TNAG-1308-FCO40-1665-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 100

IT WILL, AS THE MINISTER MADE CLEAR, WISH TO KNOW THE VIEWS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON IT. IN CONSEQUENCE THOSE VIEWS, EXPRESSED IN A VARIETY OF WAYS INCLUDING THROUGH THIS COUNCIL, WILL BE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR FOR PARLIAMENT WHEN IT COMES TO ASSESS THE ARRANGEMENT AS A WHOLE.

9. 1 FIND IT INCONCEIVABLE THAT PARLIAMENT WILL NOT WISH TO KNOW WHEN THE TIME COMES WHAT VIEWS HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED IN THIS COUNCIL. IT IS PERHAPS NOT OUT OF PLACE FOR ME AT THIS POINT IN THE DEBATE TO DRAW ATTENTION TO THE RECORD OF THE COUNCIL AND ITS PLACE IN THE GOVERANCE OF HONG KONG. ITS DELIBERATIONS HAVE PROVIDED OUR COMMUNITY WITH A BODY OF LAW FOR THE GOOD GOVERNMENT OF THIS TERRITORY AND IN SO DOING HAVE MADE A VITAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE STABILITY AND PROSPERITY WHICH THE TERRITORY ENJOYS TODAY.THROUGH THEIR DEBATES, QUESTIONS AND MOTIONS MEMBERS HAVE OVER THE YEARS ARTICULATED THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG ON MANY ISSUES. HONOURABLE MEMBERS HAVE TODAY SHOWN, ONCE AGAIN, THAT THEY SPEAK CAREFULLY AND RESPONSIBLY. THEY HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEIR AIM IS TO MAKE A CONSTRUCTIVE CONTRIBUTION TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF

AN OBJECTIVE WHICH IS SHARED BY ALL AN ARRANGEMENT FOR THE FUTURE WHICH WILL SATISFY CHINA AND BRITAIN AND WHICH WILL AT THE SAME TIME CARRY CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. MEMBERS HAVE SPOKEN WITH A DEEP SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO THE WELL-BEING OF THE TERRITORY. AGAINST THAT BACKGROUND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT THE DEBATE FOR WHICH THE MOTION CALLS WILL, WHEN THE TIME COMES, DO OTHER THAN HELP, AND IT CERTAINLY WILL NOT HINDER THE ACHIEVEMENT OF THAT OBJECTIVE. FOR THESE REASONS, MR PRESIDENT, I SUPPORT THE MOTION.

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