TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 8

Confidential:

TC QL

1213 0112

BLUEVED REGISTRY

1 OFEB 1987

(58

GRS 350

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 479

OF 100955Z FEBRUARY 87

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

YOUR TELNO 336:

1987 REVIEW OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT: SURVEY OFFICE

THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL WAS FORMALLY CONSULTED TODAY ON THE

PROPOSED SURVEY OFFICE, ON THE BASIS OF THE PAPER IN MY TELNO 4148 OF 16 DECEMBER 1986, AS SUBSEQUENTLY AMENDED IN THE LIGHT OF YOUR

TELNO 2936 AND MY TELNO 4270.

2.

MEMBERS CONFIRMED THEIR AGREEMENT (WHICH THEY HAD GIVEN

INFORMALLY EARLIER) TO THE MAIN THRUST OF THE PROPOSALS. THEY MADE

A NUMBER OF DETAILED COMMENTS ON THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE

OFFICE, THE MAIN ONES BEING THAT:

(A) A CUT-OFF DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS TO THE SURVEY OFFICE SHOULD BE

SET DOWN RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING SEMICOLON

(B) THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT (NOT) ITSELF COMMISSION ANY PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS, BUT THE SURVEY OFFICE SHOULD BE EMPOWERED TO DO

SO IF IT WISHED SEMICOLON

(C) THE SURVEY OFFICE SHOULD ALSO BE EMPOWERED TO COMMENT IN ITS REPORT ON PUBLIC OPINION SURVEYS (WHETHER PROFESSIONALLY CONDUCTED

OR OTHERWISE) CARRIED OUT BY OTHERS SEMICOLON AND

(D) DOCUMENTS IN RESPECT OF WHICH CONFIDENTIALITY HAD BEEN REQUESTED BY THE CONTRIBUTOR SHOULD NOT BE DESTROYED UNTIL AFTER THE WHITE PAPER HAD BEEN PUBLISHED.

3. WE ARE NOW REDRAFTING THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE SURVEY

OFFICE IN THE LIGHT OF EXCO'S COMMENTS WITH A VIEW TO RESUBMITTING THEM TO THE COUNCIL ON 17 FEBRUARY.

Confidential

14.