Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Supporting the healthy development of the tourism industry
Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask:
It has been reported that tour groups to Hong Kong flaunting low prices have emerged on the Mainland. Some tourists were taken to visit public rental housing when they visited Hong Kong, and some tour escorts were even suspected of asking tour members to assist in smuggling illicit cigarettes, which have tarnished the image and reputation of Hong Kong. On supporting the healthy development of the tourism industry, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that coerced shopping is a criminal offence under the new regulatory regime of the travel industry which came into effect on 1 September last year, of the number of complaints about coerced shopping received by the authorities since the new regulatory regime came into effect, as well as the total amount of money involved, and whether any tour guide or travel agency has been prosecuted; if so, of the numbers and details;
(2)
of the measures implemented by the Government during the Labour Day Golden Week just passed to reduce the nuisances caused to residents in old districts by inbound Mainland tour groups, as well as the regular measures to be taken in the future to alleviate the nuisances caused to residents in various districts by the activities of receiving tour groups; and
(3)
as it has been reported that there is insufficient manpower in the tourism industry of Hong Kong with a shortage of labour for positions such as tour guides, hotel janitors and front office receptionists, and drivers of tourist coaches, which has become a bottleneck for resumption of normalcy in Hong Kong, whether the Government will consider importing labour from the Mainland and overseas in a timely manner, such as assisting the relevant trades in holding job fairs outside Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Ensuring the financial viability of major infrastructure projects
Ir Hon LEE Chun-keung to ask:
It has been reported that the Inland Revenue Department ("IRD") issued a total of about 2.4 million of tax returns for individuals for the year of assessment 2022-2023, which is a decrease of about 220 000 and 70 000 compared with the years of assessment 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 respectively, and marks the third consecutive year of decline. There are views that the reduction in the number of individuals required to file tax returns may put pressure on the Government's finance, thus affecting the commencement of various major infrastructure projects. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has examined the reasons for the continuous decrease in the number of tax returns for individuals issued by IRD in the past three years of assessment;
(2)
whether it has assessed the impact of the reduced number of individuals required to file tax returns on the Government's finance and revenue; and
(3)
given that a number of major infrastructure projects will be coming on line in the future, such as the artificial islands in the Central Waters under the "Lantau Tomorrow Vision", the Northern Metropolis and the "three railways and three roads", how the Government, under the circumstances that the tax revenue is under pressure, works towards keeping the Government's credit rating unaffected, and ensures the financial sustainability and viability of various major infrastructure projects?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Railway projects related to the Northern Metropolis
Hon LAU Kwok-fan to ask:
The current-term Government has expressly stated that it adopts the "infrastructure‑led" and "capacity-creating" planning principles with a view to driving overall development through infrastructure. The Northern Link ("NOL") is the main transport backbone of the Northern Metropolis, but NOL Phase 1 and 2 are expected to be completed in 2027 and 2034 respectively, which are later than the anticipated date for the first population intake of the new development areas ("NDAs") in the area, and there are still no definite alignments and anticipated completion dates for the NOL Eastward Extension and the Spur Line. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has plans to speed up the construction of NOL to truly implement the infrastructure-led principle, so that people moving into the NDAs can enjoy the convenience of railway infrastructure; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will examine afresh the existing construction timetable;
(2)
whether it has completed the preliminary planning of the alignments of other railway projects related to the Northern Metropolis (i.e. the NOL Eastward Extension and the Spur Line, and the Central Rail Link), including station locations and interchange stations between different lines; if so, of the details; if they are under planning, of the expected completion time; and
(3)
given that the first three buildings of the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park are expected to be completed one after another starting from the end of next year, and it is learnt that the residential units in the San Tin Technopole are also expected to be ready for intake in 2031, whether the authorities have considered giving priority to constructing some NOL stations with strategic value, such as San Tin Station, so as to tie in with the development of innovation and technology in the Northern Metropolis; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Healthcare services in Kowloon Central Cluster
Hon CHAN Hoi-yan to ask:
There are views pointing out that quite a number of problems are found in the healthcare services in Kowloon Central Cluster ("KCC"). Taking the Wong Tai Sin ("WTS") district as an example, the problem of a lack of public accident and emergency ("A&E") services has been bothering the residents for years, and the growth and ageing of population in the district will put a further strain on healthcare services in the future; and residents in Yau Tsim Mong district may also face the problem of a shortfall in services as the services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital will gradually be relocated to the New Acute Hospital at Kai Tak Development Area which is expected to be commissioned in 2025. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective average and longest time taken from WTS residents' calling for ambulance services to their arrival at A&E departments in the past three years, and the relevant figures for the 18 districts in Hong Kong as a whole;
(2)
whether it has assessed the future demand for healthcare services in KCC, such as comparing the ratios of hospital beds to the population in the cluster, as well as the ratios of hospital beds to the elderly population in the cluster, at present and in the coming 10 or 20 years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that the Government had in the past repeatedly refused to provide A&E services in Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital on the grounds that the hospital was constrained by topographical environment and hospital site area, under what conditions the authorities will consider identifying a site in the WTS district for the construction of a general hospital with A&E services, so as to address the ever-increasing demand for healthcare services in the district?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Government departments' work on moving towards carbon neutrality
Ir Hon Gary ZHANG to ask:
There are views that with the global climate crisis looming, it is incumbent upon the Government to make government departments contribute more and to adopt more vigorous decarbonization policies and measures, so as to become the pioneer, forerunner and leader of carbon neutrality in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Government will adopt a "whole-government" strategic approach in moving towards carbon neutrality, whether the relevant work includes regularly reviewing the amount of carbon emission, amount of electricity consumption, amount of fuel oil consumption, driving mileage, waste load and the amount of water consumption within the Government, as well as the effectiveness of other environmental protection work; whether the Commissioner for Climate Change will be responsible for coordinating the relevant work, and assist various government departments in setting goals and roadmaps for achieving carbon neutrality, and consolidate and make public the relevant data of various departments;
(2)
of the total amount of electricity consumption arising from the Government's overall operation (including the amount of such consumed electricity which was generated by renewable energy) and the total amount of greenhouse gas emissions for the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 financial years, together with a breakdown by government department; and
(3)
given that the Government will improve the overall energy performance of government buildings and infrastructure by more than 6%, whether the Government has established uniform standards for the relevant work to ensure that various government departments are heading towards the same goal, and whether it will set a more aggressive goal?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Measures to prevent another outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic
Dr Hon Dennis LAM to ask:
The World Health Organization classified the Omicron XBB.1.16 variant of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 ("the variant") as a "variant under monitoring" on 22 March this year, and upgraded the classification of the variant to a "variant of interest" ("VOI") on 17 April. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's classifications and definitions for novel coronaviruses, "'VOI' has been associated with significant genetic changes and may require appropriate public health actions". It has been reported that with the variant being highly transmissible, infected cases have been reported in 33 countries or regions since it was first detected on 9 January this year, and it has also spread to Hong Kong and the surrounding regions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
under the backdrop of the relaxation of the anti-epidemic measures in Hong Kong and the resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, what measures the Government will take to strictly monitor the risk of the spread of the variant; and
(2)
whether the authorities have formulated a sound anti-epidemic mechanism to cope with the long-term effects brought by novel coronaviruses after they have become endemic, and prevent mutant viruses from causing another outbreak of infection, so as to avoid the resurgence of the epidemic?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Hong Kong people living in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
According to the information of the Census and Statistics Department, as at mid-2022, there were about 529 500 Hong Kong residents usually staying in Guangdong Province, with about 33% (about 175 600) of them being persons aged 0 to 14 and about 17% (about 89 100) of them being persons aged 65 or above. There are views that such persons probably no longer have any residence or relative in Hong Kong. Regarding the measures to assist Hong Kong people living in the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
with respect to the aforesaid persons aged 65 or above, of the policy initiatives put in place by the Government to help them solve their healthcare problems on the Mainland, and to support them in ageing in place and obtaining elderly services, so that they can retire on the Mainland without worries; whether it has set up centres in Guangdong Province to provide dedicated services for such elderly persons; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
