XN000022-1985-09-27 — Page 4

VO —

FRIDAY, HIPTOMER 27,

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ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO RECEIVE THE HONG KONG VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, SIR EDWARD SAID IT WAS VERY ENCOURAGING AND HE WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ADOPT A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND THE RECOGNITION THAT HONG KONG HAD A PROBLEM WHICH DID REQUIRE SPECIAL ACTION.

+NOW, THE ACTION THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE IS TWO-FOLD: ONE IS THAT THEY HAVE RELAXED THE CRITERIA FOR FAMILY CASES, WHICH MEANS THEY WILL TAKE SOME MORE.

+BUT THEY ARE ALSO GOING TO MOUNT THIS INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO ENCOURAGE OTHER RESETTLEMENT COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

+AND MY HOPE IS THAT AS A RESULT OF THIS, WE WILL FIND A BIGGER OFF-TAKE, AND OUR OBJECTIVE OF COURSE IS A VERY SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION INDEED IN THE NUMBER OF VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG AND THEIR RESETTLEMENT IN OTHER COUNTRIES,+ HE. SAID,

ASKED TO COMMENT ON THE NUMBER OF FAMILY REUNION CASES WHICH WOULD BE ELIGIBLE AS A RESULT OF THE RELAXATION OF BRITAIN'S FAMILY REUNION CRITERIA, SIR EDWARD CONSIDERED 500 A GOOD NUMBER TO START WITH.

+AND AFTER ALL, THEY HAVE SAID THEY WILL TAKE 500, OR AT LEAST THEY WILL TAKE THE NUMBER ELIGIBLE UP TO 500 FAMILY REUNION CASES.

+BUT THAT IS NOT THE END OF THE DAY. THERE IS THIS FURTHER QUESTION WHETHER THEY CAN TAKE MORE, IS DEPENDING ON THE REACTION WHICH THEY GET FROM OTHER COUNTRIES. SO I THINK IT IS A VERY GOOD START, HE ADDED.

ASKED ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC LAW DRAFTING, SIR EDWARD SAID HE FOLLOWED THE BASIC LAW DRAFTING COMMITTEE WITH VERY GREAT INTEREST.

DECISION ON WEEKLY LEGCO MEETING DUE SOON ****

THE GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE A DECISION WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO ON WHETHER TO HOLD WEEKLY MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

HE WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A COCKTAIL RECEPTION IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE KOWLOON-CANTON RAILWAY AT A TSIM SHA TSUI HOTEL THIS AFTERNOON.

ASKED TO CONFIRM WHETHER THERE WOULD BE WEEKLY LEGCO MEETINGS, SIR DAVID SAID + DON'T THINK ANYTHING DEFINITE HAS BEEN DECIDED YET, BUT I THINK IN VIEW OF THE INCREASED NUMBER OF MEMBERS AND OBVIOUSLY THE INCREASED NUMBER OF QUESTIONS COMING FROM AN INCREASED NUMBER OF MEMBERS, IT'S ON THE CARDS.

/+BUT NO