XN000022-1987-02-23 — Page 2

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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1987

PREMATURE TO DISCUSS WHITE PAPER NOW, SIR DAVID

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THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, STRESSED THIS (MONDAY) EVENING THAT IT WOULD BE PREMATURE AND FAR TOO EARLY NOW TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE WHITE PAPER ON POLITICAL REVIEW.

HE WAS SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING A SPRING RECEPTION OF THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION.

HE SAID: +I THINK THE NEXT THING IS THE ISSUE OF THE GREEN PAPER, AND THEN, HOPEFULLY, A GOOD PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT IT, AND THEN THE WHITE PAPER. BUT TO START PUBLIC DEBATE NOW ABOUT WHEN PRECISELY THE WHITE PAPER IS GOING TO COME OUT -- IT SEEMS TO ME TO BE PREMATURE.

+WE'LL PUBLISH THE WHITE PAPER WHEN WE ARE READY AND WHEN THE PUBLIC DEBATE IS COMPLETE. BUT AS I SAID, THE THING NOW IS REALLY, AS A COMMUNITY, TO THINK ABOUT THE GREEN PAPER AND, WHEN IT'S PUBLISHED, TO COMPARE OUR REACTIONS TO IT, THEN WE HAVE THE WHITE PAPER. WE MUST PUBLISH THE WHITE PAPER AT THE RIGHT TIME.

+ IT IS VERY IMPORTANT, IF THERE ARE CHANGES TO BE INTRODUCED IN 1988, THAT THE WHITE PAPER IS PUBLISHED IN SUFFICIENT TIME AND TO ALLOW FOR THE LEGISLATION AND THE CHANGES TO BE PUT IN PLACE.

+THESE ARE THE IMPORTANT POINTS TO CONSIDER REALLY IN THE TIMING. AND I'M SURE THAT IT WILL BE PUBLISHED IN TIME FOR ALL THOSE CHANCES, IF THERE ARE TO BE CHANGES TO TAKE PLACE, HE SAID.

ASKED ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE WHITE PAPER AND THE TIMING OF THE BASIC LAW, SIR DAVID SAID THE TWO PROCESSES OF CONSULTATION WITH THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WERE GOING ALONG AT THE SAME TIME AND THE RELATIONSHIP WAS QUITE OBVIOUS.

+T HE COMMON DENOMINATOR OF THE EQUATION IS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, HE SAID.

SIR DAVID ADDED THAT HE WOULD NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE TIMING OF THE BASIC LAW WHILE CONSIDERING WHEN TO PUBLISH THE WHITE PAPER.

+THE TWO THINGS ARE SEPARATE, BUT THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ARE THE COMMON DENOMINATOR AND THE CONSULTATION IS GOING ALONG AT THE SAME TIME.+

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