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A 19/20-32(CM-28)

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 24 June 2020 at 11:00 am

I.
Laying of Papers on the Table of the Council

3 items of subsidiary legislation and 7 other papers to be laid on the Table of the Council set out in Appendix 1

II.
Questions

Members to ask 22 questions (6 for oral replies and 16 for written replies)
Questions for oral replies to be asked by
Public officers to reply
1.
Secretary for Security
2.
Secretary for Food and Health
3.
Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Security
4.
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Secretary for Development
5.
Secretary for Transport and Housing
6.
Secretary for the Civil Service
Contents of 22 questions, Members to ask such questions and public officers to reply set out in Appendix 2

III.
Government Bill

Second Reading (debate to resume), consideration by committee of the whole Council and Third Reading
:
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Amendment movers
:
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
(Amendments set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 557/19-20 issued on 18 June 2020)

Hon Vincent CHENG
(Amendment set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 567/19-20 issued on 22 June 2020)
(Debate and voting arrangements set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 570/19-20 issued on 22 June 2020)

IV.
Members' Motions on Subsidiary Legislation

1st debate (covering the following motion)
1.
Proposed resolution to extend the period for amending subsidiary legislation (L.N. 86 and L.N. 87 of 2020)
Mover
:
Hon Holden CHOW
Wording of the motion
:
2nd debate (covering the following motion)
2.
Proposed resolution to extend the period for amending subsidiary legislation (L.N. 116 to L.N. 119 of 2020)
Mover
:
Hon CHAN Hoi-yan
Wording of the motion
:

V.
Members' Motions (not including those on Subsidiary Legislation)

1st debate (covering the following motion)
(Standing over from the meeting of 20 May 2020)
1.
Motion under Rule 49B(1A) of the Rules of Procedure to censure Hon Claudia MO
Mover
:
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan
Wording of the motion
:
(This motion jointly signed by Hon Mrs Regina IP, Hon Alice MAK and Hon Vincent CHENG)
2nd debate (covering the following motion)
(Standing over from the meeting of 20 May 2020)
2.
Motion under Rule 49B(1A) of the Rules of Procedure to censure Hon Dennis KWOK
Mover
:
Hon Alice MAK
Wording of the motion
:
(This motion jointly signed by Hon Mrs Regina IP, Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG and Hon Holden CHOW)
3rd debate
(covering the following 2 motions on the incident of assaults which occurred in Yuen Long Station of West Rail Line of the MTR Corporation Limited on 21 July 2019 ("the 721 incident"))
(Standing over from the meeting of 23 October 2019)
3.
Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint a select committee to conduct an inquiry
Mover
:
Hon LAM Cheuk-ting
Wording of the motion
:
4.
Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint a select committee to conduct an inquiry
(This motion concerns both the 721 incident and the 831 incident)
Mover
:
Hon Claudia MO
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend this debate
:
Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Security
(Debate and voting arrangements set out in LC Paper Nos. CB(3) 195/19-20 and CB(3) 218/19-20 issued on 9 and 17 December 2019)
4th debate
(covering the following 3 motions on the incident of assaults which occurred in Prince Edward Station of the MTR Corporation Limited on 31 August 2019 ("the 831 incident") as well as the part concerning the 831 incident in Hon Claudia MO's motion in item 4)
(Standing over from the meeting of 23 October 2019)
5.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Commissioner of Police, Director of Fire Services, Chairman of the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") and Operations Director of MTRCL to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Hon Alvin YEUNG
Wording of the motion
:
6.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Commissioner of Police, Director of Fire Services, Assistant Director (Ambulance) of the Fire Services Department, Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority, Hospital Chief Executive of Kwong Wah Hospital and Hospital Chief Executive of Princess Margaret Hospital to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki
Wording of the motion
:
7.
Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint a select committee to conduct an inquiry
Mover
:
Hon KWONG Chun-yu
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend this debate
:
Secretary for Security
Secretary for Transport and Housing
Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Transport and Housing
(Debate and voting arrangements set out in LC Paper Nos. CB(3) 195/19-20 and CB(3) 218/19-20 issued on 9 and 17 December 2019)
5th debate
(covering the following 7 motions on the Police's handling of protesters and persons performing duties in the protests during the "anti-extradition to China" movement)
(Items 8 to 12 standing over from the meeting of 23 October 2019)
8 and 9.
Motions under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint select committees to conduct inquiries
Mover
:
Hon Tanya CHAN
Wording of the motions
:
10 and 11.
Motions under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint select committees to conduct inquiries
Mover
:
Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki
Wording of the motions
:
12.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Secretary for Security and Secretary for Labour and Welfare to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG
Wording of the motion
:
(Item 13 standing over from the meeting of 13 November 2019)
13.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Secretary for Security and Commissioner of Police to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki
Wording of the motion
:
(Item 14 standing over from the meeting of 11 December 2019)
14.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Commissioner of Police to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Hon Kenneth LEUNG
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend this debate
:
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare
(Debate and voting arrangements set out in LC Paper Nos. CB(3) 195/19-20 and CB(3) 218/19-20 issued on 9 and 17 December 2019)
6th debate
(covering the following 2 motions on the causes and consequences of the social conflicts or disturbances arising from the amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance (Cap. 503) and related matters)
(Item 15 standing over from the meeting of 13 November 2019)
15.
Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint a select committee to conduct an inquiry
Mover
:
Hon CHUNG Kwok-pan
Wording of the motion
:
(Item 16 standing over from the meeting of 27 November 2019)
16.
Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance to appoint a select committee to conduct an inquiry
Mover
:
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG
Wording of the motion
:
Amendment mover
:
Hon James TO
(Amendment set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 155/19-20 issued on 22 November 2019)
Public officers to attend this debate
:
Chief Secretary for Administration
Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Security
(Debate and voting arrangements set out in LC Paper Nos. CB(3) 195/19-20 and CB(3) 218/19-20 issued on 9 and 17 December 2019)
Debate and voting arrangements for the following 4 motions to be notified
(Items 17 and 18 standing over from the meeting of 15 January 2020)
17.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Secretary for Security and Commissioner of Police to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Hon Charles Peter MOK
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Security
18.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Secretary for Security and Secretary for Transport and Housing to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Hon Jeremy TAM
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Security
Secretary for Transport and Housing
Under Secretary for Security
Under Secretary for Transport and Housing
(Items 19 and 20 standing over from the meeting of 20 May 2020)
19.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Chief Secretary for Administration and Secretary for Food and Health to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Food and Health
20.
Motion under Article 73(5) and (10) of the Basic Law to summon the Chief Secretary for Administration to produce papers and testify
Mover
:
Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Food and Health
7th debate (covering the following motion)
(Standing over from the meeting of 12 June 2019)
21.
Motion on "No confidence in the Fifth Term Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region"
Mover
:
Hon Dennis KWOK
Wording of the motion
:
Amendment mover
:
Hon Claudia MO
(Amendment set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 667/18-19 issued on 5 June 2019)
Public officer to attend
:
Chief Secretary for Administration
8th debate (covering the following motion)
(Standing over from the meeting of 3 June 2020)
22.
Motion on "Strengthening the combat against parallel trading activities, and tightening the arrangements for Mainland residents visiting Hong Kong"
Mover
:
Hon LAM Cheuk-ting
Wording of the motion
:
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development



