A 08/09-20

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 4 March 2009 at 11:00 am

I. Tabling of Papers

Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentsL.N. No.
1.Public Revenue Protection Order 200927/2009
2.Rating (Exemption) Order 200928/2009
3.Estate Agents (Licensing) (Amendment) Regulation 200929/2009
4.Independent Police Complaints Council Ordinance (Commencement) Notice (Repeal) Notice30/2009
5.Admission and Registration (Amendment) Rules 2008 (Commencement) Notice31/2009
6.Legal Practitioners (Risk Management Education) (Amendment) Rules 2008 (Commencement) Notice32/2009

Other Paper

1.No. 70-Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications 2007-2008 Annual Report
(to be presented by the Secretary for Education)

2.No. 71-Report by the Controller, Government Flying Service on the Administration of the Government Flying Service Welfare Fund and the Audited Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2008 together with the Report of the Director of Audit
(to be presented by the Secretary for Security)

3.No. 72-The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Annual Report 2007-2008, Financial Statements and Auditor's Report for the Year ended 30 June 2008
(to be presented by the Secretary for Home Affairs)

4.No. 73-Consolidated Summary of Estimates and Revenue Analysis by Head, General Revenue Account, Estimates for the year ending 31 March 2010
(to be presented by the Financial Secretary)

II. Questions

1. Hon Ronny TONG to ask: (Translation)

The Chief Executive ("CE") earlier appointed five new Members to the Executive Council ("ExCo"), but the selection of some of the appointees has aroused controversy. One of the new Members has been appraised to be one of the 10 worst-performing Legislative Council ("LegCo") Members, and according to some newspaper reports, there are rumours that with the intervention of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("the Liaison Office"), the appointment of that particular Member is tantamount to a political deal: ExCo membership was offered to him as a condition for his not standing for a functional constituency seat in the LegCo Election last year, so as to enable a member from a pro-government political party to be elected to LegCo. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)what criteria CE had adopted in selecting the new ExCo Members, and whether the public's appraisal of the performance of the persons concerned in discharging public duties is one of the considerations; how the background and the qualifications of the five new Members meet those criteria;

    (b)whether CE had, before announcing the list of the new ExCo Members, consulted the Liaison Office or its officials on the selection of appointees; and

    (c)what measures the Government will adopt to address public concerns about the use of ExCo membership as a bargaining chip for political deals, and how it will enhance the credibility of ExCo?
Public Officer to reply : The Chief Secretary for Administration

2. Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask: (Translation)

In the first half of last year, the number of occupational injuries and deaths was over 20 000 and, among them, 100 were fatal cases, which had increased by one-fourth as compared to the 80 cases in the first half of 2007. It is learnt that since many of the injured or deceased employees were the breadwinners of their families, the casualties have driven the livelihood of the families concerned into great difficulties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it will introduce new measures to reduce the occurrence of occupational injuries and deaths; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)of the details of the short-term, mid-term and long-term support services currently provided to families of victims of occupational injuries and deaths; and whether it will review the need to enhance such support services; and

    (c)given that compensation for employees' injuries and deaths is a lump sum payment, whether the Government has any long-term measure to help the families concerned so that their young family members will not drop out of school because of financial problems?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

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

It has been reported that in mid-February this year, a piping incident occurred at the Xiaping Solid Waste Landfill Site in Shenzhen, which caused large quantities of rubbish and silt to be discharged into the Buji River and subsequently into the Shenzhen River, thus threatening the ecological environment in the Deep Bay area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)apart from setting up 10 observation points along the Shenzhen River and collecting water samples daily to monitor the water conditions, whether the Government has conducted investigations at places in Hong Kong which are likely to be affected by the incident, including the Mai Po Nature Reserve, to ascertain whether or not river-bed sediments and aquatic life have been contaminated; if it has, of the findings; if it has not, the justification for that;

    (b)given that there are a number of oyster farms in the Deep Bay area, which is also a popular place for seafood trading, whether the Government has conducted sampling checks to ascertain the food safety of aquatic products there; if so, of the findings; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (c)given the very high ecological value of Mai Po area, whether the Government has discussed with the Shenzhen authorities how to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents, and whether it has formulated other contingency measures to prevent the ecological environment there from being ruined?
Public Officers to reply:Secretary for the Environment
Secretary for Food and Health

