LegCo Paper No. HB373/95-96
Ref : HB/C/11/95

Minutes of the first meeting of the Bills Committee to study the Estate Agents Bill

held on Wednesday, 13 December 1995 at 2:15 p.m. in Conference Room A of the Legislative Council Building

Present :

    Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo (Chairman)
    Hon Edward S T HO, OBE, JP
    Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
    Hon LEE Wing-tat
    Hon James TO Kun-sun
    Hon CHAN Kam-lam
    Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
    Dr Hon LAW Cheung-kwok

Absent with apologies :

    Hon Mrs Selina CHOW, OBE, JP
    Hon Ronald ARCULLI, OBE, JP
    Hon LI Wah-ming
    Hon CHAN Yuen-han
    Hon NGAN Kam-chuen

In attendance :

    Mrs Betty LEUNG
    Clerk to the Bills Committee
    Chief Assistant Secretary (Bills Committees) 3 Miss Flora TAI
    Senior Assistant Secretary (Bills Committees) 3



Election of Chairman

Mr Andrew CHENG was elected Chairman of the Bills Committee.

Relevant old documents of previous legislative sessions

2. The following relevant old documents of the former LegCo Panel on Housing in the last legislative session were tabled for Members’ reference. They were subsequently issued to Members not present vide LegCo Paper No. HB 344/95-96 :

  1. Report of the Working Group on Regulation of Estate Agents, prepared by the Planning, Environment and Lands Branch in August 1994 ;

  2. LegCo Paper No. PL 31/94-95 dated 5 January 1995 enclosing a paper on "Regulation of Esate Agents and Control of Improper Overseas Property Transaction" prepared by the Housing Branch and the Trade and Industry Branch ;

  3. Extract of notes of meeting of the former LegCo Panel on Housing held on 12 August 1994 (LegCo Paper No. 4331/93-94 dated 22 September 1994) ; and

  4. Extracts of notes of meeting of the former LegCo Panel on Housing held on 9 January 1995 (LegCo Paper No. PL 249/94-95 dated 14 February 1995).

3. At Mr Albert CHAN’s suggestion, the Clerk would circulate the Hansard report, regarding his motion debate to urge the Government to introduce legislation to regulate the operation of real estate agents through a licensing system at the LegCo sitting on 30 June 1993, for Members’ information.Clerk

Submissions received by the Bills Committee

4. Two submissions had been received from the trade, one from Mr WU Kin-shun, a real estate agent (LegCo Paper No. HB 229/95-96) and another from Kowloon Property Agencies Association. These two submissions with their translation were tabled at the meeting and subsequently issued to Members not present vide LegCo Paper No. HB 344/95-96. The Clerk was asked to issue a public notice to invite written submissions on the Bill and interested parties to meet with Members.Clerk

Meeting with deputation

5. Members noted that the Kowloon Property Agencies Association had requested a meeting with Members in their letter dated 29 November 1995. The letter with Chinese translation was tabled at the meeting and subsequently issued to Members not present vide LegCo Paper No HB 344/95-96. Members agreed to meet all deputations in one meeting, which was then scheduled for 22 January 1996.

Dates for subsequent meetings

6. The Administration would be invited to the next meeting. Dates for subsequent meetings were scheduled as follows :

  1. Tuesday, 19 December 1995 at 2:30 p.m.

    (meeting the Administration)

  2. Monday, 22 January 1996 at 4:30 p.m.

    (meeting deputations)

  3. Wednesday, 31 January 1996 at 10:45 a.m.

    (meeting the Administration)

[Post-meeting notes : At the request of the Administration, the meeting on 19 December 1995 was rescheduled to 3:30 p.m..]

7. The meeting ended at 2:35 p.m..

LegCo Secretariat
21 December 1995

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