Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Elderly recipients of Disability Allowance retiring in the Mainland
Hon Stanley LI to ask:
Under the existing policy, if elderly recipients of Disability Allowance ("DA") retire in the Mainland, they are required to reside in Hong Kong for not less than 60 days in a payment year, otherwise the amount of their DA will be deducted. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of elderly DA recipients who have received a notice in the past two years informing them that their period of absence from Hong Kong would soon exceed the permissible limit, and the number of those who have received such notices and had their DA deducted; whether the Government has gained an understanding of the reasons why these elderly people have been absent from Hong Kong for a period exceeding the permissible limit; if so, of the categories of such reasons;
(2)
in order to assist elderly DA recipients in retiring in the Mainland, whether the authorities will consider exempting them from the permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong, so that they are not required to reside in Hong Kong for not less than 60 days in a payment year, or consider enhancing the existing Guangdong Scheme and Fujian Scheme to include elderly DA recipients in these schemes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as the Chief Executive has indicated in the 2024 Policy Address that elderly recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance who opt to retire in Guangdong will be subsidized to reside in designated residential care homes for the elderly in the Province with a monthly subsidy of $5,000, whether the authorities will consider allowing elderly DA recipients who opt to retire in Guangdong to receive the same level of subsidy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited
Dr Hon Johnny NG to ask:
The Government established the Hong Kong Investment Corporation Limited ("HKIC") in 2022 to manage the investment activities of designated government funds through identifying investment opportunities and strategically promoting development of target industries, while generating investment return. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of an overview of HKIC's investments since its establishment, including the main industries supported by HKIC's current portfolios, and how far HKIC can identify the investment targets which can contribute to the economic development of Hong Kong; whether the effectiveness of HKIC's work has been assessed;
(2)
given that the Temasek Holdings, founded in 1974, had an asset size reaching S$389 billion (HK$2.3 trillion) in March 2024, making it the eleventh largest sovereign wealth fund in the world, whether HKIC will draw on the successful experiences of, among others, the Temasek Holdings and the Singapore's Economic Development Board Investment, and strengthen HKIC's investment efforts while adjusting its investment directions at appropriate times; and
(3)
as far as Hong Kong's long-term economic development is concerned, whether it has considered adding a wider variety of sectors in HKIC's investments, including high-growth industries such as Web 3.0, thereby building up future economic pillars for Hong Kong and attracting talents as well as innovative enterprises to set up their presence in Hong Kong?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Dissemination of information on the Northern Metropolis project
Hon CHAN Yuet-ming to ask:
Some residents in the North District have reflected that some unidentified persons have recently patrolled on the hills in the vicinity of the North District and put up flags labelled "Hong Kong Northern Metropolis New District Earthworks Project" on the hills, causing doubts and anxiety among local residents. In addition, it is reported that a large number of advertisements relating to the recruitment of Mainland construction workers for the Northern Metropolis project have appeared on Mainland's social media platforms, which involve illegal practices by "unlawful intermediaries" obtaining intermediary fees by deception from workers applying for the recruitment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has put up flags on the hills in the New Territories for the Northern Metropolis project; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct an investigation into the incident, and of the details of the investigation;
(2)
whether it has recruited workers from the Mainland for the Northern Metropolis development project; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will conduct an investigation into the recruitment situation on Mainland's social media platforms and the problem of unlawful intermediaries; if it will, of the details of the investigation; and
(3)
of the projects commenced by government departments in the Northern Metropolis and their addresses; whether it has disseminated information on the planning and development of the Northern Metropolis to the Mainland through official channels; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Public healthcare services and their fees and charges
Dr Hon David LAM to ask:
The Government has just announced a comprehensive reform on the fees and charges for public healthcare services. It is learnt that while the principle of Hong Kong's public healthcare policy is that no citizen is denied appropriate healthcare service due to financial difficulty, concerns about the sustainability of healthcare expenditure have been raised in previous reviews of the fees and charges for healthcare services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will promote the extensive use of the reference frameworks or clinical pathways developed by the Health Bureau, which serve as a guide for medical procedures such as laboratory tests, imaging, medication, radiotherapy and surgeries, so as to ensure the safety and enhance the effectiveness of diagnoses and treatments; and
(2)
