A 15/16-7

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 25 November 2015 at 11:00 am

I. Tabling of Papers



Subsidiary Legislation / InstrumentsL.N. No.
1.Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 6) Order 2015227/2015
2.Securities and Futures (Contracts Limits and Reportable Positions) (Amendment) Rules 2015228/2015
3.Declaration of Change of Titles (Communications and Technology Branch and Secretaries of Communications and Technology Branch) Notice 2015230/2015

Other Papers

1.No. 30-Occupational Safety and Health Council
Annual Report 2014-2015
(to be presented by Secretary for Labour and Welfare)

2.No. 31-Estate Agents Authority
Annual Report 2014/15
(to be presented by Secretary for Transport and Housing)

3.No. 32-Hong Kong Housing Authority
Annual Report 2014/15
(to be presented by Secretary for Transport and Housing)

4.No. 33-Hong Kong Housing Authority
Financial Statements for the year ended 31 March 2015
(to be presented by Secretary for Transport and Housing)

5.No. 34-Immigration Service Welfare Fund
Report on the administration of the Fund prepared by the Director of Immigration Incorporated in accordance with section 12(b) of the Immigration Service (Welfare Fund) Regulation
(to be presented by Secretary for Security)

6.No. 35-The Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance
Annual Report 2014 to the Chief Executive (together with a statement under section 49(4) of the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance)
(to be presented by Secretary for Security)

7.No. 36-Report of changes made to the approved Estimates of Expenditure during the second quarter of 2015-16
Public Finance Ordinance : Section 8
(to be presented by Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury)

8.No. 37-Ocean Park Hong Kong
Annual Report 2014-2015
(to be presented by Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development)

9.Report No. 5/15-16 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments
(to be presented by Hon Andrew LEUNG, Chairman of the House Committee)

II. Questions



1. Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask: (Translation)


Some flat owners of private residential buildings have relayed to me that the problem of bid-rigging in relation to building maintenance works has become serious in recent years. They have pointed out that as most flat owners lack the professional knowledge in maintenance works, it is difficult for them to judge whether the tender prices of various maintenance works are reasonable. Moreover, there are loopholes in the process for implementing building maintenance works pursuant to statutory orders, which have been exploited by bid-rigging syndicates. For instance, flat owners are required to hire authorized persons as project consultants to co-ordinate and supervise maintenance works, and yet the independence of the authorized persons is in doubt as they may have intricate connections with the works companies submitting bids. Furthermore, members of owners' corporations ("OCs") are subject to individual flat owners' queries from time to time as to whether they have handled the tendering exercises for maintenance works in an impartial manner, and consequently neighbourhood relationship is strained. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of reports and complaints received by the Government in each of the past five years about suspected bid-rigging in relation to residential building maintenance works (with a breakdown by District Council district); the number of substantiated cases and the names of the housing estates involved, and whether the authorities have instituted prosecutions in respect of such cases; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2)given that some members of the public have criticized that the Government has failed to take the initiative to combat bid-rigging and its combating efforts are ineffective, whether the Government will consider taking measures, which are more effective, to combat bid-rigging; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (3)given that a political party has recommended the Government to improve the process for implementing building maintenance works pursuant to statutory orders, establish an independent supervising institution which will appoint authorized persons as advance works consultants to take charge of tendering matters in collaboration with independent accountants, and then let OCs appoint at the same time the works companies and authorized persons responsible for monitoring the works, with a view to combating bid-rigging activities, whether the authorities will take on board such recommendations; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officers to reply:Secretary for Development
Secretary for Home Affairs

2. Hon Emily LAU to ask: (Translation)


The Secretary for the Environment ("the Secretary") will attend the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP21 ("the Climate Conference") to be held in Paris at the end of this month, and the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit will also be held in Paris at the same time. So far, the Secretary has not announced any new emission reduction commitments for Hong Kong and he has merely indicated that he will co-ordinate the efforts within the Government and communicate with the industries concerned after the Climate Conference. There are comments that this stance is not conducive to promoting international and inter-city discussions on addressing climate change. Regarding the Government's efforts in addressing climate change, will the Executive Authorities inform this Council:
  • (1)given that there are a number of issues on the agenda of the Climate Conference, of the issues the discussion of which will be participated by the Secretary, and the major issues of concern of the authorities; whether the Government will pledge to set more stringent carbon reduction targets; if it will, of the details and the implementation date;

    (2)given that electricity generation and transportation are the major sources of greenhouse gas ("GHG") emissions in Hong Kong, and the Scheme of Control Agreement ("SCA") which regulates the power sector will expire in 2018, whether the Environment Bureau ("ENB") has any plans to require the two power companies to shoulder more responsibilities in reducing GHG emissions under the new SCA; if ENB has such plans, of the details; concerning the reduction of GHG emissions from transportation, apart from the emission reduction measures mentioned in the Hong Kong Climate Change Report 2015, whether the Government has made reference to the experience of other regions and conducted studies on introducing other emission reduction measures; if it has, of the details; and

    (3)given that the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group has organized the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Awards for three successive years since 2013 to commend cities for implementing effective policies relating to climate change (e.g. promoting low-carbon lifestyle and green buildings) and share the experience with other cities, and that Hong Kong, despite being a member of the C40 Steering Committee, was not granted any awards in those three years, whether ENB has reviewed what relevant policy areas improvements on which Hong Kong needs to make, in order to enhance its efforts in addressing climate change?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment

3. Dr Hon KWOK Ka-ki to ask: (Translation)


Under the relevant legislation, the Chief Executive may, in his capacity as the Chancellor of the various publicly-funded tertiary institutions, appoint the chairmen and some of the members of the supreme governing bodies (i.e. "the Council") of these institutions. The term of office of the immediate past Chairman of the Council of the University of Hong Kong ("HKU Council") ended on the 6th of this month, but the authorities have not yet announced the successor as of the middle of this month. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the factors to be taken into account by the Chancellor under the existing system in appointing the Chairman and members of the HKU Council, and whether such factors include the candidate's stance on safeguarding university autonomy and academic freedom, his familiarity with the affairs of the university, the political stance he has taken and his relationship with the Central Authorities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2)of the specific reasons for the Chancellor not announcing the successor before the departure from office of the immediate past Chairman of the HKU Council; whether such reasons include the opposition from the public and the teaching staff and students of the university to a particular candidate; whether the office of the Chairman of the HKU Council has previously been left vacant in the past because the Chancellor had yet to make any appointment; whether the authorities have assessed the impact on the operation of the university caused by such office being left vacant; if they have, of the details; and

