Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Hosting international pop concerts
Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
It has been reported that after the epidemic, many cities have hosted world tour concerts by world-class singers, attracting fans from all over the world to attend the concerts. In addition to the proceeds from tickets and merchandise, these concerts also boost industries such as tourism, retail and catering, thereby promoting economic development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the details of the Government's existing measures to assist organizers in identifying suitable venues, arranging entry visas, etc. to attract world-renowned singers to hold concerts in Hong Kong;
(2)
whether it will consider adopting a form of dedicated funding, such as relaxing the eligibility criteria of the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund to cover concerts, so as to secure international pop concerts to be held in Hong Kong; if so, of the details and implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views pointing out that some concert organizers have no plan to come to Hong Kong because they consider that Hong Kong lacks major venues, and given that the Main Stadium of the Kai Tak Sports Park will be commissioned this year, whether the Government will proactively liaise with the industry and relevant stakeholders to jointly formulate plans on promoting the use of the Kai Tak Sports Park as a major performance venue; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Promoting the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination programme
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
The latest Policy Address has proposed to develop Hong Kong into an international hub for post‑secondary education. There are views that while building for the future, the Government also needs to review the present, such as how to promote the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination ("HKDSE") programme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the strategies and measures which it has adopted or plans to adopt to promote the HKDSE programme to places outside the territory, so as to enable the HKDSE programme to "go global";
(2)
given that for talents coming to Hong Kong through the various schemes to compete for talents, their children may study in Hong Kong in the capacity as dependants, of the strategies and measures which the Government has adopted or plans to adopt to publicize the HKDSE programme to talents coming to Hong Kong and attract their children to enrol in such programme; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the number of medical students admitted to the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Hong Kong through the Joint University Programmes Admissions System only accounts for 45% of the number of places of its medical programmes in the current school year, which has fallen short of the pledged target of 75% for eight consecutive years, and there are views that local tertiary institutions do not see the HKDSE programme as a superior programme, of the strategies and measures which the Government has adopted or plans to adopt to improve the HKDSE programme, so as to enhance the recognition of the HKDSE programme by local and even overseas universities?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Torture claims
Hon LAI Tung-kwok to ask:
It has been reported that Hong Kong has long been bothered by the problems of torture claims. As at the end of October last year, about 14 700 claimants were still stranded in Hong Kong. There are views that the Government must adopt decisive measures to eradicate incentives for torture claimants to stay in Hong Kong and take up unlawful employment. In addition, in June last year, the court pointed out in a judgment handed down on a case involving a claimant that those unsubstantiated torture claimants who are detained pending removal from Hong Kong can make the length of detention unreasonably long by refusing to provide cooperation in obtaining the travel document and then applying for a writ of habeas corpus to challenge the legality of their detention. The court further pointed out that to break this impasse, one possible way to consider would be to criminalize such acts of non-cooperation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it accepts the aforesaid suggestion by the court and the time for its implementation; if it does not accept the suggestion or there is no timetable yet, of the reasons for that;
(2)
of the number of times in the past three years that the authorities exercised the power under section 37ZK of the Immigration Ordinance to detain torture claimants pending final determination of their claims; and
(3)
whether it will consider revising the policy so as to fully exercise the power under section 37ZK of the Immigration Ordinance to detain persons who have lodged torture claims, thereby eliminating the situation of unlawful employment taken up by them?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Measures to facilitate the flow of people between the Mainland and Hong Kong
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
Starting from 20 February last year, six categories of Mainland talents in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area may apply for the "exit endorsement for talents travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao", which allows them to travel to and from Hong Kong multiple times within the validity period of the exit endorsement. Besides, the 2023 Policy Address has announced that foreign staff of companies registered in Hong Kong may apply for "multiple-entry visas" which are valid for two or more years to travel to the Mainland. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of persons travelling to Hong Kong with the aforesaid exit endorsement for talents since its implementation, together with a breakdown by category of talents and number of days of their stay;
(2)
