A 06/07-18

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 7 February 2007 at 11:00 am

I. Tabling of Papers

Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentsL.N. No.
1.Road Traffic (Traffic Control) (Amendment) Regulation 200716/2007
2.Immigration (Anchorages and Landing Places) (Amendment) Order 200717/2007
3.Securities and Futures (Contracts Limits and Reportable Positions) (Amendment) Rules 200718/2007
4.Tax Reserve Certificates (Rate of Interest) Notice 200719/2007

Other Papers

1.No.60-Employees' Compensation Insurance Levies
Management Board
Annual Report 2005-2006
(to be presented by Secretary for Economic Development and Labour)

2.No.61 -Employees Compensation Assistance Fund Board
Annual Report 2005-2006
(to be presented by Secretary for Economic Development and Labour)

3.No.62 -Occupational Deafness Compensation Board
Annual Report 2005-2006
(to be presented by Secretary for Economic Development and Labour)

4.No.63 -Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board
Annual Report 2005
(to be presented by Secretary for Economic Development and Labour)

5.No.64-AIDS Trust Fund 2005-2006 Annual Accounts
together with the Director of Audit's Report
(to be presented by Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food)

6.No.65-Hong Kong Council for Academic Accreditation
Annual Report 2005-2006
(to be presented by Secretary for Education and Manpower)

7.No.66-Report of the Public Accounts Committee on the Reports of the Director of Audit on the Accounts of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the year ended 31 March 2006 and the Results of Value for Money Audits (Report No. 47)and Supplemental Report of the Public Accounts Committee on Report No.46 of the Director of Audit on the Results of Value for Money Audits
(February 2007 - P.A.C. Report No. 47)
(to be presented by Dr Hon Philip WONG, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, who will address the Council)

II. Questions

1. Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing to ask: (Translation)

Many people have related to me their concern about the proposal put forward by CLP Power Hong Kong Limited ("CLP") to construct a liquefied natural gas ("LNG") receiving terminal on Tai A Chau, which is part of Soko Islands, as this may cause grave damage to the ecological environment of the surrounding waters of Soko Islands. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)apart from the proposal put forward by CLP, which is a business undertaking, what views of other parties the authorities have also taken into consideration when formulating the natural gas supply strategy for Hong Kong;

    (b)given that two LNG receiving terminals will be constructed in Zhuhai in the near future, whether it will conduct an independent assessment of the feasibility of such LNG receiving terminals supplying LNG to CLP; and

    (c)when conducting the relevant negotiations with CLP, how the authorities will give effect to the environmental protection pledges made by the Chief Executive in last year's Policy Address, and whether priority consideration will be given to environmental protection, so as to ensure that the ecological environment of the surrounding waters of Soko Islands will not be damaged?
Public Officers to reply:Secretary for Economic Development and Labour
Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

2. Hon Miriam LAU to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the results of a recent survey conducted by the Law Society of Hong Kong indicate that law-abiding awareness among secondary school students is weak and children and youth generally have inadequate knowledge and understanding of law. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the total number of cases and the types of crimes committed by children and youth under the age of 18 in each of the past three years;

    (b)whether the contents of the primary and secondary curricula cover general knowledge of law; if so, of the details, including the grades of school classes and knowledge of law involved, as well as the syllabuses; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (c)whether the authorities will allocate additional resources to promote general knowledge of law, in order to enhance law-abiding awareness among primary and secondary school students; if they will, of the details, including the amount of funds to be allocated as well as the promotional methods and activities; if not, the measures taken by the authorities to prevent children and youth from acting in defiance of the law?
Public Officers to reply:Secretary for Security
Secretary for Education and Manpower