Clerk to the Legislative Council




Appendix 1

Council meeting of 24 June 2020

Laying of Papers on the Table of the Council

Subsidiary legislation
Legal Notice No.
Other papers
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.




Appendix 2

22 questions to be asked at the Council meeting of 24 June 2020

Subject matters
Public officers to reply
Questions for oral replies
1
Hon Jeremy TAM
Secretary for Security
2
Hon Starry LEE
Secretary for Food and Health
3
Hon CHAN Chi-chuen
Secretary for Food and Health
Under Secretary for Security
4
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Secretary for Development
5
Hon LUK Chung-hung
Secretary for Transport and Housing
6
Hon WU Chi-wai
Secretary for the Civil Service
Questions for written replies
7
Hon Frankie YICK
Secretary for Transport and Housing
8
Hon MA Fung-kwok
Secretary for Home Affairs
9
Hon Steven HO
Secretary for Food and Health
10
Hon Wilson OR
Secretary for Transport and Housing
11
Hon James TO
Secretary for Security
12
Hon Dennis KWOK
Chief Secretary for Administration
13
Hon Kenneth LEUNG
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
14
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Secretary for Development
15
Hon Elizabeth QUAT
Secretary for Food and Health
16
Hon Charles Peter MOK
Secretary for Innovation and Technology
17
Hon LUK Chung-hung
Secretary for Development
18
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Secretary for Development
19
Hon Dennis KWOK
Secretary for Education
20
Hon Charles Peter MOK
Secretary for Food and Health
21
Hon Frankie YICK
Secretary for Transport and Housing
22
Hon Elizabeth QUAT
Secretary for Transport and Housing




Question 1
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Preventing police officers from performing duties
under the influence of alcohol or drugs

Hon Jeremy TAM to ask:
It has been reported that some police officers who were on duty at the scenes of public events behaved erratically, including swearing at and violently assaulting members of the public, as well as grinning hideously while pointing arms at crowds, which had aroused suspicion as to whether they were under the influence of alcohol or drugs. In addition, some police officers were arrested in recent months for allegedly stealing methamphetamine exhibits or assaulting their colleagues after drink. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of cases in the past five years in which police officers were convicted of drug-related offences, as well as the details of such cases, including the offence dates, case summaries, types and quantities of the drugs involved, as well as the convicted offence(s);
(2)
as it has been reported that the Police intend to implement a scheme for conducting drug tests on those police officers who may be transferred to sensitive positions or be promoted, but the scheme is only voluntary in nature, whether the Police will conduct surprise and mandatory drug tests on police officers randomly selected among all of them, and specify the punishments for refusal to take the tests, so as to enhance the deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Police have prescribed an alcohol concentration limit for on-duty police officers; if so, of the limit; whether it has conducted surprise and mandatory alcohol breath tests on randomly selected on-duty police officers; if so, of the details, including the respective numbers of person-times of police officers taking and refusing to take the tests, the number of person-times of police officers whose alcohol concentration exceeded the limit and the average magnitude by which the limit was exceeded, as well as the disciplinary actions that the police officers concerned were subjected to, in each of the past five years; if it has not conducted tests, the reasons for that?




Question 2
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Mutual recognition system for health codes of
Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao

Hon Starry LEE to ask:
The authorities of the Mainland, Macao and Hong Kong are separately implementing measures to put inbound travellers under compulsory quarantine. Some Hong Kong businessmen who need to frequently commute between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, as well as those Hong Kong people who reside on the Mainland but work in Hong Kong have relayed that the quarantine measures have seriously affected their work and family lives. The authorities of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are taking forward a system for mutual recognition of health codes ("mutual recognition system") to facilitate cross-boundary flow of people between the three places amid the epidemic. Under the mutual recognition system, holders of a health code containing certification of negative result of the nucleic acid test on Coronavirus Disease 2019 issued within seven days by a designated medical institution may be exempted from compulsory quarantine on arrival in the three places. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest progress of the implementation of the mutual recognition system by the authorities of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao; whether the authorities will expeditiously increase the quota for the Hong Kong health code under the mutual recognition system, with priority being accorded to the following people: those who need to commute between the three places on business, work, study, humanitarian or special grounds; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2)
whether it will expeditiously increase the capacity of local medical institutions in conducting the nucleic acid test under the mutual recognition system and the test quota, as well as subsidize the private sector for providing testing services, so as to lower the test fees payable by members of the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?




