XN000022-1986-07-30 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, JULY 30, 1986

BREADTH AND STRENGTH ADDED TO PROCESSES OF LAW, GOVERNMENT *****

THE DIVERSITY OF VIEWS FREELY EXPRESSED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL CHAMBER ADD BREADTH AND STRENGTH TO THE PROCESSES OF LAW MAKING AND OF GOVERNMENT, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, THE HON SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID AT THE CLOSING OF THE 1985-86 SESSION TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

+THIS UNITY OUT OF DIVERSITY ENABLES US TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO OUR PROBLEMS WHICH GENERALLY COMMAND A CONSENSUS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, + SIR DAVID SAID.

HE NOTED THAT WHILE THE LAST LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SESSION WAS A MOMENTOUS ONE WITH HISTORIC MEETINGS WHICH DEBATED THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE VERY FUTURE OF HONG KONG, THE PRESENT SESSION HAD BEEN DISTINGUISHED IN OTHER WAYS.

+ THE RANGE OF BUSINESS AND THE THOROUGHNESS WITH WHICH MATTERS HAVE BEEN STUDIED AND DEBATED HAVE PROVEN HOW, WITHOUT GREAT DRAMA AND WITH DIGNITY, THE INTERESTS OF THE COMMUNITY CAN BE AND ARE REPRESENTED IN THIS CHAMBER AND THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL.

+MOST OF OUR BUSINESS IS QUIETLY CONDUCTED, AIMING AT EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY, HE SAID.

+THE RESILIENCE AND HEALTH OF OUR ECONOMY AND ITS POWERS OF RECUPERATION REFLECT THIS BASIC APPROACH OF PRUDENCE, COMMON SENSE AND CONSENSUS, OF TAKING OPPORTUNITIES WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES AND WORKING FOR THE GENERAL GOOD OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE,+ HE ADDED.

COMMENTING ON THE MOVE FROM THE OLD COUNCIL CHAMBER INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE BUSINESS DISTRICT OF HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID IT HAD NARROWED THE PHYSICAL GAP BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND THE CITY. SYMBOLISING THE INCREASING TEMPO OF BUSINESS OF THE NEW COUNCIL.

THE MIXTURE OF MEMBERS ELECTED AND APPOINTED HAD ALSO FOCUSSED THE ATTENTION OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT HONG KONG ON THE COUNCIL AND ITS PROCEEDINGS.

RECALLING THE WORK OF THE CURRENT SESSION, SIR DAVID SAID THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE YEAR INCLUDED THE DETERMINED EFFORTS OF MEMBERS TO PUT THE VIEWS OF HONG KONG TO HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT IN REGARD TO THE DRAFT HONG KONG-BRITISH NATIONALITY ORDER 1986.

A MATTER OF CURRENT MAJOR IMPORTANCE TO HONG KONG PEOPLE HAD BEEN THEIR CONCERN FOR THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY, HE SAID.

/+TWO IMPORTANT