XN000022-1987-11-07 — Page 3

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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 1987

MR FORD NOTED THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAD

SELECTED VARIOUS

QUESTIONS AND HAD SAID THAT THOSE QUESTIONS WERE NOT PUT FAIRLY.

"I THINK IF YOU STUDY THE REPORT AS A WHOLE YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE OTHER SURVEYS WHICH BEAR OUT THE FINDINGS OF THE AGB MCNAIR SURVEY, HE SAID.

"ONE SHOULD SPEND A LOT OF TIME READING VERY CAREFULLY THE TREMENDOUS EFFORTS THAT HONG KONG PEOPLE HAVE MADE IN COMPILING THIS REPORT AND THAT IS WHAT THE GOVERNMENT INTENDS TO DO."

IN

MR FORD DISAGREED THAT ANY PARTICULAR WEIGHT HAD BEEN GIVEN THE REPORT TO SIGNATURES OR LETTERS, ADDING THAT THEY WERE BOTH RECORDED VERY CAREFULLY IN THE REPORT.

"THEY ARE THERE FOR ALL TO SEE AND THE DEDUCTIONS ONE DRAWS FROM THEM ARE A MATTER FOR THE READER."

AS TO WHY A REFERENDUM WAS NOT USED, MR FORD SAID THAT SUBJECTS THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WERE ASKED TO COMMENT ON WERE VERY AND VERY VARIED.

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WIDE

ON

'ALTHOUGH AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID MOST PEOPLE COMMEMTED DIRECT ELECTIONS, MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE COMMENTED ON THE OTHER WIDE RANGE OF ISSUES WHICH WERE REFLECTED IN THE GREEN PAPER.

"AND FOR THAT REASON I DON'T THINK YOU CAN ASK OR DEAL WITH THIS VERY COMPLEX SUBJECT BY A SIMPLE YES-NO ANSWER TO ONE SINGLE QUESTION."

WHEN ASKED TO EXPLAIN THE DISCREPANCIES IN THE RESULT OF THE SURVEY CARRIED OUT BY AGB MONAIR AND THOSE BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR,

MR FORD SAID THAT TH19 WAS INEVITABLE IN A SITUATION WHERE THE PROFESSIONAL SURVEY COMPANIES ADOPTED DIFFERENT METHODS IN ORDER ΤΟ PRODUCE A RESULT.

"THE AGB MCNAIR SURVEY WAS DONE BY WAY OF FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW. IT WAS A VERY CAREFUL SURVEY WHICH WAS DONE BY TAKING THE QUESTIONNAIRE VERY CAREFULLY THROUGH THE PEOPLE WHO ARE BEING ASKED THE QUESTIONS,

"IT IS INTERESTING THAT THE OTHER SURVEYS WHICH USED BROADLY THE SAME METHOD, THAT IS THE CONCERNED EDUCATIONAL GROUPS, CAME UP WITH VERY SIMILAR ANSWERS.

"NOW SOME OF THE OTHER SURVEYS USED DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES. THEY USED TELEPHONE METHODS OF

UP THE TELEPHONE AND

ASKING SIMPLE QUESTIONS.

SURVEY

-

PICKING

HE ADDED THAT IT WAS NOT SURPRISING THAT ONE WAS GOING TO GET A DIFFERENT VIEW.

EXECUTIVE

MR FORD STRESSED THAT ALL THE INFORMATION WURE NOW THERE AND THAT IT WOULD BE VERY CAREFULLY SIFTED THROUGH BY THE COUNCIL AND THE GOVERNMENT.

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