Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Incidents of a number of banks in the United States being taken over
Hon Edmund WONG to ask:
It has been reported that the Silicon Valley Bank ("SVB") in the United States ("US") was closed down and taken over by US regulators on the 10th of this month, which has aroused market concerns, and there were even a number of small banks having problems and being taken over by local regulators subsequently. Moreover, some Hong Kong-listed companies have issued announcements one after another to disclose the amounts of their deposits with and their risk exposures in SVB. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed the amounts of direct and indirect risk exposures of authorized institutions under the supervision of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") to the SVB incident, and the risks to be brought to the local financial market when the SVB incident further deteriorates and spreads to other US banks; whether a mechanism targeting this incident has been put in place to avoid further deterioration of the situation; if so, of the relevant mechanism;
(2)
whether it knows if the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited and the Securities and Futures Commission will request all Hong Kong-listed companies to conduct detailed analyses and issue announcements in respect of the SVB incident and the risk exposures arising subsequently, so as to fully protect the interests of investors; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as some analyses have pointed out that the situation of SVB being unable to pay its debts with all its assets is related to the substantial increase in interest rates by the US Federal Reserve Board ("FRB") since last year, which has caused the bond portfolios held by banks to incur huge losses, whether HKMA has noted that local banks have similar risk exposures, and whether it has assessed the level to which FRB continues to increase interest rates will cause local banks to have the same risks; whether HKMA has put in place a mechanism to expeditiously detect relevant problems and intervene early, so as to avoid creating panic in the market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Developing into a regional intellectual property trading centre
Dr Hon Kennedy WONG to ask:
In the 14th Five-Year Plan promulgated in 2021, the State has expressed clear support for Hong Kong to develop into a regional intellectual property ("IP") trading centre. There are views that the Government's introduction of the Original Grant Patent ("OGP") system, coupled with relevant work on, among others, the legal and IP protection systems, will help strengthen Hong Kong's position as a regional IP trading centre. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the progress of the preparatory work for implementing the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks ("Madrid Protocol"), and when it is expected to be fully implemented at the earliest; given that the Madrid Protocol, as an international agreement, is not applicable to mutual designations between the Mainland and Hong Kong, and that the Government has indicated that it will engage in follow-up discussions with the relevant Mainland authorities on the feasible arrangements to facilitate reciprocal trade mark applications between Hong Kong and the Mainland, of the progress of relevant discussions;
(2)
given that the China National Intellectual Property Administration provides personnel training for the Patents Registry under the Intellectual Property Department, of the total number of personnel having received the training so far; whether the Government has, in light of the current situation, assessed if it can enhance the requisite capability of patent examiners under the OGP system as scheduled, and developed a talent pool, so as to achieve the goal of acquiring institutional autonomy in conducting substantive patent examination by 2030; and
(3)
following the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the rest of the world, whether the Government will, apart from hosting the Business of Intellectual Property Asia Forum, organize more and different large-scale activities in the fields of film, culture, technology and creative design, so as to create immense IP trading opportunities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Support provided for employees injured at work
Hon LAM Chun-sing to ask:
It is learnt that some workers have suffered from certain diseases (e.g. diseases related to lower limb strains arising from the need for prolonged standing at work) as a result of fulfilling the requirements of their jobs for a long period of time, but they are not qualified for compensation because such diseases are not included in the occupational diseases in the Second Schedule to the Employees' Compensation Ordinance. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Labour Department ("LD") launched on 23 September last year a three-year Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work ("the Pilot Programme") targeting at injured employees in the construction industry, of the total number of injured employees who have been identified by LD as eligible for the Pilot Programme so far and, among them, the respective numbers of those who have and have not participated in the Pilot Programme; the reasons why injured employees who have been identified have not participated in the Pilot Programme;
(2)
whether the authorities will consider regularizing the Pilot Programme and opening it up to injured employees other than those in the construction industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Government will conduct a comprehensive review of the occupational diseases in the Second Schedule to the Employees' Compensation Ordinance and add new occupational diseases, e.g. diseases related to lower limb strains; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Improving human resources planning
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
