FS: GOVERNMENT WARMLY SUPPORTS MOTION
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THE GOVERNMENT WARMLY SUPPORTED THE HON LYDIA DUNN'S MOTION SEEKING FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT PROJECT, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON PIERS JACOBS, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
WINDING UP DEBATE ON THE MOTION, MR JACOBS EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD AT ALL TIMES BEEN FULLY AWARE OF THE DEEP AND GENUINE CONCERN EXPRESSED IN HONG KONG.
+ IT HAS DONE EVERYTHING WITHIN ITS POWER TO CONVEY THIS CONCERN TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT AND, THROUGH IT, TO THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT. ONE RESULT HAS BEEN THE SIGNIFICANT ASSURANCES ON SAFETY GIVEN BY THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DELEGATION DURING THEIR RECENT VISIT,+ HE SAID.
+FURTHERMORE, CONSIDERATION IS BEING GIVEN TO INVOLVING HONG KONG PEOPLE IN MONITORING THE CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION OF THE DAYA BAY STATION, HE ADDED.
MR JACOBS ALSO SAID HE INTENDED TO PRODUCE FOR ISSUE TO MEMBERS A PAPER WHICH WOULD PROVIDE, AS FAR AS THE GOVERNMENT WAS ABLE, THE INFORMATION SOUGHT IN THE MOTION.
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MR JACOBS IN HIS SPEECH REFERRED TO THE COMMERCIALLY
SENSITIVE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE LAZARDS' REPORT COMMISSIONED BY THE GOVERNMENT AND EMPHASISED THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT RELEASE SUCH INFORMATION.
NOR WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO PUBLISH THE REPORT WHICH, HE STRESSED, REPRESENTED ONLY PART OF THE STORY.
HE ADDED: +THE NEED FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO MAINTAIN COMMERCIAL CONFIDENTIALITY IS, OF COURSE, SELF-EVIDENT.+
THIS RESPECT FOR CONFIDENTIALITY HAD ALLOWED INFORMATION (MUCH OF WHICH WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO SHAREHOLDERS) TO FLOW FREELY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE COMMERCIAL ORGANISATIONS CONCERNED, AND THIS FLOW OF INFORMATION HAD IN TURN, PERMITTED ISSUES OF IMPORTANCE TO BE DISCUSSED FRANKLY.
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+ THE GENERATION OF POWER REQUIRES MASSIVE INVESTMENT. INEVITABLY, MUCH OF THE CAPITAL IS PROVIDED BY FOREIGN INVESTORS. IF IN THE FUTURE, COMPANIES OR OTHER INVESTORS WERE TO FEEL THAT THE GOVERNMENT COULD NOT BE RELIED UPON TO SAFEGUARD COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE INFORMATION, THEN THEY WOULD NOT PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION. AND THEY MIGHT ALSO HESITATE TO INVEST.
+TO ALLOW SUCH A SITUATION TO DEVELOP WOULD HAVE FAR REACHING AND ADVERSE CONSEQUENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR HONG KONG AS A WHOLE. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN.+
/RECALLING THE