Note:
| 15 (instead of 16) written questions are scheduled for this meeting as a Member has withdrawn his written question after the deadline for giving notice of questions. |
Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing the stability of the power supply systems
Dr Hon CHOW Man-kong to ask:
It is learnt that the frequent occurrence of power supply incidents in recent years has aroused public concern about the stability of the power supply systems of the two power companies and their capability to respond to incidents in a timely manner. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of power supply incidents of the two power companies since July 2021, with a breakdown by cause (e.g. impact of inclement weather, ageing of facilities, and human factors) and the respective percentages; in respect of each incident, the district(s) and the number of customers affected, the time taken from the outage to the full resumption of normal power supply, the manpower deployed for emergency repair, as well as the measures taken for the full resumption of normal power supply;
(2)
as it is learnt that in the past three months, the power supply system of CLP Power Hong Kong Limited broke down twice when the Thunderstorm Warning was in force, of the contingency measures put in place by the authorities and the two power companies at the present stage to enhance the capability of the power supply systems to withstand the impact of thunderstorms and other inclement weather conditions, and the relevant measures in the long term; the estimated cost of such measures and whether the cost will be passed on to the customers; and
(3)
as there are views that with the Government's promotion of the development of digital infrastructure including data centres and the increasing popularity of electric vehicles in recent years, the demand for power in the community is increasing, whether the Government will, apart from urging the two power companies to enhance the capability of their power supply systems to cope with incidents, consider introducing other proposals to enhance the reliability and stability of power supply?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Medical incidents in public hospitals
Hon Joephy CHAN to ask:
It has been reported that earlier a four-year-old girl developed cardiac arrest after she underwent wound suture at the Accident and Emergency Department of Yan Chai Hospital. During the suturing process, her head was positioned with the assistance of non-healthcare personnel. It took 18 minutes from the discovery of the girl's loss of consciousness and pulse to the return of spontaneous circulation after emergency treatment. There are views that, before the outcome of a formal investigation into the incident is available and before a full communication with the girl's family is made, the hospital is suspected of misleading the public by unilaterally convening a press conference and indicating that it will find out whether the girl has hidden diseases. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows if the Hospital Authority ("HA") currently has sufficient mechanisms or guidelines covering different clinical procedures and specifying the duties of different personnel (including non-healthcare personnel) in carrying out such procedures; if HA has, of the details; whether HA will update the relevant guidelines after experiencing the incident; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it knows HA's mechanisms or guidelines for external reporting of medical incidents, and whether the mechanisms or guidelines specify the circumstances under which information on such incidents should be disseminated externally, as well as the form and material contents of the necessary communication with the affected patients and their families before the dissemination of information on such incidents; and
(3)
of the measures put in place by the Government and HA to reduce medical incidents, so as to safeguard the healthcare quality of Hong Kong and maintain public confidence in the public healthcare system?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Measures to facilitate elderly persons to retire in the Mainland
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
The Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme under the Social Security Allowance Scheme allow eligible Hong Kong elderly persons who have moved to reside in these two provinces to receive the Old Age Living Allowance ("OALA") or the Old Age Allowance ("OAA"). On the other hand, it has been reported that according to a survey conducted by an organization, nearly 400 000 Hong Kong residents are of Hainan origin, and among them, about 85 000 are elderly persons aged above 65, and due to the beautiful environment, good air quality and low cost of living in the Hainan Province, many Hainanese who responded to the survey have expressed their intention to settle in their home province after retirement. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will study introducing a "Hainan Scheme" to allow eligible Hong Kong elderly persons who have moved to reside in the province to receive OALA or OAA so as to meet their keen demand; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
in addition to the portable Social Security Allowance and a series of schemes relating to residential care services and healthcare, of other policy initiatives put in place by the authorities to facilitate elderly persons to settle in the Mainland after retirement, in order to provide them with an additional option for quality ageing; and
(3)
of the current respective numbers of beneficiaries of the Guangdong Scheme and the Fujian Scheme; what new measures are in place to step up publicity on the two schemes?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Prevention of flooding and landslides
Hon Stanley LI to ask:
In recent years, there were severe flooding and landslides in many parts of Hong Kong under extreme and adverse weather conditions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the rainfall patterns in Hong Kong in the past five years; whether it has assessed if the design standards of the stormwater drainage systems in Hong Kong are sufficient to cope with extreme and adverse weather conditions in the future, and how the stormwater drainage systems can be upgraded to improve the flooding situation;
(2)
whether the Government has assessed if the rise in sea level will affect the effectiveness of the stormwater drainage systems in Hong Kong, and how the Government will solve the problem of coastal and low-lying areas being vulnerable to flooding and seawater infusion or rainwater backflow under extreme and adverse weather conditions; and
(3)
given that many districts were hard hit by flooding and landslides under extreme and adverse weather conditions, such as Tso Wo Hang and Marina Cove in Sai Kung, the outdoor car park outside LOHAS Park, as well as Wan Tsui Road in Chai Wan, of the Government's plans to improve the relevant infrastructure facilities and cope with emergencies?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Flood prevention capacity in rural areas
Hon Steven HO to ask:
It has been reported that the frequent occurrence of extreme weather conditions in recent years has caused severe flooding problems in rural areas, and a pig farm in Ta Kwu Ling was even hit by flooding twice in three years, resulting in heavy losses. I have learnt that one of the main causes of flooding in some rural areas last year was illegal land-filling of watercourses, and the laying of drainage channels on top of certain land-filling locations by the Government as a solution to the problem has led to a much lower drainage capacity of the watercourses concerned than the original design, rendering them unable to withstand extreme weather conditions and hence the frequent flooding. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the monthly numbers of flooding reports in rural areas and residents' expressions of views received by the Drainage Services Department in the past five years, with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory; whether it has reviewed if there is a need to update the flood protection standards for the drainage systems in rural areas;
(2)
of the monthly number of complaints about illegal land-filling of watercourses in the 18 districts across the territory received by the authorities in the past five years, and the specific handling approach of such cases (including the average expenditure incurred in each case and the parties responsible for the costs); whether it will review the recovery plans for such cases to ensure that the drainage capacity of the watercourses concerned is restored to the original level; and
(3)
of the number of instances where rural areas were hit by a "once-in-a-century" torrential rain or flooding in the past five years; the Government's respective improvement measures in the four areas of planning and design of drainage facilities, disaster alert, emergency response capabilities, and disaster protection mechanism, so as to ensure that rural areas can cope with the rising trend of extreme weather conditions?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Taxi Fleet Regime
Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
The Government has introduced the Taxi Fleet Regime, with no more than five Taxi Fleet Licences ("Licences") intended to be issued. There are views that with a total of 15 applications for the Licences received by the Transport Department, it is clearly an indication of the industry's eagerness to enhance the quality of taxi services through a fleet-based operating model. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council, as some members of the industry have pointed out that even with the issuance of all five Licences by the Government, the number of taxis participating in taxi fleets would merely account for 20% of the total number of taxis in Hong Kong at most, whether the Government will consider increasing the number of Licences in view of the industry's overwhelming response to the Licences; if so, of the details; if not, whether the Government will consider relaxing the cap on the fleet size to enable more taxis to join the fleets and facilitate the scalable operation of the fleets; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of the Police for tackling technology crimes
Hon Duncan CHIU to ask:
In order to combat increasingly sophisticated technology crimes more effectively and maintain a safe cyberspace for Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Police Force ("HKPF") upgraded its Technology Crime Division in 2015 to the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau ("CSTCB"). There are four subdivisions under CSTCB, namely, the Technology Crime Division, Cyber Security Division, Cyber Intelligence Division as well as Forensics and Training Division. In 2023-2024, the establishment of police officers in CSTCB increased to 395. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective staffing establishments and strength of the four subdivisions under CSTCB, with a breakdown by employment modes (i.e. civil servants and various types of contract) and posts; of the respective numbers of staff in the strength with professional backgrounds such as technology and finance;
(2)
of the average wastage of CSTCB staff in each of the past three years and the respective key positions involved;
(3)
of the respective ratios of vacancies filled by CSTCB through internal redeployment and open recruitment in the past three years; whether it will consider increasing the ratio of open recruitment to attract more professionals in the community with relevant knowledge such as technology and finance to join CSTCB;
(4)
whether HKPF has encountered difficulties in conducting recruitment exercises for CSTCB; if so, of the details (including the posts involved and the reasons for the recruitment difficulties), and of the specific corresponding measures adopted by HKPF and the effectiveness of such measures; and
(5)
