Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone
Hon Robert LEE to ask:
Recently, the Central Authorities have promulgated the Opinion on Providing Financial Support for the Comprehensive Deepening Reform and Opening Up of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, setting out 30 measures on financial reform and innovation ("30 financial measures for Qianhai") to support the development of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone ("Qianhai Cooperation Zone"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the trade is widely concerned about the 30 financial measures for Qianhai, hoping that the relevant policies will bring development opportunities, whether the authorities will launch priority projects and proposals targeting relevant industries or companies in an orderly manner;
(2)
as the 30 financial measures for Qianhai involve a number of policy initiatives, how the Government will foster cross-departmental collaboration, coordinate the communication and discussion with relevant Mainland departments, and announce the relevant specific implementation details and timetable as soon as possible, so as to facilitate different enterprises to make prior preparations for their development in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone; and
(3)
whether the Government will provide incentives to attract more financial and professional services-related enterprises to participate in the relevant development, thereby leveraging Hong Kong's advantages as an international financial centre for fulfilling its role in the internal circulation and external circulation for national development?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Promoting recreational and cultural activities in districts
Hon MA Fung-kwok to ask:
There are views that the District Councils ("DCs") should perform the function of promoting recreational and cultural activities more proactively, and therefore, after the improvement of the district governance structure, the Government should further mobilize the initiative of community and district organizations to encourage them to organize more activities with local characteristics, so as to enrich the cultural and recreational life of members of the public, thereby enhancing their sense of belonging to the community and creating local cultural characteristics. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the authorities' plan, after the improvement of the district governance structure, to encourage various district organizations to organize more cultural and recreational activities with local characteristics, so that DCs can perform the function of promoting recreational and cultural activities more proactively;
(2)
whether the authorities will consider appointing some people with cultural and sports backgrounds to DCs, so that DCs can better perform the function of promoting recreational and cultural activities; and
(3)
whether the authorities will consider creating one post of cultural and sports activities coordinator in each district dedicated to the promotion and coordination of cultural and sports activities and performances in the district, and encouraging district organizations to organize more cultural and sports activities with local characteristics?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing the regulation of building works in private buildings
Hon Rock CHEN to ask:
It has been reported that part of a structural wall (commonly known as "core wall") in a unit of a private housing court in Tseung Kwan O is suspected to have been removed, and such alteration may affect the structural safety of the building. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that under the Buildings Ordinance, applications to the Buildings Department ("BD") are required for any works involving the removal of core walls in private buildings, of the respective numbers of the relevant applications received, approved and rejected by BD in the past three years, and the reasons for such applications being rejected; of the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted for failing to submit applications before carrying out the relevant works;
(2)
given that the aforesaid incident was exposed by netizens only after the relevant video had been uploaded onto a property viewing website, and as private buildings are private places, how the authorities detect and combat illegal building works carried out in private buildings, and whether they will strengthen cyber patrols and enforcement efforts; and
(3)
as there are views that Hong Kong does not have a mandatory licensing and registration system for the interior design industry, and hence it cannot guarantee that interior design proposals comply with the building safety requirements, whether the authorities will consider establishing a licensing and registration system for the industry, so as to enhance the safety standard of the relevant works and the professional image of the industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Improving the incomes of grass-roots families and wage earners
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
In his important speech delivered on 1 July last year, the State President pointed out that efforts should be made to "make sure that all citizens in Hong Kong share more fully and fairly in the fruits of development so that every resident will be convinced that if you work hard, you can improve the life of your own and that of your family". The Chief Executive also emphasized "better serving our people" in the 2022 Policy Address. However, it is learnt that the incomes of grass-roots families and wage earners have been on the low side for a long time. From 2002 to 2021, in terms of the median monthly domestic household income and the median monthly domestic household income of economically active households by decile group, the income increases of 40% of households and 20% of wage earners in the lowest deciles had underperformed inflation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
