| (1) | Motion on "Nature conservation policy", moved by Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
"That, as the two measures, namely management agreements and public-private partnership, introduced by the Government under the new nature conservation policy implemented last year have failed to truly achieve the objective of conserving ecologically important sites under private ownership in a sustainable manner, and have even given rise to landowners' dissatisfaction about the infringement of their rights and interests as well as the public's doubt about the effectiveness of such measures, this Council urges the Government to review the policy, including:
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| (a) | establishing policy objectives and strategies which genuinely accord priority to conservation;
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| (b) | reviewing the existing fragmented legislation relating to nature conservation, and considering the enactment of legislation which specifically deals with the conservation of nature and ecology;
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| (c) | the Government assuming a more proactive role by undertaking conservation and management work on the 12 priority sites for enhanced conservation ('priority sites');
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| (d) | exploring afresh practicable and reasonable options to make reasonable compensation or arrangements for owners of private land in the priority sites, so as to ensure that there is more effective conservation and management of the lands concerned;
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| (e) | enhancing the training for the personnel responsible for managing and supervising conservation work so as to upgrade their professionalism, and promoting public awareness of nature conservation; and
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| (f) | the relevant government departments taking the lead in co-ordinating exchanges on conservation matters among the Administration, green groups, the private sector, rural organizations, universities, research institutions, etc, and in uniting the efforts of the various parties in promoting the conservation of the ecology."
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| (2) | Motion on "Deepening the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement", moved by Hon WONG Ting-kwong as amended by Hon SIN Chung-kai
"That, as the SAR Government has just completed its study on the economic benefits of the first phase of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement ('CEPA I'), and the business sector and professional organizations have respectively expressed their views on ways to improve CEPA, this Council urges the Government to take proactive measures to respond to the aspirations expressed by various sectors in the review of CEPA I, including:
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| (a) | strengthening its promotion efforts to attract Mainland enterprises to set up offices in Hong Kong for developing the international market, and pursuing with the Central Authorities the relaxation of the control of capital flows, with a view to implementing the investment facilitation policy for Mainland enterprises to invest in Hong Kong and Macao;
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| (b) | assisting Hong Kong businessmen in overcoming the trade barriers they encounter in various Mainland provinces and cities, improving the customs clearance facilities, and promoting the trading of goods, so as to assist the development of local industries and to create local job opportunities;
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| (c) | stepping up its promotion efforts to encourage low-skilled people of Hong Kong to start their businesses in the Mainland by setting up individually owned stores;
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| (d) | pursuing with the Central Authorities the admittance of Hong Kong professionals to the Mainland to set up their businesses and practise there, so as to facilitate the trade in services;
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| (e) | enhancing its support for those Hong Kong people who work and operate businesses in the Mainland, e.g. by strengthening the functions of the Office of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in Beijing and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong, so as to render assistance to Hong Kong residents who encounter in the Mainland such difficulties as trade or legal disputes and threats to personal safety;
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| (f) | discussing with the Central Authorities the early implementation of the Qualified Domestic Institutional Investors scheme for promoting Mainlanders' investments in Hong Kong; and
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| (g) | discussing with the Central Authorities according national treatment to Hong Kong companies operating in the Mainland."
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