The Chief Executive has indicated in the 2022 Policy Address that the Government will commence a new round of manpower projections. There are views that, to enhance human resources planning, it is far from adequate to rely only on figures. The Government must do a good job in the top-tier design for policy implementation and the coordination of "supply and demand", as well as establish the concepts of "priority employment of local workers", "rewarding hard work with reasonable return" and "everyone being able to share the fruits of economic prosperity and enjoy working and living". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as Hong Kong has established its "eight centres" positioning, whether the Government has promoted the provision of more programmes by tertiary institutions for nurturing local talents who meet the demands of the eight centres; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it is learnt that as at January this year, the labour force participation rate of Hong Kong was only 58.1% while the labour force participation rates of Taiwan, Korea and Macao were 59.17%, 62.6% and 68.5% respectively, and the labour force participation rate of Singapore as at the end of last year was 70%, with Hong Kong's labour force participation rate ranking the lowest among those of the Four Asian Tigers and being lower than that of Macao, which is also a Special Administrative Region, by more than 10 percentage points, whether the authorities have new policies and measures to explore and unleash potential labour force, especially raising the labour force participation rate of women; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views that improving the quality of employment is the key to attracting potential labour force to join the workforce, whether the Government has plans to improve the systems and policies for industries and occupations with strained manpower, including enhancing remuneration packages and improving work conditions (such as implementing a monthly salary system, shortening long working hours, advocating a reasonable work intensity and providing a safe working environment); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Measures to facilitate travel on the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
There are views that the full resumption of the operation of the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Express Rail Link ("XRL") now can help Hong Kong integrate into the National 14th Five-Year Plan. However, the relevant arrangements and ancillary facilities currently in Hong Kong have still not been aligned with those on the Mainland, thus failing to fully unleash the potential of XRL and promote exchanges and collaboration between the people of Hong Kong and the Mainland. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government will discuss with the National Railway Administration ("NRA") the arrangements for the "metroization" of XRL, such as following the practice of Shanghai and Suzhou, etc. of selling "standee" tickets for short-haul XRL trips, so that passengers can buy tickets and board the trains at any time; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether the Government will discuss with NRA the arrangements for introducing monthly passes for XRL and providing two types of monthly passes for commuting between Hong Kong and Shenzhen and between Hong Kong and Guangzhou respectively, so as to facilitate the exchange of talents between Hong Kong and the Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it is learnt that currently the chips of the Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly known as "Home Return Permits") are different from those of Mainland resident identity cards, resulting in a longer time required for the identification of Home Return Permits by the entry/exit gates at the Mainland Port Areas of XRL, whether the Government will discuss with the Mainland authorities the upgrading of the software of the entry/exit gates concerned, so as to speed up the time for the identification of Home Return Permits to make it comparable to that for the identification of Mainland resident identity cards, thereby reducing the waiting time of passengers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Measures to cope with labour shortage
Dr Hon Johnny NG to ask:
There are views that as Hong Kong is facing the problem of labour shortage, it is incumbent upon the Government to get hold of data on the actual manpower supply and demand in various trades and industries, and formulate appropriate policies to address the problem in a comprehensive manner. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest number of applications made under the Top Talent Pass Scheme since it was launched; whether it has analyzed the information and data of the applications to facilitate further formulation of human resources policies, and how it ensures that those talents with their applications approved will pursue long-term development upon arrival in Hong Kong instead of taking up short-term residence only for the purpose of obtaining the status of "recognized professionals in Hong Kong";
(2)
as it is learnt that the labour force in Hong Kong has further shrunk in recent years due to the impact of the epidemic and mass emigration, whether the authorities will prepare an updated and comprehensive survey report on the manpower supply and demand in Hong Kong, and introduce measures to relieve the urgent demand for manpower locally, including comparing Hong Kong's policies on importation of labour with those adopted in the neighbouring regions with a view to "competing for talents" extensively at the high, middle and low-skilled manpower levels, and carrying out a review and reform of the Supplementary Labour Scheme (e.g. streamlining the vetting and approval criteria and procedures for the importation of foreign labour, and setting out clearly the types of jobs and scope of duties requiring the importation of middle and low-skilled foreign labour); and
(3)
whether the authorities have plans to formulate a comprehensive strategy for training of talents, and set specific targets for such training, including enhancing the role and functions of the Employees Retraining Board, and better nurturing local talents and utilizing their expertise through further retraining and skills upgrading?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses
Dr Hon TIK Chi-yuen to ask:
The then Chief Executive announced in the 2013 Policy Address that the Government would seek to use the Lotteries Fund more flexibly and make better use of the land owned by non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") through redevelopment or expansion to provide diversified subvented and self-financing facilities. The Labour and Welfare Bureau and the Social Welfare Department subsequently launched the Special Scheme on Privately Owned Sites for Welfare Uses ("Special Sites Scheme") in September 2013. However, there are views pointing out that the progress of the Special Sites Scheme has been very slow, causing great distress to the NGOs participating in the Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of project proposals with development potential under the Special Sites Scheme as at March this year;
(2)
of the following information on each of (i) the project proposals with development potential mentioned in (1) and (ii) the completed projects under the Special Sites Scheme: the welfare facilities to be provided/provided, the number of places of the relevant welfare service, the expected completion date/completion date, and the date on which the relevant welfare service is expected to commence/commenced; and
(3)
whether it has considered strengthening the coordination and collaboration work, so that government departments can collaborate with each other and expedite the implementation of the projects under the Special Sites Scheme; if so, of the relevant measures and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Fire safety at construction sites
Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok to ask:
It has been reported that a No. 4 alarm fire broke out at a construction site in Tsim Sha Tsui on the 2nd of this month, arousing much concern among various sectors about fire safety at construction sites. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that the relevant requirements on "fire service installations and equipment", as specified in the Fire Protection Notice No. 13 on Fire Protection at Construction Site issued by the Hong Kong Fire Services Department ("FSD"), are only recommendations, and the fires that occurred at some construction sites in recent years have revealed that the fire service installations and equipment concerned have not fully met the relevant requirements, whether the authorities will consider expeditiously enacting legislation to make the relevant requirements statutory; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the current staffing establishment of FSD responsible for inspecting fire safety at construction sites; (i) the number of fire safety inspections conducted at construction sites, (ii) the number of Fire Hazard Abatement Notices issued to the persons concerned, and (iii) the number of prosecutions instituted, in each of the past three years by FSD; whether additional resources will be allocated to step up the monitoring efforts on fire safety at construction sites; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the experience of overseas countries and by amending the relevant legislation, require contractors of construction sites to commission registered fire engineers to conduct fire risk assessments for construction sites, and issue fire safety certificates after confirming the compliance of the construction sites with the relevant requirements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Teachers and teaching staff committing criminal offences
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
There are views pointing out that teachers are role models for students, and their words and deeds, conduct and values have a profound impact on students. Since the occurrence of the social incidents of disturbances arising from the opposition to the proposed legislative amendments in 2019, the professional conduct and behaviour of teachers and teaching staff are of concern to society, and the situation of teachers and teaching staff committing criminal offences has even aroused heated discussions. Regarding the follow-up actions taken against teachers and teaching staff who have committed criminal offences, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of teachers and teaching staff who were arrested, prosecuted and convicted for committing criminal offences in each of the past five years and since January this year, with a breakdown by type of offence;
(2)
among the cases mentioned in (1), of the respective numbers of those which are pending trial, under trial and being followed up by other means; and
(3)
regarding the teachers and teaching staff involved in the cases mentioned in (1), (i) what disciplinary actions were taken by the schools and the Education Bureau ("EDB") and (ii) how the schools and EDB dealt with the teaching posts or the posts concerned (i.e. arranging for staff to fill them or letting them be lost through natural wastage)?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Services of the Licensing Offices under the Transport Department
Hon CHAN Hoi-yan to ask:
It has been reported that there are often long queues of members of the public waiting for services at the lobbies of the Licensing Offices under the Transport Department ("TD"), and some members of the public even need to queue up waiting for three hours before they can receive services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the numbers of applications processed by the four Licensing Offices under TD (i.e. (i) Hong Kong Licensing Office, (ii) Kowloon Licensing Office, (iii) Kwun Tong Licensing Office and (iv) Sha Tin Licensing Office) through service counters in each of the past three years (set out in Table 1);
Table 1
Licensing Office | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(i) |
|
|
|
... |
|
|
|
(iv) |
|
|
|
(2)
of the (a) maximum and (b) minimum numbers of applications submitted through service counters that the aforesaid Licensing Offices were able to process every day in each of the past three years (set out in Table 2);
Table 2
Licensing Office | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(a) | (b) | (a) | (b) | (a) | (b) |
(i) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
… |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(iv) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
whether TD has compiled statistics on the respective average waiting times needed by members of the public for receiving licensing services at the various Licensing Offices;
(4)
given that TD has implemented a trial scheme on a queue ticketing system for driving licensing related services at the Kowloon Licensing Office since 31 May last year, whether TD has reviewed the effectiveness and operational difficulties of the scheme;
(5)
