AUG 16 '86 11:37 TIBCOOU) HK GOYT
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(the Director of Electrical & Mechanical Services G.J. Osborne, a Senior
Scientific Officer of the Royal Observatory M.C. WONG and a official of the Economic Services Branch) will leave for Harwell on 15.8.86. If the research
group sends representatives here, it would do so some time after the three
government officials' return. Phase II research will not be completed before
March next year. But, the major contract of construction of the Daya Bay
Nuclear Power Plant will be signed in September this year as scheduled.
A Government Monitoring Group has been set up with the Deputy Secretary for
Iconomic Services as the Chairman to map out a contingency plan. After it
had decided to commission the British atomic energy bureau in the middle of
last year to conduct a research on five aspects, the Government of Hong Kong
at once set up a working group to monitor the progress of the research, to
consider the results of the research, and to map out whatever measures deemed
necessary. The working group is chaired by the Deputy Secretary for Economic Services C.F. MAK and made up of the Director of Electrical & Mechanical
Services G.J. Osborne, Senior Scientific Officer of the Royal Observatory
M.C. WONG, a representative of the Information Services Department, and a representative of the Education Department. Three of the researches, namely, the radiation monitoring programme, the training of monitoring staff and the nuclear public education, have been implemented in Hong Kong. The Accident Assessment Phase I report has also been completed. As to the remaining Accident Assessment Phase II report and the Contingency Plan report, the authorities will receive them by summer next year.
Legco members of the Hong Kong nuclear study group met the Japanese scientific officers today. Japan is the only country that suffers from the consequences of an atomic bomb explosion, so it is, comparatively speaking, more sensitive to the problem of nuclear power. Japanese officials told the Hong Kong Legco members that nuclear power was different from nuclear bomb and that nuclear power should be developed under the present situations of shortage of energy. Only 30% of Japan's population are against nuclear power plants. The Japanese officials pointed out staff of the nuclear power plants had all been trained for a very long time. Japan has been supplying nuclear power information to China. It is hoped the Sino-Japanese cooperation in the development of nuclear power will be further developed. At present there are 33 nuclear power plante in the whole of Japan. Four are under construction and another four are being planned.