A 04/05-36

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 6 July 2005 at 11:00 am

I. Tabling of Papers

Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentsL.N. No.
1.Securities and Futures (Investor Compensation - Levy) (Amendment) Rules 2005108/2005
2.St. John's College Ordinance - Resolution109/2005
3.Building (Planning) (Amendment) Regulation 2005110/2005
4.Pilotage (Dues) (Amendment) Order 2005111/2005

Other Papers

1.No.99-Sir Robert Black Trust Fund
Annual Report for the year from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)

2.No.100-Annual Report 2003-2004
Hong Kong Broadcasting Authority
(to be presented by Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology)

3.No.101-Report of the J.E. Joseph Trust Fund Trustee, and Audited Statement of Accounts and Auditor's Report for the Fund, for the year from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food)

4.No.102-Report of the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund Committee, and Audited Statement of Accounts and Auditor's Report for the Fund, for the year from 1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food)

5.No.103-Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation
Annual Report 2004-2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology)

6.No.104-Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation
Trustee's Report 2004-2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)

7.No.105-Clothing Industry Training Authority
Annual Report 2004
(to be presented by Secretary for Education and Manpower)

8.No.106-Construction Industry Training Authority
Annual Report 2004
(to be presented by Secretary for Education and Manpower)

9.No.107-Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Report No. 44 of the Director of Audit on the Results of Value for Money Audits
(July 2005 - P.A.C. Report No. 44)
(to be presented by Dr Hon Philip WONG, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, who will address the Council)

10.Committee on Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Progress Report for the period October 2004 to June 2005
(to be presented by Hon TSANG Yok-sing, Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Procedure)

11.Report of the Panel on Manpower 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon LAU Chin-shek, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

12.Report of the Panel on Commerce and Industry 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

13.Report of the Panel on Public Service 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon TAM Yiu-chung, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

14.Report of the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon Margaret NG, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

15.Report of the Panel on Home Affairs 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon Tommy CHEUNG, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

16.Report of the Panel on Transport 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon LAU Kong-wah, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

17.Report of the Panel on Housing 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon CHAN Kam-lam, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

18.Report of the Panel on Security 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon James TO, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

19.Report of the Panel on Constitutional Affairs 2004/2005
(to be presented by Dr Hon LUI Ming-wah, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

20.Report of the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon WONG Yung-kan, Deputy Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

21.Report of the Panel on Financial Affairs 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon Bernard CHAN, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

22.Report of the Panel on Education 2004/2005
(to be presented by Dr Hon YEUNG Sum, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

23.Report of the Panel on Planning, Lands and Works 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon LAU Wong-fat, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

24.Report of the Panel on Welfare Services 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon CHAN Yuen-han, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

25.Report of the Panel on Economic Services 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon James TIEN, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

26.Report of the Panel on Health Services 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon Andrew CHENG, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

27.Report of the Panel on Environmental Affairs 2004/2005
(to be presented by Hon CHOY So-yuk, Chairman of the Panel, who will address the Council)

28.Report of the Bills Committee on Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2004
(to be presented by Hon TAM Heung-man, Chairman of the Bills Committee)

29.Report of the Bills Committee on Banking (Amendment) Bill 2005
(to be presented by Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung, Chairman of the Bills Committee)

II. Questions

1. Hon MA Lik to ask: (Translation)

In February this year, the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") submitted to the Government a revised project proposal on two railway extensions, namely the West Hong Kong Island Line ("WIL") and the South Hong Kong Island Line ("SIL"). The Transport Panel of this Council also passed two motions in the same month urging the Government to expedite the construction of the railway extensions. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the proposed implementation timetable for WIL; and

    (b)whether WIL and SIL are still treated as a single project, and thus only one financial analysis report has been provided; if so, whether such an approach is the cause for WIL's not being implemented yet?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

2. Hon LAU Chin-shek to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the Government intends to relocate the Hong Kong Sports Institute ("HKSI") in order to co-organize the equestrian events for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council whether:
    (a)there are other venues for staging the events;

