Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Prevention of industrial accidents
Hon Rock CHEN to ask:
It has been reported that after the Government amended the legislation in April last year to increase the maximum penalties for occupational safety and health ("OSH") offences, there have still been a number of industrial accidents in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the construction industry has been adopting the subcontracting system all along, whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of principal contractors and subcontractors (including sub-subcontractors) among the companies or individuals convicted of breaching OSH-related legislation in the past five years; if not, whether it will consider compiling the relevant statistics, so as to facilitate the authorities to formulate policies on preventing industrial accidents;
(2)
as some members of the public have queried the deterrent effect of OSH-related legislation, whether the Government has stepped up law enforcement as well as publicity and education efforts, so as to promote a culture of occupational safety in the construction industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that imported workers under the Labour Importation Scheme for the Construction Sector are gradually arriving to work in Hong Kong, of the measures introduced by the Government to enhance their skills and awareness of occupational safety, and whether it has assessed if the relevant occupational safety courses and equipment operation training are sufficient to enable imported workers, who are unfamiliar with the local working environment, to carry out their work safely?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Ensuring proper performance of functions by the new-term District Councils
Dr Hon TIK Chi-yuen to ask:
The Government has indicated that the 2023 District Council ("DC") Ordinary Election ("the Election") held last month was a high-quality election. However, it has been reported that the DC geographical constituency election voter turnout rate of the Election was 27.54%, which has been the lowest voter turnout rate since the first DC Election, and was a drop of 43.69 percentage points compared with the voter turnout rate of 71.23% of the last DC Election, and that young people and middle-class people were lukewarm towards the Election. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that DCs are local councils which have all along been playing an important role in district administration, including assuming the responsibilities of collecting and reflecting public opinions, monitoring the Government's policy implementation, facilitating communication between the Government and the public, mobilizing community participation and promoting social reforms, how the new-term DCs continue to perform such functions, with the voter turnout rate of the Election being lower than those of the previous elections;
(2)
given that under the new term of DCs, the DC Chairmen of the various Districts are the District Officers of the respective Districts, how DCs account for their work to members of the public and are monitored by members of the public; how the Government or DCs facilitate the latter to account for their work to members of the public and enhance DCs' communication with members of the public; and
(3)
how it ensures that the new-term DCs can still accommodate the views and voices of people with different political stances?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Convention and exhibition facilities
Hon Tony TSE to ask:
According to the consultancy study report on the Demand Study for New Convention and Exhibition Facilities in Hong Kong published in 2015, 84 400 and 132 500 square metres of additional convention and exhibition ("C&E") space would be needed in Hong Kong by 2023 and 2028 respectively. However, the Government has subsequently abandoned its plan to develop a new convention centre above the MTR Exhibition Centre Station, and no definite date has been set for the plans to expand the AsiaWorld-Expo ("AWE") and redevelop the site of the three government towers in Wan Chai North into C&E facilities. Some members of the industry have relayed that the supply of large-scale and high-end C&E venues in Hong Kong still falls short of the demand, which has affected the competitiveness of the C&E industry and Hong Kong as a whole. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the 2023 Policy Address has proposed to expand C&E facilities, including AWE, and construct new C&E facilities in Wan Chai North, of the specific implementation timetable for these two plans; whether it has assessed if the progress of the expansion of AWE will be affected by the relevant community treatment facilities;
(2)
apart from the aforesaid two plans, whether the Government will plan to construct large-scale C&E facilities in other districts, such as the Northern Metropolis and the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands; and
(3)
whether it will commence a new demand study for C&E facilities; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Planning of museums
Hon Dominic LEE to ask:
The Government has earlier on put forward the setting up of two museums about our country and the War of Resistance, with the museum showcasing the development and achievements of our country ("the new museum") proposed to be set up by utilizing the current site of the Hong Kong Science Museum ("HKScM"), while HKScM is proposed to be reprovisioned at the current site of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum ("HKHM"). Some members of the public are worried that under the reprovisioning plan, HKHM, which showcases the modern culture of Hong Kong and achievements of local performing artistes, will be lost in Hong Kong. Regarding the planning of museums, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the time for completing the planning exercise of the aforesaid museums, and the estimated completion time of the new museum and the reprovisioned HKScM;
(2)
