TNAG-1330-FCO40-1757-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 89

CONFIDENTIAL

2

(C)

(D)

submit to the Governor a Report which will include factual summaries of all views expressed and an overall assessment of the extent of

acceptance by the people of Hong Kong on the draft Agreement;

carry out such directions as the Governor may from time to time give to effect these purposes.

The Assessment Office shall

allow access to every aspect of its work by the Monitoring Team appointed by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs."

The Role and General Working Procedure

2.

The Assessment Office, set up specifically for the task assigned to it, came in full operation from 12 September and has a complement of fifty-four staff seconded from the Civil Service and drawn from different departments of the Hong Kong Government. An organisation chart is at Appendix I. Since its inception, the Assessment Office, in order to be as objective and impartial as possible, has confined its role to receiving and analysing public opinion with a view to submitting a factual Assessment Report. The responsibility for publishing, publicising and explaining the draft Agreement rests with the Government.

3.

However, to announce the functions and responsibilities of the Assessment Office and to advise the general public how and where comments might be sent, paid advertisements were placed in all the major English and Chinese newspapers. A copy of the advertisement is at Appendix II.

4.

In the assessment process, all submissions from individual organisations and from individuals, other than anonymous submissions were taken into account. Additionally, the Office took note of views expressed in the news media, including

CONFIDENTIAL