XN000022-1992-10-13 — Page 9

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1992

GOVERNOR:

FIRST OF ALL, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT ALL OF YOU RECOGNISE, AS I HOPE NOW THAT OFFICIALS IN PEKING RECOGNISE, THAT SO FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THERE HAS NOT BEEN, THERE CANNOT BE, THERE CAN NEVER BE, ANY LINKAGE BETWEEN DISCUSSIONS ON THE AIRPORT AND DISCUSSIONS ON POLITICAL DEVELOPMENT. THE AIRPORT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO HONG KONG'S DEVELOPMENT AND WE ALL KNOW THAT ONE DAY, I HOPE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, WE'LL HAVE A NEW AIRPORT, AND IT WILL BE ONE OF THE BEST AIRPORTS IN THE WORLD. BUT I AM NOT AND I HOPE YOU'LL UNDERSTAND HOW I COULDN'T I AM NOT GOING TO PUT MYSELF IN A POSITION IN WHICH I TRADE VALUES FOR COMMERCIAL SETTLEMENTS. THAT WOULD BE ABSOLUTELY INTOLERABLE, AND I DON'T THINK YOU'D TRUST ME IF I DID

THAT.

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I THINK THAT MOST PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IT IS WHOLLY PROPER FOR ME TO DISCUSS PROPOSALS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS. I THINK PEOPLE RECOGNISE THAT THAT IS A SENSIBLE THING TO DO. I HOPE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE CHINESE OFFICIALS THAT WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE IN HONG KONG A GREATER SAY IN THEIR OWN GOVERNMENT WITHOUT UNDERMINING STABILITY IN HONG KONG, WITHOUT THREATENING ANYONE. WE CAN BEHAVE MATURELY AND RESPONSIBLY, AS PEOPLE ARE THIS EVENING. I HOPE THAT I CAN PUT THAT CASE PERSUASIVELY. BUT AFTER THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND IT MAY NEED MORE THAN ONE MEETING

AFTER THOSE DISCUSSIONS, I WILL HAVE TO PUT MY JUDGMENT, ONCE AGAIN, BEFORE THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, ABOUT THE BEST WAY FORWARD. AND I WILL HAVE ΤΟ PUT LEGISLATION, AT SOME STAGE, BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, WHICH WILL HAVE TO DECIDE THE BASIS FOR THE 1995 ELECTIONS.

LET ME ADD ONE OTHER POINT. THESE AREN'T THINGS WHICH I'VE TAKEN OUT OF THE BLUE, OUT OF THE SKY, THESE ARE PROPOSALS THAT I HAD TO BRING FORWARD BECAUSE WE DO NEED ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE ELECTION COMMITTEE IN 1995, FOR THE FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND SO ON. AND IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT MY PROPOSALS ARE WRONG, IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THEM JUST TO CRITICISE, IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT FOR THEM JUST TO SHOUT FROM THE GRANDSTAND AT THOSE OF US WHO ARE OUT ON THE PITCH, THEY SHOULD COME DOWN AND JOIN THE GAME AS WELL. THEY SHOULD TELL US WHAT PROPOSALS THEY WOULD PUT ON THE TABLE INSTEAD OF THE ONES WHICH I AM ADVANCING.

SO THAT IS THE WAY I SEE THINGS DEVELOPING. FIRST OF ALL MY DISCUSSIONS WITH CHINESE OFFICIALS. I SHALL REPORT BACK ON THOSE DISCUSSIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. WE MAY NEED ΤΟ HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS, BUT BEFORE TOO LONG, CERTAINLY IN THE EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR, I WILL HAVE TO SET OUT MY THOUGHTS ON THE BEST WAY FORWARD FOR THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO VOTE ON THEM.

QUESTION:

MR GOVERNOR, THIS YEAR, IN THE FOUR COLLEGES OF EDUCATION THE TOTAL PLACES WERE 1,100 BUT THE ADMISSIONS WERE ONLY 972, AND THE SHORTFALL WAS 11%. IN YOUR POLICY SPEECH YOU MENTION THAT 780 ADDITIONAL TEACHERS WILL BE RECRUITED. MAY I ASK YOU: HOW CAN YOU ATTRACT MORE SECONDARY SCHOOL LEAVERS TO ENTER THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION? AND HOW CAN YOU ENSURE THAT THE QUALITY OF TEACHERS WILL NOT DROP?

/GOVERNOR: I