as the Government intends to construct a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art ("HKMoA") on a site in the vicinity of the Ocean Park Hong Kong ("Ocean Park"), and is considering integrating the existing collections of HKHM into HKMoA and the branch museum, of the collections to be integrated into the branch museum, and how such collections will be displayed during the transitional period before the commissioning of the branch museum; whether the authorities will consider strengthening the linkage between the branch museum and Ocean Park, with a view to enhancing the travel and entertainment experience of visitors; and
(3)
whether it will, through the current exercise involving the planning of multiple museums, respond to the views of society on the need to set up a "Bruce Lee Museum"?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Recruitment of police officers
Hon Edmund WONG to ask:
On 5 May last year, the Hong Kong Police Force ("HKPF") relaxed the entry requirements for recruit police constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary police constables, including the removal of the minimum height and weight requirements and the introduction of the Recruit Police Constable Written Examination ("Written Examination") to provide applicants who do not have Level 2 or above in English Language and Chinese Language in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination or equivalent an alternative way to meet the language proficiency requirements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of applicants for recruit police constables, probationary inspectors and auxiliary police constables each month since the relaxation of the aforesaid entry requirements and, among them, the respective numbers of applicants who were required to attend the Written Examination and those who had a pass;
(2)
whether, after the removal of the height and weight requirements, it has observed a decline in the physical fitness of the trainees trained at the Hong Kong Police College as compared with past trainees; if so, whether HKPF will make adjustments to the physical training programmes to enhance the physical performance of the trainees; and
(3)
as it has been reported that HKPF has recently sent two delegations to Beijing and Shanghai to conduct recruitment activities to solicit applications from Hong Kong students in the Mainland who are interested in joining the Police Force, of the response to the recruitment; whether HKPF will consider sending staff to overseas regions to conduct recruitment; if so, of the details?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Resuming the issuance of the "multiple-entry" endorsements to Shenzhen residents
Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
It is learnt that since the full resumption of normal travel between the Mainland and Hong Kong early last year, the number of Hong Kong travellers going north has increased significantly whereas the number of Mainland travellers coming south has decreased significantly, which has dealt quite a heavy blow to Hong Kong's consumption market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council, given that the Individual Visit Endorsements for Shenzhen permanent residents visiting Hong Kong were changed a few years ago from "multiple-entry" endorsements to "one trip per week" endorsements in view of the problem of Hong Kong's capacity to receive visitors and in order to offer better experiences to visitors and reduce their impact on local residents, whether the Government has reviewed if Hong Kong's current capacity to receive visitors is sufficient to receive more Mainland visitor arrivals to Hong Kong; if it has not, of the reasons for that; if it has and the outcome is that Hong Kong has sufficient capacity to receive more Mainland visitor arrivals to Hong Kong without compromising the quality of their trips or creating too much impact on local residents, whether the Government will discuss with the Mainland authorities the resumption of the multiple-entry measure before the Lunar New Year next month; if it will not, of the reasons for that; if it will, whether the Government will consider, on the premise that Hong Kong has sufficient capacity to receive visitors, discussing with the Mainland authorities the further extension of the multiple-entry measure to other Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; if it will not, of the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Rental Enforcement Moratorium
Dr Hon Wendy HONG to ask:
The Financial Secretary announced in the 2022-2023 Budget the legislation for a "Rental Enforcement Moratorium". In this regard, the Temporary Protection Measures for Business Tenants (COVID-19 Pandemic) Ordinance (Cap. 644) commenced operation on 1 May 2022 upon its gazettal. During the three-month "protection period" (i.e. from 1 May 2022 to 31 July 2022), Cap. 644 caused a deferral of certain actions (including terminating the tenancy) that landlords might take in respect of their tenants' failure to pay rent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of cases in which the landlords concerned have filed claims in court against business tenants to recover the rent in arrears since the end of the aforesaid protection period;
(2)
of the number of business tenants who have ceased their businesses, gone into liquidation or had their tenancies terminated since the end of the aforesaid protection period due to the filing of claims in court by the landlords concerned against them to recover the rent in arrears but they are unable to repay the arrears; and
(3)
whether it has examined the benefits and drawbacks of the Rental Enforcement Moratorium for various stakeholders in society?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the popularization of electric vehicles
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
On promoting the popularization of electric vehicles ("EVs"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the "One-for-One Replacement" Scheme for EVs will expire on 31 March this year, whether the Government will extend the Scheme to continue with the promotion of the popularization of EVs; if so, of the details; if not, whether it has assessed the impact to be made on the entire EV industry chain after the Scheme comes to an end;
(2)
