MONDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1984
THERE IS ALL THIS DETAIL, AND MUCH MORE. I THINK THAT YOUR LORDSHIPS WILL AGREE THAT THIS ADDS UP TO AN IMPRESSIVELY THOROUGH DOCUMENT.
MY LORDS, I REFERRED EARLIER TO OUR OBJECTIVE OF AN AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG. SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE AGREEMENT ON THE 26TH OF SEPTEMBER, THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS TO AN ASSESSMENT OFFICE APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND CHARGED WITH PREPARING AN ACCURATE ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT OF OPINION IN HONG KONG. THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE REPORT, TOGETHER WITH THAT OF THE INDEPENDENT MONITORS APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS TO OVERSEE THEIR WORK, WAS PUBLISHED AS A WHITE PAPER AND LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT ON THE 29TH OF NOVEMBER.
AS ANYONE WHO HAS FOLLOWED THE HONG KONG PRESS IN THIS PERIOD WILL KNOW, THE DEBATE IN HONG KONG ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT HAS BEEN BOTH SERIOUS AND INTENSIVE. I AM STRUCK BY HOW REALISTIC AND LEVEL-HEADED MUCH OF THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN. SOME THREE AND A HALF MILLION COPIES OF THE DRAFT AGREEMENT WERE DISTRIBUTED IN HONG KONG AND TWO AND A HALF THOUSAND DIRECT SUBMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED BY THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE MANY FROM ORGANISATIONS REPRESENTING LARGE MEMBERSHIPS.
YOUR LORDSHIPS WILL HAVE NOTED THE CONCLUSION OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE REPORT THAT, AND QUOTE: +MOST OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FIND THE AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE+.
THIS MESSAGE WAS BORNE OUT ACROSS THE WHOLE RANGE OF EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE. THE AGREEMENT WAS ENDORSED BY ALL THE PRINCIPAL REPRESENTATIVE BODIES INCLUDING THE EXECUTIVE, LEGISLATIVE AND URBAN COUNCILS, THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND ALL 18 DISTRICT BOARDS. THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE ORGANISATIONS AND GROUPS, WHICH EXPRESSED THEIR VIEWS, FOUND THE AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE. OF THE JUST OVER ONE THOUSAND INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPRESSED A CLEAR VIEW TO THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE, 677 FOUND THE AGREEMENT ACCEPTABLE AND 364 REJECTED IT. I FIND THIS FIGURE OF SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE EVEN THOUGH THE SAMPLE IS SMALL. IT IS NORMALLY THOSE WHO DO NOT AGREE TO SOMETHING WHO ARE THE FIRST TO WRITE ABOUT IT.
THESE FINDINGS ARE REINFORCED BY OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THE MEDIA AND ALSO BY THE EVIDENCE OF INDEPENDENT OPINION POLLS. ONE OF THESE, PERHAPS THE LARGEST AND MOST SCIENTIFIC, SHOWS THAT 81 PER CENT OF THOSE QUESTIONED THOUGHT THE AGREEMENT VERY GOOD OR QUITE GOOD. THE CONCLUSION OF THE ASSSESSMENT OFFICE IS UNRESERVEDLY CONFIRMED BY THE INDEPENDENT MONITORS. THEY ALSO REPORTED THAT THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE HAD FULFILLED ITS REMIT PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY.
/MY LORDS,