Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Regulation of medical consumables
Hon LEUNG Man-kwong to ask:
It is learnt that there is no legislation regulating matters relating to the import and sale of medical consumables in Hong Kong. The sensitivity and specificity of medical consumables generally available for sale in the market, such as blood glucose test strips and pregnancy test sticks, are also not regulated. There are views that the market for medical consumables is like a "doorless coop" due to a lack of regulation and, with medical consumables varying in quality, members of the public may suffer the health consequences of delayed treatment caused by inaccurate test results. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints received by the Department of Health ("DH") in the past four years about the poor quality of medical consumables (including rapid test kits), together with a breakdown by the type and place of origin of the medical consumables concerned;
(2)
whether DH requires medical consumables and rapid test kits to meet certain specifications; if so, of the details of the relevant specifications; if not, whether the authorities have considered laying down relevant specifications; and
(3)
whether DH has conducted tests to see if the medical consumables generally available for sale in the market meet the standards that allow members of the public to conduct tests on their own; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
eMPF Platform
Hon CHAU Siu-chung to ask:
It has been reported that the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ("MPFA") indicated earlier on that due to problems with the contractor responsible for building the eMPF Platform ("the Platform"), it was estimated that the overall progress for building the Platform would be delayed by eight months as compared with the original schedule. There are views that the delay in the launch of the Platform will directly affect the implementation of the abolition of the Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") "offsetting arrangement" and the Government's proposal to make MPF contributions on behalf of employees and self-employed persons who are exempted from making MPF contributions due to low income; the public's wishes for an across-the-board reduction in MPF administration fees through the operation of the Platform will at the same time be delayed or even come to nothing. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it has been reported that the Government has indicated that if any hindrance is encountered in the course of building the Platform, the authorities will prepare a "simple fallback plan" to deal with issues relating to the abolition of the offsetting arrangement, so as to ensure that the implementation time for the abolition of the offsetting arrangement will not be affected, whether the Government will expeditiously set the implementation date for the abolition of the offsetting arrangement and announce the specific details of the aforesaid fallback plan;
(2)
of the specific implementation timetable of the Government's proposal to make MPF contributions on behalf of the aforesaid low-income persons; whether the Government will, in the light of the delay in the launch of the Platform, introduce a retrospective period for the contribution arrangement; and
(3)
as MPFA has indicated that the Platform will standardize, streamline and automate the administration processes of MPF schemes, aiming for a reduction in the administration fees of MPF schemes by as much as 55%, whether the relevant target will be adjusted in the light of the delay in the launch of the Platform, and whether a timetable is in place for implementing the reduction in the administration fees of MPF schemes?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Ensuring the optimal use of public housing resources
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
Recently, some media have uncovered that a Hong Kong citizen, being a public rental housing ("PRH") tenant, purchased a local luxurious residential property in 2019 for $72.8 million with full payment. The tenant then even purchased a newly built Home Ownership Scheme ("HOS") flat with Green Form status. The incident has caused an uproar in society. Some members of the public have queried how the Housing Department ("HD") could connive at that PRH tenant enjoying PRH resources, and even allow him to purchase a HOS flat with Green Form status, which is a double abuse of public housing benefits. The incident also reflects that there are significant loopholes in the mechanism for managing the allocation of PRH and HOS flats. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of PRH tenants whose asset situation was randomly checked by HD in the past four years, as well as the number and percentage of tenants who were successfully uncovered to have owned properties or excessive assets in Hong Kong or elsewhere; the follow-up work of HD; the number of persons who were prosecuted and convicted after their misdeeds were uncovered;
(2)
whether it has gained an understanding of the reasons why such PRH tenants can easily conceal their assets to circumvent asset tests; whether it has assessed if the deterrent effect of the existing mechanisms of random checking and punishment is inadequate, causing some people to take chances and deliberately not declaring their assets; and
(3)
whether it will immediately review the loopholes in HD's existing policies and plug them in a timely manner, so as to prevent abuses of precious public housing resources again?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Use of clean energy for electricity generation
Hon KWOK Wai-keung to ask:
There are views pointing out that in order to more effectively work towards reaching carbon neutrality and achieve the interim target of reducing carbon emissions by 50% by 2035, Hong Kong needs to seriously discuss the phasing out of fossil energy and the development or import of clean energy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the data on the use of coal and natural gas for electricity generation in Hong Kong by the two power companies respectively, and when the relevant generating units used will retire; whether the Government has stipulated the time by which the two power companies must cease coal-fired electricity generation completely; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether the authorities will consider purchasing clean energy from Mainland power companies, so as to reduce the pollutants produced by power plants during electricity generation in Hong Kong and draw down carbon emissions; if so, of the progress; if not, the reasons for that; whether they will request the two power companies to dovetail with the relevant plan; and