    (3)whether the Chancellor, prior to appointing the chairmen and members of the supreme governing bodies of the various institutions, is required under the existing system to fully consult the teaching staff and students of the respective institutions as well as the public; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, the details, and when an appointment is being extensively questioned, whether the Chancellor is required to withdraw his decision to make such an appointment and conduct afresh another consultation on the appointment; if not, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education

4. Hon Starry LEE to ask: (Translation)


The study report published by the University of Hong Kong in August this year showed that among the members of the public aged 12 or above who responded to a survey, 62% claimed that they could speak English. However, upon assessment by researchers, only about 27% and 24% of the respondents had actually attained a certain level of proficiency in oral English and written English respectively (i.e. their proficiency was assessed as "Quite well, Well or Very well"), and only about 2% and 5% of respondents had been assessed as "Very well" in proficiency of oral English and written English respectively. Moreover, according to a report released by an education organization this month on English proficiency ranking of adults, Hong Kong ranked 33rd among 70 countries and territories and ninth in the Asian region (trailing behind Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and Vietnam), and its ranking is also lower than those of Shanghai and Beijing among Chinese cities. At the same time, the Examination Report and Question Papers for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination published by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority this month also pointed out that some candidates sitting the English Language examination had used "Chinglish" in their composition, while candidates sitting Paper 4 on speaking skills were found to have a limited vocabulary and could only use simple words repeatedly in conversation. Regarding the English proficiency of Hong Kong people, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it has examined if the aforesaid reports have objectively reflected the English proficiency of Hong Kong people; of the authorities' scientific methods to assess the English proficiency of Hong Kong people;

    (2)whether it knows the number of schools in Hong Kong currently using English as the medium of daily communication on campus; of the measures in place to encourage schools to foster a good English-learning environment, such as organizing more activities like drama, recitation and singing to be conducted in English, so as to develop students' interest in learning English; and

    (3)whether it has reviewed the effectiveness of the Native-speaking English Teacher ("NET") Scheme which is currently implemented, including whether NETs only play a peripheral role to the English curriculums, and whether there are adequate opportunities for students to interact and exchange with NETs on campus; if it has reviewed, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education

5. Hon Steven HO to ask: (Translation)


The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge ("HZMB") is an important infrastructure project to link up the three places of Hong Kong, the Mainland and Macao. However, the HZMB project has been delayed repeatedly, and its completion date is not yet confirmed. Some fishermen have relayed to me that this project and other marine works not only have affected their fishing activities, but also posed hazards to the safety of vessels navigating at night as some works materials such as silt curtains have been left in the sea and become floating objects. Furthermore, the Government currently will not increase the ex-gratia allowances ("EGA") for fishermen in respect of project delays. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)how the relevant government departments currently monitor the works progress of the contractors of the HZMB project; whether the authorities will provide compensations to the fishermen affected by the delays of that project; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2)as some fishermen have pointed out that the Government has failed to closely monitor the impacts of marine works on the fisheries industry and marine ecology, whether the Government has collected, before and after such works, data on the marine ecology and fisheries resources in the waters where marine works will be/have been carried out, so as to assess the impacts of such works more accurately; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will collect such data; whether it will strengthen the monitoring of marine works contractors to ascertain if they have securely fastened works materials such as silt curtains, so as to ensure the safe navigation of vessels; and

    (3)given that delays in marine works will prolong the duration for which fishermen cannot carry out fishing activities in the waters concerned, whether the authorities will review the current system of EGA for fishermen, so as to grant additional EGA to fishermen affected by project delays?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing

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


The Government introduced a total of four rounds of time-limited electricity charges subsidy scheme ("the scheme") in 2008, 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively to provide electricity charges subsidy to each residential electricity account. The first three rounds of the scheme ended on 30 June this year, and the last round will end on 30 June next year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the balance of approved commitment, the number of the households which did not use up the electricity charges subsidy and the average amount of unused subsidy of such households, in each of the first three rounds of the scheme; whether it has projected if there will be any remaining approved commitment when the fourth round of the scheme ends; if it has projected, of the details; whether it will consider distributing the balance of the approved commitment of the various rounds of the scheme to the households concerned in the form of cash; if it will consider, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (2)as some low-income families have relayed to me that the scheme helps reduce their financial burden, whether the authorities will consider extending the implementation period of the various rounds of the scheme to 10 years or until the approved commitment is used up (whichever is earlier); if they will consider, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (3)as there are views that some members of the public may not pay heed to reducing electricity consumption as there is still unused subsidy remaining in their electricity accounts, whether the authorities will consider expanding the coverage of the scheme by, for example, allowing members of the public to use the subsidy to purchase energy-efficient electrical appliances so as to encourage them to save energy; if they will consider, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

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


In January this year, the Securities and Futures Commission ("SFC") served a Restriction Notice against Goodcape Securities Limited ("GSL"), prohibiting the company from carrying out all of the regulated activities for which it had been licensed under the Securities and Futures Ordinance (Cap. 571). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
  • (1)the number of complaints received by SFC to date from GSL's clients against the company and the total amount of money involved, with a breakdown by the content of the complaints (e.g. securities trading, deposits, etc.);

    (2)the number of GSL's clients who submitted claims to the Investor Compensation Fund to date and, among them, the respective numbers of claims for which compensation has been paid and which are being handled; the number of claims for which compensation will not be paid and whether the claimants have been notified of the decision that compensation will not be paid to them; and

    (3)the total amount of GSL's assets frozen at present; when SFC will commence the liquidation proceedings against GSL?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*8. Hon Abraham SHEK to ask: (Translation)


