A 14/15-4

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 5 November 2014 at 11:00 am

I. Tabling of Papers



Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentL.N. No.
Aerial Ropeways (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2014131/2014

Other Paper

No. 23-Consumer Council
Annual Report 2013-14
(to be presented by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development)

II. Questions



1. Hon Paul TSE to ask: (Translation)


It has been reported that New York City had its first confirmed case of Ebola virus disease ("EVD") infection on the 23rd of last month. Since the patient had patronized restaurants and a bowling alley and had travelled on subway lines during the incubation period of the virus, the authorities concerned had to embark on a large-scale exercise to track down people who might have been infected. With the risk of an EVD outbreak continuing to increase, the media have pointed out that a "perfect storm" is brewing amid the impending EVD outbreak, emerging impacts of the Occupy Central movement, sky-high property prices which refuse to go down and gloomy global economic outlook, etc., which may inflict a severe onslaught on Hong Kong's economy and people's livelihood. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)given that the arrival screenings at New York City have failed to stop the spread of EVD to the United States, whether the Government has assessed if the arrival screenings in Hong Kong are able to prevent the importation of EVD into the territory; if such assessment has been made, of the details; whether it will consider taking more stringent preventive measures;

    (2)under the situation that some EVD patients are found to have travelled on modes of public transportation such as MTR, buses and trams, etc. in Hong Kong and/or roamed areas with a heavy flow of people, what contingency measures the authorities have in place to track down or even quarantine a large number of people who may have been infected without causing any public panic; and

    (3)what contingency policies are available to withstand the severe onslaught of the aforesaid perfect storm on Hong Kong's economy and people's livelihood?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

2. Hon Martin LIAO to ask: (Translation)


Some members of the finance industry have pointed out that Hong Kong is an international asset management centre with a number of large-scale international asset management companies operating in the territory. Yet, local financial institutions are generally small in scale and of little impact, with very few of them having a strong presence, thus making it difficult for the local practitioners to seize the opportunities for development. Such persons have also pointed out that in order to strengthen its status as an asset management centre, Hong Kong should, apart from capitalizing on its edges, actively nurture local talents in the field of fund management, so as to cope with the challenges posed by other regions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it knows, in the past five years, the number and percentage of local practitioners and institutions in the finance industry holding an asset management licence; whether it has considered, as suggested by some members of the finance industry, establishing a core fund under the Mandatory Provident Fund schemes with the Government as the central trustee, and entrusting the investment of the fund to local fund managers with the aim of nurturing local talents; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2)given that the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has pointed out in an article that, among the major asset management activities conducted in Hong Kong, about 70% of them merely involve customer relationship management or sales intermediation while very few of them involve upstream high value-added asset management activities (i.e. formulation of investment decisions, asset allocation, research and analysis, product development, risk management, etc.), whether the authorities know the relevant details, including the year-on-year changes in the number of local practitioners engaged in high value-added activities in the past five years; whether the Government will introduce complementary policies and measures to attract and provide training for more local talents to engage themselves in high value-added asset management activities, and whether it will provide the local practitioners with financial support for professional training, so as to assist them in expanding their scope of services; and

    (3)given that the total asset value of the fund management business in Hong Kong as at the end of last year was as high as HK$16,000 billion, while the total asset value of fund management business in the Mainland as at the end of April this year was only HK$6,400 billion, and that the implementation of cross-border investment facilitation measures, such as the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect scheme and the mutual recognition of funds, will bring about new opportunities, whether the Government will introduce new initiatives to facilitate the development of personal wealth management business in the finance industry and to assist practitioners of the finance industry to prepare themselves for engagement in related activities?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

3. Prof Hon Joseph LEE to ask: (Translation)


In the early hours of the 15th of last month, a local news agent recorded a video footage of a subdued participant in an assembly being allegedly kicked and punched by police officers in Tamar Park, Admiralty. Regarding the use of force by police officers, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)as the Police guidelines on the use of force stipulate that police officers may use minimum force as appropriate only when such an action is absolutely necessary and there are no other means to accomplish the lawful duty, of the meaning of "minimum force", and whether it includes kicking and punching persons who have been subdued; if it does not, of the level of force to which such an action belongs; of the respective forms of force and weapons involved in the "minimum force" that may be appropriately used under different circumstances;

    (2)as the Police said on the same day after the occurrence of the aforesaid incident that the Complaints Against Police Office had received a relevant complaint and would handle it in accordance with the established procedures, of the details of the "established procedures"; and

    (3)of the number of complaints received by the Police in the past three years about police officers having allegedly assaulted other people while on duty and the details of such complaints, including whether the complaints were substantiated in the end and the penalties imposed on the police officers involved in the substantiated cases?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

4. Hon Charles Peter MOK to ask: (Translation)


When the authorities amended the Crimes Ordinance in 1993, section 161 was added to provide for the offence of "access to computer with criminal or dishonest intent" ("section 161"). The then Secretary for Security explained that the new section 161 was aimed at "penalizing access to a computer for acts preparatory but falling short of the commission of a fraud. Examples would include someone obtaining access to computerized bank records to obtain details of credit balances for later fraudulent use". Last month, the Police noted that some persons had posted messages on the Internet to incite members of the public to take part in the unlawful assemblies in Mong Kok and Admiralty. After investigation, the Police arrested a man for allegedly committing the offence under section 161 and that of "unlawful assembly". Regarding the scope of application of section 161, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the details of the cases in which prosecutions were instituted by the authorities under section 161 in the past three years, including case numbers, other charges in the same case (if applicable), sentencing outcome, appeal outcome (if applicable), and case type (e.g. criminal intimidation, blackmail, indecent assault, theft, deception, criminal damage, public safety, soliciting for an immoral purpose, sale or use of non-compliant electronic products and network attacks), and set out such information in a table; among such cases, the number of those involving fraud or acts preparatory of the commission of a fraud and their case numbers; and

