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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

MR FORD SAID: "FAR FROM UNDERMINING THE CREDIBILITY OF THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT, THE DETECTION OF THESE FALSE SUBMISSIONS NAS

EFFECTIVENESS DEMONSTRATED THE

OF THE PROCEDURES ADOPTED BY THE OFFICE TO ASCERTAIN SURVEY

BEYOND

THAT REASONABLE DOUBT SUBMISSIONS REFLECTED IN THE REPORT WERE AUTHENTIC."

FURTHER EVIDENCE OF THE THOROUGH SCRUTINY WHICH HAD

SURVEY BROUGHT TO BEAR ON ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE

OFFICE PROVIDED IN THE REPORT BY THE INDEPENDENT MONITORS, HE SAID.

THE

BEEN WAS

THE INDEPENDENT MONITORS WERE REQUIRED BY THEIR TERMS OF REFERENCE "TO OBSERVE ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE SURVEY OFFICE AND TO SUBMIT THEIR INDEPENDENT REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE SATISFIED THAT THE SURVEY OFFICE HAS PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY CARRIED OUT ITS DUTIES AND FOLLOWED THE PROCEDURES PRESCRIBED IN ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE.

"IT IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THE MONITORS HAVE OBSERVED ALL ASPECTS OF THE WORK OF THE SURVEY OFFICE VERY CLOSELY, AND THAT CONSIDERABLE WEIGHT CAN AND SHOULD BE ATTACHED TO THEIR JUDGEMENT THAT THE SURVEY OFFICE HAS PROPERLY, ACCURATELY AND IMPARTIALLY CARRIED OUT ITS DUTIES, MR FORD SAID.

BE APPROPRIATE

MR FORD WENT ON TO SAY THAT WHILE IT WOULD NOT FOR HIM TO COMMENT ON THE PATTERN OF PURLIC RESPONSE, THE PUBLIC OPINION ON EACH OF THE MAJOR ISSUES IN THE GREEN PAPER HAD BEEN COLLATED AND WAS RECORDED IN DETAIL IN THE VARIOUS CHAPTERS OF THE SURVEY REPORT.

"AS EXPECTED, THE ISSUE OF WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THIS COUNCIL, AND IF SO WHEN, HAS DOMINATED PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THE GREEN PAPER WITH NEARLY 96 PER CENT OF SUBMISSIONS COMMENTING ON THIS ISSUE.

"THE QUESTION WAS ALSO THE SUBJECT OF NEARLY ALL THE PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS WHICH HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED, EITHER BY THE FIRM COMMISSIONED BY THE SURVEY OFFICE OR BY OTHERS, AS WELL. AS ALL THE SIGNATURE CAMPAIGNS AND SIMILAR DOCUMENTS, HE SAID.

T

MR FORD SAID THAT IT WOULD NOW BE NECESSARY FOR THE GOVERNMENT

ASSESSING TO APPROACH, WITH GREAT CARE, THE TASK OF

THE OUTCOME OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON THE 1987 REVIEW AND DECIDING

ON THE POLICIES ΤΟ BR ADOPTED AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE EXERCISE, WHICH MEANT REFLECTING CAREFULLY ON ALL THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT.

"ALL THE VIEWS WHICH HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED ARE IMPORTANT AND ALL WILL BE TAKEN FULLY INTO ACCOUNT."

MR FORD SAID THAT IMPORTANT DECISIONS WOULD NEED ΤΟ BE TAKEN OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ON WHAT CHANGES IT WOULD TO MAKE IN 1988, AND HE NOTED THAT THE WHITE PAPER WOULD BE IN EARLY 1988.

--

I AM FULLY CONFIDENT THAT, WHEN IT IS PUBLISHED, OF HONG KONG WILL SEE THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAS HONOURED ITS TO TAKE FULL ACCOUNT OF THEIR VIEWS, HE SAID.

BE RIGHT PUBLISHED

THE PEOPLE COMMITMENT

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