given that academic institutions (such as post-secondary institutions) are not companies registered in Hong Kong, whether the aforesaid multiple-entry visa arrangement covers research and development ("R&D") personnel of such institutions (including students, teaching staff and researchers); if so, of the application procedures, and whether an upper limit has been set on the number of applicants; if the arrangement does not cover such personnel, whether the Government can strive for the Mainland's introduction of the relevant arrangement; and
(3)
given that the Development Plan for Shenzhen Park of Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone has proposed to provide travel convenience for R&D personnel, starting with a "highly convenient first-line entry and exit" model for customs clearance, of the progress of negotiations between the Government and the Mainland on the relevant arrangements?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Top Talent Pass Scheme
Hon Adrian HO to ask:
The Top Talent Pass Scheme ("TTPS") has been implemented for one year. According to government statistics, as at the end of November last year, a total of 47 681 applications were approved under the Scheme, of which 30 810 applicants have already come to Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of applications rejected under Categories A, B and C of TTPS as at the end of December last year, as well as the percentages of such numbers in the total number of applications;
(2)
as there are views pointing out that some TTPS applicants have not actively complied with the time frame for coming to Hong Kong and securing an offer of employment after their applications have been approved, of the current number of applicants who have successfully secured an offer of employment in Hong Kong among those who have come to Hong Kong under the Scheme, as well as the distribution of the trades in which they are engaged and the time they have taken to secure an offer of employment; and
(3)
as there are views that TTPS is relatively lenient in terms of the work experience requirement for Category C applicants as well as the vetting and approval criteria for the Scheme as a whole, making the Scheme susceptible to being exploited by some people as a "big trick" to immigrate to Hong Kong, for example, there are rumours that individual applicants have only come to Hong Kong for giving birth, travel convenience, enhancing their own curriculum vitae, etc., resulting in the Scheme being "tainted" and not truly fulfilling its purpose of contributing to Hong Kong's economy, of the counter-measures put in place by the Government to perform proper gatekeeping for the Scheme, so as to curb and eliminate all kinds of improper use and abuse of the Scheme?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Municipal Solid Waste Charging
Hon CHAN Hok-fung to ask:
The Government will implement Municipal Solid Waste Charging ("MSW charging"). The policy intent is that it is primarily the responsibility of individual households to bear the charges for designated bags ("DBs") and designated labels ("DLs"), so as to drive behavioural changes for achieving waste reduction. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed if there will be a peak season of waste disposal prior to the implementation of MSW charging; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the corresponding measures in place, for instance, whether it will increase law enforcement manpower, extend the opening hours of facilities provided under GREEN@COMMUNITY, and increase the number of food waste smart recycling bins;
(2)
given that both DBs and DLs come with anti-counterfeit features, but recently, rubbish bags purported to be DBs are available for sale on some Mainland shopping websites, whether the Government has gained an understanding if there is a price difference between the two, and whether it has studied if the purchase of this type of rubbish bags by the public and property management companies ("PMCs") is in conflict with the intent of MSW charging; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the follow-up actions; and
(3)
as there have been criticisms about inadequate publicity on MSW charging although it will be implemented soon, whether the Government has formulated plans to conduct publicity in an overwhelming manner in collaboration with PMCs, owners' corporations as well as District Services and Community Care Teams; if so, of the details?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Cooperation with the Mainland's pilot free trade zones
Hon YIM Kong to ask:
It has been reported that 22 pilot free trade zones ("FTZs") have been established in the Mainland. There are views that by strengthening the cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland's FTZs, Hong Kong, in its role as a "super-connector" connecting the Mainland and the rest of the world, can proactively integrate into the overall development of the country, thereby creating wider room for the development of Hong Kong's trade and financing sectors, as well as high-end professional services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has studied ways to strengthen cooperation between Hong Kong and FTZs in different regions of the Mainland;
(2)
whether the Government has actively reached out to the Mainland's FTZs for cooperation in policies, information as well as trade and investment; if so, of the details of the existing partnering mechanism, and the Mainland's FTZs with such partnering mechanism already established by the Government; and
(3)
as the State Ministry of Commerce promulgated the List of Key Tasks in Pilot Free Trade Zones (2023-2025) in June 2023, which mentions that one of the key tasks of Guangdong FTZ is to advance the compatibility and alignment of rules and mechanisms between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong and Macao, and deepen cooperation with Hong Kong and Macao in such fields as trade, investment, finance, legal services and mutual recognition of professional qualifications, of the Government's major work plan for this year and the next year in relation to cooperation with Guangdong FTZ in the relevant fields?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Selling Hong Kong-registered proprietary Chinese medicines in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area
