XN000022-1988-07-14 — Page 4

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THURSDAY, JULY 14, 1988

SHOULD THERE BE ANY SUCH MEMBERS, SIR DAVID SAID, THEY WOULD TAKE WITH THEM THE GOOD WISHES OF THE WHOLE COUNCIL AND THE THANKS OF THE COMMUNITY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO THE COUNCIL DURING THE PAST THREE YEARS.

SIR DAVID ALSO THANKED THOSE WHO HAD WORKED SO TIRELESSLY BEHIND THE SCENES TO SERVICE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THESE INCLUDED THE CLERK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND HIS STAFF THE SECRETARY GENERAL, OMELCO AND HER STAFF; THE INTERPRETERS AND CHINESE LANGUAGE OFFICERS; THE TECHNICIANS; AND THE MANY REPRESENTATIVES OF THE MEDIA WHO HAD COVERED THE PROCEEDINGS.

IN CONCLUSION, SIR DAVID SAID NO WORDS ABOUT THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THE COUNCIL WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT A PARTICULAR REFERENCE ΤΟ THE SENIOR MEMBER, THE HON LYDIA DUNN.

"SHE HAS PERFORMED HER DIFFICULT AND DEMANDING ROLE WITH A SKILL, HUMOUR, GRACE AND PATIENCE WHICH HAVE WON HER THE ADMIRATION AND AFFECTION OF EVERYBODY, HE SAID.

"AS SENIOR MEMBER FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS SHE HAS HELPED GUIDE A COUNCIL WHICH HAS A CHANGED COMPOSITION, AND A NEW WORKING STYLE, BUT THE SAME UNSWERVING COMMITMENT TO WORK FOR THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG."

SIR DAVID STRESSED THAT HE WAS SURE COUNCIL MEMBERS, INDEED THE PUBLIC, WOULD WISH то JOIN HIM IN THANKING MISS MOST WARMLY FOR A JOB WHICH HAD BEEN SUPERBLY WELL DONE.

AND DUNN

CLOSING SPEECH BY CS IN DEBATE

(THURSDAY) BY

FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF THE SPEECH MADE TODAY THE CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DAVID FORD, IN CONCLUDING THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE DRAFT BASIC LAW IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL:

SIR, I HAVE LISTENED TO THE TWO DAYS' DEBATES WITH GREAT ATTENTION. MEMBERS WHO HAVE SPOKEN ON THIS MOTION HAVE DISPLAYED A DEEP SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG IN THEIR STUDY AND CLOSE ANALYSIS OF THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, WHICH WILL LAY DOWN THE CONSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE FUTURE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION. I PAY TRIBUTE TO THEIR HARD WORK.

THE SINO-BRITISH