A 99/00-5(1)

Legislative Council

Agenda
Wednesday 27 October 1999 at 2:30 pm

I. Tabling of Papers

Subsidiary Legislation		L.N. No.
1.	Food Adulteration (Artificial Sweeteners) (Amendment) Regulation 1999	259/99
2.	Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Public Pleasure Grounds) (Amendment of Fourth Schedule) (No. 7) Order 1999	260/99
3.	Public Swimming Pools (Designation) (No. 2) Order 1999	261/99
4.	Lingnan University Ordinance (54 of 1999) (Commencement) (No. 2) Notice 1999	262/99
5.	Post Office (Amendment) Regulation 1999 (L.N. 178 of 1999) (Commencement) Notice 1999	263/99
6.	Merchant Shipping (Safety) (High Speed Craft) (Amendment) Regulation 1999 (L.N. 182 of 1999) (Commencement) Notice 1999	264/99
7.	Import and Export (Strategic Commodities) Regulations (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 2) Order 1999 (L.N. 183 of 1999) (Commencement) Notice 1999	265/99

Other Papers

1. No.21	-	The audited Statements of Accounts of the Provisional Regional Council for the financial year ended 31 March 1999 and the Director of Audit's Report
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
2. No.22	-	Provisional Regional Council Annual Report 1998-99
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
3. No.23	-	Provisional Regional Council Revised Estimates of Expenditure 1999/2000
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
4. No.24	-	The audited Statement of Assets and Liabilities, Statements of Receipts and Payments and Statement of Revenue and Expenditure by Select Committees of the Provisional Urban Council for the year ended 31 March 1999 and the Director of Audit's Report
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
5. No.25	-	Provisional Urban Council Annual Report 1998/99
(to be presented by Secretary for Home Affairs)
6. No.26	-	Office of the Telecommunications Authority Trading Fund Report for the period from 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999
(to be presented by Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting)
7. Report of the Bills Committee on Adaptation of Laws (No.5) Bill 1999
(to be presented by Hon Andrew WONG, Chairman of the Bills Committee)

II. Questions for Written Replies

1. Hon Eric LI to ask:

Section 61 of the Banking Ordinance (Cap. 155), section 53D of the Insurance Companies Ordinance (Cap. 41), section 89A of the Securities Ordinance (Cap. 333) and section 51A of the Commodities Trading Ordinance (Cap. 250) provide that an auditor shall not be regarded as contravening his duty by reason of his communicating in good faith to the relevant authorities any information or opinion on a matter of which he becomes aware in his capacity as auditor. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the respective numbers of reports of suspected fraudulent acts or omissions that have been submitted to these authorities by auditors since the respective provisions in their present form came into operation?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

2. Dr Hon David LI to ask:

The Government plans to launch a scheme to import talented Mainlanders who excel in their own fields and possess the technological know-how and experience most needed in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the plans it has for cultivating local talents and enabling them to face the competition from these talented Mainlanders?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

3. Hon LAW Chi-kwong to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the selection of sites for social security field units ("SSFUs") by the Social Welfare Department, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the factors to be considered in selecting the sites, and whether their accessibility to the elderly and disabled persons is one of the factors; if so, how this factor is weighted;

2. the remedial measures to be taken when elderly and disabled persons indicate that they have difficulties in visiting a particular SSFU; and

3. the mechanism in place for clients to express their views on the selection of sites for SSFUs?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

4. Ir Dr Hon HO Chung-tai to ask: (Translation)

It was reported that in the newly completed flats of Un Chau Estate in Sham Shui Po, the cement used in basin stands and stove tops in kitchens was found to be mixed with other materials such as cardboard and styrofoam. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the follow-up actions taken in respect of such cases; whether the authorities have investigated the contractor concerned to establish if there have been jerry-building practices;

2. whether it has plans to check if other newly completed public housing flats have the same problem; and

3. of the measures it will take to prevent contractors of public housing from jerry-building practices?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

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

Regarding the safe use of liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") vehicles, will the Government inform this Council:

1. whether it knows the experience of other territories in using LPG vehicles and whether there have been accidents related to the LPG fuel system on vehicles; if so, of a breakdown of these accidents by causes;

2. whether it has studied if it is safe to use mobile phones in LPG vehicles and the possibility of vehicle explosion or fire so caused; if so, of the findings;

3. whether it plans to publish guidelines for the public on issues requiring the attention of passengers in LPG taxis; and

4. of the marking for identifying LPG taxis?

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

6. Dr Hon LUI Ming-wah to ask: (Translation)

Regarding the air pollution problem caused by vehicle emissions, will the Government inform this Council:

1. apart from providing grants for installing catalytic converters on diesel goods vehicles and buses, of the other measures it will take to reduce air pollution caused by vehicle emissions;

2. given that there are reports that vehicles installed with catalytic converters may emit larger amounts of substances hazardous to health if they run on low-grade diesel, whether it will consider adopting legislative measures to prohibit vehicles from using low-grade diesel;

3. whether it has any plans to conduct a study on the feasibility of using liquefied petroleum gas as fuel for heavy vehicles and buses; and

4. of the progress of the feasibility study on the introduction of electric trolley buses into Hong Kong?

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

7. Hon Howard YOUNG to ask:

Regarding the implementation of the Demand Side Management Programmes as a means to achieve energy efficiency and protect the environment, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

1. the issues that the power companies have to resolve before they can implement the Programmes; and

2. the scheduled launch date of the Programmes?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Economic Services

8. Hon Christine LOH to ask:

Regarding the New Territories small houses, will the Administration inform this Council:

1. of the current number of outstanding small house applications and the total area of land involved in these applications;

2. whether it knows the number of eligible indigenous male villagers who have yet to submit applications for building small houses and the total area of land involved; and

3. of the recommendations made by the Committee set up to examine the small house policy; and of the scheduled date for such recommendations to be submitted to this Council?

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

9. Hon Howard YOUNG to ask:

Regarding the shuttle bus services between Tung Chung Mass Transit Railway ("MTR") Station and the airport at Chek Lap Kok, will the Government inform this Council whether it has plans to discuss with the parties concerned with a view to tying in the departure times of these buses with the arrival times of the MTR trains at the Station?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

10. Hon Christine LOH to ask:

Regarding emissions from diesel-powered buses, will the Administration inform this Council whether:

1. it knows the number of operational buses of each franchised bus company that do not comply with the Euro II emission standard;

2. it is stipulated in the franchise agreements with the bus companies that they should take responsibility for exercising stringent controls over the emission of their buses;

3. it has any plans to provide incentives to franchised bus companies to switch to the use of less polluting fuels, such as ultra low sulphur diesel, biodiesel or natural gas; and

4. it knows if franchised bus companies have plans to replace the older or the more polluting buses as a matter of priority?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

11. Hon LAW Chi-kwong to ask: (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council how it determines the matters related to the services of social security field units on which it should consult the public, and of the criteria for determining such matters?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

12. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)

It is reported that, on 30 September this year, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.7 on the Richter scale occurred in Dapeng Peninsula in the vicinity of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Plant. In this connection, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:

1. whether they know if the nuclear power plant is located in an active seismic zone and the maximum strength of an earthquake it can withstand; and

2. of the existing mechanism for the Administration and Hong Kong people to know whether the operation and safety of the nuclear power plant have been affected if an earthquake occurs in the area where it is situated or in its neigbourhood, and the way in which the mechanism operates?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

13. Hon Fred LI to ask: (Translation)

At present, the main doors and metal gates of many flats in public rental housing ("PRH") estates aged 10 years or more are rather dilapidated, while other indoor installations also need repairing. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:

1. if the Housing Authority ("HA") plans to replace or repair the main doors and metal gates for all the flats in PRH estates aged 10 years or more; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

2. the items of fittings and fixtures in PRH flats the maintenance responsibility for which rests with the HA and the tenants respectively;

3. given that with effect from 1 April 1999 the HA ceased to arrange for tenants the repair services payable by the tenants themselves, of the channels through which tenants are informed of the repair items to be taken up by the HA and the items to be handled by contractors hired by tenants directly; and

4. if the HA will embark on a comprehensive study on the various repair and maintenance problems caused by the building design of old type PRH estates, formulate appropriate policies and measures on the maintenance of buildings of old-type PRH estates and draw up a timetable for the necessary works; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

14. Hon MA Fung-kwok to ask: (Translation)

The Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) empowers registered licensing bodies to levy copyright royalty charges on users of copyright works. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the composition of such bodies, as well as the basis for the determination and apportionment of copyright royalty charges; and

2. how it ensures that the levels of copyright royalty charges set by these bodies are fair and reasonable?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Trade and Industry

15. Hon TAM Yiu-chung to ask: (Translation)

The Immigration Department currently handles, on a first-come-first-served basis, applications by the public for appointments for holding marriage ceremonies at a marriage registry. Some members of the public queue outside marriage registries for a number of days in order to ensure that their marriage ceremonies will be held on certain popular days. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. how the priority is decided between Notices of Marriage sent in by mail from overseas and those submitted to marriage registries in person by the public; and

2. whether it will consider allocating the dates and time slots for holding marriage ceremonies by drawing lots, instead of on a first-come-first-served basis; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

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

It was reported that a Senior Education Officer of the Education Department ("ED") had, without making any declaration of interests, acted as an honorary adviser to an aided school of which she would become the principal upon her retirement early next year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:

1. the number of senior officers of ED who have been appointed to posts of headmasters, principals or senior staff in aided primary schools, secondary schools and other educational institutions upon their retirement last year;

2. the existing mechanism and requirements for declaration of interests adopted by ED regarding the taking up of private duties by its staff; the number of cases in which such requirements have been breached, and the number of staff against whom disciplinary actions have been taken in the past five years; and

3. the measures currently in place to prevent senior officers of ED from exploiting their official capacity to boost their chances of being employed as headmasters or principals of aided schools or taking up posts in other educational institutions upon their retirement?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

III. Bills

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

1. Adaptation of Laws (No.5) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands
2. Adaptation of Laws (No.21) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Transport
3. Adaptation of Laws (No.26) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for the Civil Service
4. Adaptation of Laws (No.31) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Economic Services
5. Adaptation of Laws (No.28) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Economic Services
6. Adaptation of Laws (No.23) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Home Affairs
7. Adaptation of Laws (No.24) Bill 1999	:	Secretary for Home Affairs

IV. Members' Motions

Resumption of debate on the "Motion of Thanks"

Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung: (Translation)

That this Council thanks the Chief Executive for his address.

Amendment to Dr Hon LEONG Che-hung's motion

Hon Martin LEE: (Translation)

To add ", but since the Policy Address takes no heed of people's livelihood, lacks specific measures to stimulate the economy and solve the unemployment problem, and does not have any proposals to promote democratization, this Council is very resentful and expresses deep regret" after "That this Council thanks the Chief Executive for his address".

Public Officers to attend

:

Financial Secretary Secretary for Trade and Industry Secretary for Economic Services Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands Secretary for Housing Secretary for Transport Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting Secretary for Education and Manpower Secretary for Home Affairs Secretary for Health and Welfare Secretary for Constitutional Affairs Chief Secretary for Administration

Clerk to the Legislative Council