(3)
given that the Government will set up important strategic electricity facilities (including power receiving and conversion facilities) on the land created off Tseung Kwan O Area 132 for enhancing Hong Kong's capability to import zero-carbon energy through regional cooperation, whether such facilities will be financed and constructed by the Government or the two power companies, and of the expected implementation timetable as well as the proportion of the electricity to be supplied by them in the total electricity supply of Hong Kong?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing youth's awareness of natural ecology conservation
Hon Kenneth LEUNG to ask:
The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China puts forward "act[ing] on the principle that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", "stronger ecological conservation and environmental protection across the board, in all regions, and at all times", and "[p]romoting harmony between humanity and nature". On the other hand, the Hong Kong SAR Government has introduced, among others, a new nature conservation policy and the Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan to step up nature conservation. There are views pointing out that enhancing the awareness of natural ecology conservation among the young generation is an important aspect of conservation policy. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the work of the Environment and Ecology Bureau and related government departments on enhancing students' and youth's understanding of nature conservation through education activities and encouraging their participation in nature conservation activities, as well as the effectiveness of such work;
(2)
given that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the former Home Affairs Bureau organized in the past quite a number of Thematic Youth Internship Programmes to the Mainland that were related to nature conservation, such as the "Youth Internship Programme at Wolong National Nature Reserve, Sichuan", "Youth Internship Programme on Biodiversity Conservation in Wuyishan" and "Youth Internship Programme at Shandong on Marine Sciences", of the effectiveness of such internship programmes, and whether the Government will expeditiously resume the organization of such internship programmes and increase their number of places, so as to provide more youth with internship and exchange opportunities in respect of conservation work; and
(3)
as there are views pointing out that the giant pandas given by the Central Authorities as gifts to Hong Kong on two occasions have all along been an important means which enables Hong Kong young people to learn about the natural ecology of the motherland and deepens their awareness of environmental conservation and protection of rare wild animals, and as currently there is only one pair of giant pandas remaining in Hong Kong, whether the authorities will consider requesting the Central Authorities to send an additional pair of giant pandas to Hong Kong, so as to step up the work on promoting conservation among the young people in Hong Kong and enhancing their understanding of the country's natural ecology; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Automated external defibrillators
Dr Hon David LAM to ask:
There are views pointing out that an automated external defibrillator ("AED") must be used as quickly as possible when cardiopulmonary resuscitation ("CPR") is administered and therefore, whether an AED can be readily located and used is crucial to the effectiveness of CPR. The Hong Kong Fire Services Department ("FSD") launched the "AED Anywhere for Anyone" Programme ("the Programme") in June 2021 with the aim of popularizing the installation and use of AEDs in the community. However, it is learnt that even though the Programme has been implemented for more than one and a half year, a large number of government venues (e.g. post offices, estate offices under the Hong Kong Housing Authority, community halls, community centres and schools) have not yet been installed with AEDs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of additional AEDs which have been installed across the territory and in various districts since the launch of the Programme, and whether members of the public can locate all AEDs which are available for public use through FSD's online information platform "Centralized AED Registry for Emergency";
(2)
whether it will set an indicator for the installation of AEDs at reasonable intervals in public places; and
(3)
whether it has plans to continuously educate members of the public about using AEDs (e.g. broadcasting announcements in the public interest), and review in a timely manner the implementation progress and effectiveness of such plans; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Arrangements for the next District Council Ordinary Election
Dr Hon TIK Chi-yuen to ask:
Regarding the arrangements for the next District Council ("DC") Ordinary Election, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Chief Executive has indicated in the 2022 Policy Address that the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau and the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau will put forward suggestions in respect of the review on district administration, whether the Government will undertake that such suggestions and the relevant legislative amendments (if any) will be submitted to this Council in accordance with normal procedures, and that a two-month public consultation will be conducted; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it has been reported that the Government plans to hold the next DC Ordinary Election in November this year, whether the Government has assessed if there is sufficient time to conduct the consultation mentioned in (1); if it has assessed and the outcome is in the negative, of the arrangements to be made by the Government regarding the election and incumbent DC members whose terms of office will expire on 31 December this year; and