    (2)as most of the laws for prevention of crimes in the physical world apply equally to the cyber world, whether the authorities have planned to review and amend section 161 to bring its scope of application more in line with its legislative intent, that is focusing on tackling crimes such as computer frauds and network attacks, instead of imposing criminal liabilities on people posting on the Internet messages which are not in violation of other legislative provisions?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

5. Dr Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask: (Translation)


The Department of Justice ("DoJ") added a Public Order Events section to its newly revised Prosecution Code ("the new Code") released in September last year to provide guidelines and pointers to prosecutors. The section states that as there are provisions in the Basic Law guaranteeing Hong Kong residents freedoms in respect of speech, association, assembly, procession and demonstration, etc., "[o]ffences alleged to have been committed in conjunction with the exercise of these constitutionally guaranteed freedoms may give rise to special considerations" ("special considerations"). I have learnt that regarding this type of cases, the Police need to await DoJ's consent before they may institute prosecutions even if they have got sufficient evidence. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether DoJ has issued to the prosecutors specific working guidelines on how they should make the special considerations, and what measures it has put in place to ensure that making the special considerations will not complicate and lengthen the prosecution procedures;

    (2)of the total number of cases involving public order events handled by DoJ since the issuance of the new Code and, among such cases, the respective numbers of those for which prosecutions have been and have yet to be instituted; the average time taken by the authorities for making prosecution decisions for such cases, and how it compares with the time taken for other cases in which the Police may institute prosecutions directly; and

    (3)given comments that despite a number of people having been arrested at the assembly venues of the recent occupation movement for alleged breaches of the law, the authorities have not, after a long time, instituted prosecutions against such people because the Police have to gather substantial evidence for such cases to enable prosecutors to make the special considerations, resulting in the public misunderstanding that persons breaching the law at the assembly venues will neither be prosecuted nor incur criminal liabilities, of DoJ's remedial measures to clear such public misunderstanding?
Public Officer to reply : The Secretary for Justice

6. Dr Hon Kenneth CHAN to ask: (Translation)


The Chief Executive ("CE") said earlier in a media interview that external forces were involved in the Occupy Central movement. CE subsequently indicated that he would duly consider at appropriate time whether to disclose the related evidence. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it has conducted any form of intelligence gathering or investigation on the alleged involvement of external forces in the Occupy Central movement, and whether it has gathered intelligence in collaboration with the State security organs of the Central People's Government or overseas intelligence agencies; if so, of the details; if it has not conducted any investigation or gathered intelligence, the basis for CE's comment that external forces were involved in the Occupy Central movement;

    (2)whether it has concrete evidence on hand at present about the involvement of external forces in the Occupy Central movement; if so, of the details (including the overseas countries or organizations involved), and the reasons for the Government not making public such evidence at present; of the circumstances under which it would be appropriate time to consider whether to disclose the related evidence; and

    (3)whether it will take any form of follow-up action on the alleged involvement of external forces in the Occupy Central movement; if so, of the details?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*7. Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai to ask: (Translation)


The Chief Executive ("CE") indicated earlier that external forces were involved in the Occupy Central movement, and that Hong Kong, being a part of China and a highly open city, was caught in a complicated international environment. When asked about whether he would disclose related evidence, CE indicated that he would duly consider the matter at appropriate time. In addition, during the period when the assemblies triggered by the Occupy Central movement ("Occupy Central assemblies") were being held, physical confrontations occurred from time to time among assembly participants, people opposing the assemblies and police officers, causing injuries to many people of various sides. It was even reported that such confrontations involved triad members. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it has assessed if the fact that the evidence relating to the involvement of external forces in Hong Kong's affairs is not disclosed immediately will adversely affect national security and the stability of Hong Kong society; how the authorities will guard against the involvement of external forces in Hong Kong's affairs;

    (2)whether it knows if persons advocating independence of Xinjiang, Xizang and Taiwan as well as Falun Gong have participated in the Occupy Central movement and are involved in Hong Kong's internal affairs; if it knows, of the details;

    (3)as it has been reported that the National Endowment for Democracy ("NED") of the United States has provided funds for pan-democratic organizations in Hong Kong in recent years for promoting the development of democracy in Hong Kong, whether it has taken the initiative to find out or investigate if NED has participated in the Occupy Central movement; if investigation has been conducted and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the details, including the political parties or organizations in Hong Kong which have received such funds and the amount of funds involved; if investigation has not been conducted, the reasons for that;

    (4)whether it knows if triad members have participated in activities of organizing, planning, commanding and funding assemblies in support of and opposing the Occupy Central assemblies; if the triad members have done so, of the details; the number of related triad members arrested by the Police so far, and whether prosecution will be instituted against them;

    (5)whether it knows if personnel from the Ministry of State Security have participated in organizing, planning, commanding and funding actions to charge at the participants of the Occupy Central assemblies by people opposing such assemblies; if such personnel have done so, of the details;

    (6)since the occurrence of the Occupy Central assemblies, of the police manpower deployed by the Police for maintaining public order at assembly venues, and how the numbers of crimes such as robbery, theft, indecent assault, etc. in each District Council district compare with the corresponding numbers in the same period of the year before;

    (7)since the occurrence of the Occupy Central assemblies, of the number of police officers who received psychological counselling due to excessive pressure, tendered resignation or refused to perform duty at areas where the assemblies were held;

    (8)since the occurrence of the Occupy Central assemblies, of the respective maximum daily numbers of persons participating in such assemblies and those assemblies opposing the Occupy Central movement in Mong Kok, Causeway Bay, Admiralty and Central;

    (9)of the total number of canisters of tear gas that the police officers handling the Occupy Central assemblies in the area around Admiralty on the 28th of September this year were equipped with; whether it has assessed if that number is adequate;

    (10)whether it has assessed if the Police have adequate equipment (e.g. anti-riot shields, protective helmets, extendable batons and pepper spray, etc.) for handling the Occupy Central assemblies; if it has, of the outcome;

