Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Solving the manpower shortage problem in the aviation industry
Hon Nixie LAM to ask:
It has been reported that the COVID-19 epidemic has dealt a heavy blow to Hong Kong's aviation industry, resulting in a substantial loss of manpower in the industry. Some members of the aviation industry have relayed that with the relaxation of anti-epidemic measures in various places, the demand for air transport is expected to increase rapidly, and the problem of manpower succession in the aviation industry will become more severe by then. Such situation will not only affect the supply of outbound flights, but also make it difficult to meet the requirements placed upon Hong Kong in the context of the overall development of the country, putting Hong Kong in danger of losing its important status as an international aviation hub. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the authorities know the manpower demand and supply situation of various job types in the aviation industry, including the total number of employed persons in 2022 and the number of existing job vacancies, and whether they have assessed if the relevant manpower in the aviation industry is sufficient to meet the demand arising from the resumption of growth in passenger and cargo flights;
(2)
of the support measures implemented by the Government to assist the industry in solving the manpower shortage problem, and the respective effectiveness of such measures; and
(3)
given that some members of the industry have relayed that some job types in the aviation industry, such as pilots, aircraft maintenance engineers, runway maintenance personnel and air cargo loadmasters, are facing an acute shortage of manpower, whether the authorities will consider including the aforesaid job types in the "Talent List of Hong Kong", and importing the aforesaid types of workers at or below the level of technician under the "Supplementary Labour Scheme" as short-term measures to solve the manpower shortage problem; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the development of innovation and technology
Hon SHANG Hailong to ask:
The Government earlier on promulgated the "Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint" to establish a clear development path for Hong Kong's innovation and technology ("I&T") work. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Government has put forward a number of initiatives to "compete for enterprises" in the latest Policy Address, whether the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau will strengthen collaboration with the "Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises" in formulating the relevant plans, and set clear key performance indicators for the relevant work, so as to facilitate the Legislative Council and the public to monitor the implementation progress of the relevant work; and
(2)
whether, in order to pool together more technology talents, the Government will consider formulating a special mechanism with the Mainland Government to provide more facilitation measures for the future development of major I&T cooperation hubs including the San Tin Technopole and the Loop, such as allowing Mainland I&T personnel who hold legal travel documents and need to commute frequently between Hong Kong and the Mainland to adopt an approach of "leaving early and returning late" in travelling between the two places?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Telemedicine services
Hon LAI Tung-kwok to ask:
It is learnt that in 1998, the Hospital Authority ("HA") started to provide remote video consultation service through video conferencing systems on a limited basis to a small number of elderly people living in residential care homes for the elderly ("RCHEs"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows if HA still provides the aforesaid consultation service at present; if HA does, of the number of consultations provided in each of the past five years, as well as the hospital clusters and hospitals providing the service; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it is proposed in the 2022 Policy Address that HA will make a wider use of telehealth services to improve patient experience, whether the authorities have plans to extend telehealth services to more RCHEs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views that despite the publication of the "Ethical Guidelines on Practice of Telemedicine" and the related "Questions and Answers" by the Medical Council of Hong Kong, they are still unable to allay the concerns of the healthcare sector about the risk of bearing additional legal liability for providing telemedicine consultation services, whether the authorities have studied the enactment of legislation on telehealth services, so as to clarify the relevant legal liability issues; if so, of the outcome; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Developing traditional Chinese medicine
Dr Hon Hoey Simon LEE to ask:
In November 2022, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine promulgated the "Development Plan for the Informatization of Traditional Chinese Medicine during the 14th Five-Year Plan Period", putting forward "the continuous promotion of an in-depth integration of traditional Chinese medicine ("TCM") business with information technology, and the facilitation of transformation and upgrading of the industry through digitalization, networkization and intelligentization". On the other hand, the Hunan-Jiangxi-Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Traditional Chinese Medicine Industry Chain Collaborative Development Alliance was also established in the same month to focus on promoting the inheritance, innovation and development of TCM. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the initiatives for promoting the informatization of local TCM at present;
(2)
whether it has conducted analyses on the progress of informatization of TCM in Hong Kong and the relevant situation on the Mainland, particularly in the two aspects of testing and scientific research as well as merchandise trading, and explored how collaborative development can be achieved with the Mainland; and
(3)
whether a development plan for the TCM industry is currently in place to explore how to capitalize on Hong Kong's strengths and enhance its cooperation with the Mainland (including other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area) in respect of the TCM industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
The traffic and transport network of Lantau
Hon CHAN Hok-fung to ask:
At present, Tung Chung Road is the only road that links North and South Lantau, and South Lantau Road is the only road connecting various places of South Lantau. Any traffic incident on these two roads will have a serious impact on the traffic on Lantau Island. It is learnt that on the 24th of last month, a traffic accident on South Lantau Road paralysed the traffic in the area for nearly four hours. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that some members of the local community have relayed to me that during the consultations conducted on major infrastructure projects such as the Hong Kong International Airport and the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, the Government has promised to synchronize the overall traffic and transport network linking North and South Lantau in order to achieve a win-win situation, but so far the Government has not constructed any new road to connect Tung Chung with Mui Wo and Tai O, whether the Government has given the Islands District Council ("IDC") an account of the reasons for not implementing the relevant developments; if so, of the details;
(2)
given that last year the Government put forward the proposal to construct "two tunnels and one viaduct" on Lantau Island to connect Mui Wo with Siu Ho Wan and to connect Shek Pik with Tai O Road, etc., of the implementation timetable for the aforesaid proposal, and whether the Government will report the relevant progress to IDC on a regular basis; and
(3)
whether it will construct a traffic and transport network linking North and South Lantau and looping around Lantau Island, with Tung Chung as the centre; if so, of the timetable, and whether it has assessed the difficulties that may be encountered in the implementation of such proposal?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Betting duty
Hon Adrian HO to ask:
Over the past few years, the economy of Hong Kong has been hard hit by the epidemic, and the expenses involved in anti-epidemic and relief measures have amounted to over $600 billion. Some analyses have pointed out that, excluding the amounts of the Housing Reserve and Future Fund ploughed back and the proceeds from the issuance of bonds, the Government has recorded fiscal deficits for three consecutive years, and the fiscal deficit of the current financial year is estimated to be over $100 billion. According to Article 107 of the Basic Law, Hong Kong shall follow the principle of keeping the expenditure within the limits of revenues in drawing up its budget, and strive to achieve a fiscal balance and avoid deficits. There are views that the Government should increase stable and recurrent revenue, and betting duty is one of such revenue. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government raised the betting duty and authorized betting on football matches in 2003, and amended the Betting Duty Ordinance in 2006 to convert the betting duty on horse race bets from turnover-based to a tax on net stake receipts, of the respective betting turnovers of and revenues from betting duty on football betting, betting on horse races, cash-sweeps and lotteries (i.e. Mark Six) in each of the years from 2003 to 2009;
(2)
whether the authorities will conduct a study on raising the betting duty, with a view to increasing the stable revenue of the Government from betting duty; and
(3)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the experience of neighbouring regions in issuing additional betting licences, conduct a study on suitably increasing the number of licences for conducting betting on football matches under section 6I of the Betting Duty Ordinance, with a view to increasing revenue from betting duty; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Provision of employment support for persons with disabilities
Hon Lillian KWOK to ask:
The Rehabilitation Advisory Committee stated in the Persons with Disabilities and Rehabilitation Programme Plan published in June 2020 that promoting employment of persons with disabilities ("PWDs") is to encourage them to contribute to the society at different work positions on the basis of their abilities (rather than their disabilities). Regarding the employment support provided by the Government for PWDs, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of PWDs participated in the various programmes implemented to support the employment of PWDs and the number of employment organizations involved, in each of the past five years;
(2)
whether it has, in respect of the various aforesaid programmes, arranged dedicated manpower to follow up the situation of the participants, as well as provided them with emotional support and followed up their employment situation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Government will regularly review and adjust the amount of subsidy under the Support Programme for Employees with Disabilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Encouraging local talents to stay in Hong Kong for development
Hon Jimmy NG to ask:
Hong Kong lost a labour force of about 140 000 in the past two years. There are views that apart from bringing in outside talents, the Government also needs to introduce measures to encourage local talents to stay in Hong Kong for development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that with the implementation of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the successful implementation of the principle of "patriots administering Hong Kong", Hong Kong has achieved a "transition from chaos to order" and entered the new stage of "advancing from stability to prosperity", whether the authorities will make an effort to mend the social rift and create a relatively relaxed and tolerant political environment, so as to encourage local talents with diversified values to stay in Hong Kong for development; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that the Hospital Authority has earlier launched a series of staff retention measures, including the low-interest home loan scheme for staff and the arrangement for extending the employment of retired staff, etc., whether the authorities will assess the effectiveness of such measures and encourage different industries to launch relevant measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the authorities will set terms for all talent retention measures involving public funding support to ensure that talents who are beneficiaries will stay in Hong Kong for development; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Safety of hikers
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
It is learnt that in recent years, many members of the public are keen on hiking activities, and have used related applications and webpages to obtain relevant information. However, some hikers' lack of safety awareness has resulted in the frequent occurrence of accidents. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of cases in which hikers sought assistance, went missing and suffered casualty in each of the past three years, with a breakdown by the country parks involved; among the hiker missing and death cases, the respective percentages of those involving lone hikers;
(2)
of the number of operations mounted by the authorities to search for and rescue hikers in the past three years, as well as the average time required and the number of search and rescue ("S&R") officers deployed for each of such operations;
(3)
of the number of downloads of the "Enjoy Hiking" mobile application launched by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department so far, and the utilization situation of the "GPS Hiker Tracking Service" function in the application (e.g. the number of S&R operations in which the use of such function by persons seeking rescue helped S&R officers to track their locations or narrow down the search areas in the past three years); whether the Government has reviewed if the GPS Hiker Tracking Service has helped shorten the S&R time, and whether it has plans to introduce measures to increase the usage of the application;
(4)
as it is learnt that hiking applications in the community, apart from providing information on hiking routes, are also equipped with functions of route deviation alerts to prevent hikers from getting lost and offline maps, and can be used to report and upload incidents of damaging the countryside immediately to notify other hikers, whether the Government has reviewed the hiking applications and webpages it launches, with a view to adding similar functions; if so, of the details; and
(5)
whether it will step up education and organize more activities to raise the awareness of hiking safety among members of the public; if so, of the details?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Green Tech Fund
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
The Government established the Green Tech Fund ("the Fund") in 2020 to provide funding support to scientific research projects which promote decarbonization and enhancement of environmental protection in Hong Kong. According to the Government's information, the Government has injected a total of $400 million into the Fund, and the Fund has approved a total of 22 projects so far with a total grant of about $100 million. A total of 191 applications were received and 14 projects were approved in the first round of applications for the Fund, whereas a total of about 100 applications were received and eight projects were approved in the second round of applications. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the total number of applications received in the aforesaid two rounds of applications, and whether it has studied the reasons for the disparity between the number of applications approved and the total number of applications;
(2)
in respect of the unsuccessful applications in the aforesaid two rounds of applications, whether it has summed up the reasons why they were not approved, including the components of the assessment criteria (i.e. "potential contributions to decarbonization and environmental protection", "technical and management capability", "plan for further development of project deliverables" and "financial considerations") that such applications mainly failed to fulfil, with a breakdown of such applications by the main reasons why they were not approved;
(3)
given that among the organizations whose applications were approved, around 70% were "designated local public research institutes", while "local companies" and "research and development centres" account for around 30%, whether it has studied the reasons for the lesser number of the latter being granted funding support; of the authorities' plans to assist more applicants (particularly non-public research institutes) in successfully applying for the Fund; and
(4)
whether it will consolidate the experience of the aforesaid two rounds of applications to hold seminars for the industry to explain the application process of the Fund and the reasons why previous applications were granted and not granted funding support, so that more applicants will understand how they will be granted funding support successfully, and that projects with potential can be granted funding support more easily?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Solving the problem of manpower shortage
Hon SHIU Ka-fai to ask:
The Chief Executive ("CE") has indicated in the 2022 Policy Address that many sectors in Hong Kong are facing manpower shortages, and relevant bureaux will listen to the views of the sectors and put forward solutions having regard to the situation of individual sectors. In addition, in reply to my question raised at the Question and Answer Session of this Council on 19 January this year, CE indicated that for the employment of foreign workers in 13 industries or categories with manpower shortage, there had been no need to conduct prior local recruitment in order to prove the recruitment difficulties, and that CE had requested the 15 policy bureaux to conduct studies and submit reports on whether there was room for expansion in respect of importation of foreign workers for the 13 industries or categories ("the studies"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the industries in respect of which the relevant policy bureaux will put forward solutions to the problem of manpower shortage, as well as the timetable for putting forward the solutions and the contents of such solutions (if any);
(2)
of the 13 industries or categories involved in the studies, and when the 15 policy bureaux will submit the reports on the studies to CE; and
(3)
as it is learnt that the Secretary for Labour and Welfare ("the Secretary") visited Singapore in early January this year, whether the Secretary has gained from the authorities in Singapore a detailed understanding of the local policy and situation on labour importation, including the reasons for importing labour and the benefits brought about by it; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The footbridge at the junction of Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road
Hon Dominic LEE to ask:
Some residents of Tai Wai have complained that there have been a number of issues concerning the management and facilities of the covered footbridge at the junction of Che Kung Miu Road and Mei Tin Road (commonly known as "the octopus bridge") in recent years, and the ongoing demolition works (i.e. the permanent closure and demolition works of part of the bridge and other related facilities on the northern side of the bridge, which were gazetted on 11 November 2011) have also affected their daily lives seriously. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as quite a number of residents in the district have relayed that since the octopus bridge's entrance/exit in close proximity to the MTR Tai Wai Station is closed due to the aforesaid demolition works, they have to make a detour to a newly-built shopping centre nearby to travel to and from the Tai Wai Station and some elderly persons have even slipped and fallen as the floor is too slippery, while the escalators and lifts opened by the shopping centre are unable to handle the tremendous pedestrian flow, whether the Government will consider amending the land lease conditions involving the demolition works to retain the relevant part of the bridge and facilities, so that members of the public can have more choices of routes, thereby diverting the pedestrian flow; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; of the process for amending relevant land lease conditions by the Government and whether there were any precedents;
(2)
as quite a number of residents in the district have pointed out that a number of works are still underway in the aforesaid shopping centre, the odour of "thinner" and noises arising therefrom have seriously affected their health, and they have opined that the developer concerned has closed and demolished the relevant part of the octopus bridge at a too early stage, and the deadline for the completion of the aforesaid demolition works set by the Government is too early, of the justifications for setting the deadline concerned and whether the Government will consider postponing the demolition works for at least one year until the shopping centre is fully open, as well as reopening the part of the bridge which has been closed; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether the Government will discuss with the landlords of the shopping centre about opening more passages (e.g. opening the escape staircases of the shopping centre) and other short-term improvement options, such that residents do not have to make a detour to travel to and from the Tai Wai Station;
(3)
given that some residents in the district have pointed out that graffiti have been painted on and damages have been made to the octopus bridge constantly in recent years, of the number of removals of graffiti on the bridge carried out by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the number of cases in which prosecutions have been instituted against relevant graffiti painters over the past six months, and whether the Government will step up law enforcement efforts or adopt other measures to improve and address the relevant issues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as quite a number of residents in the district have complained that there are various issues concerning the octopus bridge (including insufficient slip resistance on the surface of the staircases, drainage system problems, damages in gutter covers (especially those located on steep roads and under the staircases) and the excessive gaps between gutter covers that often trip pedestrians over, as well as the shortage of rubbish bins, etc.), whether the Government will review and rectify the aforesaid issues; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether it will consider liaising with franchised bus companies to add more signages on the octopus bridge so that residents can have a clearer picture on the locations of nearby bus stops; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
EcoPark
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
It has been reported that when EcoPark commenced operation in 2007, a total of 21 recyclers were successful in the tender exercise, but only 10 tenants remain in operation at present. Such tenants expect the Government to introduce specific support policies. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed if the ancillary facilities of EcoPark are sufficient; given that only about 60% of area of the rentable land at EcoPark has been leased out, whether it has assessed the reasons for the relatively low occupancy rate of EcoPark; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it knows the current management expenses of EcoPark, and whether the monthly rental income of EcoPark is sufficient to offset such expenses;
(3)
of the specific measures in place to assist in collecting waste (e.g. waste metal, waste batteries, waste tyres and food waste) from the market and then handing it to EcoPark tenants, so as to reduce the transportation costs of such tenants;
(4)
whether it will take measures to increase the number of jobs to be created by EcoPark, including providing lots of smaller area to enable smaller recyclers to operate there, and introducing "the number of jobs to be provided" as one of the conditions for awarding tenancy agreements; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
given that some recyclers have indicated that the successful bidders of the various lots at EcoPark need to build factories and apply for water and electricity supply by themselves, which is a time-consuming and cumbersome process, whether the Government will build a multi-storey factory well equipped with water and electricity facilities at EcoPark for successful bidders to move in, so as to reduce the operating costs of the industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6)
as some EcoPark tenants have indicated that in recent years, although the daily per capita municipal solid waste ("MSW") disposal rate in Hong Kong has been increasing year after year, as local recyclers mostly export waste to other places for recycling, the quantity of MSW recycled has continued to drop, whether the Government will adjust the local recycling policy to achieve "according priority to recycling local waste locally"?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the informatization and connectivity of enterprises in Hong Kong and on the Mainland
Hon YIM Kong to ask:
The Innovation and Technology Commission ("ITC") launched the Distance Business Programme ("the D-Biz Programme") in 2020 to support enterprises to continue their operation and provide services through the adoption of information technology solutions during the epidemic. As at mid-January 2022, more than 20 000 enterprises were granted funding. On the other hand, it has been reported that in order to promote the industrial Internet, the Mainland Government is promoting the participation in the initiative of "getting on clouds and platforms" by industrial and commercial enterprises, and encouraging them to use business systems such as "cloud platforms". There are views that even though normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland has now fully resumed, strengthening the ability of enterprises to do business remotely is still an effective means to enhance their competitiveness, and as most of the industrial and commercial enterprises in Hong Kong have close ties with Mainland manufacturers, the integration of the D-Biz Programme with the Mainland's initiative of getting on clouds and platforms will help enhance the connectivity between Hong Kong and other Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"), and promote the re-industrialization of Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the then Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development indicated in his reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 16 February 2022 that the Government had no intention to re-introduce the D-Biz Programme, whether the current-term Government will adopt other innovative ways to continue to optimize the environment for doing business remotely; if so, whether ITC will study with the Mainland's industry and information technology departments the feasibility of getting on clouds and platforms for cooperation; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2)
of the other measures put in place by the current-term Government to promote the informatization and connectivity of industrial and commercial enterprises in Hong Kong and other Mainland cities of GBA?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The BUD Fund
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
To enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises, the Government launched the "Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales" ("BUD Fund") in 2012 to provide funding support to eligible Hong Kong enterprises. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the numbers of applications received and approved under the BUD Fund each year since its launch in 2012, as well as the geographical coverage, the industries, the uses and amounts of the funding involved in such applications;
(2)
given that some enterprises have relayed that some intermediaries charge large amounts of fees for assisting enterprises in applying for the BUD Fund, which has in effect reduced the amounts of funding that really reach the hands of applicant enterprises, whether the Government has received relevant complaints or requests for assistance; if the Government has, whether it can provide information such as the number and types of relevant complaints or requests for assistance as well as the amount of funding involved; if the Government has not, whether it will take the initiative to investigate and examine the situation; and
(3)
whether the Government will review if there are loopholes in the existing application mechanism and requirements for the BUD Fund, and how the Government will step up its monitoring in the future to ensure that the funding can really reach the hands of applicant enterprises?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Provision of additional facilities for accessing the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange
Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
Some members of the local community have relayed that while the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange ("the Interchange") is frequented by passengers and quite a number of them are elderly persons and persons with disabilities, passengers from the nearby Tai Lam bus turnaround area at Pat Heung Road have to navigate steep slopes and staircases in order to reach the Interchange at the entrance of Tai Lam Tunnel, which is very inconvenient for the elderly and persons with disabilities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest statistics on the daily passenger flow at the Interchange during peak hours; and
(2)
whether the authorities have considered including the aforesaid location in the "hillside escalator links and elevator systems", so as to provide additional barrier-free facilities such as elevators between the Interchange and the Tai Lam bus turnaround area at Pat Heung Road, thereby bringing convenience to the elderly and persons with impaired mobility; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Treatment of post Coronavirus Disease 2019 condition
Prof Hon CHAN Wing-kwong to ask:
It has been reported that more than 900 000 recovered patients of Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19") have developed at least one of the symptoms of post COVID-19 condition (commonly known as "long COVID"). There are views that COVID-19 has become a local endemic disease and the number of patients developing symptoms of long COVID will be increasing. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Health Bureau and the Health and Medical Research Fund have awarded grants to seven long COVID related research studies, of the names, contents and results of such studies, as well as the names of the research institutes; the expected completion time of the research studies which have not been completed;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of members of the public who went to public and private healthcare institutions for seeking medical consultation in each of the past six months due to the development of long COVID symptoms; if so, of the relevant symptoms and their duration;
(3)
given that the Hospital Authority ("HA") launched the "Special Chinese Medicine Out-patient Programme for COVID-19 infected persons" ("the Special Programme") in 2020 to provide eligible Hong Kong residents who have been confirmed to have contracted COVID-19 locally but still have COVID-19 sequelae with no more than 10 free Chinese medicine general consultations in the 18 Chinese Medicine Clinics cum Training and Research Centres, whether the Government knows the number of persons seeking medical consultation and the average number of diagnoses and treatments received by each patient under the Special Programme since its launch till the 30th of last month (i.e. the date on which the arrangement of issuing isolation orders was cancelled);
(4)
given that persons receiving services under the Special Programme need to produce the isolation orders issued by the Department of Health, but the arrangement of issuing isolation orders was cancelled on the 30th of last month, whether the Government knows if HA will revise the requirements for using such services, so that eligible members of the public can receive such services;
(5)
given that the Special Programme will end six months after the last date on which isolation orders were issued, whether the Government knows if HA will extend the Special Programme and collaborate with private Chinese medicine practitioners to provide more consultation quotas, thereby meeting the service demand; and
(6)
whether it has plans to carry out extensive publicity and education for members of the public, focusing on information such as the symptoms and treatment of and the nursing of health for long COVID?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Telling well the stories of China and the Hong Kong SAR
Hon Rock CHEN to ask:
The report to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China proposes to "extend the reach and appeal of Chinese civilization", "stay firmly rooted in Chinese culture", "better tell China's stories, make China's voice heard, and present a China that is credible, appealing, and respectable", as well as "better present Chinese culture to the world". There are views that the Hong Kong SAR, in addition to having the distinctive and significant advantages of enjoying strong support of the motherland and being closely connected to the world, is a place where Chinese and Western cultures converge and is in alignment with the world, it is therefore imperative that such strengths be put into good use to tell China's story and the story of the Hong Kong SAR well. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government will enhance the functions of the overseas Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices by including a work requirement of telling well China's story and the story of the Hong Kong SAR, and formulating key performance indicators for the relevant work; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
how the Government currently employs the global office networks and personal connections of the Hong Kong Tourism Board and the Hong Kong Trade Development Council to make every effort to enable the world to better understand China's development and the Hong Kong SAR's unique strengths attributable to "one country, two systems"; and
(3)
whether the Government will nurture more patriotic and competent talents to become members of international institutions, or enhance the training in international affairs provided by the Civil Service College for civil servants and engage them more in international affairs, so that they can help to speak up for China and the Hong Kong SAR in the international arena; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Designated clinics and tele-consultation service under the Hospital Authority
Hon CHAN Pui-leung to ask:
Early last year, the Hospital Authority turned some general outpatient clinics into designated clinics for confirmed cases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), and provided confirmed patients of COVID-19 with tele-consultation service. Such designated clinics and the tele-consultation service ("the clinics and the service") have ceased operation since 30 January this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the average daily number of appointments during the operation period of the clinics and the service, and among such appointments, the respective attendances making appointments through the mobile application "HA Go" and by telephone; among the attendances making appointments by telephone, the number of appointments made via the "Care Booking Line", as well as the number of dedicated telephone lines provided by each designated clinic in their Telephone Appointment Systems;
(2)
whether it knows the total service attendances during the operation period of the clinics and the service, and among them, the respective attendances of patients who were attended to by doctors at designated clinics and through tele-consultation service; the attendance of high-risk patients who made their appointments via the Care Booking Line, and the respective average waiting time of each high-risk patient and non-high-risk patient from making appointments to receiving medical attention;
(3)
whether it knows the total operating expenses of the clinics and the service;
(4)
whether it has assessed the specific implementation effectiveness of the clinics and the service; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it will re-launch such services in light of the development of the epidemic; and
(5)
as there are views pointing out that the tele-consultation service in Hong Kong has greater development potential and can be used as a feasible option for general patients to receive medical attention, whether the Government will sum up the relevant experience in providing tele-consultation service for confirmed patients of COVID-19 and extend tele-consultation to other medical services, so as to promote the telemedicine development in Hong Kong?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Village sewerage systems
Hon Kenneth LAU to ask:
It is learnt that public sewers still have not been laid in a number of villages in Hong Kong and villagers can only rely on primitive facilities to treat their sewage, the relevant sanitary conditions are therefore far from satisfactory. Some villagers have relayed to me that they hope the Government can expeditiously roll out the village sewerage programme ("the programme") to cover unsewered villages and subsidize all villages across the territory to connect sewers from village houses to public sewers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective current numbers of villages that have been included and those that have not yet been included into the programme; among the villages that have been included into the programme, of the respective numbers of those where the sewerage projects have been completed and those where the projects are being carried out, and set out by district the names of the villages, the numbers of village houses and the numbers of villagers involved in respect of the aforesaid two sets of figures; the reasons why the villages concerned have not yet been included into the programme;
(2)
of the details of the sewerage projects mentioned in (1) which are being carried out, including the names of the villages involved, the project titles, the project commencement dates and target completion dates;
(3)
among the villages mentioned in (1) where the sewerage projects have been completed, of the current percentage of households that have not yet connected their houses' sewers to public sewers, and whether it knows the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will examine subsidizing all villages across the territory to connect village houses' sewers to public sewers, or allowing village house owners aged 60 or above to receive subsidies under the "Building Maintenance Grant Scheme for Needy Owners" without going through income assessment and means test, so as to help them connect their houses' sewers to public sewers as early as possible?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Administration of the estate of the late Mrs Nina WANG
Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
The Court of Final Appeal handed down a judgment on 18 May 2015, which held that the Chinachem Charitable Foundation Limited ("the Foundation") was to hold the estate of the late Mrs Nina WANG as a trustee, rather than receiving the estate concerned as an unconditional absolute gift; the Foundation's Board of Governors and the Secretary for Justice ("SJ") (as the guardian of the public interest) were required to formulate a scheme for implementing the will made by Mrs WANG in 2002, and prepare the scheme and submit it to the High Court for approval after consultation between the Foundation's Board of Governors and SJ. Moreover, SJ indicated in her reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 24 February 2021 that the Department of Justice had made an application to the Court on 29 March 2019 in respect of the relevant issues such as the propriety of the administration scheme it proposed and the details thereof, in order to seek the Court's determination or directions, and that the Court had fixed a directions hearing on 26 May 2021. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the progress of the relevant legal proceedings and whether the directions hearing concerned has been completed; if so, of the Court's directions for the use of such estate, and when SJ and relevant government departments will, in accordance with the Court's directions, properly handle such estate which should be used for charitable purposes, so as to avoid wasting resources?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Work on promoting Hong Kong to the Mainland
Dr Hon TAN Yueheng to ask:
There are views that with the resumption of normal travel of persons between Hong Kong and the Mainland, the Hong Kong SAR Government should focus on engaging itself with the Mainland and telling Hong Kong's stories well to its Mainland counterparts while further enhancing the branding and image of Hong Kong, so as to facilitate the flows of people, goods and capital between Hong Kong and the Mainland to bring them back to the pre-epidemic levels as soon as possible. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the overall plan of the Hong Kong SAR Government this year to actively engage itself with the Mainland and tell Hong Kong's stories well to its Mainland counterparts, and how the Task Force on Promoting and Branding Hong Kong led by the Financial Secretary will play its role in this regard;
(2)
whether the officials of the Hong Kong SAR Government have plans to visit various Mainland provinces and municipalities to give talks and presentations; if so, whether they have formulated detailed promotional plans and activities, so as to restore and strengthen the cooperation between Hong Kong and Mainland cities in economic, humanities and other fields; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the number of Mainland visitor arrivals to Hong Kong after the orderly resumption of normal travel of persons between Hong Kong and the Mainland in January this year fell short of expectation and was far from returning to the pre-epidemic level, whether the Hong Kong SAR Government has plans to step up publicity efforts targeting Mainland visitors?