Revised version

OP 95/96-8(1) (Issued at 11.00 a.m. on 20.11.95)

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ORDER PAPER

Wednesday, 22 November 1995 at 2.30 p.m.

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I. PAPERS

Subsidiary Legislation
Sessional Paper 1995/96

II. QUESTIONS
III. BILL

FIRST READING
SECOND READING

• Debate to be adjourned
IV. PRIVATE MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. MONITORING OF GAS SUPPLY AND CHARGES
2. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME

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I. PAPERS

Sessional Paper 1995/96

The Secretary for Health and Welfare to present :

No. 26 - AIDS Trust Fund

1994-95 Annual Accounts

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II. QUESTIONS

1. Dr. Samuel WONG to ask :

Since the establishment of the Provisional Airport Authority (PAA) in 1990, the bulk of the planning, design and administrative work on the new airport at Chek Lap Kok has been carried out by expatriate professionals from overseas. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether adequate training opportunities and facilities have been provided within the PAA to effect the "transfer of technology " to local professionals; and
2. whether, upon the scheduled completion of the new airport in the first quarter of 1998, local professionals will have received adequate training or equipped themselves with appropriate technical skills to handle the management of the airport with minimum assistance from overseas professionals?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

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

Will the Government inform this Council whether it has provided any guidelines on appointment, recuitment and promotion matters to the seven tertiary institutions funded by the University Grants Committee with a view to achieving the objective of increasing the number of female senior staff in the institutions concerned? Also, will the Government provide this Council with the following information:

1. the breakdown by number and percentage of women holding the positions of Member of Council, Head and Deputy Head of Institution and Head of Administrative Department in each of the institutions concerned; and
2. the breakdown by number and percentage of women holding positions of Dean, Department Head and Professor in each of the institutions concerned?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

3. Mr. Allen LEE to ask : (Translation)

In view of the fact that drug abuse is now a common phenomenon among youngsters and that the problem of thinner sniffing is becoming increasingly serious, will the Administration inform this Council:

1. whether consideration has been given to introducing legislation to restrict the sale of thinners to youngsters;
2. whether consideration has been given to stepping up publicity campaigns in schools against drug abuse; and
3. what is the number of cases in which youngsters are involved in crimes related to soft drugs in the past year and whether there is an upward trend in such cases?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

4. Mr. James TO to ask : (Translation)

It is known that on 20 April 1995 a wooden fishing vessel which has been converted into a cargo carrier capsized in the waters off the Lamma Island, resulting in the death of two crew members. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the estimated number of wooden fishing vessels in the territory which have been converted into cargo carriers;
2. whether those wooden fishing vessels which have been converted into cargo carriers are required to undergo an "inclining test" for determining their maximum loading capacity to ensure their stable navigation; if not, why not; and
3. of the number of shipwrecks involving such wooden fishing vessels in the past three years?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

5. Mr. Andrew CHENG to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the problem of occupational safety and health in non-industrial undertakings, will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. it has conducted any surveys on occupational safety in non-industrial undertakings; if so, will the Government provide a breakdown of accidents by cause and type of occupation for the past 3 years; if not, how does the Government monitor the situation of occupational safety in non-industrial undertakings;
2. the working environment of office workers and employees in the service industry will be covered by the Occupational Safety Bill which is being drafted; what is the progress in the drafting of the bill, when will the public be consulted and when will the bill be presented to this Council for scrutiny; and
3. consideration has been given to bringing office workers suffering from certain common occupational diseases (such as waist and back pain, and ailments of vision and hands) under the protection of the law, so that they will be eligible for compensation?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

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

The discovery of underground marble caverns at a public housing site in Area 90 of Ma On Shan has aroused the concern of the existing and prospective residents in that area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether piling works at that site will cause the ground nearby to collapse, thereby affecting the structural safety of neighbouring buildings;
2. if the answer to (a) is in the affirmative, whether the responsibility for causing such a danger will rest with the Housing Authority or the building contractor concerned; and
3. whether there will be potential danger to the structure of the public housing blocks already built above the caverns; if so, what measures the Housing Authority will take to ensure the structural safety of these buildings?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

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

It is learnt that the Recreation and Culture Branch is working jointly with the Telecommunications Authority to draw up a set of standards for the provision of multi-media services. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the reasons why the responsibility for setting standards for the provision of multi-media services should come within the purview of the Recreation and Culture Branch, instead of the Economic Services Branch which has the policy responsibility for telecommunications matters; and
2. whether the Government will set up an inter-departmental working group to study matters in relation to the setting of standards for multi-media services; if not, what measures will be taken to ensure that the promotion of multi-media services is in keeping with the development of the telecommunications industry?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Recreation and Culture

* 8. Dr. David LI to ask :

The cumulative rise in the consumer price index over the last five years is only 17% in the United States but is over 60% in Hong Kong. The rise in the cost of living in the territory has caused a significant rise in our labour costs, particularly in the service and other labour-intensive industries. In view of this, will the Administration inform this Council whether measures are being taken or planned to preserve the competitiveness of our service industry in the face of the chronic rise in the cost of living and rentals?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

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

Regarding the price of private residential properties, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the average rate of increase in private residential property prices in each of the past 3 years, as compared with the respective rates of increase in inflation and the wages of local employees over the corresponding period; and
2. whether it will introduce additional measures in the near future to further curb property prices?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*10. Mr. K.K. FUNG to ask : (Translation)

In regard to the living area for Temporary Housing Area (THA) tenants, will the Government inform this Council:

1. how the size of living area for THA tenants is determined;
2. what is the size of living area per tenant of a THA household below which the THA household is classified as overcrowded;
3. what arrangements will normally be made for transferring overcrowded THA households and what is the average waiting time for such a household to get a transfer;
4. of the total number of overcrowded THA households in the territory, together with a breakdown of such households by district; and
5. whether there is any plan to increase the size of living area for THA tenants; if so, when the plan will be implemented; if not, why not?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*11. Mr. Fred LI to ask : (Translation)

With regard to a recent wounding incident involving four discharged mental patients who shared the same public housing unit, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the total number of cases in which discharged mental patients were allocated public housing units through arrangements made by the Social Welfare Department in the past three years;
2. whether the social workers concerned have paid any visits to the discharged mental patients involved in the above-mentioned incident in the past two years; if not, what are the reasons; and
3. what interim and long-term measures the Government has put in place to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

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

The Financial Secretary (FS) commented in late October that property prices at present were close to “bottoming out", and that although the prices were still 20% higher than those in 1993, the property market had returned to the normal track if the inflation in the last two years was taken into account. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the basis on which the FS's comment was made and why the FS believed that property prices in 1993 were at the normal level;
2. whether the FS's comment on prices in the private sector is in violation of the principle of non-interventionism; and
3. whether the FS's comment is an indication that the Government's aim to curb property prices has been achieved and that the Government is going to relax the relevant measures now in force; if so, whether the Government has considered that such a move may trigger off a rise in property prices which will make it difficult for families in need of a home to purchase their own flats, thus resulting in the Governor's pledge of helping more families to become home owners more difficult to materialize?

Public Officer to reply : Financial Secretary

*13. Dr. C.H. LEONG to ask :

With regard to the recent report that the ethnic minorities in the territory would not be eligible to apply for the Special Administrative Region passports, will the Administration inform this Council whether it has taken any action to ask the British Government to discuss the issue of the nationality of the territory’s ethnic minorities with the Chinese Government; if so, what action has been taken and with what result?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

In view of the transmissibility of Hepatitis B, some countries have introduced regulations to minimise the risk of medical personnel who are Hepatitis B carriers transmitting the disease to patients during invasive operations using sharp instruments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of patients in hospitals under the management of the Hospital Authority who have been infected with the Hepatitis B virus within a few weeks of an operation in the past three years; and
2. what guidelines and measures does the Government have to prevent the transmission of Hepatitis B to patients by medical personnel?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*15. Mr. Henry TANG to ask : (Translation)

The relocation of manufacturing processes to mainland China has resulted in the gradual transformation of the territory's economy from one which relies on low-cost and labour-intensive industries to one which is dominated by capital-intensive and service industries. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it has conducted studies to ascertain which capital-intensive or medium- and high-technology industries are more intensively developed in the territory at present; if so, at what stages are such industries being developed, and how do they compare with those in Singapore, Taiwan and Korea; and
2. whether it will consider co-operating further with scientific and technological research institutions in China so as to bring their expertise into the territory and apply it to product development locally; if so, what are the details and what is the progress?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

*16. . Mr. Ambrose LAU to ask : (Translation)

It is reported that the Legal Department has decided not to prosecute four Vietnamese migrants (Vms) who were suspected of assaulting law enforcement officers during the disturbance which took place at the Whitehead Detention Centre in May this year. According to the report, both the Correctional Services Department (which is responsible for the transfer operations of Vms) and the Police Force Council (which represents the four staff associations of the Police Force) are dissatisfied with the Legal Department's decision as it may set a precedent which may give the Vms the misconception that they will not be prosecuted even if they assault law enforcement officers. It is also reported that some CSD officers with five to ten years' service have recently applied for transfer to the hawker control teams. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the reasons for not prosecuting the Vms; and
2. what measures will be taken to boost the morale of members of the disciplined services responsible for transfer operations of Vms and to retain them in the service?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*17. Mr. Albert CHAN to ask : (Translation)

In his reply to a question on enquiry hot-lines provided by the Government which I raised in this Council in May this year, the Chief Secretary stated that government departments would continue to keep under constant review the possibility of installing more communication devices and making other improvements to enhance the services provided by the enquiry hot-lines. However, the enquiry hot-lines service provided by government departments still varies greatly in quality. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it has conducted a review of the enquiry hot-lines service provided by various government departments since May this year; if so, what are the findings; and
2. what measures the Government has put in place to improve the enquiry hot-lines service in departments such as the Legal Aid Department and the Immigration Department where the public have experienced difficulties in putting a call through?

Public Officer to reply : Chief Secretary

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

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the respective numbers of factories in the textiles, clothing and spinning industries which have closed down over the past three years, as well as the number of workers dismissed as a result of the closure of these factories; and
2. whether it has any interim measures and long-term policies to assist these declining industries and to provide protection for those workers who are left jobless as a result of the closure of factories in these industries?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*19. Mr. LEE Wing-tat to ask : (Translation)

With regard to the land-use planning of the land to be released upon the relocation of the existing Airport, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the progress of the above-mentioned planning work;
2. of the initial ratio of various land uses (such as public housing, Home Ownership Scheme estates, private housing and so on) designated in the preliminary planning stage; and
3. whether the development of the land in question will have any strategic role to play in the overall development and urban redevelopment in Kowloon; if so, what are the details?

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

*20. Dr. John TSE to ask :

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. what are the pollutants discharged from the dry cleaning industry in the territory;
2. whether these pollutants (e.g. tetrachloroethylene) have harmful effects on public health; if so, what measures the Government will take to safeguard the health of residents living near dry cleaning establishments and to ensure that they will not suffer from the steam and heat generated from these establishments;
3. whether there are any established limits for occupational exposure to carcinogenic agents for the dry cleaning industry; if so, whether dry cleaning workers are considered vulnerable to known occupational diseases; and
4. whether there are long-term plans and strategies in dealing with the hazardous air pollutants discharged from the dry cleaning industry; if so, what are the details?

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

* For written reply.

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III. BILL

FIRST READING

Rehabilitation of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 1995

SECOND READING

Debate to be adjourned

Secretary for Security

:

Rehabilitation of Offenders (Amendment) Bill 1995

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IV. PRIVATE MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. MONITORING OF GAS SUPPLY AND CHARGES

Mr. LAU Chin-shek: (Translation)

That this Council urges the Government to promptly study and respond to the Consumer Council’s ‘Report on Assessing Competition In Domestic Water-heating And Cooking Fuel Market’, and introduce legislation to regulate domestic fuel suppliers, in particular the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, in regard to their fuel supply and charges, in order to protect the interests of consumers.

AMENDMENT to Mr. LAU Chin-shek's MOTION

Dr. LAW Cheung-kwok : (Translation)

To insert after “That” the following “, in view of the fact that the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited already has a market share of over 50% in the domestic water-heating and cooking fuel market,”; and to delete “promptly study and respond to the Consumer Council’s ‘Report on Assessing Competition In Domestic Water-heating And Cooking Fuel Market’, and introduce legislation to regulate domestic fuel suppliers, in particular the Hong Kong and China Gas Company Limited, in regard to their fuel supply and charges” and substitute with “actively consider bringing in new suppliers and to promptly introduce legislation to regulate the operation of the gas company”.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Economic Services

2. UNEMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE SCHEME

Miss CHAN Yuen-han : (Translation)

That, in view of Hong Kong’s escalating unemployment rate, the worsening unemployment problem, the increasing financial hardship confronting the unemployed workers, and the failure of the current Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme to relieve their immediate need, this Council urges the Government to set up an Unemployment Assistance Scheme and to provide those unemployed persons who are in need of assistance with an amount no less than one-third of Hong Kong employees92' median income.

AMENDMENTS to Miss CHAN Yuen-han's MOTION

1. Mr. Fred LI : (Translation)

To insert “(CSSA)” before “Scheme”; to delete all the words after “this Council urges the Government to” and substitute with the following:

“immediately increase the standard rates of CSSA to $2,750 for the unemployed as well as to relax the limit of disposable assets under the Scheme so as to benefit more unemployed persons”.

2. Mr. K.K. FUNG : (Translation)

To delete “and to provide those unemployed persons who are in need of assistance with an amount” and substitute with “to provide persons who have been unemployed for more than three months with no more than six months of assistance amounting to”.

Public Officers to attend : Secretary for Education and Manpower
Secretary for Health and Welfare

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