Question 3
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Freedom of assembly and procession amid the epidemic

Hon CHAN Chi-chuen to ask:
To cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") epidemic, the Government made the Prevention and Control of Disease (Prohibition on Group Gathering) Regulation ("No-gathering Order"). It has been reported that on a number of occasions since the No-gathering Order came into operation on 29 March this year, the Police have issued notices of objection to public meetings and processions on grounds of epidemic prevention, and have issued to participants of such events fixed penalty notices for violating the No-gathering Order. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of COVID-19 patients who reported that they had participated in public meetings or processions within the 14 days prior to being confirmed of infection;
(2)
of the number of notices of objection to public meetings and processions issued by the Police on grounds of epidemic prevention since the coming into operation of the No-gathering Order; and
(3)
as some medical practitioners have pointed out that as long as all participants of public events wear face masks and maintain social distance, their risks of being infected during the events can be greatly reduced, whether the Government has assessed if the objection by the Police to the holding of public events on grounds of epidemic prevention has infringed upon the freedom of assembly and procession enjoyed by Hong Kong residents under Article 27 of the Basic Law; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the affirmative, whether it will request the Police to revise such practice; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, of the justifications for that?




Question 4
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Flood prevention measures

Hon WONG Kwok-kin to ask:
The Hong Kong Observatory issued the first Black Rainstorm Signal of this year on the 6th of this month. It has been reported that on that day, flooding occurred in extensive areas in Hong Kong which were affected by rainstorms. The flooding in Kowloon East, especially in the vicinity of Hoi Yuen Road and Tsui Ping Road, was particularly serious, and the Kwun Tong Road underpass was even inundated for several hours, thereby severely affecting the traffic there. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the details of the investigations conducted into the flooding reports received during the aforesaid rainstorms, and other follow-up work carried out; given that Kowloon East was not a flooding black spot in the past, of the measures in place to prevent the recurrence of flooding in that district;
(2)
of the designed flood discharge capacity of the aforesaid roads and underpass, as well as whether it has examined the need to enhance such capacity; and
(3)
given that the rainy season has begun, of the new measures in place to ensure that the various flood prevention measures, drainage systems, seawalls and breakwaters can function properly to prevent the occurrence of severe flooding; whether it will step up its efforts such as clearing the blocked drains in the urban areas?




Question 5
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Rent adjustment for public rental housing

Hon LUK Chung-hung to ask:
Under the prevailing rent adjustment mechanism for public rental housing ("PRH"), PRH rent is reviewed once every two years and adjusted according to changes in tenants' household income. It has been reported that the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") is currently conducting such a review and, based on the calculation using the data obtained therefrom, PRH rent has to be increased by 9% this year. There are comments that as the review takes into account the income data up to the end of last year only, the review outcome cannot reflect the situation that tenants' income has dwindled due to the economic downturn in recent months. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed the impacts on the tenants and the consumption sentiments in society which will be brought about by HA's increasing PRH rent pursuant to the mechanism, albeit the economic downturn; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether HA will consider offsetting the increase in PRH rent for the current year by granting additional rent waiver, so as to alleviate the financial burden on tenants; and
(3)
whether HA will review afresh the PRH rent adjustment mechanism to rectify the deficiency of the mechanism that time-lagged data is used?




Question 6
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Dual capacities of civil servants

Hon WU Chi-wai to ask:
It has been reported that the Secretary for the Civil Service has recently stated that under the "one country, two systems", civil servants employed by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region ("HKSAR") Government are civil servants of the State at the same time. Nevertheless, both the Basic Law and the Civil Service Code of HKSAR do not contain similar statements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the legal basis for the aforesaid statement; whether there are official documents which corroborate such a statement;
(2)
as the relevant articles in the Law of the People's Republic of China on Civil Servants ("the PRC Law on Civil Servants") provide that the civil servant system shall be under the leadership of the Communist Party of China and the guidance of the Thoughts and Theories of certain incumbent and former topmost leaders, and that civil servants shall support the socialist system, whether civil servants of HKSAR are required to comply with these articles; if so, whether civil servants of HKSAR will be subject to disciplinary actions for not complying with these articles; and
(3)
whether it has plans to incorporate into the Civil Service Code of HKSAR the various requirements for civil servants of the State as provided in the PRC Law on Civil Servants; if so, of the details?




Question 7
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Assistance for operators of kaito services

Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
Some operators of kaito services have relayed that both kaitos and ferries are operated by licensed operators and provide regular waterborne public transport services for residents on the outlying islands. Moreover, both kaitos and ferries have been affected by the epidemic recently, resulting in a drastic drop in their patronage and revenue, and yet they still have to meet expenses such as insurance premiums, maintenance costs, fuel costs and staff salaries. However, the relief measures from which kaito operators may benefit are far fewer than those for ferry operators. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the majority of the employees working on kaitos have not participated in Mandatory Provident Fund schemes because they have reached the age of 65 or above, rendering kaito operators unable to apply for the wage subsidies under the Employment Support Scheme, whether the Government will extend the coverage of the following relief measure from which ferry and green minibus operators may benefit to kaito operators: provision of a monthly wage subsidy of $6,000 in respect of each mature employee for a period of six months; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and what other support measures are in place;
(2)
whether it will extend the coverage of the subsidy for repair and maintenance costs and insurance premiums, for which ferry operators are eligible to apply, to kaito operators so as to relieve the latter's operating pressure;
(3)
whether it will include all kaito routes in the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities and set the maximum subsidy amount according to the trip length of the kaito routes, so as to reduce the travelling expenses of elderly residents on the outlying islands while enhancing the competitiveness of kaitos; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
of the short, medium and long term measures in place to assist the kaito sector in resolving problems such as continuous shrinkage of the sector, incessantly escalating operating costs and succession difficulties of employees, so as to facilitate the sustainable development of the sector? 