with respect to the aforesaid persons aged 0 to 14, of the policy initiatives put in place by the Government to help them solve the problems they encounter when growing up on the Mainland (e.g. on aspects of further studies, counselling and healthcare); whether it has set up child care centres and youth centres in Guangdong Province to provide dedicated services for such persons; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as there are views that with over 500 000 Hong Kong residents usually staying in Guangdong Province, it is difficult to provide them with comprehensive services by solely relying on the existing scale of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong ("GDETO"), whether the Government will expand the scale and functions of GDETO, or arrange for a dedicated department to coordinate the handling of requests for assistance made by such Hong Kong residents in Guangdong Province; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as there are views pointing out that while the concept of "integration" is being emphasized in the development of GBA, the cross-boundary implementation of Hong Kong's policy initiatives on healthcare, education, welfare, etc. for Hong Kong people in GBA Mainland cities is still subject to many restraints and fails to fully cover GBA, making it impossible for Hong Kong people living in GBA Mainland cities to enjoy the same benefits and treatment as in Hong Kong, how the Government will promote the cross-boundary implementation of more policy initiatives for assisting Hong Kong people living in GBA Mainland cities, unify standards and break free from restraints, so as to bring greater convenience and benefits to the people; and
(5)
whether the Government will consider, by means of funding support or cooperation, commissioning community groups with experience of serving Hong Kong people on the Mainland to set up offices or service points in the nine Mainland municipalities of GBA for providing one-stop assistance to Hong Kong people living in GBA Mainland cities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Inbound Mainland tour groups
Hon KWOK Wai-keung to ask:
It has been reported that recently the practice of some inbound Mainland tour groups ("IMTGs") taking visitors to non-traditional tourist districts such as To Kwa Wan and Hung Hom for shopping has caused road obstruction, and the meal arrangements for the visitors were also unsatisfactory. There are comments that the aforesaid situation is a "lose-lose" situation which has not only caused nuisances to local residents, but has also deprived visitors of a good travel experience, and even damaged Hong Kong's newly restored image as a tourist destination. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of IMTGs, since the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland (i.e. 6 February this year), which stayed in Hong Kong for (i) one day, (ii) two days, (iii) three days, (iv) four days and (v) five days or more;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of IMTGs, since 6 February this year, whose itineraries included visits to Hong Kong with tour fares of (i) Renminbi ("RMB") 500 or less, (ii) RMB 501 to 1,000, (iii) RMB 1,001 to 1,500, (iv) RMB 1,501 to 2,000 and (v) RMB 2,001 or more;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of IMTGs, since 6 February this year, whose itineraries included visits to the following attractions: (i) Hong Kong Palace Museum, (ii) M+, (iii) Xiqu Centre, (iv) Hong Kong Observation Wheel, (v) Peak Tram and (vi) Water World Ocean Park; whether the Travel Industry Authority ("TIA") and/or the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong ("TIC") have introduced measures to encourage local licensed travel agents responsible for receiving such tour groups to include these attractions in their itineraries;
(4)
whether TIA and/or TIC have issued guidelines to local licensed travel agents responsible for receiving such tour groups on the (i) transportation, (ii) meal and (iii) accommodation arrangements for IMTGs; if so, of the details; and
(5)
of the total number of complaints or requests for assistance received by TIA since 6 February this year concerning IMTGs; among such cases, (i) the respective numbers of those which were made by Mainland visitors and Hong Kong residents, (ii) the number of tour groups involved, and (iii) the respective numbers of cases which were followed up by TIA itself and referred to other law enforcement agencies for handling?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Bicycle management measures
Hon CHAN Yuet-ming to ask:
There are views that the lack of effective management on bicycles in public places has been a long-standing issue in Hong Kong. For example, quite a number of bicycles are found stacked up and abandoned in public housing estates for a prolonged period, and there are thefts of bicycles or their parts and components from time to time. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number and detection rate of bicycle-related thefts in the past five years, with a tabulated breakdown by District Council district;
(2)
whether it has formulated policies or measures to combat bicycle-related thefts; if so, whether an assessment of their effectiveness has been conducted; and
(3)
whether it will examine the bicycle management issue and step up law enforcement actions with a view to combating bicycle-related thefts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Protecting personal data when developing and using artificial intelligence
Hon CHAN Yung to ask:
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong ("PCPD") published in 2021 the Guidance on the Ethical Development and Use of Artificial Intelligence ("the Guidance") to help organizations understand and comply with the requirements of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) when developing and using artificial intelligence ("AI"). However, it is learnt that the State and quite a number of overseas regions are studying the further regulation of AI. For example, the Cyberspace Administration of China has earlier on published the Measures for the Administration of Generative Artificial Intelligence Services (Draft for comments), proposing that providers of AI products or services shall comply with the requirements of laws and regulations, respect social morality as well as public order and good morals, be prohibited from illegally disclosing personal information, and shall not retain input information from which the identities of users can be inferred. The United States and the European Union are also exploring relevant regulation or bills. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows, since the publication of the Guidance, the number of organizations (including business entities, government departments and public bodies) which have made reference to the Guidance when developing and using AI to formulate relevant policies or measures; if the authorities do not keep relevant data, how they ensure that such organizations abide by Cap. 486 and handle personal data properly;
(2)
which provisions in Cap. 486 can deal with issues involving possible abuse of personal data or infringement of privacy when organizations develop and use AI; and
(3)
whether the Government will study with PCPD the amendment of Cap. 486 to cope with the rapid development of AI; whether relevant government departments will collaborate with PCPD in jointly studying how to strike a balance between protecting personal data and promoting the healthy development of generative AI technology?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Storage of skips
Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
In 2017, the Government respectively made available two sites, one adjacent to Tseung Kwan O ("TKO") Area 137 Fill Bank and the other at Siu Lang Shui Road in Tuen Mun West, for use by the skips trade for storing skips. Some skips operators are of the view that the two sites can only meet part of the demand for skips storage in the market. They are also worried that when proceeding with the residential development projects in TKO Area 137, the Government will resume the site concerned, and the shortage of skip storage sites will become more acute by then. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current occupancy situation of the aforesaid two skip storage sites;
(2)
given that after the aforesaid two sites have been made available, the Government has indicated that it will continue to identify suitable sites for leasing to skips operators by way of short-term tenancies for storage of empty skips, of the number of such sites, and set out the following information by site location: area, number of skips that can be stored, occupancy rate and duration of tenancy;
(3)
whether it will resume the site adjacent to TKO Area 137 Fill Bank, which is currently used for storing skips, for the purpose of developing residential projects; if so, of the expected time for resuming the site, and whether it will provide an alternative site for storing skips; and
(4)
whether it will consider allowing "double stacking" of skips that are stored in the skip storage sites, so as to increase the number of skips that can be stored; if so, of the details; if not, the measures to be put in place by the Government to solve the problem of shortage of skip storage sites?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Government public transport fare concession scheme
Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask:
Under the Government Public Transport Fare Concession Scheme for the Elderly and Eligible Persons with Disabilities (commonly known as "the $2 Scheme"), persons aged 60 or above and eligible persons with disabilities may all travel at a concessionary fare of $2 per trip on public transport modes such as general MTR lines, franchised buses, ferries and green minibuses. It has been reported that some members of the public who are not eligible to benefit from the $2 Scheme have abused the Scheme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of suspected cases of abuse of the $2 Scheme uncovered in the past three years through (i) the site monitoring and surveys of the Transport Department and (ii) the proactive efforts of various public transport service operators to step up ticket inspection, with a breakdown by type of public transport mode;
(2)
of the respective numbers of persons who were prosecuted and convicted in the cases mentioned in (1) and, among them, the number of those who committed the offence repeatedly; and
(3)
whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the measures to combat the abuse of the $2 Scheme?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Protection of critically endangered species of animals
Hon Andrew LAM to ask:
It has been reported that an academic found that "big-headed turtles", which are classified as "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, were illegally captured in the wild on at least 10 occasions in February and March this year, while the number of such occasions was only about 10 per year during the COVID-19 epidemic. The academic has pointed out that the turtle catchers are skilled, and inferred that they are professional turtle catchers. Such situation has aroused concerns. Regarding the protection of critically endangered species of animals, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has grasped the species of local critically endangered animals and the locations where they frequent; if so, of the specific monitoring or protection measures; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has made use of technology to assist in the monitoring work; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the number of reports or complaints received by the authorities in the past three years in relation to the capture of critically endangered animals; and
