XN000022-1993-03-01 — Page 2

MONDAY, MARCH 1, 1993

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DISBANDMENT OF RHKAAF MARKS A NEW BEGINNING

THE

GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN THIS (MONDAY) AFTERNOON OFFICIATED AT THE DISBANDMENT PARADE OF THE 44-YEAR-OLD ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE, AN OCCASION WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS MARKING "NOT SO MUCH IN ENDING BUT A METAMORPHOSIS OR A NEW BEGINNING"

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"I DON'T OVER-LABOUR THAT METAPHOR IF I SAY THAT THE CHRYSALIS OF THE AUXILIARY AIR FORCE WILL NOW EMERGE AS THE BUTTERFLY GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE," HE SAID,

"THE CHANGE IS TRULY ONE MORE OF FORM THAN OF SUBSTANCE.

OF THE

TT

THE GOVERNOR WAS ADDRESSING 500 SERVING AND PAST MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE WHICH WILL BE DISBANDED AT THE END OF MARCH AND REPLACED BY THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE.

"LIKE THE AUXILIARIES, THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE WILL COMPRISE A PERMANENT CORE OF PROFESSIONAL FLYERS, SUPPORTED BY A DEDICATED BODY OF VOLUNTEERS, HE SAID.

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"THE SAME DISCIPLINE, THE SAME SKILL AND THE SAME COURAGE CONTINUE TO INFUSE THE SPIRITS OF ALL THOSE WHO ARE PART OF IT, THEY WILL BE THE SAME INDIVIDUALS AS THOSE WHO ARE SERVING TODAY THE ORGANISATION WILL BE A CIVILIAN RATHER THAN A MILITARY ONE.

WILL

AND

BUT

"WHILST THIS MEANS THAT NEW STANDARDS AND PRACTICES WILL BE INTRODUCED, THE CHANGE IS AN EVOLUTIONARY, NOT A REVOLUTIONARY STEP.'

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MR PATTEN CONCLUDED HIS ADDRESS BY THANKING ALL PRESENT AND PAST MEMBERS OF THE ROYAL HONG KONG AUXILIARY AIR FORCE FOR WHAT THEY HAD DONE FOR THE COMMUNITY.

"MANY PEOPLE ALIVE TODAY OWE THEIR LIVES TO YOUR DEDICATION, TO YOUR SKILL AND TO YOUR BRAVERY," HE ADDED.

SPENDING ON EDUCATION UP BY 7 PER CENT

* * * **

PROGRAMME IN

THE GOVERNMENT IS PLANNING TO SPEND $20,246 MILLION ON THE EDUCATION PROGRAMME AND $645 MILLION ON THE EMPLOYMENT THE 1993/94 FINANCIAL YEAR.

SECRETARY

FOR

AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY (MONDAY), THE EDUCATION AND MANPOWER, MR JOHN CHAN, SAID THE FUNDS EARMARKED FOR THE EDUCATION PROGRAMME REPRESENTED A REAL INCREASE OF $1.4 BILLION OR 7.3 PER CENT OVER THE REVISED ESTIMATES FOR 1992/93 WHILE THAT FOR THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME REMAINED AT ROUGHLY THE SAME LEVEL AS LAST YEAR.

/THE TOTAL