Prof Hon CHAN Wing-kwong to ask:
In August 2021, the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration ("GDMPA") promulgated the Notice regarding the streamlining of registration approval for traditional proprietary Chinese medicines ("pCms") for external use that have been sold in Hong Kong and Macao ("the Notice"). Holders of traditional pCms for external use that have been registered with the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong and in use in the city for more than five years may apply for registration with GDMPA through the streamlined procedures. Such pCms, upon successful approval, may be sold in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows, since the promulgation of the Notice, the total number of registration holders of traditional pCms for external use in Hong Kong who have applied for registration with GDMPA through the relevant measures, and the number of types of pCms involved;
(2)
whether it knows, among the applications mentioned in (1), the respective numbers of those approved and rejected, as well as the main reasons for rejecting the applications;
(3)
whether it knows the average time taken for vetting and approving each application after the application procedures have been streamlined under the relevant measures;
(4)
how the authorities promote the relevant measures among the pCm sector, and whether they have taken measures to assist the sector in lodging applications; if so, of the details; and
(5)
as GDMPA indicated in November 2023 that it had submitted the Implementation plan for streamlining registration approval for traditional oral pCms that have been sold in Hong Kong and Macao for the National Medical Products Administration's examination and approval, whether the Government knows the details of the relevant plan?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Five-Year Development Programme for Team Sports
Hon Vincent CHENG to ask:
The Five-Year Development Programme for Team Sports ("the Programme"), launched in 2018, aims to provide additional funding to the national sports associations ("NSAs") of eight team sports (namely baseball, basketball, handball, hockey, ice hockey, softball, volleyball and water polo) and provide allowances to members of the Hong Kong teams in the relevant sports, so as to help enhance the performance of these team sports progressively and increase their chances of attaining elite sports status in the future. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government advised at the meeting of the Panel on Home Affairs, Culture and Sports of this Council on 13 November last year that the effectiveness of the Programme was under review and an announcement would be made in due course, of the relevant assessment results or preliminary assessment results;
(2)
of the respective results of the aforesaid eight team sports in various competitions during the operation of the Programme (set out in a table);
(3)
as the Government, in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2022-2023, indicated that it had set aside $130 million for continuing the implementation of the Programme, of a breakdown of the expenditure from the funding to date and the remaining balance and, for each team sport, of the respective (i) amounts of funding received by the NSAs concerned, and (ii) numbers of athletes receiving the funding; and
(4)
as the Director of Audit's Report No. 74 published by the Audit Commission in 2020 recommended that the authorities closely monitor the implementation of the Programme, including deliberating with the Coordinating Committee for the Five-Year Development Programme for Team Sports ("the Coordinating Committee") on how best to accomplish the aims and ultimate goal of the Programme, of the approach adopted by the authorities following their deliberation with the Coordinating Committee and the relevant outcomes?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Collection and display of Hong Kong's pop culture
Hon Kenneth LEUNG to ask:
The Chief Executive proposed in the 2022 Policy Address to explore the feasibility of setting up a Pop Culture Centre in the long term, while the Government also indicated earlier on that it will consult this Council and various stakeholders on the overall planning and future development of museums in Hong Kong. Regarding the collection and display of Hong Kong's pop culture, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective overall attendances, incomes and expenses of the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Hong Kong Film Archive ("the Archive") in the past five years;
(2)
of the number of exhibitions (excluding permanent exhibitions) on Hong Kong's pop culture held in various museums under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department in the past five years, as well as the respective contents and attendances of such exhibitions;
(3)
of the scope of study, progress and timetable in respect of the setting up of the Pop Culture Centre;
(4)
as there are many views that the Archive can hardly serve as a cultural landmark due to its inconvenient location and the lack of cultural ambience in its vicinity, whether the authorities will, in tandem with the review of the overall planning of museums, consider relocating the Archive to a place where arts and cultural facilities abound or consider merging the Archive with the Pop Culture Centre, with a view to scaling up synergy and strengthening the promotion of Hong Kong films; and
(5)
whether the authorities have explored with the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority the feasibility of siting the Pop Culture Centre in the West Kowloon Cultural District, and drawn reference from the experience of constructing the Hong Kong Palace Museum in order to expedite the establishment of the Pop Culture Centre, thereby building a new cultural tourist attraction and promoting the development of the cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong; if not, of the reasons for that?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Management of markets and hawker bazaars in the Kwun Tong district
Hon TANG Ka-piu to ask:
Last year, the Government proposed to overhaul Ngau Tau Kok Market in the Kwun Tong district under the Market Modernisation Programme ("Modernisation of Ngau Tau Kok Market"). It is learnt that the stall tenants of the market are hawker licence holders who have been operating there for many years, and that most of the licensees are elderly. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as some stall tenants of Ngau Tau Kok Market have relayed that there is still no concrete timetable for the Modernisation of Ngau Tau Kok Market, whether the authorities (i) have formulated a construction schedule and target completion date for the project to increase its transparency, and (ii) will consider replacing the overhaul works under the project with the redevelopment of Ngau Tau Kok Market, re-planning the site and adding topside properties, so as to optimize land use; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the number of hawker licence holders among the existing stall tenants of Ngau Tau Kok Market, together with a breakdown of the number of years they have held the licence (i.e. (i) 0 to 10 years, (ii) 11 to 20 years, (iii) 21 to 30 years, (iv) 31 to 40 years, (v) 41 to 50 years and (vi) 51 years or above); whether the authorities will study enhancing the existing arrangements for the surrender of hawker licences, such as providing additional compensation to stall tenants based on the number of years they have held the hawker licence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the development and operation of Yue Man Hawker Bazaar, a hawker bazaar, are unsatisfactory, with many vacant stalls in the bazaar and the products sold being repetitive and lacking in uniqueness, and that commercial tenants are required to hold fixed-pitch hawker licences in order to operate there, hence being subject to more restrictions on their operations, whether the authorities will study removing red tape to enhance the feasibility of revitalizing Yue Man Hawker Bazaar; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
North East New Territories Landfill
Hon CHAN Yuet-ming to ask:
The North East New Territories Landfill ("NENT Landfill") is located close to the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point and straddles the Hong Kong-Shenzhen ecological corridor. Some local and Shenzhen residents in the area are concerned about the impact of the NENT Landfill Extension project on the surrounding environment and nearby developments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the measures taken by the Government in the past year to alleviate the pollution caused by the operation of NENT Landfill (including but not limited to pollution from livestock waste treatment), and whether it has assessed the effectiveness of such measures;
(2)
as the Government will regularly exchange views with the Shenzhen authorities on the operation of NENT Landfill, of the relevant professional connection and information exchange in the past year, as well as the new measures put in place by the Government to step up efforts in disseminating the relevant information to the residents concerned;
(3)
as the NENT Landfill Extension project is being taken forward, of the latest progress of the project, and the estimated serviceable life of NENT Landfill after its extension;
(4)
as the first waste-to-energy incinerator at Shek Kwu Chau will commence operation in 2025, whether the Government has studied if there is room for reducing the amount of municipal solid waste ("MSW") to be transported to NENT Landfill; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the estimated amount, as well as the specific timetable for NENT Landfill to cease receiving MSW; and
(5)
given that the Government has set up a dedicated website to publicize the monitoring data on the concentrations of hydrogen sulphide at NENT Landfill, and that although the hydrogen sulphide generated by NENT Landfill meets the relevant standards, it is learnt that bad odours are still being emitted from time to time, whether the Government will consider setting up a dedicated hotline or online channel, so that residents in the vicinity can have an additional channel to reflect the situation concerned?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Traffic safety of electric vehicles
Hon LEUNG Man-kwong to ask:
According to the statistics of the Transport Department, the proportion of first registered electric private cars in the total number of first registered private cars exceeded 50% in 2022 and the first eight months of 2023. On the other hand, it has been reported that traffic accidents involving electric vehicles ("EVs") have occurred frequently in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the respective rates of traffic accidents and the respective numbers of casualties involving EVs and non-EVs in the past three years; if so, of the figures concerned; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will compile such statistics;
(2)
as it is learnt that the methods of EVs for accelerating to start up and decelerating to stop are different to those of petrol vehicles, whether the Government has put in place measures to encourage or assist drivers to familiarize themselves with the operation of EVs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Government has put in place measures to (i) regulate the standards of EV repair workshops and the qualifications of repair mechanics, and (ii) provide relevant training to repair mechanics; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Food waste collection and recycling
Hon Edward LEUNG to ask:
The Environmental Protection Department ("EPD") launched a food waste collection trial scheme in public rental housing ("PRH") estates in 2022, and subsequently announced that Smart Food Waste Bins ("SFWBs") would be installed in all PRH estates in Hong Kong within this year to collect food waste. As for private housing courts, they can apply for subsidies under the initiative "Solicitation Theme: Supporting Residential Buildings in Adopting Smart Bins Technology in Food Waste Collection and Recycling" of the Recycling Fund or the "Pilot Scheme on Food Waste Smart Recycling Bins in Private Housing Estates" ("the Pilot Scheme") launched by the Environmental Campaign Committee ("ECC") to install smart recycling bins to collect food waste. However, it is learnt that many private housing courts, single-block private buildings and "three-nil buildings" in Hong Kong are not eligible for the Pilot Scheme, while those buildings may also lack sufficient space to install SFWBs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of SFWBs in operation in PRH estates and private housing courts as at 15 January this year, together with a breakdown by District Council district;
