Question 1
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Plan of the Japanese Government to discharge nuclear wastewater into the sea
Hon Nixie LAM to ask:
It has been reported that the Japanese Government plans to start discharging treated nuclear wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea from spring to summer this year. Since the nuclear wastewater contains various radioactive substances, many local organizations, fishery operators and members of the public are worried that the marine ecosystem, the food chain as well as food safety will be seriously affected. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of samples of food products from Fukushima Prefecture of Japan and its neighbouring areas on which the Centre for Food Safety conducted tests since January 2022, and the percentage of such number in the number of samples of all food products from Japan that were tested; whether the authorities have, in the light of the latest situation, expanded the scale of testing and increased the required equipment and facilities;
(2)
whether it will, in the light of the latest situation, tighten the import control on food products from Fukushima Prefecture and its neighbouring areas, and impose a blanket import ban on all food items from these areas when necessary, in order to safeguard public health; and
(3)
whether it will conduct an inter-departmental study to assess the impact of the aforesaid act of discharging nuclear wastewater into the sea on various industries of Hong Kong (including the fisheries and catering industries) and the extent of such impact, and take specific actions and mitigation measures in the light of the latest situation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the development of personal digital identity
Dr Hon Johnny NG to ask:
According to the global ranking of smart cities in 2021 released by the International Institute for Management Development, Hong Kong took the 41st place among 118 cities, and such a ranking was lower than those of other advanced cities (e.g. Singapore which took the first place and London the 22nd). There are views pointing out that implementing e-Government services to improve public services and the quality of life of members of the public has become a dominant trend, but Hong Kong is still relatively lagging behind in promoting e-Government and personal digital identity. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that the coverage of personal digital identity is a core enabler for promoting e-Government, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the relevant coverage currently in Hong Kong, and whether measures or plans are in place to motivate more members of the public to register for and use personal digital identity; if so, of the details and the performance indicators for those measures or plans;
(2)
as there are views pointing out that having concerns about personal privacy is one of the reasons why members of the public resist to use or register for personal digital identity, whether the authorities will draw reference from the relevant practices of overseas cities (e.g. the Government of the City of London conducting public consultation before releasing the "Smarter London Together" roadmap in 2018, and releasing an "Emerging Technology Charter for London" in 2021 to offer practical and ethical guidelines on addressing privacy concerns arising from the use of data-related technology) and take measures to allay the relevant concerns of members of the public; and
(3)
as it is learnt that in recent years, quite a number of regions have actively implemented "e-Residency programmes" and introduced "digital nomad visas" to attract overseas talents and enterprises' investment, thereby helping economic development and increasing government revenue, whether the Government will implement relevant programmes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 3
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Development of arts and culture in Hong Kong
Hon Andrew LAM to ask:
There are views pointing out that the development of arts and culture in Hong Kong needs to be repositioned, while the targets of core cultural exchange should be shifted from the West to the whole world, a globally oriented platform for cultural exchange should be built as well. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
in respect of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the countries along the Belt and Road, whether the Government has formulated related cultural policies to help Chinese culture to "go global" and to "bring in" the arts and cultural essence of different places; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(2)
as there are views that the arts and cultural development of Hong Kong focuses on the funding support for arts groups as well as hardware such as infrastructure, venues and technology, etc., whether the Government will step up the promotion of cultural sophistication so as to enhance cultural soft power; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For written reply)
(Translation)
On-street parking spaces designated for people with disabilities
Hon Judy CHAN to ask:
In the past, only drivers with disabilities holding a Disabled Person's Parking Permit ("DPPP") were entitled to use the on-street parking spaces ("the parking spaces") designated for people with disabilities ("PWDs"). With effect from 29 January 2021, the Government extended the eligibility for using the parking spaces to holders of the Parking Certificate for Drivers Who Carry People with Mobility Disabilities ("the Certificate") to facilitate their carrying of prescribed people with mobility disabilities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of the parking spaces, as well as the respective issuing situations of DPPP and the Certificate, in each of the two years before the using eligibility was extended and in each of the years since the extension;