whether it has considered setting up individual or family healthcare accounts for members of the public to settle the co-payment fees, and introducing in public healthcare institutions preferential inpatient and outpatient paid services which are pegged to the amounts of compensation under the Voluntary Health Insurance Scheme as an additional option for members of the public and, in parallel, capping the fees and charges for expensive treatments, so as to prevent members of the public from falling into poverty because of illness; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Design of subsidized sale flats
Hon LEUNG Man-kwong to ask:
It has been reported that some prospective owners of Home Ownership Scheme ("HOS") flats were informed only after taking possession of their flats that the kitchens and toilets in their flats were "prefabricated components", of which the partitioning could not be altered, and they decided to forfeit the deposit they had paid as their flats had become much less practical. There are views that the layout and design of HOS flats fail to meet the needs of the public, resulting in quite a number of owners abandoning their brand-new furniture such as pedestal toilets, lavatory basins and zinc basins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of applications received by the Housing Department ("HD") in the past three years for altering the partitioning of subsidized sale flats and, among them, the respective numbers of applications involving alterations to kitchens and toilets;
(2)
given that the subsidized sale flats of the Hong Kong Housing Society provide open kitchen units for buyers to choose from, whether the Hong Kong Housing Authority has considered increasing the supply of such units; if not, of the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether HD is aware of the wastage caused by tenants and owners of public housing units abandoning the original furniture of the units, such as, among others, counter-tops in kitchens, taps and zinc basins, after taking possession of their flats; if so, whether HD will conduct a review of the indoor installations of public housing units, so as to minimize such abandonment; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Land grant policy
Dr Hon Wendy HONG to ask:
Regarding the land grant policy, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current number of sites granted by the Government under short-term tenancies ("STTs"), the area of the sites involved and their utilization (including their uses and actual tenancy periods);
(2)
as it is learnt that the Government will resume and re-tender sites with expired STTs, or renew such tenancies with the same tenants on a quarterly basis, and that about 40% of the STT tenants have rented the relevant sites for over 20 years after repeated renewals of tenancies, with the longest period being 55 years, and there are views pointing out that the continuous renewal of tenancies with the same tenants has turned STTs into long-term tenancies, whether the Government will rationalize the current STT policy to reduce instances of constantly re-tendering existing sites or continuously renewing their tenancies on a quarterly basis, and provide medium to long-term land tenancies of, for example, 10 to 20 years for industries with demand, large investments and long payback periods, so as to facilitate enterprises' long-term planning and investments, and increase the Government rent revenue and potential tax revenue for the Government; and
(3)
given that the Government will grant land by way of private treaty for specified use for a longer term in justified circumstances to meet Hong Kong's economic, social and community needs, and in the light of the current objective of promoting the diversification of industries and re-industrialization, whether the Government will grant more land by such way, so as to provide operating sites with more certainty for the development of the industries concerned?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Information security of government departments and public organizations
Hon Jeffrey LAM to ask:
Last month, an information security incident occurred in Invest Hong Kong ("InvestHK") in which its computer systems were attacked by malicious ransomware, affecting its internal Customer Relationship Management system, intranet, website operations, etc. Regarding the occurrence of cybersecurity incidents in government departments and public organizations, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information on malicious ransomware attacks on government departments and public organizations in the past three years: (i) the number of cases, (ii) the government departments and public organizations involved, (iii) the number of cases involving leakage of personal, customer or internal data, and (iv) the number of culprits arrested in connection with such cases;
(2)
given that Hong Kong is actively attracting businesses and talents, whether the Government has received public complaints or enquiries about the aforesaid information security incident of InvestHK; if so, of the number; whether the Government has assessed if the information security incident has dampened investors' confidence in the information security of InvestHK, or even investors' interest in investing in Hong Kong; and
(3)
of the measures the Government has put in place to strengthen the security of the computer and information systems of government departments and public organizations, and the expected time for conducting a review of the effectiveness of such measures, so as to continuously ensure the security of the relevant systems of such departments and organizations?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The United States' imposition of additional duty on products of Hong Kong
Hon Tommy CHEUNG to ask:
The United States ("US") Government has imposed additional duties on products from China, and Hong Kong products are likewise subject to such additional duties. As at the 4th of this month, a cumulative 20% duty has been imposed on Hong Kong products. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the Government's progress in filing a complaint regarding the matter with the World Trade Organization to defend Hong Kong's legitimate rights; whether it has estimated how long it will take to process the complaint;
(2)
whether the Government will consider working with the country to take countermeasures, including imposing additional duties on certain US products and placing some US enterprises on the export control list; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
how the Government assesses the impacts of the additional duties on the exports of Hong Kong products, and of the proactive corresponding measures to minimize the negative impacts and identify new opportunities?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme
Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address enhancements to the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme ("New CIES") to further strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international asset and wealth management centre. The enhancement measures have taken effect from the 1st of this month. Regarding the implementation of New CIES, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of applications received and approved by the authorities since the launch of New CIES;
(2)
whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the types of approved investment of the integrated financial assets of the applicants since the launch of New CIES, together with a breakdown in table form by total investment amount (in descending order);
(3)
as the scope of investment of New CIES has been extended to cover single residential properties with a transaction price of no less than $50 million since 16 October last year, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the number of transactions involving the sale and purchase of such residential properties since that date;
(4)
from the implementation of New CIES to the effective date of the enhancement measures, whether the authorities have compiled statistics on the total number of applicants or their dependants who have set up family offices in Hong Kong during this period; if so, of the details; and
(5)
whether the authorities have plans on when to review the effectiveness of the enhancement measures, and further enhance New CIES where necessary, for example, by lowering the threshold for the permissible investment in single residential properties of no less than $50 million to no less than $30 million, so that the attractiveness of New CIES can be enhanced?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Primary healthcare services
Hon TANG Ka-piu to ask:
Regarding primary healthcare services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information on the District Health Centres ("DHCs") in Hong Kong (set out by the 18 districts across the territory):
(i)
the contract expiry date of the existing service contractors ("contractors"); and
(ii)
the planned timetable and arrangements for the new round of tendering of contractors;
(2)
of the following information on the relevant assessment of DHCs' service performance:
(i)
the assessment methods, specific indicators and assessment standards;
(ii)
the assessment cycle (i.e. the average interval of years between assessments);
(iii)
whether there were cases in the past in which the service performance of the contractors was not up to standard; if so, of the details (including the measures taken at that time and their effects); and
(iv)
whether channels are available for the public to access the performance ratings of various DHCs;
(3)
of the respective assessment details of DHCs/DHC Expresses in the Kwun Tong district and Wong Tai Sin district in the past (including the service performance of these DHCs/DHC Expresses);
(4)
given that the Secretary for Health indicated at the meeting of the Panel on Health Services of this Council on 10 May last year that priority would be accorded to the reorganization of services in Elderly Health Centres and Woman Health Centres, of the following information on the relevant service reorganization:
(i)
the current numbers of members of these centres, with a breakdown by age group and gender;
(ii)
the timetable for service reorganization, and set out the specific timelines and targets for each phase; and
(iii)
the service transitional arrangements for the current users of these centres and details of the support measures during the period; and
(5)
whether it has compiled statistics on the current number of community pharmacies (including those operated by profit-making and non-profit-making organizations) in Hong Kong, and the districts in which such pharmacies are mainly located?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Applications for short-term tenancies of land and payment of land premium
Dr Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask:
It has been reported that the current application procedures for lease of government land by way of short-term tenancy are complicated, and that the procedures for landowners to apply for payment of land premium also take a relatively long time, thus impeding economic development and the efficient use of government land resources to a certain extent. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government has compiled statistics on the respective average time taken from acceptance to completion of the procedures for each application for short-term tenancy of land and payment of land premium in the past three years (set out in a table);
(2)
whether the Government will consider consolidating land resources which have been left vacant for a long time, such as offering several pieces of vacant government land in a certain district for lease as a package to statutory bodies or non-governmental organizations which will then be responsible for management and leasing arrangements, so as to expedite the effective use of land resources; and