Regarding the handling of complaints about water seepage, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)given that the Joint Office ("JO") set up by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Buildings Department is responsible for handling complaints about water seepage in buildings, of the number of complaints about water seepage in residential premises received by JO in each of the past three years; among these complaints, of the respective numbers of cases in which investigation staff entered the premises concerned to conduct tests and those in which they failed to do so;

    (2)whether the staff of the outsourced consultants or those of JO are currently responsible for entering the premises concerned to investigate water seepage complaints;

    (3)of (i) the criteria adopted by JO for appointing the consultants, (ii) the average amount of fees currently paid to the consultants by JO for each case, and (iii) the total amount of fees paid last year to the consultants by JO; and

    (4)in respect of cases in which the sources of water seepage have not been identified despite that staff have entered the premises concerned to conduct tests, whether JO will continue to follow them up, such as by arranging staff to enter the premises concerned to conduct other tests until the sources of seepage have been identified; if JO will, of the details, as well as the average amount of fees currently charged by the consultants on each occasion for arranging staff to enter the premises concerned for the second time to conduct other tests in respect of such type of cases; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

*9. Hon CHUNG Kwok-pan to ask: (Translation)


Some owners of enterprises have pointed out that the Government should advocate that while pursuing profits, enterprises should conduct their business in a sustainable manner, including avoiding damage to the environment and fulfilling corporate social responsibilities. It is learnt that the international fashion industry is taking strides towards this major trend, and leaders of the local fashion industry have also spearheaded the sustainable development of the industry, making achievements that surpass those of other Asian cities. Regarding the sustainable development of traditional industries (in particular the fashion industry) and emerging industries, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the specific measures implemented by the Government in the past three years to promote the sustainable development of various industries; whether it has studied the effectiveness of such measures; if it has, of the details;

    (2)given that the Government plans to develop a number of emerging industries, such as the innovation and technology industry, of the specific measures the Government has in place to foster the sustainable development of the various emerging industries;

    (3)given that some members of the fashion industry have proposed the setting up of the first fashion centre in Hong Kong with the theme of sustainable development, with a view to helping Hong Kong become a knowledge hub for the sustainable development of the international fashion industry on one hand, and propelling Hong Kong's economic development on the other, whether the Government will support such proposal; if it will, of the implementation details of the proposal; if not, the reasons for that; and

    (4)given that the Advisory Group on Implementation of Fashion Initiatives established by the Government will launch a series of measures on a pilot basis in the next three years to promote the development of the fashion industry, whether the Group will study issues relating to the sustainable development of the fashion industry, and how the various government departments concerned will dovetail with the work of the Group?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

*10. Hon WONG Kwok-kin to ask: (Translation)


It is learnt that at present, quite a number of Hong Kong elderly people are residing on the Mainland ("Hong Kong elderly people on the Mainland"). Last month, the Government launched a pilot scheme under which eligible Hong Kong elderly people may use the Elderly Health Care Voucher ("HCV") to pay for designated outpatient services in the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital ("HKU-SZ Hospital"), which is jointly operated by the University of Hong Kong and the Shenzhen Municipal Government. However, some Hong Kong elderly people on the Mainland have remarked that as the majority of them reside in various areas outside Shenzhen in the Guangdong Province, they can hardly use HCV unless they travel a long distance to seek medical consultation at the HKU-SZ Hospital. The pilot scheme is therefore of very limited help to them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the anticipated annual number of attendances of elderly people seeking medical consultation at the HKU-SZ Hospital and using HCV; the means and channels through which the authorities inform the Hong Kong elderly people on the Mainland of the details of the pilot scheme;

    (2)when it will conduct a review of the pilot scheme and of the criteria based on which it will conduct the review;

    (3)whether it will consider extending the pilot scheme to other areas in the Guangdong Province; if it will, of the targeted areas and implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4)whether the authorities anticipate that difficulties (e.g. the service quality and regulatory control of medical institutions), other than exchange rate issues, will be encountered when extending the pilot scheme to other areas or other medical institutions on the Mainland; if they do, of the details, and how the authorities will resolve such difficulties;

    (5)whether it knows the respective numbers of Hong Kong medical institutions currently operating medical business on the Mainland in the form of joint venture and wholly-owned enterprise under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement; whether the authorities have discussed with those medical institutions the provision of medical services collaboratively for Hong Kong elderly people on the Mainland; if they have, of the details; if not, whether they will consider conducting such discussions; if they will, of the criteria to be adopted by the authorities for deciding whether they will co-operate with such medical institutions; and

    (6)of the schemes that the authorities will launch in the long run, in addition to expanding the Elderly HCV Scheme, to meet the medical needs of the Hong Kong elderly people on the Mainland?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

*11. Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask: (Translation)


It is learnt that despite substantial wage rises in the construction industry for eight consecutive years to attract and retain manpower, and the authorities' efforts to strengthen vocational training for the industry, the construction industry is still facing the problem of manpower shortage. Besides, as there are insufficient training venues and facilities, the number of training places offered by some training courses (e.g. operation of heavy plant and equipment) cannot be increased to cope with the demand. There are views that as a number of major infrastructure projects will soon commence in Hong Kong, the authorities should seriously explore the feasibility of further importation of foreign labour. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it knows, regarding the training courses offered by the Construction Industry Council and the Vocational Training Council for each of the trades (including heavy plant and equipment operator, formwork carpenter, bar bender and fixer, bamboo scaffolder, metal scaffolder, leveller and concretor) in each of the past three years, (i) the student intake, (ii) the percentage of the student intake in the number of training places offered, and (iii) the number of persons waiting for admission;

    (2)whether the authorities have conducted studies on the supply of and demand for places of training courses of the construction industry in the past three years; if they have conducted such studies and the outcome shows that such places were in short supply, of the authorities' solutions and the relevant details; if they have not conducted such studies, the reasons for that;

    (3)of the number of applications for importation of labour received by the authorities since the implementation of further enhancement measures under the Supplementary Labour Scheme in May this year and, among them, the numbers of approved cases and workers involved, with a breakdown of such information by trade; and

