XN000022-1995-01-15 — Page 2

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Hong Kong wants civil servants to straddle 1997

The Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, this (Sunday) morning said Hong Kong wanted its civil servants to go on after 1997 working in as good an environment as they had now and wanted as many civil servants to transfer through sovereignty in 1997.

Responding to media questions after officiating at the opening of the Community Chest Island Walk, about Director Lu Ping's remarks about the transfer of files of senior civil servants, Mr Patten: "We want a smooth transition. That means that we all have to be very careful in what we say. Reinforce the civil service morale rather than the reverse."

The Governor said Hong Kong recognised that there was a relationship between the transfer of sovereignty and the transfer of assets.

"But the specific question here is what personal information about civil servants should be sent to Peking and we've already provided a huge amount of information on civil servants," Mr Patten said.

"We've provided general information about the civil service regulations and the civil service structure and we've provided specific information about the biographical details of civil servants, about salary levels and so on.

"Now, what more does anyone want and why should people be talking about sending to Peking information which we wouldn't dream of sending to London and which London wouldn't dream of asking for.

"I think that people should be specific about what additional information they have."

End/Sunday, January 15, 1995