TNAG-1499-FCO40-2057-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 53

GPS 1250

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2248

OF 110948Z JULY 86

HICK 160

100%.

ŠEIVED IN 17/

14 JUL 1985

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON, PEKIN

PA

PART ONE OF TWO PARTS

258

DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER STATION

THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF MY SPEAKING NOTE FOR THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON 16 JULY 1986. SOME LAST MINUTE FINE-TUNING WILL NO DOUBT BE REQUIRED.

SPEAKING NOTE OF THE HONOURABLE THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AT THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ON WEDNESDAY 16

JULY 1986

SIR,

THE EVENTS AT CHERNOBYL IN APRIL HAVE HAD A PROFOUND EFFECT ON THE ATTITUDE OF PEOPLE THE WORLD OVER TOWARDS THE USE OF NUCLEAR POWER FOR CIVIL PURPOSES. DECISIONS THAT BEFORE SEEMED RELATIVELY CLEAR-CUT HAVE NOW BECOME AGONIZINGLY DIFFICULT. PROGRAMMES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS HAVE COME UNDER PUBLIC SCRUTINY IN MANY PLACES. HONG KONG IS NOT ALONE.

2. IN LOOKING AT THIS PROJECT TODAY WE MUST ASK OURSELVES WHAT HAS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF CHERNOBYL. THE ANSWER IS CERTAINLY NOT SAFETY STANDARDS. FOR THOSE WHO ARE CONTINUING WITH THEIR NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMMES, SAFETY STANDARDS WILL BE HIGHER THAN EVER. WHAT HAS CHANGED IS, OF COURSE, THE DEGREE OF PUBLIC ANXIETY

ABOUT NUCLEAR POWER.

3. THE DILEMMA IN HONG KONG IS PARTICULARLY COMPLEX FOR A NUMBER

OF REASONS.

FIRST, THE PROPOSED POWER STATION AT DAYA BAY IS NOT BEING BUILT

IN HONG KONG.

SECOND IS THE FACT THAT HONG KONG NUCLEAR INVESTMENT CO. LTD. AND ITS PARENT, CHINA LIGHT AND POWER CO. LTD., HAVE CONTRACTED TO BUY ELECTRICITY GENERATED AT DAYA BAY. THE CONTRACTS, THE OFFTAKE ARRANGEMENTS, WERE ENTERED INTO WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND AGREEMENT OF THE GOVERNMENT. MORE OF THIS IN A MOMENT. LASTLY, SIR, AT THE TIME THE JOINT VENTURE AGREEMENT WAS ANNOUNCED THERE WAS A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF ITS IMPORTANCE, AND IN MOST QUARTERS SUPPORT FOR THE TANGIBLE EVIDENCE OF CO-OPERATION BETWEEN ALL THE PARTIES CONCERNED. IT AUGURED WELL FOR THE FUTURE.

CONFIDENTIAL

14.