    (4)as it takes time to train up construction workers and a number of major infrastructure projects (including the Expansion of Hong Kong International Airport into a Three-Runway System project) will soon commence, which will surely aggravate the manpower shortage problem, whether the authorities will review the policy on importation of foreign labour, including setting a certain number of foreign workers to be imported and further enhancing the relevant measures, so as to resolve the problem of manpower shortage in the construction industry; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

*12. Dr Hon CHIANG Lai-wan to ask: (Translation)


In recent years, credit cards that need no card readers or card-swiping for data transmission and only Near Field Communication technology is needed to complete transactions through short-range wireless (i.e. "contactless") data transmission (commonly known as "touch-and-pay") have become increasingly popular. Recently, it was discovered that one could easily read the electronic information stored in contactless credit cards just by placing smart phones with certain mobile applications in the proximity of those cards, which has aroused concerns about the security of those credit cards. The Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") also announced the names of the seven card-issuing banks involved and required them to recall and replace those problematic credit cards expeditiously. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of reports of crimes involving contactless credit cards in each of the past three years;

    (2)whether HKMA has issued clear guidelines to card-issuing banks in respect of the security of contactless credit cards; if HKMA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3)whether HKMA has investigated into the reasons why the information stored in the credit cards concerned can be read easily; if HKMA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (4)how HKMA regulates and enhances the security of contactless credit cards to protect credit card users; and

    (5)whether HKMA has considered ways to step up publicity and education on the use of contactless credit cards safely, so as to enable users to understand the potential risks involved in using those credit cards and the ways to prevent personal data stored in credit cards from being stolen; if HKMA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*13. Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung to ask: (Translation)


The Census and Statistics Department ("C&SD") released, in September 2013 and October this year respectively, two feature articles on Hong Kong labour force projections for 2013 to 2041 and those for 2015 to 2064. Some members of the public have queried why there are significant discrepancies between the projection figures in the two articles. For example, while the former projected the size of the labour force in 2041 at about 3 520 000, the latter projected it at about 3 410 000 in the same year, with a difference of about 110 000 between them. Regarding labour force projections, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the reasons for the significant change in the size of 2041 labour force projected in the aforesaid two articles within a short period of two years; whether C&SD will make public the relevant projection methodology;

    (2)of the constraints on, and assumptions in, the making of the labour force projections by C&SD at present; how C&SD ensures that the existing methodology for labour force projections is in line with the relevant international standards; and

    (3)in the course of compiling the aforesaid labour force projections by C&SD, whether government officials other than those in C&SD have given views or data to C&SD; if so, of the details, and whether C&SD has changed its projection methodology in the light of the views and data involving political factors which it has received?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

*14. Hon Christopher CHUNG to ask: (Translation)


At present, quite a number of non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") in Hong Kong provide various types of social welfare services by applying for grants from the Government or various funds or schemes administered by it. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the following detailed information of each NGO (set out in a table): (i) name, (ii) the amount of grants received in the current financial year to date and their uses, the source of such grants (e.g. from the Government, a fund or a scheme), and (iii) the year in which the NGO received grant for the first time; and

    (2)of the current number of funds/schemes from which NGOs may apply for grants; regarding each of such funds/schemes, of its name, the number of grant applications received and the amount of grants allocated in the current financial year to date, as well as its current balance (set out in a table)?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

*15. Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che to ask: (Translation)


The Government has indicated in the 2015 Policy Address that it will increase the manpower of social workers in all Integrated Community Centres for Mental Wellness ("ICCMWs") so as to enhance the support for mental patients. Many social workers have relayed to me that currently ICCMWs have unclear positioning of their services and their manpower is inadequate. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)given that each ICCMW is currently serving a population of about 330 000 while the number of people in need of mental health services is rising, whether the Government will conduct a detailed study on the demand for ICCMW's services in various districts and increase resources for and manpower of ICCMWs in light of the results of such a study; if it will, of the details;

    (2)whether the Government will set up additional ICCMWs in the coming three years to cope with the service demand; if it will, of the details;

    (3)given that at present the authorities has only stipulated that the target users of ICCMWs are people aged 15 or above, whether the Government will set an upper age limit for people using ICCMWs, so that ICCMWs can provide services which are more suitable for users, and have a clearer division of labour and collaboration with other types of social services;

    (4)whether the Government will, on a regular basis, provide systematic on-the-job training on mental health services to the social workers newly recruited by ICCMWs, so as to enhance service quality and retain talents; if it will, of the details;

    (5)as some survey findings have indicated that there is currently a brain drain problem among welfare workers and activity assistants in ICCMWs due to unsatisfactory career prospect, whether the Government will enhance the qualifications recognition and promotion prospects for staff of these grades (e.g. by creating posts/grades such as occupational therapy assistant, rehabilitation training assistant, etc. and providing recognized training to assist them in obtaining professional qualifications); if it will, of the details; and

    (6)in respect of the 24 ICCMWs across the territory, of the following information on each ICCMW in each year from 2011-2012 to 2014-2015: (i) team size (i.e. 1 stands for full team and 0.5 stands for half a team, etc.), (ii) number of serious cases handled, (iii) number of general cases handled, (iv) number of members, (v) number of family members served, and (vi) number of social worker posts (set out such information for each year in the table of the same format as the table below)?

    Year: __________

    Centre(i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)
    Centre 1      
    Centre 2      
    Centre 3      
    Centre 4      
    .
    .
    .
          
    Centre 24      
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Labour and Welfare

*16. Dr Hon Fernando CHEUNG to ask: (Translation)


Some members of the public have relayed to me that the waiting time for public rental housing ("PRH") is getting increasingly longer at present, and they have no way to know the method by which the Housing Department ("HD") calculates the waiting time of the PRH applicants. Furthermore, according to Report No. 61 of the Director of Audit, published in October 2013, the method by which HD calculates the PRH applicants' average waiting time lacks transparency, and the average waiting time claimed by HD is different from the actual waiting time perceived by the applicants. The Director of Audit also suggested that HD should make public the definition of average waiting time and the basis of its calculation. On the other hand, the Government attributes the prolonged waiting time of the PRH applicants to the opposition from members of the local communities and concern groups to some PRH projects as well as the increase in the applications for PRH from young people. Regarding the waiting time for and allocation of PRH, will the Government inform this Council of:
  • (1)the justifications for HD not making public the actual waiting time for PRH regularly and the basis of its calculation;

    (2)the actual waiting time of general PRH applicants in each of the past five financial years as well as the current financial year to date, and set out the relevant information in the table below:

    StageAverage actual waiting time
    (Year)
    Average actual waiting time
    (from application to intake)
    (Year)
    From application to registration  
    From registration to first offer  
    From first offer to second offer  
    From second offer to third offer  

    (3)the number of non-elderly singleton applicants on the PRH waiting list in each of the past 10 financial years as well as the current financial year to date, and set out a breakdown by education level (primary or below, secondary, tertiary or above) in a table;

    (4)the respective numbers of non-elderly singleton applicants allocated with PRH flats through (i) general application, (ii) compassionate rehousing and (iii) the Express Flat Allocation Scheme, in each of the past 10 financial years as well as the current financial year to date, and set out a breakdown by age group (18-30, 31-40, 41-50 and 51 or above) in a table; and

    (5)the total number of the projects opposed by members of the local communities or concern groups among those PRH projects proposed, commenced and completed in the past five financial years, as well as among those PRH projects planned to be built in the next five financial years, and set out the following information of the projects concerned: (i) the project names, (ii) the years in which the PRH projects were/scheduled to be completed, (iii) the number of flats built/planned to be built, (iv) the reasons for opposition, and (v) the modifications (e.g. reduction in the number of flats, abolition or deferral of the construction of the projects concerned) made in response to the objections?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing

*17. Hon Tony TSE to ask: (Translation)


In April this year, an explosion occurred in a workshop for repair and maintenance of vehicles ("vehicle workshop") in Tsz Wan Shan when a liquefied petroleum gas taxi was being repaired there, resulting in casualties and damage to property. Some members of the public have expressed concern about the adequacy of the regulation of vehicle workshops. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)given that the authorities launched a Voluntary Registration Scheme for Vehicle Maintenance Workshops in July this year and vehicle workshops registered under the Scheme ("registered vehicle workshops") must comply with or pledge to abide by the Practice Guidelines for Vehicle Maintenance Workshops which specify the requirements on different aspects of vehicle workshops, of the respective current numbers of vehicle workshops and registered vehicle workshops, broken down by District Council district; whether the authorities will introduce a mandatory registration scheme for vehicle workshops;

    (2)whether the authorities will stipulate that vehicle workshops must comply with the terms of the relevant land leases and the requirements under the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) or the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131) before they are permitted to be registered; of the channels for members of the public to enquire whether individual vehicle workshops are operating in breach of the terms of relevant land leases ("non-compliant workshops");

    (3)as it has been reported that the aforesaid vehicle workshop in which an explosion occurred is located within a residential area, and the permitted use of the unit concerned under the relevant land lease is "shop for non-domestic purpose", whether the authorities have investigated if the use of the relevant properties for operating that particular vehicle workshop and the other existing vehicle workshops in various districts is in breach of the relevant terms of the land leases; if they have investigated, of the outcome;

    (4)in the past three years, regarding those properties in which non-compliant workshops are located, of the numbers of cases in which the Lands Department (i) issued warning letters to the owners of the properties concerned, (ii) delivered the warning letters to the Land Registry for registration, and (iii) resumed the properties concerned; whether the authorities have any policy or plan to eradicate all non-compliant workshops; if they do, of the details;

    (5)given that under the Town Planning Ordinance, the Planning Department ("PlanD") is empowered to take law enforcement actions against unauthorized developments within development permission areas ("DPAs") only, and since the vehicle workshops in the urban areas are not located in DPAs, PlanD cannot take law enforcement actions against those vehicle workshops in the urban areas which are in breach of the permitted uses laid down in the relevant statutory plans, whether the authorities will consider amending the relevant ordinances to eradicate such vehicle workshops; and

    (6)whether it has assessed the public's demand for the vehicle repair and maintenance services provided by vehicle workshops, so that the relevant assessment outcome can serve as a reference when formulating enhanced regulatory plans for vehicle workshops; if it has, of the criteria adopted for conducting the assessment concerned?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing

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


In February 2014, the Construction Industry Council formulated a labour-supply list for 26 trades. Regarding the training and supply of workers for those trades, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)whether it knows the number of training courses provided by the Vocational Training Council and the Construction Industry Council (including the training bodies under them) for each of the aforesaid trades from 2014 to October 2015, and the following information of each training course (set out in a table of the same format as the table below for each trade): (i) course name, (ii) training body, (iii) respective total numbers of training places offered last year and this year, (iv) entry requirements, (v) duration of training, and (vi) employment rate of graduated trainees; and

    Trade: _______________

    (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)(vi)
    20142015
           
           


    (2)of the number of foreign workers imported from 2014 to October 2015 for each of the aforesaid trades?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Development

*19. Hon Frederick FUNG to ask: (Translation)


The Chief Executive mentioned in the 2015 Policy Address that the Government must actively explore ways to increase the supply of subsidized sale flats through a multi-pronged approach by engaging public or non-profit-making organizations including the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA"), the Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS"), the Urban Renewal Authority ("URA") and the Hong Kong Settlers Housing Corporation Limited ("HKSHCL"), in order that, by so doing, more property choices and home ownership opportunities will be provided for low and middle-income families. However, so far there has been no progress in the redevelopment of Tai Hang Sai ("THS") Estate, the only private low-cost housing estate owned and managed by HKSHCL. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the latest progress of the authorities' work in exploring ways to increase the supply of subsidized sale flats through HKSHCL; the details of the discussions between the authorities and HKSHCL on the matter since the delivery of the aforesaid Policy Address; whether HKSHCL has put forward any concrete proposal for redeveloping THS Estate; if HKSHCL has, of the details; whether the authorities have offered any suggestions and assistance in respect of the relevant proposal and the rehousing of the residents of THS Estate; if they have not, of the reasons for that;