whether it has studied in depth if the remuneration packages of officers of various ranks in CSTCB (in particular those posts requiring professional backgrounds such as technology and finance) are attractive and competitive; if it has, of the findings of the study; the specific measures in place (including whether it will consider adjusting the remuneration packages of the relevant staff) to enhance the attractiveness of the posts in CSTCB?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Unauthorized building works and occupation of government land by housing on hillsides
Hon MA Fung-kwok to ask:
It has been reported that the landslide at Redhill Peninsula on the Hong Kong Island caused by the once-in-a-century torrential rain last year has not only uncovered the serious problem of unauthorized building works ("UBWs") at the houses there, but also revealed that issues such as UBWs on hillsides and unlawful occupation of government land are involved. In the light of the incident, the Government has indicated that it would conduct large-scale inspections targeting houses. On the other hand, there are views that the risk borne by housing situated on hillsides involving UBWs will increase significantly with the typhoon season approaching. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
upon the comprehensive inspection conducted in respect of the UBW problems of the houses at Redhill Peninsula, of the districts in which housing situated on dangerous hillsides and soil have been inspected by the authorities, and whether they have grasped the respective numbers of such housing involving UBWs, illegal addition works and unlawful occupation of government land;
(2)
of the approaches adopted/to be adopted by the authorities to handle the cases mentioned in (1), as well as the number of actions taken and their effectiveness;
(3)
of the actions taken by the authorities in the past year in respect of housing situated on hillsides involving UBWs, illegal addition works or unlawful occupation of government land, as well as their effectiveness; and
(4)
in respect of housing situated on hillsides involving UBWs, illegal addition works or unlawful occupation of government land, apart from issuing removal orders, whether the Government will, on the premise that the structures concerned are assessed by professional Authorized Persons to be safe, consider adopting other rectification or compensation methods to address the problems?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Development of waste-to-energy incinerators
Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok to ask:
The 14th Five-Year Plan on Urban Municipal Solid Waste ("MSW") Separation and Treatment Facilities Development ("the Plan") published by the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in May 2021 points out that it is necessary to expedite the progress of constructing MSW separation and treatment facilities, so as to provide the basic safeguards for achieving waste reduction, resource recycling and innocuous treatment, while stressing the adherence of principles such as coordinated planning, site-specific planning, market orientation and multi-party co-governance in comprehensively pressing ahead with the construction of MSW incineration facilities in the key cities of the country including those in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"). Regarding the development of waste-to-energy ("WtE") incinerators, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has discussed with the relevant departments of the key cities in GBA on how to jointly take forward the implementation of the Plan through mutual coordination and enhanced collaboration; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it is learnt that advanced regions are actively deploying WtE incinerators for waste treatment, while the first and second WtE incinerator projects in Hong Kong (i.e. I-PARK 1 and I-PARK 2) will only be commissioned next year and 2030 respectively, and by then, the MSW incineration capacity of the two projects will reach 9 000 tonnes per day, which is still lower than the current MSW disposal amount of about 11 100 tonnes per day, whether the authorities will compress the process and allocate additional resources to expedite the construction of I-PARK 2; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it will expeditiously plan and develop a third WtE incinerator project; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Hospital services in the Kowloon Central Cluster
Dr Hon Starry LEE to ask:
It is learnt that the New Acute Hospital in Kai Tak ("the New Acute Hospital") is expected to be completed in 2026, and will by then replace the Queen Elizabeth Hospital ("QEH") as the leading hospital in the Kowloon Central Cluster ("KCC"), with most of the services at QEH to be gradually relocated to the New Acute Hospital. Under the "new for old" arrangement, no new general hospital is provided in the Cluster. On the other hand, it is learnt that while QEH is under KCC, its service recipients spread across the entire Kowloon (especially the Sham Shui Po District in the Kowloon West Cluster ("KWC")) due to its prime geographical location and excellent transport accessibility. According to the information from the Hospital Authority, the elderly population in KCC and KWC has increased by about 40% over the past 10 years, but the number of general beds has only increased by about 6.7% during the period, which has aroused concern as to whether relying on the New Acute Hospital alone can cope with the substantial increase in the elderly population. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that the arrangement for the gradual replacement of QEH by the New Acute Hospital in the provision of healthcare services will have significant impacts on the public, whether the authorities will draw up comprehensive publicity and promotion plans to enable the public to have an early grasp of the arrangement concerned; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will consider redeveloping QEH into a major acute general hospital which provides 24-hour comprehensive healthcare services after the commissioning of the New Acute Hospital, so as to increase the overall healthcare service capacity of Kowloon; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it will consider including in the second 10-year Hospital Development Plan the planning of an acute general hospital in KCC, so as to cope with the substantial increase in the elderly population and the huge demand for healthcare services in the Cluster; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Reimbursement of Maternity Leave Pay Scheme
