XN000022-1987-02-12 — Page 6

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1987

11

5

+WE WILL MOVE AHEAD WITH QUALITY PROMOTION TO GAIN INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR OUR CALIBRATION AND TEST CERTIFICATES AND EXAMINE THE FEASIBILITY OF EXTENDING RECOGNITION FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN TESTING LABORATORIES TO RECOGNITION FOR QUALITY ASSURANCE IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION,+ MR FORD SAID.

+AS REGARDS INWARD INVESTMENT PROMOTION, WE WILL ENDEAVOUR TO IMPROVE THE MECHANISM FOR TARGETTING FOREIGN MANUFACTURING FIRMS TO DEVELOP CONTACTS WITH FOREIGN INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATIONS WITH A VIEW TO FACILITATING TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND TO STRENGTHEN OUR OVERSEAS PROMOTION OFFICES.+

TURNING TO THE SUBJECT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, MR FORD SAID IN THE LAST TWO DECADES +OUR POLICY HAS BEEN ANYTHING BUT NON-INTERVENTIONIST+.

+AN ADMINISTRATION WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HOUSING HALF THE POPULATION THROUGH ITS PUBLIC HOUSING PROGRAMME, WHICH PROVIDES COMPULSORY FREE EDUCATION AND PROTECTED LABOUR LEGISLATION, WHICH PROVIDES HEAVILY SUBSIDISED MEDICAL AND SOCIAL WELFARE SERVICES CAN HARDLY BE DESCRIBED AS NON-INTERVENTIONIST IN SOCIAL TERMS.

+THERE SHOULD BE NO ILLUSION HOWEVER THAT HONG KONG IS MOVING IN THE DIRECTION OF A WELFARE STATE WITH ALL THAT HAS COME TO MEAN IN TERMS OF WESTERN DEMOCRACIES.+

HOWEVER, MR FORD ADDED, WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A CAPITAL IST ECONOMY, WHICH THE JOINT DECLARATION HAS GUARANTEED FOR AT LEAST 50 YEARS, THE GOVERNMENT WOULD BE THE FIRST TO RECOGNISE MORE SHOULD BE DONE TO FURTHER IMPROVE THE WELFARE AND QUALITY OF THE COMMUNITY.

LOOKING AHEAD, HE SAID FRESH INITIATIVES AND A NEW DETERMINATION WERE NEEDED TO ACHIEVE WHAT THE NEW GOVERNOR SIR DAVID WILSON, HAD ALREADY INDICATED A HUMANE GOVERNMENT+.

-- +THAT WE SHOULD BE

OVERSEAS EDUCATION PURSUIT AN ENCOURAGING SIGN

*****

THE PURSUIT OF OVERSEAS EDUCATION BY SOME 10 OOD LOCAL YOUNG PEOPLE EACH YEAR IS A SOURCE OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND STRENGTH FOR THEY WILL BRING BACK WITH THEM THE KNOWLEDGE TO BETTER EXPLOIT THE NATURAL ASSET OF HONG KONG'S GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

TO EXPLOIT SUCH AN ASSET OF HONG KONG'S LOCATION ON THE WORLD MAP, MUCH WOULD DEPEND ON HONG KONG'S ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEMS OF OTHER NATIONS, TO SPEAK THE IR LANGUAGE AND TO MATCH THEIR STANDARDS.

/SPEAKING AT