XN000022-1983-11-10 — Page 25

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1983

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MR ADAMS I THINK IT'S WORTH ADDING, SINCE YOU SAY, THAT EVEN NOW AS BRITISH COMPANIES INTERESTED IN THIS SECTOR COME THROUGH HONG KONG WE IN THE TRADE COMMISSION INTRODUCE THEM TO HONG KONG PARTNERS AND THAT IS A VERY FIRM WAY FORWARD FOR THEM. SO ALTHOUGH YOU MAY NOT VISIBLY SEE ALL THAT IS GOING ON A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE.

Q:

ARE THERE ANY INFLUENCE FROM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ON THE DECISION MADE BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR PLANT?

A: NO, NOT AT ALL.

Q1 DO YOU THINK THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE A STRONG DESIRE THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, THAT HONG KONG SHOULD TAKE PART IN THIS PLAN?

A1 THE DECISION WAS TAKEN, I MEAN THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO TAKE INDEPENDENT ADVICE AND TO LOOK AT THE PROJECT AND COME TO THE IR OWN DECISION AND THEY CAME TO THEIR OWN DECISION BASED UPON THE FACTS THAT THEY ASSESSED. IF YOU ASK ME WHAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S POSITION IS I CERTAINLY WELCOME THE FACT THAT THEY CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION BECAUSE I CONSIDER IT IS A VERY IMPORTANT PROJECT, I CONSIDER THAT IN THIS REGION AS A WHOLE THE ENERGY REQUIREMENTS OVER THE COMING PERIOD ARE GOING TO BE CONSIDERABLY INCREASED AND I DO THINK THE PRESENCE OF A MAJOR EFFECTIVE NUCLEAR POWER STATION WILL BE OF BENEFIT TO BOTH CHINA AND HONG KONG BUT THAT'S MY PERSONAL VIEW AND IT'S NOT A VIEW THAT I EXPRESSED AT ANY STAGE TO THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. THEY MADE THEIR OWN DECISION ON INDEPENDENT ADVICE. I CAN ONLY SAY THAT IF I LOOK AT THE BRITISH SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE INVESTED A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT INTO NUCLEAR POWER AND ARE CONTINUING TO DO SO IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE CONSIDERABLE COAL RESERVES, WE HAVE CONSIDERABLE GAS AND OIL FACILITIES, WE CONSIDER IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ASPECT OF OUR ENERGY POLICY. AND IF I MAY SAY SO FRANCE HAD DECIDED TO GO IN FOR THE PWR'S RATHER EARLIER THAN OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND HAS GONE IN FOR THEM ON A MUCH BIGGER SCALE THAN ANY OF THE OTHER WESTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES. I WITNESSED THE FACT THAT FRANCE NOW HAS CHEAPER ELECTRICITY THAN BRITAIN WHICH BENEFITS HER INDUSTRIES BECAUSE FRANCE WENT INTO THE PWR DEVELOPMENTS AHEAD OF BRITAIN. AND SO LOOKING AS AN ENERGY OBSERVER ROUND THE WORLD I DO SEE A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY AND, THEREFORE, IF ON ALL OF THE EVIDENCE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND AFTER LOOKING AT AN INDEPENDENT ADVISER'S REPORT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THIS WAS SENSIBLE AND WISE IN TERMS OF THE FUTURE ENERGY STRATEGY OF HONG KONG I'M PLEASED THAT THEY CAME TO THAT DECISION AND WISH THEM EVERY SUCCESS.

/Q IS THERE