(2)
as it is learnt that the abuse of the parking spaces has been severe, of the respective numbers of successful prosecutions instituted against drivers charged with illegal parking at the parking spaces over the two years before the using eligibility was extended and since the extension;
(3)
in order to protect the rights of PWDs, whether the Government has studied measures to enhance the parking spaces and the improvement of their usage; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will consider formulating an effective monitoring mechanism, such that the parking spaces will be available for use by PWDs with genuine needs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing national studies training for civil servants
Hon YIM Kong to ask:
Regarding the enhancement of national studies training for civil servants, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the targeted participants of the Civil Service Staff Exchange Programme ("the Programme") organized by the Civil Service Bureau in collaboration with Mainland provinces and municipalities are senior civil servants, whether the Government has considered extending the Programme to cover junior-ranking civil servants, with a view to nurturing as early as possible talents in governance with a national vision and leadership potential, thereby broadening the governance foundation of being patriotic and having a love for Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as there are views that as the exchange period of the Programme lasts only four weeks, the participating civil servants can hardly gain a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the operation of Mainland's government service systems and develop a thorough awareness of national affairs, whether the authorities have considered discussing with the relevant Mainland departments the extension of the exchange period to six months or longer, so as to strengthen the exchanges between the participating civil servants and various Mainland officials, thereby enabling the participating civil servants to develop a more in-depth awareness of the overall situation of the country;
(3)
whether it has discussed with the relevant departments of Shenzhen and Guangzhou regarding the national development planning of Qianhai and Nansha, so as to facilitate the exchanges between local civil servants and professional grade staff members from such places who specialize in financial tax, development planning, law, innovation technology, environmental protection, etc., thereby expediting the in-depth integration and development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; whether it has considered according priority to arranging members of the task force on the Northern Metropolis to travel to Qianhai for short-term exchange, so as to enable the participants to familiarize themselves with the administration workflows of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, thereby speeding up the pace of cooperation between Shenzhen and Hong Kong; and
(4)
given that the classes under the first Master's Degree in Public Policy Programme for senior civil servants jointly organized by the Civil Service College and Peking University have already commenced, whether the Government has considered co-organizing more training programmes designated for junior- and middle-ranking civil servants with Mainland universities (not limited to Peking University), so as to enable them to develop an in-depth and comprehensive awareness of the country, and to cultivate in them an affection for the country?
Question 6
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Attracting private equity funds to be domiciled and to operate in Hong Kong
Hon Adrian HO to ask:
The Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions for Carried Interest) Bill 2021, which was passed in 2021, seeks to amend the Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112) ("the Ordinance") to provide tax concessions for carried interest distributed by eligible private equity ("PE") funds operating in Hong Kong, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's attractiveness in the choice of jurisdiction for the domiciliation and operation of PE funds. However, some members of the industry have pointed out that the Government does not fully understand the operation of funds and carried interest and, as a result, the details and procedures for applying for tax concessions are complicated and the vetting standards are overly stringent. These have undermined the effectiveness of the concessionary measures, and caused many PE funds to choose Hong Kong's competitors such as Singapore as their base. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that re-domiciliation of PE funds to Hong Kong involves additional operating costs such as those for applying for licences, renting offices and recruiting local staff, as well as alteration of articles and arrangements for the distribution of carried interest, and concessionary measures are also in place in overseas regions to attract the formation of PE funds there, whether the Government has assessed if the tax concession measures implemented after the Ordinance was amended are attractive enough to bring about re-domiciliation of PE funds to Hong Kong;
(2)
