XN000022-1987-11-04 — Page 45

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1987

REPORT OF THE SURVEY OFFICE PUBLISHED

THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHED TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THE REPORT SURVEY OFFICE ON PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THE GREEN PAPER: THE 1987 OF DEVELOPMENTS IN REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT.

OF THE REVIEW

SHORTLY COLLATE

WAS AN

THE SURVEY OFFICE WAS SET UP IN LATE APRIL THIS YEAR, BEFORE THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER IN MAY, TO COLLECT, AND REPORT ON PUBLIC RESPONSE ΤΟ THE GREEN PAPER. IT INDEPENDENT BODY, SET UP UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNOR SEPARATE FROM THE ORDINARY MACHINERY OF THE GOVERNMENT.

AND

PUBLIC CONSULTATION IN RESPECT OF THE ISSUES DISCUSSED IN THE GREEN PAPER ENDED ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1987, AND THE SURVEY OFFICE WAS REQUIRED TO SUBMIT ITS REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL WITHIN A MONTH FROM THE END OF THE CONSULTATION PERIOD.

AS A RESULT OF SUSTAINED PUBLICITY GIVEN TO THE MATTER THROUGHOUT THE CONSULTATION PERIOD BY THE SURVEY OFFICE, NUMEROUS INTERESTED GROUPS AS WELL AS THE MASS MEDIA, AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER

OF SUBMISSIONS OF OPINIONS HAD BEEN RECEIVED BY THE SURVEY OFFICE.

A TOTAL OF 134,656 SUBMISSIONS WERE RECEIVED, INCLUDING 469 WHICH WERE RECEIVED AFTER THE DEADLINE. SOME 126,000 OF THESE WERE SUBMITTED BY INDIVIDUALS; OVER 4,600 BY GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS; AND OVER 1,000 BY ASSOCIATIONS AND OTHER BODIES. EIGHTY SIX PER CENT OF THE SUBMISSIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WERE IN THE FORM OF PRE-PRINTED LETTERS OR QUESTIONNAIRES. MORE THAN 95 PER CENT OF THE SUBMISSIONS WERE WRITTEN IN CHINESE.

IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING SUBMISSIONS FROM THE PUBLIC, THE SURVEY OFFICE ALSO COMMISSIONED AGB MCNAIR HONG KONG LIMITED TO CARRY OUT TWO SEPARATE PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS, ONE IN JULY AND THE OTHER IN AUGUST/SEPTEMBER. TO ENSURE THAT THE RESULTS OF THE SURVEYS WERE AS RELIABLE AS POSSIBLE, A RANDOM SAMPLE COMPRISING OVER 3,000 RESPONDENTS WAS SELECTED FOR EACH SURVEY. THIS COMPARES WITH A SAMPLE SIZE OF 1,000 TO 2,000 NORMALLY ADOPTED INTERNATIONALLY FOR OPINION SURVEYS OF THIS NATURE. EXPERIENCED AND TRAINED INTERVIEWERS WERE EMPLOYED, AND THE CONDUCT OF THE INTERVIEW9 WERE VERIFIED BY INDEPENDENT PERSONNEL. A PILOT TEST WAS ALSO CARRIED OUT BEFORE THE QUESTIONNAIRE WAS FINALISED FOR USE IN THE TWO SURVEYS. THE RESULTS OF THESE SURVEYS ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ENTIRE ADULT POPULATION OF HONG KONG,

THE SURVEY OFFICE ALSO OBSERVED MEETINGS OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, THE URBAN AND REGIONAL COUNCILS AND THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS AT WHICH THE GREEN PAPER WAS DISCUSSED. THE OFFICE WAS PROVIDED WITH THE FULL TEXTS OR MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS AS THE BASIS FOR ANALYSING THE INDIVIDUAL VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE MEMBERS.

/REPORTS IN