of the respective numbers of non-counter applications for the issuance and renewal of full driving licences in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the channel for submitting applications (i.e. (i) Internet, (ii) drop-in boxes and (iii) post) in Table 3 and Table 4;
Table 3
Number of applications for the issuance of full driving licences |
Channel for submitting applications | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(i) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
Table 4
Number of applications for the renewal of full driving licences |
Channel for submitting applications | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(i) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
(6)
of the respective numbers of non-counter applications for the issuance and renewal of vehicle licences and trailer licences in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the aforesaid three channels for submitting applications in Table 5 and Table 6; and
Table 5
Number of applications for the issuance of vehicle and trailer licences |
Channel for submitting applications | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(i) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
Table 6
Number of applications for the renewal of vehicle and trailer licences |
Channel for submitting applications | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
(i) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
(7)
whether TD will consider providing more online licensing services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Prevention and treatment of cancers
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
According to the data from the Hospital Authority ("HA"), cancer is the top killer in Hong Kong. Nearly 15 000 people died of cancer in Hong Kong in 2020, accounting for nearly 30% of the total deaths in Hong Kong, with lung cancer being the cancer causing most deaths (accounting for 26.4% of all cancer deaths). However, there are views pointing out that a comprehensive screening system for lung cancer is currently unavailable in Hong Kong, and public education and promotion on cancer prevention are not sufficient either. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the (i) number of new lung cancer cases, (ii) number of lung cancer deaths and (iii) percentage of the number of lung cancer deaths in the total deaths in Hong Kong, over the past three years;
(2)
as there are views that there are no noticeable symptoms at the early stages of lung cancer and the presence of serious symptoms almost indicates a terminal stage, and there are data showing that the cure rate of lung cancer is far higher at earlier stages than at the terminal stage, whether the Government has plans to introduce a comprehensive screening programme in relation to lung cancer in Hong Kong to help members of the public detect and treat lung cancer earlier; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as some experts indicated that the accuracy of lung cancer tests can be effectively enhanced through new technologies, such as Next-Generation Sequencing and artificial intelligence image analysis, whether the Government will study the introduction of the relevant technologies into Hong Kong to enhance the relevant test effectiveness; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as there are views pointing out that the Cancer Case Manager Programme, which was introduced by HA in 2010-2011 and targeted at patients of breast and colorectal cancers, has been remarkably effective, whether the Government knows if HA will extend the aforesaid Programme to cover lung cancer patients; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
as it is learnt that while immunotherapy has become more extensively applied to cancer treatment, the Government only subsidizes patients with specific cancers and a certain level of programmed death ligand 1 ("PD-L1") to purchase relevant medicines, whether the Government will relax the relevant restrictions, so that the immunotherapy can apply to all cancer patients; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Application of ChatGPT in the academia
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask:
Regarding the application of ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence chatbot programme, in the academia, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows if various tertiary institutions have specified that the improper use of ChatGPT by students to complete essays/coursework is an act of contravention; if they have, of the measures to be taken by the various tertiary institutions to stop such acts; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it knows if various tertiary institutions have currently put in place measures to identify if students have improperly used ChatGPT to complete essays/coursework; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it knows if various tertiary institutions have currently put in place education and publicity programmes to raise students' awareness of academic honesty, and explained to students the risks of improperly using ChatGPT to complete their essays; and
(4)
whether it has studied the formulation of measures or policies to regulate the application of ChatGPT in the academia?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Expressing gratitude to Mainland personnel who assisted Hong Kong in fighting the epidemic
Hon SHIU Ka-fai to ask:
The Government has launched the "Hello Hong Kong" global promotional campaign, with measures including giving away 500 000 air tickets to travellers in major passenger markets in phases from March this year onwards, and handing out 80 000 air tickets each to travellers from the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and members of the public of Hong Kong in summer this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider allocating some of these air tickets for giving away to members of the Mainland medical support team and Mainland engineering personnel who came to Hong Kong to support the treatment of patients and assist in the construction of community isolation facilities respectively during the period when the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic was severe, as well as their family members, so as to express gratitude to them; if so, of the details; if not, whether the Government will study other proposals to thank the medical and engineering personnel concerned as well as their family members, such as purchasing additional air tickets from home-based airlines and giving them away to such personnel and their family members?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Safety of the facilities and structures of public hospitals
Hon LAI Tung-kwok to ask:
It has been reported that incidents of ceiling concrete spalling and surgical light falling off have occurred successively in public hospitals recently. Regarding the safety of the facilities and structures of public hospitals, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the number of incidents similar to those mentioned above that occurred in each of the past three years, and the follow-up work on each of those incidents (including whether relevant information was notified internally and disseminated externally), with a breakdown by hospital cluster;
(2)
whether it knows the years in which various public hospitals were completed and the years in which they last underwent major renovation works/redevelopment;
(3)
whether it knows the details of the repair and maintenance works of public hospitals at present (including the frequency, the manpower responsible for the relevant works and the scope of the relevant works);
(4)
whether it knows the tendering and evaluation mechanism adopted by the Hospital Authority ("HA") in respect of the repair and maintenance works of public hospitals (including the evaluation criteria, the factors for consideration, and the respective weightings for technical and price scores); and
(5)
as it has been reported that the facility inspection work of all public hospitals in the territory is currently carried out by the same contractor, and there are views that such practice is not desirable, whether the Government knows how long the situation of HA engaging only one contractor to carry out such work has been maintained and whether it has plans to split the facility inspection work as well as repair and maintenance works of different public hospitals into multiple contracts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Impacts of the grant of commercial sites at low prices
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
It has been reported that earlier on, the Government granted a rare large-scale commercial site in Mong Kok at a price of some $3,000 per square foot, which is cheaper than industrial sites in the New Territories, and some veteran members of the real estate and surveying sectors have described the per-square-foot transaction price as "the low price of the century". The sale of the aforesaid site at a price below market expectations has immediately driven down the valuations of commercial sites and commercial buildings in the territory. Quite a number of commercial organizations holding sites or commercial buildings and obtaining working capital through mortgage loans from banks have coincidentally received notifications from banks to lower the mortgage valuations of their commercial properties secured with the banks, and the amount of working capital they can borrow has also been reduced as a result. Some businessmen are even worried about the emergence of "a wave of banks calling loans". In addition, there have recently been a number of sales of repossessed industrial and commercial properties at auction at low prices in Hong Kong, with the offered prices of many of them being less than half of the market prices, which has led to worries among many members of the public about a possible domino effect in the commercial buildings market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has set a reserve price when the aforesaid site was put up for tender; if so, of the reserve price and how it was set; if not, whether it can state in future tenders for commercial sites that the authorities have set a reserve price for the site and will withdraw the site from sale in the event of insufficient bids;
(2)
whether it has assessed the impacts of the aforesaid case of low-priced land sale on Hong Kong's commercial sites, commercial buildings market, property secured lending and credit ratings of Hong Kong assigned by international credit rating agencies, as well as the desire to subscribe to bonds issued by the Government to finance land reclamation projects;
(3)
whether it has foreseen the likelihood of "a wave of banks calling loans" being triggered by the Government granting sites at low prices, and of the measures in place to prevent such situation;
(4)
whether it has anticipated if, in the event of a continuous decrease in the revenue from land sales in Hong Kong resulting in a drop in the Government's fiscal reserves, the authorities will be forced to introduce new taxes or further reduce the measures of "handing out candies" in the Budget (e.g. the amount of tax concessions); if so, of the details; and
(5)
whether it will, in the light of the aforesaid market reaction, further adjust downward the forecast of revenue from land sales and stamp duties for the current financial year and subsequent financial years?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Welfare and work arrangements for staff members of the disciplined services
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
It is learnt that the disciplined services have been faced with problems such as increasing wastage rates and recruitment difficulties in recent years. There are views that enhancing their welfare and work arrangements not only can retain and attract talents, but also can boost morale. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the staff wastage situation (including wastage rates, number of vacancies and causes of wastage, etc.) in the disciplined services in the past three years, with a tabulated breakdown by disciplined service;
(2)