whether it has any plans to maintain close communication with the industry so that the implementation of the tax concession measures can better suit the needs of the industry, thereby enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness as a jurisdiction for the domiciliation and operation of PE funds; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as the Government expects that with the amendments made to the Ordinance, more PE funds can be attracted to operate and be managed in Hong Kong, and more investment management and related activities can be boosted, thereby creating business opportunities and job opportunities for different professional services in Hong Kong, whether the Government has any plans to coordinate the cooperation between relevant government departments and the industry and, on the basis provided after the Ordinance was amended, further introduce measures conducive to the development of PE funds in Hong Kong, so as to generate induced economic benefits; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Participation of private developers in the development of subsidized housing
Hon CHAN Hok-fung to ask:
The Chief Executive has stated in the 2022 Policy Address that the Government will introduce a new Pilot Scheme on Private Developer Participation in Subsidised Housing Development ("the Pilot Scheme") and, from the next financial year, three sites will be put up for tender in batches for developers to build subsidized sale flats which will be sold to eligible persons at a specified discount rate from the market price. The Pilot Scheme will also encourage developers to apply for rezoning of their own private land for the development of subsidized sale flats. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the differences between the Pilot Scheme and the Private Sector Participation Scheme ("PSPS") introduced in 1977 in terms of, for example, eligibility criteria, prices of flats, specified discount rates from the market prices, alienation restrictions and ancillary facilities of housing courts;
(2)
of the roles to be played by developers under the Pilot Scheme; the incentives in place to encourage developers to participate in the Pilot Scheme and rezone their own private land (especially those lots in the urban areas easily accessible by public transport) for the development of subsidized sale flats; whether it will encourage developers to consider building subsidized sale flats with the mode adopted by non-profit-making social enterprises, so that members of the public will be able to purchase those flats at more favourable prices; and
(3)
as it has been reported that due to the varying quality of the flats built under PSPS, the Government is considering not purchasing the flats to be built under the Pilot Scheme at the guaranteed purchase price, whether the Government has assessed the pros and cons of such arrangement, including whether it will reduce developers' interest in participating in the Pilot Scheme?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
E-licensing initiatives of the Transport Department
Hon LAI Tung-kwok to ask:
It is learnt that at present, the Transport Department ("TD") still adopts the methods of on-site queuing, on-site distribution of queue tickets, submission of paper documents, etc., in processing applications for first registration and licensing of vehicles, and does not even accept electronic payment. There are views that the relevant procedures are time-consuming and not environmentally friendly. To tie in with the Government's policy objective of adopting a wider use of technology in the provision of public services, the Government, in a paper submitted to the Panel on Transport of this Council in May last year, pointed out that TD had been planning to further implement e-submission, e-processing, e-tracking and electronic payment means in processing licences issued by TD in order to facilitate the provision of relevant services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest details, timetable and progress of the various e-licensing initiatives mentioned in the aforesaid paper;
(2)
whether it has included the application procedures for first registration and licensing of vehicles in the aforesaid electronic services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it has assessed the amount of annual savings in administrative costs, and the average amount of time that can be saved for members of the public for each licence application, after the introduction of the aforesaid initiatives; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
of the payment methods currently accepted by the Hong Kong Licensing Office under TD, and whether the Office has plans to accept electronic payment?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Full Rent Exemption Scheme for Elderly Households
Hon LUK Chung-hung to ask:
The Full Rent Exemption Scheme for Elderly Households ("the Scheme"), which is launched by the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA"), has been opened for application since December 2019. Applicant households must fulfil the general eligibility criteria, such as consisting of all family members aged 70 or above, and being regarded as "under-occupation households". Upon successful transfer to public rental housing ("PRH") flats of suitable sizes, applicant households will be offered a one-off Domestic Removal Allowance ("DRA"), and are allowed to enjoy full rent exemption. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers and ratios of one-person and two-person elderly households living in PRH flats with an internal floor area of 40 square metres or above in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the respective numbers of applications received and approved by HA since the Scheme has started accepting applications; among the approved applications, of the respective numbers of those in which the households have been transferred to other flats and are awaiting transfer; and
(3)
