XN000022-1994-07-21 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1994

1 -

THE

GENERAL CHAMBER'S PROPOSALS COST HIGHER: GOVERNOR * * * * *

(THURSDAY }

GENERAL LEAST

THIS GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTERNOON SAID THE GOVERNMENT'S INITIAL ASSESSMENT ON THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE'S PROPOSALS WAS THAT ITS COST WOULD PUT AT TWO PER CENT NOT ONLY ON PROFITS TAX BUT ALSO ON SALARY TAX.

THE

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER HIS VISIT TO PROJECT ORBIS AND AIRPORT FIRE STATION, MR PATTEN SAID: "IT'S OBVIOUSLY NECESSARY FOR US CONSIDER то LOOK AT THAT PROPOSAL IN DETAIL. BUT WE DID, OF COURSE,

IF WE THAT APPROACH OURSELVES BEFORE AND WE'LL BE KIDDING OURSELVES THOUGHT THAT WAS SOMEHOW A CHEAPER OR MORE AFFORDABLE OPTION.

"

THE GENERAL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE YESTERDAY PUT FORWARD THEIR BUT PROPOSALS FOR NOT HAVING A COMPREHENSIVE OLD AGE PENSIONS SCHEME FOR INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF OLD AGE ALLOWANCES.

"THERE'S CERTAINLY NO SUCH THING AS A INCREASE IN OLD AGE ALLOWANCES," MR PATTEN SAID.

FREE-FOR-THE-TAXPAYER

"OUR ASSESSMENT IS THAT THE COSTS OF THAT SCHEME WOULD PUT, AND ARE HIGHER, THE TAX BURDEN ONTO BUSINESS AND ONTO EMPLOYEES.

"I AM SURE THAT CAN'T HAVE BEEN THE INTENTION. I IT'S WHAT PEOPLE WANT."

DON'T

THINK

THE GOVERNOR REITERATED THAT ONE OF THE IMPORTANT PRINCIPLES OF AN THE GOVERNMENT'S OLD AGE PENSIONS SCHEME WAS THAT THERE SHOULD BE

TAKEN IRON-LINK BETWEEN CONTRIBUTIONS PUT IN AND BENEFITS

ABSOLUTELY

OUT.

"AND THAT IS SOMETHING WHICH, I BELIEVE IN THE INTEREST OF PRUDENCE, WE HAVE TO STAND BY," HE ADDED.

0

THE

TRANSCRIPT OF THE GOVERNOR'S MEDIA SESSION

*

BY THE ΤΟ PROJECT

FOLLOWING IS THE TRANSCRIPT OF THE MEDIA SESSION GOVERNOR, THE RT HON CHRISTOPHER PATTEN, AFTER HIS VISIT ORBIS AND THE AIRPORT FIRE STATION TODAY (THURSDAY):

GOVERNOR: I AM VERY PLEASED TO HAVE SEEN THIS AFTERNOON THE VERY IMPRESSIVE WORK BEING DONE BY ORBIS, THE FLYING EYE HOSPITAL. I HOPE THAT OTHERS WILL PLEDGE THEIR CORNEAS BECAUSE IT IS A VERY PRACTICAL WAY OF ASSISTING THE WORK OF THE OPHTHALMOLOGISTS WHO GIVE SO MUCH BENEFIT TO PEOPLE IN CHINA AND ALL THE OTHER COUNTRIES WHICH NEED OUR ASSISTANCE IN COPING WITH BLINDNESS WHICH CAN BE TREATED. I AM ALSO DELIGHTED THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEE ONCE AGAIN THE EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE WORK DONE BY OUR FIRE SERVICE WHICH MUST BE ONE OF THE BEST IN THOSE PROFESSIONALS IN THE WORLD AND AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE, I THINK, OF THE SUCCESS OF LOCALISATION POLICY IN THE PAST. I HOPE OF YOU WILL SIGN UP AND PLEDGE YOUR CORNEAS TOO AND OTHER ORGANS THAT MATTER.

SOME

FOR

/PERHAPS, I