(3)
whether the Government will undertake that the next DC Ordinary Election will adopt the method for the formation of the sixth-term DCs?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the aerospace endeavours of the country
Hon Maggie CHAN to ask:
There are views that the country's recruitment of payload specialists in Hong Kong for aerospace endeavours has provided opportunities for Hong Kong young people to realize their space aspiration with the strong support of the motherland; however, the exhibitions of the Hong Kong Space Museum have, over the years, been showcasing the space technology achievements of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration of the United States and other countries by way of a timeline starting from the 1950s, and there is a lack of education on the aerospace technology of the country. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current number of aerospace education venues in Hong Kong under the management of the Government; whether the Government has plans to step up publicity and promotion work on the aerospace technology of the country at such venues;
(2)
whether the Government will consolidate the existing exhibitions on aerospace technology at the Hong Kong Science Museum and the Hong Kong Space Museum and set up thematic galleries to enhance the promotion work of the aerospace history and technology of the country, thereby enabling the general public to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the aerospace development of the country; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that the report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposes to expedite the building of an aerospace power, whether the Government has plans to collaborate with the China National Space Administration in providing opportunities for Hong Kong young people to make contributions to the aerospace endeavours of the country, thereby inspiring their patriotic sentiment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The monitoring of outsourced recycling services
Ir Hon CHAN Siu-hung to ask:
It has been reported that after the operator of GREEN@KWUN TONG (i.e. a recycling station under the Environmental Protection Department ("EPD")) handed over the beverage cartons collected to a third party earlier on, such third party has not delivered the beverage cartons concerned to downstream recyclers for treatment. The whereabouts of these beverage cartons are unknown. Regarding the monitoring of outsourced recycling services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the measures put in place by EPD to monitor the services and performances of the operators/contractors of outsourced recycling services;
(2)
whether EPD has set performance indicators for the work carried out by the operators/contractors of outsourced recycling services; if so, whether there were any cases not meeting the targets in the past three years; if so, of the number and details of such cases, as well as the penalties imposed by the authorities (set out by year);
(3)
as it is learnt that EPD will require the operators/contractors of outsourced recycling services to submit records of the collection of recyclables on a regular basis, and that EPD will deploy staff to the recycling facilities to conduct inspections and conduct spot checks on their records, whether EPD will, in order to step up the monitoring of outsourced recycling services, require the operators/contractors concerned to submit the relevant records as soon as possible, and consider conducting surprise inspections; and
(4)
regarding those operators/contractors of outsourced recycling services which have adverse records on their services, whether the authorities will formulate relevant mechanisms, such as introducing to the assessment mechanism of the tenders for outsourced recycling services a demerit point system which targets at such operators/contractors?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Provision of recreation and sports facilities
Hon Vincent CHENG to ask:
The 2022 Policy Address has proposed to map out a "10-year development blueprint for sports and recreation facilities" ("the development blueprint") to provide about 30 diversified recreation and sports facilities by phases. Regarding the provision of recreation and sports facilities, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective latest progress of the 16 projects commenced under Phase 1 of the development blueprint (set out in a table);
(2)
as the Financial Secretary indicated in the Budget delivered on 22 February this year that the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau was examining the conversion of some underutilized floors of the Kwun Chung Municipal Services Building into "an urban sports centre", of the details of the relevant plan;
(3)
of a comparison of (i) the number of recreation and sports facilities to be provided as recommended by the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines ("HKPSG") calculated based on the population of Hong Kong in 2022 with (ii) the number of recreation and sports facilities provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in 2022 (set out in the table below by recreation and sports facility);
Recreation and sports facilities | Population-based provision standards set by HKPSG | (i) | (ii) | (ii) being more/less than (i) and the number of difference |
More/less | Number of
difference |
Sports centre |
|
|
|
|
|
Sports ground |
|
|
|
|
|
Swimming pool complex |
|
|
|
|
|
Football pitch |
|
|
|
|
|
7-a-side soccer pitch |
|
|
|
|
|
5-a-side soccer pitch |
|
|
|
|
|
Badminton court |
|
|
|
|
|
Basketball court |
|
|
|
|
|
Tennis court |
|
|
|
|
|
Volleyball court |
|
|
|
|
|
Squash court |
|
|
|
|
|
Table tennis table |
|
|
|
|
|
Leisure pool |
|
|
|
|
|
(4)
