XN000022-1987-11-24 — Page 21

3

HONG

NEED

THAT THE

H.E. THAT IS A VERY CONSIDERABLE INTERROGATION! WHAT I AM DOING IS GOING ΤΟ THE HONG KONG BALLET AND A PERFORMANCE OF NUTCRACKER. IT IS THE GALA OPENING PERFORMANCE OF A SEASON THAT THEY ARE DOING. MY REASON FOR GOING IS QUITE SIMPLY TO SUPPORT THE KONG BALLET WHICH IS A SPLENDID ORGANISATION AND WHICH DOES SUPPORT. IT TURNS OUT THAT PART OF THE SPONSORSHIP FOR ORGANISATION COMES FROM LES MUST DE CARTIER AND PART OF SPONSORSHIP FOR THE REST OF THE PROGRAMME, OR THE TOTAL PROGRAMME, ALSO COMES FROM, I THINK, ULTIMATELY THE ROTHMANS GROUP. I DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THAT SPONSORSHIP ARRANGEMENT WHEN I ACCEPTED THE INVITATION. I DO NOT THINK IT WOULD BE RIGHT FOR ME TO WITHDRAW FROM THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF SPONSORSHIP FOR THE WHOLE SERIES COMING ULTIMATELY FROM THE TOBACCO COMPANY. AS FAR AS GOVERNMENT POLICY IS CONCERNED, THE GOVERNMENT IS VERY KEEN ΤΟ POINT OUT TO PEOPLE THE HEALTH DANGERS OF SMOKING AND TO TRY ΤΟ ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO SMOKE. AND THAT MEANS THAT WHEN THERE IS SUBVENTED ORGANISATION, THEY ARE ENCOURAGED NOT SPONSORSHIP. PERHAPS THE FINAL COMMENT 1 MIGHT MAKE THAT THE HONG KONG BALLET IS LOOKING FOR SUPPORT FROM ELSEWHERE. I AM SURE THAT THEY WOULD WELCOME IT FROM OTHER PLACES, TOO.

DAILY NEWS:

ΤΟ

A GOVERNMENT TAKE TOBACCO IS THAT I KNOW

FANNY WONG, OF THE ORIENTAL

SIR DAVID, IN THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT, IT SUGGESTS NO CLEAR SUPPORT FOR INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS INTO OUR LEGISLATURE NEXT YEAR. IT DOES INDICATE THAT THERE IS A MAJORITY SUPPORT FOR INTRODUCING DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE 1997? IN THAT CASE, WOULD THE GOVERNMENT MAKE A FIRM COMMITMENT ON THE WHITE PAPER THAT WE SHALL HAVE DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE 1997?

H.E.: 1 CAN'T TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT WILL GO INTO THE WHITE PAPER AT THE MOMENT BECAUSE THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WILL WANT TO TAKE PLENTY OF TIME TO CONSIDER ALL OF THE DETAIL THAT IS IN THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT BEFORE COMING TO DECISIONS ON THE COMPLETE PACKAGE SO I CAN'T GIVE YOU A PRECISE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION BUT I CAN TELL YOU SOMETHING ABOUT THE PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH THAT DECISION WILL BE TAKEN. I THINK THE PARAMETERS MUST BE SEEN AS THE WAY IN

THE WHICH PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE RESPONDED. THAT HAS SHOWN THAT MOST OF THOSE BE WHO TAKE AN INTEREST IN THIS SUBJECT DO BELIEVE THAT THERE SHOULD

THAT SOME ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS BEFORE 1997. IT HAS ALSO SHOWN THERE IS A

SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY WHICH HAS NOT

PUT FORWARD RESPONDED, DOESN'T HAVE A VIEW, OR HASN'T

AND A VIEW. THIRDLY IT HAS SHOWN THAT ON THE QUESTION OF 1988, THE COMMUNITY IS SHARPLY DIVIDED. SO THAT CREATES THE PARAMETERS WITHIN WHICH DECISIONS HAVE TO BE TAKEN, BUT I CAN'T, AS I SAY, TELL YOU PRECISELY WHAT THE DECISIONS IN THE WHITE PAPER WILL BE BECAUSE THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS STILL TO REFLECT ON THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT AND THEN TO GIVE ITS ADVICE AND I EXPECT THAT то TAKE A FEW WEEKS' TIME YET.

CONSIDERABLE

FANNY WONG: SIR S.Y. CHUNG HAD SAID THAT IN THE ASSESSMENT OF THE POLITICAL REVIEW, THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL IS UNDER PRESSURES FROM BOTH CHINA, BRITAIN AND LOCAL PUBLIC OPINION. SO, WOULD YOU SAY WEIGHT WOULD BE ATTACHED TO EACH OF THESE THREE ELEMENTS, GOVERNMENT BOW TO THE PRESSURE OF CHINA AT THE EXPENSE OF VIEW?

WHAT

AND

WOULD

THE

LOCAL

/H.E.