Revised version
A 97/98-8(1)
(Issued at 11:00 am on 8.9.97)

Provisional Legislative Council

Agenda
Wednesday 10 September 1997 at 2:30 pm

I. Papers

Sessional Papers

Report

Second Progress Report of the Working Group on Rules of Procedure of the Provisional Legislative Council

(to be presented by Mrs Selina CHOW, Chairman of the Working Group, who will address the Council)

II. Questions

1. Ms CHOY So-yuk to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the 1998 Legislative Council elections, will the Government inform this Council :

1. of the measures the Government will adopt to publicize the arrangements with regard to the 1998 Legislative Council elections;

2. whether the Government has undertaken any studies as to why some eligible citizens did not register as voters nor cast their votes in the last Legislative Council elections; if so, what the details are;

3. whether the target voting rate of 50% mentioned by the Government is based on a 100% voters registration rate or the actual voters registration rate;

4. how the Government will ensure that next year's Legislative Council elections will be free from corrupt practices, given that incidents of such practices were found in previous elections; and

5. according to Article 26 of the Basic Law, how many groups of persons who were eligible for registration as voters in the 1995 former Legislative Council elections will become ineligible in next year's Legislative Council elections?

Public Officer to reply	: Secretary for Constitutional Affairs

2.Mrs Peggy LAM to ask : (Translation)

With regard to the woman health centres in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the total number of such centres at present;

2. the services provided by such centres and their operating hours;

3. the average attendance at these centres in each of the past three years; and

4. the average waiting time for a consultation appointment at these centres?

Public Officer to reply	: Secretary for Health and Welfare

3. Mr Kennedy WONG to ask : (Translation)

In view of the continued growth in the demand for sea, land and air transport as a result of the increasingly close links between Hong Kong and the Mainland following reunification, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether consideration will be given to extending the operating hours of the checkpoints at Man Kam To, Huanggang and other piers concerned, so as to facilitate cross-border transportation of travellers and goods;

2. whether it will discuss with the relevant departments in the Mainland with a view to enhancing the efficiency of the immigration service and streamlining the immigration procedures, through such measures as integrating the immigration departments of Hong Kong and the Mainland as well as replacing Re-entry Permits with SAR identity documents for entering the Mainland; and

3. given that the new airport is due to open next April and will operate round the clock, whether arrangements will be made with the relevant departments in the Mainland to increase the number of flights between Hong Kong and the Mainland, so that cross-border transportation of travellers and goods can be arranged more flexibly?

Public Officers to reply

:

Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Secretary for Transport Secretary for Security Secretary for Economic Services

4. Dr Mrs TSO WONG Man-yin to ask : (Translation)

It is reported that the ratio between the number of applicants registered for teaching posts and the number of teachers ' vacancies in primary and secondary schools this year is the
highest in six years. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the employment situation of fresh graduates of the Colleges of Education, particularly the data in respect of the following:
   1. the number of fresh graduates this year;

   2. the number of teachers ' vacancies in primary and secondary schools this year;

   3. an up-to-date breakdown of the unsuccessful applicants for teaching posts according to the subjects in which they have been trained;

2. whether the Administration has any plans to assist fresh graduates of the Colleges of Education in securing teaching posts; if so, what the details are; if not, why not; and

3. whether the Administration has any plans to reduce the number of students in each class in primary and secondary schools; if so, what the details are and when the plans will come into effect?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Education and Manpower

5. Mr James TIEN to ask : (Translation)

Recently, many employers have intimated that they do not quite understand the contents and implications of the various labour-related Ordinances passed by the former Legislative Council - such as the various Employment (Amendment) Ordinances, as well as the Ordinances relating to occupational safety and health and anti-discrimination - and that this may easily result in their contravening labour legislation inadvertently. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council whether the relevant government departments have any specific plans to explain to the industrial and commercial sectors the contents and implications of these new legislation; if not, whether the Government will take corresponding measures as soon as possible so as to assist the industrial and commercial sectors in understanding the contents and implications of the new legislation?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Education and Manpower

