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Question: There is also comment from a Preparatory Committee member, Professor Lau Siu-kai that you're afraid that if you don't allow Mr Vincent Cheng and Mr Raymond Chi'en to join the Selection Committee, you will lose two more supporters for yourself. Is that the case?
Governor: No, I think that's the sort of thing that I would expect Professor Lau to say. The truth of the matter is that, as I said yesterday extensively and all you have to do is look up what I said yesterday to know what my views are on the subject. Mr Cheng and Dr Chi'en have been wonderful servants of the community and I think they make an important contribution to the Executive Council. If they are chosen, which I don't know whether it will happen or not, if they're chosen for the Selection Committee, I'm sure that they'll undertake their duties there with equal integrity and I'm content to leave it up to them to decide whether or not there is any conflict of interest. Nobody is under any doubt at all, a point which I made clear yesterday and which the Secretary for Constitutional Affairs made clear yesterday, that we will have nothing whatsoever to do with a provisional legislature, if foolishly the Chinese side continue with their plans to try to set one up.
Question: Are you suggesting that they can stay in ExCo, or whatever they want until maybe they are selected ...?
Governor: What I am saying is what I have just said. That I see no reason at all why I shouldn't leave it to them to decide whether or not there is a conflict of interest in the position.
Question: But you have accepted your junior civil servants to vote for provisional legislature councillors, so are you accepting the provisional legislature? This establishment will be a fact of life in Hong Kong.
Governor: No, I'm saying that the provisional legislature would be an extremely bad idea. There is no reason whatsoever why the present properly elected legislature shouldn't continue to the end of it's four year term. The British Government's position and my position on the provisional legislature is absolutely clear. It was made clear again my Mr Hanley, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office at the beginning of the week. He made it clear a couple of weeks ago when he was in Peking. That position hasn't changed. It isn't any different today and won't change.