XN000022-1986-06-26 — Page 7

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 1986

اليا

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ON THE QUESTION OF WHETHER THERE WAS ANY OVERLAP BETWEEN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND DISTRICT BOARDS OR BETWEEN THE REGIONAL COUNCIL AND THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE GOVERNOR SAID HE HAD TOLD THE MEMBERS THAT THE DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE DISTRICT BOARD ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITY AND THOSE OF THE REGIONAL COUNCIL COULD BE WORKED OUT BETWEEN THE TWO.

+AND I THOUGHT THAT ON THE WHOLE, WHAT THE HOUSING AUTHORITY IN THE ESTATES WAS DOING WAS QUITE EFFICIENT. THAT DID NOT PREVENT, OF COURSE, THE REGIONAL COUNCIL FROM TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTIVITIES WHICH WERE REGION-WIDE RATHER THAN CONFINED TO PARTICULAR HOUSING ESTATES,+ HE ADDED.

THE QUESTION OF FINANCING FUTURE CAPITAL WORKS WAS ALSO DISCUSSED AND THE GOVERNOR TOLD THE REGIONAL COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THERE WERE TWO THINGS TO DO.

+ONE WAS TO ESTABLISH THE RIGHT SIZE FOR CAPITAL SPENDING SO THAT THE REGIONAL COUNCIL COULD DECIDE ON THE CONTENT OF THE WORKS AND THE PRIORITY WHICH THEY WANTED TO ALLOCATE TO VARIOUS ITEMS IN THAT PROGRAMME, HE SAID.

+AS REGARDS THE SOURCE OF THE FUNDS, I SAID I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO HYPOTHECATE PARTICULAR SOURCES. BUT THE DEPARTMENT WAS LOOKING AT IDEAS WHICH WOULD BE CONSIDERED IN A RE-EXAMINATION NEXT YEAR.+

ASKED WHETHER THE CHANGE OF OATH IN THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WOULD ALLOW A WIDER SELECTION OF EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE, SIR EDWARD NOTED THAT IT WAS EVIDENT THAT WHEN THE OATH WAS CHANGED FOR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS, A VERY LARGE NUMBER OF THE NEW MEMBERS TOOK THE NEW LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OATH.

+ALL THAT WE HAVE IN FACT DONE IS TO ENABLE THEM TO TAKE THE SAME OATH IF AND I HAVE TO SAY IF THEY ARE APPOINTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL,+ HE SAID.

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ASKED WHETHER THE CHANGE OF OATH HAD THE IMPLICATION THAT SOME OF THE ELECTED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS MIGHT BE APPOINTED TO THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL, SIR EDWARD SAID: THERE IS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY.+

IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE DAYA BAY PROJECT, SIR EDWARD SAID THAT A PRESS RELEASE WOULD BE ISSUED TODAY. STATING WHAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS DOING AS REGARDS ENSURING THAT THERE WERE FULL EXPLANATIONS GIVEN TO THE PUBLIC ON THE SAFETY ASPECTS OF DAYA BAY.

+ AND THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES IS JUST GOING OFF TO THE UNITED KINGDOM TO HAVE SOME FURTHER DISCUSSIONS THERE.+

/DIR_ziwati)