    (b)it has consulted in advance the elite athletes, coaches and staff of HKSI on the relocation of HKSI; and

    (c)it has assessed the impact of relocating HKSI on the training of local athletes and their achievements in competitions?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

3. Hon Howard YOUNG to ask: (Translation)

At present, both Mainland and Taiwan residents are required to hold valid visas for visiting Hong Kong. However, Mainland residents holding entry visas of other countries or regions who intend to travel to and from that country or region via Hong Kong can enjoy visa-free entry to stay in Hong Kong for not more than seven days. This measure is also applicable to Taiwan residents who hold Mainland Travel Permit and intend to travel to and from the Mainland via Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the respective numbers of Mainland and Taiwan residents who have visited Hong Kong under the above measure since its introduction; and

    (b)whether it will consider extending the application of the measure so that residents of other countries or regions, who are currently required to hold valid visas for visiting Hong Kong, will also be entitled to visa-free entry to stay in Hong Kong for not more than seven days by holding valid entry visas to the Mainland, thereby boosting the number of inbound visitors, promoting the tourism industry and stimulating the economy; if it will, of the timing for implementation; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

4. Hon Albert HO to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the Police arrested black market labourers suspected of being engaged in prostitution during a large-scale anti-vice operation mounted in June this year, and took them to a police station. As there was insufficient space in the detention room of the police station, the detained labourers were put in a "temporary holding area" which was poorly equipped for detention, and were left to be freely videotaped and taken pictures of. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:
    (a)the Police adopted similar practices for detaining suspects arrested in large-scale anti-crime operations in the past five years; if so, of the reasons for that;

    (b)it has assessed if the above practice of detaining suspects has infringed upon privacy and the rights protected by the International Human Rights Treaties; if an assessment has been made, of the outcome; and

    (c)the Police will consider amending the existing internal guidelines on the detention of suspects and the way of handling detainees, including transferring suspects to detention rooms of other police stations when there is a large number of suspects, enhancing the facilities of "temporary holding areas" for better privacy and specifying clearly the longest duration of detention in "temporary holding areas"?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

When running for the election, the Chief Executive put forth the new idea of recruiting people with political aspirations to serve as administrative assistants ("AAs") to bureau secretaries. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the details of this idea, including the entry requirements of AAs, their remuneration package, duties and authority, whether they will be politically appointed and have to share similar political beliefs with the bureau secretary they work with, and the requirements of them in respect of confidentiality and prevention of conflict of interests;

    (b)whether AAs may be transferred to the civil service when they leave office in the future; and

    (c)for those who have left the civil service to take up AA posts, whether they can be re-employed as civil servants on the terms of their former ranks?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Constitutional Affairs

6. Hon Vincent FANG Kang to ask: (Translation)

In the past few months, there have been cases in which wild birds and poultry in farms in the Mainland and some Southeast Asian countries collectively died of avian flu. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the approximate number of migratory birds staying at or passing by the Mai Po Nature Reserve each year and the places from which the birds mainly come;

    (b)how the Administration monitors the health of the migratory birds and how it can tell whether they carry avian flu virus; and

    (c)of the measures taken to prevent the migratory birds from passing avian flu virus to visitors at the Mai Po Nature Reserve and the Hong Kong Wetland Park, and to the poultry kept in farms?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

*7. Hon WONG Yung-kan to ask: (Translation)

The Government is planning to construct a landing facility, a pier or landing steps, in Lei Yue Mun to facilitate tourists in travelling by boat to the seafood restaurants in the district, and the locations under consideration include the seawall about 90 metres east of the lighthouse by the Lei Yue Mun Fairway. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:
    (a)it has consulted the fishing community and fishermen operating in nearby waters on the location of the facility; if so, of the results of the consultation; if not, the reasons for that, and whether these people will be consulted; if no consultation will be conducted, of the reasons for that; and