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

From time to time, there have been reports that the Link Management Limited ("the Link") has substantially increased the rent of the shops in the shopping malls of public rental housing ("PRH") estates unilaterally without prior discussion with the commercial tenants concerned, or has refused to enter into new tenancy agreements with commercial tenants upon the expiry of their current tenancy. Many shops, including Chinese restaurants, have closed down so far, resulting in unemployment of the workers concerned. This practice of the Link is entirely different from that of the Housing Authority in the past. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it has assessed:
    (a)the adverse effect of the aforesaid practice of the Link on the job market; if it has, of the assessment results; if not, the reasons for that, and whether assessment will be made;

    (b)the amount of additional consumption spending by PRH tenants as a result of the increase in the prices of goods and services sold at the shops concerned due to rent increase, and if the shopping malls of PRH estates can still provide PRH tenants with essential goods and services following the closing down of shops one after another; if it has, of the assessment results; if not, the reasons for that, and whether assessment will be made; and

    (c)if the closing down of numerous shops will have any adverse effect on the local economy; if the assessment result is in the affirmative, of the measures to address the situation; if the assessment result is in the negative, the justifications for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

4. Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG to ask: (Translation)

It is learnt that the Urban Renewal Authority ("URA") is currently launching redevelopment projects in various old districts and has applied to Court to invoke the Lands Resumption Ordinance to mandatorily resume the land concerned of those owners and tenants who do not accept its compensation packages. Many people have related to me that the present urban renewal strategy, URA and the Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS") with which URA cooperates, and the compensation packages cannot address the needs of the public. They have also pointed out that while URA receives financial support from the Government, it adopts commercial practices in its operation, and its management is being given huge bonuses every year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)given that the Government has not reviewed the urban renewal strategy since 2001, when the Government will conduct consultation and review on the strategy;

    (b)whether it knows the amounts of bonuses received by URA staff each year since 2001, the method for determining such bonuses and the percentages such amounts represent in the monthly total staff salaries, broken down by the ranks of the staff; whether the bonus system is applicable to HKHS staff, and whether the relevant authorities will consider abolishing the bonus system; and

    (c)given that many owners, shop operators and residents in the old districts have indicated their wish to continue living and conducting business in the same districts, whether the Government will consider drawing up a mechanism or measures to assist URA and HKHS in offering in-situ rehousing (including "flat-for-flat" and "shop-for-shop" exchange arrangements) to residents, shop operators and owners affected by the urban redevelopment projects?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

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

It has been reported that in recent years, when intense earthquakes took place in neighbouring places, many members of the public in Hong Kong could feel the buildings where they were swaying, and some of them even fled the buildings in a panic for safety. Given that the existing legislation in Hong Kong does not require buildings to be able to withstand earthquakes, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider enacting legislation to impose such a requirement; if it will, as enactment of legislation takes time, whether the authorities will accord priority to enhancing the ability of existing disaster emergency relief facilities (buildings such as fire stations, hospitals and police stations, etc) to withstand earthquakes, so as to ensure that such facilities can still operate in the event of earthquakes? Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

6. Dr Hon YEUNG Sum to ask: (Translation)

The Hong Kong Institute of Education ("HKIEd") is one of the tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee and has been granted self-accreditation status since 2004. It is learnt that HKIEd has long been campaigning for being granted the title of a university but so far there is no result. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)as it has indicated that various factors are considered in processing applications from tertiary institutions for being granted the title of a university, of the scores that HKIEd has currently obtained with regard to each of these factors and the difference between such scores and those of the other institutions when they were granted such a title;

    (b)whether HKIEd may lodge a complaint about the delay in the processing of its title application; if it may, of the relevant procedure; if not, the measures to ensure that HKIEd's application will be dealt with fairly; and

    (c)whether the Government has assessed the implications of HKIEd being granted the title of a university in respect of its public image as a teacher training institution, its ability to compete with the education faculties of other tertiary institutions for intake of students with good academic results, as well as its financial situation; if it has, of the assessment results; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*7. Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that in its Index of Economic Freedom study report released recently, the Heritage Foundation of the United States has, for the 13th consecutive year, ranked Hong Kong as the world's freest economy. Hong Kong ranks first in four areas: trade freedom, investment freedom, financial freedom and property rights. However, the Foundation also indicated that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("HKSAR") should shorten the processing time for issuing licences and should not formulate any market intervention policies (such as setting minimum wage). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)how it will consolidate Hong Kong's competitive edge in the above four areas;

