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In response to a media report today (January 13) on the release of opinion survey results on the bid to host the Asian Games, a spokesman for the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) responded as follows:
The HAB commissioned the Hong Kong Institute of Asia-Pacific Studies (the Institute) of the Chinese University of Hong Kong to conduct an opinion survey to gauge public views on "Hong Kong's potential bid to host the 2023 Asian Games". The survey period ended at midnight of December 1, 2010. Upon receipt of the preliminary report data in early December, the Bureau released them as soon as possible - on December 6. The numbers and percentages of respondents of both sides, that are in support of and against a bid, were included.
The HAB subsequently received the full opinion survey report in late December. It has always been our plan to issue to the public and the Legislative Council (LegCo) a comprehensive compendium which includes the full survey report and all views collected from different consultative channels (including the views of more than 5,200 people).
Given the considerable amount of time required to complete the compendium (e.g. the need to remove personal data for privacy reasons), while taking into account legislators' demand for an early release of the full survey report, we submitted the full report to LegCo's Panel on Home Affairs on January 11, 2011. The full report has also been uploaded to the HAB website at asiangames.hab.gov.hk/en/resource/resource_centre.asp.
The opinion survey was carried out by an independent and well-established local academic institution. The Government provided background information for the Institute's reference, and did not participate in the professional areas of analysis or questionnaire design. The independence of the opinion survey should not be doubted because it has been commissioned by government.
Concerning the preliminary results released in the LegCo document on December 6, there are two main parts: the first part is on the percentages in favour and not in favour of the bid, gauged between November 19 and December 1; the second part is on the changes in opinion from November 19 to 25, and from November 26 to December 1, i.e. periods before and after the Guangzhou Asian Games.
In releasing this information, we abide by the principles of openness and transparency. In no way have we disclosed information selectively to "mislead the public".
Ends/Thursday, January 13, 2011
Issued at HKT 19:21
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