    (b)the construction of the landing facility near the lighthouse will narrow the Lei Yue Mun Fairway; if so, of the measures it will take to avoid the collision of vessels on the fairway?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Development and Labour

*8. Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing to ask: (Translation)

Some members of the public have complained to me that the magnetic fields inside their flats are strong enough to divert the needle of a compass to a particular direction. They suspect that this phenomenon may be attributable to the reinforcement bars inside the walls or the high voltage power lines in the vicinity of their buildings. In addition, some medical experts have suggested that magnetic fields generated by high voltage power lines are hazardous to health. It has also been reported that, according to a study by a cancer research group of the Oxford University in the United Kingdom, the incidence of leukemia among children living within 200 metres of pylons is 70% higher than ordinary children. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows if:
    (a)any studies have been carried out in Hong Kong or other countries on the impact on human health of magnetic fields generated by reinforcement bars inside the walls of buildings, high voltage power lines in the vicinity of residential buildings or other environmental factors; if so, of the study results;

    (b)there are any stipulations regarding the minimum distance between high voltage power lines and residential buildings in Hong Kong or other countries; and

    (c)there is a set of monitoring indicators in Hong Kong or other countries for assessing whether the levels of magnetic fields in the living environment meet the safety standards and for regulatory control purposes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

*9. Hon Mrs Selina CHOW to ask: (Translation)

In order to implement the Building Management and Maintenance Scheme, the Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS") has set up Property Management Advisory Centres ("PMACs") at Shamshuipo, Central and Western District of the Hong Kong Island and Tsuen Wan, and will soon set up similar centres at Yau Tsim Mong, Tokwawan and Hong Kong East respectively, to provide free guidance and professional advice to the public. However, among these six PMACs, only one is designated to serve the entire New Territories, where many dilapidated buildings are located. For example, in Tsuen Wan and Kwai Tsing of the New Territories West, which have been developed for over 30 years, many dilapidated buildings need repair. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
    (a)if the above PMACs will handle requests for assistance and enquiries from other districts; for example, whether owners of private buildings in North West New Territories may seek assistance from PMACs apart from the one in Tsuen Wan; and

    (b)if HKHS has assessed if the distribution of the above PMACs will result in uneven allocation of resources; if so, of the assessment results, and whether HKHS has plans to allocate more resources to the New Territories so as to assist owners of the dilapidated buildings there in repairing their properties?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

*10. Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the developer which purchased Hunghom Peninsula has recently drawn up a renovation plan for that estate, and is prepared to make substantial alterations to its original fitting-out. On the other hand, according to the sale and purchase agreement signed by the Government and that developer, the latter should obtain the Government's permission before conducting any major renovation and alteration. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the details of the above renovation plan, and whether it has been approved by the Government; if so, whether the authorities have required the developer to pay extra premium; if so, of the amount involved; and

    (b)given that renovation works of buildings will generate substantial construction waste, whether the authorities have assessed the impact of the waste generated by the renovation works of Hunghom Peninsula on the environment, and how they will tackle the problem?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

*11. Hon James TO to ask: (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether, during the campaign period of the Legislative Council ("LegCo") Election in September last year, the then Chief Secretary for Administration requested the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD"), the restaurant licence issuing authority, to provide him with the addresses of eateries operated by electors of the LegCo catering functional constituency; if so,
    (a)of the reasons for doing so, and whether they include facilitating a certain candidate in approaching these owners to canvass their votes; and

    (b)whether FEHD provided the relevant information, and the legal basis for that decision?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

*12. Dr Hon David LI to ask:

In reply to my question at the Council meeting on 2 June 2004, the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology said that, as at 15 May 2004, 310 000 smart identity cards with the digital certificate ("e-Certs") embedded had been issued. In reply to another question on 25 May 2005, he had advised that the Government would strengthen its promotion efforts to encourage the business community and the general public to use and adopt the e-Certs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)among the aforesaid 310 000 holders of smart identity cards embedded with e-Certs, of the number of those who paid the prescribed fee of $50 to renew the e-Certs upon expiry of the one-year free period;

