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WEDNESDAY, MAY 18, 1994
MR PRESIDENT, I NOW LIKE TO TURN TO THE FIRST PART OF THE AMENDED MOTION. I CAN ASSURE MEMBERS THAT WE WILL BE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY IN THE EXTREMELY UNLIKELY EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY AT DAYA BAY WHICH IS LIKELY TO POSE ANY THREAT TO HONG KONG. BY THIS, I MEAN OFF-SITE EMERGENCIES, WHICH ARE DECLARED WHEN THERE IS A PROBABILITY OF RADIOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES OUTSIDE THE BOUNDARY OF THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION. THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS NOTIFICATION WERE ESTABLISHED AND PUBLICISED IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR, FOLLOWING A MEETING BETWEEN MYSELF AND MY GUANGDONG COUNTERPART FOR NUCLEAR ACCIDENT CONTINGENCY PLANNING. WE MADE IT CLEAR THEN THAT WE WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF ALL OFF- SITE EMERGENCIES, WHETHER OR NOT THEY MAY AFFECT HONG KONG.
KONG.
THEREFORE, MR PRESIDENT, WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE NOTIFIED IMMEDIATELY OF ANY EMERGENCIES WHICH MAY HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR HONG IN ADDITION, WE HAVE OTHER AVENUES FOR EARLY NOTIFICATION OF POTENTIAL EMERGENCIES, MOST NOTABLY OUR OWN RADIATION MONITORING NETWORK AND THE REQUIREMENT UNDER THE ELECTRICITY ORDINANCE FOR CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY TO NOTIFY THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY INTERRUPTION TO ITS EXTERNAL POWER SUPPLIES, WHICH MAY BE CAUSED BY EVENTS AT THE NUCLEAR POWER STATION. WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF FORMALISING ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES REGARDING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS WHICH DO NOT HAVE OFF-SITE CONSEQUENCES. THESE ARRANGEMENTS WILL PROVIDE AN EXTRA LEVEL OF SECURITY ONCE THRY ARE CONCLUDED.
IS
WE
ONCE NOTIFIED, MR PRESIDENT, WE WILL ENSURE THAT THE PUBLIC INFORMED AND KEPT INFORMED ABOUT ALL THE IMPLICATIONS FOR THEM. ACCEPT THE INFORMATION IS VITAL TO AVOID PANIC AND TO PREVENT CONCERN ARISING IN HONG KONG PUBLIC.
SO FAR,
I HAVE REFERRED TO HONG KONG'S CONTINGENCY PLANNING ARRANGEMENTS IN ISOLATION. WE HAVE BEEN LIAISING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES ON THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR NOTIFICATION OF ACCIDENTS AND FOR THE TRANSFER OF INFORMATION. THESE ARRANGEMENTS HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED FROM STANDARD INTERNATIONAL PRACTICES, SUITABLY MODIFIED TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN HAND. PART OF OUR CONTINGENCY PLAN SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES CROSS-BORDER ASSISTANCE IN EMERGENCY
SITUATIONS. WE HAVE AGREED TO CO-OPERATE AND TO PROVIDE MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT OF A NUCLEAR INCIDENT AT DAYA BAY WHICH WOULD REQUIRE BOTH SIDES TO ACTIVATE THEIR CONTINGENCY PLANS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OUR LINKS WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES; THESE
HOW WE WILL, AS A MATTER OF COURSE, INCLUDE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT
MAY IMPROVE CO-ORDINATION OF OUR EFFORTS IN CONTINGENCY PLANNING. HOWEVER, OUR EXISTING CONTINGENCY PLAN TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THE GUANGDONG AUTHORITIES WHICH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WERE CONCLUDED LAST SEPTEMBER, AND WHICH ALREADY INCLUDE A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF CO-OPERATION.
WE
MR PRESIDENT, AS REGARDS THE SECOND PART OF THE AMENDED MOTION, HAVE ASKED THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT FOR MORE DETAILS ABOUT THE PROPOSED NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS IN THE VICINITY OF HONG KONG. WE BELIEVE THAT FINAL DECISIONS TO GO AHEAD AT PARTICULAR SITES ARE STILL SUBJECT TO THE CONCLUSIONS OF FEASIBILITY STUDIES THAT HAVE YET TO BE COMPLETED AND ACCEPTED. THESE DECISIONS MAY, THEREFORE, BE SOME WAY OFF. NEVERTHELESS, WE SHARE MEMBERS' CONCERNS THAT THE WORRIES OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG SHOULD BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT: WE HAVE REFLECTED THESE CONCERNS TO THE CHINESE AUTHORITIES AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
/MR PRESIDENT,
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