(2)
of the number of SFWBs which the Government expects will be in operation in Hong Kong by the end of this year;
(3)
of the procurement and installation costs, as well as the annual repair and maintenance costs of each SFWB;
(4)
of the respective current numbers of suppliers, as well as repair and maintenance contractors of SFWBs in Hong Kong;
(5)
given that at present, a number of food waste collectors providing food waste collection and delivery services have applied to EPD for registration as "food waste collectors", of EPD's criteria for selecting food waste collectors in different districts;
(6)
of the total number of applications for the Pilot Scheme received by ECC as at 15 January this year; and
(7)
in order to complement the Municipal Solid Waste charging to be implemented, whether the authorities will install SFWBs in places other than PRH estates and large housing courts (such as facilities under the community recycling network GREEN@COMMUNITY, public refuse collection points of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, community halls, as well as parks and sitting-out areas under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department), so that more members of the public living in premises which have not been or cannot be installed with SFWBs may also participate in food waste recovery?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating begging activities
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
It has been reported that from time to time in recent months, there have been beggars begging in tourist areas with heavy pedestrian flow. Many of such people are non-Hong Kong residents. They have made use of their status as tourists to come to Hong Kong to engage in activities which are inconsistent with their status as tourists, and manipulation by syndicates may even have been involved behind the scenes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints received by the authorities from members of the public and tourists about street begging activities in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the respective numbers of persons who were arrested, prosecuted, as well as convicted and sentenced by the court for the offence of begging in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by (i) the districts in which the persons concerned were arrested, (ii) their nationalities, and (iii) the penalties imposed on them;
(3)
whether, in the past five years, the authorities refused the entry of persons who had begged or illegally raised funds in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as there are views that the deterrent effect of the punishment for the offence of begging under section 26A of the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap. 228) is grossly insufficient (i.e. persons convicted for the first and second time are liable to a fine of $500 and to imprisonment for one month), whether the authorities will review and amend the relevant legislation and increase the penalty for the offence of begging, so as to enhance the deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether it will draw reference from the practices of other countries (such as strictly restricting the activity areas of beggars, displaying banners in tourist areas to remind passers-by not to be taken advantage of by beggars and donate money, and deporting beggars from outside the territory), so as to ameliorate the problem of street begging as well as maintain the cityscape and public order; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
regarding some "beggar gangs" suspected to be manipulated by syndicates, whether the authorities have established a reciprocal notification mechanism with other countries for cooperation in intercepting at source such syndicates so that they cannot come to Hong Kong to engage in activities, or prohibited persons who have been arrested for begging in Hong Kong from re-entering Hong Kong within a specified period; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
given that begging is an offence, of the measures the authorities have put in place to remind members of the public to stay vigilant; of the measures and actions to be taken by the authorities to curb beggars' expansion of their activities in Hong Kong?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting overnight attractions to tourists
Hon YANG Wing-kit to ask:
There are views that the Government should promote to tourists local overnight attractions (particularly those on major festivals such as the New Year's Eve, the Lunar New Year and Christmas) so as to encourage tourists to stay in Hong Kong and have fun. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will publicize and promote to tourists local overnight activities (including watching midnight movies, enjoying acupressure and massage, singing in karaokes, eating at late-night on-street cooked food stalls and late-night diners, shopping at morning bazaars and supermarkets operating 24 hours a day, spending leisure time at Lan Kwai Fong, watching sunrise and having morning tea and dim sums); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will discuss with the operators of entertainment and catering establishments such as cinemas, bars and chain restaurants measures to be implemented on major festivals such as introducing overnight movie screenings, extending the operating hours of restaurants and distributing bar vouchers to tourists, so as to offer more late night attractions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will enhance the support for and the promotion of local morning bazaars and allow hawkers to hawk legally when holding festive or time-limited temporary bazaars; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as it is learnt that theme parks in Japan and South Korea introduce overnight packages and organize overnight parties from time to time, whether the Government will, by drawing reference from such practices, discuss with local theme parks the introduction of overnight packages and organization of overnight parties on major festivals, with a view to enriching overnight entertainment activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
