 |
A 10/11-19
Legislative Council
Agenda
Wednesday 2 March 2011 at 11:00 am
I. Tabling of Papers
| Subsidiary Legislation / Instruments | L.N. No.
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|---|
| 1. | Public Revenue Protection (Dutiable Commodities) Order 2011 | 32/2011
| | 2. | Public Revenue Protection (Motor Vehicles First Registration Tax) Order 2011 | 33/2011
| | 3. | Rating (Exemption) Order 2011 | 34/2011
| | 4. | Legal Aid (Assessment of Resources and Contributions) (Amendment) Regulation 2011 | 35/2011
| | 5. | Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 3) Order 2011 | 36/2011
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Other Papers
| 1. | No. 68 | - | The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts Annual Report 2009-2010, and Financial statements and Auditor's report for the year ended 30 June 2010
| (to be presented by the Secretary for Home Affairs)
| | 2. | No. 69 | - | Hong Kong Arts Development Council Annual Report 2009/10
| (to be presented by the Secretary for Home Affairs)
| | 3. | No. 70 | - | Audited financial statements together with the Auditor's report and Report on Activities of the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority for the year ended 31 August 2010
| (to be presented by the Secretary for Education)
| | 4. | No. 71 | - | Estimates
for the year ending 31 March 2012
General Revenue Account
- Consolidated Summary of Estimates
- Revenue Analysis by Head
| (to be presented by the Financial Secretary)
| | 5. | Report No. 14/10-11 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments
| (to be presented by Hon Miriam LAU, Chairman of the House Committee)
| | 6. | Report of the Bills Committee on Chief Executive Election (Amendment) Bill 2010 and Legislative Council (Amendment) Bill 2010
| (to be presented by Hon TAM Yiu-chung, Chairman of the Bills Committee)
| | 7. | Report of the Bills Committee on Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Bill
| | (to be presented by Hon Audrey EU, Chairman of the Bills Committee)
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II. Questions
1. Hon Starry LEE to ask: (Translation)
The prices and rental for premises in commercial buildings, in particular Grade A offices, have continued to rise recently. According to the "Hong Kong Property Review" published by the Rating and Valuation Department, the prices and rental for Grade A offices in core districts in December 2010 had, as compared with the relevant figures 18 months ago, increased by 43% and by 16% to 20% respectively. This causes the operating costs of enterprises to increase drastically and will ultimately aggravates the burden on consumers. In view of the limited supply of commercial buildings in core districts, there are comments that some government departments and public organizations which have offices situated in these prime land lots are competing with the private sector for profits and failing to make good use of public resources. In his reply to my question at the Question and Answer Session of this Council on 14 May 2009, the Chief Executive pointed out that staff members in the Government Property Agency had been reviewing these issues. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | the names of the government departments and public organizations with offices situated in core districts such as Central, Admiralty, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok, etc. at present (set out in table in the appendix), and list by department and organization in table form the locations, uses, total floor areas, estimated prices (for government properties) or monthly rental (for non-government properties) of these offices, whether there is any relocation plan, and if so, the details of the plans, the dates of relocation and the addresses of the new offices;
| | (b) | of the number of government departments and public organizations which have relocated their offices away from core districts since May 2009, together with the details (including the dates of relocation and new addresses); whether the Government will conduct a comprehensive review of the feasibility of relocating the offices in (a) away from the core districts so as to vacate the sites for other development purposes; if it will, of the details and progress; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (c) | what measures the authorities have to assist the trades in resolving difficulties in coping with increasing operating costs resulting from rising prices and rental of commercial buildings?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
2. Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask: (Translation)
It has been learnt that the Star Ferry Company Limited ("Star Ferry") indicated in September last year that it had no intention to continue operating the Hung Hom/Central and Hung Hom/Wan Chai ferry services upon expiry of its franchise at the end of March this year. To find a new operator, the Transport Department ("TD") had twice invited tender on the franchise for the two ferry services, which ended with no operator submitting tender. The Government has given up tendering for the third time and the two ferry services will be discontinued from 1 April this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the detailed justifications for the Government giving up tendering for the third time on the franchise for the aforesaid two ferry services, and whether it has consulted the residents on such a decision; if it has, what views it has received; after deciding to give up re-tendering, whether the Government has further liaised with Star Ferry to jointly explore if the company can continue operating the two ferry services before the official commissioning of the Shatin to Central Link and the Kwun Tong Line Extension of the MTR Corporation Limited so as to demonstrate its social responsibility;
| | (b) | whether the Government has any statistical data for understanding the impact of discontinuation of the two ferry services on traffic during peak hours in the relevant districts and areas around the Cross-Harbour Tunnel in Hung Hom; whether TD has drawn up any additional contingency measures to cope with the residents' demand for other means of cross-habour transport after the two ferry services are discontinued; if TD has, of such measures; and
