. so I think polluter pays is very sensible and I think polluter pays actually not only helps to deter pollution but also helps to give us the costs, to deal with the costs to clear pollution up.
End
Governor's reply to James Tien on provisional legislature
Following is the text of the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten's reply to the Chairman of the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, Mr James Tien, on provisional legislature today (Tuesday):
Thank you for your letter of 17 May setting out the Chamber's views on the provisional legislature.
The corporate position of the British Government and the Hong Kong Government on the provisional legislature is clear. Let me, for the record, restate it once more. The current Legislative Council has been elected openly, fairly and by a record number of voters. These electoral arrangements are fully compatible with both the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law. We see neither the justification nor the need for a replacement or provisional legislature. If the Chinese Government were to set up such a legislature, it would be for them to explain to the community why such action is justified, how it is consistent with the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law and how it is conducive to a successful transition.