XN000022-1995-06-15 — Page 6

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Question: Do you think that Lydia's resignation means that the importance of ExCo is going down? Because some political scholar commented on the resignation of Lydia and saying that her resignation means that the importance of ExCo is going down. So do you think that she didn't want to stay any more...

Governor: I think that the role of ExCo has changed a bit. I don't think its importance has decreased. It's changed as the Legislative Council has gained credibility as it's become a more democratic and more representative institution. After September this year the whole of LegCo for the first time will be elected. That is part of the political development of Hong Kong and it obviously has implications, not least for the relationship between the executive and the legislature and not least for the development of accountability in government. But I don't think that it weakens the role of ExCo, I think it changes slightly the role of ExCo. I mean when there weren't any elected Members in the Legislative Council the Executive Council obviously had a slightly different role.

Question: Didn't you ask her not to leave since she is a great contributor as you said?

Governor: She is also a very mature, very experienced public servant and businesswoman and if there is one thing that I have learnt in life it is when people whose judgement you respect reach a decision. you don't bend their arm or bash their ear to try to persuade them to change their mind. Nobody makes a decision as considerable as Baroness Dunn has made without thinking about it very hard and since I respect her judgement and since I respect her experience, I wouldn't expect her to come to a decision like that without the greatest thought, without thinking of even more angles than I'd thought out. She has been, I repeat, a very considerable public servant in Hong Kong. For business and personal reasons which even now she is doubtless explaining to some of your colleagues, she has decided that she is going to leave Hong Kong. But I am delighted that her experience will be available in the House of Lords so that Hong Kong interests, interests in which she has taken such a personal part over the years, like the whole question of passports for the ethnic minorities, will have a tireless champion in Parliament at Westminster.

Question: A few years ago she said that you are too young to be a governor and now she is leaving and what do you think, what is your feeling now?

Governor: I don't remember her ever saying I was too young to be a governor but if she did say that I regard it as rather flattering. I'm actually incredibly old now - looking at all of you - I'm 51, that's really ancient. Some people - Mozart had died 17 years ago; he was 35. President Clinton will have retired, if he wins the next presidential election, I think before he is my age or when he's about my age. I'm sure lots of you would make good governors and Executive Council Members. Okay. Thank you very much.

End/Thursday, June 15, 1995