IS
2.27 Whilst letters from individuals are of importance, especially in their expression of personal anxiety and detailed comments, there can be no doubt that the response from representative bodies, organizations and groups of all kinds must carry greater weight.
The scale of response and the range and quality of the views expressed by the 679 organizations and groups which made submissions to the Office is very impressive.
2.28 The material that the Office has received shows that every sector of the community has not only been given the opportunity to comment but has expressed a view either individually or collectively; either directly or indirectly on the future of Hong Kong. It is not so much the number of letters received but the representative character of the response, particularly from the hundreds of organizations which have written in, that is of impor- tance. Thus, the views received on every aspect of the draft agreement, taken together, represent and reflect the opinion of a very wide cross-section of the community and provide an effective and credible basis on which to make an assessment.
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