Revised version

OP 95/96-20(1) (Issued at 11.00 a.m. on 4.3.96)

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ORDER PAPER

Wednesday, 6 March 1996 at 2.30 p.m.

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I. PAPERS

Subsidiary Legislation
Sessional Papers 1995/96

II. QUESTIONS
III. BILL

FIRST READING
SECOND READING

• Debate to be adjourned
IV. MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE
2. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE
3. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE
4. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE
5. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

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I. PAPERS

Sessional Papers 1995/96

1. No. 63 - Draft Estimates for the year ending 31 March 1997; Volume IA and Volume IB - General Revenue Account

(to be presented by the Financial Secretary)

2. No. 64 - Draft Estimates for the year ending 31 March 1997; Volume II - Fund Accounts

(to be presented by the Financial Secretary)

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II. QUESTIONS

* 1. Mr. LO Suk-ching to ask : (Translation)

Following the collapse of a footbridge under construction off Hau Tak Estate, it is learnt that the building contractor of the project has been awarded many Government projects in the Tseung Kwan O area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of Government and Housing Authority projects undertaken by the contractor and his subsidiaries (including those relating to the construction of public housing and home ownership scheme estates) in which accidents have occurred in the past three years;
2. whether the Government has taken into account the past performance records of contractors, particularly in regard to safety records, before awarding a contract; if so, whether the Government will consider re-examining the other projects undertaken by the contractor concerned if an accident which has occurred in a project is found to have been caused by human negligence on the part of the contractor;
3. whether, in the light of the report that the accident mentioned above has been caused by the temporary props developing problems in the course of the construction of the bridge, the Government has laid down a set of safety standards for inspecting such temporary props, and whether such props can only be used after they have been inspected by the Government before the commencement of each project; and
4. whether the Government will consider suspending all similar projects temporarily until the cause of the accident is known?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Works

* 2. Mr. CHENG Yiu-tong to ask : (Translation)

As a result of the implementation of the policy of orderly repatriation of Vietnamese migrants (VMs) by the Government, the number of VMs stranded in the territory has been decreasing and Vietnamese detention centres will be closed down gradually. This will have an impact on the staff of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) responsible for taking charge of these VMs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of CSD staff presently serving in the Vietnamese Unit;
whether the existing staff of the Vietnamese Unit who wish to be regraded as regular staff are required to re-apply and undergo the same recruitment process as other new applicants; if so, what are the reasons for such an arrangement, and whether the Government will revise the existing arrangement so as to facilitate the regrading of these staff as regular staff?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* 3. Mr. James TO to ask : (Translation)

In regard to the escape of prisoners from correctional institutions, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the number of prisoners who have successfully escaped from each correctional institution in the past three years (irrespective of whether they have been recaptured afterwards);
2. the number of escapees who have been recaptured in the same period;
3. the average term of imprisonment served by these escapees and the average remaining length of sentence yet to be served when they made their escape; and
4. the major reasons for prisoners escaping from correctional institutions as known to the Correctional Services Department?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* 4. Mr. LAU Wong-fat to ask : (Translation)

For historical reasons, land in the New Territories is divided into different categories, such as those which are commonly known as "old scheduled building lot", "old scheduled lot", "agricultural lot", etc. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. how many categories is land in the New Territories divided into; and what were the respective dates for the commencement and completion of the categorization process;
2. of the rationale for dividing land into such categories, together with the restrictions on land use imposed on each category; and
3. whether the Government has reviewed the land categorization process so as to assess if the land use of each category meets today's need?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

* 5. Mr. CHOY Kan-pui to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. how many of the members sitting on various government advisory bodies are people appointed from local community groups in the past three years; of this group, how many are elected district board members; and
2. whether it will appoint more people at the district level to these advisory bodies so that they can put forward their views to the Government; if so, what will be the anticipated rate of increase in such appointment in 1996/97; if not, why not?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

* 6. Mrs. Miriam LAU to ask : (Translation)

In view of the frequent occurrence of container thefts, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of container thefts reported to the Police over the past three years, as well as the number of such thefts in which the stolen containers have been recovered;
2. of the specific actions and measures which have been put in place to combat such crimes, so as to prevent the problem from deteriorating and to guard against both the goods owners and the freight companies suffering from unnecessary losses; and
3. whether, in the event of the stolen containers being found in Mainland China, the Police will request the Chinese authorities to arrange for the return of the containers to the territory?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* 7. Mr. LAU Chin-shek to ask : (Translation)

