XN000022-1992-04-15 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 1992

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MINISTER KNOWS HONG KONG WELL: GOVERNOR

**

THE NEWLY APPOINTED MINISTER OF STATE AT

THE FOREIGN

THE GOVERNOR,

AND

COMMONWEALTH OFFICE WITH SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG, MR ALASTAIR GOODLAD, KNOWS HONG KONG QUITE WELL,

LORD WILSON SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY).

FACTORIES IN YUEN

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER VISITING TWO LONG, THE GOVERNOR SAID "MR GOODLAD IS SOMEBODY FROM THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. HE IS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS HONG KONG QUITE WELL.

SEVERAL то HIM

"HE HAS BEEN HERE ON A NUMBER OF VISITS. I MET HIM TIMES MYSELF HERE AND I HOPE THERE'LL BE A CHANCE TO TALK MYSELF SOON AND ALSO TO WELCOME HIM COMING OUT TO HONG KONG.

"HE IS SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS A GOOD DEAL ABOUT HONG KONG

ALREADY.

THE GOVERNOR ADDED THAT THE REAPPOINTMENT OF THE FOREIGN SECRETARY, MR DOUGLAS HURD, WAS A VERY GOOD THING FOR HONG KONG.

"HE IS SOMEBODY WHO IS ENORMOUSLY EXPERIENCED IN WORLD AFFAIRS, ALSO EXPERIENCED IN OUR OWN AFFAIRS, HONG KONG AND CHINA, HE SAID.

ASKED ABOUT THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE DISBANDMENT OF THE VOLUNTEERS, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "THE REASON FOR MAKING THAT PUBLIC NOW IS BECAUSE THERE WAS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE DATE, PARTICULARLY WITH THE PLAN FOR THE EXPANSION OF THE JOCKEY CLUB FACILITY IN HAPPY VALLEY.

"MOST PEOPLE IN THE VOLUNTEERS KNEW ROUGHLY WHAT THE DATE AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS BEST TO BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR ABOUT IT.'

WAS

NOTING THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WAS A SPLENDID ORGANISATION, SAID: "IT HAS VERY HIGH MORALE. RECRUITMENT IS EXCELLENT. BUT THEY WANT TO KNOW WITH CERTAINTY WHAT THE PLANS ARE FOR THEIR FUTURE.'

HE

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ASKED WHY IT WOULD DISBAND TWO YEARS BEFORE THE TRANSFER, THE GOVERNOR SAID IT WAS TO ALLOW TIME FOR OTHER ORGANISATIONS TO PHASE IN TO DO THE SORT OF WORK THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WERE DOING.

IT

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"THERE IS NO PARTICULAR REASON, BUT, LATE 1995 MAKES SENSE THAT IS ABOUT, JUST OVER A YEAR-AND-A-HALF, SO IT MEANS WE'VE GOT TIME TO SEE HOW THINGS WORK OUT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE VOLUNTEERS ANY MORE, HE ADDED.

ON

THE PROPOSED GOLF COURSE AT SHA LO TUNG, LORD WILSON SAID: "THE

WAY IN WHICH ONE SECTION OF THE ORDINANCE WAS BEING USED TURNED OUT TO BE THE WRONG SECTION. SO THE WHOLE PROCESS HAS TO START AGAIN AND IT WILL BE GONE THROUGH WITH VERY FULL CONSULTATION.

DO "I

BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD PRESERVE OUR COUNTRY PARKS THAT DOES NOT MEAN THE WHOLE THING IS SET IN CONCRETE AND NO PART EVER BE CHANGED, BECASUE THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE.'

"

BUT

CAN

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