XN000022-1995-05-18 — Page 4

Transcript of Governor's media session after KELY visit

The following is a transcript of media session by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, after visiting the KELY Support Group this (Thursday) afternoon:

Governor: At the drug summit a few weeks ago, there were a lot of ideas put forward and a number of groups who made a contribution. One of the groups that contributed to our discussion was the KELY Support Group. I wanted to visit them today to learn more at first hand about their work with young people, counselling young people, encouraging young people to help other young people. It's of course work which goes well beyond dealing with drug abuse but they are working to prevent some of the problems that lead to drug abuse. So they are doing very positive job and I wanted to visit them today to thank them for what they are doing and to learn a little more about their operations. We are, as I think you know, reviewing all the recommendations that were made at our summit. We're pooling those ideas together and during the course of the summer we'll be making some more announcements about how we intend to build on the action programme that I announced at that summit so as to give our work as comprehensive a scope as possible. I shall continue to be making visits associated with our campaign against drug abuse. So I dare say I'll see some of you at those visits over the next weeks and months.

Question: Lu Ping has accused you of over-simplifying the Court of Final Appeal and again warned against rushing to any early agreements. What is you comment?

Governor: I don't think that it's right of me to comment on Director Lu's speech until I have a chance of reading it. I'm sure he wouldn't comment on anything I said before he had a chance of reading it. If he's got problems about our approach to the Court of Final Appeal, and if he's in any way surprised or confused with what we have to say, the sensible thing for him to do would be to meet me or to meet Anson Chan and talk them through rather then make comments without having done so. I'm surprised that anybody, whether Director Lu or anybody else should say that we're rushing all this. The agreement was made in 1991. Chinese officials, including presumably Director Lu, have had the Bill since last May. In most people's calendars, three years, four years, or one year, don't seem like rushing its. But I'll study Director Lu's speech and then when I am out and about in the next few days I'll have the opportunity of commenting on it in a more informed way about it.

Question: But then how clear are both China and Britain on each other's definition of who should be sitting on the court?