XN000022-1986-10-15 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986

HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT FULLY SUPPORTED THE SUGGESTION THAT CLOSE CO-OPERATION BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES ON EACH SIDE OF THE BORDER SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED TO ENSURE THAT CONTINGENCY PLAN WERE SUITABLY CO-ORDINATED.

ON THE FIFTH OBSERVATION, WHICH WAS THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STRENGTHEN ITS PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAMME ON NUCLEAR ENGERY, MR JACOBS SAID A PROGRAMME OF PUBLIC EDUCATION ACTIVITIES WAS NOW UNDER PREPARATION.

A START TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION WOULD BE MADE IN THE NEAR FUTURE IN LIAISON WITH THE PROGRAMMES TO BE LAUNCHED BY THE HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT COMPANY.

MEANWHILE, TWO TEACHING-LEARNING PACKAGE WOULD BE PRODUCED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR USE IN THE 1986-87 ACADEMIC YEAR. IN ADDITION, TWO EDUCATION TELEVISION PROGRAMMES WOULD BE PRODUCED AND MADE AVAILABLE TO SCHOOLS.

MR JACOBS SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GIVE FURTHER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION TO SETTING UP AN INDEPENDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO ADVISE ON MATTERS RELATED TO NUCLEAR ENERGY, AS PROPOSED IN THE SIXTH OBSERVATION MADE BY THE FACT-FINDING DELEGATIONS.

ON THE OBSERVATION THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD SEEK MEMBERSHIP OF THE INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY, MR JACOBS POINTED OUT THAT AS IAEA STATUTE LIMITED MEMBERSHIP TO STATES, IT WAS UNLIKELY THAT HONG KONG WAS ELIGIBLE FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP.

NEVERTHELESS, BOTH THE UNITED KINGDOM AND CHINA WERE MEMBERS, AND +CLOSE CONTACTS WITH IAEA HAVE BEEN ESTABISHED THROUGH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT.+

MR JACOBS NOTED THAT SOME COUNCILLORS HAD CONTINUED TO SUGGEST THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WITHDRAW FROM THE PROJECT OR URGE CHINA LIGHT AND POWER COMPANY TO WITHDRAW. HE STRESSED THAT ANY SUCH ACTION WOULD BE EXTREMELY DAMAGING TO THE CREDIBILITY NOT ONLY OF THE GOVERNMENT BUT PERHAPS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT TO THE CREDIBILITY OF HONG KONG ITSELF.

+1 DO NOT FOR ONE MOMENT BELIEVE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR COMMUNITY WOULD WISH TO SEE HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION PLACED IN JEOPARDY BY SUCH A BREACH OF FAITH, HE SAID.

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