given that HA will conduct a review on the Scheme this year, whether HA will consider enhancing the Scheme, such as increasing the amount of DRA, and providing relocation services, basic fitting-out and furniture, etc., for households whose applications have been successful?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to complement the nation's establishment of a data base system
Hon Carmen KAN to ask:
The "Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Establishing a Data Base System to Maximize a Better Role of Data Elements" released last year put forward policy initiatives in relation to establishing a data base system. In addition, the Hong Kong SAR Government is also carrying out a comprehensive e-Government Audit programme and promoting data exchange across government departments, with a view to building a "smart government". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the e-Government Audit programme will be carried out in two phases, of the bureau/departments ("B/Ds") involved in each phase, as well as the timetable, current progress and proposed improvement items of the e-Government audit carried out by each B/Ds (set out in a table);
(2)
of the definition of the ownership of and the right to use government data (including personal data allocated by the Government (e.g. identity card numbers), data generated from the use of public services (e.g. immigration records), and information provided by members of the public and enterprises to the Government under the law (e.g. addresses)), as set out under the existing legislation; if there is no clear definition, whether it has plans to enact legislation relating to data property rights;
(3)
whether there is legislation empowering the Government to make reasonable use of government data relating to personal data of individuals without having to obtain authorization from such individuals when it is in the public interest (e.g. for governance of society, policy analysis, taking care of the underprivileged groups, and law and order); if not, of the Government's strategies in place to make good use of government data, so as to achieve the function of guiding and regulating social development in an orderly manner; and
(4)
given that the Government has indicated earlier on that it is exploring with the Government Services and Data Management Bureau of Guangdong Province the use of "iAM Smart" platform ("iAM Smart") as one of the means for real-name identity authentication on the "Unified Identity Authentication Platform of Guangdong Province", thereby enabling Hong Kong residents to use iAM Smart to authenticate themselves when registering and using the government services of Guangdong Province, of the progress of the implementation of the measures concerned, and the legal requirements involved?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Cathay Pacific Airways' deferrals of payment of preference share dividends
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
It has been reported that Cathay Pacific Airways Limited ("Cathay Pacific"), which received an injection of $27.3 billion of public money from the Government on the grounds of "maintaining Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub" in June 2020, has announced its fifth deferral of payment of preference share dividends to the Government, and the cumulative amount of dividends in arrears has totalled $1.46 billion. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has also expressly pointed out that there has been no timetable for repaying debts to the Government. Some members of the public have criticized that for members of the general public who default on bank repayments, not only will claims be filed against them in court, but their future credit scores will also be affected. However, while the authorities had lent tens of billions of dollars of public money from taxpayers to Cathay Pacific on behalf of all members of the public in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific "repaid neither the principal nor interest" in the past three years, which is an unreasonable practice. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as Cathay Pacific has claimed that it has not set a timetable for the redemption of preference shares from the Government and the repayment of relevant debts to the Government, of the reasons why the deadline for redemption of preference shares and the repayment dates for relevant debts were not specified when the authorities entered into an agreement on the recapitalization plan with Cathay Pacific;
(2)
whether it has set a repayment deadline and a minimum repayment amount for the arrears arising from Cathay Pacific's deferrals of payment of preference share dividends, as well as interest and penalties for deferrals of repayment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
some members of the public have suggested that the authorities consider making reference to the practice of the Mainland where the businessmen of private real estate enterprises are required to use their private properties for debt repayment when the relevant enterprises fail to repay debts, and requiring the controlling shareholder which holds more than 40% of the shares of Cathay Pacific (i.e. Swire Pacific Limited, which owns quite a number of commercial buildings and assets in Hong Kong) to pay dividends on behalf of its subsidiary, so as to be accountable to all taxpayers in Hong Kong, whether the authorities will accept the aforesaid suggestion; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will draw reference from the existing mechanism under which the MTR Corporation Limited is required to pay fines for service disruption incidents as a rebate to passengers, and study requiring Cathay Pacific to rebate a certain percentage of fares or offer concessions to Hong Kong permanent residents travelling on its flights as one of the conditions for deferring the payment of dividends?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Treatment of recyclables
