TNAG-1377-FCO40-1825-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 173

CONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT WINDING UP SPEECH FOR MR

LUCE'S USE IN DEBATE ON

SECOND READING OF HONG KONG BILL, 21 JANUARY 1985

INTRODUCTION

I shall try to deal in this concluding speech with as many

of the points raised by hon and rt

by hon and rt hon Members as possible

in the time remaining.

Before I do so I would like to say a very few words about the Hong Kong agreement and about this Bill.

The Hong Kong agreement was the outcome of two years of hard negotiations with the Chinese Government. It is by

any standards an excellent agreement, as the House recognised on 5 December and we are quite certain that it

that could be negotiated in the

circumstances. It was on this basis and in the context of

the expiry of the lease over the New Territories on 1 July 1997 that the people of Hong Kong, and then this House,

endorsed the agreement.

was

the

best

There is of course much further work to be done in the 12

years ahead. The areas which most concern the people of Hong Kong are very fully recorded in the Assessment Office Report. They were also, if I may say so, very responsibly

reflected in hon Members speeches in the 5 December

other concerns will emerge between

We will have thes at the forefront of our

minds in our contacts with the Chinese Government on the

debate. No doubt

and 1997.

now

CONFIDENTIAL