Question 8
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Assistance for the sectors of
sports, performing arts, culture and publication

Hon MA Fung-kwok to ask:
A number of representatives from the sports, performing arts, culture and publication sectors have relayed to me that the operation of quite a number of organizations in their sectors has been hard hit by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") epidemic. The unemployment rate of the "arts, entertainment and recreation industry" from February to April this year rose sharply to 9%. Although the Government has launched two rounds of relief initiatives and measures under the Anti-epidemic Fund ("AEF"), many organizations and practitioners of the aforesaid sectors have indicated that they have not benefited from them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the implementation of the following initiatives and measures implemented under AEF, including the respective numbers of applications received and approved, and the amounts granted:
(i)
the Arts and Culture Sector Subsidy Scheme,
(ii)
one-off relief grant for school instructors of learning/interest classes,
(iii)
one-off grant for registered sports coaches,
(iv)
relief grants for freelance workers hired by subvented non-governmental welfare organizations to provide training and coaching for service users,
(v)
relief for creative industries, and
(vi)
subsidy schemes for premises affected by COVID-19, including the Amusement Game Centres Subsidy Scheme, the Fitness Centre Subsidy Scheme, the Places of Amusement Licence Holders Subsidy Scheme, the Places of Public Entertainment Licence Holder Subsidy Scheme, and the Sports and Recreational Sites Subsidy Scheme;
(2)
whether it will consider providing further support for members of the aforesaid sectors (especially those organizations and practitioners that have not benefited from the initiatives and measures mentioned in (1)); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the factors that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department ("LCSD") takes into consideration when deciding whether to reopen a certain cultural and leisure facility; whether LCSD will, having regard to the latest situation of the epidemic, draw up a timetable for reopening those venues which have yet been reopened; the anti-epidemic measures adopted by LCSD for the reopened venues; whether those measures will be adjusted in the light of the latest situation of the epidemic, and the relevant considerations;
(4)
whether LCSD has consulted the relevant sectors on the dates for reopening the various cultural and leisure facilities as well as the epidemic prevention arrangements for the venues; as the persons-in-charge of some arts groups have pointed out that their ticket office receipts will be severely affected in the event that LCSD imposes, for epidemic prevention reasons, restrictions on the attendances at the reopened performance venues, of the assistance to be provided by the Government for the affected arts groups;
(5)
whether it has consulted the relevant sectors in order to formulate strategies to help them recover as early as possible when the epidemic is over; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6)
whether it will consider issuing to members of the public consumption vouchers for cultural, recreational and sports activities so as to encourage them to participate in such activities when the epidemic is over, and at the same time enable the relevant sectors to recover as early as possible; if not, of the reasons for that?




Question 9
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Chilled or frozen pork being sold as fresh pork

Hon Steven HO to ask:
Under the impact of the African Swine Fever epidemic on the Mainland, the number of live pigs supplied to Hong Kong from the Mainland dropped significantly last year, and has not yet returned to its previous level. It has been reported that the situation of unscrupulous traders selling chilled pork as fresh pork is quite rampant due to the persistently high prices of live pigs, members of the public being generally unable to distinguish between fresh and chilled pork, the perfunctory law enforcement by the authorities and the lack of a certification system for fresh pork in Hong Kong. Such situation may cause food safety issues and hit the business of shops selling fresh pork. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective lists of licensed fresh provision shops and market stalls which are permitted to sell fresh pork or chilled pork or both (collectively referred to as "fresh meat shops");
(2)
of the details of the sampling tests conducted on pork by officers of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD") in their inspections of fresh meat shops (including (i) the manpower for managing the sampling process, (ii) the approach adopted for taking pork samples, (iii) the monthly numbers of samples tested and (iv) the testing equipment and methods used);
(3)
of (i) the number of inspections of fresh meat shops conducted, (ii) the number of reports on traders selling chilled or frozen pork as fresh pork received, and (iii) the respective numbers of prosecutions instituted against operators of fresh meat shops for breaching the Food Business Regulation (Cap. 132X) and the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Chapter 362), by FEHD in each of the past five years, and the punishments imposed on the convicted persons;
(4)
as some members of the trade have relayed that quite a number of fresh meat shops display and store chilled pork in ways that are non-compliant with the licensing conditions (e.g. failing to keep chilled pork in a chiller maintained at a temperature between 0 and 4 degrees Celsius, and hanging up defrosted pork to pass it off as fresh pork), whether FEHD officers have used thermometers to detect non-fresh pork when inspecting fresh meat shops; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether, in the long run, the authorities will adopt a multi-pronged approach to resolve the problem, including (i) proactively improving the procedures for conducting routine inspections of fresh meat shops (e.g. carrying out large-scale inspection operations in a high-profile manner, randomly checking invoices for purchase of pork by fresh meat shops, or mounting decoy operations), (ii) increasing the sources of imported live pigs, and (iii) establishing a comprehensive certification system for fresh pork; if so, of the details (including the implementation timetable); if not, the reasons for that?