how it will implement the instructions of the State President and fulfil the policy direction of the Policy Address, and whether key performance indicators will be set for the relevant work, so that the grass-roots and workers can have a greater sense of contentment and happiness;
(2)
whether it will adopt "living wage" as the income baseline for government outsourced workers, so that they can make a decent living; and
(3)
given that the Minimum Wage Commission is conducting a study on how to enhance the review mechanism for the Statutory Minimum Wage ("SMW") level, whether the Government will consider making "living wage" as one of the factors for consideration in determining the SMW level, so that grass-roots workers can lead a dignified life?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Cases of fraud through mobile phone SMS messages
Hon LEUNG Man-kwong to ask:
It has been reported that despite the Government's implementation of the Real-name Registration Programme for Subscriber Identification Module Cards, there are still quite a number of overseas fraudsters who steal the credit card or online banking information of members of the public by sending them mobile phone SMS messages impersonating various retail shops and telecommunication companies the authenticity of which is hard to identify, causing members of the public to suffer losses. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as some phishing mobile phone SMS messages originate from overseas, whether the Government will consider, by making reference to the practice of issuing alerts for incoming overseas calls, adding alerts to mobile phone SMS messages originating from overseas, so as to raise the alertness of members of the public and prevent fraud cases; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will expeditiously launch a SMS sender registration system or other mobile phone SMS message authentication systems to provide special authentication for SMS messages sent by reputable organizations, so as to increase the identifiability of such SMS messages; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as most of the cases of fraud through mobile phone SMS messages involve fraudulent use of credit card information, whether the Government has plans to step up publicity on the security issues of online banking and mobile payment services and introduce new safeguards, so as to prevent cyber frauds; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Provision of land in the Northern Metropolis for the pioneering development of enterprises
Hon YIM Kong to ask:
There are views that with reference to the successful experience in regional industry development on the Mainland and overseas, an effective means for governments to attract strategic enterprises is to provide land for strategic enterprises on concessionary terms within the shortest possible time, so as to facilitate the pioneering development of land by such enterprises and promote the rapid development of the regional economy. Therefore, land supply policy is one of the effective measures for the Government to attract the presence of strategic enterprises. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the estimated amount of land, including brownfield sites and private land, that can be resumed from the development area of the Northern Metropolis within this year for new planning and development; and
(2)
as it is learnt that in the development of the San Tin Technopole, the Government will consider adopting land disposal methods other than open tendering, including direct grant to suitable enterprises, whether it has studied if similar modes of land grant, such as simplifying the land application process in respect of designated land parcels for eligible enterprises or enterprise consortia and granting land to them at concessionary rates, can also be adopted for the development of various regions in the Northern Metropolis, with a view to achieving an effect of spearheading development?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Protecting the safety of swimmers in private swimming pools
Hon CHAU Siu-chung to ask:
In accordance with the Swimming Pools Regulation (Cap. 132CA), any artificially constructed pool used for swimming or bathing and to which the public have access or which is operated by any club, institution, association or other organization, is required to obtain a swimming pool licence from the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department ("FEHD"). Regarding protecting the safety of swimmers in private swimming pools, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the numbers of private swimming pools (i) with a swimming pool licence, (ii) for which a new application for a swimming pool licence was made, and (iii) for which a renewal application for a swimming pool licence was made, in each of the past 10 years, with a tabulated breakdown by District Council district;
(2)
the respective numbers of licensed swimming pools which, in accordance with the licensing conditions for the swimming pool licence, shall have not less than (i) two, (ii) three, (iii) four, (iv) five, (v) six, (vi) seven and (vii) eight qualified lifeguards in attendance at all times during which the pools are open to swimmers;
(3)
of the numbers of (i) inspections conducted by FEHD on private swimming pools with a swimming pool licence and (ii) accidents reported by such pools to FEHD, in each of the past 10 years; and
(4)
whether it knows (i) the respective numbers of Pool Lifeguard Awards and Beach Lifeguard Awards issued by the Hong Kong Life Saving Society ("HKLSS") in each of the past 10 years, as well as (ii) the respective numbers of persons currently in possession of valid Pool Lifeguard Awards, Beach Lifeguard Awards and other more advanced life saving awards issued by HKLSS?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the development of standards in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask:
