A 98/99-5(1)

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 29 July 1998 at 2:30 pm

I. Papers

Subsidiary Legislation	L.N. No.
1. Census and Statistics (Monthly Survey of Retail Sales) (Amendment) Order 1998	289/98
2. Census and Statistics (Quarterly Survey of Service Industries) (Amendment) Order 1998	290/98
3. Designation of Libraries (Urban Council Area) (No.2) Order 1998	291/98
4. Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap.485) (Commencement) Notice 1998	292/98
5. Provident Fund Schemes Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 (4 of 1998) (Commencement) Notice 1998	293/98
6. Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (General) Regulation (L.N. 201 of 1998) (Commencement) Notice 1998	294/98
7. Dangerous Drugs (Amendment)(No.2) Ordinance 1994 (63 of 1994) (Commencement) Notice 1997 -- Corrigendum	295/98

Sessional Papers

1. No. 8	-	Report by the Commissioner of Police on Police Welfare Fund for the period 1 April 1996 - 31 March 1997
(to be presented by Secretary for Security)
2. No. 9	-	Clothing Industry Training Authority Annual Report 1997
(to be presented by Secretary for Education and Manpower)
3. No. 10	-	Report of the Independent Police Complaints Council 1997
(to be presented by Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung, who will address the Council)
4. No. 11	-	Independent Commission Against Corruption Complaints Committee Annual Report 1997
(to be presented by Hon Howard YOUNG, who will address the Council)
5. No. 12	-	Statement of Accounts for the Customs and Excise Service Welfare Fund together with the Director of Audit's Report (1997-98)
(to be presented by Secretary for Trade and Industry)
6. No. 13	-	Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation Trustee's Report 1997-98
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
7. No. 14	-	Revised list of works of the Provisional Urban Council for the 1998/99 financial year (during the first quarter ended 30 June 1998)
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
8. No. 15	-	Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation Annual Report 1997-98
(to be presented by Secretary for Trade and Industry)
9. No. 16	-	1997 Annual Report by the Commissioner of the Independent Commission Against Corruption Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(to be presented by Hon Fred LI, who will address the Council)
10. No. 17	-	Pneumoconiosis Compensation Fund Board Annual Report 1997
(to be presented by Secretary for Education and Manpower)
11. No. 18	-	Securities and Futures Commission Annual Report 1997 - 1998
(to be presented by Financial Secretary)

Report

Report of the Bills Committee on Holidays (Amendment) Bill 1998

(to be presented by Hon Andrew CHENG, Chairman of the Bills Committee)

II. Questions

1. Hon LEE Cheuk-yan to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the situation since the implementation of the Supplementary Labour Scheme (the Scheme), will the Government inform this Council of:

the approved quota of imported workers, the respective numbers of jobs involved in the applications received by the authority, the employment visas issued and the imported workers who actually came to Hong Kong;
in respect of each work type, the approved quota of imported workers (in descending order), the minimum wage as well as the number of jobs involved in the applications received by the authority, the employment visas issued and the imported workers who actually came to Hong Kong; and
the reasons that the minimum wage of care workers in care and attention homes under the Scheme was revised only recently from $6,100 per month, fixed two years ago, to $6,800; and the criteria for determining such an amount?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

2. Hon CHAN Wing-chan to ask : (Translation)

The chaos at the new airport at Chek Lap Kok since its opening have created a bad impression on both local and overseas travellers about Hong Kong's airport. Moreover, the operation of the cargo terminals at the new airport have almost been at a standstill, resulting in the repeated extension of the deadline for suspending air freight services for the import and export of goods. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

whether it will assess the impact of this incident on Hong Kong's tourism industry and of the remedial measures to be taken; of the measures to be taken to restore the confidence of travellers in the operation of Hong Kong's airport;
of the economic losses suffered by Hong Kong as a result of the suspension of air freight services, and the impact of the suspension on Hong Kong's economic development;
whether it has assessed the blow suffered by local small and medium enterprises as a result of this incident; if so, what the results are; and whether there are plans to compensate them for their losses;
whether it knows the exact date when the cargo terminals at the new airport can fully resume normal operation;
whether the authorities will, in the light of this incident, review the franchise of the cargo terminals at the new airport; and
of the role of the Airport Development Steering Committee in this incident?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

3. Hon LAU Kong-wah to ask : (Translation)

It is learnt that as soon as the first confirmed case of Enterovirus 71 (EV-71) infection was found, the Hospital Authority (HA) immediately notified the Department of Health (DH) to call for an interdepartmental joint meeting. However, the DH did not convene the meeting concerned until two weeks later. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

of the reasons why the DH convened the meeting concerned two weeks after being notified by the HA;
whether efforts have been made to trace the origin of the virus after the first confirmed case of infection was found in Hong Kong; if so, what the results are; if not, why not;
whether instructions have been given to all public hospitals and private clinics in Hong Kong, requiring them to report suspected cases of infection to the DH, so as to monitor the spreading of EV-71 in the territory; if so, what the contents of the instructions are; and
whether a review has been conducted on any deficiency in the coordination between the HA and the DH on this matter; if so, of the findings of the review and the measures to be adopted to improve the coordination mechanism between the HA and the DH?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

4. Hon HUI Cheung-ching to ask : (Translation)

In view of the far-reaching implications of cross-boundary infrastructure projects between Hong Kong and the Mainland on the import and export industry in the territory, will the Government inform this Council whether:

it knows the current progress of the Hong Kong and Mainland Cross-Boundary Major Infrastructure Co-ordinating Committee in its study on the construction of the Lingdingyang Bridge;
it has studied the impact on the territory's import and export industry upon the completion of the Lingdingyang Bridge; if so, what the findings are; and
it has conducted planning studies on the linking of the Lingdingyang Bridge with road networks, the new airport and container terminals in Hong Kong, with a view to strengthening the territory's position as a re-export centre and facilitating the use of Hong Kong's new airport and container terminals by the central and western parts of the Mainland for the import and export of goods; if so, what the findings are?

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

5. Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

whether it knows the number of adult children aged 18 or above born in the Mainland to Hong Kong permanent residents, and of the channels and established procedures for these adult children, who are entitled to the right of abode in Hong Kong under the Basic Law, to apply for settlement in Hong Kong;
whether it knows if a specified sub-quota out of the existing daily quota of 150 One Way Permits has been set aside for those adult children; if so, of the sub-quota allocated to them; if not, why not;
of the number of Hong Kong permanent residents' Mainland-born adult children who have not yet been granted the right of abode in Hong Kong but are staying in Hong Kong at present; and
of the existing channels for adult children born and living in the Mainland whose mothers were born in Hong Kong to apply for settlement in Hong Kong?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

6. Hon LAU Chin-shek to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

of the short-term and long-term plans to use the facilities, buildings and land at the vacated Kai Tak airport; and
whether it will consider allowing the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to start preparatory work of its East Kowloon extension on the land of the vacated Kai Tak airport, so as to expedite the completion of the whole project and to provide employment opportunities for the personnel who have finished working on the Airport Railway project?

Public Officers to reply:	Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands Secretary for the Treasury

*7. Hon LEE Wing-tat to ask : (Translation)

In connection with the Government's decision to suspend land sales for nine months, will the Government inform this Council:

how it will dispose of the land not put up for sale during the suspension period, and whether such land will be put up for sale in 1999-2000;
of the impact of such a decision on the production of private housing units in 2000-2001 and 2001-2002; and
of the increase in the waiting time for the allocation of public housing flats as a result of the suspension of land sales?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*8. Hon Emily LAU to ask :

Will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

whether and how the Hong Kong dollar was affected by the devaluation of the Renminbi in the past few years; and
whether they have studied the impact of any future devaluation of the Renminbi on Hong Kong dollar; if so, what the findings are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

*9. Hon LEE Wing-tat to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

of the number of private housing units built on land not sold by auction or tender (but made available through out of channels such as land acquired through urban renewal schemes or by redemption of land exchange entitlements) in the past five years;
of the estimated number of private housing units to be built on such land in the next five years; and
whether it has examined the possibility of real estate developers shelving or putting off housing projects on such land in the wake of the Asian financial turmoil; if so, how far housing production in Hong Kong is expected to be affected?

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

*10. Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

whether it has assessed which schools are affected by noise created by the new flight path; if so, of the names of these schools and their locations, and how seriously they are affected by such noise; if not, whether such an assessment will be made as soon as possible;
of the schools for which air-conditioning systems will be installed under the existing noise abatement programme as a result of their being affected by aircraft noise; when the installations will be carried out;
regarding those schools for which air-conditioning systems have been installed because they used to be affected by aircraft noise, whether the systems will be removed now as they are no longer affected by such noise; and whether the allowance which they receive now for air-conditioning system maintenance and electricity charges will be cut down; and
whether it will consider reviewing the noise abatement programme and re-formulate the policy on installation of air-conditioning systems so that air-conditioning systems will be installed at all schools, with a view to facilitating the abatement of noise and improving the teaching environment; if so, whether the review will be conducted immediately, in order to have the installations completed before the beginning of the new school year?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*11. Hon James TIEN to ask : (Translation)

In view of the continuous rise in the unemployment rate in Hong Kong, in particular in consideration of a higher rate of unemployment among young people than the overall rate, will the Government inform this Council:

in the past two years, how the unemployment rates for the 15-19 and 20-29 age groups compare to the unemployment rates for the other age groups (with each age group covering 10 years), and to the overall unemployment rates; and
whether it has formulated any measures to assist young people to secure jobs, and whether training and retraining courses are available to them; if so, of the details of such measures and courses?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*12. Hon Fred LI to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council:

of the respective arrival and departure times of the first and last passenger flights arriving at and departing from Hong Kong every day, according to the current flight schedule; and
how it ensures that there is adequate provision of public transport services, such as buses and Airport Railway services, for use by the departing or arriving passengers taking those flights, so that they will not miss their flights or be stranded in the airport?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*13. Hon Kenneth TING to ask : (Translation)

As banks in Hong Kong are adopting a credit squeeze policy at present, many companies are short of working capital. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

of the measures in place to encourage banks, in deciding the loan application of a company, to take into account the operational effectiveness of the company concerned, as well as the soundness and development prospects of its business, apart from considering the value of the property given as security; and
whether it will consider setting up a central credit information centre to supply information on loan applicants to the banks concerned, so as to assist them in determining whether or not to approve individual loan applications and the amounts of loan to be granted?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

*14. Hon LAU Wong-fat to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council of:

the total number of applications received last year for changing land use from agricultural land to building land (excluding land for building small houses), together with the total area of agricultural land involved;
the respective numbers of cases where the applications are approved, being processed, pending and rejected; and
the total area of agricultural land involved, the total permissible floor area and the total amount of regrant premium incurred in those approved cases?

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

*15. Hon Fred LI to ask : (Translation)

A Consumer Council survey reveals that the prices of textbooks for primary and secondary schools this year have increased by 7% to 8.7% as compare to those of last year, which is higher than the inflation rate for the corresponding period. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

it has studied the reason why the rate of increase of textbook prices is higher than the inflation rate despite the drop in the prices of paper and printing costs this year, and given that the authority has stipulated that the edition of textbooks can only be revised once every three years; if so, what the findings are;
there are signs of correlation between high textbook prices and publishers' joint efforts to manipulate the market;
it has requested schools to take into account, in the selection of textbooks, the question of reasonable prices and the affordability of parents; if not, why not; and
from next year onwards, annual guidelines on textbook prices for primary and secondary schools will be drawn up for the reference of schools and parents, in accordance with the actual needs of students and the affordability of parents; if not, why not?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*16. Hon LAU Wong-fat to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether reassessment has been made of the housing supply in Hong Kong in the next five years in the wake of its decision to suspend land sales for nine months; if so, of the respective numbers of private and public housing units to be produced in each of the next five years?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

*17. Hon YEUNG Yiu-chung to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether:

it knows the rates of increase in the prices of textbooks published locally for primary and secondary schools respectively in each of the past five years, and how the price increases compared with the inflation rates in the corresponding years;
it knows the respective rates of increase in the prices of Chinese textbooks and those of English textbooks published locally during the same period;
any mechanism is currently in place for monitoring the rates of increase in textbook prices; if so, what the details are; if not, why not; and
measures will be taken to ensure that textbook prices are set at a reasonable level; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*18. Hon LEE kai-ming to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council of:

the number of illegal workers coming to Hong Kong on Two-way Exit Permits or visit visas who have been prosecuted since 1 January 1996, and the maximum penalty imposed on them upon conviction;
the number of people who were prosecuted for employing such illegal workers during the same period, and how many of them were subsequently convicted by the court; and
the major difficulties encountered in dealing with such cases?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*19. Hon Emily LAU to ask : (Translation)

It is reported that in August last year, a shipment of strategic commodities worth $5.7 million manufactured by the China North Industries Corporation was seized by the Customs and Excise Department from a cargo vessel from Thailand bound for the Mainland via Hong Kong. In September of the same year, the captain of the vessel pleaded guilty in the court of importing strategic commodities without a licence. The captain and the shipping company were consequently fined $111,000, with all the goods being confiscated. Early this year, the China North Industries Corporation petitioned the Chief Executive (CE) for the return of that shipment of strategic commodities. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

whether that shipment of strategic commodities will be returned to the Corporation concerned; if not, how the goods will be disposed of;
of the principles and considerations according to which the CE will deal with the petition;
whether the CE has consulted the Central People's Government (CPG) or received any instructions from the CPG in relation to the petition; and
whether the relevant legislation will be reviewed to prevent shipping companies and lawless merchants from conspiring with each other to smuggle goods and petitioning the CE for the return of the goods so confiscated?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

*20. Hon LEE Kai-ming to ask : (Translation)

In view of the fact that there is an increasing number of pornographic webpages on the Internet and they have a bad influence on young people, will the Government inform this Council:

how it regulates such webpages;
of the measures (including educational programmes) in place to prevent young people from browsing such webpages; and
whether it has plans to penalize young people for browsing such webpages; if so, what the details are?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting

* For written reply.

III. Bills

First Reading

Securities (Amendment) Bill 1998

Second Reading (Debate to be adjourned)

Securities (Amendment) Bill 1998 : Secretary for Financial Services

Second Reading (Debates to resume), Committee Stage and Third Reading

1. Holidays (Amendment) Bill 1998	:	Secretary for Education and Manpower
2. Supplementary Appropriation (1997-98) Bill 1998	:	Secretary for the Treasury

IV. Motions

Import and Export Ordinance

Secretary for Trade and Industry :

Resolved that the Import and Export (Registration) (Amendment) Regulation 1998, made by the Chief Executive in Council on 21 July 1998, be approved.

V. Members' Motions

1. Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance

Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung :

RESOLVED that -

(1) in relation to the Water Pollution Control (Sewerage) (Amendment) Regulation 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 281 of 1998 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 22 July 1998, the period referred to in section 34(2) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1) for amending subsidiary legislation be extended under section 34(4) of that Ordinance to the meeting of 9 September 1998;

(2) in relation to the -

Census and Statistics (Monthly Survey of Retail Sales) (Amendment) Order 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 289 of 1998;
Census and Statistics (Quarterly Survey of Service Industries) (Amendment) Order 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 290 of 1998;
Designation of Libraries (Urban Council Area) (No.2) Order 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 291 of 1998;
Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance (Cap.485) (Commencement) Notice 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 292 of 1998;
Provident Fund Schemes Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 1998 (4 of 1998) (Commencement) Notice 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 293 of 1998;
Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (General) Regulation (L.N. 201 of 1998) (Commencement) Notice 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 294 of 1998; and
Dangerous Drugs (Amendment) (No.2) Ordinance 1994 (63 of 1994) (Commencement) Notice 1997 ? Corrigendum, published as Legal Notice No. 295 of 1998;

and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 29 July 1998, the period referred to in section 34(2) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1) for amending subsidiary legislation be extended under section 34(4) of that Ordinance to the meeting of 9 September 1998.

2. Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance

Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung :

Resolved that the Housing (Amendment) (No.2) Ordinance 1998 (24 of 1998) (Commencement) Notice 1998, published as Legal Notice No. 212 of 1998 and laid on the table of the Legislative Council on 2 July 1998, be amended by adding "(other than sections 7 and 8)" after "the Ordinance".

Public Officer to reply :Secretary for Housing

3. Legislative Council Emblem

Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung :

Resolved that the design attached to this resolution be adopted as the emblem of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

(The emblem design attached to this resolution is at Appendix)

4. Appointment of Select Committee

Hon LAU Kong-wah :

Resolved that a select committee be appointed to inquire into the circumstances leading to the problems surrounding the commencement of the operation of the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok since 6 July 1998 and related issues; and that in the performance of its duties the committee be authorised under section 9(2) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382) to exercise the powers conferred by section 9(1) of that Ordinance.

5. Review of district organisations

Hon Ambrose CHEUNG : (Translation)

That this Council puts to the Government its views on the Consultation Document on the Review of District Organisations published in June 1998, and urges the Government to fully consult the various sectors of the community before making a final decision on the future development of district organisations.

Amendments to Hon Ambrose CHEUNG 's motion

1. Hon Fred LI :

2. Hon Cyd HO :

Public Officer to attend :Secretary for Constitutional Affairs

6. Central harbour reclamation

Hon Christine LOH :

That this Council recognises, and urges the Government to recognise, that Victoria Harbour is a unique and irreplaceable public asset, that excessive depletion of the harbour is irreversibly damaging both to the natural and human environment of Hong Kong, and that all Hong Kong people have a rightful interest in the harbour; and this Council further urges the Government to withdraw its grossly excessive plans for reclamation in the harbour; specifically, this Council urges the Government to scale down its present central reclamation plans and to ensure that further land development in the central harbour, if any, will be strictly limited, fully justified and openly planned in accordance with the letter and spirit of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance.

Public Officer to attend :Secretary for Planning Environment and Lands

Clerk to the Legislative Council