Question 10
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Pre-construction preparatory work of public works projects

Hon Wilson OR to ask:
The Government is taking forward public housing development projects on two sites at Pik Wan Road of Yau Tong, namely Site A at the junction of Ko Chiu Road and Ko Chiu Path as well as Site B at the junction of Ko Chiu Road and Pik Wan Road. The findings of a study released earlier by a think tank show that Site A and Site B were rezoned to residential use in 2011 or earlier and in 2014 respectively, and the Civil Engineering and Development Department ("CEDD") commenced the feasibility studies in 2015 as well as the site investigation and design in 2017 for the supporting infrastructure of the public housing development projects concerned. The think tank has pointed out that the two sites do not adjoin one another and the aforesaid arrangement has caused unnecessary delay to the public housing development project on Site A. Regarding the pre-construction preparatory work of public works projects, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the year in which the rezoning of Site A to residential use was completed, and the reasons why CEDD did not forthwith commence the feasibility study as well as the site investigation and design for the site;
(2)
of the completion dates of the site investigation and design for the two sites;
(3)
of the principles or criteria based on which CEDD determines (i) when the feasibility study as well as the site investigation and design for a site should commence, and (ii) the priorities for commencing such work for various sites; and
(4)
of the following information on the public housing development projects, in each year since 2013, the pre-construction preparatory work for which CEDD was responsible: (i) the name and location of the project, (ii) the time (estimated/actual) required for the feasibility study, (iii) the time (estimated/actual) required for the site investigation and design, (iv) the number of housing units involved, and (v) the latest progress (set out in a table)?




Question 11
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Combating smuggling activities

Hon James TO to ask:
It has been reported that as a result of the closure of a number of land boundary control points since the beginning of the year, smuggling syndicates have switched to smuggling goods to the Mainland by sea. Smuggling syndicates first use trucks to transport goods such as frozen meat to the spots along the seaside (such as the New Yau Ma Tei Public Cargo Working Area, Stonecutters Island Public Cargo Working Area and Cheung Sha Wan's Yuen Fat Wharf & Godown), and then transport the goods by barges to the waters to the north of the Hong Kong International Airport ("HKIA") for further transport to the Mainland by speedboats. The quantity of contraband smuggled daily exceeds 600 tonnes and the value of such goods is as high as tens of millions dollars. On the other hand, three officers of the Customs and Excise Department ("C&ED") died on the night of 21 January this year after falling to the sea while discharging duties at the waters near Sha Chau. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the details of the current law enforcement operations conducted by C&ED to combat smuggling activities at (i) the aforesaid seaside spots and (ii) the waters to the north of HKIA, including the manpower, the type and number of vessels used, as well as the time and frequency of patrols;
(2)
whether C&ED will strengthen its manpower and upgrade its equipment in order to reduce the occurrence of accidents to its officers while discharging duties; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the details of the law enforcement operations conducted in the past six months by C&ED to combat sea smuggling activities, including the number of vessels intercepted and inspected, the respective numbers of persons arrested and prosecuted, as well as the punishments imposed on those convicted; whether it will consider amending the legislation to increase the penalties so as to enhance the deterrent effect; and
(4)
whether it will discuss with the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China on the strategies for jointly combating sea smuggling activities; if so, of the details?




Question 12
(For written reply)

Conducting remote hearings for court cases

Hon Dennis KWOK to ask:
Since 3 April 2020, remote hearings may be conducted for suitable civil cases by using the court's video-conferencing facilities ("VCF"). Court users may connect to VCF under a hardware option (i.e. using hardware video-conferencing units) or a software option (i.e. using normal desktop computers installed with appropriate software). Besides, the Judiciary is actively considering enabling real-time communication for the web ("WebRTC") in video-conferencing, so that court users can connect to VCF by using a simple web browser. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
(1)
the equipment needed to be acquired by the Judiciary for enabling remote hearings; the respective quantities of such equipment purchased/to be purchased, as well as the respective capital and recurrent expenditures incurred/to be incurred; when the acquisition of all equipment can be completed;
(2)
the criteria to be adopted for choosing the WebRTC software and the supplier; whether the software has been acquired; if so, the technical specifications of the software and the implementation timetable for WebRTC; if not, the latest progress of the relevant work and timetable for enabling WebRTC in video-conferencing;
(3)
whether the WebRTC solution to be introduced is similar to those adopted in other jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom ("UK"), for conducting remote hearings; if not, the differences;
(4)
how the Judiciary's ability, upon the introduction of WebRTC, to conduct remote hearings compares with that in other jurisdictions, such as UK, the United States and Australia, and the areas on which improvement is needed;
(5)
whether the High Court Building has sufficient bandwidth of Internet access services for remote hearings to be conducted in all courtrooms simultaneously;
(6)
the assistance provided by the Judiciary for litigants/witnesses who do not have the necessary equipment for attending remote hearings;
(7)
whether the scope of application of remote hearings will be expanded to criminal cases; and
(8)
whether the Judiciary has plans to handle the backlog of cases by conducting more remote hearings?




Question 13
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Currency swap agreements with the People's Bank of China

Hon Kenneth LEUNG to ask:
On 1 June 2020, the Financial Secretary revealed that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") and the People's Bank of China ("PBoC") had signed a currency swap agreement on Hong Kong dollars and the United States ("US") dollars last year, and that such agreement would help defend the Linked Exchange Rate System, under which the Hong Kong dollar is pegged to the US dollar. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the date on which the agreement was signed, as well as the purpose and other details of the agreement;
(2)
whether HKMA signed the agreement with PBoC because of the consideration that relying solely on Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserve was insufficient for defending the Linked Exchange Rate System; and
(3)
whether, apart from the agreement and the Renminbi-Hong Kong dollar currency swap agreement which has been in force for more than a decade, HKMA and PBoC have signed any other currency swap agreements; if so, of the details?