It has been reported that the authorities of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao have earlier signed a Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") on jointly promoting the development of standards in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA Standards"), and the relevant list of GBA Standards covers a total of 110 items in 25 fields including Chinese medicine and logistics. There are views that the signing of the MOU is part of the "soft connectivity" of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"), and will help promote commodity circulation and integrated development among the various cities in GBA. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the authorities have set up a dedicated organization to deal with matters relating to GBA Standards; if so, of its functions and composition, and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the Government's role in setting GBA Standards; whether industries can proactively propose the setting of GBA Standards for certain types of goods or services; if they can, of the responsible government department and the procedure, and whether it has formulated performance pledges for the work concerned; if they cannot, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that the Guangdong Province has streamlined the vetting and approval process for the registration of Hong Kong registered traditional proprietary Chinese medicines for external use in the Mainland cities of GBA, whether the authorities have plans to assist the industry in striving for the Mainland authorities' streamlining of the vetting and approval process for the registration of Hong Kong registered traditional medicines for internal application on the Mainland through the relevant GBA Standards; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Fares for cross-boundary journeys on the MTR East Rail Line
Hon CHAN Yuet-ming to ask:
It is learnt that the Lo Wu Control Point and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point are the two land boundary control points with the largest numbers of inbound and outbound passenger trips in Hong Kong. Compared with the fares for cross-boundary journeys on the MTR East Rail Line ("ERL") (i.e. for travelling between Sheung Shui Station and Lo Wu Station/Lok Ma Chau Station), the fares for the same journeys on other public transport modes (e.g. franchised buses or public light buses) are lower. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the justifications for the fare structure adopted for cross-boundary journeys on ERL;
(2)
whether it knows the fare revenue of the MTR Corporation Limited in respect of cross-boundary journeys on ERL in each of the past 10 years (set out in a table);
(3)
whether it will review the fare structure as well as the reasonableness of the fares for cross-boundary journeys on ERL in the light of the initiative for the joint development of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Boundary Control Points Economic Belt by Hong Kong and Shenzhen to foster the flow of people; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will consider introducing more policies or measures which will facilitate cross-boundary transport for people who need to commute between Hong Kong and Shenzhen every day, such as cross-boundary students and cross-boundary workers, so as to reduce their travelling expenses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating the crimes of deception
Hon Starry LEE to ask:
It has been reported that there has been a significant increase in the number of deception cases in Hong Kong in recent years. According to a questionnaire survey conducted by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, over 30% of the respondents claimed that they received five or more suspected fraudulent messages every week while over 10% of the respondents claimed that they had fallen prey to fraud and suffered losses. There are views that the continual substantial increase in the number of fraud cases has reflected that the current measures are inadequate to fend off the increasingly serious attacks launched by fraudsters. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of persons arrested, prosecuted and convicted on suspicion of fraud as well as the penalties imposed on the convicted persons, in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by nature of the fraud cases;
(2)
whether it knows if the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA") will hold discussions with banks about simplifying the procedure for freezing the money involved in suspicious transactions and more actively examining suspicious accounts suspected to be fraudulent; if HKMA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as it is learnt that the Police have set up different task forces to address various types of fraud cases in a targeted manner, whether the Police will invite representatives of the banking industry to join such task forces with a view to enhancing the procedure for identifying suspicious accounts, thereby raising the chance of thwarting fraudsters' attempts to commit fraud; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether it will formulate more stringent requirements and guidelines for the Real-name Registration Programme for Subscriber Identification Module ("SIM") Cards in order to plug the existing loophole whereby lawbreakers can use false identity card information to register a large number of SIM cards; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether it will strengthen intelligence exchanges with Mainland and overseas law enforcement agencies with a view to keeping abreast of the latest situation of fraud cases and conducting joint law enforcement operations if necessary; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
whether it will, in the light of the frequency, organized nature and seriousness of fraud cases in recent years, collect sufficient information and relay it to the Judiciary, so as to facilitate the court to consider aggravating factors in sentencing and even laying down sentencing guidelines, thereby achieving a deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
as the Government indicated in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 15 March this year that the Police planned to organize another "Anti-Deception Month", of the progress and details of the relevant work?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating the operation of unlicensed hotels or guesthouses
