XN000022-1982-02-23 — Page 2

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1982

KEEPING THE PUBLIC INFORMED

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A CONSTANT FLOW OF INFORMATION IS PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC TO ENABLE THOSE INTERESTED TO UNDERSTAND GOVERNMENT POLICIES AND ACTIVITIES, THE SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, MR DENIS BRAY TOLD ROTARIANS ÁT A LUNCHEON MEETING TODAY (TUESDAY).

+PEOPLE NOWADAYS EXPECT TO BE KEPT INFORMED AND TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EVENTS WHICH ARE HAPPENING AROUND THEM. THEY ALSO EXPECT TO QUESTION WHERE THEY THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR ARGUMENT AND DEBATE,* MR BRAY SAID.

INFORMATION IS PROVIDED IN A NUMBER OF WAYS

THROUGH PRESS

RELEASES, INTERVIEWS, PRESS BRIEFINGS AND CONFERENCES, BUT ALSO PUBLICATIONS.

AS A RESULT, THE GOVERNMENT IS ONE OF THE MOST, IF NOT THE MOST, PROLIFIC PUBLISHERS IN HONG KONG. LAST MONTH ALONE IT PUBLISHED 64 NEW TITLES, WITH TOPICS RANGING FROM IMPORT AND EXPORT TRADE FIGURES TO EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION BOOKLETS.

OF THE PUBLICATIONS, THE HONG KONG ANNUAL REPORT WHICH WILL BE ON SALE NEXT WEEK IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST WIDELY READ, HE SAID,

THE ANNUAL REPORT IS AN IMPORTANT GOVERNMENT DOCUMENT SERVING TWO MAIN PURPOSES, MR BRAY SAID,

+FIRSTLY, IT IS SUBMITTED TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS AS AN ACCOUNT OF THE YEAR'S ACTIVITIES IN HONG KONG,

+SECONDLY, IT IS SOLD IN HONG KONG AND ABROAD AS AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL AND PUBLICITY DOCUMENT. ITS USEFULNESS AS A WORK OF REFERENCE HAS ALREADY BEEN WIDELY RECOGNISED, MR BRAY SAID.

THE INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR BRAY EXPLAINED, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPILING AND EDITING THE REPORT.

THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE REPORT WHICH IS DEVOTED TO A SPECIAL REVIEW OF THE PAST YEARS, IS THIS YEAR WRITTEN BY JOURNALIST, MR GRAHAM JENKINS. IN THIS CHAPTER, MR JENKINS PROVIDES A PERSONAL VIEW OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG WHOM HE CONSIDERS TO BE HONG KONG'S GREATEST ASSET, MR BRAY SAID.

+BACKED BY FINDINGS OF THE LATEST 1981 POPULATION CENSUS AND COUPLED WITH MR JENKINS' OWN DISTINCTIVE STYLE OF WRITING, THE REVIEW CHAPTER PROVIDES SOME UNIQUE INSIGHTS INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT IS HONG KONG THROUGH HIS LONG YEARS OF ASSOCIATION HERE,+ MR BRAY SAID.

IT IS