whether the authorities have plans to build more of those recreation and sports facilities the provision of which have fallen short of the population-based provision standards set by HKPSG, and raise the relevant standards which have been in use for years, so as to meet the present-day demands of the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
of the average occupancy rates or utilization rates of the recreation and sports facilities mentioned in (3) and the number of cases in which hirers did not use the recreation and sports facilities as scheduled, in each of the past two years, with a breakdown by recreation and sports facility; and
(6)
given that the Government put forward a "five-year plan for upgrading football pitches" in the 2021-2022 Budget, of the latest progress of the plan?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Scheme
Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask:
The Traffic Accident Victims Assistance ("TAVA") Scheme aims to provide victims of road traffic accidents or their dependents with speedy financial assistance. The number of applications under the TAVA Scheme has been on the increase, rising from 8 419 in 2017-2018 to 10 500 in 2021-2022. It has been reported that some of the applications under the TAVA Scheme involve elements such as falsification, exaggeration and fraud. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has looked into the reasons behind the increase in the number of applications under the TAVA Scheme, including whether traffic accidents deliberately created to obtain assistance were involved; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will review if the eligibility criteria for the TAVA Scheme are too lax; and
(3)
whether the Police mounted any law enforcement operations in the past five years to combat TAVA Scheme frauds; if so, of the number of persons arrested; whether the Government has conducted any review to identify ways to eradicate such frauds?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating touting activities in the booking and use of recreation and sports facilities
Hon LAM Chun-sing to ask:
Regarding the measures taken by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department ("LCSD") to combat the acts of some hirers touting their booked sessions for using recreation and sports facilities for profit ("touting activities"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
in respect of the anti-touting measures implemented by LCSD, of the following information in each month since last year:
(i)
the number of complaints about suspected touting activities received by LCSD;
(ii)
the number of cases in which the hirers had their booking rights for fee-charging recreation and sports facilities suspended after failing to take up the booked sessions and/or not being present during the use of the booked sessions on two occasions within 30 consecutive days;
(iii)
the number of cases in which facility users (including hirers and users) were refused the use of the facilities because the identity documents produced by them were inconsistent with the booking records, and the types of venues involved;
(iv)
the number of inspections conducted by LCSD staff during the booked sessions of the facilities, as well as the number of cases of breaches found and the types of venues involved; and
(v)
the number of cases in which the hirers had their booking rights for fee-charging recreation and sports facilities suspended because they engaged in unauthorized transfer of user permits;
(2)
the respective numbers of cases since 1 November last year in which the hirers of natural and artificial turf football pitches under LCSD (i) failed to take up the booked sessions and/or were not present during the use of the booked sessions and (ii) were refused the use of the pitches due to their failure to register with three of the users provided in their applications for the pitches;
(3)
of the measures currently in place to prevent persons engaging in touting activities from using computer software programmes to snatch bookings of the sessions of LCSD's recreation and sports facilities; and
(4)
whether the authorities will consider amending the legislation or enacting new legislation to step up efforts to combat touting activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower supply and demand for the construction industry
Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok to ask:
According to the Construction Manpower Forecast released by the Construction Industry Council in February this year, it is expected that the manpower of professionals, technicians and frontline workers will all be in shortage, with mismatches between the supply of and demand for them increasing from about 5% to 15% this year to about 15% to 20% in 2027. Some members of the construction industry are worried that with the further implementation of major planning projects such as the Northern Metropolis, the mismatch between manpower supply of and demand for the industry will become greater in the light of the development of such planning projects. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the authorities have commenced discussions with the industry and taken specific measures actively, so as to ensure that future public works projects can be launched in a steady and orderly manner, thereby avoiding the hindrance of the implementation of relevant projects and the industry from falling again into the vicious cycle of "dying of starvation at one time and dying of overwork at another time"; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether the authorities will, in view of the manpower demand for the industry, provide the industry with additional targeted support in training local talents and attracting young people to join the industry, including launching more funded training schemes in collaboration with enterprises or training institutions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the authorities will, by drawing reference from the practices of neighbouring regions, enhance the existing Supplementary Labour Scheme (including formulating and updating in a timely manner a list of types of trades in the construction industry for which labour may be imported due to manpower shortage and the scope of application, drawing up clearer vetting and approval criteria, and streamlining the vetting and approval procedures), so that the industry can flexibly meet the manpower demands for different trades at different stages of works projects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating deception offences