| | (c) | given that the Government applied to the Finance Committee of this Council for a funding of $114.96 million and was given approval on 5 November last year for subsidizing six major outlying island ferry trunk routes for three years (the press estimated that each passenger would be subsidized an average of $2.7 per trip) through measures including reimbursement of vessel maintenance cost to the operators, whether the Government will study allocating funds to subsidize the operator of the two ferry services in the same way as that for the aforesaid outlying island ferry trunk routes, in addition to the existing measures such as waiving fuel duty, exempting license fees, relaxing the use of piers for commercial activities and taking over the responsibility of pier maintenance, in order that the two ferry services may continue; if it will not, of the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing
3. Hon CHIM Pui-chung to ask: (Translation)
Regarding the equity dispute of the holding company held by the family of the chairman of Sociedade de Jogos de Macau S.A. ("SJM"), which is a company listed in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | given that SJM's market value amounts to approximately HK$70 billion while that of Shun Tak Holdings Limited also exceeds HK$10 billion, whether it knows if the regulatory authorities will assess whether the outcome of the aforesaid dispute will affect investors' confidence, and whether it is necessary to suspend trading in the stocks of the two companies; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, of the reasons for that;
| | (b) | given that the aforesaid incident involves the chairman of listed companies although the shares involved in the dispute are private property, whether it knows if the authorities concerned will assess whether the aforesaid incident will seriously affect Hong Kong's status as a financial centre; if the assessment outcome is in the affirmative, what appropriate measures the authorities concerned have in response; and
| | (c) | given that there is the requirement in law for chairmen and directors of listed companies to be "fit and proper persons", whether it knows if the authorities concerned have assessed whether the recent behaviour of the chairman of the aforesaid listed companies has reflected that he still meets such a requirement?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
4. Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou to ask: (Translation)
As at 30 September 2010, a total of 2 260 agency workers were engaged by the Government, with the Department of Health ("DH"), Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Education Bureau engaging the largest number of such workers. I have earlier received requests for assistance from members of the Union of Hong Kong Junior Civil Servants who pointed out that late last year, DH had planned to further engage agency workers in place of civil servants to handle clerical work in all government clinics but the plan was shelved by DH eventually. They also pointed out that such agency workers did not have any employment relationship with the Government, but administration work in the Government would inevitably involve personal privacy and confidential data of members of the public; and employment agencies would charge commission and exploit agency workers by cutting their wages, which would lead to the situation of "different pay for the same job" in government departments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the actual expenditures incurred respectively by various bureaux and government departments in engaging agency workers in the past three years, as well as the respective amounts of commission paid to the employment agencies;
| | (b) | of the academic qualifications required of agency workers by the Government, with a breakdown by bureau/department and post, and whether it knows their employment terms; and
| | (c) | whether it knows if the pay levels as well as the terms and conditions of the employment contracts offered by employment agencies to their employees enable agency workers to enjoy remuneration packages which are more favourable than those offered on the market; if so, of the details; if not, of the measures the authorities have to improve the situation; given that the statutory minimum wage will be implemented shortly, how the authorities guarantee that the wages paid by employment agencies to their employees will not be lower than the statutory minimum wage level?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Civil Service
5. Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask: (Translation)
It has been reported that suicide is the number one killer of young people in Hong Kong, and the public are gravely concerned about the problem of youth suicide. It has also been reported that the young people who committed suicide mainly came from grassroots families, and most of them chose an extreme way to commit suicide, which had a profound impact on their families and peers. Earlier, the Secretary for Labour and Welfare also expressed concern about the emergence of suicide groups on the Internet. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | given that in Hong Kong the number of suicide deaths of male has all along been much larger than that of female, and the youth male suicide rate in 2009 increased substantially by 30% as compared with that of 2008, whether the authorities have analyzed the reasons for this phenomenon and taken targeted measures so as to provide ways to solve the problem at source;
| | (b) | given that the authorities collaborated with the major supermarkets in Tuen Mun District in 2006-2007 to lock the shelves for keeping charcoal so that anyone who wanted to buy charcoal had to contact the staff first, which had successfully reduced the number of suicide cases in the district substantially by 50%, whether the Government intends to extend such programme to all the 18 districts in Hong Kong; if so, of the progress; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (c) | given that in the United States, when Internet users conduct searches relating to suicide methods using major search engines, what always appear first conspicuously on the screen are suicide prevention hotlines of the local governments, whether the authorities will consider collaborating with operators of major local search engines to implement similar measures; whether the authorities will consider setting up a coordinating and reporting mechanism, such as an emergency communication channel between the Police, web sites and network providers, to ensure that once cases similar to incidents of suicide being webcast, which happened quite a number of times in foreign countries in recent years, are found in Hong Kong, they can be stopped in time?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare
6. Hon Paul CHAN to ask: (Translation)