In regard to the extension of the franchise granted to the Kowloon Motor Bus Company Limited (KMB), will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the progress in the negotiation between the Government and KMB over the extension of the franchise, including the latest developments regarding the proposed exemption of KMB from the Profit Control Scheme, as well as the date when the negotiation is expected to complete, and whether this Council will be consulted on the matter; and
2. whether the Government will consider extending the franchise granted to the KMB to another bus company, so as to allow two bus companies operating on the same specified routes concurrently to enhance competition?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

* 8. Mr. CHEUNG Man-kwong to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the problem of policemen running into debts, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the amount of loan which policemen have borrowed from the Credit Union of the Police Force in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown of the Police Districts to which they belong and their respective ranks;
2. whether the Government has any knowledge of the amount of loan borrowed from licensed banks or financial institutions by policemen in each of the past three years; if so, will the Government provide a breakdown of the Police Districts to which they belong and their respective ranks;
3. whether any policemen are found to have borrowed money from illegal loan-sharks in the past three years; if so, will the Government provide a breakdown of the Police Districts to which they belong, their respective ranks and the loan amounts borrowed by them;
4. whether the Police Force management has conducted an analysis of the situation regarding policemen borrowing money; if so, whether there is an upward trend for such borrowing and whether an examination of the causes for policemen running into debts has been made, and how the problem of policemen borrowing money can be rectified; and
5. what monitoring measures does the Police Force management have to prevent policemen who run into debts from being exploited by criminal gangs, and thus prevent the law-enforcement capability of the Police Force from being jeopardised?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* 9. Mr. LEE Kai-ming to ask : (Translation)

The Occupational Deafness Compensation Scheme has started accepting applications since July 1995. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. when the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board ("the Board") will start paying out compensation to the first batch of deaf workers who have applied, and how many of these applicants will be paid compensation;
2. of the annual income received and the monthly administrative expenses incurred by the Board;
3. whether the Board is able to offer assistance to applicants who cannot produce the 10 years' reference by employers required so that their applications can be accepted; and
4. whether, in cases where several applicants have been employed by the same company or employer before, consideration will be given to admitting cross evidence supporting one another's claim?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*10. Mr. CHIM Pui-chung to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the average processing time required by the Immigration Department to clear the immigration procedures for each visitor to the territory;
2. how does the processing time referred to in the reply to (a) above compare with those in Singapore and Japan; and
3. whether the Immigration Department will consider shortening the processing time for overseas visitors so as to provide a more efficient service?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*11. Dr. David LI to ask :

According to a recent survey commissioned by the Curriculum Development Council, 10 per cent of primary school pupils thought there was no need to respect Chinese traditions. Moreover, the survey found that the pupils' civic knowledge was generally confined to classroom teaching. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. how it plans to reinforce pupils' appreciation of Chinese culture and history, which is vital for developing national identity; and
2. what specific programmes will be implemented by primary schools to enhance pupils' awareness of civic issues?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*12. Mr. CHAN Kam-lam to ask : (Translation)

The recent fire tragedy at Hsien Ku Fung in Pat Sin Leng Country Park has given rise to public concern over the ability of various government departments to coordinate sufficiently their efforts in both the rescue operation and the subsequent medical treatment process. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. why the Government Secretariat Emergency Co-ordination Centre, which is specifically set up to deal with major incidents, was not in operation on the day of the tragedy; under what circumstances will the Co-ordination Centre be put into operation;
2. whether there is a need to review the existing guideline which specifies that ambulance crew should send the injured to the nearest hospital or clinic for treatment; and whether a review will be conducted to ascertain if the arrangement of sending all the injured to the Prince of Wales Hospital by land on that day might have caused a delay in giving emergency treatment to the victims;
3. why the Government did not enlist the assistance of the British Garrison in rescuing the injured and taking them by helicopters to hospitals; under what circumstances will the Government approach the British Garrison for assistance;
4. what co-ordinating role does the Hospital Authority play in coping with major incidents of this kind; why the situation has arisen where the Prince of Wales Hospital openly appeals for skin-donors while there is a reserved stock of skin available in Queen Mary Hospital; and
5. what measures does the Government have to improve the communication equipment of the ambulance crew of the Fire Services Department and to tackle the problem of ambulances having inadequate equipment for the treatment of burns?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*13 Mr. Eric LI to ask : (Translation)

It is mentioned in the Governor's Policy Address last year that a Task Force has been established by the Financial Secretary to chart a course for the further expansion of the territory's service industries and that the Task Force will listen carefully to the views of the business representatives and the professional experts concerned. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of meetings held by the Task Force since its establishment and the concrete conclusions reached in assisting the development of the service industries;
2. which sectors of the business representatives have been consulted by the Task Force; and what suggestions have been accepted; and
3. whether consideration will be given to disclosing the issues discussed and the conclusions reached by the Task Force after each meeting, so as to enhance its transparency?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

*14. Mr. LEUNG Yiu-chung to ask : (Translation)

Recently, some deaf workers have complained that the eligibility criteria for applying to the Occupational Deafness Compensation Board (the Board) for compensation are too stringent, such that many workers with hearing loss in one ear are still not eligible for compensation. Moreover, it is learnt that the average pure-tone hearing loss of a worker measured in a public hospital often varies greatly from that measured in a private clinic. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. what is the total number of applications for compensation received by the Board since its establishment; of this, how many are still under consideration;
2. whether there is a common method used by both public hospitals and private clinics to measure the average pure-tone hearing loss of a worker; if so, what the method is; if not, why not;
3. given the similar nature of the Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund and the Occupational Deafness Compensation Fund, why a claimant applying for compensation from the former is not required to pay for the cost of a pulmonary function test himself, whereas a claimant applying for compensation from the latter is required to undergo a hearing test at his own expense; and
4. what is the basis for requiring claimants applying for occupational deafness compensation to have at least ten years' employment in noisy occupations?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*15. Mrs. Elizabeth WONG to ask :

Arising from the large numbers of deaths of old people, suspected to have been caused by hypothermia, over the Lunar New Year holiday period, will the Government inform this Council whether it has conducted an investigation into the appropriateness of Government's action to meet the needs of the vulnerable groups in the recent cold spell experienced in the territory; if so, what is the outcome of the investigation; if not, why not?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*16. Mr. IP Kwok-him to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it has any plan to clear all the remaining cottage areas in the territory;
2. if the answer to (a) is in the affirmative, what is the time-table for the clearance of the cottage areas in order of priority, and how the residents in cottage areas affected by the clearance will be resettled; and
3. if the answer to (a) is in the negative, whether consideration will be given to formulating a long-term policy on the rehousing of residents in cottage areas?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*17. Dr. LAW Cheung-kwok to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the major respiratory diseases which have affected the people in the territory in recent years;
2. whether the number of people who have died of respiratory diseases is on the increase; and
3. what measures will be taken to educate the public how to prevent such diseases?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*18. Mrs. Selina CHOW to ask : (Translation)

It is reported that the smuggle of prohibited articles into prisons by staff of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) is causing concern. Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of cases involving CSD staff being found to have smuggled prohibited articles into prisons in the past three years;
2. what measures have been put in place by CSD to check whether its staff are involved in such illegal activities;
3. what action will be taken by CSD in the event that its staff are found to have carried out such illegal activities; and
4. what measures will be adopted by CSD to strengthen security in prisons?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*19. Dr. HUANG Chen-ya to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether the leasable area of the Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre has all been committed to tenants; if so, how many enterprises are put on the waiting list; if not, what is the occupancy rate;
2. of the total number of tenants in the Centre, together with a breakdown of these tenants by trade and number of employees; and
3. whether there is any plan for the construction of a second industrial technology centre; if so, when will this plan be implemented, whether the second centre will be built on a larger scale than the existing one, and what is the estimated amount of funds involved; if not, whether it will support a joint venture with private developers for the construction of the second centre?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

* For written reply.

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III. BILL

FIRST READING

Appropriation Bil1 1996

SECOND READING

Debate to be adjourned

Appropriation Bil1 1996

:

Financial Secretary

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IV. MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

Mrs. Selina CHOW :

That the Ferry Services (The "Star" Ferry Company, Limited) (Determination of Fares) (Amendment) Order 1996, published as Legal Notice No. 40 of 1996 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 24 January 1996, be amended in section 2 by repealing paragraphs (a) to (k).

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Transport

2. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

Mr. WONG Wai-yin :

That the Ferry Services (The "Star" Ferry Company, Limited) (Determination of Fares) (Amendment) Order 1996, published as Legal Notice No. 40 of 1996 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 24 January 1996, be amended in section 2(1) by repealing, in the new item 4A, "$125" and substituting "$100".

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Transport

3. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

Mrs. Selina CHOW :

(See Resolution at Annex)

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

4. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

Mrs. Selina CHOW :

That the Lifts and Escalators (Safety) (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 1996, published as Legal Notice No. 42 of 1996 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 24 January 1996, be repealed.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

5. INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE

Mrs. Selina CHOW :

That the Minor Employment Claims Adjudication Board (Fees) (Amendment) Rules 1996, published as Legal Notice No. 67 of 1996 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 7 February 1996, be repealed.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Education and Manpower

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