4. Prof Hon Patrick LAU to ask: (Translation)

Heart disease is the number two killer-disease in Hong Kong, claiming about 17 lives on average every day. According to some scientific researches, every one-minute delay in administering electric shock to patients suffering from a heart attack (sudden cardiac arrest) will reduce their survival rate by 7% to 10%. On the other hand, if automatic external defibrillators ("AEDs") are installed at public places so that electric shock can be administered to such patients immediately, the number of persons rescued can be increased by more than one half. Hence, it is common that public places (such as government buildings, schools, shopping arcades and underground railway stations, etc.) in countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States and Japan have AEDs installed, and at the airports of such countries, AEDs are installed at intervals of 50 metres to 100 metres. Although a few places in Hong Kong have AEDs installed at present, the usage rate is on the low side due to insufficient publicity and inconvenient locations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)given the small size and affordable prices (around $10,000-odd each) of AEDs, whether the Government will make reference to overseas practices and install AEDs at locations in the vicinity of fire hoses, public lavatories or lifts at various public places (including the Legislative Council Building and all government buildings), and encourage private organizations to follow suit; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (b)given that it is easy and simple to operate an AED, which can automatically assess the patient's heart rate and then administer the electric shock as appropriate, and that in Seattle of the United States, upon enhancement of citizens' first-aid knowledge and installation of AEDs at a number of places across the city, the survival rate of persons suffering from sudden cardiac arrest has increased tremendously from 1% to 3% to 16% to 25%, whether the authorities will launch campaigns to teach the public how to use AEDs, with a view to enabling people nearby to give first aid to a person suffering from sudden cardiac arrest within the critical five-minute period, thereby reducing the rate of sudden death of persons suffering from sudden cardiac arrest; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

5. Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask: (Translation)

The two landfills located in Tseung Kwan O and Ta Kwu Ling respectively are expected to be filled up one after another in 2012 and 2015 at the earliest and the Government is therefore planning to extend the landfills. However, quite a number of residents living near the landfills have relayed to me their objection to the plan, as they are worried that the environmental problems (especially the odour problem) caused by the extended landfills will deteriorate further. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the respective amounts of solid waste disposed of at the two aforesaid landfills and the respective numbers of vehicle loads of refuse collection vehicles and dump trucks which carried wastes to the landfills for disposal, in each of the past five years;

    (b)how it assesses the effectiveness of the existing measures in tackling the odour problem caused by the landfills, and whether it will adopt new measures to alleviate the odour problem; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (c)given that an official of the Environmental Protection Department ("EPD") said at the meeting of Sai Kung District Council ("SKDC") on 14 November last year that EPD would study the installation of Electronic Odour Detection Apparatus at the landfill in Tseung Kwan O, of the installation timetable, and whether the expenditure involved will be borne by EPD or SKDC; whether it will consider installing such apparatus at other landfills, to help trace the sources of odour and assess its impact; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment

6. Dr Hon David LI to ask:

The outbreak of the financial tsunami has sparked efforts around the world to address weaknesses in the existing financial systems with a view to restoring confidence in the financial markets. Several observers have pointed out that international credit rating agencies ("CRAs") must share part of the blame for the crisis. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council whether it had, in the past 12 months:
    (a)evaluated, or will evaluate, the role of CRAs with respect to the future development of Hong Kong as a financial centre;

    (b)coordinated, or will coordinate, with other regulatory authorities in the region to re-examine the role and function of CRAs; and

    (c)assessed if there was scope for the establishment of an Asia-based international CRA in Hong Kong; if so, of the results?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*7. Hon WONG Kwok-kin to ask: (Translation)

During periods of cold weather, the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") and non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") within its purview distribute items such as sweaters, blankets and quilts to the elderly and people in need for them to keep warm. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the total expenditure of SWD and NGOs within its purview on items for keeping warm as well as the number of beneficiaries in each of the past three years;

    (b)whether it has imposed restrictions on the number of items for keeping warm that the elderly and people in need may obtain; if so, of the details; and

    (c)whether it will consider allocating additional resources to NGOs in accordance with weather conditions, so that they can timely provide sufficient items for keeping warm to the elderly and people in need?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