(4)
of the number of joint-departmental enforcement operations against the capture of critically endangered animals carried out by the Government in the past three years?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Acting arrangements for staff of Hongkong Post
Hon Dennis LEUNG to ask:
Some frontline staff of Hongkong Post ("HKP") have relayed that there are frequent changes in, or repeated extensions to, the duration for which the Postal Officers and Postmen of the organization are arranged to take up acting appointments in higher ranks (i.e. Senior Postal Officer and Senior Postman). As the acting staff are not officially promoted to the higher ranks, they are still counted as Postal Officers or Postmen in the staffing establishment, and such arrangements have resulted in a manpower shortage of Postal Officers and Postmen, and affected the overall service quality of HKP. Regarding the acting arrangements for staff of HKP, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the numbers of staff holding the following ranks at HKP in each year from 2018 to March this year: (i) substantive and (ii) acting Senior Postal Officer, (iii) substantive and (iv) acting Senior Postman, (v) substantive and (vi) acting Superintendent of Posts, (vii) Postman, (viii) Postal Officer, (ix) Assistant Controller of Posts II, (x) Assistant Controller of Posts I and (xi) Controller of Posts, and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by type of acting appointment (i.e. (a) acting with a view to substantive appointment and (b) acting for administrative convenience) (applicable to acting staff only);
Table 1
Rank | 2018 | …… | 2023 (up to March) |
(i) |
|
|
|
(ii) | (a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
(iv) | (a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(v) |
|
|
|
(vi) | (a) |
|
|
|
(b) |
|
|
|
(vii) |
|
|
|
(viii) |
|
|
|
(ix) |
|
|
|
(x) |
|
|
|
(xi) |
|
|
|
(2)
of (I) the shortest and (II) longest duration of acting appointments, and (III) the median duration of acting appointments in the following ranks at HKP in each year from 2018 to March this year: (i) Senior Postal Officer, (ii) Senior Postman and (iii) Superintendent of Posts, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown by type of acting appointment (i.e. (a) acting with a view to substantive appointment and (b) acting for administrative convenience); and
Table 2
Rank | Duration of
acting appointment | 2018 | …… | 2023 (up to March) |
(i) | (a) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(b) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(ii) | (a) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(b) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(iii) | (a) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(b) | (I) |
|
|
|
(II) |
|
|
|
(III) |
|
|
|
(3)
of the criteria adopted by HKP for arranging or changing the duration of acting appointments (including acting with a view to substantive appointment and acting for administrative convenience)?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
The Employment Programme for the Elderly and Middle-aged ("EPEM") of the Labour Department ("LD") aims at encouraging employers to engage unemployed job seekers aged 40 or above in full-time or part-time long-term job vacancies and provide the job seekers with on-the-job training ("OJT") through the provision of training allowance to employers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of employers involved in the placements eligible for joining EPEM in the past year;
(2)
given that enhancement measures were introduced for EPEM in September 2020 to raise the ceiling of OJT allowance payable to employers under EPEM, of the number of placements eligible for joining EPEM since the introduction of the enhancement measures and, among them, the respective numbers of the cases where OJT allowance has been applied and granted;
(3)
when the Government will review the effectiveness of EPEM and consider increasing the OJT allowance payable to employers in order to attract the participation by more organizations; whether it will further enhance the support measures under EPEM in the light of the large number of unemployed persons as a result of the fifth wave of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will consider using big data to analyse the information registered by unemployed job seekers at LD (e.g. age, academic qualifications, skills and previous working experience), thereby assisting such persons in job-matching, improving the effectiveness of EPEM, as well as planning for the database on future manpower resources; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Public housing policies
Hon Doreen KONG to ask:
Regarding public housing policies, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Hong Kong Housing Authority will conduct an in-depth review on the planning, layout, design and supporting facilities of new public housing projects, and conduct an extensive consultation with professionals and members of the public, so as to keep the building quality and design of public housing abreast of the times and shorten the construction time; if not, of the reasons for that;
(2)
given that the Housing Bureau will develop "Well‑Being" design guidelines for new public housing projects, of the progress of the relevant work and the stakeholders participating in the relevant work; and
(3)