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
It has been reported that recently, after being collected and delivered to a recycler, some recyclables have not been further delivered to the recognized downstream recyclers for proper recycling. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints received in the past three years by the Government about improper treatment of recyclables (including those against the collection points the operation of which had been commissioned by the Environmental Protection Department ("EPD") and the collection points operated by the private sector), together with the follow-up situations in relation to the relevant complaints;
(2)
given that EPD has launched since last year the one-stop reliable recycling service GREEN COLLECT to collect various recyclables which lack commercial recycling outlet (including plastics, glass bottles, small electrical appliances, fluorescent lamps and tubes, rechargeable batteries and regulated electrical equipment) and deliver them to downstream recyclers for proper treatment, whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of such service and monitored the whereabouts of the recyclables concerned; and
(3)
of the measures in place to ensure that recyclables collected from collection points will be delivered to recyclers for recycling or proper treatment; whether it will comprehensively review the relevant mechanisms, including (i) the mechanisms for disposing of, managing, recording and tracking recyclables, and (ii) the mechanisms for continuously monitoring and tracking the whereabouts of recyclables, with a view to ensuring the proper treatment of recyclables?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Handling of waste styrofoam
Hon CHAN Chun-ying to ask:
It has been reported that there was a phenomenon of "styrofoam sieges" in many districts in Hong Kong last year. To address such phenomenon, the Hong Kong Waste Association Limited launched in May last year a scheme subsidized by the Recycling Fund to facilitate the efforts of local recyclers to recover and process styrofoam. The relevant scheme will be concluded in August this year. With the styrofoam boxes which have been used for carrying fresh produce being allowed to be transported back to the Mainland for reuse since 8 January this year, some recyclers are worried that such arrangement will affect their recovery quantity of styrofoam boxes, making it difficult for them to continue their operations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
since the aforesaid scheme was launched, of the respective numbers of styrofoam boxes (i) recovered by local recyclers, (ii) delivered to landfills for disposal and (iii) unprocessed for being unable to be transported back to the Mainland for reuse;
(2)
whether it has studied the follow-up arrangements for the aforesaid scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it has formulated medium- and long-term policies regarding the recovery of styrofoam, with a view to avoiding the reoccurrences of the phenomenon of "styrofoam sieges"; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Illegal discharge of fireworks or firecrackers
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask:
It has been reported that during the period from Lunar New Year's Eve to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year this year, some people were suspected of discharging fireworks or firecrackers illegally in many districts in Hong Kong with reckless disregard for the safety of others. Moreover, some animal protection groups have pointed out that during the aforesaid period, a large number of stray cats and dogs were crushed to death by vehicles while running out into the road after being spooked by the loud noise caused by the discharge of fireworks or firecrackers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of persons arrested in the past three years for suspected illegal discharge of fireworks or firecrackers;
(2)
of the number of accidents caused by illegal discharge of fireworks or firecrackers in the past three years;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of stray cats and dogs which died between Lunar New Year's Eve and the fourth day of the Lunar New Year in each of the past three years and, among them, the number of those which were crushed to death by vehicles while running out into the road after being spooked by the loud noise caused by the discharge of fireworks or firecrackers; and
(4)
whether, for the purpose of preventing acts of illegal discharge of fireworks or firecrackers, the Police have stepped up efforts in combating related smuggling activities and strengthened education work; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the popularization of electric vehicles
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
In 2018, the Government introduced a "One-for-One Replacement" Scheme ("Replacement Scheme") under which a vehicle owner who scraps his/her old private car ("PC") and purchases a new electric PC ("e-PC") may enjoy a higher first registration tax concession. Regarding the promotion of the popularization of electric vehicles ("EVs"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of (i) the number of newly registered e-PCs and, among them, the number of those registered under the Replacement Scheme, and (ii) the percentage of newly registered e-PCs in the total number of newly registered EVs, in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the percentage of e-PCs in the total number of PCs in each of the past five years;
(3)
whether it has comprehensively assessed the functions served by the Replacement Scheme in the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles ("the EV Roadmap");
(4)