given that according to the information from the Government Logistics Department, as at the end of January last year, only 7.1% of the saloon cars in the establishment of the government fleet were EVs, and among the vehicles (excluding specialized vehicles) purchased by various government departments in 2022, the number of EVs only accounted for about 14.9%, which was far lower than the proportion of electric private cars in newly registered private cars in Hong Kong in the first eight months of last year (64.3%), whether the Government will set an example by requesting various government departments to purchase EVs when purchasing new saloon cars; if so, of the target proportion; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as the Chief Executive has indicated in the 2023 Policy Address that tenders will be invited in the first quarter of this year for the conversion of two vacant petrol-filling station sites to quick charging stations, whether the Government has assessed the public demand for such kind of charging stations; if so, of the details;
(4)
as the Government has indicated in the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles that it will identify sites for the establishment of a territory-wide quick charging network, whether the Government will consider setting up restaurants or supermarkets, etc. in places where quick charging stations are proposed to be built, so that EV owners can wait for the completion of charging in the charging stations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
as there are views pointing out that EV charging facilities in car parks which are managed by the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") and provide park-and-ride services are grossly inadequate, whether the Government will promote the installation of more EV chargers by MTRCL in such car parks; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
given that the Government conducted a pilot scheme in four government open car parks in 2017 to test the reliability of outdoor EV chargers, of the relevant outcome; whether the Government will learn from the relevant experience and install quick charging facilities at on-street parking spaces; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
whether measures are in place to assist in the development of the EV battery recycling industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Law enforcement actions against unlawful government land occupation
Hon Andrew LAM to ask:
The Lands Department established a Special Duties Task Force ("Task Force") in 2019 to focus on handling the more serious government land occupation cases and assist District Lands Offices in the New Territories in handling the more serious cases of land irregularities and other backlog cases. As at March 2021, the Task Force completed handling a cumulative total of over 800 cases with offenders in five of them being convicted and fined. Some members of the public have criticized that the conviction threshold for the relevant offences is too high and the fines are too low, with some convicted persons being fined only $1,000. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the (i) number of unlawful government land occupation cases received by the Government, (ii) number of land control cases still being processed by it at the end of the year, (iii) number of cases in which it completed investigations and made referrals to law enforcement agencies, and (iv) number of cases in which it instituted prosecutions with the unlawful occupiers being convicted and fined, as well as the amounts of fines imposed, in each of the past three years; and
(2)
whether it will review the penalties for unlawful government land occupation to enhance the deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Post-secondary institutions' innovation and technology research projects and national security
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
National security covers 20 major fields, including science and technology security, cyber security and data security. On the other hand, according to Article 9 of the Hong Kong National Security Law, "The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall strengthen its work on safeguarding national security and prevention of terrorist activities. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall take necessary measures to strengthen public communication, guidance, supervision and regulation over matters concerning national security, including those relating to schools, universities, social organisations, the media, and the internet". Regarding post-secondary institutions' innovation and technology ("I&T") research projects and national security, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows, under the principle of safeguarding science and technology security, cyber security and data security, if various post-secondary institutions have taken measures to protect their I&T research projects from being stolen, pried into, unlawfully obtained, interfered or destroyed by hostile organizations or individuals;
(2)
whether the Government has taken measures to urge various post-secondary institutions to implement the work mentioned in (1); and
(3)
whether the Government has, under the principle of safeguarding science and technology security, cyber security and data security, taken measures to prevent hostile organizations or individuals from inciting, enticing or coercing researchers of various post-secondary institutions to engage in the acts mentioned in (1)?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Law enforcement by the Joint Office for Investigation of Water Seepage Complaints
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
I have received complaints from many members of the public against the Joint Office for Investigation of Water Seepage Complaints ("JO"), set up by the Buildings Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, about its slow progress in following up cases, which has failed to effectively assist them in resolving water seepage problems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following statistics on water seepage cases in buildings handled by JO in each of the past five years (set out by District Council district):
(i)
reports received,
(ii)
cases handled,
(iii)
cases with the source of water seepage successfully identified and investigation completed,
(iv)
cases with the source of water seepage not identified but investigation terminated,
