A 03/04-9

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 26 November 2003 at 2:30 pm

(a)	of the progress and effectiveness of the pilot scheme on the separate collection of wet and dry wastes launched by the Administration this year;
(b)	whether it has made a comparison of the various waste disposal methods, such as landfilling, incineration and recovery, in terms of their costs, requisite technologies, numbers and types of jobs that can be created, as well as their impact on sustainable development; if so, of the results of the comparison; and
(c)	of the measures to promote the development of the waste recovery industry, with a view to creating more jobs for the grass roots?

(a)	the number of such cases reported to the authorities in each of the past three years;
(b)	the number of Notices to Quit issued in the past three years to tenants of PRH flats on grounds that their flats were used for prostitution; and
(c)	the measures it will adopt to eradicate the use of PRH flats for prostitution?

(a)	of the respective numbers of Certificate of Entitlement ("C of E") issued by the authorities each year between 1998 and 2002 and in the first half of 2003, and the average number of holders of C of E who came to settle in Hong Kong each day;
(b)	whether it has striven to obtain from the Central Government the authority to vet and approve the applications by Mainlanders for settlement in Hong Kong; if it has, of the results; if not, the reasons for that; and
(c)	whether it has considered negotiating with the Central Government an increase of the sub-quota for people from the Mainland coming to Hong Kong for reunion with their spouses among the daily quota of 150 OEPs, so as to shorten the duration of their separation?

(a)	of its education expenditure as a percentage of the Gross Domestic Product in each of the past five years; and
(b)	whether the authorities will reduce the respective fundings for pre-primary education, primary and secondary education, special education, post-secondary education and tertiary education for each of the school years from 2004 to 2008; if so, of the respective rates of and the reasons for the reduction?

(a)	of the total quantities of chilled meat (including poultry) imported into Hong Kong in the past three years, together with a breakdown by the type and source of meat;
(b)	of the number of licensees of fresh provision shops (including market stalls) prosecuted for not storing chilled meat for sale in a chiller and the sentences imposed on those convicted in the past three years; and
(c)	whether, apart from inspections of fresh meat shops, the relevant departments will take other measures to stop shop owners from misleading consumers into taking chilled meat for fresh meat by not storing the former in a chiller?

(a)	the name and contract period of each infrastructure project for which contract has been awarded by the authorities, as well as whether the project concerned is Category A, B or C project;
(b)	except for the contracts for the infrastructure projects contained in the quarterly reports on the contracts awarded by the authorities on major capital works projects, the price of each contract for the infrastructure projects mentioned in (a) above and the total contract prices; and
(c)	the names and total estimated expenditure of the infrastructure projects that were shelved?

(a)	it knows if any individual hospital clusters have decided not to operate the above alert system; if so, whether HA knew and agreed to the decision beforehand;
(b)	it knows if various clusters have, since the introduction of the alert system, acted differently as regards when a particular alert colour should be raised;
(c)	it knows if HA has modified or abandoned the alert system in the light of its actual implementation in various hospitals; if so, of the details; and
(d)	the Health, Welfare and Food Bureau has discussed or followed up the implementation of the alert system with HA; if so, of the details?

(a)	of the number of reported cases received each year by the authorities about suspected abuse of the above Fund since the establishment of the inter-departmental task force and in the three years before the establishment, broken down by trade and number of employers involved;
(b)	of the number of convictions among the cases mentioned in (a) above and the amounts of fines imposed; and
(c)	whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the inter-departmental task force; if it has, of the results?

(a)	of the numbers of classes, school places and students in primary and secondary day schools in each of the past three years, at present and in the next two years, broken down by school zones and grades;
(b)	of the specific details of the school construction plan in each of the past three years, at present and in the next five years, including the number of schools constructed, their names (if named already), types, the kinds of courses and the number of places they provide, broken down by school zones;
(c)	whether the variations in student population growth in individual school zones have given rise to an over-supply of school places in individual zones, and whether the authorities have formulated appropriate measures to solve the problems arising from inaccurate school planning; if they have, of the details; and
(d)	of the justifications for the authorities' plan to construct new school premises in zones where there are class reductions, and the ways to tackle the problem of a deteriorating imbalance in school places as a result of the construction of such new school premises?