whether it will study the organization of large-scale overnight music events on major festivals, such as overnight music festivals, disc jockey music parties as well as concerts with firework displays, with a view to attracting tourists to come to Hong Kong to participate in these events; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Senior Citizen Residences Scheme
Hon Andrew LAM to ask:
According to the Hong Kong Population Projections 2020-2069 released by the Census and Statistics Department, the proportion of elderly persons in the total population will increase substantially from 18.4% in 2019 to 33.3% in 2039, and the situation of the elderly population exceeding 2.5 million will remain for at least 30 years. On the other hand, the Hong Kong Housing Society ("HKHS") launched the Senior Citizen Residences Scheme ("the Scheme") in 1999. The third project under the Scheme was launched on 14 March last year to provide 312 flats, and it has been reported that HKHS received 500 applications for the project on the same day. There are views pointing out that there will be a huge demand for elderly housing. Regarding the various projects launched under the Scheme, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
(1)
the numbers of residents in the various projects in each of the past 10 years;
(2)
the numbers of persons who terminated tenancies in the various projects in each of the past 10 years, and the reasons for termination;
(3)
the ancillary facilities provided in the various projects at present; and
(4)
whether HKHS will add more ancillary facilities to the existing projects and new projects in the future; if so, of the details?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Development and application of artificial intelligence
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
Regarding the development and application of artificial intelligence ("AI"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Government advocates the development of a smart city and a smart government, whether the Government will further promote the introduction of AI into and its application in public services by government departments; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as the 2023 Policy Address has proposed to further strengthen the promotion of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics) education in primary and secondary schools, of the measures the Government has put in place to further strengthen the research and education work on AI and enhance teachers' and students' knowledge and application of AI, e.g. introducing into primary and secondary schools courses on teaching the use of ChatGPT or other AI tools or introducing AI to assist in day-to-day teaching and learning, so as to help analyse students' performance and provide targeted support, thereby enhancing the effectiveness of teaching and learning, etc;
(3)
as there are views pointing out that the pictures or contents generated by AI can pass off as genuine, or may cause hidden information security hazards such as information leakage and fabricated contents, and in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 31 May last year, the Government indicated that it would closely monitor the technological advancement, application and development of AI in Hong Kong with a view to making appropriate responses, of the progress of the relevant work;
(4)
as the Government has stated in the Policy Statement on Facilitating Data Flow and Safeguarding Data Security in Hong Kong ("Policy Statement") that it will study amending the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (Cap. 486) to strengthen personal data protection and address the challenges posed by cyber technologies, how the Government strikes a balance between protecting personal data and facilitating the healthy development of generative AI technologies;
(5)
as there are views that the data sources of generative AI technologies come from their training datasets with contents almost covering all human digitized information that can be collected, which may give rise to intellectual property issues, and the Government has stated in the Policy Statement that it will explore enhancing the protection afforded by the Copyright Ordinance (Cap. 528) to the development of AI technologies, of the progress of the relevant work; and
(6)
as the United States has expanded its restrictions on the export of high-end chips to China and Hong Kong can no longer be supplied with high-end computing chips, of the measures the Government has put in place to expedite the promotion of the development of the local technology ecology and local talents, so as to ensure the risk-resistant capacity and long-term competitiveness of Hong Kong's innovation and technology as well as research and development in the Mainland and global markets in the next few years?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Modern waste-to-energy incinerators
Hon CHAN Pui-leung to ask:
The first modern waste-to-energy incinerator "I•PARK1", located on the artificial island near Shek Kwu Chau, is expected to commence operation in 2025. In addition, the Government has also proposed to construct the second facility of its kind "I•PARK2" in the Tsang Tsui middle ash lagoon in Tuen Mun. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has estimated the annual electricity consumption of I•PARK1 in waste incineration, and whether the electricity generated in the incineration process will enable I•PARK1 to achieve self-sufficiency in energy consumption; of the plans in place to reduce the energy consumption and increase the power supply of I•PARK1;
(2)
