XN000022-1987-03-11 — Page 39

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 1987

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+ AND WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO STATE OUR APPRECIATION AND THANKS TO THESE GOVERNMENTS FOR REACTING SO PROMPTLY, + MR JEAFFRESON SAID,

HE SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD MOUNTED AN EXTENSIVE DIPLOMATIC EXERCISE SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER TO EXPLAIN THE NEW BN(0) STATUS AND THE PASSPORT THAT WENT WITH IT.

FIRST, FORMAL + IT HAS ADOPTED A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH. APPROACHES HAVE BEEN MADE BY HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT TO MISSIONS OF FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH COUNTRIES IN LONDON. THIS EXERCISE HAS BEEN COMPLEMENTED SECONDLY BY PARALLEL ACTION BY BRITISH MISSIONS IN THE CAPITALS OF THESE COUNTRIES.+

+AT THE SAME TIME, THIRDLY, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS APPROACHED ALL CONSULAR REPRESENTATIVES IN HONG KONG.+

INITIAL REACTIONS OF OTHER GOVERNMENTS HAD BEEN FAVOURABLE, MR JEAFFRESON SAID, ADDING THAT NONE HAD STATED THAT IT WOULD NOT RECOGNISE THE NEW STATUS AND PASSPORT.

+WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW BN(0) STATUS AND THE PASSPORT THAT GOES WITH IT WILL HAVE RECEIVED WIDESPREAD INTERNATIONAL ACCEPTANCE BY JULY 1 THIS YEAR, HE SAID.

EXPENDITURE ON VILLAGE, NEW TOWN IMPROVEMENT OUTLINED

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TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON NEW WORKS IN THE NEW TOWNS AND RURAL TOWNSHIPS FOR 1986-87 WAS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT $2 700 MILLION, THE SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS, THE HON GRAHAM BARNES, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

THE EXPENDITURE INCLUDED LAND FORMATION, ROADS AND THE GOVERNMENT-FUNDED UTILITIES, AMENITIES AND FACILITIES NOT INCLUDED IN THE PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES.

THIS EXPENDITURE AMOUNTED TO $3 030 MILLION IN 1983-84; $2 802 MILLION IN 1984-85; AND $2 555 MILLION IN 1985-86.

MR BARNES WAS REPLY ING TO THE HON TAI CHIN-WAH'S QUESTION ON POPULATION AND LEVEL OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE ON VILLAGE AND NEW TOWN IMPROVEMENT IN THE NEW TERRITORIES.

/THE POPULATION