WEDNESDAY, MAY 27, 1987
MR FORD POINTED OUT THAT THE INDEPENDENT SURVEY OFFICE WAS ESTABLISHED TO ENCOURAGE THE WIDEST POSSIBLE PUBLIC RESPONSE, IN PARTICULAR, THE RESPONSE OF THE MAJORITY OF THE POPULATION WHO HAD SO FAR REMAINED SILENT. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OFFICE IS TO SEEK OUT AND RECORD THE VIEWS EXPRESSED ON THE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE GREEN PAPER.
TO ENSURE THAT THE SURVEY OFFICE CARRIES OUT ITS DUTIES PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY, TWO INDEPENDENT MONITORS HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO OVERSEE ITS WORK.
MR FORD WENT ON TO SAY THAT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE PERIOD OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION, THE SURVEY OFFICE WOULD PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL AND ACCURATE REPORT COLLATING AND PRESENTING ALL THE VIEWS WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED.
HE NOTED THAT THE REPORT WOULD BE SUBMITTED TO THE GOVERNOR- IN-COUNCIL NO LATER THAN OCTOBER 31 THIS YEAR AND IT WOULD THEN BE TABLED IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL AND PUBLISHED.
+THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL WILL THEN FORM A JUDGMENT, IN THE LIGHT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT, AND TAKING FULL ACCOUNT OF THE VIEWS REFLECTED IN IT, AS TO THE RIGHT STEPS TO BE TAKEN IN 1933.
+ THE DECISIONS REACHED AT THAT TIME, LIKE ALL OTHER DECISIONS OF THE GOVERNOR-IN-COUNCIL, WILL BE CORPORATE DECISIONS TAKEN IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF HONG KONG PEOPLE AS A WHOLE, THEY WILL BE PUBLISHED IN A WHITE PAPER, PROBABLY EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR,+ HE SAID.
MR FORD SAID THE PUBLIC DEBATE WHICH HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKING PLACE MIGHT WELL HAVE GIVEN SOME THE IMPRESSION THAT THE 1987 REVIEW WAS CONCERNED SOLELY WITH THE QUESTION WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL IN 1988.
HE
HOWEVER, A QUICK GLANCE THROUGH THE CONTENT PAGES OF THE GREEN PAPER WOULD READILY SHOW THAT THIS WAS NOT THE CASE, SAID.
*THE GREEN PAPER IS IN FACT A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF THE EXISTING SYSTEMS OF REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT COMPRISING THREE LEVELS OF INSTITUTIONS: THE DISTRICT BOARDS, THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS AND THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL,+ MP FORD SAID.
IT WOULD DISCUSS A WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES CONCERNING NOT ONLY THE ROLE AND COMPOSITION OF THESE BODIES, BUT ALSO THE INTER- RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THEM, HE ADDED.
THESE ISSUES WERE, MR FORD SAID, FIRST, THE COMPOSITION AND FUNCTIONS OF THE DISTRICT BOARDS AND THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS, AND POSSIBLE WAYS OF IMPROVING THE LINKS BETWEEN THEM
/+SECONDLY; THE