XN000022-1985-11-07 — Page 3

2

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1985

ASKED WHETHER HONG KONG HAD THE FINAL SAY ON HOW TO CARRY OUT POLITICAL REFORMS AND WHETHER IT COULD BE SAID THAT LONDON HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT, SIR DAVID SAID OBVIOUSLY LONDON WAS VERY MUCH CONCERNED IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SYSTEM IN HONG KONG.

+BOTH GOVERNMENTS HAVE MADE IT QUITE CLEAR THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF HONG KONG UNTIL 1997.

+SO IT WOULD BE QUITE IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION NOT TO BE DEEPLY AND CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS.+

ON THE ROLE OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT IN POLITICAL REFORMS, SIR DAVID SAID ITS ROLE HAD BEEN MADE QUITE CLEAR UP TO 1997.

+ IT IS SET OUT IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND HAS BEEN SPECIFICALLY STATED BY THE LEADERS OF BOTH COUNTRIES, HE ADDED.

IN REPLY TO A QUESTION ON WHETHER ANY DECISIONS WOULD BE REACHED IN THE FORTHCOMING DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS ON RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENTS IN BN(0) PASSPORTS, HE SAID: +I COULDN'T REALLY SAY. WE'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL WE KNOW

I CAN'T PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN PEKING.

IN PEKING.+

COMMENTING ON REPORTS THAT THE CIVIL SERVICE'S ZERO GROWTH POLICY WAS LIKELY TO BE RELAXED NEXT YEAR, SIR DAVID SAID THERE HAD BEEN VERY LIMITED GROWTH IN THE CIVIL SERVICE IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, AND THE CIVIL SERVICE WAS PRETTY WELL TRIMMED DOWN IN SIZE.

HE ADDED THAT AS WE TAKE ON NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, THEN WE'LL NEED SOME LIMITED GROWTH IN THE CIVIL SERVICE.+

SIR DAVID CITED THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AS AN EXAMPLE, AND SAID THE NUMBER OF VISITORS GOING TO CHINA FROM HONG KONG HAD INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY DURING THE PAST YEAR, AND THEREFORE SOME LIMITED INCREASE IN ITS STAFF WAS NECESSARY.

HE HOWEVER DECLINED TO COMMENT ON THE SIZE OF THE INCREASE. + IT WOULD DEPEND UPON THE AMOUNT OF EXTRA WORK THEY HAVE TO TAKE. YOU CAN'T SAY WHAT IT WOULD BE.+

ASKED TO COMMENT ON A RECENT REMARK MADE BY THE SECRETARY FOR DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION, MR DONALD LIAO, ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION IN THE WALLED CITY, SIR DAVID SAID HE HAD NOTHING TO ADD TO WHAT MR LIAO HAD SAID.

NEVERTHELESS, HE NOTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD BEEN INTRODUCING INTO THE WALLED CITY A NUMBER OF MINOR IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, INCLUDING THE DISPOSAL OF RUBBISH AND LAW AND ORDER ENFORCEMENT.

/+BUT THE