Question 14
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Public housing development projects

Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
It is learnt that rezoning sites for housing purpose has been one of the major sources of lands for public housing in recent years. There are comments that different administrative and statutory procedures are involved from the moment that the Government has made a decision to rezone the land use of a site to the moment that the site is spade-ready for housing construction, and the pace of public housing supply will be affected should there be delay in any one of the procedures. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
regarding the various public housing development projects since 2013 which involved land use rezoning, of the respective average time taken to complete the following six development procedures: (i) conducting pre-feasibility study, (ii) carrying out site investigation and design of infrastructure works, (iii) seeking funding approval from the Finance Committee of this Council for the relevant site formation and infrastructure works, (iv) land resumption (if applicable), (v) land clearance, and (vi) carrying out site formation and infrastructure works;
(2)
regarding the following projects, of the respective (A) commencement dates/expected commencement dates and (B) completion dates/expected completion dates for the various procedures mentioned in (1) (set out in the table below):
(a)
Long Bin (Phase 1),
(b)
Long Bin (Phase 2),
(c)
Tuen Mun Area 54 Site 4A (South),
(d)
Wang Chau (Phase 1),
(e)
Wah King Street,
(f)
Wah Fu North,
(g)
Kai Lung Wan North, Kai Lung Wan South,
(h)
Wah Lok Path, Pok Fu Lam,
(i)
Ex-Cha Kwo Ling Kaolin Mine Site A and Site B,
(j)
Tuen Mun Area 54 Site 5,
(k)
Yau Yue Wan Village Road,
(l)
Pak Shing Kok Road,
(m)
Near Tan Kwai Tsuen (South),
(n)
Kai Tak Site 2B3,
(o)
Kai Tak Site 2B4,
(p)
Kai Tak Site 2B5,
(q)
Kai Tak Site 2B6,
(r)
Shek Lei Interim Housing,
(s)
San Hing Road (Phase 1),
(t)
San Hing Road (Phase 2),
(u)
Ex-Mount Davis Cottage Area, Ka Wai Man Road
(Phase 1), and
(v)
Ex-Mount Davis Cottage Area, Ka Wai Man Road
(Phase 2);
Project name/
location		 Development procedure
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi)
  (A)(B) (A)(B) (A)(B) (A)(B) (A)(B) (A)(B)
                   
                   
(3)
whether the Government will, upon the completion of the land use rezoning procedure, forthwith commence the work on land resumption (if necessary); if not, of the procedure(s) to be completed by the Government before such work may commence, and the criteria adopted for determining the appropriate timing for commencing such work;
(4)
whether it will formulate a policy to the effect that notice(s) for resumption of land must be published in the Gazette within a specified period of time from the completion of the land use rezoning procedure, so that those persons who will be affected by land resumption may anticipate the time when the Government will resume their land; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(5)
as the Government has indicated that it will further simplify and expedite the work process, including compressing the time required for engineering feasibility studies ("EFSs") as far as possible and speeding up statutory procedures such as land use rezoning upon completion of EFSs, with a view to expediting the implementation of housing development projects, whether the Government (i) has assessed the extent to which the time needed for public housing production can be reduced upon the implementation of the relevant arrangements, and (ii) has formulated quantitative indicators (e.g. the reduction of the time needed for the various development procedures by certain months, or the completion of such procedures within certain months) and monitored if the relevant projects have met the targets; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider doing so? 




Question 15
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Treatments and support for patients with cancers and rare diseases

Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
Some patient groups have relayed that it often takes years for a new drug to go through the process from application for its registration in Hong Kong, approval given for its registration, its being listed by the Hospital Authority ("HA") on HA's Drug Formulary ("HADF") as a Self-financed Item ("SFI") with safety net coverage, to its being reclassified as a General Drug or a Special Drug on HADF. As a result, quite a number of patients with cancers and rare diseases have missed the golden opportunity for receiving treatment with the use of a new drug. In addition, although the Government and HA implemented enhancement measures early last year for the means test mechanism for drug subsidies under the Samaritan Fund and the Community Care Fund ("CCF") Medical Assistance Programmes, there are still quite a number of cases of "having no money for treatment despite the existence of a needed drug" at present. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the top 10 deadliest cancers in Hong Kong at present and, in respect of each of them, (i) the number of new confirmed cases and (ii) the number and age distribution of those persons who died of the cancer, in each of the past three years (set out in a table);
(2)
whether it knows the current average time taken from a public hospital patient being suspected by a doctor of having cancer to that patient receiving first treatment, and the respective numbers of persons queuing to receive the relevant treatments (with a tabulated breakdown by type of cancer);
(3)
of the new drugs for treating rare diseases and cancers which were approved in the past three years for registration in Hong Kong, and the average time taken for vetting and approval of the applications for registration of these drugs;
(4)
whether it will consider afresh introducing, for rare diseases, (i) a drug registration system and (ii) a list of drugs, as well as making rare disease patients, medical practitioners and pharmaceutical companies all being able to apply for the inclusion of new drugs in the said list of drugs for rare diseases;
(5)
whether it will consider afresh establishing a policy committee on rare diseases to advise on the strategic direction and policies in respect of rare diseases, as well as to coordinate and monitor the implementation of such policies by relevant government departments and bodies as well as to submit reports in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
whether it will consider afresh laying down a definition of rare diseases applicable to Hong Kong (e.g. by defining a disease which affects no more than 1 in 10 000 individuals in Hong Kong's population and is clinically definable as a rare disease); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(7)
given that quite a number of patients with cancers and rare diseases as well as their family members experience pay cuts and unemployment amid the downturn of Hong Kong's economy due to social disturbances and the epidemic, which has resulted in their having difficulties in making contributions to drug expenses under the existing means test mechanism for drug subsidies, whether the Government will provide them with targeted financial support;
(8)
of the (i) total number and (ii) names of those drugs added, in the past three years, to the respective lists of SFIs covered by the drug subsidies under the two aforesaid funds;
(9)
as some medical professionals have pointed out that at present, various immunotherapy drugs which have specific curative effects on certain cancers are not yet covered by the lists of SFIs under the two aforesaid funds (e.g. Atezolizumab), or are only covered by the CCF Medical Assistance Programmes for use in very limited treatment purposes (e.g. Nivolumab and Pembrolizumab), whether the Government knows if HA will expeditiously include in HADF those immunotherapy drugs which have not yet been covered, and provide such drugs for patients who have tried different drugs but failed to get satisfactory treatment results; if HA will, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(10)
given that the Drug Advisory Committee under HA meets once every three months to assess applications for inclusion of new drugs in HADF, but some terminal cancer patients in critical condition are in urgent need of certain drugs which have not yet been included in HADF, whether the Government knows if HA will establish a mechanism for speedy processing of applications for inclusion of relevant drugs in HADF for such patients on a discretionary basis; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?




