CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHOAN 7378
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 687
OF 161635Z MARCH 89
AND TO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG
155
TOP Q DIST ?
YOUR TELNO 864: FAC ENQUIRY ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR VISIT
TO HONG KONG
VENUE FOR FORMAL EVIDENCE
1. AFTER EXAMINING THE SEATING PLANS, THE COMMITTEE CLERKS' INITIAL REACTION IS THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO STICK TO THE FORMER LEGCO CHAMBER IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. BUT THEY WOULD WELCOME MORE INFORMATION BEFORE TAKING A FINAL DECISION. IN THEIR VIEW THE FORMER LEGCO CHAMBER HAS THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING HOUSED IN A WELL KNOWN PUBLIC BUILDING AND OF BEING MORE ACCESSIBLE TO THE PUBLIC THAN A DISTRICT BOARD CONFERENCE ROOM ON THE 14TH FLOOR OF A TOWER BLOCK. IT IS ALSO CLOSER TO THE GIS HEADQUARTERS. THE FORMER LEGCO CHAMBER APPEARS TO OFFER MORE PUBLIC SEATING (BUT GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION ON THIS POINT). THE LAYOUT IS ALSO PREFERABLE IN SO FAR AS THE PUBLIC ENTRANCE IS NOT DIRECTLY BEHIND WHERE THE CHAIRMAN WOULD BE SITTING.
2. THE CLERKS HAVE SUGGESTED THAT IT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE TO REARRANGE THE SEATING PLAN IN THE LEGCO CHAMBER BY PLACING A TABLE FOR THE CHAIRMAN, AND THREE OR FOUR MEMBERS JUST IN FRONT OF THE RAISED PULPIT, WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS RANGED AROUND THE INNER HORSE SHOE. THE WITNESSES WOULD SIT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HORSE SHOE IN FRONT OF THE CENTRAL AISLE. THE SECOND ROW OF THE HORSE SHOE COULD THEN BE USED FOR COMMITTE STAFF AND HKG OFFICIALS. THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD ONLY WORK, HOWEVER, AS LONG AS THE AMPITHEATRE SEATING IS NOT TOO STEEPLY RAKED SO THAT THE CHAIRMAN DOES NOT APPEAR TO BE SITTING AT THE BOTTOM OF A WELL. GRATEFUL FOR YOUR ASSESSMENT OF WHETHER THIS ARRANGEMENT WOULD WORK.
PRESS LIAISON OFFICER
3.
THE COMMITTEE INTEND TO ISSUE A DAILY PRESS STATEMENT THROUGHOUT THEIR STAY IN HONG KONG. THE CLERKS HAVE ASKED FOR CONFIRMATION THAT THE GIS PRESS LIAISON OFFICER WOULD BE ABLE TO
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