    (b)how it will enhance the business freedom of Hong Kong and expedite the licensing process, so that Hong Kong will not lag behind other regions; and

    (c)as the above report complimented that business regulation by the HKSAR Government was simple and the labour market was highly flexible, how the authorities ensure that new policies will not be formulated to weaken such competitive edge?
Public Officer to reply : Financial Secretary

*8. Hon James TIEN to ask: (Translation)

I have learnt that the authorities have not expedited the expansion projects of Tseung Kwan O Hospital ("TKOH") and Haven of Hope Hospital ("HHH"). Recently, they have started to reduce the medical facilities such as hospital beds in TKOH. In this regard, Sai Kung District Council and local residents have repeatedly raised their objection. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
    (a)the timetables for implementing the expansion projects of TKOH and HHH, as well as the details of the additional medical facilities proposed in the projects;

    (b)the details of the medical facilities reduced or to be reduced in TKOH, and the timetable for such reduction;

    (c)the utilization rates of the facilities concerned in TKOH before and after the reduction of the facilities, as well as the respective bed-to-population ratios for TKOH before and after the reduction of hospital beds, and how the figures compare to those for the hospitals in other districts; and

    (d)the reasons for reducing the above facilities in TKOH, and whether the authorities will consider ceasing the reduction?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

*9. Hon LI Fung-ying to ask: (Translation)

Some frontline civil servants have recently related to me that owing to the implementation of five-day work week, they have to get off work at a later hour during weekdays, rendering it difficult for them to do certain household chores, such as picking up children after school or going to the market. Fearing that reversion to the previous arrangement will deprive other colleagues of day-offs on Saturdays, they are reluctant to report their difficulties to their supervisors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)how it helps such staff resolve the difficulties concerned; and

    (b)whether it will consider allowing such staff to choose to go to work and get off work earlier?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Civil Service

*10. Hon LEE Wing-tat to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the conservation of wetlands within the railway area, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it has monitored the conservation of wetlands along the West Rail ("WR") in the past three years; if it has, of the results of the latest inspection; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)whether it has drawn up standards and guidelines on the conservation of the wetlands re-created to compensate for those lost due to the construction of WR; if it has, of the details; and

    (c)whether it knows if the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation has formulated any policy on the conservation of wetlands within the railway area; if it has, of the details?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

*11. Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung to ask: (Translation)

I have received complaints from members of the public that some employers have failed to give notices of work injury accidents to the Commissioner for Labour ("the Commissioner") in accordance with section 15 of the Employees' Compensation Ordinance (Cap. 282). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:
    (a)a breakdown, by trades and types of injuries, of the number of notices of work injury accidents that the Commissioner received in each of the past three years;

    (b)the respective numbers of cases in which the employers failed to give notices of work injury accidents to the Commissioner within the period prescribed by law, or provided false or misleading information in giving the relevant notices, the number of such cases in which prosecution was instituted by the Commissioner against the employers concerned, as well as the number of convicted cases, in the past five years; and

    (c)the reasons why the Commissioner did not institute prosecution against the employers in some of the cases referred to in item (b) above, as well as the number of complaints received in this respect?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Development and Labour

*12. Hon Albert Jinghan CHENG to ask: (Translation)

With effect from 1 July 2000, a driver is prohibited by law from using a mobile telephone, other telecommunications equipment or any accessory to them while holding it in his hand when the vehicle being driven by him is in motion. However, there is currently no similar legislation prohibiting a pedestrian from doing the same while he is crossing a road. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians who were crossing roads in each of the past three years and, among such accidents, of the percentage of those in which the pedestrians involved were using a mobile telephone or listening to the radio or music with earpieces when the accidents took place;