Question 16
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Job creation for the information technology sector

Hon Charles Peter MOK to ask:
The second-round relief measures, launched by the Government in April this year, include the allocation of around $6 billion to create about 30 000 time-limited jobs in both public and private bodies in the coming two years. Such jobs include (i) some 4 600 positions for technicians and supporting staff, (ii) some 1 640 positions for seasoned professionals, and (iii) over 200 positions for fresh graduates. Regarding job creation for the information technology ("IT") sector, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the details of those positions, among the aforesaid positions, which belong to the IT sector, including (i) the number of positions, job nature, entry requirements and pay levels, as well as (ii) the mode by which those positions created in private bodies will be subsidized by public funds; the latest progress of creation of such jobs and the timetable for the recruitment work;
(2)
whether it will create more positions for seasoned professionals in the IT sector, in order to expedite the work on implementing e-Government Services, development of Smart City, etc.; and
(3)
whether it will, by making reference to the Graduate Employment Training Scheme launched by the Government after the epidemic in 2003, consider implementing the following scheme: where an enterprise hires fresh graduates from university IT programmes for the purpose of supporting its participation in the Government's schemes such as the Distance Business Programme and the Technology Voucher Programme, and provides on-the-job training for such graduates, the enterprise is eligible for receiving from the Government a monthly training allowance of $6,000 for each graduate so employed, with a view to creating jobs and encouraging enterprises to enhance the application of IT; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?




Question 17
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Illegal conversion of car parking spaces into shops

Hon LUK Chung-hung to ask:
It has recently been uncovered by the media that the street-level car parking spaces of a number of old buildings in Kowloon City have been illegally converted into shops for as long as several decades. The Lands Department ("LandsD") and the Buildings Department ("BD") have all along failed to take follow-up actions, and the Rating and Valuation Department ("RVD") has determined the rates payable by the landlords concerned on the basis of the rateable values of such premises as shops. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether LandsD and BD have, since the occupation of the aforesaid buildings, received any applications for converting the carparking spaces concerned into shops; if so, of the number;
(2)
whether LandsD and BD have, since the occupation of the aforesaid buildings, uncovered the relevant cases of illegal conversion; if so, of the number, as well as the law enforcement actions and follow-up work taken; and
(3)
of the reasons why RVD has determined the rates payable by the landlords concerned for such premises on the basis of their rateable values as shops?




Question 18
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Anderson Road Development Area

Hon WONG Kwok-kin to ask:
The Anderson Road Development ("ARD") Area comprises the Development of Anderson Road Quarry Site project which will provide 11 housing sites with a total area of about 12 hectares. Among such sites, there are eight sites and three sites designated respectively for the development of public housing and private housing/Starter Homes for Hong Kong Residents pilot project. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest projected intake dates for the residential developments on each of the 11 aforesaid sites;
(2)
of the latest progress of the East Kowloon Line railway project proposed in the Railway Development Strategy 2014, whose catchment area includes ARD Area; and
(3)
of the latest progress of the road improvement works and traffic arrangements implemented to tie in with the development of the ARD Area?




Question 19
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Support provided for children with special educational needs

Hon Dennis KWOK to ask:
In view of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (commonly known as "Wuhan pneumonia") epidemic, classes of primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong were suspended for almost four months, and it was only until last month that the schools started to resume classes by phases. Some parents of children with special educational needs ("SEN") have relayed that their children were not provided with the necessary support and regular training during the period of class suspension, and that their children have demonstrated anxiety over class resumption. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government provided support services for SEN children during the period of class suspension; if so, of the details, including (i) a breakdown, by service type, of the number of children who received such services, (ii) content of the services, (iii) the government department(s) and the number of personnel involved, as well as (iv) the amount of expenditure incurred; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has formulated measures to assist SEN children in adapting to learning and school life upon class resumption; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
given that while the Education Bureau ("EDB") wrote to all schools in Hong Kong on 3 April this year indicating that Special Educational Needs Coordinators ("SENCOs") at schools should review afresh and adjust the content of the plans for supporting SEN children as well as provide them with support through various means, there have been comments that quite a number of schools have just created the position of SENCO in this school year, and that the training received by SENCOs is insufficient for them to cope with the special circumstances that the schools currently face, whether EDB has taken measures to assist SENCOs in carrying out the relevant work; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it knows if all on-site training services (including services provided under "On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services") were suspended during the period of class suspension; if the services were not all suspended, of the types of services affected; of the number of service organizations whose service contracts were terminated due to prolonged class suspension, and whether the Government will provide support for these organizations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether it knows the number of organizations mentioned in (4) which have decided that they will no longer provide on-site training services for schools in the next school year?