given that a number of public rental housing ("PRH") tenants have relayed to me that flats under the Green Form Subsidized Home Ownership Scheme are small and expensive, while Home Ownership Scheme flats are priced too high, an important home ownership ladder is missing between PRH and the two subsidized sale housing schemes, whether the current-term Government will consider launching more dedicated home ownership schemes to assist more grassroots and PRH tenants in purchasing their homes; if not, of the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Attracting enterprises from ASEAN member states to list in Hong Kong
Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
There are views pointing out that with the rapid development of the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations ("ASEAN") (e.g. the fast trade and industrial development in Vietnam and the "Eastern Economic Corridor" of Thailand which shows significant development potential) in recent years, attracting enterprises from ASEAN member states to list in Hong Kong will help Hong Kong consolidate its status as an international financial centre. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows (i) the number of enterprises from ASEAN member states which were listed in Hong Kong and (ii) the number of Hong Kong enterprises which returned to Hong Kong for listing after developing businesses in ASEAN member states (set out in a table) in the past five years;
(2)
in order to attract enterprises from ASEAN member states to list in Hong Kong, whether the authorities will offer related concessionary measures and arrangements, including whether considerations will be given to requesting the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited ("HKEX") to set up a dedicated team responsible for handling applications from enterprises from ASEAN member states in the listing application process; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether the authorities will consider organizing more online or physical seminars to publicize and promote to enterprises from ASEAN member states, and introduce to them the situation and rules concerning the raising of fund through listing in Hong Kong; and
(4)
whether it knows the respective average time taken by (i) enterprises from ASEAN member states and (ii) enterprises from non-ASEAN member states from submitting to HKEX the "Listing Application Form (for Equity Securities and Debt Securities)" (i.e. Form A1) to successful listing in the past five years?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents
Hon YANG Wing-kit to ask:
It has been reported that after the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland, quite a number of members of the public intend to return to their hometowns to visit relatives or go north to the Mainland for tourism, but the current appointment quotas for renewal of, re-issuance of, or first-time application for the Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao Residents (commonly known as "Home Return Permits") cannot meet the demand of the public, and those who have recently made appointments even have to wait until September this year before they can receive services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current number of expired Home Return Permits issued to Hong Kong residents, and the respective daily quotas for Permit processing services provided by various entry permit service centres of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Limited;
(2)
as it is learnt that some members of the public do not know how to use the online appointment booking service or fill in the relevant forms for Permit replacement, whether the authorities will discuss with China Travel Service Entry Permit Service Hong Kong Limited ("CTS") the arrangements for assisting members of the public in making online appointment bookings and resuming on-site distribution of queue tickets; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it has discussed with CTS the provision of Permit replacement services on Sundays and public holidays within a specified period of time to meet the demand of the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
given that the National Immigration Administration of the People's Republic of China announced at the end of last month that starting from 8 May this year, the validity of Home Return Permits with a specified expiration date will be extended until 31 December this year, and holders of Home Return Permits may apply for the renewal of their Permits at the Exit and Entry Administration Offices of the Public Security Bureau at the county or above level after entering the Mainland, whether the Government will conduct publicity and encourage members of the public to return to the Mainland for renewal of their Home Return Permits, so as to further mitigate the current tide of applications for Permit replacement; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
as it is learnt that quite a number of schools have gradually resumed exchange activities on the Mainland, whether the authorities will discuss with the Mainland authorities the issuance of one-time entry permits to students who have not applied for a Home Return Permit, so that they will not miss the opportunity to participate in exchange activities on the Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
It has been reported that ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence ("AI") chatbot launched at the end of last year, has taken the world by storm. It has a wide variety of uses and can be used for programming, creative work and translation, etc., with huge potential to influence the future development of society. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it has been reported that at present, ChatGPT is only open for registration and use in some countries or regions, which does not include Hong Kong, whether the Government will take the initiative to approach the operators concerned to see if they can open up the access rights of ChatGPT for Hong Kong; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has assessed the impact of ChatGPT on different industries (e.g. information technology, education, media and arts), including whether it will lead to a reduction in the labour force required by some industries, and how the Government will assist the affected people in upgrading and transformation; and
