XN000022-1993-04-22 — Page 7

THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1993

MS EMILY LAU:

THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. I WANT ΤΟ ASK THE GOVERNOR IN HIS RECENT VISIT TO LONDON I UNDERSTAND, I THINK WE HAVE IN FACT BEEN TOLD BY GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, THAT ONE OF THE ITEMS IN YOUR BRIEF IS A REQUEST, A UNANIMOUS REQUEST FROM THIS COUNCIL FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO GIVE FULL BRITISH CITIZENSHIP TO 7,000 ETHNIC MINORITIES COMING FROM ABOUT 2,000 FAMILIES. CAN THE GOVERNOR THIS AFTERNOON GIVE US SOME RESPONSE ON THE REACTION FROM LONDON, WHETHER YOU ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL AND HONOURABLE OUTCOME?

GOVERNOR:

THE REACTION WAS SIMILAR TO THAT WHICH THE HONOURABLE LADY RECEIVED WHEN SHE AND TWO OF HER COLLEAGUES RAISED THE ISSUE ON A VISIT WHICH THEY PAID TO LONDON A FEW MONTHS AGO, BUT I THINK THAT THE STRENGTH OF THIS COUNCIL'S VIEWS ON THE SUBJECT IS RECOGNISED IN THE POLITICAL COMMUNITY IN LONDON JUST AS I SUSPECT THE HONOURABLE LADY STRONGLY AS SHE FEELS ABOUT THE SUBJECT RECOGNISES SOME OF THE POLITICAL VIEWS AT WESTMINSTER ABOUT THIS SUBJECT.

MS EMILY LAU:

FOLLOW-UP MR PRESIDENT.

PRESIDENT:

MS EMILY LAU: ANSWER IS NO?

SHORT, SINGLE SUPPLEMENTARY.

YES, VERY SHORT, SO GOVERNOR ARE YOU SAYING THE

GOVERNOR:

I'M SAYING THAT THE ANSWER AT THE MOMENT IS THE SAME AS THE ANSWER WHICH THE HONOURABLE LADY GOT WHICH WAS NO.

MS

EMILY LAU:

BUT WE WERE TOLD BY YOUR OFFICIALS JUST Á FEW DAYS AGO THAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD A RESPONSE SO THAT YOU MUST HAVE GOT ONE BETWEEN WHAT, MONDAY WHEN WE HAD OUR NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE.

GOVERNOR:

THE HONOURABLE LADY WHEN SHE WAS IN LONDON DIDN'T GET A POSITIVE REACTION. I'M SAYING THAT I DIDN'T GET A POSITIVE REACTION, IF THAT IS A LESS FIRM NO THAN A DOUBLE NO THEN I ACCEPT THE HONOURABLE LADY'S CORRECTION. IT WOULD BE FAIR то SAY THAT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A NO BUT I HAVEN'T RECEIVED A YES AND IN THE ABSENCE OF A YES I WAS TAKING A RATHER NEGATIVE VIEW ABOUT THINGS BUT I'LL CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNCIL'S VIEWS ARE PUT TO LONDON AND TO WESTMINSTER.

MR MOSES CHENG : THANK YOU MR PRESIDENT. I WISH TO ASK A QUESTION OF THE GOVERNOR IN THE AREA OF HOUSING. MEMBERS OF THE LIBERAL PARTY BELIEVE THAT

PRESIDENT: I'M SORRY MR CHENG, I THINK WE ARE STILL ON THE GOVERNOR'S MAIN ADDRESS.

MR CHENG I THOUGHT THAT EMILY HAS ASKED A QUESTIONS WHICH HAS

: INTO THE SECOND PART

GONE

/PRESIDENT