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IN BELGIUM ONLY 12 KILOMETRES FROM ANTWERP. THE GRAVELINES POWER STATION IN FRANCE WITH ITS SIX REACTORS IS MERELY 34 KILOMETRES ROM THE SOUTH-EAST' COAST OF ENGLAND. BRADWELL IN THE COUNTY OF ESSEX IS 70 KILOMETRES FROM THE CENTRE OF LONDON AND THE PICKERING STATION IS 12 KILOMETRES FROM TORONTO: INDIAN POINT POWER STATION IS 39 KILOMETRES FROM NEW YORK CITY WITH ITS POPULATION OF NEARLY 8 MILLION. THERE ARE MANY OTHER EXAMPLES. THE POINT IS THAT DAYA BAY BY INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS IS IS WELL OUTSIDE ANY NORMAL
EXCLUSION ZONE.
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3. NOW, SIR, I MENTIONED THE INVOLVEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PARTIES. IT IS MOST IMPORTANT THIS AFTERNOON THAT THIS IS FULLY UNDERSTOOD. BASICALLY, THE INVOLVEMENT OF GOVERNMENT FLOWS FROM THE PROVISIONS OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL. THE SCHEME REQUIRES CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO. LTD. AND ITS ASSOCIATES TO SUBMIT A FINANCING PLAN FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL BY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WHENEVER PROPOSALS FOR MAJOR ADDITIONS TO THE COMPANY'S SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN FINALISED. THUS, STRICLY SPEAKING, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN ONLY NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO HAVE BEEN FORMALLY CONSULTED WHEN THE DAYA BAY PROJECT WAS WELL ADVANCED. NATURALLY, THE COMPANY TOOK THE VIEW FROM THE OUTSET THAT THE PROJECT AT DAYA BAY WAS SO LARGE AND IMPORTANT THAT IT WAS WHOLLY INAPPROPRIATE THAT THEY SHOULD PROCEED WITHOUT OBTAINING FROM THE GOVERNMENT AT LEAST SOME INDICATION THAT THERE WAS NO OBJECTION. THE COMPANY NEEDED SOME ASSURANCE THAT A FINANCING PLAN SUBMITTED IN THE FUTURE SHOWING PURCHASES OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE PLANT WOULD NOT BE DENIED APPROVAL. THE FEASIBILITY STUDY RECOGNIZED THIS WHEN IT REACHED THE CONCLUSION THAT BOTH THE GUANGDONG POWER COMPANY AND CHINA LIGHT SHOULD RECOMMEND TO THEIR RESPECTIVE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED AND GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES THAT THE JOINT VENTURE SHOULD
BE ESTABLISHED.
9. THE GOVERNMENT'S PRIME CONCERN IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SCHEME OF CONTROL IS, OF COURSE, TO ENSURE THAT CONSUMERS GET A FAIR DEAL. THUS, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION WAS THAT THE COST OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION SHOULD BE NO MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD IT BEEN GENERATED BY A CONVENTIONAL STATION BUILT IN HONG KONG.
10. QUESTIONS OF SAFETY AND DESIGN WEPE, OF COURSE, NOT IGNORED. BEFORE A DECISION WAS TAKEN TO INFORM THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY AND CHINA LIGHT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD NO OBJECTION TO THEIR ENTERING INTO CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN THE JOINT VENTURE, AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WAS THE SAFETY OF THE PLANT BOTH IN CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION. IN THIS CONNECTION, MANY KNOW THAT THE DESIGN OF THE STATION WILL BE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF UNITS 5 AND 6 OF THE GRAVELINES NUCLEAR POWER STATION IN FRANCE. THE FRENCH STATIONS APE BUILT IN ACCORDANCE WITH TRIED AND TESTED TECHNOLOGY. ANOTHER RELEVANT FACTOR WAS THAT A NATIONAL NUCLEAR SAFETY BUREAU HAD PEEN ESTABLISHED BY CHINA. THIS BUREAU WILL CO-OPERATE WITH THE FRENCH CENTRAL SERVICE FOR THE SAFETY OF NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS,
CONFIDENTIAL
LAND
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