Marriages between mainlanders and Hong Kong residents are increasingly common. According to statistics, the divorce rate of such marriages is higher than 50%, and the statistics have not yet included cases in which the couples are separated but not divorced because one of the parties is afraid that his/her One-way Exit Permit application will be rejected. Just taking the Harmony House as an example, more than 8 000 requests for assistance from mainland women are received by it each year, and 60% of them involve domestic violence. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | whether it knows the respective numbers of divorce cases of marriages between mainlanders and Hong Kong residents in each of the past five years, and among such cases, the number of those in which the wives were holders of Two Way Permit ("TWP") and, as estimated by the authorities, the number of female holders of TWP in Hong Kong at present who have divorced their husbands with Hong Kong resident status;
| | (b) | given that holders of TWP can neither take up employment in Hong Kong nor apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA"), and in response to requests for assistance from mainland women holding TWP, who have divorced or are abused after they came to Hong Kong, and their children, the Government has indicated that holders of TWP can apply for public rental housing ("PRH") under the Compassionate Rehousing category and the Director of Social Welfare has from time to time exercised discretion to grant CSSA to new arrivals, of the respective numbers of female holders of TWP who had been allocated PRH under the Compassionate Rehousing category in each of the past five years and the age distribution of their children, the number of female holders of TWP being granted CSSA by discretion, the amount granted and the number of years of such grants; and in respect of these two types of assistance, the number of female holders of TWP whose applications had been rejected and the reasons for rejection; and
| | (c) | whether it had assessed in the past three years the social problems caused by the high rate of divorce of marriages between mainlanders and Hong Kong residents; if so, of the findings; if not, the reasons for that; and the support services provided by the Government to the affected children, so as to enable their healthy development both physically and mentally?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare
*7. Hon Andrew LEUNG to ask: (Translation)
In its paper submitted to the Commission on Strategic Development in January this year, the Environment Bureau states that at present Hong Kong achieves 49% municipal solid waste ("MSW") recovery rate but about 13 300 tonnes of waste are still disposed of at landfills every day. In order to further reduce the volume of waste to be sent to landfills, the Government indicates that the MSW recovery target will be revised upward from 49% at present to 55% by 2015. Moreover, in his reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 27 October last year, the Secretary for the Environment indicated that on average about 255 tonnes of waste glass containers were disposed of at landfills in Hong Kong daily in 2009, which was 2.8% of the total MSW volume. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | apart from the collaboration between the Environmental Protection Department ("EPD") and the Hong Kong Hotels Association in launching a voluntary Glass Container Recycling Programme for the Hotel Sector in 2008, whether the Government had, in the past three years, provided any support to non-profit organizations and private organizations which participated in other glass recycling programmes; if it had, of the form of support, the contents and geographical coverage of such recycling programmes; if not, the reasons for that;
| | (b) | regarding the 12-month Pilot Programme on Source Separation of Glass Bottles, which has been launched at six public rental housing estates in East Kowloon by EPD in collaboration with the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") since 15 January this year, whether the Government has assessed its initial achievements; if it has, of the results; and
| | (c) | whether the authorities will include the recycling of waste glass in the Programme on Source Separation of Domestic Waste implemented by HA and change the 3-coloured waste separation bins currently placed in public rental housing estates to 4-coloured waste separation bins; if they will, of the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment
*8. Hon Abraham SHEK to ask:
It is a common practice for consortia of owners or developers to submit applications to the Building Authority for approval of general building plans at an early stage in order to achieve certainty on what can be built upon redevelopment of old buildings under multiple ownership. However, the Building Authority introduced on 20 October 2010 a strict new measure requiring an applicant for building approval to provide particulars and documentary proof of ownership or realistic prospect of control of the land forming the site. Some owners have reflected to me that recently, the Building Authority has gone even further and disapproved building plans whenever the applicant does not already own 100% of the units in the building. These owners further pointed out that the new measures have an immediate adverse effect on owners of old buildings who are contemplating collective sales for redevelopment, as such measures create uncertainty regarding the development potential of the site and may cause the sale prices for the flats concerned to drop. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the reasons and justifications for the Building Authority's introduction of the aforesaid new measure of proof of ownership, which is contrary to its previous practice, and which has not been the subject of any public or industry consultation;
| | (b) | whether at present the Building Authority requires proof of ownership or realistic prospect of control of the land forming the site in cases involving proposed demolition and in situ redevelopment of buildings currently under multiple ownership; why ownership details are necessary or relevant to the Building Authority's decision when there is not uncertainty as to the definition of the "site" for the purpose of plot ratio and site coverage calculations;
| | (c) | whether the Building Authority can confirm that it had not, in effect, imposed a requirement for proof of ownership of 100% of the undivided shares in the land which is the subject of any general building plan disapproved since 21 October 2010; and if it cannot, of the number of cases on which such a requirement had been imposed;