Hon CHAU Siu-chung to ask:
The Government launched the Reimbursement of Maternity Leave Pay Scheme ("the Scheme") on 1 April 2021, through which employers can apply for reimbursement of the statutory maternity leave pay paid to employees in respect of the 11th to 14th weeks. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the numbers of applications under the Scheme in each of the past three years and this year to date, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by the monthly salaries of the employees involved and the respective percentages of the applications concerned;
Table 1
Monthly salary of
employees involved | Number of applications (percentage) |
2021 | ...... | This year to date |
Below $10,000 |
|
|
|
$10,000 to below $20,000 |
|
|
|
...... |
|
|
|
Above $150,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
(2)
of the average processing time for the applications mentioned in (1) in each of the past three years and this year to date; among such cases, of the respective numbers (and percentages) of applications approved, rejected and withdrawn (set out in Table 2); the main reasons for rejection and withdrawal of the applications;
Table 2
Result of application | Number of applications (percentage) |
2021 | ...... | This year to date |
Approved |
|
|
|
Rejected |
|
|
|
Withdrawn |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
(3)
of the amounts reimbursed for the approved applications mentioned in (2) and distribution of the types of industries of the employers involved in each of the past three years and this year to date, as well as the respective percentages of the applications concerned (set out in Tables 3 and 4 respectively);
Table 3
Reimbursement amount | Number of applications approved (percentage) |
2021 | ...... | This year to date |
Below $10,000 |
|
|
|
$10,000 to below $20,000 |
|
|
|
...... |
|
|
|
$80,000 |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
Table 4
Type of industry of employers involved | Number of applications approved (percentage) |
2021 | ...... | This year to date |
Catering |
|
|
|
Construction |
|
|
|
Education services |
|
|
|
Finance |
|
|
|
Health services |
|
|
|
Hotel and accommodation |
|
|
|
Import/export |
|
|
|
Information and communications |
|
|
|
Insurance |
|
|
|
Manufacturing |
|
|
|
Professional service, administrative and other business support service activities |
|
|
|
Real estate |
|
|
|
Retail |
|
|
|
Social work activities |
|
|
|
Storage |
|
|
|
Transport, postal and courier services |
|
|
|
Wholesale |
|
|
|
Work within domestic households |
|
|
|
Other personal services |
|
|
|
Others |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
(4)
of the respective total reimbursement amounts involved in the approved applications mentioned in (2) in each of the past three years and this year to date;
(5)
as it is learnt that the authorities have appointed a private processing agent to assist in the implementation of the Scheme, of the respective expenditure on appointing the processing agent in the past three years and this year to date, as well as the manpower arranged by the processing agent for the Scheme; whether it has reviewed the effectiveness of the processing agent's assistance in the implementation of the Scheme; and
(6)
whether it will consider stepping up publicity and promotion to enhance employers' or human resource practitioners' knowledge of the Scheme, so that more people can benefit from the Scheme?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Developing a hub for primary and secondary education
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
It has been reported that, with the worsening situation of low birth rate in Hong Kong, primary and secondary schools are facing "class reduction and school closure" one after another. On the other hand, the Chief Executive has proposed in the 2023 Policy Address to build Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education. There are views that Hong Kong's primary and secondary basic education also have significant advantages in developing international education (including teachers having all undergone high-quality and systematic training, and the curriculum being taught in both languages of Chinese and English, etc.), and the Government should make good use of such advantages and introduce policies to alleviate the impact of low birth rate, replenish the sources of students and nurture talents for the long-term development of Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of Mainland and overseas students currently enrolled in international schools at primary and secondary levels;
(2)
whether it will consider constructing new school premises or converting the premises of some primary and secondary schools which have been closed or are likely to be closed, as well as providing additional supporting facilities (e.g. hostels), so as to operate primary and secondary schools dedicated to absorb Mainland and overseas students;
(3)
whether it has plans to promote and admit students to local primary and secondary schools (including international schools and schools dedicated to offering Mainland curriculum) in the Mainland, neighbouring Chinese-populated regions and overseas, so as to increase the sources of students for various types of schools in Hong Kong; and
(4)
whether it has plans to, while building Hong Kong into an international hub for post-secondary education, build Hong Kong into an international hub for primary and secondary education; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will consider the plans concerned?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Blood donation services of the Hong Kong Red Cross
