TNAG-1843-FCO40-2618-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 62

(e) Survey Office Report

Survey office recorded wide range of public opinion. Survey

office received over 134,000 submissions. Of these, 126,000 were

from individuals, over 4,000 from groups of individuals, and over 1,000 from associations and other bodies. Survey office scrupulously careful to give appropriate weight to contributions

from all sources.

Impression of sharp division of views on timing of introduction of direct elections emerged from all quarters.

For example:

Percentage

For 1988

Against 1988

Members of LegCo

50

50

Members of Municipal Councils

70

30

Members of Distrct Boards Submissions for groups and

50

50

organisations

40

60

All views were recorded in Survey Office report and taken into

account in conclusions reached. Believe conclusions and decisions

reflect views of whole community.

4

AGB MCNAIR SURVEY

Survey Office also commissioned AGB McNair Hong Kong to carry out two separate public opinion surveys.

AGB McNair employed such techniques as: sampling checks, field

work, monitoring and verification of interviews, use of cards to

explain detailed background to questions.

(Questionnaire too long and complicated?): Designed to reflect

as objectively as possible options set out in the Green Paper.

Scrupulously careful not to "lead" responses of interviewees towards

any given option.