§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if Her Majesty's Government will make representations to the Government of China in support of the request of Hong Kong's sporting bodies for Hong Kong to be recognised as an international sporting nation after 1997; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe "Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong" provides that after 1997 the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may on its own, using the name "Hong Kong, China", maintain and develop relations and conclude and implement agreements with states, regions and relevant international organisations in various fields, including the sporting field. Arrangements for putting this provision into effect will be a matter for consultation with the Chinese authorities in due course.
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§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has received regarding athletes from Hong Kong competing in international sporting events under the name of Hong Kong after 1997; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonNone.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the provision of services for handicapped people in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. RentonA full range of services for handicapped people in Hong Kong is provided by Government Departments and voluntary agencies and co-ordinated by the commissioner for rehabilitation by means of an annual review of the rehabilitation programme plan.
The commissioner is advised by the rehabilitation development co-ordinating committee, which is made up of representatives of the relevant Government Departments and voluntary agencies. Services are aimed at integrating handicapped people into the community, with the objective of enabling them to develop their physical, mental and social capabilities to the full.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list in the Official Report the population of the satellite towns of Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tai Po, Sha Tin and Tsuen Wan in the New Territories at the latest date.
§ Mr. RentonThe latest population figures for the satellite towns in the New Territories are contained in the Hong Kong 1986 by-census and as at 11 March 1986 were:
Figure Yuen Long 75,740 Tuen Mun 262,458 Tai Po 119,679 Sha Tin 355,810 Tsuen Wan (including Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi) 645,603
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Hong Kong Government have for extending the mass transit railway to the satellite towns in the New Territories of Sha Tin, Tuen Mun, Tai Po and Yuen Long; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThere are no plans at present to extend the mass transit railway to Sha Tin. However, Sha Tin and Tai Po new towns are at present served by the Kowloon Canton railway, which provides a full, electric service.
A light rail transit system is being constructed by the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation to serve Tuen Mun and Yuen Long in the Western New Territories, and will be operational in the latter half of 1988. Both the Kowloon Canton Railway Corporation and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation are investigating the possibility of constructing a rail link to join the Tuen Mun-Yuen Long light rail system with the existing mass transit railway terminal at Tsuen Wan, thereby providing a direct rail link with the urban area.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the rights of trade unions in Hong Kong after 1997.
§ Mr. RentonThe "Joint Declaration on the Question of Hong Kong" provides that the rights and freedoms as450W provided for by the laws previously in force in Hong Kong shall be maintained in the Special Administrative Region. These provisions include reference to the freedom to form and join trade unions.
§ Mr. Parryasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the working of the basic law consultative committee on the future of Hong Kong after 1997; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. RentonThe drafting of the basic law for the future Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is a matter for the Chinese Government. A Basic Law Drafting Committee, comprising 59 members—23 of them from Hong Kong—has been established to carry out this work. A Basic Law Consultative Committee also has been established in Hong Kong to reflect the views of the people of Hong Kong on the basic law. It has held several rounds of meetings and has been able to convey to the drafting committee a wide spectrum of views. We welcome this.