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
It is learnt that the blood inventories of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service have from time to time been depleted to very low levels in recent years. There are views that with the continued ageing of the population in Hong Kong, the demand for blood supply is expected to be on a continuous rise given the substantial healthcare needs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
(1)
the total blood collection and the total quantities of blood used by various public and private hospitals across the territory in each of the past five years;
(2)
the respective total number of blood donors, percentage of the total number of blood donors in the population within the blood donation age bracket in Hong Kong, and percentage of the total number of regular donors in the population within the blood donation age bracket in Hong Kong in each of the past five years (with a breakdown by age group and gender);
(3)
the respective total number of blood donors, total number of first-time blood donors, and total number of blood donors who had donated blood twice or more at various donor centres in each month of the past five years (with a breakdown by age group and gender);
(4)
the total number of visits made by the Hong Kong Red Cross to (a) secondary schools and (b) tertiary institutions under the School Blood Donation Campaign in each of the past five years and, in such visits, the respective total numbers of (i) first-time blood donors and (ii) non-first-time blood donors; and
(5)
the total number of visits made by the mobile blood donation vehicles of the Hong Kong Red Cross to different locations across the territory in each of the past five years and, in such visits, the respective total numbers of first-time blood donors and non-first-time blood donors?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
Hon LEUNG Man-kwong to ask:
The Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge ("the Scheme") has been implemented for a year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of vehicles allocated with application quotas in the computer ballot under the Scheme which had completed all procedures of the two places and successfully been issued with Closed Road Permits by the Transport Department as at the first of this month;
(2)
of the following information on the Specified Dates Booking System for use by holders of relevant licences under the Scheme as at the first of this month;
(i)
the average number of bookings received per departure day;
(ii)
the quota of bookings available per departure day; and
(iii)
the departure day with the greatest number of bookings received and the utilization rate of the quota on that day; and
(3)
whether it will consider further shortening the periods of booking for departure and cancellation of booking for departure to after noon on one calendar day before the specified departure day, so as to better facilitate the use of the Bridge by members of the public, thus fully unlocking the functionality of the Bridge; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to facilitate cross-boundary medical consultations for members of the public
Hon CHAN Chun-ying to ask:
Following the implementation of the Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the Hospital Authority in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("the Pilot Scheme"), eligible Hong Kong elderly persons may use the Elderly Health Care Vouchers to pay for dental treatment at the designated medical institutions in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"). On the other hand, Hong Kong people employed in the Mainland are required to join the basic medical insurance for employees, while retired Hong Kong people living in the Mainland may take out the basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents. It is learnt that both plans are entitled to the same social insurance protection as Mainland residents. In addition, it has been reported that some Hong Kong insurance companies have partnered with Mainland medical institutions to provide simpler and faster direct claims settlement services for Hong Kong people who receive medical consultations and medical treatment in the Mainland under the "direct billing without paying upfront" approach. Regarding the measures to facilitate cross-boundary medical consultations for Hong Kong people, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the current respective numbers of people who have used the Elderly Health Care Vouchers to go north for dental treatment and those who have participated in the Pilot Scheme; if so, whether both numbers meet the expectations;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the current respective numbers of Hong Kong people who have joined the mandatory and the voluntary medical insurance schemes in the Mainland; if not, of the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it has plans to study and promote with the Mainland authorities the possibility of allowing Hong Kong residents holding the Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents to take out the basic medical insurance for urban and rural residents in the Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will introduce policies to encourage more Hong Kong insurance companies and "Grade 3A" hospitals in GBA to provide direct billing services to Hong Kong people who receive cross-boundary medical consultations; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Ancillary transport facilities for Kai Tak Development Area
Hon Vincent CHENG to ask:
It has been reported that the large-scale sports facilities in the Kai Tak Development Area ("KTDA") will commence trial operation in early next year. Meanwhile, major sports competitions or events, as well as competitions of the 15th National Games ("National Games"), will be held in the area one after another. However, there are views that KTDA obviously lacks sufficient roads for pedestrian and vehicular access and relevant ancillary transport facilities at present, and the Central Kowloon Route ("CKR") and the Trunk Road T2 linking the area with nearby areas will take time to complete. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the completion of CKR is expected to be no earlier than 2025 according to the authorities' latest estimate, of the restraints on the construction works that have to be overcome to expedite the completion; whether the authorities will make arrangements to enable the early completion of the works, so as to provide spectators with convenient access routes by vehicles and tie in with the staging of the National Games; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the authorities' contingency plans in place to ensure that the additional vehicular traffic during the staging of major competitions or the National Games in KTDA will not cause traffic congestion in the surrounding areas;
(3)
as the Government plans to develop the Kai Tak Smart and Green Mass Transit System which will be connected to the Kai Tak Sports Park, but the alignment of the system will not be extended to Kwun Tong, of the authorities' evaluation of the effectiveness of the said system in diverting the passenger and vehicular flows accessing the large-scale sports facilities in KTDA after its completion;
(4)
as the authorities have proposed in recent years the implementation of a "multi-modal" Environmentally Friendly Linkage System ("EFLS") in place of the EFLS for Kowloon East, and the Chief Executive has announced in his 2023 Policy Address the implementation of smart and green mass transit in KTDA, of the current work progress of the authorities in introducing the multi-modal EFLS; before the completion of the smart and green mass transit, whether the authorities have considered devising public transport routes (including bus, minibus and other public transport) that run via or provide direct access to the large-scale sports facilities in KTDA; and
(5)
of the respective numbers of additional parking spaces for tourist coaches and private cars in KTDA in the future?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Developing the "silver economy"
Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask:
In February this year, the Government established the Advisory Panel on Silver Economy ("the Advisory Panel") to conduct research on the market demand and development of the "silver economy" and give relevant recommendations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Advisory Panel has commenced the aforesaid research; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, whether the scope of the research includes (i) the trend in the proportion of elderly population in the next five years, (ii) the consumption potential (e.g. income, assets and the balance of the Mandatory Provident Fund account) of soon-to-be-elderly persons (i.e. persons aged 55 to 64) and the elderly (i.e. persons aged 65 or above), and (iii) the current contribution percentage of the elderly care industry to Gross Domestic Product; if so, of the preliminary results of the research; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether the authorities will, in order to collect data on elderly consumption, consider conducting regular research on the consumption activities and potential of the elderly, as well as the proportion of elderly population; if so, of the planning of such research; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as there are views pointing out that in recent years, there has been a tendency among local elderly people to go north for spending, of the authorities' policies in place to attract them to stay and spend in Hong Kong;
(4)
whether it will consider developing overseas silver markets and promoting "silver tourism", such as introducing measures to attract overseas elderly people to visit Hong Kong for sightseeing and spending; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
given that the Mainland defines the silver economy as the collection of a series of economic activities such as providing products or services to the elderly and preparing for old age, whether the Government will draw reference from this definition and include products and services aimed at preparing middle-aged and young people for old age (e.g. anti-ageing health products, medical beauty services, and wealth planning and insurance products) in its plan to develop the silver economy?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Smoking cessation services
Prof Hon CHAN Wing-kwong to ask:
Regarding the smoking cessation services provided by the Government, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of enquiries received by the Integrated Smoking Cessation Hotline 1833 183 of the Department of Health ("DH") and cases requiring further referral for receiving various types of smoking cessation services in each of the past three years and this year to date;
(2)
whether it knows the cessation rate among the cases referred for receiving smoking cessation services mentioned in (1);
(3)
given that DH has collaborated with a local hospital for the provision of smoking cessation programme using traditional Chinese medicine since 1 April 2010, of the number of cases that have received smoking cessation services provided under the programme since the launch of the programme and the cessation rate among those cases; the number of cases that received smoking cessation services provided under the programme in each of the past five years;
(4)
given that DH first launched the Chinese Medicine Ear Points Patches for Smoking Cessation Trial Programme in May this year, of the implementation details of the programme, and whether it has assessed the response to the programme by people who wish to quit smoking; and
(5)
whether the authorities will allocate more resources in the future to help smokers to quit smoking; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Payment arrangement of the Legal Aid Department
