Legislative Council

LC Paper No. LS47/98-99

Paper for the House Committee Meeting of the Legislative Council on 23 October 1998

Legal Service Division Report on Lifts and Escalators (Safety) (Amendment) Bill 1998

Object of the Bill

The Bill amends the Lifts and Escalators (Safety) Ordinance (Cap. 327) ("the Ordinance") to improve the statutory control over the safety of lifts and escalators.

LegCo Brief Reference

2. PELB(L)30/30/75(98)IV issued by the Planning, Environment and Lands Bureau on 17 September 1998.

Date of First Reading

3. 30 September 1998.

Comments

4. The Bill proposes to improve the efficacy of the Ordinance by :
  1. extending application of the Ordinance to mechanized vehicle parking systems, other than those which do not pass through any floor and the height of travel of which does not exceed 3.5 metres;

  2. imposing the same examination, testing, maintenance and safety requirements for passenger lifts under the Ordinance to service lifts;

  3. upgrading the minimum qualifications for registration as a lift or escalator engineer and contractor, expanding their scope of duties and requiring payment of fee on application for registration; and

  4. reorganizing the disciplinary boards, disciplinary board panels, appeal board and appeal board panel for registered lift or escalator engineers and contractors.
5. In response to queries from the Legal Service Division on the technical aspects, the Administration has agreed to move certain Committee Stage Amendments to improve the drafting of the Bill.

Public Consultation

6. According to the Brief, major professional bodies of the industry support the legislative proposals.

Consultation with the LegCo Panel

7. No consultation with any LegCo Panel has been carried out.

Conclusion

8. A further report will be made upon receipt of the proposed Committee Stage Amendments. In the meantime, Members may consider setting up a Bills Committee to study the policy aspects of the Bill.

Prepared by
Wong Sze-man, Bernice
Assistant Legal Adviser
Legislative Council Secretariat
21 October 1998
Bill/Lifts