(v)
cases under investigation,
(vi)
cases with investigation not completed within 90 working days,
(vii)
Nuisance Notices issued,
(viii)
applications for Nuisance Orders made to and approved by the Court,
(ix)
applications for warrants to effect entry into premises made to and approved by the Court, and
(x)
cases of prosecution and conviction;
(2)
of the specific reasons for not completing the investigation of cases within 90 working days as mentioned in (1)(vi), and the number of working days taken to complete the investigation of the case with the longest handling time;
(3)
of the average time and manpower required by JO to handle each case; whether it has reviewed if the existing resources and manpower of JO are adequate; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether JO has taken the initiative to investigate water seepage caused by unauthorized alteration to the design of flats by owners or households; if so, of the number of relevant cases discovered in the past five years, and the follow-up work; if not, how JO will follow up the situation concerned?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Expanding the global economic and trade networks
Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask:
The Government has indicated in the latest Policy Address that it will expand the global economic and trade networks, promote regional cooperation, and expand the reach to the Belt and Road ("B&R") markets, including those of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ("ASEAN"), the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. On the other hand, the Government set up the Belt and Road Office ("BRO") in 2016, and established the Steering Group on Integration into National Development in 2022, with a sub-group on B&R development ("the B&R sub-group") set up thereunder. In addition, the Government has also organized the annual B&R Summit, exchange seminars for enterprises and project interfacing meetings, as well as business missions to visit the B&R related economies. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the resources (including expenditure and manpower) allocated respectively to BRO and the B&R sub-group by the Government for taking forward the B&R Initiative in each of the past three years; whether the Government will increase the manpower and estimated expenditure for these departments in the future; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the work of the departments mentioned in (1) in taking forward the B&R Initiative in the past three years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; given that the Government has indicated in the latest Policy Address that it will set up additional offices for business and trade along B&R, of the relevant details (including their number, regions, locations, as well as the manpower and expenditure involved), and whether it will set performance indicators for the work of such offices; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that Hong Kong has signed free trade agreements ("FTAs") with 20 economies (including ASEAN Member States, Georgia and Australia), whether the Government has compiled statistics on the economic benefits brought by such FTAs to Hong Kong in the past three years, as well as the number of enterprises and capital brought in; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
School-based Educational Psychology Service
Hon Lillian KWOK to ask:
It is learnt that the School-based Educational Psychology Service ("SBEPS"), implemented by the Education Bureau ("EDB"), is a comprehensive and integrated educational psychology service which provides support to public sector ordinary primary and secondary schools, including the provision of case follow-up and intervention services as well as support for schools in promoting preventive and developmental work. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of educational psychologists ("EPs") employed by the Government to provide SBEPS to primary and secondary schools in each of the past five years as well as the respective ratios of such EPs to schools and to students;
(2)
of the average number of days of visits to each school by the EPs mentioned in (1) in each of the past five years, as well as whether they increased the number of visits and provided intensive support to schools in need; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the average time taken by the EPs mentioned in (1) between receipt of referrals and completion of the assessment reports prepared for students with special educational needs in each of the past five years;
(4)
whether it will take measures to improve the waiting time for SBEPS as well as the problem of excessively long time taken for the relevant assessment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
of the respective numbers of primary and secondary schools currently provided with the Enhanced SBEPS by EDB;
(6)
whether it knows the number of places of educational psychology programmes available at local universities as well as the number of graduates from such programmes in each of the past five years; and
(7)
whether it will consider engaging more EPs from overseas; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to enhance dental services
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
It has been reported that the current waiting time for public dental services is long and private dental clinics charge exorbitant fees which the grass-roots can hardly afford. Regarding measures to enhance dental services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will consider extending the School Dental Care Service of the Department of Health to cover secondary school students and regularizing the Jockey Club Children Oral Health Project; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as there are views pointing out that each eligible elderly person is allotted health care vouchers with a value of $2,000 each year and the cumulative value of health care vouchers is capped at $8,000 only, which is just a drop in the bucket for many elderly people who need to receive dental treatment, whether the authorities will consider introducing "dental care vouchers" for eligible elderly people and extending the scope of application of such vouchers to the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and study the introduction of elderly dental care services to allow elderly people who are aged 65 or above and do not reside in residential care homes for the elderly to receive regular dental check-ups; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