    (11)whether it has compiled statistics on the number of canisters of pepper spray used by the Police since the occurrence of the Occupy Central assemblies; whether it has reviewed if any police officer had used pepper spray inappropriately; if it has conducted such a review, of the outcome;

    (12)since the occurrence of the Occupy Central assemblies, of the respective response time performance of ambulances and fire appliances in each of the divisions under the Ambulance/Fire Commands, and the number of service calls attended at venues of such assemblies (set out in a table);

    (13)according to the data obtained by the authorities, of the number of persons injured or feeling unwell in the Occupy Central assemblies so far, with a breakdown by the identity of such persons (i.e. assembly participants, police officers, tourists, journalists and other persons); among them, the number of persons who required hospital treatment;

    (14)whether it has compiled statistics on the number of public properties (such as mills barriers, water barriers, rubbish bins, 3-coloured recycling bins, etc.) being damaged or stolen at venues of the Occupy Central assemblies so far, and the number of persons arrested by the Police for alleged vandalism of government properties; and

    (15)given that in reply to a question raised at the meeting of this Council on the 15th of last month regarding whether the three initiators of the Occupy Central movement would be prosecuted, the Secretary for Security indicated that the Police would definitely conduct in-depth investigations into illegal acts and would take appropriate actions in due course, whether related investigations have been initiated by the Police, and of the circumstances under which it would be the appropriate time to institute prosecutions against the initiators, organizers and assembly participants of the Occupy Central movement?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*8. Hon KWOK Wai-keung to ask: (Translation)


Regarding the two job fairs organized by the Labour Department from 18 to 19 September and from 21 to 23 October this year respectively, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of retail establishments participating in the two aforesaid job fairs, with a tabulated breakdown by type of product/retailer (including cosmetics, watch, clock and jewellery, fashion and accessories, general merchandise, electronic and electrical/ telecommunication products, furniture and home accessories, food, health and beauty chains, supermarkets and convenience stores);

    (2)of the respective numbers of full-time and part-time job vacancies offered in the two aforesaid job fairs, and set out in Table 1 and Table 2 a breakdown by salary and academic qualifications required;

    Table 1: Number of full-time job vacancies


    Number of full-time job vacancies
    Job fair held from
    18 to 19 September
    Job fair held from
    21 to 23 October
    Monthly salary: Below $8,000    
    $8,000-$10,000    
    $10,001-$12,000    
    Above $12,000    
    Total    
    Academic qualifications required: Secondary 3 or below    
    Secondary 4 to 6    
    Above Secondary 6    
    Total    

    Table 2: Average hourly wage of part-time jobs and number of such vacancies

      Job fair held from
    18 to 19 September
    Job fair held from
    21 to 23 October
    Average hourly wage   
    Number of vacancies requiring the academic qualifications listed on the right Secondary 3 or below    
    Secondary 4 to 6    
    Above Secondary 6    
    Total    

    (3)whether it knows the details of the eligibility requirements and remuneration package of the retail jobs offered in the aforesaid job fairs, and set out a breakdown of such details using tables of the same format as Table 3 and Table 4 by type of product/retailer and rank of post, including (i) number of job vacancies, (ii) number of job vacancies requiring applicants to have work experience, (iii) maximum and minimum academic qualifications required, (iv) highest and lowest salaries, (v) maximum and minimum numbers of days of annual leave, (vi) maximum and minimum numbers of weekly work hours, (vii) number of job vacancies with a five-day week work pattern, (viii) number of job vacancies with a commission or sales bonus scheme, and (ix) number of job vacancies with a year-end bonus scheme, and

    Table 3: Eligibility requirements and remuneration package of full-time jobs

    Type of product/retailer: _____________

    Rank (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)
    Shop Manager/
    Store Manager
                     
    Shop Officer/
    Supervisor
                     
    Shop Assistant/
    Sales
                     
    Trainee Shop Assistant/
    Sales
                     
    Cashier                  
    Others:
    e.g. storekeeper, truck driver and cleaner, etc.
                     

    Table 4: Eligibility requirements and remuneration package of part-time jobs

    Type of product/retailer: _____________

    Rank (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)(vii)(viii)(ix)
    Shop Manager/
    Store Manager
                     
    Shop Officer/
    Supervisor
                     
    Shop Assistant/
    Sales
                     
    Trainee Shop Assistant/
    Sales
                     
    Cashier                  
    Others:
    e.g. storekeeper, truck driver and cleaner, etc.
                     

    (4)whether it knows, among the establishments participating in the aforesaid job fairs, the number of those which have joined the Pilot Earn-and-Learn Scheme ("the Scheme") co-organized by the Vocational Training Council and the retail industry, the types of retailers to which they mainly belong, and the number of internship jobs they have offered for the Scheme?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

*9. Dr Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask: (Translation)


According to the statistics from the Social Welfare Department ("SWD"), there were 2 044 newly reported spouse/cohabitant battering cases in the first half of this year. Projecting from that, the number of cases for the whole year will exceed the 3 836 cases of last year. Also, the number of cases of last year rose by 40.3% from the 2 734 cases of the preceding year. It is therefore evident that there is an upward trend in the number of family violence cases. Meanwhile, last year saw 692 family violence cases involving male victims, i.e. 18% of the total number of cases, which was an increase of over 60% from the 434 cases of the preceding year, indicating that the problem of family violence involving male victims has also worsened. Some social workers dedicated to handling family violence cases have pointed out that, given the extremely tight supply of places in the refuge centres that provide temporary accommodation for family violence victims, provision of additional beds and over-enrolment occur from time to time. They are also of the view that as the Anti-Violence Programme and the Batterer Intervention Programme implemented by SWD have low participation rates, they cannot effectively prevent the problem of family violence from occurring or deteriorating. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether the authorities will provide additional resources for the social service organizations concerned, so as to assist them in providing more temporary accommodation places for family violence victims;

