XN000022-1996-03-04 — Page 10

Governor: But the bet that Martin Lee and the Legislative Council had with Malcolm Rifkind --

Prime Minister: That has been paid.

--

Governor: that Britain would not do anything about visa-free access, has been handed over.

Prime Minister: The Governor is holding that and I will take it back to the Foreign Secretary who is a Scot, has won his bet and will receive his winnings.

Question (Robin Oakley): Prime Minister, how would you respond to critics at home in Britain in your own Party, some perhaps in your own Cabinet, who are suggesting that the visa-free access for SAR passport holders could be abused by potential political asylum-seekers?

Prime Minister: I don't believe it would have been honourable for us not to act as we have and I know no one in my Cabinet who is going to dissent with that view because my Cabinet has approved that view.

Question (Apple Daily): Prime Minister, you have just announced good news for Hong Kong people. I think most of us welcome that. But unfortunately, there was one Hong Kong people who happened to be a journalist, were not welcomed by Mainland China - they just take away their re-entry permits. So can you guarantee to us, Mr Prime Minister, after 1997, those permanent residents here in Hong Kong can come back to Hong Kong? Did you get any guarantee from China that we can come back to Hong Kong after 1997, June 30th?

Prime Minister: I am not quite sure of the facts of this particular case. I don't know where these journalists might be at the moment. I am always very protective of the interests of journalists, as the travelling party with me from the United Kingdom will confirm. But I don't know the background to this. If it seems as though there is some malpractice of some sort, clearly we would examine it and do what we could to help. But without having the details of the particular case, I would like to restrict my comment to that. I will make enquiries about it. If you will give the details to the Governor I will look at it.

Question (Paul Harrington, Agency France Press): We are all aware, Prime Minister, of the political obstructions to granting more British passports to Hong Kong people but you mentioned the moral imperative that Britain also had. Do you think that Hong Kong has got everything it deserved from Britain in this regard?

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