whether it has set respective indicators for the effectiveness of I•PARK1 and I•PARK2 (such as those in respect of waste disposal, energy utilization and pollution control); if so, of the details, and how it will follow up the situation that the indicators are not met; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether I•PARK1 and I•PARK2 will first screen and segregate waste according to the "calorific value" of different types of waste during incineration before proceeding with incineration, so as to reduce additional energy consumption for incinerating waste with low calorific values; of the measures in place to avoid the problem of "incomplete combustion" during waste incineration; and
(4)
as it is learnt that many countries with waste incineration plants have high incineration rates but low recovery rates, and some environmental groups are also worried that Hong Kong will "put more emphasis on incineration than waste reduction and recycling" in the future, of the authorities' plans in place to continuously encourage members of the public to reduce waste at source after the commissioning of I•PARK1?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating online and phone fraud
Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask:
It is learnt that in order to combat the increasingly rampant online and phone fraud, the United Kingdom and Singapore have enacted new legislation and introduced many new measures in recent years. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will, by drawing reference from the practice of the United Kingdom, consider enacting legislation to require large online companies to take measures to prevent members of the public from being exposed to fraudulent advertisements (including advertisements for investment schemes with fake celebrity endorsements);
(2)
whether it will consider making reference to Singapore's practice of taking the initiative to combat fraud by enacting legislation empowering the Government to order the cessation of the dissemination of the relevant online content where it suspects or has reason to believe that the online activity in question is preparatory to the commission of a scam;
(3)
whether it will draw on Singapore's experience and consider rolling out a mobile application which utilizes artificial intelligence to automatically filter scam SMSes and phone calls for users who have installed the application by running the suspected fraudulent SMSes and phone calls against a scam database of the Police; and
(4)
apart from the aforesaid measures, whether the Government is considering or will introduce other practicable measures to combat online and phone fraud; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Smart recycling system
Hon Lillian KWOK to ask:
The Environmental Protection Department launched a Pilot Programme on Smart Recycling System in November 2020. It firstly introduced smart recycling bins in several GREEN@COMMUNITY facilities to try out the application of the system concerned and, from March 2023 onwards, it progressively installed smart recycling bins at housing estates, villages, shopping malls, universities and government venues. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the weight of recyclables collected by the smart recycling bins in various districts in Hong Kong, with a breakdown by type of recyclables;
(2)
whether it will regularly review the recycling data of the smart recycling bins in various districts, and increase the number of smart recycling bins in a timely manner; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether it will increase the amount of subsidies from the Recycling Fund for smart recycling bin-related projects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it will formulate long-term publicity and education plans on environmental protection and recycling; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Arrangements for dispersing visitors after mega events
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
It has been reported that many Mainland visitors, having attended the "Hong Kong New Year Countdown Celebrations" fireworks musical on Victoria Harbour held in the evening of 31 December last year, made their way back to the Mainland in the early hours of the following day. However, due to inadequate ancillary facilities of the relevant transport services and boundary control points ("BCPs"), a large number of visitors were stranded at various locations (including shopping malls in Tsim Sha Tsui, MTR Sheung Shui Station and its vicinity, fast food restaurants, etc.). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the occupancy rate of local hotels and the percentage of hotel guests who are Mainland visitors since the full resumption of normal travel between Hong Kong and the Mainland early last year; whether it has reviewed if there is a problem of insufficient rooms in local hotels, and what new measures are in place to encourage visitors to stay overnight in Hong Kong;
(2)
as there are views that manpower shortage is the cause of high room rates of local hotels, and the Government has recently included the relevant job categories in the hotel industry (e.g. waiter/waitress and cook) in the coverage of the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme, of the respective numbers of applications for the various relevant job categories received and approved by the Government;
(3)
whether it will set up an emergency response mechanism such that when the arrival figures exceed the normal level, corresponding measures can be taken early to facilitate crowd flows; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as the Government has indicated that it will discuss with the Mainland authorities about extending the opening hours of non-rail based BCPs during mega events, of the relevant details (including whether the Shenzhen Bay Port is covered under the discussion); and
(5)
as the Lunar New Year Fireworks Display will be held on the second day of the Lunar New Year next month, whether the Government has assessed if the number of inbound passenger trips on that day would exceed the normal level; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the corresponding measures to be put in place?