    (2)as some social workers have indicated that male victims of family violence cases generally do not proactively seek help, and that it is relatively more difficult to identify these victims because they are mainly subjected to psychological abuse instead of physical abuse (the latter form of abuse can result in noticeable injuries), whether the authorities have studied how these male victims can be more effectively identified so that assistance can be provided for them; if they have conducted such studies, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (3)of the respective numbers of participants in the Anti-Violence Programme and the Batterer Intervention Programme in each of the years since 2010; whether the authorities have reviewed and improved the coverage and effectiveness of these programmes; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

*10. Hon WU Chi-wai to ask: (Translation)


There are comments that the Government's implementation of major infrastructure projects one after another and endeavour to construct more public housing have resulted in manpower shortage in the construction industry and a surge in the costs of various public works projects. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the following information in respect of each of the public works projects completed in the past three years with project costs of $1 billion or above: (i) name of the project, (ii) cost of the project, (iii) respective numbers of construction workers and professionals hired during the peak construction period, and (iv) date of completion of the project (set out in Table 1);

    Table 1

    (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
        
        

    (2)of the following information in respect of each of the public works projects currently under construction with project costs of $1 billion or above: (i) name of the project, (ii) projected cost of the project, (iii) respective projected numbers of construction workers and professionals to be hired during the peak construction period, and (iv) estimated date of completion of the project (set out in Table 2);

    Table 2

    (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)
        
        

    (3)whether it knows the respective total numbers of construction workers hired for the public/subsidized housing projects under the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") and the Hong Kong Housing Society in each of the past three years, as well as the respective projected total numbers of construction workers to be hired for these two types of projects in each of the coming two years;

    (4)whether it knows the total number of construction workers hired under the railway projects undertaken by the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") in each of the past three years, as well as the projected total number of construction workers to be hired for such projects in each of the coming two years;

    (5)of the respective shortfalls in construction workers for works projects undertaken by the Government, HA and MTRCL in each of the past three years, and the details (set out in Table 3); and

    Table 3

    Projects undertaken byYearConstruction workers
    shortfalldetails (by trade)
    Government2011  
    2012  
    2013  
    HA2011  
    2012  
    2013  
    MTRCL2011  
    2012  
    2013  

    (6)whether it has conducted long-term tracking studies to find out if the students of the training programmes offered by the Construction Industry Council are engaged in the construction industry within 24 months after completion of such programmes, and if such students have intention to stay in the industry for the long term; if it has conducted such studies, of the details; if not, whether it will consider conducting such studies?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

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


Each year, many culture, arts and sports events and competitions are held in Hong Kong, and the authorities have also been promoting Hong Kong as the Events Capital of Asia. However, some members of such sectors have coincidentally relayed to me that all Mainlanders and foreigners intending to participate, whether on a paid or unpaid basis, in culture, arts and sports events or competitions in Hong Kong are required to obtain work visas before they are permitted entry and this requirement has caused inconvenience to such persons and impeded exchanges between members of the local sectors and their counterparts outside Hong Kong. Such members of the sectors have also pointed out that foreigners who are invited to participate in culture, arts and sports events in such countries as Singapore, Sweden and Canada are exempted from obtaining work visas prior to entry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether the authorities have introduced immigration convenience measures to facilitate Mainlanders and foreigners to participate in culture, arts and sports events or competitions in Hong Kong; if they have, of the details of such measures; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (2)of the justifications for the authorities requiring Mainlanders and foreigners to obtain work visas prior to entering Hong Kong to participate in culture, arts and sports events or competitions; whether they will consider exempting such persons from obtaining work visas by making reference to the practices of the aforesaid countries; if they will, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*12. Hon Christopher CHEUNG to ask: (Translation)


Although the Securities and Futures Commission ("SFC") has, in recent years, strived for maintaining the order of financial markets and enhancing protection for small investors, some small investors have expressed dissatisfaction with SFC's handling of problematic listed companies. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the total number of complaints received by the authorities in the past five years which were made by investors due to dissatisfaction with SFC's handling of listed companies, with a breakdown by nature of the complaints;

    (2)whether it knows the current number of listed companies whose securities were suspended from trading ("suspension") at SFC's direction, with a breakdown by the duration of suspension so far and the reasons for suspension; among them, the number of cases in which the suspension decisions were not consistent with the earlier decisions of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong ("SEHK") and the details of such cases; whether SFC will review its division of work with SEHK in respect of the regulation of listed companies in order that investors will not get confused or suffer unnecessary losses;

    (3)whether it will request SFC to (i) review the existing arrangements with a view to setting a time limit for suspension and providing the public with regular updates (including the progress of relevant investigations) on long-standing suspension cases so as to reduce the anxiety and dissatisfaction of the affected investors, and (ii) take measures to prevent investors' interests from being undermined as a result of the reduction in the asset value of the listed companies concerned during suspension; and

    (4)whether it knows if SFC presented in the past five years any petition to the Court under section 212 of the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571) for a listed company to be wound up; of the criteria for presenting such petitions, and how it explained to the public that such a move could protect the best interest of the public and small investors?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*13. Hon WONG Yuk-man to ask: (Translation)


An investigation report released last month by the Office of The Ombudsman has pointed out that the Diamond Hill Columbarium and Wo Hop Shek Kiu Tau Road Columbarium Phase V, which were completed in 2012, provide a total of some 45 000 columbarium niches ("niches"), but the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD") has been allocating these niches by three phases over a period of three years, of which more than 24 000 niches are reserved for allocation at the last phase. At present, FEHD processes only 110 applications for niches each day. The Ombudsman has urged FEHD to expeditiously review its allocation arrangement. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of cases in which used niches were returned to FEHD in each of the past five years;

    (2)of the justifications for FEHD to allocate new niches by way of ballot, instead of adopting a registration system and allocating them by order of registration; and

    (3)as it has been reported that FEHD will review the niche allocation system only by the end of 2015 (i.e. after the completion of the allocation of the aforesaid niches), of the reasons for FEHD not conducting such a review right away?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*14. Hon WONG Kwok-hing to ask: (Translation)