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

Some social welfare organizations ("SWOs") have relayed to me that they have encountered many difficulties in providing burial services at low fees to people in need. For example, they must engage a licensed undertaker to take charge of burial matters as required by law, and the service charges of crematoria in the urban areas are not the same as those in the New Territories. Furthermore, given that there is a tight supply of cremation sessions, which are allocated to those on the queue on a first-come-first-served basis, and each person is allowed to book a maximum of five sessions, most cremation sessions are taken by the undertakers and, as a result, SWOs are not able to book such sessions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it will amend the relevant legislation to allow SWOs to handle burial matters on their own; if it will not, of the reasons for that;

    (b)whether it will improve the arrangements for cremation booking, for example, by setting aside some cremation sessions for SWOs; and

    (c)why the service charges of crematoria in the urban areas and those in the New Territories are not uniform?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*9. Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that the Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium of the Ocean Park ("the Park") is being converted into a freshwater exhibit and Chinese sturgeon, a national treasure, are expected to be on display again upon its re-opening in summer. Chinese giant salamanders and red pandas, both of which are national treasures, will also be presented to the Park by the Central People's Government ("CPG") this year for the appreciation by visitors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it knows the present condition of the Chinese sturgeon which were earlier sent from the Park to Xiamen for treatment and the expected time of their return to the Park; how the Park ensures that its staff have enough experience in keeping Chinese sturgeon to prevent the recurrence of series of deaths of the Chinese sturgeon;

    (b)whether it knows CPG's plan to present to the Park Chinese giant salamanders and red pandas, including the numbers, ages, periods of stay and time of arrival in Hong Kong of these two types of national treasures; how the Park will take complementary measures and ensure that its staff have enough experience in keeping them; and

    (c)what educational activities the Government will organize to enhance public and visitors' knowledge about these national treasures?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

*10. Hon Paul TSE to ask: (Translation)

Bomb attacks occurred in Pakistan and Egypt on 6 and 22 February consecutively, and the personal safety of Hong Kong people who go travelling in such countries may be threatened. Yet, up to the morning of 23 February, the Security Bureau had not issued any relevant travel advice. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the reasons for the Security Bureau not issuing the travel advice immediately;

    (b)whether the implementation of the five-day week arrangement has delayed the announcement of travel advice; and

    (c)of the measures currently in place to ensure timely announcement of travel advice so that the warning message for outbound travelling can be passed on to Hong Kong people in time?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

On 2 February, the State General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine ordered a manufacturer to stop adding to its dairy products two additives which have not been approved for use in food products: osteoblast milk protein and insulin-like growth factor-1. Some academics have pointed out that intake of large quantities of such substances over a long period of time may increase the risk of developing many kinds of cancers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether the authorities, after the incident has come to their knowledge, have requested the sellers concerned to recall dairy products containing the above two substances on sale in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)whether it knows the types of prepackaged food products, apart from dairy products, which contain such substances at present; if so, of the details;

    (c)whether it knows the countries and regions which prohibit the addition of such substances to food products; and

    (d)whether it will consider amending the legislation to prohibit the sale of prepackaged food products containing such substances in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*12. Hon WONG Sing-chi to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that some food banks operated by non-governmental organizations have recently indicated that the number of people receiving short-term food assistance in 2008 had increased sharply by 7 000 as compared with that in 2007. On the other hand, when attending the Question and Answer Session of this Council on 15 January, the Chief Executive said that waves of layoffs and business closures might appear after the Lunar New Year. Given that such a situation may result in an increase in the demand for short-term food assistance, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
    (a)the number of people for whom the food banks in each District Council district had provided services in the past three years; and

    (b)the number of people receiving food bank services in each of the past three years, with a breakdown of the number by the age groups of the recipients, their types of occupation, monthly salaries and districts of residence?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

*13. Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask: (Translation)

Starting from this financial year, the Government has, by instalments, disbursed $1 billion to the Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS") to implement a five-year Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Elderly Owners ("the Scheme"), which provides enhanced financial assistance to elderly owner-occupiers to help them to repair and maintain their properties, and improve safety condition of buildings. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:
    (a)it knows, since the introduction of the Scheme, the respective numbers of applications received and approved by HKHS, broken down by District Council district in which the applicants' residences are located; the major reasons for the rejection of some applications; and the total amount of grants approved by HKHS; and

