A 00/01-29(1)

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 23 May 2001 at 2:30 pm

I. Tabling of Papers

Subsidiary Legislation / Instruments		L.N. No.
1.	Road Traffic (Driving Licences) (Amendment) Regulation 2001	97/2001
2.	Dangerous Dogs (Identification of Fighting Dogs and Known Dangerous Dogs) Notice	98/2001
3.	Employees Retraining Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Notice 2001	99/2001
4.	Dangerous Drugs, Independent Commission Against Corruption and Police Force (Amendment) Ordinance 2000 (68 of 2000) (Commencement) Notice 2001	100/2001

II. Questions

1. Hon Michael MAK to ask: (Translation)

It is learnt that, in order to achieve the targets of the Enhanced Productivity Programme and implement the hospital cluster system, the Hospital Authority has been deleting nursing posts in public hospitals gradually. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(a)	the number of nursing posts deleted in each public hospital in the past three years, with a breakdown by rank, and the estimated numbers for this year and the coming year; and
(b)	if the Hospital Authority has consulted comprehensively the staff of the nursing grade prior to the implementing plans to delete nursing posts; if it has, of the details, if it has not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

2. Hon CHOY So-yuk to ask: (Translation)

It was reported that in the absence of a food waste recycling industry in Hong Kong, the large quantity of food waste that will be generated by the Hong Kong Disneyland ("HKD") will not be recycled as fertilizers or animal feed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

(a)	it has estimated the daily quantity of food waste that will be generated by the HKD upon its opening, and whether it knows how the management company of HKD plans to dispose of such food waste;
(b)	it will formulate a food waste disposal plan specifically for the HKD; and
(c)	it will consider providing assistance to facilitate the development of a food waste recycling industry in Hong Kong?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment and Food

3. Dr Hon LO Wing-lok to ask: (Translation)

I have learnt that a member of the public had complained that, during the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens Tournament held at the Hong Kong Stadium for three consecutive days from 30 March this year, the stadium staff had not prohibited people from smoking in the spectator stand. Regarding the regulation of smoking in sports venues, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	given that major sports events often attract tens of thousands of spectators, whether it has assessed the fire risk involved in allowing smoking in the spectator stand, and whether emergency measures such as evacuation plan have been formulated for the venues concerned; if so, of the details, if not, the reasons for that;
(b)	whether it will, by making reference to the practice of the last Olympic Games, prohibit smoking in sports venues during major sports events; and
(c)	as smoking is already prohibited in cinemas, public transport carriers and shopping malls, whether it will consider legislating against smoking in sports venues?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

4. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the regulation of evil cults and their activities by legislation, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

(a)	whether they are collecting and studying, for the purpose of dealing with the issue of "Falun Gong", information on the regulation by legislation of evil cults and their activities in places outside Hong Kong; and
(b)	before deciding if legislation should be enacted to regulate evil cults, whether they will consider the views expressed by several representatives of religious bodies at the special meeting of the Legislative Council Panel on Home Affairs on 20 February this year, and whether they will fully consult the public and this Council?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

5. Hon LAU Ping-cheung to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the property management and security of the offices of government departments and statutory bodies which possess sensitive and confidential information, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the respective criteria currently adopted by government departments and statutory bodies for determining whether the property management work (including building maintenance and security services) of their offices should be contracted out to private property management companies;
(b)	whether background checks on private property management companies and their employees are conducted before engaging these companies to provide the services; and
(c)	whether it will consider enhancing the security systems of the government departments and statutory bodies accommodated in private commercial premises, such as the Hong Kong Monetary Authority; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Treasury

*6. Hon Howard YOUNG to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the cross-border direct bus services between Hong Kong and the Mainland, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the respective daily average numbers of bus trips and ridership in the past three years; and the estimated annual growth rates of daily ridership in the coming five years; and
(b)	whether, to facilitate tourists travelling to the Mainland by direct buses, it will consider setting up terminuses for direct buses in the vicinity of the Olympic and Tsing Yi Stations of the Airport Railway, where information such as the routing, frequency and fare of the various bus routes will be displayed?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*7. Hon Eric LI to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the support given to Hong Kong representatives participating in international cultural activities and sports competitions held overseas, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	among the international cultural activities and sports competitions held overseas in which Hong Kong representatives have participated, of the occasions on which it has sent officials to attend in the past three years; and
(b)	whether the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices overseas have provided assistance to the Hong Kong representatives who went there to participate in such activities and competitions; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider instructing these Offices to provide such assistance?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

*8. Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung to ask: (Translation)

