XN000022-1989-07-04 — Page 29

12

TUESDAY, JULY 4, 1989

NICOLA

PARKINSON (DAILY EXPRESS) : HAS THE BRITISH MADE ANY PROVISION FOR THE POSSIBLE ARRIVAL OF 300 MILLION AFTER 1992?

GOVERNMENT EUROPEANS

FAR

AND

IT

EASTERN

THE

MILLION

BRITONS

SIR GEOFFREY: NO, BECAUSE THE EUROPEAN ARRANGEMENTS GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY OF RE-ADDRESSING MYSELF TO THE

PATIENTLY ECONOMIC

AS LONG AS HE CAN LISTEN TO ME REVIEW, EUROPEAN DEAL IS PROVIDING FOR FREE MOVEMENT ALL WAYS, BY 320 OF MILLIONS AND MILLIONS PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. TRAVEL TO SPAIN, FOR EXAMPLE, EVERY YEAR CURRENTLY. THERE'S A GROWING WE HAVE DEVELOPING PATTERN OF THAT KIND AND THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH BEEN LIVING WITH AS A COMMITMENT SINCE 1972. PROVIDING FOR FREEDOM MOVEMENT WITHIN ONE GEOGRAPHICAL REGION. BUT THE IMPACT OF ENDED PLEDGE TO THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX MILLION PEOPLE IN WOULD BE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM THAT BECAUSE THEY WOULD BE COMING, NOT THE JUST AS MIGRANTS FOR WORK, MATCHING BRITISH MIGRANTS GOING ROUND

OF PEOPLE REST

THE COMMUNITY, BUT AS A NET SUBSTANTIAL ADDITION COMING TO SETTLE. THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE.

OF AN OPEN- HONG KONG,

STEVE VINES (OBSERVER): SIR GEOFFREY, I'M SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TO YOU WHILE YOU'VE BEEN HERE THAT BRITISH POLICY MIGHT CREATE AN

BACKLASH.

AND ANTI-BRITISH

ALSO,

THAT INDEED,

THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION MIGHT FIND IT DIFFICULT TO GOVERN HERE. WHAT IS YOUR RESPONSE TO THOSE VIEWS?

KONG RECENT

SIR

AND

BUT

OF

GEOFFREY:

TO TAKE THEM ON BOARD, WELL,

OF COURSE. RECOGNISE THAT IT'S A POINT THAT IT HAS BEEN PUT AND CAN BE PUT. THEN TO GO ON TO SAY THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HERE HAS THE STRENGTH NOT BEING A BRITISH ADMINISTRATION; IT'S AN ADMINISTRATION INSPIRED BY THE STYLE AND POLICY OF BRITISH GOVERNMENT OVER MANY YEARS BUT IT'S AN

OF NOW WHICH IS HEAVILY DOMINATED BY THE IMPACT

HONG ADMINISTRATION

OF PEOPLE THEMSELVES. AND ITS PERFORMANCE THROUGH THE PROBLEMS

MONTHS, CONFIRMS ONE'S UNDERSTANDING OF ITS MATURITY AND

TO ABILITY

WIDER ADDRESS THESE THINGS. SO FAR AS THE

QUESTION CONCERNED, IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE, OF COURSE, THAT IN THE FACE OF SHOCKING EVENTS OF THE LAST MONTH, PEOPLE SHOULD BE LOOKING SOMEONE

THEY CAN BLAME FOR IT. AND UNDERSTANDABLE TO WHOM TOWARDS BRITAIN AS HAVING A GREATER ROLE THAN 19 ACTUALLY BUT MY IMPRESSION, NOT LEAST FROM THIS VISIT, IS THAT NOBODY WANTS TO SUSTAIN THAT KIND OF VIEW. THAT THERE IS A RECOGNITION WE DO HAVE TO ADDRESS THIS IN PARTNERSHIP, AS I SAID IN MY STATEMENT,

RESPONDING AND THAT PROVIDED BRITAIN IS SEEN TO BE

OUT LINES SET

IN MY

THEN STATEMENT THIS AFTERNOON, UNDERSTANDING WILL BE MAINTAINED. OF COURSE IT'S A HAZARD TO KEEP MIND. BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S ONE THAT WILL BE SUSTAINED.

THE

LOOK

IS THE FIND

OUT

POSSIBLE.

ACTUALLY

THAT

ARRIVAL

ALONG

THAT

IN

/SINON WINCHESTER