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Question: Good morning, Governor. My name is Jovel, I am a Filipino migrant worker. I would like to raise a concern about the Filipino workers here in Hong Kong as far as 1997 is concerned since I have been here for the past one-and-a-half year already and I really have not heard news about us here in Hong Kong as far as the JLG is concerned. And since 1997 is fast approaching I would like to know something about what will happen to us here and also ask, we Filipinos here are the single mass largest foreign community here and according to what I heard in the newspaper you would like Hong Kong people to be the best employers of Filipinos abroad. Would you like to comment about this.
Presenter: Just looking, really, for assurances Mr Patten, for domestic workers after 1997.
Governor: I think I identified the music as the theme music for Cinema Paradiso. Tell me if I am wrong. The Filipino community makes an enormous contribution to Hong Kong - 130,000 or so men and mostly women who make a terrific contribution to the family life of Hong Kong and to our overall economy. One of the things that they help in many cases is to ensure that both parents can go out to work and develop professional skills and earn a bit more money, so I think the Filipino community does a tremendous job here and I am sure that the reasons for the Filipino community doing that job before 1997 will continue to apply after 1997. The important thing to be clear about is that this will be a decision entirely for the SAR Government. It falls within the responsibilities of the SAR Government. It is a matter of immigration policy which is a matter for us exercising our local autonomy. And I do not imagine that a Chief Executive in my position, answering questions from you in 1998, is going to be saying anything different from what I have said this morning. But if there is any difference it is for him and his colleagues to decide, not for anybody outside to decide.
Now, we have had assurances on that from senior Chinese leaders. And people like President Ramos, and the Foreign Minister of the Philippines who I saw the other day, have both themselves raised it with Chinese leaders and had exactly the same assurance. So I can promise you that it will be a matter for the SAR Government after 1997 and I see no reason at all why the situation should change in the short or medium term. And as far as the long term is concerned, none of us know what will happen in the long term but I am sure that as the Philippine economy develops in the next few years, many more Filipinos will be employed at home,
Question (in Chinese); I have three questions regarding the civil service for the Governor. First of all would the Government do this for the middle-ranking and lower-ranking officers, that is whether you would give a questionnaire to ask them about whether they would stay beyond 1997?