| | (d) | how many applications for approval of general building plans had been disapproved by the Building Authority since 21 October 2010 on the ground of the applicants' failure to provide particulars and documentary proof of ownership or realistic prospect of control of the land forming the sites; and how many of these applications involved proposals in relation to buildings presently under multiple ownership to be redeveloped in situ;
| | (e) | in cases where, since 21 October 2010, general building plans had been disapproved on the ground that an applicant could not demonstrate 100% ownership or realistic prospect of control of a building on a "site" presently under multiple ownership, of the breakdown of the percentage of the undivided shares (e.g. 30%, 50%, 80% or 90%) in the building in each case, in which the applicant could demonstrate ownership or realistic prospect of controlling; and
| | (f) | given that there have been comments that the aforesaid strict new requirement for proof of ownership may result in lower sale prices being paid to individual owners of flats in buildings assembled for redevelopment, undermine the objectives of the Land (Compulsory Sale for Redevelopment) Ordinance (Cap. 545), and inhibit the opportunities for the much-needed increases in housing supply through urban rejuvenation, why the Government allowed the Building Authority to introduce such a requirement?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development
*9. Hon WONG Sing-chi to ask: (Translation)
Quite a number of members of the public have reflected to me that although the SAR Government has all along indicated that it attaches importance to family-friendly measures, and in his Policy Address delivered this year, the Chief Executive even stated that relevant schemes would be launched to "recognize family friendly companies, with a view to encouraging the business sector to promote family core values", there is delay in the implementation of paternity leave for male employees by way of legislation, which is closely related to family-friendly measures. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:
| (a) | given that the Government has indicated time and again that it is conducting a study on whether or not legislation should be enacted for providing paternity leave to male employees, of the latest progress and phase-in outcome of the study;
| | (b) | given that the number of days of paternity leave varies among countries which at present have put in place paternity leave, of the countries whose practices the Government has made specific reference to at the present stage, and the details concerned; if it has not made reference to the practice in other countries, of the reasons for that; and
| | (c) | whether the Government will consider consulting the public and community groups on this specific issue before it publicizes the final outcome of the study, so that more comprehensive and objective factors will be taken into consideration in arriving at the outcome of the study; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare
*10. Hon Fred LI to ask: (Translation)
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD") has applied the concept of gender mainstreaming and considered the distinctive needs of both sexes when planning public toilet facilities under FEHD; since April 2004, the ratio of water closet compartments for female to those for male has been increased from 1.5:1 to 2:1. Moreover, FEHD has indicated that after considering the different needs of both sexes, it will install racks, hangers, baby-changing counters and emergency call bells in public toilets where possible for the convenience of users. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | whether the authorities will install babycare facilities in both male and female public toilets; if not, of the reasons for that ;
| | (b) | of the number of public toilets (including male and female toilets) in the whole of Hong Kong in which facilities such as racks and baby-changing counters cannot be installed, and the percentage of such number in the total number of public toilets in Hong Kong; the reasons for the authorities not being able to install such facilities, and whether they will carry out alteration works in such public toilets so as to install the aforesaid facilities; and
| | (c) | whether the authorities will list the aforesaid facilities as standard facilities for new public toilets; if not, of the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health
*11. Hon Miriam LAU to ask: (Translation)
Quite a number of members of the trade have indicated that in order to improve roadside air quality by reducing the concentrations of particulates and nitrogen oxides in the air, the Government began to tighten the emission standards for vehicles as early as in 1997, and launched grant/concessionary schemes one after another for environment-friendly petrol private cars as well as liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") taxis and public light buses, to gradually replace diesel vehicles that emit large quantities of particulates and nitrogen oxides; yet, members of the trade have pointed out that in recent years, some diesel private cars have already met the emission standards specified by the Government and have successfully been issued licences. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the emission standards adopted in Hong Kong at present for diesel private cars, and whether any vehicle manufacturer has successfully manufactured diesel private cars which meet the standards set by the Government and have been granted approval for introduction into Hong Kong; and the number of diesel private cars which have been issued licenses at present;
| | (b) | whether it will include diesel private cars which meet the emission standards in the existing tax incentives scheme which encourages car owners to opt for environment-friendly petrol vehicles in order to improve air quality; if yes, of the details of the scheme; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (c) | given the frequent occurrence of stalling incidents involving LPG taxis in recent years, whether the Government will consider afresh the introduction of diesel taxis which have been improved to become more environment-friendly, so as to provide the market with an additional choice; if yes, of the details of the plan; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment
*12. Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung to ask: (Translation)
