5. THE LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE WAS THE FOCUS OF PUBLIC ATTENTION.
(OUR REPORTS ON THE DEBATE WERE CONTAINED IN TELNOS. 23424 AND 2343).
ONE OF THE TOPICS PICKED UP BY MANY LEGCO MEMBERS WAS THE TWO UMELCO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS. FOLLOWING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE,
THERE WAS A FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 18 JULY. MISS MARHA TAM, THE CONVENER OF THE UMELCO STANDING PANEL ON PUBLIC UTILITIES, ANNOUNCED AFTER THE IN-HOUSE MEETING THAT THE TWO FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS WOULD VISINT EUROPE AND THE USA BETWEEN 3 AND 8 AUGUST. THE EUROPE-BOUND DELEGATION WOULD COMPRISE HERSELF, MR CHENG HON-KWAN, MR. HILTON CHEONG-LEEN AND PROFESSOR C.K. POON
AND THEY WOULD VISIT FRANCE AND VENNA, FOUR OTHER UMELCO MEMBERS
INCLUDING MR ALLEN LEE, DR. CHI HINN-KWONG, DR. DANIEL TSE AND
MR. HO SAM CHU WOULD JOIN THE DELEGATION TO THE USA. IT WAS
PLANNED THAT THE REPORTS OF THE DELEGATIONS WOULD BE MADE PUBLIC BY
THE END OF SEPTEMBER. IN THIS CONNECTION, THE MEDIA REPORTED THAT,' THE HARDCORE CRITICS, MR. MARTHIN LEE AND MR. SZETO WAH, MAINTAINED
THAT THE DELEGATIONS WOULD NOT SERVE ANY USEFUL PURPOSES. DR.
RICHARD LAB AND SOME OTHER LEGCO UNOFFICIALS WERE OF THE VIEW THAT
THE UMELCO DELEGATIONS SHOULD ALSO VISIT TAWAN AND THE PHILIPPINES
TO FIND OUT WHY THESE COUNTRIES HAD DECIDED TO SHELVE THEIR NUCLEAR
POWER PROJECTS.
6. SOME NEWSPAPERS NOTED THAT THE FINANCIPAL SECRETARY HAD ASKED
HKMIC TO EXPLORE WITH JVC THE POSSIBILITY OF DISTRIBUTING TO LEGCO
THE FEASIBILITY STUDY REPORTS DEALING WITH SITES SELECT«KON",
EQUIPMENT STUDY AND SYSTEM DESIGN. INDEED, CHINA HAD GIVEN A
FAVOURABLE RESPONSE AND THE CHAIRMAN OF JVC AND THE DIRECTOR OF
HKMIC WOULD MEET SHORTLY TO WORK OUT THE LOGISTICS OF DISTRIBUTING
THE REPORTS TO LEGCO. THE MOVE TO RELEASE THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
REPORTS WAS WELL RECEIVED AND WAS SEEN AS THE FIRST STEP TO LIFT
THE SECRECY VEL OVER THE DAYA BAY SSUE. IN THIS CONNECTION,
THE MEDINA GAVE MODERATE COVERAGE TO PROFESSOR C.K. POOON'S CALL FOR
A SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE OR A GOVERNMENT SCIENTIST TO
CO-ORDINATE PUBLIC EDUCATION ON NUCLEAR ENERGY.
7. THE MEDNA PICKED UP THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S STATEMENT IN THE
LEGCO ADJOURNMENT DEBATE THAT THE CREDITY OF THE GOVERNMENT
AND INDEED OF HONG KONG ITSELF WOULD BE SEVERELY DAMAGED WITH MOST
SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES IN SO FAR AS OUR COMMERCUAL AND EXTERNAL
RELATIONSHIPS WERE CONCERNED IF THE GOVERNMENT WITHDREW MITS
AGREEMENT. IT WAS ALSO PROMINENTLY REPORTED THAT THE ACTING GOVERNOR
EXPRESSED A SIMILAR VIEW WHEN ASKED BY THE PRESS AFTER A TOUR OF
WESTERN DISTRICT ON 17 JULY. SOME NEWSPAPERS QUESTIONED WHETHER THE
HONG KONG'S CREDIBILITY SHOULD OUTWEIGH THE PUBLIC ANXIETY OVER THE NECLEAR POWER PLANT. INDEED, SOME CONTENDED THAT THE HONG KONG'S
PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT WOULD NOT BRING ANY SIGNIFICANT
ECONOMIC BENEFITS TO HONG KONG.
CONFIDENTIAL
/8.