XN000022-1976-10-05 — Page 3

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гу

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1976

+AND, HE ADDED, JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE, THE CONTINGENCY EVACUATION PLANS ANNOUNCED BY THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT LAST MONTH WILL REMAIN IN FORCE FOR THE BRIEF PERIOD REMAINING IN THIS WET SEASON TO MAKE SURE THAT NOBODY IS PLACED IN ANY DANGER EVEN IN THE VERY UNLIKELY EVENT OF THE RECURRENCE OF RAINFALL SUCH AS THAT EXPERIENCED IN AUGUST.+

MR. BELL WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE FINAL TWO MEMBERS

OF THE GROUP OF WORLD EXPERTS ASSISTING BINNIES PROFESSOR VICTOR DE MELLO OF BRAZIL'S SAO PAULO UNIVERSITY AND MR. BRIAN RICHARDS OF AUSTRALIA'S COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION NOW COMPLETED THEIR INITIAL CONSULTATIONS ON THE SAU MAU PING INVESTIGATION.

HAD

MR. BELL SAID: +OVER THE NEXT MONTH, BINNIES AND THE HONG KONG MEMBERS OF THE GROUP OF EXPERTS -- PROFESSOR SEAN MACKAY AND MR. PETER LUMB OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG

JUSTKANT

WILL LIAISE WITH THE FOUR OVERSEAS EXPERTS, AND PASS ON TO THEM THE DATA PRODUCED BY BINNIE'S EXTENSIVE PROGRAMME OF TESTS.

+AT THE END OF THIS PERIOD, THE OVERSEAS EXPERTS WILL RETURN TO HONG KONG FOR FURTHER CONSULTATIONS AND TO JOINTLY EVALUATE PROGRESS AT THAT STAGE.

+ IN EARLY DECEMBER, THE GOVERNOR WILL RECEIVE BOTH BINNIES' REPORT ON THE SAU MAU PING LANDSLIDE, AND THE EXPERTS' INDEPENDENT REPORT ON BINNIES' FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

+AFTER BOTH HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THEY WILL BE PUBLISHED FOR THE INFORMATION OF THE PUBLIC AND OF PROFESSIONAL CIRCLES.

+ON PRESENT INDICATIONS, I WOULD HOPE THAT THE REPORT CAN BE PUBLISHED IN EARLY PART OF NEXT YEAR.+

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