Some lifeguards employed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department ("LCSD") have relayed to me that shortage in the lifeguard manpower of LCSD is a long-standing problem, which not only creates a heavy workload for the serving lifeguards but also poses serious safety hazard to swimmers. Also, they have said that for years they have been urging the authorities to recruit more lifeguards and review their grade structure, but to no avail. They consider that lifeguards should be detached from the artisan grade and be re-graded as a professional grade so as to improve their remuneration packages, thereby attracting more young people to become lifeguards and addressing the long-standing problem of manpower shortage. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the current number of lifeguards in the civil service establishment ("civil service lifeguards");

    (2)of the respective current lifeguard establishments for different types of public swimming pools, i.e. main pools, secondary pools, training pools, teaching pools, leisure pools and sunbathing pools, managed by LCSD (set out in a table);

    (3)of the current establishment and strength of lifeguards in various public beaches (set out in a table);

    (4)in each of the past three financial years, of the respective numbers of civil service lifeguards and lifeguards recruited by LCSD on a seasonal basis ("seasonal lifeguards"), their respective average weekly working hours and average monthly salaries (set out in Table 1), as well as their respective age distributions (set out in Table 2);

    Table 1

    YearMode of appointmentNumberAverage weekly working hoursAverage monthly salary
    2013-2014Civil service lifeguards   
    Seasonal lifeguards   
    2012-2013Civil service lifeguards   
    Seasonal lifeguards   
    2011-2012Civil service lifeguards   
    Seasonal lifeguards   

    Table 2

    YearMode of appointmentAge
    18-2930-3940-4950-5960 or above
    2013-2014Civil service lifeguards     
    Seasonal lifeguards     
    2012-2013Civil service lifeguards     
    Seasonal lifeguards     
    2011-2012Civil service lifeguards     
    Seasonal lifeguards     

    (5)in this and each of the next two financial years, (i) of the actual/projected number of civil service lifeguards who retired/will retire, and the respective numbers of civil service lifeguards and seasonal lifeguards to be recruited by the Government (set out in Table 3), and (ii) whether the Government has plans to recruit lifeguards to fill the vacancies arising from the retirement of existing lifeguards; if it does not, of the reasons for that; and

    Table 3

    YearMode of appointmentActual/projected
    number of
    lifeguards who
    retired/ will retire
    Number of
    lifeguards to be
    recruited
    2016-2017Civil service lifeguards  
    Seasonal lifeguards 
    2015-2016Civil service lifeguards  
    Seasonal lifeguards 
    2014-2015Civil service lifeguards  
    Seasonal lifeguards 

    (6)of the number of seasonal lifeguards who were appointed as civil service lifeguards through open recruitment, in each of the past three financial years?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

*15. Dr Hon Helena WONG to ask: (Translation)


On the 15th of last month, the Centre for Food Safety ("CFS") under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD") announced that having assessed the latest developments of investigations into the incident of substandard edible oil by the Taiwanese authorities, it had decided to impose, with immediate effect, a total ban on import and sale within Hong Kong of all edible oil produced in Taiwan. In addition, there was information showing that a trading company in Hong Kong had, in recent years, exported edible lard to several Taiwanese companies involved in the production of substandard lard. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)as it has been reported that according to the export statistics, Hong Kong exported edible lard in each of the past three years, but the Director of FEHD advised that no edible lard was produced in Hong Kong, whether the authorities have followed up the reasons why there had been exports of edible lard;

    (2)of the total number of companies in Hong Kong which exported edible lard in the past three years and the countries/places to which the edible lard was exported;

    (3)whether it has investigated if the companies mentioned in (2) have provided edible lard to local food factories as raw materials; if it has investigated and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the names of these factories; and

    (4)whether it has investigated if the edible lard sold by the companies mentioned in (2) is fit for human consumption, as well as the places of origin and the names of the manufacturers of such lard; if it has investigated, of the outcome; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*16. Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask: (Translation)


Some residents in the remote villages in Sai Kung and Tai Po have relayed to me that as there is only one operator providing fixed network broadband Internet access services ("FNO") in their areas of residence, they have no other choice but to patronize it. Regarding the access to Internet access services through the fixed network, the mobile network and the public Wi-Fi network by residents in remotes areas in the New Territories, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of complaints received by the authorities in each of the past three years from residents in remote areas against the only FNO in their areas of residence;

    (2)whether it has specific plans to encourage more FNOs to provide fixed network broadband services for residents in remote areas in order to introduce competition;

    (3)whether the Digital 21 Strategy currently implemented by the Government has included policies on catering for the needs of residents in remote areas for telecommunications services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4)as it has been reported that an academic has pointed out that Hong Kong excessively relies on third-generation or fourth-generation data services, thus giving rise to frequent occurrences of serious network congestion, whether the authorities will consider allocating the television services spectrum which is currently left idle for the provision of such services, in order to ease network congestion; and

    (5)given that the information provided by the Government in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council last year indicated that the number of Wi-Fi hotspots provided by commercial organizations in the North District, Tai Po and outlying islands were fewer than those in other districts, whether the authorities know the reasons for that and whether they will discuss with those organizations the feasibility of increasing Wi-Fi hotspots in remote areas?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

*17. Hon James TO to ask: (Translation)


In September this year, medical incidents occurred in Tseung Kwan O Hospital and Haven of Hope Hospital respectively in which healthcare personnel mistakenly inserted a feeding tube into a patient's lung and infused excessive amount of drugs into another patient's body. Thereafter, the patients passed away. I have also received requests for assistance from patients' family members regarding medical incidents. They suspect that some healthcare personnel made wrongful diagnoses due to negligence and some patients even died as a result. These family members indicated that the successive occurrence of medical incidents in public hospitals has made them worry about the quality of public medical services, and they gave up pursuing their cases because they encountered numerous obstacles in the course of tracking down the responsible party for medical blunders. As a result, their interests have been undermined and they have lost confidence in the public healthcare system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
  • (1)the respective numbers of sentinel events and serious untoward events that occurred in public hospitals in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by name of hospital and type of sentinel events requiring reporting to the Department of Health; the respective numbers of cases among these events involving mistakes made by nursing staff and doctors;

