CONFIDENTIAL
15. Noble Lords will have noted the conclusion of the
Assessment Office report that "most of the people of Hong
Kong find the agreement acceptable". This message was borne out across the whole range of evidence received by the Assessment Office. The agreement was endorsed by all the principle representative bodies, including the Executive
Legislative and Urban Councils, the Heung Yee Kuk and all 18
District Boards. The overwhelming majority of the organisations and groups which expressed their views found the agreement acceptable. Of the just over one thousand
individuals who expressed a clear view to the Assessment
Office, 677 found the Agreement acceptable and 364 rejected
it. I found this figure especially significant, even though the sample is small. It is normally those who do not agree
to something who are the first to write about it. These
findings are reinforced by opinions expressed in the media
and also by the evidence of independent opinion polls. One
of these, the largest and perhaps the most scientific, show that 81% of those questioned thought the agreement very good
or quite good.
CONFIDENTIAL
Page 90Page 91