BRITISH Foreign Secretary Douglas Hurd last night insisted it was possible for Beijing to agree to the establishment of the Court of Final Appeal in time for it to be working well before 1997.
But Mr Hurd, opening a debate on Hong Kong in the House of Commons, appeared almost conciliatory in refusing to set a deadline for agreement, stressing instead that China was aware of the timetable required for the court to be in place.
But, while Labour shadow foreign secretary Robin Cook said he did not wish to make the future of the territory a party political issue, he expressed surprise at the lack of initiatives towards breaking the deadlock with China.
Mr Cook, who could be foreign secretary at the time of the handover if his party continues its lead in the polls, was also scathing that the Government had only chosen to introduce greater democracy in the territory in the last five of its 150 years of rule in Hong Kong.
'We are in a slightly difficult position in saying that the lack of democracy which we have tolerated for 150 years will become intolerable in two years' time when China takes over,' he said.
He praised Governor Chris Patten and many elements of his constitutional reform but said it was a matter of regret that the Hong Kong Government was only bringing in press freedom provisions at the 11th-hour.
Mr Cook added the lack of progress in the Joint Liaison Group was depressing.