    (2)if the Hospital Authority ("HA") has assessed the effectiveness of implementing the patient safety round programme and using two-dimensional barcode and radiofrequency for patient identification in reducing medical incidents; if HA has, of the findings;

    (3)given that HA staff informed a relevant Panel of the Legislative Council in November 2009 that it would set up a central Staff Discipline Committee to advise the Cluster Chief Executives on disciplinary actions for sentinel events, and would establish a central mechanism to review such incidents, of the current arrangement and progress of the relevant work;

    (4)the types of disciplinary actions taken by HA against the healthcare personnel proved to have made mistakes; the respective numbers of times for which various disciplinary actions were taken by HA in each of the past five years; if HA has examined whether the existing span of disciplinary actions is adequate; if HA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (5)if the Medical Council of Hong Kong will take the initiative to investigate the medical incidents that occurred in public hospitals; and

    (6)if HA has long-term plans to enhance the quality of medical services in public hospitals; if HA does, of the details?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*18. Hon Kenneth LEUNG to ask: (Translation)


It has been reported that as the National Day fireworks display originally scheduled for 1 October this year had been cancelled, some 24 000 pieces of fireworks valued at 6 million dollars in total had to be destroyed due to safety concerns. The fireworks were transported to Tai A Chau, south of Lantau Island, on the 10th of last month for destruction. The destruction operation lasted 11 hours, during which loud noise and large plumes of black smoke were generated. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)which government departments were involved in the destruction operation and of the relevant decisions made and tasks undertaken by them;

    (2)of the various types of air pollutants emitted during the destruction operation and their respective quantities;

    (3)of the legislation governing the destruction of fireworks, and whether the authorities have, before deciding on the site for destroying the fireworks, conducted environmental impact assessment studies on the sites concerned; if they have, of the details;

    (4)whether the authorities have monitored, in the vicinity of Tai A Chau, (i) the concentration of air pollutants and noise levels during the destruction of fireworks, and (ii) the air quality and the impact caused to the ecological environment in the week following the destruction of fireworks; if they have, of the respective results; and

    (5)of the quantity of fireworks destroyed in Hong Kong in the past five years and the locations involved?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Home Affairs

*19. Prof Hon Joseph LEE to ask: (Translation)


It is learnt that since 1997, the nursing sector has been advocating the introduction of amendments to the Nurses Registration Ordinance (Cap. 164) so as to enhance the credibility, transparency and governance of the Nursing Council of Hong Kong ("the Council") as well as to achieve the aim of professional autonomy. In June 1997, the former Legislative Council passed the amendments to the Ordinance, which included the addition of section 3(2)(ca) to stipulate that six of the members of the Council must be elected among registered nurses and enrolled nurses in a manner provided for by the Ordinance. However, this provision has not yet been implemented. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the provisions of the Ordinance which have yet to be implemented; the contents of such provisions (set out in table form); the reasons why such provisions and section 3(2)(ca) have not yet been implemented; whether the authorities have set a timetable for the implementation of such provisions and section 3(2)(ca); if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*20. Hon LEUNG Che-cheung to ask: (Translation)


It has been reported that parallel trading activities at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point ("the Control Point") are very rampant these days. Several car parks near the Control Point have been used as the distribution venues for parallel goods, causing nuisance to the residents. The taking of taxis by many parallel traders to commute frequently to and from the Control Point has resulted in traffic congestion in the vicinty of the Control Point, while their travelling to and from the Control Point by green minibuses ("GMBs") has greatly prolonged the waiting time of members of the public for GMBs. It has also been reported that congestion inside the Control Point is particularly serious when school finishes in the afternoon, rendering school buses having to wait for a long time before they can enter the Control Point to pick up and drop off students, while cross-boundary students competing with parallel traders dragging hand baggage carts for the use of the passageway leading to the departure hall. Moreover, the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") has recently launched a concession scheme under which Shenzhen residents holding fare coupons will enjoy a 50% discounted ride from 29 September this year to 25 January next year when they take MTR from Lok Ma Chau Station to Hong Kong at specified time, while Hong Kong residents may also enjoy a 50% discount ride from specified stations to Lok Ma Chau Station during the concession period. There are views that the concession scheme attracts even more parallel traders to engage in parallel trading activities via the Control Point, thus aggravating the congestion at the Control Point. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the design capacities of the Control Point for handling cross-boundary passenger trips and accommodating cross-boundary vehicle trips; whether the relevant passenger and vehicle trips have reached their capacities; if so, of the authorities' improvement measures or counter-measures;

    (2)in each month from January 2012 to September this year, of (i) the number of cross-boundary trips through the Control Point made by Hong Kong residents, (ii) the number of cross-boundary trips through the Control Print made by visitors, and (iii) the number of vehicular trips entering and exiting the Control Point (set out in the table below);

    YearMonth(i)(ii)(iii)
    2012January   
    February   
       
    2013January   
    February   
       
    2014   
    September   

    (3)of the measures taken last year and those to be taken by the authorities to reduce the congestion at the Control Point;

    (4)of the measures to deal with the problems of school buses failing to pick up and drop off students at the Control Point in a timely manner, and cross-boundary students competing with parallel traders for the use of the passageway leading to the departure hall;

    (5)whether it knows if MTRCL had estimated, before the launch of the concession scheme, the additional cross-boundary passenger trips at the Control Point to be brought about by the scheme, as well as the impact of the scheme on the patronage of other means of transport; if it had, of the figures; since the launch of the concession scheme, how the average daily cross-boundary passenger trips at the Control Point compares with the previous figures;

