The LegCo Reporter 2003-2004		Issue No. 10 (11 December 2003)
At its meeting on 10 December 2003, the Legislative Council passed the following bill: Public Officers Pay Adjustments (2004/2005) Bill, with amendments proposed by the Secretary for the Civil Service at Committee Stage. At the same meeting, the Council passed the following two motions with no legislative effect: (1) Motion on "Repercussions of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome on employees compensation insurance", moved by Hon Bernard CHAN as amended by Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo and further amended by Hon LAU Chin-shek "That, on the premise of ensuring full protection of the statutory rights and benefits of employees, this Council urges the Government to review the possible repercussions of infectious diseases, such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, transmitted in the workplace on the employees compensation insurance market, including the affordability of such insurance in the community and other issues potentially affecting stakeholders; at the same time, this Council also urges the Government to examine plans for improving workplace risk management in order to reduce the chance of transmission of infectious diseases in the workplace, and to study the desirability and feasibility of establishing a central employees compensation scheme." (2) Motion on "Supporting the middle class ", moved by Dr Hon David CHU Yu-lin as amended by Dr Hon YEUNG Sum "That this Council urges the Government to expeditiously introduce a series of effective long-term policies, including relieving the tax burden on the middle class and providing appropriate help to the negative-equity property owners among them, with the objective of supporting the middle class."