    (b)it will expand the coverage of the Scheme to include non-elderly owner-occupiers; if it will, when it will be implemented; if not, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

*14. Hon KAM Nai-wai to ask: (Translation)

It has been reported that Basement Level B1 of the Car Park Complex of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre ("HKCEC") has been used as an exhibition hall for motor vehicles since its conversion in 2003. However, the facilities there have all along failed to meet the fire safety requirements prescribed by the Buildings Department ("BD") for that purpose. The Metro Planning Committee ("MPC") under the Town Planning Board ("TPB") had approved for three times extension of the time for compliance by the management company of HKCEC with the approval condition on fire safety in the planning permission until 3 August last year. Yet, MPC refused to extend the time for compliance for a further six months in August last year. Nevertheless, TPB approved extension of the time for compliance further to 3 November this year after conducting a review on 14 November last year. On the other hand, TPB endorsed earlier a plan submitted by the management company for adding a fire escape and fireman's lifts, which had been approved by BD and the Fire Services Department ("FSD"). Under the plan, the exit to the fire escape was located within an open space zone. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it knows if TPB had consulted MPC before overturning the latter's aforesaid decision; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)whether it knows the latest progress in the provision of the specified facilities by the management company in accordance with the requirements of BD and FSD;

    (c)whether it knows the latest progress of the works undertaken in accordance with the aforesaid plan; of the area of the open space zone concerned which will be reduced as a result of the provision of the exit to the fire escape, and whether the Government has assessed if the provision of an exit to the fire escape within the open space zone is in breach of the relevant planning standards; if it has, of the assessment results; and

    (d)whether BD and FSD had consulted the Planning Department and the Lands Department before they approved the plan?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

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

One of the proposals in the Revised Concept Plan for Lantau, which was published by the authorities in May 2007, is to carry out improvement works in Mui Wo. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of the latest projected commencement and completion dates of the aforesaid improvement works, as well as its estimated expenditure; and

    (b)given that the closed Silvermine Cave in Mui Wo has been reported to have some rare species of bats, an abundance of fishes and stalactites at the primary stage, and thus is rich in ecological resources and worth visiting, and the Silvermine Bay Waterfall, which used to be a popular tourist attraction, has lost much of its attraction due to reduction in water flow in recent years, whether the Government will actively consider renovating and re-opening the Silvermine Cave, as well as improving the water flow of the Silvermine Bay Waterfall, and incorporating them in the improvement works, linking them up with tourist attractions such as the Waterfront Promenade, Pier Plaza and Mui Wo Old Town to form an ecological and leisure tour route, so as to increase the number of tourists and enhance economic development in the district; if it will not, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

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

It has been reported that the Guangdong provincial authorities, the China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation, and the Kuwait National Petroleum Company are planning to cooperate in implementing the Guangdong Nansha Petrochemical Integration Project, and the Project may bring about regional environmental and social impact on the Pearl River Delta ("PRD") Region. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether it has approached the Guangdong provincial authorities to ascertain the latest situation of the aforesaid Project, including the impact assessment of the proposed oil refining facilities on the environment of the neighbouring cities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (b)of the protocol which it will follow in expressing its concern about the Project through different levels of communication channels between the Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong; and

    (c)given that the Governments of Guangdong and Hong Kong had agreed in August last year to jointly map out a strategy to transform "the Greater PRD Region into a green quality living sphere", whether the relevant discussions will include the impact of the aforesaid Project on the environment?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment

*17. Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme ("the Scheme") implemented by the Trade and Industry Department ("TID") since 15 December last year, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)as the information provided by TID on 10 February indicated that as at 1 February this year, only 134 applications among the 1 235 applications submitted to TID were from new customers (i.e. companies which had never been granted any loan by the lending institutions concerned), which was less than one seventh of the number of applications, whether the Government has ascertained from the lending institutions the reasons for the small proportion of new customers in the number of applications; whether it will consider taking measures to assist new customers in obtaining approval for loans;

    (b)of the justifications for the Government's estimation that about 40 000 companies will benefit from the Scheme during its six-month operation period;

    (c)whether it knows the average, highest and lowest interest rates charged on the approved loans;

    (d)whether it knows how many of the companies whose applications have been approved are the existing customers of and already have credit lines provided by the lending institutions; whether it has assessed if such cases only help to reduce the credit risks of the lending institutions, while Small and Medium Enterprises ("SMEs") are not able to benefit from the arrangements of the Scheme;