given that while the EV Roadmap has set out the target to cease new registration of fuel propelled PCs in 2035 or earlier, the Replacement Scheme will expire on 31 March next year, whether the Government will extend the Replacement Scheme so as to continue the promotion of EV popularization; if so, of the details; if not, whether it has assessed the impact of the expiry of the Replacement Scheme on the public's interest in purchasing e-PCs and the progress of EV popularization;
(5)
whether it knows the respective numbers of EVs currently owned and in use by the following organizations, as well as the numbers of EV chargers (with a tabulated breakdown by type (i.e. standard, medium and quick)) in their car parks: the Hong Kong Housing Authority, the Hospital Authority, the Urban Renewal Authority, the Hong Kong Housing Society, and the MTR Corporation Limited;
(6)
given that the Government has pointed out in the EV Roadmap that it will explore the gradual conversion of existing petrol and liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") filling stations to quick charging stations in the medium to long term, of the addresses of petrol and LPG filling stations in the territory at present, and the expiry dates of their land leases (set out in a table); and
(7)
given that some members of the public have considered that the progress for the vetting and approval processes under the "EV-charging at Home Subsidy Scheme" is slow, whether it has compiled statistics on the average time taken for the completion of installation of EV charging-enabling infrastructure from the submission of application by an applicant?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Assisting the jewellery retail industry in digital transformation
Hon SHIU Ka-fai to ask:
The jewellery retail industry has recently released a research report on the digital transformation situation of the industry, pointing out that the industry has encountered many difficulties during the implementation of digital transformation, including the lack of relevant professionals, excessively high initial investment costs, the lack of knowledge in applying digital technology and awareness of promoting e-commerce among the management and staff of traditional stores, as well as the lack of incentives for merchants to acquire relevant knowledge due to manpower constraints, etc. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as some members of the industry have relayed that while the Technology Voucher Programme ("TVP") aims to subsidize local enterprises to upgrade and transform their business processes, the procedures of TVP from application, vetting and approval to disbursement of subsidies, are complicated, whether the authorities have received any such complaints or views; if so, of the details; of the targeted measures in place to enhance TVP;
(2)
apart from TVP, of the measures in place to assist small and medium enterprises in the industry in conducting digital transformation, including whether additional resources will be allocated to them and relevant information will be consolidated, so as to assist them in fully understanding and mastering digital technology;
(3)
whether the Government will consider the suggestions made by members of the industry to formulate a "digital talent training programme" for the industry which meets the needs of the industry's mode of operation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
given that some members of the industry have relayed that some merchants have applied for setting up electronic payment systems in order to accept payment by electronic consumption vouchers, but they have encountered problems such as complicated application procedures and excessively long vetting and approval time, and some merchants' applications have still not been approved by the end of the relevant phase of the electronic Consumption Voucher Scheme, whether the authorities have reviewed the situation and what improvement measures have been put in place?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Green burial
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
Regarding green burial, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of (i) the respective numbers of cases in which ashes were scattered in relevant locations (i.e. in gardens of remembrance ("GoRs") under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD"), GoRs in private cemeteries, and at sea), (ii) the percentage of the number of green burial cases in the total number of burial cases, and (iii) the utilization rates of various GoRs under FEHD (including the number of burial cases in which FEHD was entrusted with the arrangement for dedicated staff to scatter ashes, and the number of cases in which memorial ceremonies were arranged to be held in GoRs), in each of the past 10 years;
(2)
of the number of users and the hit rate of the Internet Memorial Service ("IMS") website, as well as the number of downloads of the IMS mobile application, in each year since the launch of the website and the mobile application;
(3)
of the number of members of the public registered with the "Green Burial Central Register", and the number of registrants therein whose cremated ashes were handled in the form of green burial in accordance with their wishes before death, in each year since the launch of the Register;
(4)
whether it will conduct an in-depth and quantitative study on green burial (including the public's awareness of green burial and their worries about green burial services, as well as the utilization situation of relevant services), so as to collect data for formulating strategies to promote green burial; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether it has (i) reviewed the strategies and measures to promote green burial, (ii) set targets for increasing the utilization rates of relevant facilities and services, and (iii) set performance indicators for relevant work;
