BUT MY ANSWER TO MISS DUNN'S QUESTION IS NO, SIR.
MISS L DUNN : SIR, IS THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY STATING HIS OWN
PERSONAL OPINION AND IF SO, WOULD THE GOVERNMENT SEEK ASSURANCES FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ABOUT THEIR CONTINUING CONCERN FOR THE
WELFARE OF HONG KONG IN THE BROADEST SENSE ?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: THE OPINION I EXPRESSED, SIR, WAS BASED
ON SUCH EVIDENCE AS IS AVAILABLE TO ME INCLUDING STATEMENTS BY
MEMBERS OF HM GOVERNMENT FROM TIME TO TIME. IF HON. MEMBERS WISH THE CONCERN OF THIS COUNCIL TO BE CONVEYED TO HM GOVERNMENT, THIS CONCERN BEING THAT HM GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO EXPRESS IN THE FUTURE, AS IN THE PAST, A REAL CONCERN FOR THE WELFARE OF THIS COMMUNITY, WE SHALL CERTAINLY DO SO,
MISS L DUNN : SIR, WERE THESE STATEMENTS MADE BY MINISTERS THAT THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY JUST REFERRED TO, WERE THEY NOT MADE BEFORE THE EEC NEGOTIATIONS AND HAVE NOT EVENTS SINCE THEN CAST DOUBT ON THEIR SINCERITY ?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: AS I SAID EARLIER, SIR, I THINK THAT I WELL UNDERSTAND THE DOUBTS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED IN PEOPLE'S MINDS BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT HM GOVERNMENTS COMMITMENT TO HONG KONG · REMAINS AS FIRM AS EVER.
MR T S LO : SIR, ARISING FROM THE ANSWER TO MR TIEN'S QUESTION, MIGHT I ASK WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT SUCCEEDED IN MAKING HM
GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT TO WHICH HONG KONG IS BEING
DEPRIVED OF ITS RIGHTS UNDER THE MFA ?.
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: I THINK, SIR, OUR FOINT OF VIEW AND OUR ANALYSIS OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THIS RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENT
WAS PUT FORWARD TO HM GOVERNMENT IN THE CLEAREST POSSIBLE TERMS
AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT OUR POINT OF VIEW WAS ACCEPTED AND UNDERSTOOD INTELLECTUALLY. UNFORTUNATELY, THERE WAS NOT THE POLITICAL WILL TO COUPLE WITH THAT INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDING. MR T S LO: SIR, WAS EQUAL INTELLECTUAL UNDERSTANDING REACHED WITH REGARD TO THE SECOND OBJECTIVE LISTED IN THE ANSWER ?
FINANCIAL SECRETARY: IF MR LO IS ASKING, SIR, WHETHER WE WERE CONSCIOUS AT THE TIME WE WERE PUTTING FORWARD THESE REPRESENTATIONS
AND MAKING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE POSITION KNOWN TO HM GOVERN- MENT, IF HE IS ASKING WHETHER WE WERE AWARE AND INDEED MOTIVATED BY THE STRONG FEELINGS OF THIS COMMUNITY ABOUT THE TREATMENT
~3~
/BEING.
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