Hon YIU Pak-leung to ask:
According to the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance (Cap. 349), operating or managing an unlicensed hotel or guesthouse is a criminal offence. It has been reported that during the COVID-19 epidemic, some people rented out yachts for use as "floating guesthouses". Some members of the hotel and guesthouse industries have also relayed that since the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland in early February this year, some operators of unlicensed hotels or guesthouses have accepted room reservations via online platforms. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints in relation to unlicensed hotels or guesthouses received by the authorities in each of the past six months, and the respective numbers of persons who were prosecuted and convicted;
(2)
of the following information on the law enforcement actions taken by the authorities in respect of suspected operation of unlicensed hotels or guesthouses in each of the past six months: (i) the number of inspections, (ii) the districts inspected, and (iii) the number of times for which evidence was collected by means of decoy operations;
(3)
given that according to section 5(1) of Cap. 349, a person commits an offence if the person operates, keeps, manages or otherwise has control of any premises that are a hotel or guesthouse while no licence is in force for the premises, whether the provision applies to pleasure vessels used for residential purposes in the waters of Hong Kong; if so, of the details; and
(4)
of the concrete plans the Government has in place to step up the efforts in combating unlicensed hotels or guesthouses and conduct more publicity and promotion for Cap. 349, so as to enhance the deterrent effect?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Improving the mental health of members of the public
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
A survey has found that the mental health of Hong Kong people has fallen below the passing level for five consecutive years since 2018. In addition, it has been reported that a number of suicide or suspected suicide cases have occurred one after another in Hong Kong in recent months, involving people of different ages and strata. There are views that the Government and the authorities concerned should expeditiously review the strategies for improving the mental health of members of the public and enhance various measures and support services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
(i) of the number of cases since 2022 in which a verdict of suicide has been returned, together with a breakdown by the age group to which the deceased belonged, gender and reason for suicide, and (ii) how the suicide rates in Hong Kong compare with those in the neighbouring regions in Asia;
(2)
whether it knows the respective government departments and community organizations which currently provide suicide prevention and mental health support services;
(3)
whether the Government will strengthen the relevant measures or support services targeting the groups with higher suicide rates in the cases mentioned in (1), so as to reduce their chances of committing suicide; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it has assessed if there is an increase in the demand of members of the public for mental health services with the full resumption to normalcy of society; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the affirmative, whether the Government will allocate additional resources to increase the relevant services and manpower?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Public dental services
Hon Joephy CHAN to ask:
A recent survey has revealed that 70% of the respondents have suffered from various degrees of dental diseases, and that nearly 60% of the respondents have not taken the initiative to seek consultation due to financial reasons. On the other hand, there are currently 39 government dental clinics in Hong Kong, but only 11 of them provide free emergency dental treatment services (commonly known as "General Public dental sessions" ("GP dental sessions")). This, coupled with the limited consultation quota, has rendered public dental services generally unavailable to members of the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has plans to provide GP dental sessions at the remaining 28 government dental clinics with a view to achieving the goal of "making public dental services available in every district", thereby responding to the urgent call from members of the public for public dental services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has plans to introduce "dental care voucher" to divert the demand for public dental services to the private market through the public-private partnership approach; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will look into expanding the scope of use of the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme to cover dental services at the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, so as to reduce the pressure of demand for public dental services in Hong Kong; and
(4)
as the Government has earlier pointed out that it will look into the admission of non-locally trained dentists to alleviate the problem of manpower shortage of dentists, and plans to submit a legislative proposal into this Council within this year, of the relevant work progress?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Development of green technology
Dr Hon TAN Yueheng to ask:
There are views pointing out that the Government is committed to consolidating and enhancing Hong Kong's status as an international financial centre, vigorously developing green finance, developing Hong Kong into an innovation and technology ("I&T") hub, and increasing the weight of I&T industries in the industry structure of the economy, with the green technology industry having huge development potential. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed which industries in the green technology industry domain are those in which Hong Kong has leading advantages, and which industries would feature in the next stage of development;
(2)
of the specific measures in place to support the development of green technology on the financial front; and
(3)
as there are views that the Government should build an ecosystem to promote the development of green technology through higher education institutions and scientific research institutes as technology providers, the Hong Kong Science Park as the main incubator for green technology enterprises, large enterprises in Hong Kong as users of green technology, and the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as important partners in the development of green technology in Hong Kong, of the Government's measures and planning in this regard?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Management fees of private housing
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
It is learnt that complaints against property management companies ("PMCs") for unsatisfactory services and excessively high charges occur from time to time. According to a study report of the Consumer Council ("CC"), CC received a total of nearly 700 complaints related to property management in the past 11 years and, among them, nearly 50% of the respondent owners considered the amount of management fee to be too high, and more than 20% of the owners considered the level of management fee unreasonable. In addition, some members of the public have criticized that PMCs charge high fees and wield great power (for example, during the COVID-19 epidemic, the PMC of a blue-chip housing estate received subsidies under the Government's Employment Support Scheme on the one hand, and significantly increased the management fee by nearly 10% on the other), and facing the substantial increase in management fees by PMCs year after year, minority owners are left with no solutions as the regulatory requirements in the Building Management Ordinance (Cap. 344) governing the increase in management fees by PMCs are too lenient. Also, given the fact that developers of large-scale housing courts are mostly the majority owners of their courts, even if all the ownership shares of the minority owners are taken into account, it is not enough to replace the PMCs (the deeds of mutual covenant ("DMCs") of some blue-chip housing estates even specify the PMC to be selected in the future). Such situation is like "being robbed of money by the developer's PMC year after year in front of one's eyes". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of PMCs of large-scale private housing courts in the territory which are affiliated companies of the developers of the courts concerned; if so, of the details;
(2)
whether it has gained an understanding of the average rate of increase in the management fees charged by PMCs of large-scale private housing courts in the territory in the past five years;
(3)
as the relevant provisions of Cap. 344 provide that the rate of increase in the management fee does not need to be approved by a resolution passed at a general meeting convened by the management committee or the corporation as long as it does not exceed 50%, whether the authorities will consider amending Cap. 344 to lower the relevant threshold, so as to protect the rights and interests of minority owners; and
(4)
given that situations like the aforesaid one, where the developer of a large-scale blue-chip housing court has stipulated in the DMC that the PMC of its subsidiary is responsible for the management of the court, and it has been difficult for minority owners to pool together enough ownership shares to amend the DMC and replace the PMC of the developer, are described by some owners as akin to forced patronage, whether the Government has examined if the aforesaid situation has violated the principle of competition, and whether it will request the Competition Commission to intervene and investigate?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Supporting persons with hearing impairment
Dr Hon TIK Chi-yuen to ask:
According to the figures of the Census and Statistics Department, there were 246 200 persons with hearing difficulty across the territory in 2020. Regarding the support for persons with hearing impairment, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of (i) the number of deaf/hard-of-hearing persons in Hong Kong, (ii) the respective numbers of them using the services of various government departments, (iii) the number of times they required the service of sign language interpreters ("SLIs") when using the services of various government departments and (iv) the average time of each use of SLI service, in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the number of deaf persons using the 992 Emergency SMS service of the Hong Kong Police Force, the average time taken from case-reporting to police arrival at the scene, as well as the average waiting time for SLI service by such persons when reporting cases at police stations respectively in each of the past five years;
(3)
given that the Police indicated in a media interview in 2017 that it would study the feasibility of processing photos and videos by the 992 Emergency SMS service, of the current progress of the relevant work;
(4)
whether it knows the number of persons on the list of SLIs maintained by the Judiciary and the number of court proceedings in which sign language interpretation service was required by deaf/hard-of-hearing persons, in each of the past five years; whether such information will be made open for public access; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
as there are views that the integrated education currently implemented by the Education Bureau lacks support for deaf/hard-of-hearing persons in the learning of sign language, whether the Government will enhance sign language education for deaf/hard-of-hearing persons and others; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
as it is learnt that currently, there is no official standard sign language system in Hong Kong, whether the Government will implement an official sign language system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
