A 00/01-5(1)

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 25 October 2000 and
Thursday 26 October 2000 at 2:30 pm respectively

I. Tabling of Papers
Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentsL.N. No.
1.Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulation 2000282/2000

2.Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) (Amendment) (No.3) Regulation 2000283/2000

3.Financial Resources (Amendment) Rules 2000284/2000

4.Occupational Retirement Schemes (Recovery of Arrears) Rules285/2000

5.Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance --Resolution of the Legislative Council (L.N. 206 of 2000) (Commencement) Notice 2000 286/2000


Other Papers
1. No.12 -Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fund
Report of the Board of Trustees for the period 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)

2. No.13-Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated
Statement of Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)

3. No.14-Statement of Accounts and Auditor's Report for the Vegetable Marketing Organization for the year ended 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for the Environment and Food)

4. No.15-Statement of Accounts and Auditor's Report for the Fish Marketing Organization for the year ended 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for the Environment and Food)

5. No.16 -Marine Fish Scholarship Fund Report for the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for the Environment and Food)

6. No.17 -Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Report for the period from 1 April 1999 to 31 March 2000
(to be presented by Secretary for the Environment and Food)

7. No.18-Hongkong Post
Annual Report 1999/2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Economic Services)

8. No.19 -Office of the Telecommunications Authority
Trading Fund Report 1999/2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting)

9. No.20-Estate Agents Authority
Annual Report 1999/2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Housing)


II. Questions for Written Replies

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

Will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)in respect of each education administration district,

    (i)of the respective numbers of primary school places and classes needed in this and each of the next two school years; and, in order to meet the increased demand for school places, the number of additional classes and primary schools provided in this school year as well as the number of additional primary schools required in each of the next two school years; and
    (ii)in order to achieve the goal of enabling 60% of primary school pupils to study in whole-day schools by September 2002, of the number of additional classes needed and the respective numbers of additional primary schools required in this and the next school year;

    (b)of the number of pupils allowed for each class in deriving the above figures, together with a comparison of these figures with the ideal size of 35 pupils in each conventional class, as recommended in the Education Commission Report No. 5; and

    (c)whether it plans to implement the recommendation in the above report; if so, of the implementation date; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

2. Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that New World First Ferry Services Limited ("First Ferry") plans to standardize the weekday and holiday fares of three ferry routes from Central to Cheung Chau, Peng Chau and Mui Wo. The weekday fares will be higher than current fares but holiday fares will be lower than current fares. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (a) whether it has received proposals submitted by First Ferry on the standardized fare scheme and its implementation timetable, or whether it has held discussions with First Ferry regarding the scheme; if so, of the relevant details and the implementation timetable;

    (b) whether it knows if First Ferry will consider providing fare concessions for residents of outlying islands; if so, of the details; and

    (c)of the measures in place to enhance transparency in the determination of fares by licensed ferry service operators and public participation in the fare determination process?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

3. Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the wholesale markets managed by the Vegetable Marketing Organization discard large quantities of unsold fresh vegetables everyday. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (a)of the respective quantities of vegetables discarded by the various wholesale markets in each of the past three years;

    (b)of the average cost incurred in disposing of each tonne of discarded vegetables;

    (c)whether it has charged the wholesalers concerned for the disposal of discarded vegetables; if not, of the reasons for that; and

    (d)whether it has considered adopting measures to reduce the quantities of vegetables being discarded; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment and Food

4. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the charging of service fees by mobile telephone service operators, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

    (a)whether they know the criteria currently adopted by such operators for determining the fees for various services;

    (b)of the total number of customer complaints about charges received by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority ("OFTA") in the past 12 months, together with a breakdown by the contents of such complaints; and

    (c)how the OFTA monitors the determination of service fees by such operators, and of the plans in place to strengthen its monitoring efforts with a view to protecting the rights and interests of consumers?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting

5. Hon SIN Chung-kai to ask: (Translation)

The Administration revealed in its reply to a Legislative Council question on 8 December 1999 that at that time, "there were two initiatives within Government to integrate the spatial data assets held by them so as to exploit the full potential of their geographical information systems ("GIS") applications in improving the provision of services". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:

    (a)the spatial data assets held by the relevant government departments;

    (b)the current progress of the above-mentioned two initiatives; and

    (c)the specific plans to further promote broader application of GIS?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning and Lands

6. Hon LAW Chi-kwong to ask: (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council, in respect of each item of allowances and supplements under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme, of the average sum payable to each recipient family every month, and to each group of these families, broken down according to the number of eligible family members?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

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

It was reported that a Hong Kong resident, who travelled to India last year on a British National (Overseas) ("BNO") passport, had been wrongly detained for 23 days because his BNO passport was suspected by local officials to be fake and was certified as a forgery by the British High Commission in Bombay without seeking verification from the relevant authorities in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

    (a)of the respective numbers of fake BNO passports and fake passports of other countries and territories seized by the Immigration Department at immigration control points in the past three years;

    (b)whether it knows the number of cases in the past three years in which overseas immigration authorities sought verification of BNO passports from the relevant authorities in Hong Kong and, among these, the number of those certified fake after verification;

    (c)of the number of cases in the past three years in which Hong Kong people travelling abroad sought assistance from the Government of Hong Kong, because their BNO passports were suspected to be fake;

    (d)whether it has considered taking specific actions, such as establishing a mechanism to facilitate liaison between the Immigration Department and the various overseas consulates of the British Government, so as to enhance the assistance to Hong Kong people travelling abroad on BNO passports when they encounter similar incidents; and

    (e)whether it knows if the British Government has plans, or when it intends, to issue BNO passports with enhanced security features, and whether the Hong Kong Government will take the initiative, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to advise the British Government in this respect?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

8. Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the separate collection and recycling of household waste, will the Government inform this Council:

    (a)of the progress made in the past three years in promoting such practice; and

    (b)whether it has considered requiring future residential developments to set aside space for separating household waste; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment and Food

9. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)

The Hong Kong Housing Authority decided in June this year to transfer to rental use 16 000 flats originally earmarked for sale under the Home Ownership Scheme ("HOS") in the coming four years. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

    (a)whether they know the number of HOS flats to be put up for sale under the revised schedule in each of the coming four years;

    (b)of the average time taken at present for an eligible person to be given the opportunity to select and purchase an HOS flat; and

    (c)of the measures in place to relieve the financial burden on those members of the public who, as a result of inadequate supply of HOS flats, need to purchase the more expensive private residential flats?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

10. Hon James TIEN to ask: (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

    (a)of the procedure currently adopted for vetting and approving applications by Mainland and overseas managerial and professional personnel to work in the territory, and the average time required for that;

    (b)how the procedure and required time compare to those of Singapore; and

    (c)whether it has plans to simplify such procedure; if so, of the details?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

11. Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the plan to develop a new town at Hung Shui Kiu in Yuen Long, will the Government inform this Council whether:

    (a)it will consider constructing housing units in nearby areas for rehousing affected residents before implementing the plan; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)it has adopted a "people-oriented" approach in formulating the details of the plan; if so, of the aspects in which the plan reflects such an approach; and

    (c)it will revise the existing policies on compensation, so as to alleviate grievances of the affected residents against land resumption?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning and Lands

III. Members' Motions

Motion of Thanks

Hon Mrs Selina CHOW: (Translation)

That this Council thanks the Chief Executive for his address.

Amendment to Hon Mrs Selina CHOW's motion

Hon LEE Cheuk-yan: (Translation)

To add ", and urges the Administration to: (a) take more positive measures to narrow the wealth gap and to help the poor to get rid of poverty; and (b) immediately review the political system with a view to achieving full democracy" after "That this Council thanks the Chief Executive for his address".

(Debate to be adjourned on 26 October after all Members who wish to speak have spoken. Resumption of debate will take place at the meeting to be held on 1 November 2000 when public officers will respond.)

Clerk to the Legislative Council