GRS 2000
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TELNO 2416
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OCT 1986
RY
INFO INMEDIATE PEKING, PARIS
PART ONE OF TWO
:
DAYA BAY : LEGCO DEBATE ON 15 OCTOBER
THE MOTION CALLING FOR THE GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE DETAILS OF
THE ARRANGEMENTS REGARDING SAFETY AND TARIFF FOR THE PURCHASE OF
ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY TOGETHER WITH SUCH DOCUMENTS WHICH TO
NOT BREACH COMMERCIAL CONFIDENTIALITY (THE SUBJECT OF PARA. 3 OF
OUR TELNO 3209) WAS RAISED IN LEGCO IN THE AFTERNOON OF 15 OCTOBER.
A TOTAL OF 33 MEMBERS SPOKE IN AN EMOTIONAL 5-HOUR DEBATE. SHORTLY
BEFORE THE MOTION WAS PASSED, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY DELIVERED A
SPEECH IN WHICH HE CLARIFIED THE GOVERNMENT'S STAND AND STATED
THE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT TO THE MOTION. THE SALIENT POINTS MADE BY THE MEMBERS ARE NOW SET OUT IN PARAGRAPHS 2 TO 20 BELOW.
2. THE MOTION WAS MOVED BY MISS LYDIA DUNN, THE SENIOR MEMBER OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. IN HER SPEECH, MISS DUNN STRESSED THE CONCERNS IN HONG KONG OVER THE SAFETY OF THE DAYA BAY PLANT WERE
GENUINE AND THAT THE PUBLIC CONCERNS WERE THE CONCERNS OF THE
LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE CONTRACTS IN RESPECT OF THE DAYA BAY PROJECT HAD BEEN SIGNED AND THAT THE HONG KONG PEOPLE MUST NOW COME TO TERMS WITH THE FACT THAT IN SIX YEAR'S TIME
THERE WOULD BE A MODERN NUCLEAR STATION AT DAYA BAY, SOME 50 KILOMETRES AWAY FROM HONG KONG. WE MUST BRING HOME TO THE CHINESE
AUTHORITIES AND CNPJVC THAT THEY COULD ONLY ALLAY FEARS IN HONG
KONG BY INCORPORATING HIGHEST SAFETY MEASURES AND TAKING FULLY
ACCOUNT THE LESSONS LEARNT FROM CHERNOBYL. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT
SHOULD DRAW UP PLANS TO COPE WITH THE CONTINGENCY OF AN ACCIDENT
AT DAYA BAY, HOWEVER UNLIKELY THE CHANCE OF IT HAPPENING AND MUST
LET THE HONG KONG PEOPLE KNOW HOW THEY STAND TO BENEFIT FROM A
SUPPLY OF ELECTRICITY FROM DAYA BAY. THE GENERAL PUBLIC WOULD REACH THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS ON DAYA BAY BUT LEGCO MUST HELP THE GENERAL
PUBLIC TO OBTAIN THE RELEVANT INFORMATION.
3. ALTHOUGH THE MOTION RECEIVED UNANIMOUS SUPPORT, MANY MEMBERS INCLUDING DR. H. SOHMEN, DR. HO KAM-FAI, MR. CHUNG PUI-LAM. MR. PETER WONG AND MR. NGAI SHIU-KIT CAUTIONED THAT THE GOVERNMENT
SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO RELEASE INFORMATION OF A COMMERCIALLY
CONFIDENTIAL NATURE LEST THIS WOULD SET A DANGEROUS PRECEDENT
FOR OUR WHOLE ECONOMIC SYSTEM. INDEED, DR. SOHMEN WENT A STEP FURTHER BY SAYING THAT HE WONDERED WHETHER THE PRODUCTION OF MORE DOCUMENTS CALLED FOR WOULD INDEED BE CAPABLE OF PUTTING PEOPLE'S MINDS AT REST, OR COULD NOT HAVE THE OPPOSITE EFFECT OF PROLONGING
RESTRICTED
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