XN000022-1994-07-08 — Page 4

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FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1994

TRANSCRIPT OF GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

THE

FOLLOWING

IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER OPENING THE KUK JOCKEY CLUB TAI TONG HOLIDAY CAMP TODAY (FRIDAY):

BY

THE

PO

LEUNG

IS AS

IN

AS

OF

FOR

FOR

GOVERNOR: I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS ABOUT A SUBJECT WHICH IS OF CONCERN TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY. THERE'VE NOW BEEN 18 CONFIRMED CASES OF CHOLERA AND THERE IS ONE SUSPECTED CASE. OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE BE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND I THINK IT'S A MATTER WHICH WE SHOULD CONCERNED ABOUT BUT I DON'T THINK THERE IS ANY REASON FOR ALARM AT THIS

WHAT TIME. CHOLERA IS BOTH PREVENTABLE AND TREATABLE AND THAT'S WE'VE NOW GOT TO CONCENTRATE ON. IN PARTICULAR, IN GOVERNMENT, WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT PROPER FOOD HYGIENE STANDARDS ARE MAINTAINED AND THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE CO-ORDINATING THE WORK BEING DONE ON THAT. WE ARE, IN PARTICULAR YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE WATER QUALITY STANDARDS IN THE FISH TANKS SOME OF OUR RESTAURANTS AND THAT'S BEING PURSUED AS VIGOROUSLY POSSIBLE. IT MAY BE THE CASE THAT WE'LL NEED TO MAKE THE QUALITY WATER IN TANKS IN RESTAURANTS ONE OF THE LICENSING CONDITIONS RESTAURANTS BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT, THE TIME BEING, THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT RESTAURANTS AREN'T TAKING WATER OUT OF THE HARBOUR OR OUT OF THE TYPHOON SHELTERS. I THINK THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THE TYPHOON SHELTERS AS BEING A PARTICULAR PROBLEM IN TERMS OF WATER QUALITY AND WE WANT TO MAKE THAT EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN THE VICINITY OF THOSE TYPHOON SHELTERS IS PROPERLY REGULATED AND CONTROLLED. I BELIEVE THE WHOLE COMMUNITY RECOGNISES THAT THE RIGHT LONG-TERM SOLUTION IS TO GET ON WITH OUR PROGRAMME OF PROPER TREATMENT OF SEWAGE SO THAT THE WATERS AROUND HONG KONG ARE OF THE DESIRABLE ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY BUT I WANT TO ASSURE EVERYONE THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS ACTING ON THIS AS VIGOROUSLY AS WE CAN. IT'S OUR MAIN PRIORITY THIS WEEK. WE'VE GOT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH, I REPEAT, THERE IS NO REASON FOR ALARM, RUNS CASES IS MORE THAN THE AVERAGE WE HAVE IN A WHOLE YEAR WHICH ABOUT 11 AND WE'VE THEREFORE GOT TO GIVE THIS MATTER PROPER

ACT IT'S OF CONCERN TO THE COMMUNITY AND WE INTEND TO ATTENTION.

ON

18

AT

IT.

QUESTION:

SURE

TAKE

SOME SAFE

THE GOVERNMENT IS ADVISING THE WATER SUPPLIERS NOT TO WATER FROM TYPHOON SHELTER AREAS AS WELL AS VICTORIA HARBOUR BUT ENVIRONMENTALISTS SAID THAT WATER OUTSIDE THESE TWO AREAS AREN'T ENOUGH TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. SO, DO YOU THINK THERE IS ANY LOOPHOLE IN THE ADVICE GIVEN BY....?

GOVERNOR: I DON'T BELIEVE SO BUT WE'RE IN CONTACT WITH RESTAURANTS AND HAVE WE'RE WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE MUNICIPAL COUNCILS AND IF WE

THEN WE TO GIVE NEW INSTRUCTIONS ON HYGIENE AND PERSONAL HEALTH CARE, WILL DO SO. THE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH WILL BE MAKING A FURTHER STATEMENT LATER ON TODAY.

QUESTION: SO, YOU THINK WATERS OUTSIDE THESE AREAS ARE CLEAN ENOUGH?

GOVERNOR: NOT ALL WATERS ARE CLEAN ENOUGH BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ONLY WATERS USED IN TANKS ARE CLEAN WATERS.

/QUESTION