SIR GEOFFREY: WELL I UNDERSTAND THE POINT THAT PROMPTS THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN TO INTERVENE AS HE DOES. HE WILL APPRECIATE THAT IT IS NOT CUSTOMARY FOR AN ORDER THAT HAS BEEN DEBATED UNDER AFFIRMATIVE PROCEDURE TO BE THE SUBJECT OF AMENDMENT, INDEED IT CAN'T BE DONE ON THE DEBATE THEN AND THERE TAKING PLACE. AND THE DESIGN OF A PROCEDURE THAT WOULD MEET HIS POINT IS SOMETHING THAT TAKES ONE INTO TERRITORY RELATIVELY UNKNOWN AND WOULD NEED TJ DISCUSS THAT POINT FURTHER BEFORE GIVING A FIRM ANSWER TO IT.
CAN I JUST BE ALLOWED TO ANSWER ONE QUESTION BEFORE MOVING TO THE NEXT ONE? THAT IS WHY I AM ANXIOUS THAT HONOURABLE MEMBERS TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES AFFORDED BY TODAY'S DEBATE AND THE COMMITTEE STAGE DEBATE IN BOTH HOUSES TO REGISTER THE POINTS ABOUT WHICH THEY MIGHT WELL BE CONCERNED.
MRS ELAINE KELLETT-BOWMAN (CONSERVATIVE): (ANNOUNCER SPEAKS) THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE MET THIS POINT (ANNOUNCER SPEAKS) WERE CONCERNED AND THEN BRINGING FORWARD THE SUBSTANTIVE ORDERS AT A LATER DATE SO THAT THE ACTUAL ORDERS WERE GONE INTO IN DETAIL AND THE FINAL ORDER ON WHICH THE VOTING TOOK PLACE LATER.
SIR GEOFFREY: YES, I DIDN'T IMMEDIATELY HAVE IN MIND EVERY ASPECT OF THE ACTIVITIES OF MY RIGHT HONOURABLE FRIEND THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE. I AM GRATEFUL TO MY HONOURABLE FRIEND FOR CALLING ATTENTION TO THAT EXAMPLE AND I COULD, I THINK, EXPRESS OTHER EXAMPLES REMOTELY IN MY RECOLLECTION. BUT THE POSITION AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THERE IS NO UNDERTAKING IN THAT RESPECT. I HOPE THE RIGHT HONOURABLE GENTLEMAN WILL ALLOW ME TO GET ON.
MR JOHN MORRIS (LABOUR) (ANNOUNCER SPEAKS) ...
... TO DESIGN NEW PROCEDURE IF THE GOVERNMENT WERE TO GIVE AN INDICATION THAT IN INTRODUCING THEIR DRAFT REGULATIONS, AS THEY ARE CALLED, THEY WOULD DO SO ON A TENTATIVE BASIS AND NOT SEEK TO ROLL THEM THROUGH THE HOUSE REGARDLESS OF OPINION AND TO MAKE IT QUITE SURE THERE WILL BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR VIEWS FROM HONG KONG TO BE EXPRESSED AND THERE WILL BE NO LOSS OF FACE OF THE GOVERNMENT IF STRONG REPRESENTATIONS WERE MADE TO THE HOUSE IF THEY WERE TO WITHDRAW THEM, TEMPORARILY PERHAPS, TO RECONSIDER THE MATTER IN THE COURSE OF THE DEBATE.
SIR GEOFFREY (ANNOUNCER SPEAKS) ... MAKES THE POINT WITH HIS CUSTOMARY ELEGANCE. I AM NOT NOW GOING TO GIVE ANY UNDERTAKING IN RESPECT OF THE MATTER. BUT OF COURSE I HEAR WHAT IS BEING SAID ABOUT THIS AND MIGHT, PERHAPS, BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF MY SPEECH AND LEAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR MY HONOURABLE FRIEND TO ANSWER AT THE END OF THIS DEBATE (LAUGHTER). AS I WAS SAYING, THE BILL DOESN'T ITSELF INCLUDE THE FULL AND FINAL PROVISIONS ON THIS SUBJECT AND I CAN GIVE SOME REASONS FOR THAT.
THE AGREEMENT SETS A TIME LIMIT FOR RATIFICATION, AND THAT MUST TAKE PLACE BY THE 30TH OF JUNE THIS YEAR. BY THAT TIME THE BILL MUST HAVE PASSED THROUGH BOTH HOUSES AND RECEIVED THE ROYAL ASSENT. THAT IS WHY THE BILL HAS BEEN INTRODUCED SO SOON AFTER THE SIGNATURE OF THE AGREEMENT.
/ALTHOUGH THE
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