(3)
whether it will step up the research and education work on AI, such as including in primary and secondary schools a curriculum for teaching the use of ChatGPT or other AI, so as to teach young people the proper use of AI and, at the same time, enable young people to have exposure to and get to know AI as early as possible, thereby promoting the development of innovation and technology in Hong Kong; if so, of the details (e.g. the timetable and teaching approach); if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Job Creation Scheme
Hon CHAN Pui-leung to ask:
To relieve the unemployment situation due to the epidemic and the anti-epidemic measures, the Government has successively implemented three rounds of Job Creation Scheme ("JCS") to create a large number of time-limited jobs in the public and private sectors. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information on the time-limited jobs created in the Government under each round of JCS: the number of jobs, number of persons employed, job durations, main job contents and amount of expenditure involved, and set out the relevant information in a table by government department;
(2)
of the following information on the time-limited jobs created in the subsidized non-governmental sector under each round of JCS: the number of jobs, number of persons employed, job durations, main job contents and amount of subsidies involved, and set out the relevant information in a table by sector;
(3)
of the following information on the time-limited jobs created for graduates and young people under each round of JCS (set out in a table): the number of jobs, number of persons employed, job durations, main job contents and amount of expenditure involved;
(4)
of the total expenditure of JCS so far and the current balance, as well as the percentage of administrative expenses in the total expenditure; and
(5)
whether it has reviewed and assessed the effectiveness of JCS; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Antenatal check-up and delivery services
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
It is learnt that quite a number of pregnant women who use antenatal check-up services provided by private hospitals also use the relevant services provided by public hospitals at the same time in order to give themselves an extra layer of protection. There are views that such a situation has created an additional service demand and resource burden on both public and private hospitals. Regarding antenatal check-up and delivery services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of pregnant women who gave births in public and private hospitals in each of the past three years, and their percentages in the total number of pregnant women who gave births in that year;
(2)
of the respective numbers of pregnant women who registered for and used antenatal check-up services in public hospitals, private hospitals and Maternal and Child Health Centres ("MCHCs") in each of the past three years, and their percentages in the total number of pregnant women in that year;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of pregnant women (i) who originally made bookings for delivery in public hospitals but eventually gave births in private hospitals and the reasons for that, and (ii) who originally made bookings for delivery in private hospitals but eventually gave births in public hospitals and the reasons for that, in each of the past three years;
(4)
of the number of pregnant women who registered for and used antenatal check-up services in public hospitals but eventually did not give births in public hospitals or cancelled the bookings for their hospitalization in advance in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by the main reason for cancelling the booking;
(5)
of the details of regular antenatal and post-delivery check-up items (including antenatal check-ups, postnatal check-ups and physical examination for newborns) provided for pregnant women by public hospitals and MCHCs (e.g. the contents, number and duration of the check-ups) in the past three years, as well as the cost of each check-up item;
(6)
of the average cost of providing antenatal check-up and delivery services for each pregnant woman by public hospitals in each of the past three years; and
(7)
whether it has subsidized suitable pregnant women to receive antenatal check-up and delivery services in private hospitals, so as to effectively divert service demand, and at the same time shorten the waiting time for the relevant services in public hospitals and MCHCs; if so, of the details and the implementation situation; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating immigration offences
Hon LAM So-wai to ask:
Some frontline officers of the disciplinary forces have told me that the number of non-ethnic Chinese illegal immigrants ("IIs") intercepted by them has been on the rise in recent years. On combating immigration offences, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of IIs intercepted in the past three years and, among them, the number of those who were non-ethnic Chinese (with a breakdown by their places of origin);
(2)
of the usual means through which the IIs mentioned in (1) entered Hong Kong;
(3)
whether there are actions to further intercept IIs to safeguard the interests of Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
of the number of reports on immigration offences made online received by the Immigration Department in the past three years, and the number of persons prosecuted; whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the approach of receiving reports online?