XN000022-1984-11-08 — Page 2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 1984

EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATION TO CONTINUE, SIR PHILIP SAYS

****

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD CONTINUE TO ADMINISTER HONG KONG CONSCIENTIOUSLY AND EFFECTIVELY UNTIL JUNE 30, 1997, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, THE HON SIR PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.

+LET THERE BE NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT, SIR PHILIP SAID.

WINDING UP THE DEBATE ON THE GOVERNOR'S ANNUAL POLICY ADDRESS, SIR PHILIP SAID THE SO-CALLED TRANSITION PERIOD WAS BOUND TO THROW UP SOME UNIQUE SITUATIONS AND DIFFICULTIES.

+THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED, BUT OUR CONSTANT PURPOSE AND CONCERN WILL BE TO SECURE THE PUBLIC INTEREST, THAT IS TO SAY, TO MAINTAIN AND PRESERVE HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND SOCIAL STABILITY, HE SAID.

+WE SHALL SEEK TO DEVELOP OUR SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT IN THE COMING YEARS SO AS TO FORESTALL, AS MR F.K, HU PUT IT, ABRUPT AND DRASTIC CHANGE' IN 1997, + HE SAID.

REFERRING TO THE WISH THAT THE WHITE PAPER ON THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT COULD HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED EARLIER, SIR PHILIP REPORTED THE AIM WAS TO TABLE IT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 21 WITH A VIEW TO A DEBATE ON DECEMBER 5.

+

+WE COULD NOT HAVE DRAFTED IT, CONSULTED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND TABLED IT EARLIER WITHOUT REDUCING THE TIME ALLOTTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE GREEN PAPER, AND I QUESTION, SIR, WHETHER THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN GENERALLY ACCEPTABLE,+ HE STATED,

CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

ON CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT, SIR PHILIP POINTED OUT THAT ALL HAD ARGUED FOR A GRADUAL AND PROGRESSIVE APPROACH AND NO ONE HAD BEEN IN FAVOUR OF IMMEDIATE, LET ALONE RADICAL, CHANGE.

THIS, HE ADDED, HAD BEEN THE VERY BASIS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S APPROACH IN THE GREEN PAPER, AN APPROACH WHICH HAD BEEN SUPPORTED IN THE MANY SUBMISSIONS RECEIVED FROM ORGANISATIONS AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHICH WOULD BE CAREFULLY ANALYSED IN THE WHITE PAPER.

THE GREEN PAPER ENVISAGED THE INTRODUCTION OF A SIGNIFICANT ELECTIVE ELEMENT INTO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

SIR PHILIP SAID IT WAS THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW THAT +WE MUST WAIT TO SEE HOW THIS DEPARTURE FROM THE PRESENT SYSTEM OF NOMINATED APPOINTMENTS SETTLES DOWN BEFORE WE CONSIDER FURTHER THE NATURE OF THE LINK BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE COUNCILS AND THE ADMINISTRATION PROVIDED BY EX-OFFICIO AND OFFICIAL MEMBERS+.

/PUBLIC OPINION,