    (b)whether it has studied if legislation can be enacted to prohibit a pedestrian from using the above equipment while crossing a road; and

    (c)whether, apart from enacting legislation, it has other measures to reduce the number of such traffic accidents?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

*13. Hon Audrey EU to ask: (Translation)

One of the main waste management targets for the coming decade, announced by the Environmental Protection Department in 2005, is to gradually increase the recovery rate of municipal solid waste ("MSW") from 40% in 2004 to 45% by 2009, and 50% by 2014, or on average one percentage point per year. However, the recovery rate of MSW in 2005 already reached 43%, which was three percentage points higher than that of 2004 and close to the mid-term target for 2009. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the reasons for the substantial increase in the recovery rate of MSW in 2005; and

    (b)as the above mid-term target for 2009 will be achieved soon, and the Government has also proposed a series of measures, such as enacting legislation to implement mandatory producer responsibility schemes, examining ways of charging for MSW and expediting the implementation of territory-wide waste recovery programmes, whether the authorities will consider suitably raising their target on the recovery rates of MSW?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

*14. Hon TAM Heung-man to ask: (Translation)

I have recently received complaints that some unauthorized residents' coaches ("URCs") drop off passengers in Central in the area along Connaught Road Central and Des Voeux Road Central during morning peak hours, causing serious traffic congestion in the area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the number of complaints received in each of the past three years which involved URCs, and the follow-up actions taken in respect of such complaints;

    (b)whether it has taken enforcement actions against the activities of URCs in the areas frequented by them, so as to prevent them from blocking the roads and affecting public transport services; if it has, of the number and results of enforcement actions taken in each of the past three years; and

    (c)whether it will consider stepping up enforcement actions and raising the penalties for operating URCs, so as to enhance the deterrent effect; if it will, of the relevant details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

*15. Hon TSANG Yok-sing to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that during the International Telecommunication Union TELECOM WORLD 2006 held in Hong Kong in December last year, some representatives of the exhibitors criticized that the computer network facilities in Hong Kong were lagging behind those in other places. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the number of hotspots for wireless Internet access throughout the territory and, among them, the respective numbers of those providing free Internet access which were set up by the Government and by others, together with a breakdown of such figures by districts; and

    (b)as the Government has indicated that it will proactively consider facilitating operators in setting up hotspots and it will, subject to the principle of not intervening in the market, adopt certain measures to promote wireless Internet access service, whether the Government has formulated specific targets in this regard, and of its plans to achieve such targets?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology

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

Will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the number of local properties of the Government (including properties for residential and commercial use), the areas of land occupied and details of the geographical distribution of such properties;

    (b)whether it has worked out a timetable for auctioning sites of vacant local properties of the Government; if it has, of the details of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (c)given that the Government will soon commence the construction of a new Central Government Complex at the Tamar Site, and I have also learnt that it will consider building a Government services centre in South East Kowloon, whether the Government will review afresh the utilization of its existing office accommodation and consider auctioning some of the sites of existing government office buildings?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands

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

To encourage the conversion of red public light buses ("RMBs") to green public light buses ("GMBs"), which operate on fixed routes with their services and fares under direct control of the Transport Department ("TD"), TD identifies some suitable new GMB routes, combines them into a number of packages and then invites applications from operators of RMBs and GMBs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)for GMBs and RMBs respectively, of the numbers of registered vehicles, passenger volume, as well as traffic offences and traffic accidents involving their drivers (with the numbers broken down by the causes of accidents) in each of the past three years;

    (b)of the respective numbers of new GMB routes identified and approved by TD in each of the past three years, the departure and destination points of each approved route, as well as the number of minibuses serving each approved route;

    (c)given that there are more than 20 RMB routes departing from Mongkok at present, whether the Government has initiated discussions with the relevant operators on the feasibility of introducing GMB routes; if it has, of the relevant details; and

    (d)of the new measures to encourage the conversion of RMBs to GMBs?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment, Transport and Works

