TNAG-1503-FCO40-2061-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 36

6 400

HICK 166/1 BOVEN ST

22 SEP 1966

CONFIDENTIAL

536D TOP COPY Q DIST ?

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO MMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2867

OF 040519Z SEPTEMBER 86

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, PARIS

DB.

DAYA BAY : LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 3 SETPEMBER.

THE OUTCOME OF THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING ON 3 SEPTEMBER WAS

PROMINENTLY REPORTED BY THE MEDIA. IT WAS NOTED THAT THE MEETING WAS

LONG AND IT LASTED FOR MORE THAN FIVE HOURS.

2. A PRESS STATEMENT WAS ISSUED BY UMELCO FOLLOWING THE N-HOUSE

MEETING. IT STATED THAT THE MEETING WAS SPECIALLY CALLED TO DISCUSS

THE REPORT OF THE LEGCO FACT-FENDING DELEGATRONS. DURING THE

MEETING, MEMBERS HAD AN OPEN AND FRANK EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON THE

REPORT AND ITS OBSERVATIONS. IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE LEGCO REPORT

SHOULD BE ACCEPTED AND THE OBSERVATIONS THEREIN SHOULD BE PUT TO THE

PARTIES CONCERNED FOR CONSIDERATION: THAT THE LEGCO MEMBERS SHOULD

REFLECT HONG KONG'S DEEP CONCERN OVER THE SAFETY ASPECT OF THE DAYA

BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TO CHINA: THAT THE INVITATION BY THE CHINESE

AUTHORITIES TO THE LEGCO DELEGATIONS TO WISHT BEIJING SHOULD BE

ACCEPTED: AND THAT A SPECIAL LEGCO DEBATE SHOULD NOT BE HELD PRIOR TO

THE VISIT TO BEIJING. (THE FULL TEXT OF THE PRESS STATEMENT WILL BE

FAXED TO YOU.)

3. THE MEDHA NOTED THAT MR. MARTIN LEE AND HIS SUPPORTERS BROUGHT UP

THE DEMAND FOR A LEGCO DEBATE AT THE END OF THE IN-HOUSE MEETING. THE

MOTION WAS THAT THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE ASKED TO NOTIFY

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT AND CLP THAT THE SIGNING OF THE RELEVANT

CONTRACTS SHOULD BE DEFERRED UNTIL ALL QUESTIONS WERE CLARIFIED.

MEMBERS WERE THEN ASKED TO VOTE AND THE REQUEST FOR A LEGCO DEBATE WAS DEFEATED BY 20 VOTES TO 10. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE MEETING, MR MARTIN LEE, MR. SZETO WAH, MR. PANG CHUN-HOP AND DR. CONRAD LAM

CALLED A PRESS CONFERENCE TO EXPRESS THEIR DISAPPOINTMENT ABOUT THE OUTCOME OF THE MEETING. THEY ASKED FOR AN IMMEDIATE MEETING WITH THE GOVERNOR. IT WAS SAID THAT A MEETING BETWEEN THE GROUP AND THE GOVERNOR WAS FIXED FOR THE MORNING OF 4 SEPTEMBER. THE GROUP SAID THAT THEY WOULD PRESS THE GOVERNOR TO EXERCISE HIS DISCRETION TO CONVENE A SPECIAL LEGCO DEBATE.

:

CONFIDENTIAL

14