TNAG-1166-FCO40-1446-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 128

GRS 4200

UNCLASSIFIED

HKTC 026/3 @Mfuller; disiang

HITE

FM HONG KONG 1007102 JANUARY 82

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 22 OF 10 JANUARY 82

ila

done Af

B.

me.

spare for

w

نه بسبه

لامل

This shred 2 chink

Hicie 040/pecquid is fed - leking

INFO IMMEDIATE SEOUL ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT: OFFICE LONDON

FOR NEWS DEPARTMENT F CO

SEOUL FOR MR ROGER WESTBROOK

J

11.1.82.

च्या žili

Plo 2211

LORD PRIVY SEAL'S PRESS CONFERENCE FOLLOWING IS A TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN

BY THE LORD PRIVY SEAL IN HONG KONG TODAY BEFORE HIS

DEPARTURE FOR SEOUL :

See

LPS: BEFORE I START ON MY VISIT TO HONG KONG, THERE IS ONE

THING THAT I WANT TO SAY AND THAT IS THAT I AM DELIGHTED

TO BE THE FIRST CABINET MINISTER IN PERSON TO CONGRATULATE THE

GOVERNOR ON HIS LIFE PEERAGE. THIS HAS GIVEN ENORMOUS PLEASURE

TO EVERYBODY AT HOME, AND I THINK IT HAS HERE TOO. IT IS OF

COURSE THE CULMINATION OF TEN YEARS OF VERY HARD AND VERY

SUCCESSFUL WORK, BUT I THINK ALSO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE CONGRATULATED AS WELL BECAUSE OF THE RECOGNITION OF ALL THAT

HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN HONG KONG DURING THOSE TEN YEARS. NOW

AS TO MY VISIT HERE, IT'S A VERY SHORT ONE, IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN TO HONG KONG FOR THE LAST 13 YEARS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, I WAS PUT SPECIFICALLY IN CHARGE OF HONG KONG AFFAIRS IN THE

FOREIGN OFFICE. IT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT A CABINET MINISTER HAS

HAD THIS SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG IN THE U K GOVERNMENT, SO I THOUGH THAT I SHOULD COME HERE AS SOON AS I COULD JUST TO SEE WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON DURING THOSE 13 YEARS.

NOW, I HAVEN'T BEEN HERE VERY LONG, BUT I'VE TALKED TO THE TEXTILES ADVISORY BOARD, I WENT TO THE QUEEN ELIZABETH HOSPITAL

AND THE NEW POLYTECHNIC, AND I'VE SEEN THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE AND THE COMMANDER BRITISH FORCES, OF COURSE, AND THEN YESTERDAY I WENT ROUND WITH THE GOVERNOR AND SAW WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN THE NEW TERRITORIES AND IN PARTICULAR I SAW THE NEW HOUSING PROJECTS

IN TUEN MUN AND ALSO THE NEW HOME OWNERSHIP SCHEME IN SHATIN.

AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF TALKING TO MR AKERS-JONES, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES (SIC) AND A LOT OF HIS PEOPLE TO FIND OUT ALL THE DEVELOPMENTS THERE. NOW, AN IMPRESSION AFTER A SHORT VISIT, AN IMPRESSION WHICH I DISCUSSED WITH THE URBAN COUNCIL, AND WITH UMELCO WHOM I SAW YESTERDAY, IS ONE OF INTENSE ACTIVITY AND PROGRESS AND CONFIDENCE. EVERYBODY IS WORKING AWAY VERY HARD AT DEVELOPING HONG KONG AND IMPROVING IT AND THERE SEEMS TO BE NO LET UP IN THE ACTIVITIES THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON ALL THESE YEARS. AND.

I MUST SAY EVERYTHING I HAVE SEEN I HAVE BEEN MOST IMPRESSED WITH. I KNOW, AS I SAY, IT WAS A SHORT VISIT, BUT I THINK I HAVE GOT INTO IT AS MUCH AS I COULD DO, AND I AM HOPING VERY

MUCH IT WON'T BE THE LAST TIME I COME HERE. NOW THAT IS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY TO START WITH, NOW THE BEST THING, I THINK, IS TO ASK YOU TO ASK ME QUESTIONS.

/REPORTER: COULD

223