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

Regarding the regulation of the travel industry, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)given that some members of the public have queried that the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong ("TICHK") had acted in favour of its member travel agents when it dealt, in the recent half year, with complaints against tourist guides alleged to have forced members of tour groups to shop or abandoned them on the streets, whether it will request TICHK to reorganize its Board of Directors by increasing the number of lay members, so as to enhance its credibility;

    (b)given that while the 13 members serving on TICHK's Tourist Guide Deliberation Committee comprise six trade members and seven lay members, and the 16-strong membership of its Compliance Committee is divided equally between these two types of members, whether it knows the reasons for the different compositions of the two Committees, and whether it will request TICHK to revise the composition of the Compliance Committee in such a way that lay members will be in the majority; and

    (c)whether it will adopt a regulatory approach similar to that for the real estate agents trade to regulate the travel industry, so that the regulatory functions of TICHK will be taken over by a new body which is independent of the industry?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Development and Labour

*19. Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long to ask: (Translation)

I have learnt that the catering and food industries actively promoted organic diet in recent years. Large organic food supermarkets have opened, and organic foods are also introduced in chain supermarkets and restaurants. It has been reported that some residents of Home Ownership Scheme estates have also set up nurseries in the estates concerned to grow organic vegetables. However, some members of the public have related to me that with the middle-class families as the major sales target of the organic food market, the grass roots and students have little opportunity to access the relevant information. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)apart from the technical support it currently provides to the industries (including the local organic farms and the Hong Kong Organic Resource Centre), whether the Government has promoted an eating culture with organic diet through other measures, and whether the Government has assessed if such measures are adequate to enable more members of the public to learn about local organic agricultural products and the benefits of an organic diet; if it has, of the assessment results;

    (b)whether it will formulate a policy to take forward an eating culture with organic diet; if so, when the relevant policy will be formulated and implemented;

    (c)whether it will consider informing the public (including the grass roots) through the media of organic food products and assisting them in making dietary choices out of a variety of food, as well as strengthening its cooperation with District Councils or the Housing Authority to encourage residents to participate in the Community Garden Programme, and to provide support in organizing organic food fairs on a trial basis in more districts; and

    (d)whether it will consider specifying the promotion of organic diet as one of the objectives of the EatSmart@school.hk Campaign, a programme to promote healthy eating habits in primary school pupils; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food

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

While Hong Kong athletes have achieved the record-breaking result of six gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals in the Doha Asian Games, many athletes say that the subsistence grant they receive is meagre. Regarding livelihood protection for serving and retired full-time athletes, will the Government inform this Council whether:
    (a)it knows the maximum and minimum amounts of subsistence grant provided to athletes by the Hong Kong Sports Institute at present, the respective criteria adopted for setting and paying such amounts, and whether the amounts received by individual athletes are linked to their achievements in international sports events;

    (b)it has assessed if the subsistence grant received by athletes is sufficient for meeting their expenses on daily living and social activities; and

    (c)it has any plan to provide livelihood protection for athletes upon their retirement?
Public Officer to reply:Secretary for Education and Manpower
(in the absence of Secretary for Home Affairs)

*For written reply.

III. Bills

First Reading

1. Domicile Bill

2. Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill

Second Reading (Debates to be adjourned)

1.Domicile Bill:Secretary for Justice

2.Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area Bill:Secretary for Security

IV. Motions

1.Proposed resolution under the Import and Export Ordinance

Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology to move the following motion:

RESOLVED that the Import and Export (Registration)(Amendment) Regulation 2007, made by the Chief Executive in Council on 16 January 2007, be approved.