Hon LAM San-keung to ask:
Between January and June last year, there were in total 2 326 assigned out cases by the Legal Aid Department ("LAD") for which legal proceedings had been concluded (i.e. settled or adjudicated). Regarding LAD's payment arrangement, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as at the 30th of last month, of the number of the aforesaid cases in which the lawyers, experts or other parties have been paid in full by LAD within a year after the conclusion of the legal proceedings, and the amount of payments involved;
(2)
among the aforesaid 2 326 cases, of the estimated amount of monies involved in those cases where payments have yet to be made; among such cases, of the number of those in which the lawyers, experts or other parties have received advance payments of interim costs, and the amount of monies involved; and
(3)
given that under the existing arrangement, LAD will only effect the balance payment to the lawyers, experts or other parties upon receipt of all monies due to the aided persons and LAD, whether the authorities will consider reviewing the arrangement and study the possibility of allowing LAD to effect balance payments to the persons concerned before receiving all monies, with a view to speeding up the effecting of balance payments?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing the facilities of the MTR Lam Tin Station
Hon TANG Ka-piu to ask:
There are views that when the MTR Lam Tin Station was commissioned in 1989, due consideration was not given to residents' needs for barrier-free access. For example, residents in Lam Tin and Cha Kwo Ling travelling between Exit A and Exit D of Lam Tin Station respectively and the station concourse can only do so via escalators due to the lack of lifts. Moreover, there are views that given the intake of residential development projects at Ko Ling Road and the forthcoming redevelopment of Cha Kwo Ling Village, the patronage of Lam Tin Station is expected to increase continuously. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics and made estimates on the respective total populations and the populations of elderly of Lam Tin and Cha Kwo Ling (i) in 1989, (ii) at present, (iii) in 2034 and (iv) in 2044;
(2)
whether it knows if the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") has compiled statistics and made estimates on the respective carrying capacity and average daily patronage of Lam Tin Station (i) in 1989, (ii) at present, (iii) in 2034 and (iv) in 2044;
(3)
whether it knows if MTRCL has compiled statistics on the respective design capacities and the highest usage rates during peak hours of the escalators at Exit A and Exit D of Lam Tin Station; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it knows the contingency measures put in place by the MTRCL in case of service suspension of the escalators at Exit A or Exit D of Lam Tin Station due to equipment failures or accidents, so as to ensure that passengers can still travel between those exits and the areas nearby;
(5)
whether it knows if MTRCL will consider wholesale replacement of the escalators at Exit A and Exit D of Lam Tin Station to enhance their safety and reliability;
(6)
given that MTRCL currently provides Accessible-car for the carriage of wheelchair-bound passengers between Exit A or Exit D1 of Lam Tin Station and Exit B1 of Yau Tong Station, while it is reported that as Accessible-car can only carry one electric wheelchair-bound passenger or two manual wheelchair-bound passengers at a time, and advance booking service is not available, wheelchair-bound passengers in need can only request such service after arriving at Lam Tin Station or Yau Tong Station, and the waiting time can be as long as half an hour, whether it knows if MTRCL has examined how the service can be further optimized to provide more convenience to wheelchair-bound passengers; and
(7)
whether it knows if MTRCL has examined the expansion of Exit A and Exit D of Lam Tin Station for the construction of inclined lifts (to provide more convenient barrier-free connections) and/or staircases (for diversion and evacuation purposes); if MTRCL has, of the progress; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Making good use of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link
Hon Kenneth LAU to ask:
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link ("SZL") was officially opened on the 30th of last month. There are views that SZL, which straddles the eastern and western sides of the Pearl River Estuary and connects three places, namely Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Zhongshan, is a strong boost to the economic ties, flow of people and exchanges in such aspects as culture and tourism among cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA") and of great significance in driving the regional integration process. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will consider extending the Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to the Shenzhen Bay Port, which is close to SZL, and at the same time, discuss proactively with the Mainland authorities the expeditious implementation of 24-hour clearance at the Shenzhen Bay Port to facilitate members of the public and visitors to make better use of SZL to travel between Hong Kong and various Mainland cities in GBA;
(2)
whether it has studied ways to make good use of SZL to promote the development of the logistics industry in Hong Kong, such as introducing measures to attract companies from regions such as the western part of Guangdong Province and Guangxi Province to use the airport and container terminals in Hong Kong, so as to strengthen Hong Kong's position as an international aviation hub, international maritime centre and international logistics hub; and
(3)
of the measures in place to encourage the tourism sector on the Mainland and in Hong Kong to make good use of SZL to jointly develop multi-destination tourism products of GBA cities, thereby promoting tourism development in GBA?