XN000022-1994-01-12 — Page 3

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 12, 1994

GOVERNOR AND SHADOW FOREIGN SECRETARY MEET MEDIA

* * * *

AND AFTER

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AND THE SHADOW SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, DR JACK CUNNINGHAM, SPEAKING TO REPORTERS VISITING THE CHUK YUEN NORTH ESTATE THIS (WEDNESDAY) AFTERNOON:

GOVERNOR: I AM DELIGHTED THAT ON THIS HOUSING VISIT, I'VE BEEN ACCOMPANIED NOT ONLY BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, ROSANNA WONG BUT ALSO, OF COURSE, BY DR JACK CUNNINGHAM, ONE OF THE LEADING MEMBERS OF THE LABOUR PARTY, A VERY SENIOR PARLIAMENTARIAN AND THE LABOUR PARTY'S LEADING SPOKESMAN ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS. AND I AM DELIGHTED THAT HE IS ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THE PROGRESS WE'VE BEEN MAKING IN HONG KONG. HE FIRST CAME TO HONG KONG WHEN OUR HOUSING PROBLEMS WERE A GREAT DEAL MORE SEVERE THAN THEY ARE TODAY AND I THINK HE'S BEEN INTERESTED IN THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE BEEN MAKING IN HOUSING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DECADES. YOU'LL KNOW THAT WE ARE COMMITTED IN PARTICULAR TO REHOUSING EVERYONE WHO'S SQUATTING ON GOVERNMENT LAND BY MARCH 1996 AND WE'RE ALSO COMMITTED, AS YOU KNOW, TO GETTING RID OF THE OLDER TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS BY 1997 AND TO PROVIDE NEW HOMES FOR THREE-QUARTERS OF THOSE WHO ARE AT PRESENT IN TEMPORARY HOUSING AREAS. I'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY PLEASED, ONCE AGAIN, TO SEE THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING IN REDEVELOPING SOME OF OUR OLDER PROPERTY AND PROVIDING NEW PEOPLE, LIKE THE FAMILY WE VISITED HERE, WITH ATTRACTIVE NEW FLATS. WE'VE STILL GOT A LOT TO DO BUT I THINK WE'VE MADE VERY CONSIDERABLE PROGRESS AND I AM DELIGHTED THAT DR CUNNINGHAM WAS ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THAT PROGRESS FOR HIMSELF TODAY.

BEFORE THE

QUESTION: MR PATTEN, MR LU PING SAID THAT SO FAR AS THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WON'T SEND MR GORDON SIU TO CHINA TO EXPLAIN PWC, THERE WON'T BE ANY AIRPORT TALK.

/GOVERNOR: