A 20/21-33

Legislative Council

Agenda

Wednesday 16 June 2021 at 11:00 am

I.
Laying of Papers on the Table of the Council

4 items of subsidiary legislation and 2 other papers to be laid on the Table of the Council set out in Appendix 1

II.
Questions

Members to ask 22 questions (6 for oral replies and 16 for written replies)
Questions for oral replies to be asked by
Public officers to reply
1.
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Under Secretary for Food and Health
2.
Secretary for Home Affairs
Under Secretary for Food and Health
3.
Hon Elizabeth QUAT
Chief Secretary for Administration
4.
Secretary for Home Affairs
Under Secretary for Development
5.
Secretary for Development
Under Secretary for the Environment
6.
Secretary for Security
Contents of 22 questions, Members to ask such questions and public officers to reply set out in Appendix 2

III.
Member's Motion

Motion on "Policy on unemployment loan"
Mover
:
Hon POON Siu-ping
Wording of the motion
:
2 amendment movers
:
Hon LUK Chung-hung and Hon Vincent CHENG
(Amendments set out in LC Paper No. CB(3) 635/20-21 issued on 3 June 2021)
Public officers to attend
:
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Under Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
Under Secretary for Labour and Welfare



Clerk to the Legislative Council





Appendix 1

Council meeting of 16 June 2021

Laying of Papers on the Table of the Council

Subsidiary legislation
Legal Notice No.
Other papers





Appendix 2

22 questions to be asked at the Council meeting of 16 June 2021

Subject matters
Public officers to reply
Questions for oral replies
1
Dr Hon Pierre CHAN
Secretary for Labour and Welfare
Under Secretary for Food and Health
2
Hon Kenneth LAU
Secretary for Home Affairs
Under Secretary for Food and Health
3
Hon Elizabeth QUAT
Chief Secretary for Administration
4
Hon CHAN Han-pan
Secretary for Home Affairs
Under Secretary for Development
5
Hon Wilson OR
Secretary for Development
Under Secretary for the Environment
6
Hon Holden CHOW
Secretary for Security
Questions for written replies
7
Hon Michael TIEN
Secretary for Education
8
Hon Christopher CHEUNG
Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development
9
Hon SHIU Ka-fai
Secretary for Food and Health
10
Hon YIU Si-wing
Secretary for Transport and Housing
11
Hon Mrs Regina IP
Secretary for Education
12
Hon LEUNG Che-cheung
Secretary for Home Affairs
13
Hon Starry LEE
Secretary for Food and Health
14
Dr Hon CHIANG Lai-wan
Secretary for Education
15
Hon Frankie YICK
Secretary for Transport and Housing
16
Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok
Secretary for Innovation and Technology
17
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG
Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury
18
Hon Tony TSE
Secretary for Development
19
Hon Alice MAK
Secretary for Development
20
Hon Paul TSE
Chief Secretary for Administration
21
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Secretary for the Environment
22
Hon Elizabeth QUAT
Secretary for Labour and Welfare





Question 1
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Supporting victims of sexual violence

Dr Hon Pierre CHAN to ask:
The Hospital Authority ("HA") has made available two designated rooms in each of the 18 public hospitals with accident and emergency ("A&E") departments across the territory to provide victims of sexual violence with one-stop services, including diagnosis and treatment, statement taking and forensic examinations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of persons, who claimed to have been raped or indecently assaulted, receiving diagnosis and treatment at the A&E departments of public hospitals in each of the past five years; among such persons, the number of those who had their statements taken and who underwent forensic examinations in the same hospital, as well as the number of those who went through only one of these two procedures and the reasons for that; if such information is unavailable, whether it will compile the statistics;
(2)
of the respective numbers of persons, who claimed to have been raped or indecently assaulted, receiving diagnosis and treatment, having their statements taken and undergoing forensic examinations in (i) the designated rooms and (ii) other places of public hospitals, in each of the past five years, and the reasons why these procedures were not conducted in the designated rooms; if such information is unavailable, whether it will compile the statistics; and
(3)
given that this Council passed a motion at its meeting of 12 December 2018 urging the Government to allocate additional resources to HA for setting up a crisis support centre in a public hospital on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon and in the New Territories respectively, of the details and latest progress of the related follow-up work, including site selection, funding arrangements and the timetable for public consultation?





Question 2
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Virtual lucky draw functions in video games

Hon Kenneth LAU to ask:
It has been reported that quite a number of video games in the market provide functions for gamers to join lucky draws in the games, upon making extra payments (i.e. the Internet term "in-game purchases"), to purchase virtual commodities such as game props ("virtual lucky draws"). In addition, some video game manufacturers induce gamers to make incessant in-game purchases by using various tactics. As a result, some gamers, in the hope of getting their favourite virtual commodities by lucky draws, have become addicted to in-game purchases. Details such as the probability of drawing commodities and the lucky draw prizes are not disclosed in such games, and the terms of use of such games lack protection for the gamers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints about virtual lucky draws received by the authorities in each of the past five years, and how such complaints were handled;
(2)
of the measures in place to help gamers who are addicted to in-game purchases to quit addiction, and to prevent more gamers from being addicted to in-game purchases; and
(3)
whether it will, by following the practices on the Mainland and in other regions, regulate the virtual lucky draw functions in video games and bring virtual lucky draws within the ambit of the Gambling Ordinance by classifying them as gambling activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?





Question 3
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

The legal aid system

Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
In recent years, the applicants of quite a number of judicial review ("JR") related cases have been granted legal aid, which enabled them to engage, by using public money, counsel of their choice to act for them in challenging the Executive Authorities' decisions. This has aroused queries from some members of the public that legal aid has been abused. Early this month, the Chief Executive indicated that details of the existing legal aid system such as the administration, allocation of cases and assignment of lawyers could be reviewed afresh. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of JR-related cases in the past 10 years the applicants of which were granted legal aid; among such cases, the number of those in respect of which legal aid application was initially rejected but eventually granted upon appeal, as well as the number and percentage of those in which the court ruled in favour of the applicants;
(2)
given that there were respectively 81 and 82 JR-related legal aid cases in the past two years, but such cases were assigned respectively to only 27 and 25 counsel among the 1 171 counsel on the Legal Aid Panel, whether it has assessed if such concentration of case assignment is related to the requirement, as set out in the selection criteria, of experience in handling cases in the relevant area of work, and to the arrangement that the aided persons may choose for themselves lawyers to act for them; whether it will reform the systems for lawyer selection and allocation of cases; if so, of the timetable; and
(3)
whether the Legal Aid Department will, by drawing reference from the practice of the Judiciary in making public judgments and reasons for verdict on its website, make public on the Internet the justifications for granting or rejecting legal aid applications on the premise of not violating the principles of privacy protection and confidentiality, so as to enhance transparency?





Question 4
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Commemorating the history of and martyrs in
Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression

Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask:
It is learnt that during the occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese army, the Hong Kong Independent Battalion ("the Battalion") under the Dongjiang Column anti-Japanese aggression guerrilla force of the Communist Party of China rescued quite a number of cultural elites and members of the Allied troops who had been captured, making significant contribution in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has new plans to preserve the historical facts about the Battalion's fight against Japanese aggression and commend the Battalion's contribution and patriotism, as well as to use such materials for the purpose of education on patriotism;
(2)
given that a historical research institution has, in collaboration with organizations such as the fraternity association of the Battalion's members, submitted to the Government a proposal for the construction of an anti-Japanese aggression heritage trail in areas from Sha Tau Kok to Wu Kau Tang in North District, with a view to displaying the historical facts about anti-Japanese aggression and paying tribute to the martyrs, thereby strengthening the national and ethnic identity of Hong Kong people (especially young people), whether the Government will adopt the proposal; whether it will consider taking over the management and maintenance of the monuments for anti-Japanese aggression martyrs situated in Tsam Chuk Wan in Sai Kung and Wu Kau Tang; and
(3)
whether it will invite the surviving members of the Battalion to serve as tour guides for anti-Japanese aggression memorial facilities, and grant pensions to them and the descendants of the deceased members of the Battalion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?





Question 5
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

A site in Area 137 of Tseung Kwan O

Hon Wilson OR to ask:
A site of approximately 80 hectares in Area 137 of Tseung Kwan O is currently used as a temporary fill bank by way of Temporary Government Land Allocation ("TGLA") until 31 December this year. In December 2016, a consultant commissioned by the Government commenced a three-year planning and engineering study on such site, but the study has not yet been completed to date. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest progress of the aforesaid study, and whether the consultant has undertaken to submit the study report within this year;
(2)
as the Government has indicated that it will apply for an extension of the TGLA arrangement for the aforesaid fill bank, whether the Government will shelve such decision and release the site concerned progressively for other development as originally pledged; and
(3)
as the Development Bureau is studying the reprovisioning of the concrete batching plants in the Yau Tong Industrial Area to Area 137, of the progress of the study?





Question 6
(For oral reply)

(Translation)

Sexual Conviction Record Check Scheme

Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
Under the Sexual Conviction Record Check ("SCRC") Scheme, schools, residential care homes for disabled persons, private tutorial centres and private interest/activity institutions ("employing organizations") may request prospective employees and contract renewal employees who undertake work relating to children and mentally incapacitated persons ("MIPs") to make an application to the Police for a check on their own sexual offence conviction records. The Police will then disclose the relevant records to the employing organizations directly. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of SCRC applications received by the Police in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by the type of employing organizations; whether it knows the number of prospective employees who were not employed because the employing organizations had learnt of their sexual offence conviction records;
(2)
of the respective numbers of reported cases, received by the Police in each of the past five years, on children and MIPs having been sexually assaulted on the various types of premises of the employing organizations; among such cases, the respective numbers of those which involved repeated sexual offenders and those in which the employing organizations had been informed of the sexual offence conviction records of such persons through the SCRC Scheme beforehand; and
(3)
whether it will consider changing the nature of the SCRC Scheme from voluntary to compulsory, and designating other persons undertaking the aforesaid work (including candidates for private tutors, incumbent employees of employing organizations, self-employed persons and voluntary workers) as eligible applicants for SCRC?





Question 7
(For written reply)

(Translation)

The medium of instruction arrangements for secondary schools

Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
The Education Bureau ("EDB") has, since the 2010-2011 school year, implemented at junior secondary levels the fine-tuned medium of instruction ("MOI") arrangements for secondary schools under six-year cycles. Under such arrangements, schools are no longer categorized as Chinese-medium secondary schools and English-medium secondary schools, and schools may exercise professional discretion on MOI for individual classes or groups, having regard to their school-based circumstances. If the average proportion of Secondary One ("S1") intake of a school admitted to a class belonging to the "top 40%" group in the previous two years reaches 85% of the size of a class (i.e. 29 students, calculated on the basis of the S1 allocation class size of 34 in 2010), the school will be deemed to have satisfied the "student ability" criterion and, having regard to other prescribed criteria, may then exercise professional discretion on MOI for the class concerned. As announced by EDB in April this year, starting from the 2022-2023 school year, "S1 allocation class size" will be replaced by the "secondary school average class size" in the 2020-2021 school year as the parameter for determining the number of places for which schools will be given professional discretion to determine the MOI arrangements according to the student ability criterion. As the "secondary school average class size" in the 2020-2021 school year is 27 students, 85% means 22 students. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the aforesaid change in the parameter has lowered the threshold for schools to use English as MOI; if so, whether it has estimated if the total number of English-medium classes offered by schools will increase as a result, thereby causing more students with difficulties of learning in English to be misallocated to English-medium classes; and
(2)
given that EDB formulated the current calculation method for the student ability criterion based on a report of the Education Commission released in as early as 2005, whether EDB will review the various parameters of such calculation method, so as to ensure that the method can effectively reflect students' ability for making appropriate MOI arrangements?  





Question 8
(For written reply)

(Translation)

The BUD Fund

Hon Christopher CHEUNG to ask:
The Government introduced in June 2012 "the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales" ("the BUD Fund") to provide funding support to non-listed Hong Kong enterprises to enhance their competitiveness and further business development on the Mainland and in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and other economies with which Hong Kong has signed Free Trade Agreements, through developing brands, upgrading and restructuring operations and promoting sales. Moreover, the Government injected $1.5 billion into the BUD Fund in April this year, thereby increasing its approved commitment from $4.5 billion to $6 billion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the total number of applications received under the BUD Fund since its introduction; among such applications, the respective numbers of those which were (i) approved, (ii) withdrawn, and (iii) rejected, and the respective percentages of such numbers in the total number of applications, with a breakdown by the industry to which the applicant enterprises belonged; the main reasons for some applications being rejected;
(2)
of the publicity and promotional measures taken by the Government for ensuring that eligible enterprises in various industries are aware that they may apply for funding support under the BUD Fund for the purpose of business development on the Mainland and in overseas markets; and
(3)
as quite a number of enterprises have relayed that the application procedure for the BUD Fund is cumbersome, of the average time taken for vetting and approving each application received by the Fund, and whether the Government will further streamline the application procedure so that small and medium enterprises with genuine needs can obtain funding support in a timely manner?





Question 9
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Supply of niches of public columbaria

Hon SHIU Ka-fai to ask:
Regarding the supply of niches of public columbaria, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government plans to develop a columbarium at a site with an area of 9 300 square metres at Siu Ho Wan on Lantau Island for the provision of about 33 500 niches, of the following information about the project:
(i)
the permitted plot ratio of the site concerned;
(ii)
whether the plot ratio of the proposed building will reach the permitted plot ratio of the site; if not, of the reasons for that, and whether it will consider increasing the floor area of the building until its plot ratio has reached the permitted plot ratio of the site, so as to provide more niches; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(iii)
the distance of the proposed building from residential areas and livelihood facilities;
(2)
whether it will explore the feasibility of increasing the number of niches to be provided under the project mentioned in (1); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it has assessed if the supply of public niches in the coming two decades will be sufficient to meet the demand; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the negative, of the proposals to resolve the problem; and
(4)
of the following information about the various public columbaria across the territory at present (set out in a table):
(i)
location,
(ii)
the number of niches provided,
(iii)
the permitted plot ratio of the site concerned, and
(iv)
whether the plot ratio of the building concerned has reached the permitted plot ratio of the site concerned; if not, of the number of niches that have been forgone due to the plot ratio not being fully utilized?





Question 10
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Supporting the cross-boundary passenger service sector

Hon YIU Si-wing to ask:
Since the outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic early last year, cross-boundary passenger services have come to a standstill due to the closure of various boundary control points one after another and the plunge in the number of cross-boundary travellers. As there is no definite time for the resumption of normal traveller clearance between Hong Kong and the Mainland and Macao, all the cross-boundary passenger service operators ("the operators") have been complaining bitterly about their hardship. In the past ten-odd months, apart from paying the recurrent expenses, they had to meet the repair and maintenance costs of their conveyances. Before resumption of operation in the future, they will need to put in a large amount of capital to repair those conveyances which have been left idle in the open air for a long time to ensure traffic safety, and to recruit drivers and other staff members afresh. Those operators consider that as the cross-boundary passenger service sector has made tremendous contributions to the economies of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao over the years, it is incumbent upon the Government to support the sector to tide over the difficulties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of trips made by and passenger trips made on the (i) cross-boundary coaches and (ii) cross-boundary ferries, in each year from 2018 to 2020 and in the first quarter of this year;
(2)
whether it has, since February this year, implemented special measures to support the cross-boundary passenger service sector; if so, of the details;
(3)
given that there is no definite time for the re-opening of the various boundary control points, whether the Government will consider providing the operators with emergency financial support in order to avoid their business being closed down before normal traveller clearance resumes; and
(4)
whether it will expeditiously establish a "business resumption fund" for the cross-boundary passenger service sector to facilitate the operators' preparation for the resumption of normal traveller clearance?  





Question 11
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Arrangements for subjects of
the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination

Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
Regarding the arrangements for the subjects of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education ("HKDSE") Examination, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Education Bureau ("EDB") has decided, in view of the continuous decrease in the number of schools offering the subjects of "Combined Science" and "Integrated Science" and the number of students taking them in recent years, to phase out the two subjects in Secondary Four starting from the next school year, whether EDB continuously monitored in the past five years the changes in the number of students taking the two subjects and studied the reasons therefor; if so, of the details, and why EDB had not phased out the two subjects at an earlier time; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that only 19 and 15 persons respectively sat the Applied Learning Subjects of "Creative Advertising" and "Magazine Editing and Production" of the HKDSE Examination held last year, whether EDB has studied the reasons for the unpopularity of such subjects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as some parents have pointed out that since the Applied Learning Subjects of "Applied Psychology", "Practical Psychology", "Railway Studies", "Medical Laboratory Science" and "Interior Design", etc. have contents too difficult for secondary school students and require such students to grasp a vast reserve of knowledge, they worry that their children taking such subjects will learn by rote, whether EDB will review the curriculum contents of such subjects; and
(4)
whether EDB has formulated key performance indicators for the various subjects of the HKDSE Examination; if so, of the details?





Question 12
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Relics and history of Hong Kong's
resistance against Japanese aggression

Hon LEUNG Che-cheung to ask:
It is learnt that during the period from occupation of Hong Kong by the Japanese army to Japan's surrender, the Hong Kong Independent Battalion of the Dongjiang Column, an anti-Japanese aggression guerrilla force under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, had staged resistance efforts against the Japanese army, and rescued quite a number of cultural elites and members of the Allied troops who had been captured, making significant contribution to the victory in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. There are views that the Government has not attached much importance to the history of Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression and the conservation of the relevant relics, which has resulted in Hong Kong people's lack of knowledge about the relevant history. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will formulate an overall plan for the conservation of the relics of Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that the two monuments for anti-Japanese aggression martyrs which were erected in Wu Kau Tang of North District and in Tsam Chuk Wan of Sai Kung by people in the community, have been incorporated by the State Council into the List of State Facilities and Sites Marking the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, but they have been defaced during the disturbances arising from the opposition to the proposed legislative amendments, whether the Government will in future assist in the repair and maintenance of the two monuments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will subsidize universities and community organizations to conduct comprehensive researches on the history of Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression, with a view to providing materials for national education; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will consider establishing a permanent memorial hall on the history of Hong Kong's resistance against Japanese aggression, so as to make a complete presentation of the relevant history; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?  





Question 13
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Food safety of meat products from Taiwan

Hon Starry LEE to ask:
Beta-adrenergic agonists (commonly known as "leanness-enhancing agents") may promote growth and muscle leanness in certain food animal species. Some experts have pointed out that human consumption of meat containing an excessive quantity of leanness-enhancing agents on a long-term basis may increase the risk of developing certain diseases. Since 1 January this year, the Taiwan authorities have allowed the import of pork containing ractopamine (a kind of leanness-enhancing agent) from the United States ("US"). In reply to my relevant question on 11 November last year, the Secretary for Food and Health indicated that the Centre for Food Safety ("CFS") would continue to adopt a risk-based approach to take samples of meat products from Taiwan for testing under the routine Food Surveillance Programme. Earlier on, a media organization reported the results of the sampling tests it conducted on eight pork products from the market, which were manufactured in Taiwan and US: the ractopamine levels in seven products all exceeded the prescribed limits in Hong Kong (by a maximum of 27.6 times) while three products manufactured in Taiwan and one manufactured in US were found to contain clenbuterol, a leanness-enhancing agent prohibited in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of samples of meat products from Taiwan on which CFS conducted tests for concentration of leanness-enhancing agents from January to May this year, and the results of such tests; how the number and results compare with those of the same period last year; whether the meat products sampled for testing included meatballs, canned minced pork, jerky and meat floss; if not, of the reasons for that;
(2)
as the Government indicated in March this year that the samples of meat and related products taken for tests for concentration of leanness-enhancing agents by CFS from 2017 to 2020 all passed the tests, whether the Government will examine why such results differ significantly from the situation as revealed by the aforesaid report; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will, in the light of the aforesaid report, step up the sampling tests on the meat products from Taiwan (including meatballs, canned minced pork, jerky and meat floss) for concentration of leanness-enhancing agents; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will, by following the practice on the Mainland and in the European Union, amend the legislation to impose a total ban on the import of meat and meat products containing leanness-enhancing agents; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?





Question 14
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Publicly funded student financial assistance schemes

Dr Hon CHIANG Lai-wan to ask:
Regarding the publicly funded student financial assistance schemes administered by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information in each of the past 10 years:
(i)
the number of students who enrolled in publicly funded tertiary programmes, and
(ii)
the respective numbers of students who enrolled in self-financing and locally accredited full-time (a) associate degree, (b) higher diploma and (c) degree programmes;
(2)
in respect of the Tertiary Student Finance Scheme - Publicly Funded Programmes ("TSFS") and the Financial Assistance Scheme for Post-secondary Students ("FASP") in each of the past 10 years, of the respective numbers of applications (i) received, (ii) in respect of which the maximum amount of grant was approved, (iii) in respect of which an amount of grant equivalent to 50% or more but less than 100% of the maximum amount was approved, (iv) in respect of which the maximum amount of loan was approved, and (v) in respect of which an amount of loan equivalent to 50% or more but less than 100% of the maximum amount was approved (set out in a table);
(3)
of the respective total amounts of loans approved under (i) TSFS, (ii) FASP, (iii) the Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Full-time Tertiary Students, (iv) the Non-means-tested Loan Scheme for Post-secondary Students and (v) the Extended Non-means-tested Loan Scheme, as well as the number of default cases and the total amount of money in default in respect of each scheme, in each of the past 10 years;
(4)
whether it has plans to increase the proportions of underprivileged students in the publicly funded tertiary programmes as well as self-financing and locally accredited full-time degree programmes; if so, of the details; and
(5)
whether, in order to alleviate the financial burden of persons who have to repay student loans, the Government will introduce "a tax allowance for student debts" in respect of salaries tax?





Question 15
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Supply of car parking spaces

Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
Some heavy goods vehicle drivers living in Tseung Kwan O have relayed that due to shortage of car parking spaces, they can only park their vehicles on the roadside in the district at night without blocking the traffic. However, they are often issued with multiple fixed penalty notices ("FPNs") by the Police for illegal parking, causing them to lose a whole day's worth of income. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of FPNs issued in each of the past two years by the Police for illegal parking and, among them, the respective numbers of those (i) which were issued between 10 pm and 6 am on the following day, and (ii) which were issued in respect of the same vehicle within 24 hours, with a breakdown by District Council ("DC") district; if such figures are unavailable, whether it will compile such statistics;
(2)
of the number of each class of licensed vehicles (including private cars, motorcycles, vans, medium goods vehicles, heavy goods vehicles, non-franchised public buses, public light buses, and school private light buses) and the respective numbers of public car parking spaces available for their use, in each of the past two years, as well as the respective ratios of the former to the latter;
(3)
of the current numbers of night-time on-street car parking spaces for parking by the classes of commercial vehicles ("CVs") mentioned in (2), and the expected changes in such numbers in the coming five years, with a breakdown by DC district; and
(4)
of the measures in place to expedite the provision of more night-time on-street car parking spaces for parking by CVs on the roads with little traffic during night time throughout the territory (particularly in Tseung Kwan O district)?





Question 16
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Promoting the products and technologies
of local scientific researches

Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok to ask:
As a number of major convention and exhibition events in Hong Kong were either postponed or cancelled last year under the impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, and coupled with the fact that cross-boundary travels of people have been hindered by quarantine measures, it has been difficult for enterprises to contact potential overseas clients and promote their products to those clients. Members of the industrial and commercial sectors generally consider that the Government should more pro-actively promote the products and technologies of local scientific researches and assist the sectors in using information technology to enhance operation efficiency and promote their products to overseas clients, thereby opening up new opportunities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Hong Kong Trade Development Council ("HKTDC") currently conducts, through an online platform, overseas promotion of local anti-epidemic medical products and technologies, and has stepped up efforts in matching local enterprises with overseas clients, whether it knows the number of enterprises to whom assistance has been rendered through that platform since January 2020, together with a breakdown by number of staff of such enterprises (i.e., (i) less than 50 persons and (ii) 50 persons or more), as well as the major type of products and technologies involved;
(2)
whether the Government and HKTDC have, since January 2020, assisted local enterprises in promoting, apart from anti-epidemic medical products and technologies, other types of products and technologies of local scientific researches to overseas markets; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the Government has made more use of such products and technologies so as to take the lead in using them and elevate the standard of services of various government departments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
given that the Government introduced, one after another in 2020 under the Anti-epidemic Fund, (a) the Subsidy Scheme for Encouraging Early Deployment of 5G and (b) the Distance Business Programme to facilitate the use of information technology by public and private institutions, of the following statistics on the two schemes: (i) the number of applications received, (ii) the number of applications approved, and (iii) the average amount of subsidies granted to each institution whose application had been approved, together with a breakdown by the industry to which the applicant institution belonged; whether the Government will accept afresh applications submitted under such schemes, or introduce new schemes of a similar nature, with a view to enhancing the competitiveness of local enterprises; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will formulate objective key performance indicators for assessing the extent of commercialization of the results of local research and development; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?





Question 17
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Remitting Renminbi to the Mainland

Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask:
In recent months, a number of Hong Kong people who have purchased properties in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("Greater Bay Area") have sought my assistance. Earlier on, as they had planned to pay for the properties via the Mainland bank accounts under their names, they entrusted money changers to remit Renminbi ("RMB") to those accounts. Afterwards, Mainland law enforcement agencies froze the accounts concerned on the grounds that the money involved was connected with unlawful acts under investigation. Some of such accounts have so far been frozen for more than one year. They have sought assistance from the Customs and Excise Department ("C&ED") and the Consumer Council ("the Council"), but to no avail. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of complaints against money changers received by C&ED and the Council in the past three years and, among such cases, the number of those which involved Mainland bank accounts which were frozen due to connection with unlawful activities; and
(2)
given that in recent years, it has been increasingly common for Hong Kong people to live and purchase properties in Mainland cities (especially in the Greater Bay Area), (i) what new measures have been put in place by the Government to increase Hong Kong people's awareness of the risks involved in remitting money to pay for the properties via money changers, and (ii) whether it will strive for the Mainland authorities' introduction of more measures to facilitate the purchases of properties on the Mainland by Hong Kong people (e.g. implementing supporting remittance arrangements and raising the daily limit on the amount of RMB that may be remitted to the Mainland by Hong Kong people)?





Question 18
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Land uses

Hon Tony TSE to ask:
Regarding land uses, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
among the lands in Hong Kong at present, of the respective areas of the lands which (i) have been and (ii) have not been included in an Outline Zoning Plan ("OZP");
(2)
of a breakdown, by the following uses, of the areas of the lands included in OZPs, and their respective percentages in the total area: (i) Green Belt, (ii) Open Space, (iii) Conservation Area, (iv) Village Type Development, (v) Recreation, (vi) Railways and Roads, (vii) Agriculture, (viii) Grave or Crematorium, (ix) Industrial and Warehouse and (x) Country Park;
(3)
whether it has regularly reviewed the uses of the lands in various OZPs, so as to ensure that the relevant planning can meet the development needs of society; and
(4)
whether it has plans to include more lands in OZPs; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?





Question 19
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Work of the Town Planning Board

Hon Alice MAK to ask:
Regarding the work of the Town Planning Board ("TPB"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the total number of meetings held by TPB and its committees as well as the total number of meeting hours involved, in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the respective numbers of applications received by TPB in each of the past five years made under section 12A (amendment of plans on application to TPB), section 16 (applications for permission in respect of plans) and section 17 (right of review) of the Town Planning Ordinance (Cap. 131), and the following information on each type of applications:
(i)
the total number of statutory plans to which amendments were made,
(ii)
the respective numbers of representations and comments received,
(iii)
the total number of hours for which hearings were held and, in respect of the concluded cases, the respective shortest, longest and average hearing time,
(iv)
the number of requests for deferment on consideration of the applications, as well as the respective numbers of times and days of deferment for each application on average,
(v)
the respective numbers of deferment requests approved, rejected and withdrawn, and
(vi)
the number of cases in which approval was given by the Chief Executive for extending, by six months, the time limit for submitting the amended statutory plans to the Chief Executive-in-Council for approval;
(3)
in respect of the three types of applications mentioned in (2), of the respective numbers of applications involving comprehensive development areas which were received, approved and rejected by TPB in each of the past five years; the number of applications withdrawn; for the concluded cases, the respective shortest, longest and average time taken for handling the cases; and
(4)
whether it will study simplifying, by amending Cap. 131, the procedure relating to land planning, so as to shorten the time taken for such procedure?





Question 20
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Small claims

Hon Paul TSE to ask:
In recent months, my office has received a growing number of requests for assistance related to the enforcement of small claims judgments. The assistance seekers indicated that they had filed a case at an earlier time against the debtor in the Small Claims Tribunal ("SCT") and obtained a judgment in their favour, but the debtor still refused to pay the judgment sum, rendering the judgment de facto void. In addition, some members of the public have pointed out that despite an increase of the jurisdictional limit of SCT from $50,000 to $75,000 on 3 December 2018, such a claim limit is still a far cry from the amounts involved in civil disputes in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows if there was a significant increase in the number of cases filed in SCT in each year after the increase of the jurisdictional limit of SCT, when compared with that in each of the two years before the increase of the limit;
(2)
whether it knows the number of applications for enforcement of SCT judgments received by the Bailiff Office of the Judiciary in the past two years; the number and percentage of cases in which the applicants successfully recovered the judgment sums;
(3)
of the effective and feasible measures or channels, other than the channel mentioned in (2), currently in place to assist the party in whose favour the judgment has been given in recovering the judgment sum;
(4)
whether it will consider (i) amending the legislation to empower adjudicators to impose penalty on those who have failed to comply with their judgments, and (ii) streamlining the procedure for enforcement of judgments to enable claimants to receive the judgment sums expeditiously after obtaining a judgment in their favour; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether it will further increase the jurisdictional limit of SCT (e.g. $100,000) expeditiously, so as to respond to the demand of members of the public?





Question 21
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Hunting by means of animal traps

Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
The Wild Animals Protection Ordinance (Cap. 170) stipulates that any person who, without permission, possesses hunting appliances, or hunts wild animals by means of hunting appliances, shall be guilty of an offence and be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000. It has been reported that a number of incidents have occurred recently in which animals and members of the public were injured by animal traps illegally set up in the rural areas. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of reports received since January 2018 on the casualties of animals and members of the public caused by animal traps, with a breakdown of the former by animal species;
(2)
of the following information on the law enforcement actions taken since January 2018 against hunting by means of animal traps:
(i)
the number of patrols, as well as the number of animal traps seized and removed during the patrols, with a breakdown by the location of the animal traps;
(ii)
the number of cases into which investigations were initiated; and
(iii)
the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted, and the penalties imposed on those convicted;
(3)
of the locations at which animal traps have frequently been found; whether it has taken special measures (e.g. deploying officers to lay an ambush or installing surveillance systems) to step up efforts in combating the crimes concerned;
(4)
whether it will consider amending Cap. 170 to raise the relevant penalties (e.g. introducing an imprisonment penalty), with a view to enhancing the deterrent effects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
given that some animal traps were reportedly purchased from a Mainland shopping website, whether it has taken targeted measures (e.g. stepping up random checks on express imports) to curb the illegal import of animal traps; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?  





Question 22
(For written reply)

(Translation)

Protecting children from being abused

Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
Between 2006 and 2015, there were six cases on average each year in which children died of assault. The number of new cases of child abuse has risen persistently in recent years, which can be seen by the fact that the number in 1999 rose by 75% to more than 1 000 in 2019. There are views that the current number of reported cases of child abuse may just be the tip of the iceberg, as reporting of suspected child abuse cases is made only on a voluntary basis. On the other hand, a sub-committee of the Law Reform Commission has recommended the introduction of a new criminal offence, namely "failure to protect a child or vulnerable person where the child's or vulnerable person's death or serious harm results from an unlawful act or neglect" ("the new offence"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government indicated earlier on that it was preparing to explore the possibilities of enacting legislation on the proposed new offence, of the progress and outcome of the exploratory work, including whether it will enact such legislation; if so, of the timetable, and the new measures, before the commencement of such legislation, to step up protection for children of at-risk families from being abused;
(2)
given that about 70 jurisdictions around the world have put in place a mechanism for mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse cases and the Office of The Ombudsman, Hong Kong recommended in 2019 that the Government explore the feasibility of such mechanism, whether the Government will expeditiously launch public consultation on the establishment of such mechanism, and actively consider establishing such mechanism; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views that there is no provision in the existing legislation against acts of psychological/mental abuse of children, whether the Government will, by drawing reference from overseas practices, enact relevant legislation, so that persons who abuse children psychologically/mentally will be held criminally liable; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?