    (6)whether policies are in place to curb the engagement in parallel trading activities by mainland and Hong Kong residents, so as to alleviate the congestion at the Control Point; and

    (7)whether the authorities carried out joint departmental operations in the past six months to combat parallel trading activities at the Control Point; if they did, of the details and the effectiveness of the operations?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*21. Hon NG Leung-sing to ask: (Translation)


On 20 October this year, the High Court granted interim injunctions restraining participants of the assemblies triggered by the Occupy Central movement from continued occupation of certain passageways in Mong Kok and obstruction of the entrance to the car park, the fire access and emergency vehicular access of a building in Admiralty. Protesters are also forbidden to obstruct the plaintiffs from removing the obstacles in question. However, some protesters refused to obey the injunctions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it knows the total number of interim and formal injunctions granted by the High Court in the past five years, and the enforcement situation of such injunctions; and

    (2)as some protesters refused to obey the aforesaid injunctions, what actions the law enforcement agencies intend to carry out; whether, in the light of this incident, the authorities will consider comprehensively reviewing and improving the mechanism for enforcing injunctions?
Public Officer to reply : The Secretary for Justice

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


Under section 28(1) of the Legislative Council Ordinance (Cap. 542), one of the eligibility criteria for registration as an elector in the register of geographical constituencies is that the person must ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. The authorities conducted a public consultation from January to March 2012 on the improvement measures of the voter registration ("VR") system. In April of the same year, the authorities indicated in the consultation report that during the consultation, they had received public views on the definitions of "ordinarily reside in Hong Kong" and "principal residential address" in relation to VR, but such definitions were outside the scope of the consultation exercise and were complicated issues that had to be handled carefully by the fourth-term Government. Meanwhile, it was reported in May this year that a member of the public had complained to the Registration and Electoral Office ("REO") that there were a number of suspected vote rigging cases in his constituency during a District Council ("DC") by-election. Upon investigation, REO found that in those cases, some electors were currently not residing in their registered addresses due to various reasons, and REO indicated that it was taking follow-up actions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether the fourth-term Government has handled the aforesaid issue regarding the definition of "ordinarily reside in Hong Kong"; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (2)if it has assessed whether electors no longer residing or working in their registered constituencies but continuing to vote in that constituency will render it impossible for elected members (especially DC members) to effectively take care of the interests of electors; if the assessment outcome is in the affirmative, whether the Government has put in place any improvement measure; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs

* For written reply

III. Members' Motions



1.Motion under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance

Hon Claudia MO to move the following motion:


That this Council appoints a select committee to inquire into the allegation of the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Mr LEUNG Chun-ying receiving the benefits of UGL Limited, an Australian corporation; and that in the performance of its duties the committee be authorized 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.

Public Officer to attend : The Chief Secretary for Administration

2.Returning a happy childhood to students

Hon Michael TIEN to move the following motion:
(Translation)

That the majority view of society has all along held that 'pressure leads to progress'; nowadays, there are many books and discussions available at the market about 'tiger moms and dads', 'helicopter parents' and 'monster parents', etc. for boosting children's learning, but excessive boosting may likely increase pressure on children and dampen their learning interests; the results of a survey conducted by the Programme for International Student Assessment show that some Hong Kong parents excessively intervene in children's learning and drill them by being over-anxious for results, rendering a decline of children's motivation to learn and a negative impact on their academic results; quite a number of media reports have also pointed out that some Hong Kong students have emotional problems because of heavy study pressure, and they become easily anxious and have symptoms such as insomnia, loss of appetite and irritability, etc.; all these problems are attributable to the education system which emphasizes solely on examination results; at the stage of kindergarten education, parents have already enrolled their children in many types of interest classes and request them to do dictation and spelling exercises, etc.; at the stage of primary education, students need to participate in the Territory-wide System Assessment, the Internal Assessments for Secondary School Places Allocation purpose that take place at the end of Primary Five and both in mid-year and at the end of Primary Six, and the Pre-Secondary One Hong Kong Attainment Test; at the stage of secondary education, students are faced with a shortage of university places and the 'die‍‍ or live' pressure from the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination; in contrast, the education systems and teaching modes in many advanced places are better able to provide students with room for exploring their interests to enhance their creativity development; in this connection, this Council urges the Administration to:

(1)assess afresh the pressure and psychological impact of the existing education system on students, and comprehensively review the examination system, the curriculum contents and the mechanism for progression in education;

(2)enhance parental education to avoid parents from excessively boosting children's learning; and

(3)enhance the support for school social workers and teachers to facilitate them to early identify whether or not students are under excessive pressure.

Amendments to the motion
(i)Dr Hon Helena WONG to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "'joyful learning' is a learning guideline issued to schools by the Education Bureau, but" after "That"; to delete "and" after "excessively boosting children's learning;"; and to add "; and (4) review the assessment contents of the Territory-wide System Assessment to avoid the need for students to undergo mechanical drills on examination questions, and study whether the Territory-wide System Assessment should be abolished, so as to reduce students' study pressure" immediately before the full stop.

(ii)Hon Alice MAK to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", although" after "That"; to delete ";" after "'pressure leads to progress'" and substitute with ", and"; to delete "but" after "for boosting children's learning,"; to delete "and" after "excessively boosting children's learning;"; and to add "; (4) allocate additional resources to assist students with learning difficulties and those with special learning needs, including identifying such students as early as possible and providing them with training and support on all fronts, so as to reduce their study pressure; (5) streamline the existing curriculum contents of primary and secondary education, so that teachers and students will not come under pressure for catching up with the curricula, and students can use the spare lesson time to cultivate their personal learning interests; (6) encourage schools to invite experts from different industries to hold workshops and experience programmes, so as to broaden students' horizons and enable their understanding of potentials, thereby cultivating the relevant interests and developing their careers in the future; and (7) sort out the negative impacts of study pressure on students and give comprehensive care to students' physical and mental development, including increasing the support services provided by clinical psychologists and medical social workers in schools to offer emotional and psychological counselling to students, and expanding the school dental care service and the student health service to ensure that they have good physical health for learning" immediately before the full stop.

