XN000022-1993-08-05 — Page 4

THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1993

QUESTION: WHY WASN'T HELP GIVEN EARLIER,

ASPREY:

WHY DO YOU WAIT FOR REQUEST?

WE DID NOT HAVE DETAILS OF THE INCIDENT. WE DID NOT KNOW WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE DID NOT KNOW THAT THEY WANTED ASSISTANCE OR WHAT SORTS OF ASSISTANCE THEY WANTED SO WE WAITED FOR REQUEST.

QUESTION: WHEN THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES WILL GIVE THE REPORT AND THE ASSESSMENT RESULT?

ASPREY: AS SOON AS HE CAN.

QUESTION: YOU MEAN BY MIDNIGHT OR

ASPREY: I DON'T KNOW, THOROUGH ASSESSMENT.

+

WE'VE GOT TO WAIT FOR DIN TO GO AND MAKE A

QUESTION: DO YOU MEẠN THAT HE IS NOW WORKING.

!

ASPREY: E LEFT HERE BY HELICOPTER ABOUT HALF-AN-HOUR, MORE THAN HALF-AN-HOUR AGO.

I'M SURE HE'S UP THERE

NOW, EITHER MAKING AN ASSESSMENT, EITHER IN THE AIR OR POSSIBLY HE'S ALREADY DONE IT. DON'T HAVE THAT UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION.

QUESTION: WHO IS FLYING HIM THERE, IS THE HONG KONG FLYING SERVICE?

ASPREY: YES, THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE.

QUESTION:

I

IS THIS THE FIRST TIME HONG KONG WAS ASKED FOR HELP FROM ACROSS THE BORDER?

ASPREY: I THINK IT'S CERTAINLY THE FIRST TIME I CAN REMEMBER HELP THIS SORT OF INCIDENT BEING ASKED FOR. IT'S NOT BY ANY MEANS FIRST TIME THAT THE GOVERNMENT FLYING SERVICE HAS BEEN ACROSS BORDER. IT'S DONE SO FOR CASUALTY EVACUATION ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THE PAST, AND NOT REGULARLY BUT OCCASIONALLY, FROM TIME TO TIME.

IN

THE

THE IN

STEADY PROGRESS MADE ON RURAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEME: ACTING GOVERNOR

STEADY PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE UNDER THE AMBITIOUS RURAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEME TO VILLAGES IN THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID FORD, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

"

"IT IS A WELL WORTHWHILE PROJECT AND ONE WHICH WE WOULD CERTAINLY CONTINUE TO GIVE PRIORITY TO OVER THE YEARS AHEAD, SIR DAVID TOLD REPORTERS AFTER A VISIT TO YUEN LONG.

WILL IT UP.

THIS RURAL IMPROVEMENT SCHEME IS DUE TO LAST ABOUT 10 YEARS AND COST ABOUT $5 BILLION WITH OVER 1,000 DIFFERENT SCHEMES TO MAKE

SIR DAVID SAID HE HOPED TO MAKE BETTER PROGRESS TO THE SCHEME.

/"AND I