    (e)given that the total amount of loans approved was only around $3.5 billion as at 13 February this year, which is substantially lower than the ceiling of $100 billion on the loan guarantee commitment of the Scheme, whether the Government will review the effectiveness of the Scheme immediately;

    (f)whether the Government will reconsider lifting the 70% ceiling for loan guarantee, granting loans to SMEs directly, and removing the requirement of personal guarantee from company owners or shareholders holding more than 50% of the equity interest of a limited company; and

    (g)whether it will study inviting mainland banks to participate in the Scheme; if it will, when the study will commence; if not, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

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

It has been reported that some banks had refused to open accounts for some Hong Kong residents of Pakistani descent on grounds that they came from a terrorist country. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:
    (a)whether the Race Relations Unit ("RRU") under the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") and the Equal Opportunities Commission ("EOC") had received any relevant complaint in the past five years; if so, of the details; and

    (b)whether they have assessed if the aforesaid situation constitutes direct or indirect racial discrimination;

    (i)if the assessment result is in the affirmative, what measures the authorities will take to ensure that ethnic minorities are protected by the Race Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 602), particularly in obtaining banking services; and whether RRU, HKMA and EOC will issue guidelines to banks on the provision of services to ethnic minorities; if they will, of the details;

    (ii)if the assessment result is in the negative, of the justifications for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*19. Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che to ask: (Translation)

The Social Welfare Department has commissioned non-governmental organizations to implement the Intensive Employment Assistance Projects ("IEAP") to provide appropriate employment assistance services for employable recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") and near-CSSA recipients, so as to assist them in securing paid jobs as early as possible. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)of last year's provision for IEAP;

    (b)of the number of persons who participated in IEAP last year; and

    (c)given that the financial tsunami has caused the number of unemployed persons to rise, whether it will increase the provision for IEAP, so as to assist more CSSA recipients in joining the employment market as soon as possible?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

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

Regarding the use of footbridges by people with disabilities ("PWDs"), will the Government inform this Council:
    (a)whether there is any requirement at present that newly built footbridges must be fitted with lifts to facilitate use by PWDs; if not, of the reasons for that;

    (b)what factors will be considered by the authorities in deciding whether or not lifts should be retrofitted at footbridges currently managed by the Government; and

    (c)whether it had received in the past three years any proposal from members of the public to retrofit lifts at existing footbridges; if it had, whether it had accepted such proposals; if it had not accepted such proposals, of the reasons for that, and for PWDs who are not able to use such footbridges, whether the authorities have formulated measures to alleviate their inconvenience in crossing roads?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing

* For written reply

III. Members' Motions
  1. Actively implementing complementary policies for the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta

    Hon WONG Ting-kwong: (Translation)

    That this Council urges the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to expeditiously formulate corresponding complementary policies for the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020) promulgated earlier by the Central Government, so as to facilitate Hong Kong's closer co-operation with Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region and promote Hong Kong's economic and social development; such policies include:

    (a)expediting the planning and construction of the Hong Kong Section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge ("HZMB") as well as the related connecting infrastructure works for HZMB, and at the same time actively studying the development of a bridgehead economy at the landing point of HZMB in Hong Kong and the implementation of "free flow of vehicles" between Guangdong and Hong Kong, so as to fully utilize HZMB;

    (b)expediting transport connection works between the airports in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and expeditiously implementing the proposal to construct a high-speed rail link connecting the airports in Hong Kong and Shenzhen;

    (c)actively discussing with the Government of Guangdong Province to clearly delineate the roles and division of work between the ports and terminals in Guangdong and those in Hong Kong, so that a new setting will be formed in the Pearl River Delta Region ("PRDR") under which there is a clear demarcation of work among the ports, complementarity of edge and co-development;

    (d)strengthening co-operation among the exhibition and convention industries in PRDR, and capitalizing on Hong Kong's edge to turn the territory into a capital of international exhibitions and sales;

    (e)strengthening co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in improving the overall water quality in PRDR and reducing the overall volume of water pollution, and at the same time establishing a sound system for the monitoring and prevention of air pollution, as well as striving to solve the problem of atmospheric haze;