(iii)Hon IP Kin-yuen to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, it is the right of the child to rest and leisure, and the state parties to the convention should encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity to children; the Hong Kong Committee for UNICEF also calls on parents to provide children with at least one hour of free play a day; yet," after "That"; to add ", and even self-destruction behaviour" after "irritability, etc."; to add "(2) firmly uphold the policy of small-class education in primary schools, and expeditiously implement small-class teaching in secondary schools, so as to improve students' learning environment, enhance students' concentration and increase teacher-student interaction; (3) examine the impacts of the morbid and substantive change in education brought about by the Territory-wide System Assessment on schools and students, and expeditiously rectify the pitfalls; if rectification is not viable, the Administration should abolish the Territory-wide System Assessment, so as to bring school education back to the normal track and reduce students' study pressure; (4) provide more support to students with special education needs and non-Chinese speaking students, so as to eliminate the barriers in their learning and social life; (5) conduct studies on the impacts of the curricula of playgroups and interest classes available at the market on children's intellectual and psychological development, and introduce appropriate regulation, so as to avoid such curricula and activities having negative impacts on children's growth;" after "progression in education;"; to delete the original "(2)" and substitute with "(6)"; and to delete the original "(3)" and substitute with "(7)".

(iv)Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", as competition is keen in society," after "That"; to delete "society" after "majority view of" and substitute with "Hong Kong"; to delete "there are many books and discussions available at the market about 'tiger moms and dads', 'helicopter parents' and 'monster parents', etc." after "nowadays," and substitute with "many books are available at the market"; to delete "do dictation and spelling exercises, etc." after "request them to" and substitute with "learn 'by rote', thus greatly stifling their creativity"; to add "set true ideals for education," after "(1)"; to add "whether" after "and comprehensively review"; to add "can truly achieve the objectives of education" after "progression in education"; to add "and encourage parents to attach more importance to children's learning process, growth and interests, so as" after "parental education"; to add ", thus enabling children to grow up more happily; (3) enhance the education on building students' self-confidence and the promotion of diversified career pathways, so as to avoid taking examination results as the sole objective of learning by students" after "excessively boosting children's learning"; and to delete the original "(3)" and substitute with "(4)".

(v)Hon Charles Peter MOK to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To delete "the majority view of society has all along held" after "That" and substitute with "some parents in Hong Kong hold"; to delete "and" after "excessively boosting children's learning;"; and to add "; (4) develop a diversified education system, including strengthening vocational education, arts education and physical education, so as to reduce the pressure of public examinations on students, and assist those students who are unable to adapt to conventional education in choosing study pathways according to their abilities and interests; and (5) increase the number of tertiary education places, especially the degree programme places offered by institutions funded by the University Grants Committee, so as to alleviate students' pressure arising from the need to compete for such places" immediately before the full stop.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Education

3.Reorganising the Government's structure to improve its policy implementation

Hon Kenneth LEUNG to move the following motion:
(Translation)

That the current-term Government has repeatedly committed blunders in its policy implementation, and the policies as implemented are not in place and unable to respond to people's demands, coupled with the situations where a number of officials successively committed scandals and serious dereliction of duty, resulting in serious doubts about the Government's ability to govern and implement policies; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to examine afresh its operating structure, and after consulting the Legislative Council and the public, to effect improvement, adjustment and division of labour in respect of the functions, objectives and policy portfolios of various policy bureaux, and to conduct structural reorganisation on a need basis for enhancing the quality and competence of various policy bureaux and the departments under their purview in policy formulation and execution, making the Government's policy implementation more open, closely follow public opinions, integrated and consistent.

Amendments to the motion
(i)Hon Emily LAU to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", as" after "That"; to add "the Chief Executive, Members of the Executive Council and" after "the situations where"; to add "had conflicts of interest and" after "successively"; to delete "; in this connection" after "implement policies"; and to add "to review and improve the system of declaration of interests by Members of the Executive Council and the Code for Officials under the Political Appointment System, to implement the various recommendations in the Report of the Independent Review Committee for the Prevention and Handling of Potential Conflicts of Interest," after "urges the Government".

(ii)Dr Hon Elizabeth QUAT to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To delete "the current-term Government has repeatedly committed blunders in its policy implementation, and the policies as implemented are not in place and unable to respond to people's demands, coupled with the situations where a number of officials successively committed scandals and serious dereliction of duty, resulting in serious doubts about" after "That" and substitute with ", in the face of the complicated and volatile external environment and Hong Kong's development needs, the Government's governance structure should keep pace with the times for enhancing" and to add ", including expeditiously establishing an innovation and technology bureau," after "basis".

(iii)Hon Charles Peter MOK to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To delete "," after "demands" and substitute with "; no thorough consideration is given to policies before they are launched, and an effective review mechanism is also lacking; in coping with the structural problems in Hong Kong's economic and social development, the Government often adopts short-term or interim measures, and delays the implementation of long-term planning;"; to add "also do not have the experience that corresponds to their functions and even" after "officials"; to add ", the functions of accountability officials and the relevant entry requirements, to appoint people whose experience corresponds to the relevant functions as principal officials of the Government, to clearly set out the criteria for holding principal officials accountable for their faults" after "structure"; to add ", to review the effectiveness of the accountability system for principal officials" after "portfolios of various policy bureaux"; to delete "for enhancing" after "basis" and substitute with "; the Government should also improve the policy review mechanism, so as to enhance"; and to add ", efficiency" after "quality".

Public Officer to attend : The Chief Secretary for Administration

4.Motion for the adjournment of the Council under Rule 16(4) of the Rules of Procedure

Hon WONG Yuk-man to move the following motion:
(Translation)

That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the following issue: the security arrangements adopted by the Legislative Council in respect of large-scale public events.

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Security

Clerk to the Legislative Council