TNAG-1505-FCO40-2063-Guangdong-nuclear-power-station-project-at-Daya-Bay-safety-c-1986 — Page 103

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MIGHT BREACH THE PRINCIPLE OF COMMERCIAL COMFIDENTIALITY AND THE MOTION WAS ACCORDINGLY MODIFIED. NOTING THAT MISS DUNN HAD STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSENSUS IN LEGCO, THE MEDIA SUGGESTED THAT THE MODIFIED MOTION REPRESENTED A COMPROMISE STAND BETWEEN THE PRO AND ANTI-DAYA BAY MEMBERS. IT WAS LATER PROPOSED THAT THE MOTION SHOULD READ AS FOLLOWS :

''THAT THIS COUNCIL REQUESTS THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF THE ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING SAFETY AND TARIFF FOR THE PURCHASE OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE DAYA BAY NUCLEAR POWER PLANT TOGETHER WITH SUCH SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS AS DO NOT BREACH COMMERCIAL CONFID- ENTIALITY AND TO EXPLAIN WHETHER OR NOT SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WILL SUFFICIENTLY SAFEGUARD THE LONG TERM INTERESTS OF THE HONG KONG

PEOPLE.''

4. AFTER THE LEGCO IN-HOUSE MEETING, HON. SZETO WAH TOLD THE PRESS THAT SOME LEGCO COLLEAGUES WOULD PE PREPARED TO INVOKE THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S POWERS AND PRIVILEGES ORDINANCE TO PRESS THE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE INFORMATION ON DAYA BAY HF THE GOVERN-

HON. ALLEN LEE MENT INSISTED ON WITHOLDING SUCH INFORMATION.

HOWEVER WARNED THAT THE INVOCATION OF THE ORDINANCE SHOULD PE EXERCISED WITH GREAT CARE LEST LEGCO WOULD BE TRANSFORMED INTO AN ORGAN OF POWER. WHEN ASKED BY THE PRESS TO COMMENT ON THE LEGCO MOTION CALLING FOR MORE INFORMATION AFTER ATTENDING A MR STEVEN POON, PUBLIC SEMINAR ON DAYA BAY, HKNIC DIRECTOR, SAID THAT CLP WOULD RELEASE DOCUMENTS RELATING TO DAYA BAY, APART FROM THOSE WHICH WERE COMMERCIALLY SENSITIVE, TO LEGCO THROUGH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT. IN THIS CONNECTION, IT WAS FELT THAT LEGCO WAS BEGINNING TO SHIFT THEIR FOCUS FROM SAFETY TO THE ECONOMIC ASPECT. INDEED, IT WAS NO SECRET THAT HON. MAPTI'N LEE HAD ALONG PRESSED THE GOVERNMENT TO RELEASE THE LAZARD BROTHER'S REPORT WHICH CONTAINED A FINANCIAL EVALUATION OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT. MR. LEE WAS OF THE VIEW THAT THE LAZARDS' EVALUATION SHOULD NOW BE RE-EXAMINED BY INDEPENDENT EXPERTS EMPLOYED BY LEGCO. SHOULD THE OUTCOME OF THE RE-EXAMINATION FAIL TO CONFIRM THAT PURCHASE OF ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY WOULD BE IN THE LONG TERM INTEREST OF HK CONSUMERS, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD WITHDRAW ITS AGREEMENT TO THE PROJECT.

5.

THERE WERE INCREASING CONCERNS OVER THE COST OF THE DAYA PAY PROJECT. SiR JACK CATER, THE FIRST DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER OF GNPJVC, WAS QUOTED AS SAYING THAT THE OVERALL BUILDING COST OF THE PROJECT WOULD BE INCREASED TO US DOLLARS 3.7 BILLION. MR. STEVEN POON, HKNIC DIRECTOR, HOWEVER MAINTAINED THAT THE TOTAL COST WOULD BE ABOUT US DOLLARS 3.5 BILLION INSTEAD. DURING A TV INTERVIEW, MR. PETER LITTLEWOOD OF GNP JVC, CLARIFIED THAT THERE WAS NO PLAN AT PRESENT TO CHANGE THE BUDGET FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PLANT. THE BUDGET WOULD HOWEVER BE REVIEWED ON A YEARLY BASIS. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, WHEN ASKED BY THE PRESS TO COMMENT ON THE BUDGET, SAID THAT HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY CHANGE IN THE BUDGET. HE WOULD HOWEVER BELIEVE THAT ANY NEGOTIATIONS

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