    (f)helping higher education institutions and education providers in Hong Kong to run education institutions independently in PRDR;

    (g)deepening the implementation of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement by expediting mutual recognition of professional qualifications in Guangdong and Hong Kong as well as lowering the thresholds of practice in PRDR for Hong Kong professionals, so as to foster the expansion of Hong Kong's service industries into PRDR;

    (h)formulating focused facilitating measures to provide convenience for PRDR residents to invest in Hong Kong's stock market, and enhancing efforts in Guangdong Province to provide information on and publicize Hong Kong stocks, so as to prepare for launching the through train scheme for Guangdong's and Hong Kong's stock markets;

    (i)strengthening various services for Hong Kong residents working and residing in PRDR, and actively considering enhancing the functions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government's Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong;

    (j)strengthening tourism co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and assisting Hong Kong's tourism enterprises in operating in PRDR; and

    (k)considering setting up a Guangdong/Hong Kong/Macao Leaders' Conference to strengthen co-operation among the three places.

    Amendments to the motion
    (i)Dr Hon Samson TAM: (Translation)

    To add ", as Hong Kong is being struck by the financial tsunami, the need for new economic restructuring has become more imminent," after "That"; to add "redefine the role and positioning of Hong Kong and" after "Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to expeditiously"; to add "in line with the general requirement for a "Digital Pearl River Delta", facilitating the sharing of online resources and interconnection and mutual access among the networks in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and jointly promoting co-operation of the two places in developing digital creative industries; (e)" after "(d)"; to delete the original "(e)" and substitute with "(f)"; to delete the original "(f)" and substitute with "(g)"; to delete the original "(g)" and substitute with "(h)"; to delete the original "(h)" and substitute with "(i)"; to delete the original "(i)" and substitute with "(j)"; to delete the original "(j)" and substitute with "(k)"; and to delete the original "(k)" and substitute with "(l)".

    (ii)Hon Emily LAU: (Translation)

    To add ", in order to implement the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020) promulgated earlier by the Central Government," after "That"; to add "the Central Government and" after "this Council urges"; to delete "expeditiously" after "the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to"; to delete "for the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020) promulgated earlier by the Central Government, so as" after "formulate corresponding complementary policies"; to add "respecting the right of the Chinese nationals in Hong Kong to freely travel to and from the Mainland, reinstating the right of those Hong Kong residents and Members of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong who have been barred from entering the Mainland to return to their hometown, issuing Hong Kong and Macao Residents Entry and Exit Permits to these people to enhance civilian and official exchanges between the Mainland and Hong Kong, so as to further promote the development of economic and social activities in the Pearl River Delta Region ("PRDR"); (b)" after "(a)"; to delete the original "(b)" and substitute with "(c)"; to delete the original "(c)" and substitute with "(d)"; to delete "the Pearl River Delta Region ("PRDR")" after "new setting will be formed in" and substitute with "PRDR"; to delete the original "(d)" and substitute with "(e)"; to delete the original "(e)" and substitute with "(f)"; to delete the original "(f)" and substitute with "(g)"; to delete the original "(g)" and substitute with "(h)"; to delete the original "(h)" and substitute with "(i)"; to delete the original "(i)" and substitute with "(j)"; to delete the original "(j)" and substitute with "(k)"; and to delete the original "(k)" and substitute with "(l)".

    (iii)Hon Mrs Regina IP: (Translation)

    To delete "improving the overall water quality in PRDR and" after "co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in" and substitute with "areas such as water, air and climatic change to improve the overall environmental quality in PRDR, including"; to delete "and at the same time" after "overall volume of water pollution,"; to delete "as well as" after "prevention of air pollution," and substitute with "formulating a set of standardized air quality objectives for both places, setting the emission reduction targets beyond 2010 for PRDR,"; to add ", etc" after "atmospheric haze"; to delete "and" after "operating in PRDR"; and to add "taking all effective measures to expeditiously co-operate with Shenzhen to develop the Lok Ma Chau Loop, and strengthening co-operation with Shenzhen in the development of higher education, new and high technology as well as cultural and creative industries, so as to facilitate Hong Kong's restructuring towards a knowledge-based economy, broaden Hong Kong's economic structure and complement the North East New Territories New Development Areas; and (l)" after "(k)".