Quite a number of social workers, medical practitioners, elderly groups and specialist medical groups have complained to me that the current elderly policies of the Government are very confusing. The complaints have alleged that the normal retirement age for civil servants is 60; the age requirement for applying for the various public rental housing schemes of the Hong Kong Housing Authority that grant priority to elderly applicants ("elderly housing schemes") is 60 or above; the age requirement for applying for the Senior Citizen Card and the Old Age Allowance issued or granted by the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") is 65 or above; the age requirement for using the elderly health care vouchers is 70 or above; the minimum age requirement for some of the geriatric specialty services of the Hospital Authority ("HA") is 70. The complainants have pointed out that different government departments adopt a different definition of old age. It seems that there is policy psychosis, and the public are perplexed by the inconsistencies. Some elderly people have pointed out that certain government departments may be deliberately exploiting the welfare of the elderly people, leading to the current situation where different government departments adopt different definitions of old age. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the definition of old age as adopted by the Government, whether it is 60, 65 or 70, and which government department(s) has/have adopted the correct definition of old age;
| | (b) | whether the Government will standardize the definition of old age adopted by different government departments so that they can coordinate with one another in the implementation of the various elderly policies, thereby ensuring that the elderly can spend their twilight years happily; if it will, when it will do so; if not, of the reasons for that;
| | (c) | whether the Government will immediately lower the minimum age requirement for applying for SWD's Senior Citizen Card to 60, so that it can tie in with the retirement age for civil servants and the age requirement for application for elderly housing schemes; if it will, when it will do so; if not, of the reasons for that;
| | (d) | whether the Government will immediately lower the minimum age requirement for the beneficiaries of the elderly health care vouchers to 60, and request HA to lower the minimum age requirement for some of its geriatric specialty services to 60, so as to tie in with the retirement age for civil servants and the age requirement for application for elderly housing schemes; if it will, when it will do so; if not, of the reasons for that; and
| | (e) | whether it has assessed if the resources allocated by the Government to elderly services are insufficient, which has resulted in different government departments having different understanding of the definition of old age; if the assessment outcome is in the affirmative, when additional resources will be allocated; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, of the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare
*13. Hon Frederick FUNG to ask: (Translation)
Since the approach of revitalizing the Home Ownership Scheme ("HOS") Secondary Market was proposed in the 2010-2011 Budget, the authorities have introduced a number of revitalization measures for HOS, including the Premium Loan Guarantee Scheme ("PLGS") launched in September last year by the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation, which allows HOS owners to pay the premium by instalments, with a view to facilitating the turnover of HOS flats and increasing the supply of flats on the market; yet, it was reported in the press on 22 January this year that no application had been received under PLGS, thus casting doubt on the effectiveness of the revitalization measures. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the latest number of applications for PLGS and the number of enquiries made by HOS owners on PLGS; whether the authorities have assessed if there is a significant difference when comparing the present response of HOS owners to PLGS and the anticipated response; if such an assessment has been made, of the outcome, and whether they have looked into the reasons involved, whether it has revealed that the authorities, when exploring measures for revitalizing the HOS Secondary Market in the past, have not carefully considered and properly assessed the situation (such as failing to get hold of the facts that HOS owners are mostly occupiers and are not keen to sell their flats, and that the revitalization measures have limited effect on boosting the supply of HOS flats, etc.); and
| | (b) | given that there are comments that the revitalization measures have failed to yield satisfactory results, whether the authorities will consider conducting a comprehensive review of the revitalization measures for the HOS Secondary Market; whether they will consider introducing other enhancement measures, or even shelving PLGS and resuming the construction of HOS flats to increase the supply of flats in the market, so as to assist the middle and lower classes in acquiring their homes; if not, of the reason for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing
*14. Hon Paul TSE to ask: (Translation)
I have learnt that in recent years, an international group operating large-scale outlet malls has been holding discussions with the Hong Kong SAR Government ("SAR Government") to request the Government to allocate land in the vicinity of the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok for the development of a large-scale international outlet mall in order to attract visitors to Hong Kong and encourage spending by transit passengers through selling commodities of renowned brand names from various countries. Since 2008, the international group has discussed with the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Transport and Housing Bureau, the Development Bureau and the Airport Authority on different occasions, yet there is no policy bureau in the SAR Government to centrally deal with the development of tourism infrastructure and attractions, and the international group has continued to knock the door but to no avail. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | whether it has assessed the economic benefits (including the number of visitors and transit passengers to be attracted to spend money in Hong Kong) to be brought about by the aforesaid proposed development plan;
| | (b) | which government department(s) is/are responsible for processing applications relating to the aforesaid development plan at present; of the progress and the reasons why no progress has been made after so many years;