(The Regulation was issued on 18 January 2007
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 305/06-07)

2.Proposed resolution under the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance

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

RESOLVED that the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2007, published in the Gazette as Legal Notice No. 3 of 2007 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 10 January 2007, be amended -

(a)in section 2(5), in column 2 of the new item 52A of Part 1 of Schedule 1, by repealing "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, articulated vehicles which -" and substituting "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, for the purpose of carrying out construction work, articulated vehicles which -";

(b)in section 2(6), in the new column 2 of item 53 of Part 1 of Schedule 1, by repealing "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, heavy goods vehicles which -" and substituting "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, for the purpose of carrying out construction work, heavy goods vehicles which -";

(c)in section 2(7), in the new column 2 of item 54 of Part 1 of Schedule 1, by repealing "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, medium goods vehicles which -" and substituting "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, for the purpose of carrying out construction work, medium goods vehicles which -";

(d)in section 2(8), in the new column 2 of item 55 of Part 1 of Schedule 1, by repealing "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, special purpose vehicles which -" and substituting "To drive, within, into or out of construction sites, for the purpose of carrying out construction work, special purpose vehicles which -".

V. Members' Motions
  1. Expeditiously implementing the construction of cross-boundary transport infrastructures between Hong Kong and the Mainland

    Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming: (Translation)

    That, as the Government has announced its Action Agenda to tie in with the National Eleventh Five-Year Plan and fully affirmed the importance of cross-boundary cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland, this Council urges the Government to expedite the construction of various cross-boundary transport infrastructures between Hong Kong and the Mainland, such as the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, Liantang Eastern Corridor and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and to resume the ferry services between Shatin and Eastern Guangdong, etc; at the same time, the Government should expeditiously review and expedite the construction of ancillary facilities for cross-boundary transport infrastructures within Hong Kong's territory, such as the Tuen Mun Western Bypass, Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link, Tuen Mun Eastern Bypass and the easterly link road connecting Deep Bay Link with Route 3, and take proactive measures to optimize the use of Route 3, etc to comprehensively enhance the integration with the Mainland's transport infrastructures, so as to promote sustainable and steady development of Hong Kong's economy.

    Amendments to motion
    (i)Hon Albert HO: (Translation)

    To delete "such as" after "cross-boundary transport infrastructures within Hong Kong's territory," and substitute with "including: (a) Route 10 (Northern Section),"; to delete "take" after "connecting Deep Bay Link with Route 3, and" and substitute with "taking"; and to delete ", etc" after "optimize the use of Route 3" and substitute with "; and (b) expeditiously completing the extension of Tuen Mun Road and widening part of its expressway section to four-lane carriageway;".

    (ii)Hon Andrew CHENG: (Translation)

    To delete "take proactive measures to optimize the use of" after "easterly link road connecting Deep Bay Link with Route 3, and" and substitute with "at the same time consider buying out"; to delete ", etc" after "Route 3" and substitute with "or extending its franchise period so as to lower its tolls to attract motorists to use it, and"; and to delete "so as to" after "Mainland's transport infrastructures," and substitute with "and".

    (iii)Hon WONG Kwok-hing: (Translation)

    To add "(including the Government buying it out to abolish or reduce its tolls, so as to increase the volume of its vehicular flow)" after "optimize the use of Route 3".

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

  2. Urging the Housing Authority to grant rent remission to public rental housing tenants and expeditiously reduce the rent

    Hon Frederick FUNG: (Translation)

    That, as the income of public rental housing ("PRH") tenants has dropped as a result of the economic downturn in earlier years, but the Housing Authority ("HA") has not reduced the rent of PRH, and during the period from 1998, when rent increases began to be suspended, to 2005, the income index of PRH households has dropped by about 15% while their median household monthly income has fallen by more than 20%, this Council urges the HA to expeditiously reduce the rent by 15% to 20% in accordance with the level of reduction in the income of PRH tenants, and grant a two-month rent remission to compensate for the extra amount of rent that PRH tenants have paid over the years.

    Amendment to motion
    Hon CHAN Yuen-han:     (Translation)

    To add "the Government, before the passage of the Housing (Amendment) Bill 2007, to press" after "this Council urges".

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands
Clerk to the Legislative Council