    (2)as there is still no noticeable progress in the redevelopment of THS Estate, whether the authorities have assessed if the statement mentioned in the Policy Address regarding increasing the supply of subsidized sale flats through HKSHCL is merely empty talk; if they have assessed and the outcome is in the negative, of the specific timetable for taking forward such work; and

    (3)whether the authorities will, on the basis of the consideration of making optimum use of the precious lands in the urban areas, step in proactively in the redevelopment of THS Estate, including (i) formulating different redevelopment approaches and plans, (ii) recovering the site of THS Estate by invoking the relevant land lease conditions, (iii) handing the site in question to HA, HKHS or URA for comprehensive redevelopment, and (iv) rehousing the residents of THS Estate by following the practices adopted by HA for rehousing residents affected by public housing redevelopment; if they will not, of the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport and Housing

*20. Hon Charles Peter MOK to ask: (Translation)


The Chief Executive in Council decided on 1 April 2015 (i) not to renew the domestic free television programme service licence of Asia Television Limited ("ATV") and, for the purpose of complying with the requirement under subsection (1)(a) of section 8 of Schedule 4 to the Broadcasting Ordinance (Cap. 562) (i.e. notice of non-renewal had to be served at least 12 months before the expiry of the validity of the licence), (ii) to extend, under subsection (2) of that section, the term of ATV's existing licence to 1 April 2016. In view of this, the Communications Authority has given notice to ATV on the withdrawal of the two sets of analogue television channels and 1.5 digital multiplexes assigned to it with effect from 2 April 2016. On the other hand, the Government has requested Radio Television Hong Kong ("RTHK") to utilize the two sets of analogue television channels to broadcast suitable programmes after 1 April 2016 until analogue switch-off by end of 2020. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the estimated additional manpower needed and extra annual operating expenditure to be incurred by RTHK to provide analogue television broadcasting services;

    (2)whether it has formulated a specific timetable for the spectrum handover between ATV and RTHK, and whether it has provided additional resources for RTHK to meet the extra expenditure thus incurred, so that preparation for the handover arrangements can be made as early as possible; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

    (3)of the number of principal and fill-in transmission stations currently operated by ATV; whether the inter-departmental task force set up by the authorities has discussed with ATV the operational and handover arrangements for these transmission stations before and after ATV discontinues its broadcasting services in order that RTHK can expeditiously take over from ATV and provide the analogue television broadcasting services upon the latter's discontinuation of broadcasting services to ensure a "seamless handover"; and

    (4)of the work progress of the re-planning of the proposed New Broadcasting House of RTHK to be built in Tseung Kwan O, the latest cost estimate, and the anticipated time for completing the planning and re-submitting a funding application to the Finance Committee of this Council; whether the authorities have assessed if the planning work for the project needs to be expedited to align with the provision of analogue television broadcasting services by RTHK?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

*21. Dr Hon Kenneth CHAN to ask: (Translation)


The international trade in ivory has been banned ("the ban") by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora ("CITES") since 1990, and the Government has enacted the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) to give effect to CITES. Ivory legally imported before the ban may not be re-exported for commercial purposes, but may be traded locally in Hong Kong if they have been registered with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department ("AFCD") and are kept under a valid Licence to Possess ("Possession Licence") issued by AFCD. Regarding the protection of endangered species of animals and plants, will the Government inform this Council:
  • (1)of the number of ivory smuggling cases cracked down by the authorities since January this year, the details of the ivory (including quantity and market value), the destinations, the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted, as well as the maximum and the minimum penalties imposed on those convicted; among the confiscated ivory, of the respective quantities of ivory which is still being stockpiled by the authorities at present and which has been disposed of;

    (2)regarding the biggest case among those mentioned in (1), of the quantity and the market value of the ivory involved, the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted, as well as the penalties imposed on those convicted;

    (3)given that AFCD indicated in May last year that the confiscated ivory stockpile of about 28 tonnes would be disposed of by incineration in phases and the disposal was expected to be completed by the middle of this year, of the current progress of the work concerned; whether there is still some ivory yet to be disposed of; if so, of the quantity concerned and when the authorities expect the disposal of the remaining ivory to be completed; the expenditure and manpower involved in the disposal so far;

    (4)given that between 2011 and 2013, the number of holders of Possession Licences, the quantity of ivory covered by such licences and the quantity of ivory registered for commercial purposes were on the rise, whether the authorities have taken the initiative to look into the causes for such rises;

    (5)given that people in possession of ivory as personal effect or for non-commercial purposes before the ban are not required to apply for Possession Licences, and they are required to apply to AFCD if they intend to change the use of the ivory in their possession for commercial purposes after the ban, of the mechanism adopted by AFCD for vetting and approving such applications; the relevant vetting and approval criteria and the restrictions to which the power of AFCD in vetting and approving such applications is subject; the respective numbers of applications approved and rejected by AFCD each year since 2011, as well as the grounds for making the relevant decisions; how the authorities prevent people from using the vetting and approval mechanism to turn smuggled ivory into ivory that may be legally sold;

    (6)of the number of cases involving the smuggling of species listed in Cap. 586 cracked down by the authorities since January this year, the details of the smuggled items (including the species, quantities and market values), the destinations, the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted, as well as the maximum and the minimum penalties imposed on those convicted; and

    (7)of the expenditure and manpower involved in the implementation of the provisions of CITES in each of the past three years; whether the authorities have plans to allocate more resources to combat the relevant smuggling activities; if they do, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for the Environment

*22. Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau to ask: (Translation)


According to statistics, the waiting time for patients to receive mammography at public hospitals is getting longer and longer, and the waiting time for patients in different hospital clusters ("clusters") vary. The authorities have indicated that those patients belonging to groups with a higher risk of developing breast cancer will be accorded priority for receiving such examination. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
  • (1)in respect of the Hospital Authority ("HA") as a whole and individual clusters respectively and among the patients receiving mammography in each of the past five financial years, the numbers of unconfirmed patients (and the percentages of such numbers in the total number of patients receiving mammography), a breakdown of the numbers of confirmed patients by stage of breast cancer (and the respective percentages of such numbers in the total numbers of patients receiving mammography), and the respective numbers of patients who, prior to receiving mammography, had waited for (i) 60 days or less, (ii) 61 to 180 days, (iii) 181 to 360 days, (iv) 361 to 540 days and (v) 541 days or more (set out in tables of the same format as the table below);

    Year: ________

    Overallļ¼¸cluster: ________

    Waiting time Number of
    unconfirmed
    patients

    [%]
    Number of confirmed patients Total numbers
    of patients
    receiving
    mammography
    Stage I

    [%]
    Stage II

    [%]
    Stage III

    [%]
    Stage IV

    [%]
    Unstaged

    [%]
    (i)       
    (ii)       
    (iii)       
    (iv)       
    (v)       

    (2)in respect of HA as a whole and individual clusters respectively, the numbers of patients receiving mammography in each of the past five financial years, broken down by age group ((i) 0-44, (ii) 45-54, (iii) 55-64, (iv) 65-74 and (v) 75 or above) (set out in tables of the same format as the table below);

    Year: ________

    Cluster Age group
    (i)(ii)(iii)(iv)(v)
    Hong Kong East     
    Hong Kong West     
    Kowloon Central     
    Kowloon East     
    Kowloon West     
    New Territories East     
    New Territories West     
    Overall     

    (3)the criteria adopted by HA's doctors for determining whether a patient belongs to the priority groups; whether the various clusters have adopted the same criteria; among the patients who were determined as belonging to the priority groups last year, the number and percentage of those who had been arranged to receive mammography within two months (with a tabulated breakdown by HA as a whole and individual clusters);

    (4)whether HA has set up a referral arrangement so that patients belonging to the same risk group are given the choice of being referred to hospitals in other clusters with shorter waiting time to receive mammography; if HA has, of the details; if HA has not, the reasons for that;

    (5)whether HA will consider including mammography in the Public-Private Partnership programmes; if HA will, of the details; if HA will not, the reasons for that; and

    (6)the age-standardized incidence rates of breast cancer in female in 2013 and 2014?
Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Food and Health

* For written reply

III. Bills



First Reading

1.Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2015

2.Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2015

Second Reading (Debate to be adjourned)

1.Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2015:Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

2.Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2015:Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury

IV. Members' Motions



1.Motion under Rule 49E(2) of the Rules of Procedure

Hon Andrew LEUNG to move the following motion:


That this Council takes note of Report No. 5/15-16 of the House Committee laid on the Table of the Council on 25 November 2015 in relation to the subsidiary legislation and instrument(s) as listed below:

Item NumberTitle of Subsidiary Legislation or Instrument

(1)Declaration of Geographical Constituencies (Legislative Council) Order 2015 (L.N. 200/2015).

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs

2.Expeditiously abolishing the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment

Hon Albert CHAN to move the following motion:
(Translation)

That this Council requests the Government to expeditiously abolish the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA'), and conduct full consultation on and a comprehensive review of the Primary 6 and Secondary 3 TSA.

Amendments to the motion
(i)Hon Albert HO to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", given the serious morbid change in the Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA'), unnecessary pressure has been exerted on students, parents and teachers; it is learnt that some schools have forced students to undergo drills on examination questions and attend tuition sessions, and such a practice has seriously affected the normal learning progress and daily life of students, and has also deviated from TSA's original intent of assessing the basic competencies of students; in this connection," after "That"; and to delete "expeditiously abolish the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA'), and conduct full consultation on and a comprehensive review of the Primary 6 and Secondary 3 TSA" after "Government to" and substitute with "completely abolish TSA in an expeditious manner so as to return a happy childhood to students".

(ii)Dr Hon Kenneth CHAN to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add ", as the Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA') exerts tremendous pressure on teachers, students and parents," after "That"; to delete "Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA')," after "the Primary 3" and substitute with "TSA"; and to add ", and to invite organizations opposing TSA to join the relevant review committee; this Council strongly condemns that the Secretary for Education indicated at the Legislative Council meeting of 4 November 2015 that he could not attend the special meeting on TSA to be held by the Panel on Education of this Council" immediately before the full stop.

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

To add "the Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA') has created heavy pressure on teachers, students and parents since its implementation in 2004; not only does TSA seriously affect teachers' daily classroom teaching, but also takes up students' rest time, particularly that the drills on examination questions undergone by students to prepare for the Primary 3 TSA often start early from Primary 1, causing serious damage to the physical and mental health of students; for the well-being of students," after "That"; to delete "Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA') " after "the Primary 3" and substitute with "TSA"; and to add "; in addition, the Government must: (1) immediately suspend the Primary 3 TSA in the current school year to instantly relieve the pressure on Primary 3 teachers and students; (2) invite people with different views, including representatives of parent groups, teachers' associations and organizations of school heads as well as academics, to join the review committee to enhance its recognition; and (3) completely abolish TSA in a decisive manner, if it is still impossible to eradicate the shortcomings after the review" immediately before the full stop.

(iv)Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "the row over the Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA') has intensified recently, arousing widespread concern in the territory; earlier on, tens of thousands of parents have expressed their demands on online groups to request the Education Bureau to abolish TSA, while some individual private schools have decided not to participate in TSA; given the incessant opposition to TSA in the community and the impact of the relevant policy on more than a thousand primary and secondary schools and hundreds of thousands of students," after "That"; to delete "requests the Government to expeditiously abolish the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA'), and" after "this Council" and substitute with "earnestly urges the Secretary for Education Eddie NG to treasure the opportunities to attend the public hearings on TSA to be held by the Panel on Education of this Council, with a view to sincerely communicating in person and face to face with the education sector and parents through an open platform, listening to the views of different stakeholders and Members from various political parties and groupings, as well as understanding and responding to their concerns and demands, so as to dispel public misgivings; this Council also requests the Government to"; and to delete "the Primary 6 and Secondary 3" after "review of".

