XN000022-1991-04-09 — Page 6

5

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 1991

THE

1991 ARE GOING ΤΟ OF HOSPITALS, OF THING.

HOW

HUMPHREY HAWKSLEY (BBC): MR HURD, IT SEEMS AS WE APPROACH THERE ARE GOING TO BE A NUMBER OF OTHER ISSUES WHICH STRADDLE

EDUCATION, BUILDING TRANSITION PERIOD: SCHOOLS, THE APPOINTMENT OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND THAT SORT WILL YOU BE CONSULTING CHINA ON ALL OF THOSE ISSUES AND IF SO, WILL YOU BE ABLE TO RETAIN CONTROL OF THE RUNNING OF HONG KONG?

THIS IS GOVERNMENT.

THE VERY CLEARLY STATEMENT.

MR HURD: ON THE IMPORTANT ONES, THE ANSWER IS, YES. NOT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT OF COURSE, IT IS THE HONG KONG ON THE IMPORTANT ONES, ON IMPORTANT MATTERS WHICH STRADDLE 1997, ANSWER ΤΟ YOUR QUESTION IS, YES, BUT CONSULTATION IS DEFINED BY US,

INDEED ! DEFINED IT IN MY OPENING

AN CONSULTATION MEANS, IN ALL OUR LIVES, ASKING SOMEONE OR WELCOMING

OF

AND THEN

RECEIVED AND SOMEONE'S OPINIONS, EXPRESSION

HAVING

I LISTENED TO THOSE OPINIONS, MAKING UP ONE'S OWN MIND. THIS IS WHAT MBAN WHEN I TALK OF THE EFFECTIVE AUTHORITY OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT BETWEEN NOW AND THE MIDDLE OF 1997. 30 THAT IS THE NATURE IS JUSTIFIED BUT OF THE CONSULTATION WHICH WE BELIEVE IS NOT ONLY ACTUALLY COMMON SENSE IF THE TRANSITION IN 1997 IS TO BE AS SMOOTH WE CAN MAKE IT AND NOT A ROUGH JOLT.

AS

THE

IMPORTANT MAJOR ROAD

HUMPHREY HAWKSLEY (BBC): DO YOU SPECIFY WHICH ONES WOULD BE? FOR INSTANCE, A BIG HOSPITAL PROJECT, A PROJECT, EDUCATION FACILITIES?

MR HURD: NO, THAT WILL BE A MATTER FOR THE GOVERNMENT.

FANNY WONG (SCMP): MR HURD, FOLLOWING UP THE QUESTION JUST NOW,

OF THE TERM YOU DETECT ANY

INTERPRETATION DIFFERENCES "CONSULTATION" DURING YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CHINESE LEADERS?

DID

IN

ON

THERE

I

MR HURD: YES, I THINK THERE IS A CONTINUING DIFFICULTY HERE THIS POINT OF WHAT CONSULTATION MEANS IN PRACTICE, AND I THINK IS SOME MERIT IN HAVING BROUGHT THIS OUT INTO THE OPEN. ONE THING WAS VERY ANXIOUS TO DO 1 MAY HAVE SAID IT TO YOU, I CAN'T REMEMBER IS TO AVOID COMING AWAY AND SAYING, HOORAY WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, WHEN FUDGED. NOW IN FACT WE HAVEN'T, WHEN SOME IMPORTANT POINT HAS BEEN

WHAT HAPPENS THIS POINT ABOUT THE ACTUAL NATURE OF CONSULTATION

-

IS

A CRUCIAL ONE, AND WE HAVE EMPHASISED AT EVERY TURN THAT OUR INTENTION

BUT 1997,

CONSULTATION ΤΟ CONSULT WHERE MAJOR MATTERS STRADDLE

EXPRESSION MBANS PROVIDING THE CHINESE WITH INFORMATION, WELCOMING AN OF THEIR VIEWS, BUT THEN PROCEEDING TO USE THE AUTHORITY OF THE

AS ENVISAGED, KONG GOVERNMENT TO TAKE THE DECISIONS AS PROVIDED FOR, IN THE JOINT DECLARAT ION.

FANNY WONG (SCMP): CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP?

HONG

MR HURD: OF COURSE.

FANNY WONG (SCMP): WHAT IS YOUR IMPRESSION - DOES THAT THAT THE CHINESE HAVE TOLD YOU THAT OR THEY HAVE INDICATED IN ANY THAT BY CONSULTATION THEY MEAN THAT WHATEVER NEXT STEP YOU ARE TO TAKE ON THE AIRPORT PROJECT YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE CHINESE ASK THEM WHETHER THAT IS ACCEPTABLE?

/MR HURD

MRAN

WAY

GOING

AND