(a)	the respective numbers of civil servants who were promoted, together with a breakdown by their grades and ranks after promotion; and
(b)	the respective numbers of promoted civil servants filling vacancies which arose from the two rounds of the voluntary retirement schemes ("VRS"), together with a breakdown by VRS and the grade and rank of the vacancies in each of the past five years and so far this year?

(a)

of the latest progress of the planning work for Kwai Chung Park - Further Development Project; and

(b)

whether the total area of the existing open spaces in the Kwai Chung Planning Zone meets the relevant standards stipulated in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines; if not, of the deviation, and whether the completed parts and facilities of the Park will be open to the public as soon as possible so as to provide more open space in the district; if certain works have to be carried out before the Park can be open to the public, of the details of the works, as well as the cost and time required?

(a)	of the number of the above-mentioned traffic accidents in each of the past three years, broken down by district, bus company, passenger casualty, pedestrian casualty, age of the bus and experience of the driver; and, among them, the number of accidents involving five or more casualties each year, and the details of each accident, including the date, location, information mentioned in the above breakdown (except district) and cause of the accident;
(b)	how Hong Kong compares to other countries or regions in respect of the number of the above-mentioned traffic accidents;
(c)	whether it has conducted detailed analysis of the above-mentioned traffic accidents that occurred in Hong Kong in recent years, covering such aspects as whether the accidents were related to the number of bus-drivers employed, their working hours, the roster systems and overall management of the bus companies; if it has, of the results of the analysis; if not, the reasons for that;
(d)	whether the authorities have discussed with the franchised bus companies measures to reduce the number of the above-mentioned traffic accidents; if they have, of the results and whether both sides have devised new bus safety measures; if not, the reasons for that; and
(e)	how the authorities will act on the policy level to further protect the safety of franchised bus passengers in the light of the serious traffic accidents involving franchised buses that occurred one after another in recent months?

(a)	the number of research project grant applications approved by the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong ("the Council") which were directly related to government policies and economic affairs (such as the Basic Law, public finance and review of the tax regime etc.), the sum of grants involved and its percentage in the total amount of grants approved by the Council; and
(b)	among all research project grant applications received by the Council, the number of those in which local academics and professionals were engaged,
in the past three years?

(a)	whether many factories in the industrial estates managed by the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation ("the Corporation") have ceased production; if so, of the details;
(b)	the Corporation's strategy to better utilize the land in the industrial estates, such as offering premium concessions and relaxing the land lease restrictions, so as to encourage and promote the establishment of factories in the industrial estates by environmental protection and logistics industries; and
(c)	whether the corporation is currently processing applications from companies engaged in environmental protection and logistics industries for leasing the land in the industrial estates; if so, of the number of companies involved in these applications and the progress of the Corporation's processing of the applications concerned?

(a)	of the locations and the total area where Mikania micrantha proliferated last year;
(b)	of the measures to prevent Mikania micrantha from damaging trees; and
(c)	whether it will draw up more effective measures to curb the proliferation of Mikania micrantha; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

(a)	of the details of the arrangements adopted by the countries mentioned above to facilitate electors' voting;
(b)	of an assessment of the pros and cons of the arrangements;
(c)	whether they will consider adopting such arrangements; if so, when such arrangements will be adopted; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(d)	whether they have studied other arrangements to facilitate electors' voting that are suitable for adoption in Hong Kong; if so, of the details of such arrangements; if not, the reasons for that?

(a)	of the measures to curb this trend; whether actions will be stepped up to arrest and repatriate pregnant Mainland women overstaying in Hong Kong;
(b)	whether childbirth by Mainland women in Hong Kong has put a strain on manpower and other resources in public hospitals; and
(c)	whether it knows if the relevant Mainland authorities have stipulated that two-way exit permits should not be issued to women whose pregnancy has reached a certain number of weeks; whether it will discuss with the relevant Mainland authorities so that they will be more prudent in vetting and approving applications for two-way exit permits from pregnant women?

(a)	the total number of household members (excluding the applicants) in such CSSA cases, together with a breakdown by gender and age profile (in groups each covering 5 years);
(b)	a breakdown of such cases by the applicants' gender, age profile (in groups each covering five years), educational levels and employment earnings (in groups each covering $500), as well as the trades they are engaged in, their positions, the amounts of CSSA payments they receive each month (in groups each covering $500) and the numbers of months they have been receiving CSSA payments consecutively; and
(c)	the number of CSSA cases transferred from other categories to the "low earnings" category?

