SECRET&
8
15.
Paragraph 5 (a) explained that the proper discharge
of the Assessment Office's duties must largely depend
upon following faithfully the procedures presented in
its terms of reference. In the light of our audit functions,
as described in paragraph 9, we judge that the Assessment
Office has faithfully followed the prescribed procedures,
and that efficient practical arrangements were made for
that purpose.
16.
But in the context of judging the proper discharge
of the Assessment Office's duties we also need to consider
the issue of confidentiality which is mentioned in paragraphs
1.9 and 2.22 of the Assessment Office report.
17.
That issue received considerable local publicity:
it needs to be seen in perspective. We noted that the
Assessment Office received from the outset letters of
criticism and rejection of the draft agreement, in which
the writers disclosed their names and addresses. We accept,
moreover, the Assessment Office's statement, in paragraph
2.22 of its report, that the "volume and content of response"
from individuals before and after the Government announcement
about the destruction of records "showed no change".
But we also have to acknowledge that it is not possible
to judge the extent to which the fear of eventual public
disclosure of their names may have deterred those who
would otherwise have submitted their views. Furthermore,
whatever the practical implications of the issue, the
disquiet ventilated in the Legislative Council and elsewhere
in Hong Kong may have weakened public confidence in the
assessment task at a time when it was already exposed
to critical comment.
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