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

In view of the present strong demand for housing in Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council whether it will, in the context of increasing housing supply, review the existing criteria for vetting development projects, so that certain development projects previously rejected for environmental reasons, such as the one at Sha Lo Tung in Tai Po, can be approved under the new vetting criteria?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

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

It is learnt that more schools will be built to cater for the schooling need of children who have newly arrived in Hong Kong from the Mainland. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the districts in which the new schools to be built will be located and the reasons for selecting the districts concerned; and

2. how it ensures that there will be no excess or shortage of school places in some districts so that students will not have to study in schools outside their districts?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Education and Manpower

*8.Dr David LI to ask :

It is reported that a student nurse in the intensive care unit of the Prince of Wales Hospital mistakenly connected a nutrition pack to a tube in the patient's neck, resulting in milk being pumped into the patient's veins instead of his stomach. In this connection, does the Government know:

1. whether the Hospital Authority will conduct a review of the training programme for nurses to ensure that no similar incident will recur in future; if so, what the details are;

2. how the Hospital Authority will ensure that nurses, especially those working in intensive care units, are up to the standard required and under sufficient supervision whilst at work; and

3. whether additional provision will be allocated for recruiting more qualified nurses in public hospitals, especially in intensive care units?

Public Officer to reply :	Secretary for Health and Welfare

* 9.Dr C H LEONG to ask :

Will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether secondary schools in Hong Kong are currently classified into five bands, namely Band One to Band Five; if so, of the criteria for such a classification as well as the numbers of schools and students in each band; and

2. if the answer to (a) above is in the negative, whether there are any internal guidelines on the classification of schools according to the performance of their students; if so, of the details of such guidelines and the numbers of schools and students in the various categories under such a classification system?

Public Officer to reply

:

Secretary for Education and Manpower

*10.Mr NGAN Kam-chuen to ask : (Translation)

According to the data of the Census and Statistics Department, the "balance of arrivals and departures" has increased by 8.3 times from 1991 to 1996. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the actual numbers of arrivals in the past three years, as well as the projected figures for 1997 and 1998, in respect of the following categories:

1. holders of One-way Exit Permits;

2. emigrant returnees;

3. foreign domestic helpers; and

4. other categories?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Security

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

It is reported that football pools will be introduced in Macau. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. it is an offence under the law in Hong Kong to place bets on these pools through making telephone calls to Macau; and

2. the Government has carried out any studies on the feasibility of introducing football pools in Hong Kong as well as the effects of their introduction on the community; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Home Affairs

* 12.Mr James TIEN to ask : (Translation)

In view of the scheduled completion of the road works and construction of other support facilities for the second phase of the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate in September this year, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the area of land in the second phase of the Tseung Kwan O Industrial Estate that has already been granted to date; and

2. whether the principle of ' establishing industrial estates in order to offer land to manufacturing industries which cannot operate in multi-storey factory buildings ' will be relaxed and whether the applications lodged by high-technology companies will be considered, so as to expedite the granting of land at the above Industrial Estate?

Public Officer to reply :	Secretary for Trade and Industry

* 13.Mr NGAN Kam-chuen to ask :(Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether the Calling Number Display (CND) service is currently available on the telephone network of the 999 police hotline; if not, why not, and whether there is any plan to introduce the CND service on the network as soon as possible?

Public Officer to reply :	Secretary for Security

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

In view of some former officials of the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) taking up appointments as senior executives of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (SEHK) and the Hong Kong Futures Exchange Limited (HKFE) respectively, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the Government's stance on the above situation; and whether there are any regulations requiring former SFC officials to obtain prior approval from the Government before taking up appointments with SEHK and HKFE; and

2. whether the above situation is an indication that there is a shortage of qualified personnel suitable for appointment as senior executives of SEHK and HKFE?

Public Officer to reply :	Secretary for Financial Services

* 15.Mr Paul CHENG to ask :

It is learnt that the number of pollution-related respiratory illnesses are on the rise, particularly among the young. Moreover, the air quality has worsened recently as indicated by the Air Pollution Index (API) and the Environmental Protection Department has also acknowledged that air quality at street level is about 20 per cent worse than what the API indicates. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the reasons for the long time taken to implement the proposal to change the fuel for taxis and light buses from diesel to LPG;

2. whether there are plans to develop a more stringent policy to ensure that all vehicles are roadworthy, particularly in regard to setting more stringent standards concerning emission of pollutants; and

3. whether there are plans to review the policies and enforcement actions relating to environmental issues in the entire Pearl River Delta in conjunction with the relevant authorities in the Mainland, bearing in mind that most manufacturing activities have shifted to the southern part of the Mainland?

Public Officer to reply

:

Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

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

Slow progress is being made in land resumption, and only two out of the twelve flood prevention projects under the flood prevention programme for the New Territories have been completed on schedule. In addition, there are complaints that the work procedures adopted in these projects have disrupted the flood-discharge function of the existing watercourses, which in turn leads to flooding. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the progress to date of the flood prevention projects mentioned above, and provide a timetable for the completion of these projects;

2. how the progress of these projects are monitored by the relevant departments; and

3. of the effects brought about by delays in these projects?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

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

The Chief Executive had said that the Government would clear all cottage areas in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the details of the plans for clearing the few remaining cottage areas as well as rehousing the affected residents, and the timetable for the clearance operations; and

2. whether it will offer any compensation to the affected residents; if so, of the criteria used for calculating such compensation?

Public Officer to reply :	Secretary for Housing

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

It is reported that four officials of the Singaporean government have been appointed as members of the Action Committee Against Narcotics, Employees Retraining Board, Vocational Training Council and Standing Committee on Language Education and Research in Hong Kong respectively. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the criteria adopted by the relevant authorities in inviting officials of foreign governments to serve on advisory boards and committees in Hong Kong;

2. the advisory boards and committees in Hong Kong which currently have officials of foreign governments in their membership; and

3. the advisory boards and committees in Hong Kong which currently have officials from the Mainland and Taiwan in their membership?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

*19. Mr YEUNG Yiu-chung to ask :

(Translation)

The operator of an unlicensed tutorial school has recently been arrested and is now under investigation by the police. The incident indicates that there is a prevalence of tutorial schools operating without a licence. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the respective numbers of tutorial schools which are registered under the relevant legislation and those whose applications for registration are still awaiting approval?

Public Officer to reply :

Secretary for Education and Manpower

* For written reply.

III. Bills

First Reading

Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 1997

Second Reading

Debates to be adjourned

Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (Amendment) (No.3) Bill 1997	:	Chief Secretary for Administration

IV. Members' Motions

1.Motion to amend the Rules of Procedure of the Provisional Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

Mrs Selina CHOW :

(Translation)

(See Resolution at Appendix)

2.Dissolution of the Working Group on Rules of Procedure

Mrs Selina CHOW :

(Translation)

That the Working Group on Rules of Procedure set up by this Council on 22 February 1997 be dissolved.

3.Designating Teacher's Day

Mr YEUNG Yiu-chung :

(Translation)

That this Council urges the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to designate 10 September every year as 'Teacher's Day', so as to foster respect for the teaching profession and attach importance to education in the community, thereby raising the status of teachers and advancing the development of education in Hong Kong.

Public Officer to attend :

Secretary for Education and Manpower

4.Review of district administration

Mr CHAN Choi-hi :

(Translation)

That this Council proposes that the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should conduct a comprehensive review of district administration, including the roles, functions, division of labour and resource allocation of the Urban Council, the Regional Council and the District Boards, so that district administration can better cater for the needs of local communities.

Amendments to Mr CHAN Choi-hi's motion

1.Mr CHENG Kai-nam :

(Translation)

To add "consult the public extensively and openly in conducting" after "the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region should"; to delete "conduct"; to delete "cater for" and substitute with "complement"; and to delete "the needs of local communities" and substitute with "the development of society".

2.Mr Bruce LIU :(Translation)

To delete "so that district administration can better cater for the needs of local communities" and substitute with "and examine the feasibility of streamlining the existing two-tier system of the district organizations or of merging the two tiers into a single tier system.

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Constitutional Affairs

Ray CHAN
for Clerk to the Provisional Legislative Council