At present, the interest rate for the Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for tertiary students ("interest rate on student loans") is set at 0.5 percentage point below the average of the prime rates quoted by the note issuing banks. The Finance Bureau reviews the interest rate on student loans at the end of each month according to the prevailing prime rate. The interest rate will be adjusted in accordance with the prevailing prime rate if it differs by one percentage point or more from the average prime rate, or if it has remained unchanged for a period over six months. Since the prime rate only dropped by less than one percentage point on every occasion in recent months, such adjustments could not be reflected in the interest rate on student loans in a timely manner. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider revising the adjustment mechanism for the interest rate on student loans, so that it will closely follow the movements of the prime rate; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*9. Hon Fred LI to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the elimination of hawker black spots, will the government inform this Council of:

(a)	the locations of the hawker black spots currently identified and the years in which they were so identified and, among them, those which were so identified again;
(b)	the respective criteria adopted for identifying a place as a hawker black spot and one that is no longer such a spot; and
(c)	the hawker black spots the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department plans to eliminate in the next two years and the methods it will adopt?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment and Food

*10. Ir Dr Hon HO Chung-tai to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the designation of pedestrian precincts, or extension of existing ones, in Causeway Bay, Mong Kok, Tsim Sha Tsui, Central and Wan Chai, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a)	the design characteristics of, as well as the landscaping and greening works to be carried out, in each pedestrian precinct; and
(b)	its plans to divert vehicular traffic from the pedestrianized streets to other roads?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*11. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)

To be eligible for assistance under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") Scheme, applicants are required to have resided in Hong Kong for one year. However, the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") may exercise discretion to approve applications from persons who do not meet the residence requirement. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

(a)	of the number of CSSA applications received last year from persons who did not meet the residence requirement, as well as the number of such applications which were approved on a discretionary basis; and
(b)	among those applications approved on a discretionary basis as mentioned in (a) above, of the number of cases in respect of which the offices of this Council's Members had liaised with the SWD?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*12. Hon LAU Kong-wah to ask: (Translation)

The 1989 Water Supply Agreement signed between the Hong Kong Government and the Guangdong Authority specifies the minimum quantity of Dongjiang water to be supplied to Hong Kong every year; in accordance with the Agreement, even if a smaller quantity of water has actually been supplied to Hong Kong in a particular year, the water charges are to be determined on the basis of that minimum quantity. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	in respect of each of the past three years,
	(i)	of the actual quantity of Dongjiang water supplied to Hong Kong, and how it compares with the minimum quantity of water supply in the same year under the Agreement;
	(ii)	of the amount of water charges which would have been paid to the Guangdong Authority had the charges been determined on the basis of the actual quantity of Dongjiang water supplied, and how it compares with the actual amount paid;
	(iii)	based on the price of water per cubic metre under the Agreement, of the value of the potable water discharged into the sea from the Muk Wu Pumping Stations; and
	(iv)	of the amount of savings in electricity charges for the conveyance of potable water resulting from the supply of a smaller quantity of water than the minimum quantity under the Agreement;
(b)	whether, it has arrangements for reviewing annually the rainfall yield, reservoir storage level and actual water consumption in a previous year, so as to calculate the quantity of Dongjiang water which should have been drawn in that year; if so, of the figure for each of the past three years; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c)	of the progress in the negotiations since January last year between the Government and the Guangdong Authority on adjusting the minimum annual quantity of water supply and how the water charges are to be calculated?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Works

*13. Hon Fred LI to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that, following a clean-up activity organized earlier on by a civic organization to collect litter at a beach on Lamma Island, which is not a designated bathing beach, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD") undertook to remove the litter-packed plastic bags. Members of the organization returned to the scene several weeks after the activity and found that only some of the plastic bags had been removed and the rest were just discarded in the bush near the beach. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the reasons for FEHD's failing to remove all the plastic bags weeks after the activity; and
(b)	of the current number of beaches in Hong Kong which are not designated bathing beaches; whether FEHD has arranged regular cleaning of these beaches; if it has, of the details?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment and Food

*14. Ir Dr Hon HO Chung-tai to ask: (Translation)

