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4. THE ANTI-DAYA BAY LOBBY (WHOSE LEADERS HAVE NO GREAT STANDING IN THE COMMUNITY AND MANY ARE RECOGNISED FOR THEIR ASSOCIATION WITH OTHER PRESSURE GROUP ACTIVITIES) HAS LOST SOME POPULAR SUPPORT RECENTLY MAINLY BECAUSE OF ITS MORE OUTLANDISH STATEMENTS BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF ALLEGATIONS THAT ITS SUPPORTERS HAVE. COERCED SCHOOLCHILDREN AND ELDERLY INTO SHGNING THE ANTI-DAYA BAY PETITION. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN SOME INTERNAL DISSENTION WITHIN THE
ANTI-DAYA BAY COALITION IN PARITCULAR AS REGARDS THE PROPOSED TRIP TO PEKING TO PRESENT THE ONE MILLION SIGNATURES. SOME ANTH'S HAVE RECENTLY CALLED FOR A REFERENDUM AND THIS HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY MP ROBERT PARRY WHO HAPPENS TO BE HERE ON A PRIVATE VISIT AND WHO DOES NOT EVOKE AN ENTHUSIASTIC RESPONSE.
5. WHEN THE UMELCO FACT FINDING EXERCISE WAS FIRST ANNOUNCED T RECEIVED A RELATIVELY POOR PRESS. WHILE THE PUBLIC STILL DO NOT EXPECT MUCH TO COME OUT OF IT, IT IS NOW SEEN AS A SERIOUS AND BUSINESS LIKE EFFORT TO FIND OUT ABOUT NUCLEAR ENERGY. THIS PROBABLY RESULTS FROM THE EXTENSIVE PRESS AND TV COVERAGE OF BOTH THE FRENCH AND US VISITS AND THE BALANCED AND MEASURED LIVE-BROADCAST STATEMENTS BEING MADE PARTICULARLY BY MARIA TAM. THE EXERCISE HAS ENHANCED THE REPUTATION OF LEGCO MEMBERS AS CONSCIENTIOUS AND HARD WORKING REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY. WHILE RECENT MEDIA COVERAGE HAS BEEN MAINLY ON THE TWO OVERSEAS VISITS, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STORIES ABOUT THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY AND HTS ALLEGED SHORTCOMINGS FOLLOWING THE OBSERVER ARTICLE. WE ANTICIPATE THAT ONE OUTCOME OF THE UMELCO VISITS WILL BE INCREASED PRESSURE ON HKG (AND THEREFORE ON HARWELL) TO COME UP QUICKLY WITH A DETAILED SITE/PLANT SPECIFIC ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT AND CONTINGENCY PLAN. THE SUGGESTION HAS BEEN MADE IN THE PRESS THAT THE FINDINGS OF THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY SHOULD BE CONFIRMED BY A SECOND CONSULTANCY
· POSSIBLY FROM THE USA. MISS TAM HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROACHED BY A US COMPANY OFFERING THEAR SERVICES.
6. WHTH LUCK WE CAN EXPECT A RELATIVELY QUHET PERIOD BETWEEN NOW
AND THE TIME WHEN THE LEGCO REPORT IS PUBLISHED AND THE CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED. THERE WILL THEN BE AN UPSWING IN INTEREST. THE DEGREE
OF PUBLIC CONCERN AT THAT TIME MAY WELL DEPEND ON THE LENGTH OF
THE INTERVAL BETWEEN PUBLICATION OF THE REPORT AND THE SIGNING OF
THE CONTRACTS. THE LONGER THE BETTER.
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