| | (c) | given that the AsiaWorld-Expo ("AWE") has all along been criticized for being too far away from the town centre, which has led to its low utilization, whether the authorities have assessed if the development of the aforesaid outlet mall in the vicinity of the Airport will actually help enhance the utilization of AWE and even the Airport; and
| | (d) | given that I have learnt that the management echelons of the various tourist attractions on Lantau Island are discussing the strengthening of cooperation among different attractions in the hope of producing a synergy effect, whether the Government will examine if the construction of a large-scale outlet mall in the vicinity of the Airport can boost the aforesaid synergy effect, and whether such a outlet mall will play a catalytic role in formulating specific plans for the development of tourism on Lantau Island; if it will so examine, of the time required; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
*15. Hon KAM Nai-wai to ask: (Translation)
Regarding platform safety in railway stations of the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL"), will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | whether it knows, in each of the past three years, the number of staff deployed by MTRCL at station platforms during train service hours to assist in regulating passenger flows and advise passengers not to bump into or charge the train doors, with a breakdown by rail line, name of station, whether or not platform screen doors ("PSDs") or automatic platform gates ("APGs") are installed, as well as the place and time periods of such staff deployment; whether additional staff are deployed by MTRCL during peak hours to maintain order at station platforms; if so, of the details (including the number of additional staff so deployed and the criteria and time periods for such deployment); if not, the reasons for that; whether MTRCL has reviewed the adequacy of its existing manpower and the effectiveness of deploying staff to maintain order at platforms; if it has, of the details, if not, the reasons for that;
| | (b) | whether it knows, in each of the past three years, the number of MTRCL staff falling onto rail tracks while maintaining order, with a breakdown by rail line, name of station, whether or not PSDs or APGs are installed and the working hours of the staff; whether there are means to prevent staff working at platforms without PSDs or APGs from falling onto the tracks, and whether the effectiveness of such means has been reviewed; if so, of the details, if not, the reasons for that;
| | (c) | whether it knows if MTRCL had compiled statistics in each of the past five years on delays in train service and other consequences caused by passengers falling onto rail tracks due to various reasons; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (d) | given that in his reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 9 June 2010, the Secretary for Transport and Housing indicated that a number of measures (such as installing platform gap fillers and yellow tactile strips in the gaps and along the edges of the platforms, installing illumination and flashing lights under the platforms and at the edge of the platforms respectively, installing CCTV systems at platforms, broadcasting announcements at platforms and in train compartments, as well as conducting education activities, etc.) had been taken by MTRCL in order to prevent passengers from falling onto the tracks in stations where PSDs or APGs had not been installed, whether it knows:
| | (i) | if MTRCL had reviewed the effectiveness of those measures and explored other more effective options in the past three years; if it had reviewed and explored, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (ii) | if MTRCL has put in place a mechanism to inspect and maintain such facilities on a regular basis; if it has, of the details and the resources (including the amount of expenditure) put in; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing
*16. Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai to ask: (Translation)
In his policy address delivered in 2009, the Chief Executive ("CE") announced the development of six industries where Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages, including testing and certification, medical services, innovation and technology, cultural and creative industries, environmental industries and education services. CE considered that those industries were crucial to the development of Hong Kong's economy and would propel Hong Kong towards a knowledge-based economy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | whether it has completed the survey on the statistics on the six industries for 2009, and when the statistics will be released;
| | (b) | whether the Government has assessed if the one-year lag in the statistics to be released behind the market development will adversely affect the planning for the future development of the various industries; if it has assessed, of the details; and whether it will revise the timeframe for releasing the statistics; if it will not revise, of the reasons for that;
| | (c) | whether the Government has roughly estimated the total amount of the overall direct contribution made by private enterprises in the six priority industries to the Gross Domestic Product as at the end of 2010, and whether there was any growth as compared with that of the same period in 2009, with a breakdown by industry;
| | (d) | of the number of persons currently employed in each of the priority industries; the respective percentages of such numbers in the total workforce; among such employees, the respective proportions of those working in the public sector and those in private enterprises;
| | (e) | of the total amount of capital injected in each industry by the Government since its announcement of the development of the six priority industries, with a table listing the total amount, purposes and time of capital injection, whether foreign investments have been attracted, if so, of the details and, if not, the reasons for that;
| | (f) | given that the Government has reserved four sites for the development of private hospitals to tie in with the development of medical services, of the total number of Expressions of Interest ("EOIs") received so far; the nature of the applicant organizations (whether they are property developers or purely healthcare institutions); among such organizations, how many of them will provide Chinese medicine service; and the timetable for granting the sites;
| | (g) | given that the Government has reserved five sites for the construction of private universities to tie in with the development of education services, and the Government's original plan was to invite interested organizations to submit EOIs for the site at the former Queen Hill's Camp in Fanling by the end of last year, of the reasons for the delay of the plan, and when the remaining four sites will be released;
