XN000022-1994-07-07 — Page 16

15

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 1994

GOVERNOR: I'LL BE ANSWERING IT IN SLIGHTLY MORE LENGTH IN EARLY OCTOBER WHEN I GIVE MY NEXT SPEECH TO THE COUNCIL, THOUGH IT IS MY INTENTION I SHOULD SAY, TO SPEAK RATHER MORE BRIEFLY THIS YEAR THAN I HAVE IN THE LAST TWO, WITHOUT I HOPE SACRIFICING ANY OF THE CONTENT.

I THINK, AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT THE BIGGEST ISSUE ON OUR AGENDA IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS IS GOING TO BE THE FUTURE OF PROVISION FOR THE ELDERLY. I THINK THE PROPOSALS WHICH THE GOVERNMENT WILL SHORTLY UNVEIL ARE EXTREMELY SENSIBLE. I HOPE WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THIS COUNCIL AND THE COMMUNITY BEYOND OF THAT AS WELL.

I THINK I HAVE TO MAKE SURE IN THE NEXT MONTHS AND YEARS THAT THE AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME OF WELFARE REFORM THAT WE PUT IN HAND IS CARRIED THROUGH. I FEEL PARTICULARLY STRONGLY ABOUT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PROPOSALS TO HELP THE DISABLED AND THOSE AS WELL WHO ARE ILL.

WE HAVE AN AMBITIOUS PROGRAMME IN THE EDUCATIONAL FIELD TO CARRY FORWARD AND WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVES, NOT LEAST THE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE FIRST STAGE OF OUR SEWAGE TREATMENT PLAN.

AS I'VE ALSO BEEN SAYING, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF OTHER PROPOSALS WHICH THIS COUNCIL WILL BE LEGISLATING ON IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO TO FURTHER SAFEGUARD HUMAN RIGHTS AND TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT BECOMES MORE OPEN AND MORE ACCOUNTABLE. THE PROGRAMME WHICH I OUTLINED EARLIER IS BY ANY STANDARDS AN EXTREMELY AMBITIOUS ONE.

SQ THEY'LL BE PLENTY FOR US TO DO. I THINK THAT I WOULD JUST ADD то THAT TWO THINGS WHICH ARE PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE INTANGIBLE AND WHICH I'VE REFERRED TO IN SOME PRESS INTERVIEWS IN RECENT DAYS.

FIRST OF ALL, I HOPE THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY TO RECOGNISE THAT HONG KONG'S MEASURED AND STEADY PROGRESS TOWARDS FULL DEMOCRACY IS NOT SOMETHING WHICH IN ANY WAY THREATENS HONG KONG'S ECONOMIC SUCCESS OR SOCIAL STABILITY. INDEED, PRECISELY THE REVERSE.

SECONDLY, I VERY MUCH HOPE THAT IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONVINCE THOSE WHO PERHAPS THINK OTHERWISE IN CHINA, THAT HONG KONG'S MODEST ASPIRATIONS TO HAVE A GREATER SHARE IN DETERMINING ITS' OWN FUTURE HERE IN HONG KONG IN NO WAY REPRESENTS A THREAT TO ANYONE ELSE, LEAST OF ALL TO CHINA.

BOTH THOSE ARE IMPORTANT TASKS AND I WILL TRY TO CARRY THEM OUT FOR THE NEXT 1000+ DAYS TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.

THE PRESIDENT: THIS SITTING CONCLUDES THE PRESENT SESSION. I WISH MEMBERS WELL DURING THE SUMMER RECESS. THE NEW SESSION WILL START OCTOBER 5, 1994, TO WHICH DATE I NOW ADJOURN THIS COUNCIL.

+

ON

/16