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs

  2. Comprehensively improving the effectiveness of Integrated Family Service Centres

    Hon WONG Sing-chi: (Translation)

    That, as the financial tsunami has brought about a severe economic winter and rapidly deteriorating atmosphere in the community, the situation of the multi-stressed and potentially high-risk families is even more acute; the Integrated Family Service Centres ("IFSCs") are the key players of the front-line social service teams which respond to family crises and prevent family tragedies, whether they can smoothly operate in responding promptly and properly to such social crises is indeed critical to alleviating people's hardship and fostering an overall harmonious atmosphere in the community; recently there have been ample evidence and voices indicating that if IFSCs are to achieve their functions under the current service mode, the Government has to adjust their service concept and operation mode, in addition to allocating additional resources to IFSCs; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to adopt the following measures:

    (a)setting up a central mechanism to regularly and comprehensively assess and co-ordinate the support and services provided by various departments;

    (b)assessing and studying afresh the mission and objectives of IFSCs, and ensuring that the information and data collected through the relevant study must be made public subject to consideration of privacy protection;

    (c)reviewing afresh the staff establishment of IFSCs to ensure that there is sufficient manpower to adequately meet the needs of potentially high-risk families, and providing preventive and support services;

    (d)clearly defining the respective roles of the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") and non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") and their division of responsibilities in respect of IFSCs;

    (e)examining in depth the difficulties faced by staff of SWD and NGOs working in IFSCs (such as being required to handle non-professional clerical work, and being authorized to vet and approve requests for social resources, etc), and formulating measures for improvement;

    (f)comprehensively reviewing the performance pledge of IFSCs, and setting a service standard that can sensitively and accurately reflect the needs of potentially high-risk families; and

    (g)formulating a comprehensive policy on family service, particularly focusing on the needs of multi-stressed and potentially high-risk families, and exploring how to support and facilitate the healthy development of families in Hong Kong.

    Amendments to the motion
    (i)Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che: (Translation)

    To delete ", as the financial tsunami has brought about a severe economic winter and rapidly deteriorating atmosphere in the community, the situation of the multi-stressed and potentially high-risk families is even more acute;" after "That"; to delete "reviewing afresh" after "(c)" and substitute with "strictly implementing"; to add ", increasing the staff ratio of both supervisory staff and senior practitioners, setting workload indicators for social workers working in IFSCs, and recruiting temporary staff to cope with the additional workload arising from social crises as necessary, so as" after "the staff establishment of IFSCs"; to add "increasing the staff establishment of frontline social workers, and monitoring non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") so that they recruit social workers according to the salary benchmark formulated by the Government, so as to lessen their workload, boost the currently low morale among social workers and enable them to tackle family problems more effectively; (e)" after "(d)"; to delete "clearly defining" before "the respective roles" and substitute with "striving to standardize"; to delete "non-governmental organizations ("NGOs")" after "("SWD") and" and substitute with "NGOs"; to add ", and giving more powers to NGOs so that they can provide practical assistance (such as housing assistance or Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) to clients in a timely manner" after "in respect of IFSCs"; to delete the original "(e)" and substitute with "(f)"; to delete "and" after "social resources, etc),"; to add ", strengthening clerical support to staff, and referring non-core counselling or professional services to non-IFSC units for follow-up" after "improvement"; to delete the original "(f)" and substitute with "(g)"; to delete "and" after "accurately reflect the needs of potentially high-risk families;"; to delete the original "(g)" and substitute with "(h)"; and to add "; and (i) adjusting the population-to-IFSCs ratio to one IFSC serving some 80 000 to 90 000 people, and according priority to setting up IFSCs in 'potentially high-risk communities' " immediately before the full stop.

    (ii)Hon Starry LEE: (Translation)

    To delete "as the financial tsunami has brought about a" after "That," and substitute with "recently quite a number of families in Hong Kong are struck by the"; and to add "including further promoting family-friendly policies, introducing a family impact assessment system and creating a family-friendly environment in workplace, etc, as well as" after "policy on family service,".

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

  3. Motion for the adjournment of the Council

    Hon Albert HO: (Translation)

    That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the following issue: The situation faced by Hong Kong people (including Legislative Council Members, District Council members, members of political parties, people from non-government organizations and journalists) for being persistently refused entry by the Macao Government.

    Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Security

Clerk to the Legislative Council