| | (h) | of the details of the Government's study on allowing senior secondary students from the Mainland to take courses in Hong Kong, e.g. short-term courses offered by degree-awarding higher education institutions and senior secondary classes of non-public schools in Hong Kong, etc.;
| | (i) | given that to tie in with the development of testing and certification, the mainland government allows eligible testing laboratories in Hong Kong to undertake testing of products for the China Compulsory Certification System on a pilot basis for selected products processed in Hong Kong through Supplement VII to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement signed in May last year, of the details of the implementation of such arrangement to date and the progress made by the Government in seeking mutual recognition between the Mainland and Hong Kong of qualifications in testing and certification;
| | (j) | whether the Government has examined the provision of more tax incentives to small and medium enterprises engaged in innovation and technology and cultural and creative industries as a means to provide greater incentives to enterprises taking part in the development of these industries; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
| | (k) | whether it has assessed the local job opportunities created by the various industries; whether overseas talents have been attracted to work in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
| | (l) | of the respective numbers of legislative amendments relating to the six priority industries proposed by the Government last year as well as those relating to the finance and real estate services; whether it has assessed if the Government places too much emphasis on the development of finance and real estate services and neglects diversified development of different industries; if it has assessed, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : The Financial Secretary
*17. Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask: (Translation)
The Provisional Minimum Wage Commission ("PMWC") set the initial statutory minimum wage rate at $28 per hour which was endorsed by the Executive Council and passed by this Council, and will come into force on 1 May 2011. Members of the market have pointed out that, after the implementation of the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608) ("MWO"), the monthly income of those employees currently earning $4,750 to $4,999 per month will probably increase to $5,000 or above, i.e. the minimum level of relevant income stipulated in the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap. 485) ("MPFSO"), and hence these employees will have to pay 5% of their monthly income (i.e. $250 or above) as contribution to the Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF"), which will probably lead to a reduction in their actual income. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | of the number of employees whose current monthly income is below $5,000 with a breakdown by age, sex, average number of dependents and amount of income (including those employees earning $4,750 to $4,999 per month);
| | (b) | of the number of employees, as estimated by the authorities, whose current monthly income is below $5,000 and will increase to the minimum level of relevant income stipulated in MPFSO after the minimum wage rate comes into force, and whether these employees' actual income will be reduced after making contribution to MPF; and
| | (c) | whether the authorities have studied to which level the existing minimum level of relevant income stipulated in MPFSO has to be upwardly adjusted in order to address the issue of a possible reduction in the actual income of the employees whose current monthly income is $4,750 to $4,999, as a result of the implementation of MWO, as well as their timetable for adjusting the minimum level of relevant income?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
*18. Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che to ask: (Translation)
The Social Security Assistance Index of Prices ("SSAIP") is compiled monthly by the Census and Statistics Department on the basis of the expenditure pattern of households receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") and the prices of the items of goods and services covered by the CSSA standard rates, and recommendations on the adjustment of CSSA standard rates are made annually by the Social Welfare Department with reference to the price movements of SSAIP. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
| (a) | what criteria the authorities adopted in the past 10 years for selecting the items of goods and services covered by SSAIP, which affected the adjustment of CSSA standard rates, and the respective weights of such items in SSAIP;
| | (b) | of the changes in the prices of the various items of goods and services covered by SSAIP in the past 10 years; and
| | (c) | whether a mechanism is currently in place to review the component items of SSAIP; if yes, of the details; if not, how the authorities ensure that corresponding adjustments are made to SSAIP in accordance with changes in the needs of the grassroots' daily lives?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare
*19. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)
While one of the learning goals of the school curriculum is to "lead a healthy lifestyle and develop an interest in and appreciation of aesthetic and physical activities", there have been comments that the education system of Hong Kong fails to dovetail with and facilitate the nurturing of elite athletes. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:
| (a) | whether they have received complaints from athletes and/or their parents that the education system lacks flexibility, hence poses obstacles to athletes in their studies; if so, of the number and contents of such complaints in the past three years;
| | (b) | given that the education systems of some countries and regions are more flexible and facilitate athletes to strike a balance between studies and sport career, whether the authorities will carry out a focus study to compare the strengths and weaknesses of different education systems; if so, when the study will be carried out; if not, of the reasons for that; and
| | (c) | whether they will make reference to overseas experience and conduct a comprehensive review of the education system of Hong Kong and make adjustments accordingly to dovetail with sports development; if not, of the reasons for that?