(3)
given that the current arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates has been extended to New Development Area projects under the Enhanced Conventional New Town Approach, whether the Government will consider extending the arrangement for charging land premium at standard rates to the entire territory; whether the Government will consider streamlining the process of granting land leases, such as establishing simplified procedures for granting leases and payment of land premium, so as to shorten the time taken for vetting and approval?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Employment Support under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme
Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask:
According to the paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Welfare Services of this Council on 22 November last year, the Employment Support Services ("EmSS") under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance ("CSSA") Scheme will expire in September this year, and the Social Welfare Department ("SWD") will replace EmSS with the Support Programme for the Unemployed ("SPU") for two years to assist recipients to enhance employability, better integrate into society and reduce reliance on CSSA. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of able-bodied persons receiving CSSA due to unemployment or low income and their average duration on CSSA in each year since 2023;
(2)
given that, as advised by the Government at the meeting of the Panel on Welfare Services of this Council on 22 November last year, the non-governmental organizations commissioned by SWD to operate EmSS are required during the contract period from 1 April 2020 to 30 September 2025 to assist at least 25% of EmSS recipients in successfully securing employment or returning to mainstream education for at least one month, and at least 20% of EmSS recipients to do the same for three months, but the respective percentages only stood at 22.8% and 17.9% as at 30 September last year, temporarily failing to meet the service performance requirements, of the counter-measures taken by the Government in this connection, and whether it has evaluated the effectiveness of the services concerned;
(3)
as there are views pointing out that the objectives of EmSS and SPU differ from one another in that while the former provides counselling services to recipients and requires them to make sustained job-seeking efforts, the latter focuses on ensuring meaningful engagement of participants through unpaid work, whether the Government will set service performance requirements for SPU to make it distinct from EmSS; and
(4)
given the views that the Government used to measure the effectiveness of EmSS by "the number of successful job placements", neglecting the evaluation of employment quality (e.g. wages and job stability), whether the Government has considered including more specific data (e.g. proportions of those still remaining in the job at least one, three and six months after taking up employment, wage levels, and numbers of working hours) in its analysis of the long-term effectiveness of SPU, so as to ensure that future policy adjustments can be made based on empirical evidence?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre
Hon Martin LIAO to ask:
On developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology centre, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views pointing out that there is more than sufficient room for trial and error for start-ups in Hangzhou, including a failure-tolerant institutional design at the policy level, government subsidies for research and development ("R&D") and a science and technology innovation fund on the funding front, and multi-capital in the market to patiently accompany their growth, whether the Innovation and Technology Industry-Oriented Fund set up by the SAR Government will formulate reference guidelines to increase the weighting of multi-dimensional indicators, such as innovative capability, growth potential and R&D intensity of enterprises, when guiding patient capital investments;
(2)
as there are views that Hangzhou's continuous progress in implementing "one visit at most" service is a result of Mainland departments streamlining administration and delegating power, as well as deepening reforms of the administrative vetting and approval system, whether the SAR Government will draw on Hangzhou's administrative and entrepreneurial experience to conduct a comprehensive review of the efficiency and quality of the services provided by government departments, including the speed of vetting and approving applications for supporting funds and the efficiency of resource docking, and urge the relevant government departments and public organizations to formulate guidelines to enhance efficiency; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as the 2025-2026 Budget proposes to establish the Hong Kong AI Research and Development Institute, with the expansion of application scenarios being one of its focuses, and as there are views that industry-specific vertical large models can promote "Artificial Intelligence ('AI') Plus" and empower various industries on the condition of vertical large models being integrated with industry-specific data and knowledge, what plans the Government has put in place to mobilize the innovative power of enterprises and guide leading enterprises, small and medium enterprises, data service providers, etc. to step up the supply of high-quality industry-specific data elements; and
(4)
