§ Mr. WorthingtonTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken by the European Union to establish a human rights centre in Hong Kong; and what has been the response of the Chinese Government.
§ Mr. GoodladThe European Union has no plans to set up a human rights centre in Hong Kong. The European Parliament added a new "remark" to the 1995 budget line B7–5240 to the effect that the budget line could be used to
promote the protection of human rights in countries where there is soon to be a change of sovereignty.Such remarks represent the views of the European Parliament alone, and have no binding force on the other European Union institutions.
We are not aware of any response from the Chinese Government.