of the details of the Government's latest and future policies implemented in respect of supporting deaf/hard-of-hearing persons?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of optometrists
Hon SHIU Ka-fai to ask:
Some operators of optical shops have relayed that the shortage of optometrists in Hong Kong has resulted in recruitment difficulties, which has affected the daily operation and development of their shops, and they have therefore proposed to bring in optometrists from the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA") to share some of the basic work of optometrists (e.g. work limited to refraction of eye examinations). On the other hand, the Government announced in May this year the expansion of the Talent List by increasing the number of professions covered from the original 13 to 51, and such professions include optometrists. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current number of registered optometrists in Hong Kong and, among them, the number of those who are employed in optical shops and work as frontline optometrists;
(2)
whether it has assessed the demand for and supply of optometrists in each of the next five years;
(3)
given that persons receiving relevant professional training for optometrists in other regions are required to apply to the Optometrists Board for registration before they can practise as optometrists in Hong Kong, whether it knows the respective numbers of persons receiving training in other regions who made applications and were allowed to become registered optometrists in each of the past five years (set out by the region in which they received training); and
(4)
whether it has assessed how the expansion of the Talent List helps bring in optometrists from the Mainland cities of GBA and even from the entire Mainland; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Management measures upon dissolution of Estate Management Advisory Committees
Hon Edward LEUNG to ask:
Estate Management Advisory Committees ("EMACs") established by the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") for its public housing estates ("PHEs") were responsible for using the funds allocated by HA to carry out minor improvement works in the estates and improve the estate environment before they ceased operation last year. There are views pointing out that after the cessation of the operation of EMACs across the territory, the decision on the use of the funds concerned is left to the Housing Managers ("HMs") of the estates, which may not reflect the wishes of the residents and meet their needs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether there are changes in the amount of funds allocated by HA to various PHEs and in such funding mechanism upon the dissolution and cessation of operation of EMACs across the territory;
(2)
of the balance of available funds of EMACs of various PHEs across the territory at the time of their dissolution, and the amount of such balance together with the amount of the new funds allocated to them since their dissolution, with a breakdown by District Council district and PHE;
(3)
as HA has indicated that HMs of PHEs will collect tenants' views through different communication channels, including expanding both the traditional and electronic means of communication, and take their opinions into consideration in drawing up proposals on the use of the funds at the beginning of the financial year, of the total number of estates which have set up electronic means for expression of views so far;
(4)
of the respective numbers of residents' views on funding, minor improvement works in the estates and improvement of the estate environment received by HMs of various PHEs through different communication channels since January this year, with a breakdown by District Council district and PHE;
(5)
given that in the past, EMACs could, based on residents' views, rate the performance of outsourced security or cleansing service contractors of the estates for deciding whether to renew the contracts with the contractors or replace them, how the Government ensures that residents can participate in the relevant decisions and express their views after the dissolution of EMACs; and
(6)
as there are views that in the past, EMACs could encourage residents to participate in estate management and reflect their views to the Housing Department so as to help improve the management of the estates, whether the Government will consider re-establishing EMACs through other channels, so that residents of PHEs can be more involved in the exchange of views on estate management matters?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Cash Allowance Trial Scheme
Hon LUK Chung-hung to ask:
The Government launched a three-year Cash Allowance Trial Scheme ("CATS") in late June 2021 to provide cash allowance ("allowance") to eligible persons, so as to alleviate the difficulties in livelihood faced by grass-roots families who have been waiting for public rental housing ("PRH") for a long period of time. On the other hand, a survey has found that it is estimated that nearly 75% of CATS applicants may still not be able to move into PRH after two years, and that about 100 000 non-elderly single persons who have waited for PRH for less than three years currently cannot benefit from CATS. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of beneficiaries in each year since the launch of CATS, and the PRH waiting time of CATS applicants; among the beneficiaries, the number of those whose allowance has been terminated but still have not yet been allocated PRH flats;
(2)
whether it will consider increasing the amount of allowance in line with inflation, and extending the period of time for which the allowance is provided under CATS (e.g. granting the allowance to the applicants until they move into PRH); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will consider expanding the target beneficiaries of CATS to cover non-elderly single persons who are currently waiting for PRH; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