as it is learnt that Hangzhou and its surrounding regions are able to provide start-ups with comprehensive industrial chain support (e.g. Deepseek's industrial chain is entirely based in Hangzhou, while Hangzhou Yushu Science And Technology Co., Ltd. relies on the resources of Hangzhou and two of its neighbouring cities, namely, Yiwu and Shanghai), what measures the SAR Government has put in place to promote cooperation with other Mainland cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in terms of resources for the AI industry in order to improve the AI industrial chain?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Introduction of cutting-edge technological medical devices
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
It has been reported that a businessman has earlier on donated two non-invasive, no-radiation histotripsy medical devices specifically designed for liver cancer treatment ("the Device") to two teaching hospitals. However, it is suspected that the Device has been left idle and failed to benefit patients as the SAR Government has all along failed to include it in the scope of services available to members of the public. The Device has ended up being transferred to private hospitals, and only private hospitals can use it to treat liver cancer patients. There are views pointing out that the incident has deprived grass-roots patients of the opportunity to use cutting-edge technologies for low-cost cancer treatment in an efficient manner. A Member of this Council has explicitly indicated that the situation has led to unfavourable perception among patients. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of new cases of liver cancer diagnosed and deaths from liver cancer in Hong Kong in each of the past three years;
(2)
whether private hospitals are required to register with or report to the Government in respect of the introduction of cutting-edge technological medical devices and techniques; of the Government's regulatory measures and system for the introduction or use of new technological medical devices by private hospitals, so as to ensure patient safety;
(3)
as the private hospitals that have obtained the Device have already offered pricing packages for the use of the Device with coverage provided by insurance companies, and the Hospital Authority ("HA") has pointed out that the Device is still at the clinical research/trial stage and is not yet qualified for use in clinical services, whether the Government has assessed if the aforesaid practice of the private hospitals is safe and whether it is contradictory to the public healthcare policy; and
(4)
as a former Director of HA has pointed out in a newspaper that the length of time taken by HA to introduce a new technology depends on its complexity, and that six months' time is a bit short in the case of histotripsy, which is a cutting-edge technology, whether the Government will review if the time taken to introduce new technological medical devices is too long; whether it has policies to shorten the time for introducing new technological medical devices, so as to develop a high-end healthcare service economy (especially in the light of the huge demand from a large number of Mainlanders who intend to come to Hong Kong for the use of new technologies in liver cancer treatment), and encourage more capable members of the community to invest in introducing and donate more cutting-edge technological medical devices, thereby benefiting patients (especially grass-roots patients); if it has, of the details; if not, whether a study can be conducted expeditiously?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Illegal stay and employment of foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
Under the laws of Hong Kong, a foreign domestic helper ("FDH") whose contract is terminated prematurely is permitted to remain in Hong Kong for 14 days after the termination of the contract or the remainder of the permitted stay, whichever is earlier. However, my office has recently received a number of requests for assistance involving FDHs who, after being dismissed, were suspected of making false accusations against their employers of maltreating them or child abuse, etc., in order to apply to the Immigration Department ("ImmD") for extension of stay in Hong Kong as visitors and take up illegal employment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
at present under what circumstances may FDHs' applications for extension of the limit of their stay in Hong Kong as visitors be accepted by ImmD after they have been dismissed by their employers; of the relevant procedures, requirements, and restrictions and validity period of their visas (e.g. whether they are allowed to work with their visas and whether they can re-enter Hong Kong after leaving);
(2)
of the number of applications received by ImmD for extension of the limit of stay in Hong Kong as visitors in the past three years, together with a breakdown by the type of applicants, reasons for extension of stay, and the outcome of the applications (including the number of approved and rejected cases); and among them the number of such cases involving FDHs;
(3)
of the number of law enforcement operations conducted by the departments concerned in the past three years to combat illegal workers, and the respective results of such law enforcement operations; the number of illegal workers found during the law enforcement operations who were FDHs and those who had extended their stay in Hong Kong as visitors, and the respective results of such law enforcement operations; and
(4)
whether the Government has considered stepping up cooperation with other departments to further combat the situation of FDHs overstaying in Hong Kong and engaging in illegal employment, and reviewed the existing mechanism for FDHs to extend the limit of their stay in Hong Kong as visitors and considered revising the related policies, so as to prevent FDHs from engaging in illegal activities by abusing the mechanism; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work
Hon LAM Chun-sing to ask:
The Government launched a three-year Pilot Rehabilitation Programme for Employees Injured at Work ("the Pilot Programme") on 23 September 2022 to facilitate injured workers' early recovery and return to work. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current staff establishment and strength of the Work Injury Rehabilitation Office ("WIRO"), which is responsible for implementing the Pilot Programme, as well as the average number of cases followed up by each of its case manager;
(2)
of (i) the number of reported work injury cases received by the Labour Department ("LD") in each of the past three years and this year to date and, among them, (ii) the number of cases identified as eligible for participating in the Pilot Programme (and its percentage), and (iii) the number of cases participating in the Pilot Programme (and its percentage in the total number of cases eligible for participating in the Pilot Programme), and set out in Table 1 a breakdown by (a) construction industry, (b) catering and hotel industry (the industry covered since May last year), and (c) transportation and logistics industry (the industry covered since May last year);
Table 1
Case category | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | This year to date |
(a) | (b) | (c) | (a) | (b) | (c) | (a) | (b) | (c) | (a) | (b) | (c) |
(i) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(ii) |
| Not applicable |
| Not applicable |
|
|
|
|
|
|
(iii) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
(3)
in respect of the cases participating in the Pilot Programme mentioned in (2)(iii), of (i) the types of work injury sustained by the injured workers involved, and (ii) the time taken between they agreed to participate in the Pilot Programme and received their first medical consultation from the case doctors, together with a breakdown by industry (i.e. (i) construction industry, (ii) catering and hotel industry, and (iii) transportation and logistics industry);
(4)
given that in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2024-2025, the Government has indicated that the authorities will (a) analyze and compare the data of the participants of the Pilot Programme against (b) the data of the injured employees who sustain similar work injuries but have not participated in the Pilot Programme, so as to assess the effectiveness of the Pilot Programme, of the respective numbers and ratios of cases in which the employees referred to in the aforesaid (a) and (b) have recovered after treatment, as well as the respective average time taken for recovery, together with a breakdown by industry (i.e. (i) construction industry, (ii) catering and hotel industry, and (iii) transportation and logistics industry);
(5)
among the cases participating in the Pilot Programme mentioned in (2)(iii), of the number of those in which employees have recovered after treatment, and set out in Table 2 a breakdown and the respective percentages of such cases by return-to-work status (i.e. (i) engaging in the same kind of work, (ii) engaging in work of a different nature, (iii) return-to-work status under follow-up, and (iv) unable to return to work during the follow-up period for the time being) and the industry to which they belong (i.e. (a) construction industry, (b) catering and hotel industry, and (c) transportation and logistics industry); the main reasons for cases of return-to-work status still being followed up and those of not being able to return to work during the follow-up period for the time being;
Table 2
Return-to-work status | Industry |
(a) | (b) | (c) |
(i) |
|
|
|
…… |
|
|
|
(iv) |
|
|
|
Total |
|
|
|
(6)
of the respective numbers and nature of enquiries and complaints received by the authorities about the Pilot Programme since its implementation; and
(7)
whether it will consider extending the Pilot Programme to cover more industries, including those with higher risks of work injury such as the manufacturing and retail industries, as well as extending or regularizing the Pilot Programme, so as to benefit more injured workers in need; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination programme offered outside Hong Kong
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
It is learnt that the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education Examination ("HKDSE") is widely recognized, and its multiple pathways have attracted quite a number of students outside Hong Kong to register for it. To meet the needs of students, the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority has accepted four Mainland schools in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area as "participating schools" and allowed them to present their eligible candidates to register for HKDSE as "school candidates". These participating schools have been accredited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications as meeting the requirements for offering HKDSE programmes. In addition, other eligible students may register for HKDSE as private candidates. There are views that, on the contrary, the quality and qualifications of teachers of HKDSE programmes offered by non-participating schools and other training institutions outside Hong Kong vary, and problems even frequently arise in some training courses for HKDSE operated under affiliated overseas organizations, not only affecting the students but also tarnishing the image of HKDSE. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of cases with people outside Hong Kong registering for HKDSE as private candidates were rejected in the past three years, and the reasons for that; among such cases, the respective numbers of review applications involved and successful review applications;
(2)
of the following information on the requests for assistance or complaints received by the authorities in the past three years in relation to training programmes for HKDSE offered outside Hong Kong: (i) the number of cases received, (ii) the main details of the cases, (iii) the specific follow-up measures taken by the authorities, (iv) the number of cases for which follow-up actions were completed, and (v) the time taken by the authorities to complete the follow-up actions on these cases; and