1. Proposed resolution under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance and the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance
   
   Secretary for Economic Development and Labour to move the motion
   
   (Contents of the motion and the Construction Sites (Safety)(Amendment) Regulation 2003 are contained in the paper issued on 6 November 2003 under LC Paper No. CB(3) 133/03-04)

2. Proposed resolution under the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance
   
   Secretary for Economic Development and Labour to move the following motion:
   
   RESOLVED that -
   
   

   (a)	the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Lifting Appliances and Lifting Gear)(Amendment) Regulation 2003;
   (b)	the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Suspended Working Platforms)(Amendment) Regulation 2003; and
   (c)	the Factories and Industrial Undertakings (Loadshifting Machinery)(Amendment) Regulation 2003,
   made by the Commissioner for Labour on 28 May 2003, be approved.
   	(The three Regulations have been issued on 6 November 2003 under LC Paper No. CB(3) 134/03-04)

1. West Kowloon Cultural District development project
   
   Hon WONG Sing-chi: (Translation)
   
   That this Council urges the Government to comprehensively review the West Kowloon Cultural District development project, extend the deadline for submission of development proposals, and openly and thoroughly consult the cultural sector, professional bodies, the real estate sector, the Legislative Council, the public and relevant organizations, so as to formulate a development and operation plan that is open, fair and proper.
   
   Amendments to Hon WONG Sing-chi's motion
   

   (i)

   Hon Albert HO: (Translation) To delete "comprehensively review" after "That this Council urges the Government to" and substitute with "temporarily shelve"; to delete "extend the deadline for submission of development proposals," after "the West Kowloon Cultural District development project,"; to add "afresh" after "and openly and thoroughly consult"; and to add "; the Government should also consider setting up a statutory body to co-ordinate and implement the relevant plan" after "so as to formulate a development and operation plan that is open, fair and proper".

   (ii)

   Hon MA Fung-kwok: (Translation) To add "consider the 'software' contents before planning the cultural facilities," after "That this Council urges the Government to comprehensively review the West Kowloon Cultural District development project,"; to delete "and" after "extend the deadline for submission of development proposals,"; to delete "so as to formulate" after "the public and relevant organizations," and substitute with "and uphold the 'people-oriented', 'partnership' and 'community-driven' principles put forward by the Culture and Heritage Commission for the West Kowloon development in formulating"; and to add "; and in the process of development, the Government should also facilitate a partnership between developers and the cultural sector, so as to allow the latter to participate in the planning and future operation of the facilities in the district" after "a development and operation plan that is open, fair and proper".

   
   Public Officer to attend : Chief Secretary for Administration

2. Credibility of the Equal Opportunities Commission
   
   Hon Fred LI: (Translation)
   
   That this Council urges the Chief Executive and the HKSAR Government to learn the lesson from the "Michael WONG Kin-chow incident" and take expeditious measures to restore public confidence in the Equal Opportunities Commission.
   
   Amendments to Hon Fred LI's motion
   

   (i)	Hon Andrew CHENG: (Translation)
   	To add "regrets that the Secretary for Home Affairs, Dr Hon Patrick HO Chi-ping, has mishandled the 'Michael WONG Kin-chow incident', and" after "That this Council"; and to delete "from the 'Michael WONG Kin-chow incident' " after "urges the Chief Executive and the HKSAR Government to learn the lesson" and substitute with "therefrom".
   (ii)	Hon LEE Cheuk-yan: (Translation)
   	To add "and, before appointing the Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission in future, to arrange for the proposed appointee to attend hearings of the Legislative Council and answer questions from Members" after "That this Council urges the Chief Executive and the HKSAR Government to learn the lesson from the 'Michael WONG Kin-chow incident' ".
   (iii)	Hon Emily LAU: (Translation)
   	To add "remove all those Equal Opportunities Commission members whose behaviour has impaired the credibility of the Commission, so as to" after "and take expeditious measures to".

   
   

   Public Officer to attend

   :

   Secretary for Home Affairs