about the way in which the Asessment Office has discharged its
functions? Will the Monitoring Team be able to submit the kind of
reassuring and thorough report which HMG will hope to receive
without commenting on the way in which the consultation processes
have been carried out or have worked out? Will the Assessment
Office itself be able to stand entirely apart from the consultation
process if, for example, the response from, say, parts of the Hong
Kong Community show up some deficiencies in that process?
-
I realise that the processes of consultation have, in broad terms at
Least, been settled and published - drawing, I am sure, upon
previous experience of consultation in Hong Kong. But, at this
historic moment, there would seem to be a particularly important
need to safeguard the Hong Kong Government: and HMG against any
possible later charge that the substance of the Agreement its
meaning and implications for the Hong Kong people was not fully
and clearly presented and explained. To take paragraph 4 of the
document about "Arrangements for testing ...etc", (a), (b) and (c)
may be relatively straightforward; but how important will the
outcome of (d) be? (I found Chapter 15 of "Hong Kong 1984"
impressive reading).
-
we briefly discussed with Percy Cradock, it
is likely to be important for the Monitoring Team to establish some
understanding at the outset with the Commissioner about the criteria
for judging that his task has been "properly, accurately and
impartially discharged" (as I would expect it to be). The reaction
os the community at large in short, (d) may present the greatest
difficulty.
-
-
and thiss can be
Perhaps I am making heavy weather. If there is
shown to those who don't know Hong Kong - a good 'quantum' of
response to the consultation and it is clearly overwhelmingly
faviourable to the Agreement, there will be little or no cause for
concern. But if things should turn out to be less straightforward,
it could prove unrealistic for the Monitors to make no comment on
the consultation processes in the context of reporting on the
assessment task.
Apologise for burdening you with this long letter; but it may save
time to have written when we meet on 6th September. I am sending