It was reported that on 31 March this year, a traffic sign post suddenly fell over and injured a tourist. With regard to the erection and maintenance of traffic sign posts on pavements, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the cause of the accident;
(b)	whether traffic sign posts on pavements are inspected regularly to make sure they are firmly fixed; if so, of the details;
(c)	of the measures it will take to prevent the recurrence of similar accidents; and
(d)	whether it plans to review the number and the location of traffic sign posts on pavements to ensure no obstruction to pedestrian access, and to minimize recurrence of such accidents?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*15. Hon LAU Kong-wah to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the safety of pedestrians when crossing roads, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the current number of signalled pedestrian crossings which trams or Light Rail Transit ("LRT") trains pass through; the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians at such crossings in the past three years, together with a breakdown of such figures by the causes of the accidents and the seriousness of the injuries to the pedestrians concerned;
(b)	of the criteria adopted for setting the duration of the pedestrian green phase of traffic lights at pedestrian crossings;
(c)	of the respective duration of the pedestrian green phase of traffic lights at carriageways of various widths under the existing standards, and whether the pedestrian green phase at pedestrian crossings passed through by trams or LRT trains lasts longer; if so, of the details;
(d)	whether the duration of the pedestrian green phase of traffic lights at various crossings is reviewed regularly and extended accordingly in response to an increase in pedestrian flow; and
(e)	of the outcome so far of the current trial use of the "flashing green count-down timers" at two pedestrian crossings, and whether there are plans to install such devices at other pedestrian crossings?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*16. Hon Kenneth TING to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the collaboration between multinational companies ("MNCs") and local enterprises in developing the Mainland market, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

(a)	the number of MNCs which made relevant enquiries to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council ("TDC"), with a breakdown of the enterprises by trade; and
(b)	the number of MNCs which were offered assistance by TDC, the details of the assistance concerned and the resources used by TDC in each of the past two years?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Industry

*17. Hon Abraham SHEK to ask:

Regarding the sites that have been earmarked, or for which feasibility studies are being conducted, for development or redevelopment of public housing in the next five years, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	of the location and size of each site;
(b)	of the number of housing units that each site will produce;
(c)	of the criteria for their selection; and
(d)	whether it will consider selling some of the earmarked sites in urban areas which have high land value and with good amenities for private development purpose, so that the land sale proceeds obtained can finance more public housing and infrastructural projects, and provide more funds for the Home Purchase Loan Scheme and the Home Starter Loan Scheme?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*18. Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong to ask: (Translation)

The unfortunate incident in which a police constable was killed while performing beat duty alone in March this year has aroused the concerns of the public and police officers' unions about the adequacy of the manpower of frontline police officers. Regarding the manpower of frontline police officers and the carrying out of beat duties by officers of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)	as far as each of the three shifts of a day in each district is concerned, of the respective target and actual percentages of beat duty currently performed by two or more police officers in all beat duties and, if the actual percentages are below the target, the reasons for that;
(b)	of the monthly minimum beat duty hours required of each auxiliary police officer at each rank at present, and the average monthly beat duty hours performed by each auxiliary police officer at each rank for the past five years;
(c)	of the progress of the study on increasing the manpower for performing beat duty, and when it plans to implement the improvement initiatives; and
(d)	whether it will consider deploying additional auxiliary police officers to perform beat duty for the purpose of increasing flexibly the manpower for on-street beat duty to avoid police officers performing beat duty alone?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*19. Hon Eric LI to ask: (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether the customers of different mobile phone network operators can receive and send short messages among one another with their mobile phones at present; if they can, of the details; if not, the reasons for that and the improvement measures to be taken? Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting

*20. Hon Michael MAK to ask: (Translation)

On 9th this month, a nurse was held hostage in the United Christian Hospital for three hours by a man suspected of suffering from psychiatric disorder. The nurse was later rescued but was slightly injured. Regarding the security of public hospitals, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a)	the respective numbers of theft, indecent assault and wounding cases which occurred in public hospitals in the past five years;
(b)	the security staff establishments and the details of the security measures implemented in public hospitals at present; and
(c)	the measures in place to prevent the holding of hostage in public hospitals?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*For written reply.

III. Bills

First Reading

1. Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2001

2. Companies (Corporate Rescue) Bill

Second Reading (Debates to be adjourned)

1. Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2001	: Secretary for Financial Services
2. Companies (Corporate Rescue) Bill	: Secretary for Financial Services

IV. Members' Motions

1. Conserving valuable and old trees

Hon CHOY So-yuk: (Translation)

That, as currently the Government does not have a set of effective measures to conserve trees and, as a result, various kinds of trees in the territory, such as those which are exceptionally old and big, rare and valuable and of historical value and of significance, may be destroyed, damaged or removed for development or other reasons, this Council urges the Government to put forward more effective measures which accord with the preservation and conservation of such valuable and old trees.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for the Environment and Food

2. Opposing Japan's textbooks distorting history

Hon TSANG Yok-sing: (Translation)

That this Council strongly condemns the recent approval by Japan's Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of the history textbooks for lower secondary schools written by a right-wing group, which brazenly distort the historical facts of Japan's invasion of its neighbouring countries during the Second World War and embellish Japan's acts of aggression; this Council considers that the Japanese Government must totally abandon militarism, face up to the historical facts, and offer its sincere apologies and reasonable compensation to the countries and people who were subjected to its invasion during the Second World War.

Clerk to the Legislative Council