TNAG-1331-FCO40-1758-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 144

CONFIDENTIAL

6

in a practice run in the middle of September;

and we attended a presentation, arranged at

our request, of the procedures which the

Assessment Office planned to apply. We also

made it our business to become acquainted

with the individual members of the Office,

and to observe, without interfering, how

they were performing their duties.

(b) Throughout the consultation period we carried

out spot checks of the way in which the Assessment

Office was implementing its procedures

-

that

is, the processes of collecting the letters

and submissions from P.0. Box 9000, of registering,

translating, analysing and assessing them; and

finally of disposing of them with the required

safeguards for confidentiality.

(c)

We arranged to receive and scrutinise ourselves

all the letters, submissions, media reports

and articles received as a basis for checking

the accuracy and the impartiality with which

the Assessment Office was making its daily analyses

and assessments.