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Governor: I think that the honourable gentleman needs to be careful with this line of questioning. Let me tell him what my own position was and remains. I was kept informed during the evening of the tragedy, and shortly after having gone out to dinner was telephoned with the news of an escalation in the number of those who were apparently injured, was told that the fire itself was under control, that there were no other people waiting to be rescued in the building, and it was suggested that I should go to the hospital and perhaps the scene of the incident. Since I was told that the rescue of people inside the building was no longer at issue I decided to go to the scene of the tragedy before going on to the hospital.
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I would under no circumstances go to a tragedy or, for example, go to a stake- out by the police, if there was an operation being carried on at that time which could affect whether or not people's lives were saved. I think if there were any dignitaries who went - to borrow the honourable gentleman's phrase any dignitaries who went to the incident earlier, it would have been in the line of duty. When I arrived at the scene, for example, the Secretary for Security, quite properly, was there, since it is the men and women for whom he is responsible who were actually dealing with the incident. But he certainly would not, any more than I would, seek to intervene in operational matters.
I think there were several visits later on by other people to the hospital. And, as the honourable gentleman will know, the Chief Secretary herself visited this moming. But I am not aware of any case of the operation being hindered by dignitaries at the scene of the accident before I was there. And I repeat what I said to the honourable gentleman about the timing of my arrival.
Mr James To (in Chinese): Mr President, I'd just like to ask the Governor this, because yesterday and today it seems that in his opening statement he said that the relevant legislation is now with the LegCo and that is the Fire Safety Commercial Premises Bill. And it is said that the Bill will have a direct applicability on buildings similar to the one involved in the fire disaster. I would like to get a clarification from the Governor.
Actually, as a matter of fact, for the Bill in its present form no mention has been made of regular commercial premises, apart from the five specified uses. For instance, for the regular office premises, actually the Bill has no specific application on those. And so what the Governor has said, actually, was kind of misleading to the public in the sense that the present legislative proposal is now being scrutinised by LegCo, but that is not actually the case. I would like to get clarification from the Governor on this.