TNAG-1326-FCO40-1738-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 90

CONFIDENTIAL

15. Noble Lords will have noted the conclusion of the

Assessment Office report that "most of the people of Hong

Kong find the agreement acceptable". This message was borne out across the whole range of evidence received by the Assessment Office. The agreement was endorsed by all the principle representative bodies, including the Executive

Legislative and Urban Councils, the Heung Yee Kuk and all 18

District Boards. The overwhelming majority of the organisations and groups which expressed their views found the agreement acceptable. Of the just over one thousand

individuals who expressed a clear view to the Assessment

Office, 677 found the Agreement acceptable and 364 rejected

it. I found this figure especially significant, even though the sample is small. It is normally those who do not agree

to something who are the first to write about it. These

findings are reinforced by opinions expressed in the media

and also by the evidence of independent opinion polls. One

of these, the largest and perhaps the most scientific, show that 81% of those questioned thought the agreement very good

or quite good.

CONFIDENTIAL

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