    (b)whether the strengthening of its promotion efforts will incur additional expenditure and manpower resources; if so, of the details;

    (c)of the projected and actual up-to-date acquisition cost per paid e-cert subscriber incurred by the Hongkong Post of e-Certs under the smart identity card replacement exercise; and

    (d)whether it has conducted regular reviews on the competitive edge, as far as identity authentication is concerned, of the embedded e-Certs over other new and competing technologies and commercial applications; if so, of the results of such reviews; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology

*13. Hon LEE Cheuk-yan to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the employment statistics for 2004 compiled by the Census and Statistics Department, will the Government inform this Council of the number of employed persons (excluding unpaid family workers, foreign domestic helpers and employed persons who worked less than 35 hours during the seven days before enumeration due to vacation), broken down by the groupings in the form appended below?

Number of employed persons
Monthly employment earnings
Gender/Hours of work during the seven days before enumeration Less than $3,000 $3,000 to $4,999 $5,000 to $7,499 $7,500 to $9,999 $10,000 or above Total
Female
Less than 35 hours





35 to 49 hours





50 to 59 hours





60 hours or above





Sub-total





Male
Less than 35 hours





35 to 49 hours





50 to 59 hours





60 hours or above





Sub-total





Female and male
Less than 35 hours





35 to 49 hours





50 to 59 hours





60 hours or above





Total






Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

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

It has been reported that as public out-patient services are seriously inadequate, some elderly patients have to go to public hospitals or clinics well before dawn on the day of consultation and wait there for up to eight hours in order to secure a consultation chip. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
    (a)if the Hospital Authority ("HA") has looked into the situation of patients queuing up for consultation chips before the opening hours of public clinics in various districts in the past year; if so, of the findings; if not, whether HA will do so; and

    (b)HA will assist those chronically ill patients who have finished the medicines prescribed at the last consultation, but are not able to seek follow-up consultation and obtain the required medicines in time because the supply of public out-patient service cannot meet the demand for it?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

*15. Hon WONG Kwok-hing to ask: (Translation)

Regarding financial support for single parent families, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the number of single parent families in Hong Kong and the number of children in these families in each of the past three years (as at 31 May of each year);

    (b)of the number of single parent families receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") in each of the past three years (as at 31 May of each year), together with a breakdown by gender of the single parent (i.e. father or mother), number of children and area of residence;

    (c)among the single parent families receiving CSSA in each of the past three years (as at 31 May of each year), of the number of those in which the children are eligible for CSSA but their fathers or mothers are not because they have resided in Hong Kong for less than seven years, together with a breakdown by gender of the parents (i.e. father or mother), number of children and area of residence; and

    (d)whether the authorities have any plans to offer assistance in such areas as finance, employment, housing, after-school care services for children, etc, to those single parent families in which the fathers or mothers have resided in Hong Kong for less than seven years and are therefore not eligible for CSSA; if so, of the details?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

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

Regarding education for the ethnic minorities, will the Government inform this Council of the following:
    (a)the estimated number of school-age ethnic minorities in each of the coming five years, with a breakdown by age groups;

    (b)the respective numbers, in each of the past three years, of ethnic minorities attending schools (with a breakdown by learning stages), having completed a learning stage and having dropped out of school, and their respective percentages in the ethnic minority population of the relevant ages;

    (c)the channels through which the Administration releases information about school enrolment to the ethnic minorities; and

    (d)whether children of the ethnic minorities are eligible for assistance under the Kindergarten Fee Remission Scheme and Child Care Centre Fee Assistance Scheme; if so, of the relevant numbers of applications in the past three years and the amounts of assistance involved; if not, whether the Government will include these children in the Schemes to encourage them to receive pre-primary education?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*17. Hon Andrew CHENG to ask: (Translation)

