CHAPTER 1 THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE
Introduction
1.1 On 18 July 1984, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Common- wealth Affairs, Sir Geoffrey Howe, described to the House of Commons in outline the arrangements which would be made to test the acceptability in Hong Kong of any agreement reached with the Chinese Government on the future of Hong Kong and announced the setting up of an Office in Hong Kong under the authority of the Governor to collate and assess public views.
The Terms of Reference
1.2 On 20 July, the Governor announced the appointment of the then Acting Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr. I. F. C. Macpherson, to head the Office to be set up to assess and collate public views on a draft Sino-British agreement. This appointment became effective on 1 September 1984.
1.3 The Assessment Office (hereinafter referred to as the Office) was formally established on 1 September 1984, under the authority of the Governor of Hong Kong, separate from the ordinary machinery of the Hong Kong Government. It is headed by the Commissioner who is required to report directly to the Governor. The objective of the Office is to provide Her Majesty's Government and Parliament, through the Governor of Hong Kong, with an accurate analysis and assessment of opinion in Hong Kong on the draft agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and Her Majesty's Government, and on the arrangements for the future of Hong Kong as set out therein.
1.4 To this end, the terms of reference of the Office require it to: (a) receive all views expressed on the draft agreement in writing directly to the Office, or indirectly through well established and familiar consultative channels in Hong Kong and the media;
(b) collate, summarize, analyse and assess all such views expressed on
the draft agreement;
(c) submit to the Governor a report which will include factual summaries of all views expressed and an overall assessment of the extent of acceptance by the people of Hong Kong of the draft agreement; and (d) carry out such directions as the Governor may from time to time
give, to effect these purposes.
The Office was required to allow access to every aspect of its work by the Monitoring Team appointed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.
The Rôle and General Approach
1.5 During the first half of September, prior to the publication of the White Paper, the Office made preparations for the task before it by devising the modus operandi to be adopted for the exercise. The Office came into full operation on 26 September 1984, the date on which the White Paper
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