(6)
whether it will draw reference from the experience of green burial in other places, such as (i) "tree or flower burial" (i.e. burying the cremated ashes of the deceased in soil planted with trees or flowers) adopted in Japan and Taiwan, and (ii) transforming cremated ashes into synthetic diamonds or ornaments, so as to provide members of the public with more choices of green burial methods; and
(7)
whether the Government will continue to build GoRs and encourage non-governmental organizations and religious groups to build more GoRs in suitable places in the coming five years; if so, of the locations of such GoRs?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Provision of medical treatment to patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019
Hon YANG Wing-kit to ask:
It has been reported that the consultation quotas at the general out-patient clinics ("GOPCs") of public hospitals are currently insufficient to meet the needs of persons infected with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("COVID-19"), and that some private doctors have refused to treat COVID-19 patients or charged them higher consultation fees. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows if the Hospital Authority ("HA") will further increase the numbers of GOPC consultation quotas for patients with episodic diseases and reserved quotas in day and evening clinic sessions, or even reopen the designated clinics for COVID-19 confirmed cases, so that COVID-19 patients can receive appropriate medical treatment; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the daily number of COVID-19 patients seeking consultation at accident and emergency departments since the arrangement of issuing isolation orders to COVID-19 patients according to the Prevention and Control of Disease Regulation (Cap. 599A) was cancelled (with a breakdown by the severity of the patient's symptoms); if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it has studied if the refusal of private doctors to treat COVID-19 patients will breach the relevant requirements under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance (Cap. 487); if it will, how the Government will follow up the matter; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of private clinics whose doctors have refused to treat COVID-19 patients or charged them high consultation fees; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will compile statistics and conduct investigation in this regard; of the measures in place to ensure that private clinic doctors will not refuse to treat COVID-19 patients, and will only charge such patients the same consultation fees as those charged to patients suffering from cold and influenza; and
(5)
as it has been reported that some private clinics which are provided with free COVID-19 oral drugs by the Department of Health have allegedly charged COVID-19 patients for drug fees of these drugs in violation of the stipulations, whether the Government has investigated if illegal acts were involved in the incident; if it has investigated and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the penalties which may be imposed on the offenders, and the measures in place to combat such acts; if it has not investigated, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Alleviating the problem of crowdedness of the Light Rail during peak hours
Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
At its meeting on 19 April 2016, the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways of this Council discussed the "Capacity and loading of trains in the MTR network". As the problem of crowdedness of the Light Rail ("LR") during the morning peak hours was serious, and the loadings of four of the routes (i.e. Route 505, Route 507, Route 614 and Route 615) had even reached 90%, the Subcommittee passed a motion, urging the Government to discuss with the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") the implementation of a measure of deploying coupled-set vehicles on a full scale to run on LR routes with a loading of 80% or above during the morning peak hours, so as to alleviate the problem of crowdedness concerned during such hours. However, some members of the local community and members of the public have relayed that the related problem of crowdedness has not yet been resolved. In addition, a paper submitted by MTRCL to the Working Group on Mass Transit Services of the Yuen Long District Council in April 2021 showed that only two coupled-set vehicles were arranged for LR Route 615 during the morning peak hours on weekdays, which were fewer than those for the other routes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current respective (i) loadings of and (ii) numbers of single-set and coupled-set vehicles running on the aforesaid four LR routes during the morning peak hours (set out in a table);
(2)
given that some residents in New Territories West have relayed that the arrangement of deploying single-set/coupled-set vehicles made by MTRCL for LR Route 615 during the morning peak hours has resulted in a decline in its carrying capacity, whether the Government will consider discussing with MTRCL a further increase in the service frequencies of the coupled-set vehicles running on that route, so as to address the urgent needs of members of the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it knows if MTRCL will consider increasing the service frequencies of the aforesaid four LR routes during the morning peak hours to divert passengers; if MTRCL will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Default on maintenance payments
Hon Doreen KONG to ask:
It is learnt that the situation of default on maintenance payments has been worsening in recent years. On the other hand, the Government commissioned, through the Family Council, a research team in June 2018 to conduct a "Further Study on the Phenomenon of Divorce in Hong Kong", which would explore matters relating to maintenance payments. The Government indicated in April 2022 that the study was still underway. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the authorities have completed compiling a report on the aforesaid study; if not, of the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the number of applications for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caused by default on maintenance payments and (ii) the number of single-parent households eligible for applying for Working Family Allowance (with a breakdown by type of allowances) in the past five years;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the respective numbers of Judgment Summons hearings and applications for Attachment of Income Orders regarding the recovery of arrears of maintenance and (ii) the number of persons eligible for applying for legal aid to apply to the court for the enforcement of maintenance orders and, among them, the number of those who have already submitted relevant applications, in the past five years; and
(4)
as there are views that the measures launched by the Government to improve the system of enforcement of maintenance orders in the early 2000s have become outdated, whether the Government will consider officially rolling out relevant improvement work from this year onwards, such as setting up a dedicated government department to coordinate matters related to maintenance payments; if so, of the specific timetable of the work concerned; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Auto-liquefied petroleum gas filling stations
Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
All along, there have been taxi drivers and public light bus drivers indicating that there are often long vehicle queues at the 12 dedicated auto-liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") filling stations ("dedicated stations") in Hong Kong (especially in shift-changing periods). Although the Government has set up additional non-dedicated LPG filling stations ("non-dedicated stations") for diversion of vehicles, the LPG pump prices ("pump prices") at non-dedicated stations are higher than those at dedicated stations. It has been reported that while the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department has recently announced a slight reduction in the pump prices of dedicated stations, the pump prices of non-dedicated stations have gone up instead of going down. There are views pointing out that as the pump price gap between the two types of stations has widened from 10% in the past to 30% at present, some drivers choose to refill their vehicles across districts. The situation concerned has not only increased their operating costs, but also increased the burden on roads and the usage of dedicated stations, resulting in longer vehicle queues and thus causing obstruction to traffic. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the utilization rates of and the average queuing time for refilling at the 12 dedicated stations in the past three years;
(2)
whether it has gained an understanding of the reasons why dedicated stations can adjust their pump prices downwards but non-dedicated stations adjust them upwards; if so, of the details; what measures the Government has put in place to monitor the adjustment of pump prices at non-dedicated stations;
(3)
as it is learnt that three dedicated stations are currently not in operation due to works being carried out, resulting in longer queuing time for refilling at other dedicated stations, when the three dedicated stations will resume operation; and
(4)
given that the existing 12 dedicated stations do not cover the entire territory (e.g. there is no dedicated station on Lantau Island), and as a result, some drivers have to refill their vehicles at non-dedicated stations and their operating costs are substantially increased, whether the Government will consider increasing the number of dedicated stations; if so, of the details; if not, the measures in place to reduce LPG cost burden on drivers?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Electric mobility devices
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
It is learnt that in recent years, various types of electric mobility devices ("EMDs") (including electric skateboards, electric scooters, electric unicycles, electric bicycles, power assisted pedal cycles and electric hoverboards) are gaining popularity, and their safety and regulatory issues are of concern to various sectors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the data, operating experience and effectiveness of the pilot trial on the use of EMDs conducted on a cycle track section at Pak Shek Kok from May to November 2022; whether it will enact legislation to regulate EMDs according to the findings of the trial; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that the Government currently adopts the definition of "motor vehicle" in the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) for regulating all EMDs, whether the Government has plans to draw reference from the practices of other countries (e.g. the United Kingdom), so as to formulate relevant regulatory policies in respect of different types of EMDs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as EMDs can only be used on suitable roads, whether the planning and design of roads in strategic growth areas (e.g. the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands and the Northern Metropolis) will cater for the use of various types of EMDs and balance the needs of various types of road users?