Will the Administration inform this Council whether the reform proposals regarding the medical complaints mechanism, made by the Medical Council of Hong Kong in 2001, which included:
    (i)increasing the number of lay members in the Preliminary Investigation Committee ("PIC") from one to three;

    (ii)stipulating that no complaint should be rejected at the initial screening stage unless there is unanimous agreement among the PIC chairman, deputy chairman and a lay member;

    (iii)setting up a Disciplinary Committee to conduct inquiries; and

    (iv)setting up a Complaint Receiving Division,

    have been implemented; if not, of the reasons for that, and whether there is a timetable for implementing these recommendations?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

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

It has been reported that the contractors of government outsourced services for Pak Tin Estate, Shun On Estate and Lung Hang Estate were alleged to have wrongfully deducted the pay and vacation leave of about 90 workers, and even used forged attendance records to deceive the Housing Department ("HD"). The trade unions concerned reported such cases to HD in January this year, but it was not until May that HD referred the cases which might involve criminal offences to the Police. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the reasons for HD not referring the cases to the Police in the first instance;

    (b)of the number of complaints HD has received from its contractors' workers about their remuneration since January this year, and the outcome of such complaints; and

    (c)whether HD will consider conducting undercover operations by deploying staff to take up employment with the contractors under complaint in order to collect evidence of breaches of the terms of outsourced service contracts or labour legislation?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

*19. Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki to ask:

Will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the length of time taken by the consultant commissioned by the Government in March 1997 to conduct the Feasibility Study on Electronic Road Pricing;

    (b)of the details of the submissions, information and materials (other than the study findings) given to the Administration by the consultant regarding the above study; and

    (c)whether the amount paid to the consultant for the entire study was in the region of $90 million; if not, the amount involved?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

*20. Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming to ask: (Translation)

According to the ticket types and prices announced by the Hong Kong Disneyland ("HKD"), elderly people aged 65 or above may purchase senior tickets and children under three years old may be admitted free of charge. Moreover, ticket prices for "peak days" (including weekends, Hong Kong public holidays, summer school holidays (July and August) and the Mainland Golden Weeks (1 to 7 May and 1 to 7 October every year)) are higher than those for "regular days". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will appeal to HKD for:
    (a)offering concessions on ticket prices to the elderly of Hong Kong, including lowering the age restriction for senior tickets to 60 or above, allowing elderly people over 75 years old to purchase senior tickets at half price and granting free admission once for the elderly born in the same year as the Mickey Mouse;

    (b)altering the age restriction for free admission to under four years old; and

    (c)exempting Hong Kong residents from being charged the higher ticket prices for "peak days", so that they can be admitted all year round by holding tickets at "regular days" prices?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Development and Labour

*For written reply.

III. Bills

First Reading

  1. Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Bill

  2. Revenue (Profits Tax Exemption for Offshore Funds) Bill 2005

  3. Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2005

Second Reading (Debates to be adjourned)

1. Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Bill :Secretary for Education and Manpower

2. Revenue (Profits Tax Exemption for Offshore Funds) Bill 2005 :Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

3. Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 2005 :Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

Second Reading (Debates to resume), Committee Stage and Third Reading

1. Bankruptcy (Amendment) Bill 2004 :Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

2. Banking (Amendment) Bill 2005 :Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

IV. Motions

  1. Proposed resolution under the Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points) Ordinance

    Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works to move the following motion:

    RESOLVED -

      (a)that the Schedule to the Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points) Ordinance (Cap. 375) be amended, in item 12, in column 4, by repealing "3" and substituting "5"; and

      (b)that this Resolution shall come into operation on 1 January 2006.