as there are views pointing out that CATS is the only financial assistance measure aimed at relieving the housing pressure of tenants of subdivided units, but some tenants are excluded from the scheme due to their not meeting the eligibility criteria and thus become low-income households not living in public housing and not receiving Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (commonly known as "N have-nots households"), whether the Government will, without affecting the implementation of CATS, reintroduce the one-off living subsidy provided to N have-nots households; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Supporting single-parent families
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
It is learnt that the divorce rate in Hong Kong has been on the rise in recent years, and the number of single-parent families has also increased drastically, with more and more difficulties being faced by them. On the other hand, since the Government's cessation in 2004 of subvention for the five single parent centres ("SPCs") operated by non-governmental organizations ("NGOs"), the services needed by single-parent families have been provided by the Integrated Family Service Centres ("IFSCs") and the Specialized Co-parenting Support Centres ("SCSCs") under the Social Welfare Department. However, some concern groups on single-parent families have relayed to me that the services provided by IFSCs and SCSCs lack focus and continuity, and do not meet the needs of single-parent families. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of single-parent families throughout the territory and the number of children they had, in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the following information on each of the IFSCs and SCSCs in each of the past five years: (i) the number of requests for assistance from single parents handled (with a breakdown by new and old case), (ii) the average time taken for handling such requests, (iii) the staffing establishment, and (iv) the average number of cases handled by each social worker (with a breakdown by active and completed case);
(3)
whether it will review the operation and staffing establishment of IFSCs and SCSCs on a regular basis, as well as consider allocating additional resources to enhance their manpower in a timely manner; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
given that there are views that the situation of default on maintenance payments has continued to deteriorate in recent years, and single parents who are owed maintenance payments have no channel to lodge complaints, and that the Government, in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 22 February this year, indicated that it was considering the recommendation of establishing a dedicated unit to assist in the implementation of a maintenance assurance scheme and the enforcement of court orders to recover maintenance in the "Further Study on the Phenomenon of Divorce in Hong Kong", of the progress of the relevant work;
(5)
whether it will consider resuming the subvention to NGOs for opening SPCs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(6)
whether it will consider strengthening the support for carers of single-parent children, such as giving priority consideration to single-parent families for the provision of after-school care services, and providing full-time carers of single-parent families with cash assistance or allowances, etc. which can maintain their living; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Adoption of children
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
Regarding the adoption of children, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it is learnt that the criteria for vetting and approving applications for becoming foster parents and adoptive parents are different, of the relevant details; the criteria based on which the Government decides to provide foster care service or adoption service for children in need;
(2)
as there are views reflecting that it will be easier and faster to adopt a child successfully if there is a foreign family member in the family waiting to adopt a child, (i) of the current number of families waiting to adopt children, (ii) the current number of adoptive families with foreign family members, and (iii) whether it has gained an understanding of the causes of such phenomenon; and
(3)
whether it will consider and study dispensing with the need for the Social Welfare Department to suspend the foster care service originally provided by foster parents after they have applied for adoption of the children concerned; if so, of the relevant requirements; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Hearing of cases involving lands and buildings
Hon Doreen KONG to ask:
Quite a number of members of the public have relayed that the waiting time from setting down of their cases to hearing at the Lands Tribunal is too long. With the waiting time of some cases being as long as nine months, there is a relatively significant deviation from the targets set in the performance pledge by the Lands Tribunal. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information on cases heard by the Lands Tribunal in each of the past five years: (i) categories, (ii) numbers, and (iii) the average waiting time from setting down to hearing (set out in a table);
(2)
given that the Building Management Mediation Co-ordinator's Office will refer some cases to mediators for handling, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the satisfaction level of mediation service users in respect of their cases;
(3)
whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of lawyers who specialize in handling land leases and disputes related to real estate in Hong Kong; whether the authorities have plans to formulate corresponding training programmes in this specific area for the sector; and
(4)
whether it has assessed if the existing manpower of the Lands Tribunal is adequate to cope with its increasing workload; whether the authorities have plans to expedite the hearing of cases by recruitment of additional staff or redeployment of resources, thereby shortening the waiting time for members of the public in respect of their cases from setting down to hearing?