given that the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme of the Community Care Fund only covers people who are aged 65 or above and are recipients of the Old Age Living Allowance, whether the authorities will consider lowering the age threshold of target beneficiaries to 60 years old and further expanding the scope of the subsidized items (to cover, for example, dental implant); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as there are views pointing out that at present, there are only 11 dental clinics providing general public dental services in Hong Kong, and with insufficient general public dental service sessions, such clinics only provide pain relief and extraction services, whether the authorities have plans to (i) set up additional government dental clinics and subsidize non-governmental organizations to operate mobile dental clinics, so that each of the 18 districts across the territory will have at least one government dental clinic and one mobile dental clinic, and (ii) improve general public dental services, including extending the service hours and expanding the service scope to cover services such as dental filling, fitting of dentures and root canal treatment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether it will, by drawing reference from practices in overseas regions and the findings of the territory-wide Oral Health Survey 2021, expeditiously review the oral health goals and set more appropriate oral health goals for members of the public (particularly elderly people) and formulate the relevant feasible measures; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Regulating the sale of pain treatment services
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
It has been reported that recently, some pain treatment centres have been suspected of engaging in frauds and unfair trade practices when promoting pain treatment services to the public, including (i) failing to provide the complete contract and explain the contract provisions to the customers in the course of trade promotion, and instead just providing a simple copy of the contract that does not even state the correct company name only after payment made by the customers; (ii) changing the company name after receipt of a certain number of complaints; and (iii) applying for payment services from non-bank "buy now, pay later" platforms ("BNPL platforms") on behalf of the customers without their knowledge. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints involving unfair trade practices in the past three years and, among them, the number of those involving the promotion of pain treatment services;
(2)
regarding the aforesaid pain treatment centres which failed to provide the complete contract or just provided a simple copy of the contract, and which did not receive payment through companies with business registration, what measures the Government has put in place to crack down on such unfair trade practices, so as to protect the rights and interests of consumers;
(3)
as it is learnt that the therapists in some pain treatment centres are not licensed healthcare professionals and hence, posing potential health hazards to their customers, whether the Government will introduce measures to strengthen regulation of such type of companies providing pain treatment services;
(4)
in the light of the aforesaid cases involving pain treatment centres allegedly engaging in unfair trade practices via BNPL platforms, whether the Government will review the regulatory regime of BNPL platforms and strengthen regulation in this regard, as well as draw up a standard contract for BNPL payment method; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
of the measures in place to enhance public understanding of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) and the details to look out for when entering into prepaid services contracts, with a view to raising public awareness of the need to guard against the aforesaid unfair trade practices?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Attracting investors from Islamic countries to Hong Kong
Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
There are views that the numerous Islamic countries along the Belt and Road ("B&R") are the key links of the eight major steps to support high-quality B&R cooperation, and attracting investors from these countries will bring enormous opportunities to Hong Kong. However, the lack of understanding of Islamic culture and financial system in Hong Kong society has hampered the Government's strategic goal of strengthening the promotion of financial cooperation with Islamic countries. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government has, in order to attract more investors from Islamic countries to establish their bases in Hong Kong, formulated measures to facilitate the needs of Muslims in their daily lives, such as promoting the supply of Halal-certified food products and providing more prayer rooms in public places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it is learnt that Hong Kong currently lacks talents familiar with Islamic culture and Sharia principles, whether the Government has measures in place to nurture the relevant talents, including encouraging local students to study Arabic or to study in the Middle East countries, and encouraging local universities to offer relevant courses, so as to enhance Hong Kong's attractiveness in the eyes of investors from Islamic countries; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, whether it will consider formulating the relevant measures;
(3)