  2. Proposed resolution under the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance

    Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works to move the following motion:

    RESOLVED -

      (a)that the Schedule to the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance (Cap. 240) be amended -

      (i)in item 10, by repealing "的連續雙白?" and substituting "的連續白?";

      (ii)in item 14, by repealing "$450" and substituting "$600";

      (iii)in item 18, by repealing "42(d)" and substituting "42(1)(d)";

      (iv)by adding -

      "18A. Regulation 42(1)(g)Using a mobile telephone or other telecommunications equipment or an accessory to such telephone or equipment while the vehicle is in motion$450";

      (v)by adding -

      "22A. Regulation 47(1A)Driving motor cycle or motor tricycle without keeping obligatory lamps lighted$320";

      (vi)by adding -

      "56A. Regulation 12(1)Failing to drive in the nearside lane of the carriageway of an expressway$450";and


      (b)that this Resolution shall come into operation on 1 January 2006.

  3. Proposed resolution under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance

    Secretary for Security to move the following motion:

    RESOLVED that the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Belgium) Order, made by the Chief Executive in Council on 12 April 2005, be approved.

    (The Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
    (Belgium) Order has been issued on 22 April 2005
    under LC Paper No. CB(3) 520/04-05)


  4. Proposed resolution under the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance

    Secretary for Security to move the following motion:

    RESOLVED that the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Denmark) Order, made by the Chief Executive in Council on 12 April 2005, be approved.

    (The Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters
    (Denmark) Order has been issued on 22 April 2005
    under LC Paper No. CB(3) 520/04-05)


V. Members' Bills

Second Reading (Debate to resume), Committee Stage and Third Reading

Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Asia) Limited (Merger) Bill : Dr Hon David LI

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

VI. Members' Motions

  1. Reviewing the mode of construction and operation for transport infrastructure

    Hon LAU Kong-wah: (Translation)

    That, in view of the toll increases by the operators of a number of transport infrastructures delivered through the Build-Operate-Transfer ("BOT") mode, which not only directly increase the burden of transport expenses on the public and lead to a rise in transportation costs for the business and industrial sectors, but also greatly aggravate the traffic congestion at other lower-toll tunnels or toll-free routes, thereby defeating the intended purpose of diverting traffic flows to various tunnels, this Council urges the Government to put up, in one year's time, specific proposals for improvement regarding the following:

    (a)relieving the pressure on various tunnels to increase their tolls;

    (b)enhancing the various tunnels' function of diverting traffic flows; and

    (c)conducting a comprehensive review of the BOT mode and drawing conclusion from the relevant experience to serve as guidance in the financing, construction and operation, etc, of future transport infrastructures, so as to avoid the above pitfalls and safeguard the interests of the public.

    Amendments to motion
    (i)Hon Miriam LAU: (Translation)

    To add "expeditiously" after "this Council urges the Government to"; to delete "one year's" after "put up, in" and substitute with "six months' "; to delete "relieving" before "the pressure on various tunnels" and substitute with "actively exploring with the tunnel companies which own the franchises of the tunnels ways to achieve effective distribution of traffic among various tunnels and to relieve"; to delete ";" after "to increase their tolls" and substitute with ", such as extending the franchise periods, standardizing and reducing the tolls or adopting other feasible measure; and"; to delete "(b) enhancing the various tunnels' function of diverting traffic flows; and"; and to delete the original "(c)" and substitute with "(b)".

    (ii)Hon Andrew CHENG: (Translation)

    To add "; reviewing whether the current toll increase mechanisms under the Tai Lam Tunnel and Yuen Long Approach Road Ordinance and the Western Harbour Crossing Ordinance are in the public interest, and avoiding the introduction of similar mechanisms for future transport infrastructures; (b) negotiating common ownership of the three road harbour crossings with the consortium which owns the franchises of both the Eastern Harbour Crossing and the Western Harbour Crossing, and presenting to this Council reports on the progress of the negotiations" after "to increase their tolls"; to delete the original "(b)" and substitute with "(c)"; to delete the original "(c)" and substitute with "(d)"; and to add ", toll charging" after "financing, construction".