of the implementation of the five-day work week arrangement in the disciplined services in the past three years (including the number and percentage of the staff members who might work under the five-day work week mode), together with a tabulated breakdown by disciplined service; whether the Government will study the extension of the five-day work week arrangement to cover all staff members of the disciplined services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the numbers of departmental quarters ("DQs") units and staff members waiting to be allocated quarters in respect of the disciplined services, with a tabulated breakdown by disciplined service; as some staff members of the disciplined services have pointed out that the arrangement of requiring staff members at the rank of inspector/officer who reach Disciplined Services (Officer) Pay Scale Point 20 or above to return their DQs units is improper, whether the Government will allocate land for the construction of new quarters and raise the pay points at which the staff members at the rank of inspector/officer are eligible for residing in DQs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it will consider allowing all staff members of the disciplined services appointed before 1 June 2000 to opt for extending their retirement age to 60; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
as some staff members of the disciplined services have relayed that currently the waiting time for the medical services (particularly dental and specialist services) for civil servants is long, whether the Government has plans to step up public-private healthcare partnership and subsidize, on an accountable basis, staff members of the disciplined services for using private healthcare services, so as to shorten the waiting time concerned;
(6)
as the staff members of the disciplined services appointed on or after 1 June 2000 will become ineligible for the medical benefits provided by the Government upon retirement, whether the Government will consider allowing such staff members, upon retirement, to continue to enjoy the same medical benefits (including dental services) as pensionable civil servants; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
as some staff members of the disciplined services have relayed that the quotas available for booking for the Civil Service Chinese Medicine Clinics ("CSCMCs") are often fully taken up, of the respective numbers of annual consultation quotas reserved for civil servants in various CSCMCs at present; whether it has plans to set up CSCMCs in more districts, and whether it will consider increasing the consultation quotas for staff members of the disciplined services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Automated external defibrillators
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
Some members of the public have relayed that at present, some government venues (e.g. post offices, estate offices under the Hong Kong Housing Authority, community halls, community centres, government secondary and primary schools, Recycling Stations under the Environmental Protection Department, public markets and public toilets) have not yet been installed with automated external defibrillators ("AEDs"). In addition, the online information platform named "Centralized AED Registry for Emergency" ("the online platform") of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department ("FSD") only relies on government departments and organizations that participate in FSD's "AED Anywhere for Anyone" Programme ("the Programme") to voluntarily upload the locations and details of the AEDs installed by them onto the online platform, resulting in the online platform containing incomprehensive data about AEDs across the territory, and even potentially delaying rescue work. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government has regularly conducted inspections and checks on the AEDs installed in government venues to ensure that they can operate properly; if so, of the details;
(2)
whether the Government will install AEDs in the aforesaid government venues that have not yet been installed with AEDs to facilitate rescue work;
(3)
whether the Government will provide funding support for subvented organizations and private organizations to encourage them to install AEDs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it has installed AEDs in venues under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Department of Health and the Government Property Agency, and uploaded the locations and details of such AEDs onto the online platform; and
(5)
whether the Government will request all government departments, subvented organizations and private organizations participating in the Programme to upload the locations and details of the installed AEDs onto the online platform; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to reduce traffic accidents involving taxis
Hon Tony TSE to ask:
It has been reported that in January this year, an 87-year old taxi driver was involved in three traffic accidents in just nine days, and in the most serious case, the taxi concerned side-turned and a passenger was injured and taken to the hospital. There are views pointing out that the increasingly serious problems of ageing taxi drivers and manpower shortage have impacted on the provision of taxi service and posed potential safety hazards. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the figures in each of the past two years and since January this year regarding (a) the number of traffic accidents involving taxis and (b) the percentage of such number in the overall number of traffic accidents, together with a breakdown by (i) the vehicle age group to which the taxis concerned belonged (i.e. below 10 years, 10 to 19 years, 20 years or above) and (ii) the age group to which the taxi drivers concerned belonged (i.e. aged below 30, 30 to 39, 40 to 49, 50 to 59, 60 to 69, 70 to 79, 80 or above);
(2)
of the corresponding measures taken in the past five years by the Government to deal with problems concerning ageing, manpower shortage and driving safety issues of taxi drivers, and whether it has assessed the effectiveness of such measures; and
(3)
whether it has looked into ways to facilitate the application of new technologies (e.g. lane keeping warning, automatic emergency braking system, and devices that could monitor drivers' condition and driving behavior) among the taxi trade, with a view to reducing traffic accidents involving taxis?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to support carers
Hon Judy CHAN to ask:
It is learnt that the situations of "the elderly taking care of the elderly", "the elderly taking care of the disabled" and "the disabled taking care of the disabled" have become increasingly common in Hong Kong, but carers have for a long time received relatively little attention and support. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the designated 24-hour hotline for carers being set up by a non-governmental organization commissioned by the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") is expected to commence operation in the middle of this year at the earliest, of the number of professional social workers who will be on shift duty to answer calls at that time;
