WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986
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ACCURATE INFORMATION CAN ENSURE PUBLIC CONFIDENCE
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THE BEST WAY PUBLIC CONFIDENCE CAN BE ESTABLISHED AND MAINTAINED ON DAYA BAY IS TO ENSURE THAT ACCURATE INFORMATION IS MADE AVAILABLE ON BOTH THE SAFETY ASPECTS AND THE ECONOMIC AND TARIFF CONSIDERATIONS, THE HON THOMAS CLYDESDALE SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
SPEAKING ON THE DAYA BAY MOTION, MR GLYDESDALE SAID THAT SINCE THE BUILDING OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT SEEMED INEVITABLE, HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE ENTITLED TO DETAILED INFORMATION ABOUT ITS SAFETY FEATURES AND ON THE CONTINGENCY PLANS WHICH CLEARLY WOULD BE DEVELOPED TO DEAL WITH ANY EMERGENCY.
+THEY ARE ALSO ENTITLED TO EXPECT THAT THE TARIFF THEY ARE REQUIRED TO PAY FOR ELECTRICITY FROM THE NUCLEAR PLANT WILL NOT EXCEED THE PRICE OF ELECTRICITY GENERATED BY MORE CONVENTIONAL MEANS,+ HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE SAID THAT WHEN FULLY OPERATIONAL, THE DAYA BAY PLANT WOULD BE SUPPLYING CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO ONLY ABOUT 20 PER CENT OF THE TOTAL ELECTRICITY TO BE SOLD TO THE COMPANY'S CUSTOMERS.
+ THE COST OF NUCLEAR POWER WILL THEREFORE HAVE ONLY A LIMITED EFFECT ON THE OVERALL TARIFF TO BE CHARGED TO THE CONSUMER,+ HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE ALSO QUOTED THE CHAIRMAN OF CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO WHO EARLIER STATED THAT +OUR FORECASTS SHOW THAT THE COST OF ELECTRICITY PURCHASED FROM THE NUCLEAR STATION WILL BE LOWER THAN THAT OF AN EQUIVALENT COAL-FIRED STATION COMMISSIONED IN HONG KONG IN THE SAME TIME SCALE+.
+NOW I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT LORD KADOORIE WOULD MAKE THAT STATEMENT LIGHTLY SINCE THESE FORECASTS MUST HAVE PLAYED A SUBSTANTIAL PART IN THE OVERALL ASSESSMENTS WHICH THE COMPANY MADE BEFORE COMMITTING ITSELF TO THE JOINT VENTURE, + HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE SAID HE BELIEVED NUCLEAR POWER WAS GOING TO BE THE MAIN POWER SOURCE OF THE FUTURE AND THAT IT WAS ALREADY ESTABLISHING AN OPERATIONAL AND SAFETY RECORD, WHICH, TAKEN IN ITS INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT, WAS BOTH IMPRESSIVE AND ENCOURAGING.
+WE MUST NOT ALLOW CHERNOBYL TO DISTORT THIS RECORD OUT OF ALL PROPORTION NOR TO ALLOW SCARE TACTICS BY THOSE WHO OPPOSE NUCLEAR POWER TO INFLUENCE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC UNDULY,+ HE SAID.
MR CLYDESDALE SAID THE VIEWS HE PROVIDED GENERALLY REPRESENTED THE STANDPOINT OF NOT SIMPLY INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BUT ALSO LOCAL BUSINESSMEN WHO MADE UP OVER 70 PER CENT OF HIS CONSTITUENCY.
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