TNAG-1331-FCO40-1758-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 124

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CONFIDENTIAL

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wished at those of their meetings we attended. At the

same time we had to avoid trespassing, in any way, on

the proper preserves of the Commissioner and his staff.

We are grateful for the cooperative way in which they

gave us access to every aspect of their work, and to all

the material contributing to the Assessment Office report.

8.

We took care to ensure that our 'witness' function

should not be misunderstood.

As our terms of reference

made clear, it was not for us either to "receive expressions

of public views" or to attempt in our report "to assess

public opinion" on the draft agreement. We were convinced,

however, that our attendance, as witnesses or observers,

at selected parts of the consultation process would enhance

the credibility of our role, particularly in the eyes

of Hong Kong; and that it would also help us to monitor

more effectively the work of the Assessment Office.

9.

We discharged our audit functions in the following

way:-

(a)

As a first step we examined the organisation

of the Assessment Office; we noted the practice

run it had carried out on the submissions received

by the Government in response to its Green Paper