(2)
given that SWD plans to set up a one-stop information gateway for carers by the end of this year, apart from consolidating the information on existing services and community resources related to elderly persons and persons with disabilities, of SWD's plans to enrich the content of the gateway in phases;
(3)
given that the Chief Executive has indicated in the 2022 Policy Address that the Government will promote community-based peer support for carers, of the details of such support;
(4)
whether it will study the introduction of a clear definition of "carers", and provide subsidies to them; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
as it is learnt that some overseas regions have enacted legislation to stipulate that eligible carers are entitled to a certain number of days of respite services each year (e.g. 60 days, 63 days and 84 days in Canada, Australia and Japan respectively), whether the Government has studied the provision of respite services to carers, so as to give them some breathing space; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Emergency care services for the elderly and persons with disabilities
Hon LAM So-wai to ask:
Quite a number of carers of the elderly and persons with disabilities ("PWDs") have relayed that there is a lack of emergency respite and emergency home care services for the elderly and PWDs in Hong Kong, resulting in some carers who were taken ill during late hours having to give up receiving treatment in hospitals. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will examine the provision of subsidized emergency respite and emergency home care services for the elderly and PWDs to be operated round-the-clock in all districts in Hong Kong; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2)
given that under the Emergency Placement for the Elderly and the Residential Respite Service for the Elderly, if short-term residential care service is needed urgently during non-office hours, elderly persons, their family members or their carers may directly approach the private residential care homes for the elderly under the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme providing designated residential respite places for arrangement, but quite a number of elderly persons and their family members have indicated that under those services, it is quite difficult to identify a residential place which is available for admission on the same day, whether the Government will enhance the provision of those services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
District Health Centres
Hon Edward LEUNG to ask:
The Secretary for Health has pointed out earlier on that the establishment of District Health Centres ("DHCs") in all 18 districts across Hong Kong is a new move to optimize the healthcare system in the city. In addition, in its Primary Healthcare Blueprint released last year, the Government has proposed to reinforce the role of DHCs in coordinating primary healthcare services in the community in stages. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the task of coordinating primary healthcare services in 11 of the 18 districts across the territory is still undertaken by interim DHC Expresses, how the Government will upgrade such DHC Expresses into DHCs in stages;
(2)
whether the report on the "Monitoring and Evaluation Study of Kwai Tsing District Health Centre" conducted by The Chinese University of Hong Kong, which was commissioned by the Government, has been completed; if so, of the conclusion regarding the effectiveness of such DHC;
(3)
of the following information of various DHCs since their commencement of operation: (i) the service attendance, (ii) the number of referrals received from public hospitals, and (iii) the types of such referrals;
(4)
as the Government's interim goal of "having all 18 districts in Hong Kong covered" by DHCs was already attained by the end of last year, whether the Government will enhance the services of various DHCs and DHC Expresses, and how it will formulate key performance indicators for their services provided; and
(5)
as there are views pointing out that DHCs are already having difficulties in hiring nursing staff due to the shortage of healthcare personnel across the territory, how the Government ensures that DHCs have sufficient manpower to provide close follow-up services to chronic disease patients following the implementation of the Chronic Disease Co-Care Pilot Scheme?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Average living space per person
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
According to the statistics of the 2021 Population Census, the median per capita floor area of accommodation of domestic households in Hong Kong was about 172 square feet ("sq ft"). Besides, according to the finalized report of "Hong Kong 2030+: Towards a Planning Vision and Strategy Transcending 2030" promulgated in October 2021, the Government has set a target of achieving an average living space per person at 215 sq ft to 237 sq ft. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will consider adopting the standard on average living space per person set by the aforesaid report in the newly-planned public housing projects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the practice mentioned in the study report on the quantitative indicators for "meeting the housing needs" of urban households published by the relevant Mainland authorities, categorize the average living space per person into three standards (i.e. the "threshold standard", "enhanced standard" and "comfortable standard"), and include those families falling below the threshold standard into the "government-subsidized home system"; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the experience of countries such as the United States, Canada, Japan and Korea, formulate "minimum living standards" to stipulate the minimum standards on aspects such as the safety and basic facilities of accommodation, the number of residents, and the areas of bedroom and kitchen, with a view to securing the living quality of members of the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?