TNAG-1331-FCO40-1758-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 149

CONFIDENTIAL

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whatever the practical implications of the issue, the

disquiet ventilated in the Legislative Council and elsewhere

in Hong Kong may have weakened public confidence in the

assessment task at a time when it was already exposed

to critical comment.

18.

We do not believe that there is any evidence

to show that the confidentiality factor had a damaging

effect on the assessment task as a whole; but we also

take the view that the public concern about confidentiality

could have been avoided, and that the assurances and safeguards announced in mid-October should have been publicly conveyed

at an earlier stage through the Assessment Office advertisement

and in other ways.

19.

To judge how accurately the Assessment Office

discharged its duties has been the most important part

of our task. As the letters and submissions were received,

we were able to satisfy ourselves that they were accurately

analysed and assessed by the Assessment Office. We have

now considered the overall assessment of the extent of

acceptance set out in Chapter 3 of the Assessment Office

report, and we unreservedly endorse the conclusion in

paragraph 3.1 that "most of the people of Hong Kong find

the draft agreement acceptable".