whether it will draw on the experience of Singapore and Malaysia in offering courses related to Islamic finance education and providing relevant training, so as to enhance the financial sector's understanding of the Islamic financial system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether the Government has formulated other measures, apart from the issuance of sukuk, to foster the development of the local Islamic financial market, including developing new products and assisting the financial sector in examining whether its products are Sharia-compliant and meet market needs; if so, of the details and the implementation timetable; if not, whether it will consider formulating the relevant measures?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of teachers
Dr Hon CHOW Man-kong to ask:
According to the Subsidized Schools Provident Fund Annual Report 2022 of the Education Bureau ("EDB"), a total of 3 493 contributors withdrew from the Subsidized Schools Provident Fund in the 2021-2022 school year. Among them, contributors with less than 10 years of service accounted for 24% of the withdrawals. There are views that the figures reflect the serious wastage of teachers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of (i) the number of newly-joined teachers (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers) and (ii) the number of teachers who departed (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers) in each of the past three school years, together with a breakdown by length of teaching service (i.e. (a) newly-joined, (b) below 10 years, (c) 10 to 15 years and (d) above 15 years) and type of schools (i.e. (I) kindergartens, (II) special schools, (III) public sector and Direct Subsidy Scheme ("DSS") primary schools and (IV) public sector and DSS secondary schools) (set out in Table 1 the numbers for (I) and (II), and in Table 2 the numbers for (III) and (IV));
Table 1 Type of schools:
Type of teachers |
Length of teaching service |
Number of teachers (and the percentage of such number in the
overall number of teachers) |
2020-2021 school year |
2021-2022 school year |
2022-2023 school year |
(i) |
(a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
Table 2 Type of schools:
Type of teachers |
Finance type |
Length of teaching service |
Number of teachers (and the percentage of such number in the overall number of teachers) |
2020-2021
school year |
2021-2022
school year |
2022-2023
school year |
(i) |
Public sector |
(a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
DSS |
(a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
(ii) |
Public sector |
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
DSS |
(b) |
|
|
|
(c) |
|
|
|
(d) |
|
|
|
(2)
whether it has studied the respective reasons for departure of the aforesaid experienced teachers and teachers with shorter length of teaching service, and formulated corresponding measures to retain talents;
(3)
whether it knows the numbers of course places (broken down by full-time and part-time courses) of and the actual student enrolments in the teacher training courses provided by the five universities offering Bachelor of Education and Post-graduate Diploma in Education programmes ("PGDE programmes") (i.e. the University of Hong Kong ("HKU"), The Chinese University of Hong Kong ("CUHK"), The Education University of Hong Kong ("EdUHK"), the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong Metropolitan University) in each of the past three school years and the current school year, together with a breakdown by level of education (i.e. kindergarten, primary school, secondary school and special education) and major teaching subject (including but not limited to Chinese Language, English Language, Geography and Economics); of the principles and criteria for allocation of places for the aforesaid teacher training courses; and
(4)
given that EDB will increase the number of places for part-time PGDE programmes of three universities, namely HKU, CUHK and EdUHK, in designated subjects for the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school years, of the specific number of additional places to be provided each year and the distribution of such additional places, and whether there will be consequential reduction in the number of places for PGDE programmes in certain subjects; whether it has assessed, by drawing reference from the number of departed teachers in the last three school years and the trend concerned, the supply of and demand for teacher training course places in the coming three to five years, so as to enable the relevant institutions to better plan for organization of their teacher training courses, with a view to filling the vacancies for teachers?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Promotion Centre
Hon CHAN Yung to ask:
To further enhance publicity and promotion as well as the support for Hong Kong residents and enterprises in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"), the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong has set up the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Development Promotion Centre ("the Promotion Centre") to further strengthen cooperation with the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, InvestHK and relevant organizations and institutions in the Mainland, provide GBA-related information and enquiries services, and render appropriate assistance to Hong Kong residents and enterprises when needed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of exchanges and promotional activities organized by the Promotion Centre for Hong Kong residents and enterprises in Mainland cities since its establishment (with a tabulated breakdown by the nature of activities (e.g. providing enquiries services, organizing seminars and study missions)) and the specific details of such activities;
(2)
of the number of requests for assistance received by the Promotion Centre from Hong Kong residents and enterprises since its establishment; and
(3)
whether the Promotion Centre will continue to follow up the operating conditions of Hong Kong enterprises participating in the exchanges and promotional activities, and establish a method to quantify the effectiveness of such activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Vocational and professional education and training
Ir Hon LEE Chun-keung to ask:
The Chief Executive indicated in the 2023 Policy Address that the Government will facilitate the establishment of universities of applied sciences ("UASs"), and strive to raise the status of vocational and professional education and training ("VPET") to attain qualifications at university degree level. UASs will offer programmes with more internship and practical learning opportunities. In addition, the Government also plans to support potential post-secondary institutions to form an Alliance of Universities in Applied Sciences within 2024 to promote VPET. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest progress of preparatory work for the establishment of UASs;
(2)
of the estimated number of places and the content of programmes to be offered by UASs;
(3)
of the specific plans to attract interested persons to enrol in UASs; and
(4)
as it is learnt that many schools have ceased operation in recent years, whether the authorities will consider converting the sites concerned into vocational schools; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Prevention of water mains bursts
Hon YANG Wing-kit to ask:
It is learnt that incidents of water mains burst occur from time to time in Hong Kong, causing serious traffic impact and inconvenience to passers-by, and many members of the public are worried about the hidden dangers of water mains bursts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of water mains burst incidents in each of the 18 districts in Hong Kong in each of the past three years, and the following information in relation to such incidents: (i) the locations, (ii) the causes of the incidents, (iii) the year in which the relevant water mains were installed, (iv) the burst record of the water mains prior to the incidents, (v) the year in which the water mains were last replaced or repaired, and (vi) whether the water mains have been included in the District Metering Areas ("DMAs") of the Water Intelligent Network ("WIN");
(2)
of the current coverage of DMAs of WIN and the progress of the works, and whether it has assessed the effectiveness of WIN in monitoring water mains bursts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the list and timetable of works projects included in the Risk-based Improvement Programme of Water Mains, with a breakdown by District Council district and project progress (i.e. (i) those for which replacement or rehabilitation works have been completed, (ii) those for which the relevant improvement works have commenced, and (iii) those under planning);
(4)
of the follow-up situation of the "main burst hot spots" (i.e. locations with repeated water main bursts) in each of the 18 districts in Hong Kong in each of the past three years, and the longest, shortest and average time taken to complete the improvement works at such main burst hot spots; and
(5)
as it is learnt that the Drainage Services Department has introduced a remotely operated pipeline inspection robot to assist in the investigation of the condition of underground drains, whether the authorities have used pipeline inspection robots to investigate the condition of water mains, and introduced other latest leak detection technologies to strengthen water pressure management; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Employment of persons with disabilities
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
Under the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Cap. 608), the Statutory Minimum Wage ("SMW") applies to employees with disabilities as it applies to able-bodied employees. Cap. 608 also provides for a special arrangement under which employees with disabilities whose productivity may be impaired by their disabilities have the right to choose to undergo a productivity assessment, so as to determine whether they should be remunerated at a level not lower than SMW or at a rate commensurate with their assessed productivity. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following statistics related to the employment of persons with disabilities ("PWDs") in each of the past three years: the number of persons of working age (i.e. 15 to 64 years old), the number of persons who took up paid employment or were economically active (broken down by the industry in which they were engaged and their salary group), the unemployment rate and the poverty rate;
(2)
of the numbers of employees and employers who participated in the Productivity Assessment for Employees with Disabilities and the assessment results (including the percentage of employees with disabilities who, as assessed, should be remunerated at a level not lower than SMW), in each of the past three years;
(3)
of the measures in place to encourage enterprises and public organizations to hire PWDs; and
(4)
of the measures in place to encourage PWDs to participate in employment or vocational skills training?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
One-stop contact point "1823"
Hon Nixie LAM to ask:
"1823" provides members of the public with a round-the-clock, one-stop contact point to answer their general enquiries about the services of a number of government departments and receive their complaints and suggestions about government service. There are views that the performance of 1823 needs enhancement. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the staffing establishment of 1823, the actual number of full-time and part-time staff and the number of job vacancies in the past year;
(2)
of the respective numbers of cases of enquiries, requests for assistance and complaints received by 1823 in the past year, with a breakdown by (i) the government department involved and (ii) the channel for receiving those cases (including telephone call, online form, email, fax and mobile application) and their respective percentages;
(3)
given that while the authorities have set a performance indicator of 80% of the calls have to be answered within 12 seconds for 1823, the target was not met by 1823 in the whole year of 2022 and in the first 10 months of 2023, of the average waiting time for calls not answered within the time specified by the indicator; whether the authorities have conducted a review on the relevant situation and taken improvement measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the experience of the Mainland's "12345 Government Service Convenience Hotline", analyse the cases received by 1823 through the pooled big data, and regularly submit feedback analysis reports to the relevant government departments for reference in service improvement and community governance?