Revised version

OP 95/96-30(1) (Issued at 11.00 a.m. on 27.5.96)

THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
ORDER PAPER

Wednesday, 29 May 1996 at 2.30 p.m.

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I. PAPERS

Subsidiary Legislation
Sessional Papers 1995/96

II. QUESTIONS
III. BILLS

FIRST READING
SECOND READING

• Debates to be adjourned
COMMITTEE STAGE AND THIRD READING

IV. MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. DECLARATION OF POLITICAL STANCE BY CIVIL SERVANTS
2. LEGISLATION ON FAIR TRADE

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I. PAPERS

Sessional Papers 1995/96

1. No. 83 - Revisions of the 1995/96 Estimates approved by the Urban Council during the fourth quarter of the 1995/96 financial year

(to be presented by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture)

2. No. 84 - Regional Council

Revised list of works annexed to the Regional Council's Revised Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 1995/96

(to be presented by the Secretary for Recreation and Culture)

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II. QUESTIONS

1. Miss Christine LOH to ask :

It was announced recently that an agreement had been reached between the Swire Group, CITIC Pacific and China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) over the ownership rights of Dragon Air and Cathy Pacific Airways. In view of the fact that prior to the announcement of the agreement, the Government had been entertaining an application by CNAC for a licence to launch an airline in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council whether the Government has changed the "one-route one-airline" policy and whether, in principle, any qualified party may obtain such a licence?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

2. Mr. Howard YOUNG to ask :

With regard to the large number of applications by holders of Certificate of Identity (CI) for naturalisation which will lead to an increase in the number of applications for British National (Overseas) (BN(O)) passports, will the Government inform this Council of the steps which it will take:

1. to ensure that there will be no time gap between a successful applicant's surrender of a CI and receipt of a BN(O) passport; and
2. to preserve the validity of visas endorsed in a CI when its holder has acquired a BN(O) passport?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

3. Mrs. Elizabeth WONG to ask :

Will the Government inform this Council what mechanism is put in place to monitor the allocation of funds by the Hong Kong Arts Development Council?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Recreation and Culture

4. Mr. CHEUNG Hon-chung to ask : (Translation)

As the Board of Education (the Board) is undertaking a comprehensive review of the nine-year free and compulsory school education system, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether the Board will study the feasibility of providing 11 years (Primary 1 to Secondary 5) of free and compulsory education, given that the completion of Form 5 education is generally regarded by most employers as the basic entry requirement for employment; if not, why not; and
2. whether the Government will consult the public before a decision is taken on the findings of the review?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

5. Miss CHAN Yuen-han to ask : (Translation)

A resolution was passed at the joint meeting of the Panels on Health Services and Security held on 15 April this year urging the Government to use the 'response time' instead of the 'travel time' as the performance target for the emergency ambulance service (EAS). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the additional numbers of ambulances, ambulance crew members as well as fire and ambulance equipment required as a result of adopting the 'response time' as the performance target for the EAS; and
2. whether provision will be made in the 1997/98 financial year to enable the Fire Services Department to put into effect the adoption of the 'response time' as the performance target for the EAS?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it knows of the total number of abandoned buffaloes currently in the territory;
2. of the total number of complaints about abandoned buffaloes causing nuisance to residents received by the Government in the past three years; and
3. how it will deal with the abandoned buffaloes?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

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

Will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the total hectares of private land in the New Territories it has acquired since the implementation of the New Town Development Programme; and
2. the current total hectares of private land, broken down into building land and agricultural land, in the New Territories?

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

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

Will the Government inform this Council, in regard to each of the past three years:

1. of the number of public housing tenants whose tenancies were terminated by the Housing Authority, with a breakdown of the reasons for termination as well as the number of cases in each category of reasons; and
2. whether any of the above public housing tenants have lodged successful appeals against the Housing Authority's decision to terminate their tenancies; if so, how many appeals have been allowed and what the main reasons for allowing the appeals are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

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

With regard to the criteria adopted by the Government in handling 'change of land use' and 'premium assessment' cases, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether there is a comprehensive set of guidelines governing the scope of change of land use; if so, what the details are; if not, why not;
2. whether there are certain standards laid down for assessing the amount of premium; if not, why not; and
3. whether consideration has been given to formulating a comprehensive set of regulations for processing cases concerning change of land use and premium assessment?

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

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

It is learnt that some organisations have lodged appeals in the past year against the amount of sewage charges and trade effluent surcharges levied by the Government. In this connection, will the Government inform this council of:

1. the number of such appeals received since the introduction of the sewage charging scheme; the number of appeals that have been allowed, and the total amount of sewage charges and trade effluent surcharges involved; and
2. the scope and progress of the review of the trade effluent surcharges currently undertaken by the Government?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Works

*11. Dr. David LI to ask :

The Education Commission has recommended in its 6th Report that the Education Department should, starting from 1996, organise summer classes for primary and secondary school students who wish to learn Putonghua at an estimated cost of about $30 million over a three-year period. On the other hand, the findings of a recent survey conducted by an insurance firm show that 95% of those who cannot speak Putonghua make no attempt to learn it. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether measures will be adopted to promote Putonghua among people other than school students; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

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

It is learnt that several months ago the United States (US) Government prohibited US Government agencies from purchasing products made in Hong Kong by removing Hong Kong from the list of designated countries for the purpose of government procurement made under the US Trade Agreements Act. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it is aware of the reasons for the US Government's move and the estimated loss which the local economy will suffer as a result of such a move, as well as its effect on the local job market; and
2. whether the Government has taken any remedial measures?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

*13 Dr. John TSE to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the water quality of the major watercourses in the territory, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the respective gradings of the water quality of the territory's major watercourses;
2. the measures adopted by the departments concerned during the past three years to improve the water quality of these watercourses;
3. the current strength of the Government staff who are directly working on the improvement to the water quality of watercourses; and
4. the long-term measures it will adopt to improve the water quality of watercourses?

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

*14. Miss Emily LAU to ask :

Regarding the investigation of the Allied Group, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the amount of money spent on the inspector appointed to carry out an inspection on the affairs of the Allied Group and the results of the inspection;
2. whether other investigations have been conducted on the Allied Group; if so, what the results are and the amount spent on such investigations; and
3. how the Government has ensured that the inspection and other investigations have been conducted in a cost-effective manner?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

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

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the existing mechanism for monitoring the Commercial Crime Bureau in exercising its powers under the law in the execution of its duties; and
2. whether there are any channels open to those people who have been investigated by the Commercial Crime Bureau and have as a result suffered monetary loss or damage to their reputation, but who are later found to be innocent, to claim compensation; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

Recently, advertisements have appeared in some local newspapers concerning the provision of labour importation services by some 'agencies' which claim that they could apply to the Government for the importation of foreign workers on behalf of employers. In answer to telephone enquiries, these "agencies" claim that they could help to bring in the types of foreign workers which are not permitted under the existing policy. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it exercises any control over agencies which provide labour importation services; if so, what the details of such control are; and
2. what measures are in place to prevent some agencies from importing those types of foreign workers which are not permitted under the existing policy; and whether investigations will be carried out to ascertain if such agencies are involved in importing foreign workers illegally?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

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

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. how the Rice Advisory Committee (RAC), which comprises mainly rice importers, determines the prices at which rice is sold to retailers; and
2. whether it has any specific plan to change the existing system of allowing the RAC to determine the prices of rice; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

*18. Miss Emily LAU to ask :

In view of the public concern about the lack of information from independent sources on the safety of the Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station, will the Administration inform this Council whether it will consider appointing an independent advisory body to provide technical support to the Government in interpreting and assessing information on the safety of the Guangdong Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station provided by the Hong Kong Nuclear Investment Company, and to assist the Government in reviewing its nuclear disaster contingency plan on a regular basis?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* For written reply.

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III. BILLS

FIRST READING

1. Hotel Accommodation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 1996
2. Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 1996
3. Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 1996
4. Employment (Amendment) Bill 1996
5. Employment (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996
6. Immigration (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996
7. Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Bill

SECOND READING

Debates to be adjourned

1. Hotel Accommodation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Home Affairs

2. Dentists Registration (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Health and Welfare

3. Nurses Registration (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Health and Welfare

4. Employment (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Education and Manpower

5. Employment (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Education and Manpower

6. Immigration (Amendment) (No.2) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Security

7. Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Bill

:

Secretary for Security

8. Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Recreation and Culture

9. Insurance Companies (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Financial Services

10. Employees' Compensation (Amendment) Bill 1996

:

Secretary for Education and Manpower

COMMITTEE STAGE AND THIRD READING

1. Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 1996	:	Secretary for Recreation and Culture
2. Insurance Companies (Amendment) Bill 1996	:	Secretary for Financial Services
3. Employees' Compensation (Amendment) Bill 1996	:	Secretary for Education and Manpower

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IV. MEMBER'S MOTIONS

1. DECLARATION OF POLITICAL STANCE BY CIVIL SERVANTS

Mr. SZETO Wah : (Translation)

That this Council considers that Hong Kong’s civil service system is the key element in maintaining the social stability, economic prosperity and smooth transition of the community, and opposes any person or organisation requiring, directly or indirectly, civil servants, especially principal policy secretaries, to declare their political stance and using such declaration as the criterion to examine their eligibility for transition to the new Government.

Amendment to Mr. SZETO Wah's motion

Miss Emily LAU : (Translation)

To add "; this Council also opposes the secondment of civil servants to the 'Provisional Legislature' as this is equivalent to declaration of political stance" after "transition to the new Government".

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for the Civil Service

2. LEGISLATION ON FAIR TRADE

Dr. LAW Cheung-kwok : (Translation)

That the Government should enact legislation on fair trade and set up a Fair Trade Commission to enforce such legislation, so as to promote fair competition in various trades and industries and safeguard the interests of consumers.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Trade and Industry

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