Hon Martin LIAO to ask:
Last year, there were 27 923 deception cases in Hong Kong, representing an increase of 45% when compared with that in the preceding year, with the amount of money involved amounting to $4.8 billion. The increase was mainly attributed to online shopping scams, investment fraud and telephone deception. In addition, it has been reported that new modi operandi of deception have recently emerged. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Commissioner of Police indicated at the special meeting of the Panel on Security of this Council on 14 February this year that the Police had stepped up anti-deception publicity, whether it has assessed if the public's anti-deception awareness has been enhanced as a result;
(2)
as it is learnt that earlier on, a number of advertisements purported to be posted by artistes and government officials appeared on the social media platform Facebook and the Internet search engine Google, and some members of the public have incurred losses as a result of being deceived, yet such deceptive advertisements still continue to appear after members of the public have repeatedly reported them to the operators concerned, whether the Police have contacted the operators concerned to find out if they have specific plans or actions to stop deceptive advertisements from being posted, and what new measures the Police have put in place to combat such advertisements;
(3)
as it has been reported that the Police are exploring a SMS sender registration system which adds a marker before the trusted SMS messages, whether such arrangement will involve scanning the contents of SMS messages to identify deceptive SMS messages; if so, whether it has studied if such arrangement will involve privacy issues; and
(4)
as it has been reported that the "Anti-Scam Test Across the Territory" campaign organized by the Police last year attracted a large number of participants from the general public, whether the Police will consider organizing similar campaigns on a regular basis to enhance the public's anti-deception awareness?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Attracting overseas private equity funds to re-domicile to Hong Kong
Hon Duncan CHIU to ask:
This Council passed the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions for Carried Interest) Bill 2021 ("the Bill") in 2021 to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by private equity ("PE") funds operating in Hong Kong, with a view to attracting more PE funds to operate in Hong Kong and boosting more investment management and related activities, thereby creating business opportunities in related professional services and bringing economic benefits to Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has comprehensively reviewed the effectiveness of the measures relating to the Bill since their implementation; if so, of the details, such as the number of enquiries received by the relevant government departments and regulatory bodies from overseas PE funds and the main contents involved in such enquiries, the number of applications from overseas PE funds for registration in Hong Kong (including the number of applications approved, rejected and automatically withdrawn), as well as the types of overseas PE funds successfully approved for registration in Hong Kong and the total value of assets under management by them; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will conduct a review;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on, among PE funds which have re-domiciled from overseas to Hong Kong, the number of those which have actively participated in investment business, as well as the major types of such funds, the industries and enterprises in which they have invested and the investment amounts respectively; of the major types and number of funds which have not been participating actively or have given up halfway on participating actively in investment business after re-domiciliation to Hong Kong, and how the authorities deal with and follow up the situation concerned;
(3)
whether it has assessed the benefits brought by PE funds which have re-domiciled from overseas to Hong Kong to the investment management and related professional services in Hong Kong as well as to Hong Kong's overall economy, and how the related benefits differ from the authorities' original expectation; whether it has set clear targets and introduced new measures for further enhancing the overall benefits concerned; and
(4)
given that members of the industry have quite a number of views on the existing tax concession measures for carried interest, and they consider that the relevant legislation still has room for improvement, whether the authorities will consider expeditiously launching public consultation in respect of introducing further amendments to the relevant tax legislation; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Residence Permits for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents
Hon CHAN Yung to ask:
At present, Hong Kong residents who have ordinarily resided on the Mainland for more than six months may apply to Mainland public security authorities for issuance of Residence Permits for Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Residents ("residence permits") to facilitate their life on the Mainland. The residence permits, which are valid for a period of five years, have been opened for application since 1 September 2018, and the first batch of residence permits issued will expire one after another from September this year onwards. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current number of Hong Kong residents holding the residence permits and, among them, the number of those whose residence permits will expire this year; and
(2)
whether it will consider, by making reference to the existing arrangements for applying for Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, striving for the extension of the validity period of the residence permits to 10 years and the setting up of venues for processing permit applications in Hong Kong by the relevant Central Government departments?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to optimize the four senior secondary core subjects