    Amendment to Hon Andrew CHENG's amendment

    Hon TAM Yiu-chung:     (Translation)

    To delete "whether" after "reviewing"; and to delete "under the Tai Lam Tunnel and Yuen Long Approach Road Ordinance and the Western Harbour Crossing Ordinance are in the public interest, and avoiding the introduction of similar mechanisms" after "current toll increase mechanisms" and substitute with "of all the tunnels delivered through the BOT mode, and introducing mechanisms that better meet the interest of the public".

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

  2. Improving general out-patient services

    Hon Andrew CHENG: (Translation)

    That, as the Hospital Authority ("HA") has in recent years adopted the practice of referring patients of its specialist out-patient clinics ("SOPCs") who are in stable condition to general out-patient clinics ("GOPCs"), leading to an increased demand for general out-patient ("GOP") services, while at the same time the Administration has reduced the funding for HA, as a result of which the existing GOP services are grossly inadequate and patients have to wait for an excessively long time for the services, this Council urges the Government to formulate a clear policy on the provision of out-patient services, ensure that GOP services can provide grass-roots people with an effective health care safety net; at the same time, the Government should enhance HA's transparency in policy formulation, service planning, resources deployment, service delivery, etc. so that the general public and local people can take part in deciding and monitoring the primary health care services provided by HA; furthermore, HA should increase the resources and manpower for GOPCs having regard to the number of patient referrals from SOPCs to GOPCs, and adopt effective measures to improve the quality and quantity of out-patient services, including:

    (a)improving the processes and administrative arrangements of service delivery, increasing the quotas of booked appointment, and exploring alternative means, such as telephone and on-line booking, to replace the present chips allotment system, thereby saving patients the trouble of having to wait and collect the chips in person;

    (b)formulating clearly defined staffing standards for health care personnel at GOPCs;

    (c)allocating additional resources to shorten the waiting time at out-patient clinics in districts with a longer waiting time for out-patient services;

    (d)allocating more resources to set up additional evening out-patient clinics in districts in need and increase the consultation quota at such clinics;

    (e)expeditiously implementing its undertaking to set up Chinese medicine out-patient clinics in all the 18 districts in the territory; and

    (f)provided that the burden on patients will not be increased, considering the use of public-private partnership approach to promote engagement of private medical practitioners in out-patient services.

    Amendments to motion
    (i)Hon WONG Kwok-hing: (Translation)

    To delete "as" after "That," and substitute with "whereas community nursing and care services have yet to be fully developed,"; to add "undertake to maintain public general out-patient services, and to" after "this Council urges the Government to"; to add "the Legislative Council," after "so that"; to delete "quotas of booked appointment, and" after "increasing the" and substitute with "consultation quota and, apart from the present chips allotment system,"; to add "for making appointments" after "exploring alternative means"; to delete "to replace the present chips allotment system, thereby saving patients the trouble of having to wait and collect the chips in person" after "telephone and on-line booking," and substitute with "so as to provide more convenient services to patients"; to add "new towns, such as Tung Chung, and" after "evening out-patient clinics in"; to delete "and" after "in all the 18 districts in the territory;"; and to add "; and (g) expeditiously enhancing existing community nursing and care services for chronically ill patients, and comprehensively developing such services" after "private medical practitioners in out-patient services".

    (ii)Hon Vincent FANG Kang: (Translation)

    To delete "increase" after "furthermore, HA should" and substitute with "appropriately deploy"; to add "(b) increasing the information channels to enable patients to know clearly the chips allotment situation of various GOPCs, thereby shortening the patients' queuing time for appointments;" after "collect the chips in person;"; to delete the original "(b)" and substitute with "(c)"; to delete the original "(c)" and substitute with "(d)"; to delete the original "(d)" and substitute with "(e)"; to delete "allocating more" before "resources to set up additional evening out-patient clinics" and substitute with "expeditiously deploying"; to delete the original "(e)" and substitute with "(f)"; to delete the original "(f)" and substitute with "(g)"; to add "as far as possible," after "provided that"; and to add ", so as to provide quality out-patient services" after "private medical practitioners in out-patient services".

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

Clerk to the Legislative Council