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Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education
*20. Hon CHIM Pui-chung to ask: (Translation)
Will the Government inform this Council whether it knows what types of documents and positions will enable their holders to use the VIP facilities and courtesy channels at ports of entry in the Macao SAR and the Mainland, and whether such persons include Members of the Legislative and Executive Councils of the Hong Kong SAR; if they are not included, of the reasons for that, and whether the Government will suggest to the authorities concerned in the Macao SAR and the Mainland that consideration be given to including Members of the Legislative and Executive Councils of the Hong Kong SAR?
Public Officer to reply : The Chief Secretary for Administration
* For written reply
III. Bills
First Reading
Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2011
Second Reading (Debate to be adjourned)
| | Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2011 | : | Secretary for Financial Services
and the Treasury
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IIIA. Motion for the adjournment of the Council
Hon Jeffrey LAM to move the following motion: (Translation)
That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the following issue: acts of violence against the Chief Executive and public officers.
Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Security
III. Bills
Second Reading (Debates to resume), Committee Stage and Third Reading
| 1. | Chief Executive Election (Amendment) Bill 2010 | : | Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
| |
| (i) | Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs to move Committee stage amendments
|
| (The amendments were issued on 24 February 2011
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 511/10-11)
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| (ii) | Dr Hon Margaret NG to move Committee stage amendments
|
| (The amendments were issued on 25 February 2011
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 524/10-11)
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| | 2. | Legislative Council (Amendment) Bill 2010 | : | Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
| |
| (i) | Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs to move Committee stage amendments
|
| (The amendments were issued on 23 February 2011
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 510/10-11)
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| (ii) | Hon Emily LAU, Hon WONG Kwok-kin, Dr Hon Margaret NG and Hon Paul TSE to move Committee stage amendments
|
| (The amendments were issued on 28 February 2011
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 528/10-11)
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| | 3. | Motor Vehicle Idling (Fixed Penalty) Bill | : | Secretary for the Environment
| | Secretary for the Environment to move Committee stage amendments
(The amendments were issued on 23 February 2011
under LC Paper No. CB(3) 505/10-11)
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IV. Members' Motions
- Motion under Rule 49E(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Hon Miriam LAU to move the following motion:
That this Council takes note of Report No. 14/10-11 of the House Committee laid on the Table of the Council on 2 March 2011 in relation to the subsidiary legislation and instrument(s) as listed below:
| Item Number | Title of Subsidiary Legislation or Instrument
| | (1) | Minimum Wage (Criteria for Approved Assessors) Notice (L.N. 1/2011)
| | (2) | Minimum Wage (Assessment Methods) Notice (L.N. 2/2011).
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Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Food and Health
- Public Accounts Committee's Report on 'Administration of the Direct Subsidy Scheme and Governance and Administration of Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools'
Dr Hon Philip WONG to move the following motion: (Translation)
That this Council notes Chapter 1 of the Public Accounts Committee Report No. 55 on 'Administration of the Direct Subsidy Scheme and Governance and Administration of Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools'.
Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Education
- Promoting personal financial management education
Hon CHAN Kin-por to move the following motion: (Translation)
That Hong Kong is an international financial and commercial centre, the atmosphere of investment and consumption in society is very strong, and people are facing a lot of financial management problems in their daily life; yet, on the other hand, there is a lack of comprehensive financial management education in Hong Kong, and whenever there is any turmoil in the financial market, some people may not have sufficient risk management knowledge to cope with it and are thus easily plunged into financial crises or even bankruptcy; some young people may have to default or are even unable to make repayment of their credit card debts due to over-spending; as a matter of fact, if the general public have good financial management habits, it will be of immense benefits to the whole society: for example, parents who have good financial management habits can help their families and children develop healthily, thus reducing the occurrence of family problems, and if working persons of means can as early as possible make good financial preparations before retirement, they will have appropriate protection upon their retirement, thus lessening their dependence on social resources in the future; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to adopt effective measures to promote personal financial management education, so as to educate people to acquire proper financial management skills and concepts; the relevant measures should include:
| (a) | to study making knowledge on comprehensive personal financial management, including investment, consumption, banking and insurance principles, etc., a formal subject in school, or expand the present section of personal financial management under subjects such as Liberal Studies into an independent and major module, so as to systematically educate students on basic financial management concepts and principles;
| | (b) | in respect of the Investor Education Council which will be established soon, to introduce more comprehensive personal financial management elements to the original scope of investor education, with a view to instilling proper personal financial management values into the general public;
| | (c) | to encourage parents to participate in parent-child financial management activities so that they can instill proper concepts on money into their children through the relevant skills;
| | (d) | to encourage people of means to make good financial management plans for their retirement life as early as possible; and
| | (e) | to organize regular publicity and educational activities to encourage young people to spend money sensibly, so as to avoid plunging into debt crises.
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Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Clerk to the Legislative Council
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