IF THEY ARE NOT COMMISSIONED INDEPENDENTLY: OR IF OTHER SURVEYS ARE BASED ON BIASED QUESTIONS. A PUBLIC OPINION SURVEY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PERIOD OF CONSULTATION, FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER TOWARDS THE END, WOULD UNDOUBTEDLY BE USEFUL IN SHOWING THE TREND OF OPINION OVER THE PERIOD OF SEVERAL MONTHS OF INTENSE PUBLIC DISCUSSION. PUBLIC OPINION WILL PRESUMABLY BE MORE INFORMED AND PERHAPS MORE COHERENT AT THE END OF THE PERIOD THAT AT THE BEGINNING. INTEREST GROUPS AND THE MEDIA ARE LIKELY TO COMMISSION PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS.
12. THE ISSUES ARE TOO COMPLEX FOR THE RESPONSES TO BE QUANTIFIED AND WEIGHED IN A STATISTICAL OR SCIENTIFIC MANNER. FURTHER, IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL TO ASSESS THE OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND TO DECIDE HOW IT SHOULD BE INTERPETED AND REFLECTED IN THE WHITE PAPER CONTAINING THE PROPOSALS OF THE GOVERNMENT. IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SHOULD BE IN NO WAY HAMPERED OR PREJUDICED IN MAKING ITS OWN ASSESSMENT OF THE REPORT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE AND THE PROPOSALS OF THE GOVERNMENT, WHEN IT COMES TO DEBATE THEM. THE SURVEY OFFICE, THEREFORE, WILL NOT BE ASKED TO ASSESS THE WEIGHT OF OPINION FOR OR AGAINST ANY PARTICULAR PROPOSAL, NOR WILL IT BE ASKED TO MAKE PROPOSALS OR RECOMMENDATIONS. HENCE THE CHOICE OF THE TITLE ''SURVEY OFFICE' AND THE ABSENCE OF ANY REFERENCE TO ASSESSMENT'' IN ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE. THE SURVEY OFFICE WILL SIMPLY COLLECT PUBLIC RESPONSE AND REPORT ON IT.
TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE MONITORS.
13.
THE PROPOSED TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
THE MONITORS ARE REQUIRED TO OBSERVE ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE SURVEY OFFICE AND TO SUBMIT THEIR INDEPENDENT REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE SATISFIED THAT THE SURVEY OFFICE HAS PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY CARRIED OUT ITS DUTIES AND FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES PRESCRIBED IN ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE.
THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE SURVEY OFFICE
14.
THE PROPOSED TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) TO INVITE AS WIDE A PUBLIC RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE 1987 GREEN PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, AND TO RECEIVE AND RECORD ALL VIEWS EXPRESSED IN WRITING INCLUDING THOSE SUBMITTED DIRECTLY TO IT OR INDIRECTLY THROUGH ESTABLISHED CONSULTATIVE CHANNELS: AND
(B) TO SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL NOT LATER THAN 30TH. SEPTEMBER 1987 AN IMPARTIAL AND ACCURATE REPORT COLLATING AND PRESENTING ALL SUCH VIEWS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS:
1) ELICITATION OF PUBLIC RESPONSE: THE SURVEY OFFICE SHALL INVITE GROUPS, ASSOCIATIONS, STATUTORY AND NON-STATUTORY BODIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO CONSIDER THE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE GREEN PAPER AND TO FORWARD THEIR VIEWS IN WRITING TO THE SURVEY OFFICE: AND TAKE APPROPRIATE STEPS TO ENCOURAGE AS WIDE A RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE.
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