Question 20
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Information security of the health code system

Hon Charles Peter MOK to ask:
In an effort to facilitate the cross-boundary activities of residents of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the Government is taking forward a scheme for mutual recognition of health codes. Residents of the three places holding proof of a negative result of a nucleic acid test for Coronavirus Disease 2019 issued within seven days by a designated medical institution shall be exempted from undergoing a compulsory quarantine for 14 days upon entry. Some Hong Kong residents are worried that their sensitive personal data, such as medical records, will be transferred to Mainland security departments through the health code system, resulting in their personal privacy being intruded on. Regarding the information security of the health code system, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the expected number of applicants for the health code and the duration for which the mutual recognition scheme will be put in place; the details of the mutual recognition scheme (including the procedure to be followed by applicants); whether Hong Kong residents are required to install in their mobile phones or other electronic devices health code applications launched by the Mainland authorities and input personal data into such applications in order to use the relevant services; if so, of the types of information (including personal data) collected via such applications as well as its retention period and, among such information, the types of personal data to be transferred out of Hong Kong or handed over to data users outside Hong Kong for processing or retention;
(2)
whether special information security measures will be adopted for the health code system; of the measures put in place to guard against an excessive collection of personal data by the system and an overly lax restriction on the authority of using such data, so as to prevent the personal data of Hong Kong residents from being accessed, processed, deleted or used accidentally or without their authorization;
(3)
of the local and Mainland government departments/institutions authorized to access the health codes and relevant personal data of Hong Kong residents, and the mechanisms to be followed by them before accessing the information; whether it will request the relevant Mainland government departments/institutions to impose restrictions on the use of such information for purposes other than the purpose of preventing the occurrence or the spread of an infectious disease or contamination (e.g. establishing a DNA database and preventing or detecting crimes), and to expeditiously delete information which is no longer needed for the quarantine work; if so, of the details;
(4)
whether mutual recognition of health codes among the three places will be carried out in a manner that (i) collects and transfers the least amount of personal data and (ii) reduces the amount of personal data required to be retained (in particular biometric data and user locations (if applicable)); of the ways to protect the personal data of Hong Kong residents from being transferred out of Hong Kong or used for non-specified purposes without authorization; and
(5)
whether it has, before implementing the scheme for mutual recognition, sought the advice of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data on issues about the collection, processing and use of personal data, etc., and engaged independent third parties to conduct privacy and information security risk assessments and audits; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the authorities have followed the various data protection principles set out in the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) when designing the system concerned?




Question 21
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Support for the vehicle maintenance industry

Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
Some owners of vehicle repair workshops ("workshops") have relayed that the vehicle maintenance industry has been hard hit by the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic in recent months, with business turnover having dropped significantly. It is estimated that so far, over 100 workshops have closed down, with nearly 800 vehicle mechanics becoming unemployed or underemployed, and that some workshops are on the brink of closing down. However, workshops are unable to benefit from the two rounds of relief measures previously launched by the Government. Such owners have also pointed out that with the redevelopment of buildings in old districts one after the other, the number of street-level shops suitable for accommodating workshops has been dwindling, and the rental of existing workshops has been increasing incessantly. As a result, the vehicle maintenance industry has been shrinking continuously, making it difficult for the industry to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the nearly 800 000 vehicles across the territory. This situation may ultimately affect road safety and roadside air quality. Regarding the support provided by the Government for the vehicle maintenance industry, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Chief Executive announced on the 6th of this month that the Government would launch relief measures for workshops, of the details of such measures, and whether the measures will include the provision of wage subsidies for workshop owners in respect of each employee who is aged 65 or above and has not participated in any Mandatory Provident Fund scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2)
given that the industry has all along proposed for years that the Government construct an automobile maintenance complex equipped with central disposal facilities for waste oil, exhaust gas and waste water, so that workshops may move in for clustered operation and that the owners be charged rents of a level affordable to them, of the progress and preliminary conclusion of the Government's study on this suggestion?




Question 22
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Transport issues in New Territories East

Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
Some residents of New Territories East ("NTE") have relayed that the local and external traffic congestion problems have become increasingly serious. For example, there are heavy traffic congestions at the Lion Rock Tunnel, the Tate's Cairn Tunnel and Tai Po Road (Sha Tin Section) during the morning peak hours every day, causing the residents to spend a lot of time travelling to work or to school, and affecting the livelihood of professional drivers. They have also pointed out problems such as the serious shortage of car parking spaces in the district. Regarding the transport issues in NTE, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the improvement measures implemented in the past four years by the Government in the Sha Tin District to alleviate the traffic congestions and the relevant details;
(2)
whether it will (i) construct a new trunk road linking Ma Liu Shui and the Eagle's Nest Tunnel, so as to divert the traffic of the North District and Tai Po District to and from Kowloon, thereby relieving the traffic load of roads in Sha Tin and Ma On Shan, and (ii) take forward the construction of Trunk Road T4 as soon as possible; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will (i) construct at the Sha Tin town centre an underground network of roads to replace the existing trunk roads, so as to free up above ground spaces for provision of pedestrian areas, and (ii) expeditiously construct multi-storey smart public car parks underneath the Sha Tin town centre and Ma On Shan Sports Ground, so as to address the serious shortage of car parking spaces in the district; if so, of the details and timetables; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
given that the same sections of the various cross-harbour bus routes running in NTE have different fares, whether the Government will urge the franchised bus companies concerned to make improvement; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether it knows the details (including completion dates) of the works carried out by the MTR Corporation limited ("MTRCL") in respect of the stations along the East Rail Line ("EAL") for (i) installing platform gates for all stations and (ii) narrowing the gap between the platform and the train; and
(6)
as MTRCL is currently upgrading the signaling system of EAL in tandem with the Shatin to Central Link project, whether the Government has stepped up its monitoring of the upgrading work to ensure that the testing will not affect the train safety and services of EAL?