(3)
whether the authorities have considered setting up a qualification accreditation system for teachers, teaching materials and curricula of HKDSE programmes offered outside Hong Kong; if so, of the specific standards and procedures; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Kai Tak Development Area
Dr Hon Starry LEE to ask:
There are views that the Kai Tak Sports Park ("KTSP"), being the most-recently completed key facility in the Kai Tak Development Area, is developed on a world class scale with multi-functional positioning. The community hopes that the authorities will make use of KTSP as a starting point to drive development of the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal ("KTCT"), the "Youth Post" hostel and even the entire Kai Tak area, and transform Kai Tak into a hub featuring diversification and integrated development of sports, culture, tourism and youth, by consolidating resources and facilitating cross-domain collaboration. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the specific plans in place to drive the coordinated development of KTCT, the "Youth Post" hostel and the entire Kai Tak area centring around KTSP, such as the specific measures in terms of policy formulation, resource allocation and cross-departmental collaboration;
(2)
of the plans in place to improve the external ancillary transport facilities for the "Youth Post" hostel and KTCT, so as to strengthen the connectivity of the two facilities with KTSP, and facilitate the cross-district movement of tourists and members of the public;
(3)
of the measures in place to promote business collaborations of KTSP with KTCT and the "Youth Post" hostel, so as to attract cross-location spending from tourists and members of the public, and foster the overall economic benefits to be brought to the Kai Tak area;
(4)
of the plans in place to make use of technology to consolidate resources of KTSP, KTCT and the "Youth Post" hostel, so as to offer seamless guided tours and proposed itineraries to enhance the overall experience of tourists and members of the public, and to provide consolidated information on the activities to be held at KTSP, thereby promoting cross-facility interactions; and
(5)
of the strategies in place to build a distinctive cultural brand of Kai Tak, with KTSP as the core, integrating the tourism flows of KTCT and the creative energy of the "Youth Post" hostel, so as to enhance the cultural uniqueness and the international appeal of the district?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The capitalist system and way of life in Hong Kong
Hon LAM San-keung to ask:
Article 5 of the Basic Law provides that Hong Kong's "previous capitalist system and way of life shall remain unchanged for 50 years". The President of the State has also repeatedly praised that "one country, two systems" is a good policy which "must be adhered to in the long run". Moreover, there are views that the Extension of Government Leases Ordinance (Cap. 648), which came into force in July last year, ensures that the vast majority of land in Hong Kong will have the leases automatically extended for a term of 50 years upon their expiry in 2047. However, it is learnt that the international community and global investors have all along been worried that there is a "2047 time limit" for Hong Kong's capitalist system. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the efforts made to allay the concerns of the international community about the 2047 time limit, and how to strengthen the relevant publicity work in the future?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Health screening work conducted by the Department of Health at various boundary control points
Hon Kenneth FOK to ask:
There are views in the community that following the comprehensive lifting of immigration-related epidemic preventions and control measures, manpower deployment of the Department of Health ("DH") to conduct health screening at various boundary control points ("BCPs") is excessive, and that as the Government has already installed infra-red thermo-imaging machines at all BCPs, DH should actively explore leveraging artificial intelligence technology to enhance quarantine efficiency at BCPs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government has reviewed the current staffing arrangements for health screening at various BCPs, and conducted regular assessments to ensure that the number of DH officers deployed at various BCPs is commensurate with needs, thereby avoiding potential wastage of manpower and public funds; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the average daily number of officers deployed by DH to conduct body temperature screening of travellers at various BCPs in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by BCP as set out in the table below;
(3)
as it is learnt that the Government has installed body temperature screening facilities (including infra-red thermo-imaging machines) at all BCPs, of the relevant expenditure incurred in the past five years, including expenditure on the procurement of equipment, repair and maintenance, and operation;
(4)
whether it has assessed the current operational status of the body temperature screening facilities at various BCPs (including whether their technical advantages have been maximized), and whether complementary measures have been adopted to reduce reliance on manual body temperature screening; whether the authorities have formulated plans to further enhance the effectiveness of the body temperature screening facilities at various BCPs; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