Prof Hon LAU Chi-pang to ask:
The measures to optimize the four senior secondary core subjects (i.e. Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Citizenship and Social Development in lieu of Liberal Studies) ("the optimizing measures") have been implemented from Secondary 4 since the 2021-2022 school year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that after the implementation of the optimizing measures, the lesson time of the aforesaid core subjects takes up no more than half of the total lesson time, and schools may make reasonable arrangements for the lesson time released (including how the lesson time should be allocated, what subject choices should be offered, and how other learning experiences should be arranged), whether the Education Bureau ("EDB") has effectively grasped the details of the subjects or other learning experiences on which the lesson time released is spent after the implementation of the optimizing measures; if not, how EDB ensures that schools make reasonable use of the lesson time released;
(2)
whether EDB has conducted surveys on students' learning effectiveness and teachers' teaching situation under the optimizing measures; if so, of the results, and the responses of students and teachers to the optimizing measures after their implementation; if not, whether the information provided by schools alone is sufficient for EDB to review the effectiveness of the optimizing measures; and
(3)
given that in the light of the implementation of the optimizing measures, EDB has put in place support measures for schools in different aspects (including providing professional development programmes for teachers, developing learning and teaching resources, etc.), of the implementation situation of such support measures?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Scheme of opening Sha Tau Kok Pier
Hon Tony TSE to ask:
In June last year, the Government commenced a six-month scheme of opening Sha Tau Kok Pier ("the trial scheme"), under which a specified number of local tour groups and participants were allowed, upon prior registration, to visit Sha Tau Kok Pier within the Frontier Closed Area ("FCA"), and travel to and from scenic spots such as Ap Chau, Kat O and Lai Chi Wo by water vessels via the Pier in two sessions on each holiday during the trial scheme. Some members of the tourism industry and the local community have indicated that while the trial scheme was well received by tourists and local residents, the relevant restrictions imposed (such as the scope and hours of opening, as well as the numbers of tour groups and participants) were too stringent. Moreover, while the Government indicated in February this year that it would further open up the entire Sha Tau Kok FCA and relax relevant restrictions, Chung Ying Street in Sha Tau Kok, which is of great historical and tourism value, would remain off-limits. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the monthly numbers of tour groups and participants visited the Sha Tau Kok FCA during the implementation of the trial scheme, and among such visits, the number of cases breaching the legislation or travel rules relating to the Closed Area;
(2)
whether it will, on the premise that specific conditions are met and upon balancing the security risks, consider allowing tourists to visit Chung Ying Street;
(3)
apart from developing tourism, whether it has plans to open up more sites located in the Sha Tau Kok FCA for other uses;
(4)
of the plans in place to make good use of the sites in the Sha Tau Kok FCA which have been opened and planned to be opened further, so as to tie in with the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy, promote the development of the area, and facilitate the integration between Hong Kong and the Mainland; and
(5)
of the plans in place to improve the infrastructure and tourism facilities at Ap Chau, Kat O and Lai Chi Wo, so as to improve the living of residents in these areas and enhance the experience of tourists?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting urban sports
Hon Judy CHAN to ask:
To further promote sports in the community, the Government will work with the sports sector, schools and other sectors to promote urban sports. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the urban sports that the authorities plan to promote;
(2)
how the authorities plan to work with different sectors to promote urban sports;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of venues and facilities currently available in the 18 districts across the territory for members of the public to do urban sports; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether the authorities regularly reviewed in the past three years the utilization of the various public recreation and sports venues and the rules on their use, and provided suitable recreation and sports venues in tandem with the development of various types of urban sports; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether the authorities have considered, by drawing reference from the experience of the model car play area at the Waterloo Road/Ferry Street Sitting-out Area under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, studying how to make good use of the space underneath the flyovers across the territory to build the venues required for urban sports in the long run; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6)
given that both the Olympic Games and the Youth Olympic Games have introduced a range of urban sports in recent years, whether the authorities have plans to attract more international sports events of urban sports to be held in Hong Kong through the "M" Mark System; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of the Correctional Services Department
Hon LAM So-wai to ask:
A paper submitted by the Government to the Legislative Council Panel on Security for its meeting on 3 May 2022 showed that the Correctional Services Department ("CSD") had encountered enormous recruitment difficulties in recent years. As at 31 December 2021, the number of vacancies of disciplined staff in CSD stood at over 600, representing a vacancy rate of about 9.7%. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the recruitment targets and recruitment situation of CSD in each of the past three years;
(2)
as it is learnt that the wastage rate of correctional officers who have been appointed for one year is very high, of the measures in place to slow down the pace of wastage of newly-appointed officers;
(3)
of the respective wastage of officers of various ranks in CSD in each of the past three years, together with the percentages of such numbers in the total numbers of officers in the relevant ranks; and
(4)
of the new measures put in place by CSD to attract members of the public to apply for its posts?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Specialist medical services
Dr Hon CHOW Man-kong to ask:
Regarding specialist medical services, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
(1)
the attendances of (a) inpatients and (b) outpatients of various specialties (including but not limited to (i) Cardiothoracic surgery, (ii) Ear, nose and throat, (iii) Ophthalmology, (iv) Medicine, (v) Neurosurgery and (vi) Surgery) in the hospitals under the Hospital Authority ("HA") in each of the past three years, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by hospital cluster and hospital;
Table 1Year:
Hospital cluster | Hospital | Attendances of patients | Specialty |
(i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | Others |
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(b) |
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(2)
the (a) number of, (b) average age of and (c) average waiting time for new patients of the outpatient services of various specialties (including but not limited to items (i) to (vi) mentioned in (1)) in each of the past three years, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by hospital cluster and hospital;
Table 2Year:
Hospital cluster | Hospital | (a)/(b)/(c) | Specialty |
(i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | Others |
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| (a) |
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(b) |
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(c) |
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(3)
the (a) staffing establishment and (b) strength of specialists under HA as at December last year, and set out in Table 3 a breakdown by hospital cluster, specialty (including but not limited to items (i) to (vi) mentioned in (1)) and rank (i.e. (A) consultant, (B) senior medical officer/associate consultant, (C) full-time specialist/resident, (D) part-time specialist/resident and (E) others);
Table 3
Hospital cluster | Specialty | (a)/(b) | Rank |
(A) | (B) | (C) | (D) | (E) | Total |
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(b) |
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(4)
the following information on specialists under HA in each of the past three financial years: (A) the attrition figures and attrition rates (set out by reason of departure (including but not limited to (a) retirement, (b) resignation, (c) transfer, (d) dismissal and (e) death)), (B) the average years of service of the departed doctors, (C) the number of new recruits, and (D) the positive/negative growth rates, and set out in Table 4 a breakdown by hospital cluster, specialty (including but not limited to items (i) to (vi) mentioned in (1)) and rank; and
Table 4Financial year:
Hospital cluster | Specialty | (A) | (B) | (C) | (D) |
(a) | (b) | (c) | (d) | (e) | Total |
Rank： |
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(5)
the number of specialist training places the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine plans to provide in each of the coming three financial years, and set out in Table 5 a breakdown by college?
Table 5Financial year:
College | Specialist training places |
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Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Drug registration system
Hon Joephy CHAN to ask:
Under the existing arrangement, for applications for registration of pharmaceutical products containing a new chemical or biological entity ("new drugs"), applicants for registration need to provide, in accordance with the Guidance Notes on Registration of Pharmaceutical Products Containing a New Chemical or Biological Entity promulgated by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong ("the Board"), documentary proofs of registration issued by the drug regulatory authorities of two or more specified reference places ("secondary evaluation"). After the Chief Executive had put forward the improvement of the drug registration system in the 2022 Policy Address, the Board added the drug regulatory authorities in four places (i.e. the Mainland, Brazil, Korea and Singapore) to the list of specified reference places under secondary evaluation on 1 November 2022, so as to enable drugs registered on the Mainland and in relevant places to be registered and used in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of new drugs approved for registration in Hong Kong in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the place where the drug regulatory authorities issuing documentary proofs of registration were located; the average time taken for vetting and approving the applications concerned;
(2)
given that the Hospital Authority ("HA") allows the use of unregistered drugs by clinicians under special circumstances having regard to the clinical needs of individual named patients, of the number of applications for using unregistered drugs on named patients received by HA in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the type of these drugs; and
(3)
of the respective numbers of applications for registration of new drugs from those four places which have been received, approved and rejected by the Board since the drug regulatory authorities in the aforesaid four places were added to the list of specified reference places; the justifications for rejecting the applications; whether the Board has taken the initiative to publicize to the pharmaceutical companies in those places, so as to attract the registration of drugs from those places in Hong Kong?