(v)Hon Starry LEE to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "a morbid change has occurred in the Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA') over the past decade or so since its implementation, and in order to cope with TSA, some schools arrange excessive drills on examination questions for students, exerting tremendous unnecessary pressure on teachers, parents and students; TSA is a low-stakes assessment that does not assess and report performance of individual students, and the purpose of its introduction is to assess the overall basic competencies of students; schools can optimize the use of school level reports to draw up plans to make continuous improvement to the methods and effectiveness of teaching and learning, with a view to enhancing the overall academic standards of students; since TSA is an objective assessment tool established out of necessity, it is inappropriate to abolish it across the board before any alternative measure is available; yet, since the present phenomenon of excessive drills runs counter to the purpose of introducing TSA," after "That"; to delete "expeditiously abolish the Primary 3 Territory-wide System Assessment ('TSA'), and" after "Government to" and substitute with "extensively listen to the voices of various sectors,"; to add "Primary 3," after "review of the"; and to add ", and adopt the following measures: (1) to get to know immediately the situation of how schools in various districts prepare students for TSA, and to request at once those schools found to have arranged excessive drills on examination questions for students to stop such a practice; (2) not to announce the Primary 3 TSA results and the territory-wide attainment rates in the coming year, so as to reduce the incentive for schools to drill students for reason of comparing results and alleviate the pressure on schools, parents and students; (3) to motivate sponsoring bodies, schools and parent teacher associations to sign joint charter to undertake not to arrange excessive drills on examination questions for students; (4) to extensively invite various stakeholders to join the Coordinating Committee on Basic Competency Assessment and Assessment Literacy to jointly review the operation of TSA, including the assessment method and the design of examination questions; and (5) to hold briefing sessions for parents in various districts, so as to establish effective communication platforms to explain to parents the purpose of introducing TSA and listen to their views, with a view to dispelling their misgivings and misunderstanding about TSA" immediately before the full stop.

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

To add "(the targets of consultation must include parents), with a view to eliminating the negative impacts of 'spoon-feeding' education and the examination-oriented education system on students, so that they can learn and grow up happily" immediately before the full stop.

Public Officers to attend:Secretary for Education
Under Secretary for Education

3.Developing the economy and improving people's livelihood

Hon CHAN Hak-kan to move the following motion:
(Translation)

That Hong Kong's economic development is facing great challenges, and quite a number of long-standing livelihood issues have yet to be properly resolved; in this connection, this Council calls on various sectors to put aside political disputes, and urges the SAR Government to promote focused discussion in the community on the deep-rooted issues of developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, so as to formulate comprehensive and long-term economic development strategies to cope with the changes in the global economic situation and improve people's quality of life.

Amendments to the motion
(i)Hon TANG Ka-piu to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "while Hong Kong's unemployment rate still remains at a low level," after "That"; to add "and labour" after "long-standing livelihood"; to add ", even to the extent of undermining the mobility of various social strata" after "properly resolved"; to add "including implementing policies to protect the rights and interests of labours and people's retirement life," after "people's livelihood,"; to add "and social" after "long-term economic"; and to add "the trend of population ageing in Hong Kong, and to" after "economic situation and".

(ii)Hon Jeffrey LAM to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "given the uncertain global economic situation and the trend of a slowdown in the Mainland's economic growth," after "That"; to add "there is thus a pressing need for Hong Kong to break away from the old mindset and create new growth areas for the economy, so that" after "challenges, and"; to delete "have yet to" after "livelihood issues" and substitute with "can"; to add "including maintaining communication with different stakeholders and launching extensive consultation in the community," after "people's livelihood,"; to add "improve the relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, and" after "so as to"; and to add "stable," after "formulate".

(iii)Hon SIN Chung-kai to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To delete "Hong Kong's economic development is" after "That" and substitute with "democracy is intricately linked to the economy and people's livelihood, but the development of democracy in Hong Kong is now in stagnation, the economic development is also"; to add "not only" after "the SAR Government to"; to delete "the deep-rooted issues of" after "the community on"; and to add ", but also promote democracy and foster harmony to resolve Hong Kong's deep-rooted issues" after "people's livelihood".

(iv)Hon LEE Cheuk-yan to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To delete "Hong Kong's economic development is facing great challenges" after "That" and substitute with "in recent years, Hong Kong's social conflicts have turned increasingly acute"; to delete "yet to be" after "livelihood issues have" and substitute with "not been"; to add ", the fundamental causes of which are that a few consortia are in control of most of the local economic resources, and the small-circle electoral system also tilts in favour of tycoons and people who are powerful and wealthy, thereby causing the Government to be subservient to the interests of capitalists and allow consortia to carve up the fruits of Hong Kong's economic development, leaving the general public to bear the adverse social and livelihood consequences" after "properly resolved"; to delete "calls on various sectors to put aside political disputes, and" after "this Council"; and to delete "promote focused discussion in the community on the deep-rooted issues of developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, so as to formulate comprehensive and long-term economic development strategies to cope with the changes in the global economic situation and" after "the SAR Government to" and substitute with "immediately implement democratic universal suffrage, terminate the political privileges of consortia, and formulate economic development strategies based on sustainability and equitable allocation, to be complemented by proactive policies on labour, housing, healthcare, welfare and taxation, etc., so as to".

(v)Hon Alan LEONG to move the following amendment: (Translation)

To add "after assuming office for more than three years, the Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying has yet to come up with any macro policy blueprints for improving people's livelihood, and has often given people the impression of using piecemeal policies to deal with problems on an ad hoc basis, seemingly as if he had attended to all matters, but what had been done was utterly inadequate in every aspect, failing to produce any results in terms of balancing social resources and wealth to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, thereby causing the middle and lower social strata to suffer from scarcity and uneven distribution;" after "properly resolved;"; to delete "various sectors" after "this Council calls on" and substitute with "the Chief Executive LEUNG Chun-ying"; to delete "disputes" after "political" and substitute with "struggles"; to delete "promote focused discussion in the community on the deep-rooted issues of developing the economy and improving people's livelihood, so as to" after "the SAR Government to" and substitute with "change its outdated policy thinking, and"; and to add "and a policy blueprint for improving people's livelihood, including treating the public money allocated for poverty alleviation and social welfare as 'investment' and not 'expenditure', and taking into account the collaboration and complementarity of various policies to achieve maximum effectiveness, so as" after "strategies".

Public Officers to attend:Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development

Clerk to the Legislative Council