as it is learnt that mobile robots for smart fever screening developed by local innovation and technology companies have been trialed and used by government departments in recent years, whether the authorities have plans to introduce more advanced technologies (including smart body temperature screening systems) in the future and apply them at various BCPs, thereby achieving a better balance between manpower deployment and use of smart equipment, while at the same time enhancing screening efficiency and improving the arrangements for health screening work?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Electronic Health Record Sharing System
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
Regarding the Electronic Health Record Sharing System ("eHealth"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of healthcare providers registered with eHealth so far, together with a breakdown by type of institutions (i.e. public hospitals, public clinics, private hospitals, and private healthcare institutions (including clinics, residential care homes for the elderly and social welfare organizations providing healthcare services));
(2)
of the number of healthcare personnel registered with eHealth so far, together with a breakdown by profession (i.e. doctors, dentists, Chinese medicine practitioners and other healthcare personnel);
(3)
given that in the reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2024-2025, the Secretary for Health has indicated that as the health data contribution to eHealth by private healthcare institutions has remained extremely low, the Government has rolled out the eHealth Adoption Sponsorship Pilot Scheme to facilitate seamless data upload from the clinical management systems of private doctors to eHealth, and will progressively require all private healthcare institutions participating in all government-funded or subsidized health programmes to upload health records of the relevant service users onto eHealth, whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of the aforesaid measures;
(4)
as the Government indicated last year that it would consider amending the Electronic Health Record Sharing System Ordinance (Cap. 625) to require healthcare providers to deposit specified essential health data in the personalized eHealth accounts of members of the public and to streamline the consent process of eHealth, of the progress of the relevant legislative amendment exercise;
(5)
as it is learnt that quite a number of members of the public, especially the elderly, choose to seek medical treatment on the Mainland at present, whether the Government will make more extensive use of electronic health records across the boundary, such as by enhancing the eHealth system to allow members of the public to upload their non-local health record information onto the eHealth for local healthcare professionals' reference, thereby achieving the data connectivity between two places; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Regulation of veterinary surgeons
Hon LUK Chung-hung to ask:
Some organizations have reportedly found that the current disciplinary inquiry system of the Veterinary Surgeons Board of Hong Kong ("VSB") is not well-established, lacks sufficient transparency in information disclosure, and has unclear regulatory oversight of general sales and services within veterinary clinics. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether, with reference to the Medical Council of Hong Kong's practice of posting on its website the judgments of its disciplinary inquiries held since 2 July 2008 and the Dental Council of Hong Kong's practice of posting on its website the judgments of its disciplinary inquiries handed down since 17 September 2009, it has considered extending the enquiry period for the judgments of the disciplinary inquiries conducted by VSB's Inquiry Committee and the orders made by it, as well as including the names of the veterinary surgeons involved in the relevant case summaries; if so, of the implementation timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2024-2025, the Secretary for Environment and Ecology stated that VSB's Inquiry Committee had completed 36 inquiry cases between 2021 and 2023, of which 29 were found to be substantiated, involving 30 veterinary surgeons, but that only two of these veterinary surgeons had been sanctioned with "removal of names of relevant veterinary surgeons from the register for three and six months respectively, along with a reprimand and compulsory participation in continuing professional development programmes or professional seminars", and it is learnt that many pet owners consider such sanctions to be dissuasive, whether the Government will review VSB's existing arrangements for handing down judgments in disciplinary inquiries and consider imposing heavier penalties; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
given that item 22 of Schedule 3 to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) ("the Ordinance") provides that a registered veterinary surgeon, as defined by section 2 of the Veterinary Surgeons Registration Ordinance (Cap. 529), is an exempt person under the Ordinance, and yet it is learnt that some pet owners have pointed out that veterinary assistants often promote nutrition supplements, pet food, over-the-counter drugs (such as deworming drugs), and medicinal fur cleaners, etc. to them while their pets are undergoing treatment at veterinary clinics, and that some veterinary clinics even promote pet accessories on online social media platforms, coupled with the view that the general conduct of sales within veterinary clinics should be regulated under the Ordinance, whether the Government has considered regulating the general conduct of sales and services within veterinary clinics; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether the Government has considered collaborating with relevant Mainland departments to enable local veterinary surgeons to acquire Mainland professional qualifications through agreements for mutual recognition of professional qualifications or professional qualification examinations under the framework of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement?