Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Combating the offence of shopfront extension
Ir Dr Hon LO Wai-kwok to ask:
In 2023, the fixed penalty for the offence of shopfront extension was increased to $6,000. However, some members of the public have reflected that law enforcement officers have not issued fixed penalty notices ("FPNs") in accordance with the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness and Obstruction) Ordinance when enforcing the law, but have instead instituted prosecution by way of summons under the Summary Offences Ordinance. If a defendant pleads guilty by letter and the court accepts the plea, the fine imposed under the Magistrates Ordinance will not exceed $2,000. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of FPNs and summonses issued by the Government for the aforesaid offence since the increase in the fixed penalty, along with the respective amounts of fines involved; the respective numbers of first-time and repeated offenders among these cases, how many times each repeated offender has committed the offence, and the amount of fines imposed on each occasion; the number of convicted persons sentenced to a fine of $6,000 or more, or to imprisonment, and the fines and terms of imprisonment imposed;
(2)
whether it has regularly reviewed the criteria for issuing FPNs and summonses by law enforcement officers, including how discretionary powers are exercised; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it has studied ways to ensure proportionality between penalties and offences, as well as consistency in sentencing in the course of the enforcement and adjudication of the aforesaid offence, and further explored the possibility of increasing the penalty to enhance its deterrent effect, including the introduction of progressive fixed penalty; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Regulation of private healthcare facilities
Prof Hon CHAN Wing-kwong to ask:
It has been reported that earlier on, a private healthcare facility ("PHF") providing vaccination and health check-up services was suspected to have closed down, resulting in customers who have purchased prepaid services not being able to use such services, and no refund has been arranged for them. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current number of private facilities providing healthcare-related services and, among them, the number of those which have obtained PHF licences;
(2)
of the number of complaints received by the Government in the past three years involving private facilities providing healthcare-related services, as well as the main contents of and the follow-up actions taken on such complaints; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the Government has set up an inter-departmental task force to follow up the aforesaid incident of suspected closure of a PHF, and the Chief Executive has also indicated that he would review the existing regulation of PHFs, of the specific details of the Government's work in respect of the review concerned, as well as the measures in place to step up regulation, so as to further protect the rights and interests of consumers?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Abolition of the offsetting arrangement of the Mandatory Provident Fund
Hon Edmund WONG to ask:
The abolition of the use of the accrued benefits derived from employers' mandatory contributions to the Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") to offset severance payment and long service payment ("the abolition of offsetting arrangement") took effect on the 1st of this month. The Government has indicated earlier on that it is not worried that the arrangement would trigger a wave of layoffs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views pointing out that the current business environment is far worse than before, whether the Government will conduct again a comprehensive assessment of the impact of the abolition of offsetting arrangement (e.g. whether it will trigger a wave of layoffs); if it will conduct such an assessment, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as the Subsidy Scheme for Abolition of MPF Offsetting Arrangement will last for 25 years, when the Government plans to conduct a review to ascertain that the funding of the scheme will be sufficient to meet the long-term needs; whether it will consider entrusting the relevant funding to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority for investment in order to generate steady returns, thereby obviating the need to seek approval from this Council for supplementary provisions; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the authorities have earlier on conducted a consultation on increasing the minimum and maximum levels of income for MPF contributions, whether the Government will, in the light of the overall business environment and the impact of the abolition of offsetting arrangement, consider withholding the adjustment to the relevant income levels; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Functions and services of public libraries
Hon CHAN Chun-ying to ask:
It is learnt that due to the prevalence of digitization and changes in the reading habits of members of the public, the number of visits to public libraries and the number of materials on loan have both dropped significantly in recent years, and quite a number of overseas libraries have gradually transformed themselves from conventional institutions for collecting and lending books into diversified spaces functioning as community centres with intelligent services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information about public libraries for the past two years: (i) the numbers of circulations of physical books, e-books and multimedia items and their year-on-year rates of change, (ii) the expenditure on purchasing such items and its percentage in the overall library expenditure, (iii) the number of visits, (iv) the number of newly registered users, and (v) the number of readers borrowing physical materials;
(2)
whether it has reviewed the functions and services of public libraries to ensure that the allocation of resources can meet the needs of the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it has drawn on the library models of other cities to push forward the modernization and transformation of Hong Kong's public libraries in terms of innovative design, application of intelligent technology, community services and so on, as well as to expand their functions and services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Accelerating the implementation of railway projects
Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
There are views that as the Government is currently making vigorous efforts to develop the Northern Metropolis, it should expedite the implementation of various railway projects, such as the "Hung Kong Railway" linking Hung Shui Kiu to Hong Kong Island and the new cross-harbour railway between the coastal areas of Tuen Mun and Hong Kong Island. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government has indicated earlier on that the coordination of railway projects by one single entity is conducive to maintaining cost-efficiency, and that splitting part of the railway project works into a public works project may not be able to help enhance the efficiency of such a project, but there are views that adopting the public-private-partnership ("PPP") approach in taking forward the railway projects (e.g. handing over to the Government the infrastructure portion, which accounts for about 70% of the overall works, while the MTR Corporation Limited will take charge of the remaining portion of the electrical and mechanical works, which accounts for about 30%) may expedite the progress of such works, and the Government may also raise funds through bond issuance, and even if the debt-to-Gross Domestic Product ("debt-to-GDP") ratio rises to 16% in the future, Hong Kong's debt-to-GDP ratio will still rank around 160 among some 170 economies, whether the Government will proactively explore and implement the PPP option in this regard; and
(2)
whether it will consider formulating a labour importation scheme specifically for the railway projects, under which Mainland workers who travel on a same-day-return basis and are not entitled to any local benefits will be imported and exempted from the restriction that their wages should not be less than the median monthly wages of local workers in comparable positions, so as to reduce the cost of such projects; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Supporting the freight and logistics sector
Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
There are views pointing out that although the United States ("US") has seen its ranking as Hong Kong's major important trading partner decline in recent years, the imposition of high tariffs on Hong Kong goods and the elimination of the duty-free de minimis treatment for small parcels continue to have a significant impact on Hong Kong's freight and logistics sector. Members of the sector have predicted that the US tariff trade war against China will lead to a sustained decline in Hong Kong’s freight volumes and could trigger an immediate supply chain disruption crisis, and the measures taken under the five major strategies as indicated earlier on by the Secretary of Transport and Logistics will be difficult to see results in the short term. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has assessed the specific impact of the tariff trade wars launched by US to date on Hong Kong's freight and logistics sector (including sea, land, and air transport);
(2)
in order to make up for the shortfall resulting from the loss of the US market and to consolidate Hong Kong's position as a regional logistics hub, of the short-term measures taken by the authorities to assist the logistics sector in accelerating the development of new markets; and
(3)
in response to cash flow problems faced by logistics companies due to shipment delays or cancellations caused by the tariff trade wars, of the support measures put in place by the Government, such as the consideration of providing low-interest loans to these companies to address their immediate needs?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Managing passenger flows at land boundary control points
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
It has been reported that during the Labour Day Golden Week holiday on 2 May when a large number of Mainland tourists visited Hong Kong, the mobile network and Wi-Fi system at MTR Lok Ma Chau Station were overwhelmed as a large number of passengers simultaneously used their mobile phones to scan QR code tickets to enter and leave via turnstiles, and thus a significant number of passengers were stranded. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of passengers stranded at Lok Ma Chau Station on 2 May due to the failure of the mobile network and station Wi-Fi system;
(2)
as passengers were being stranded at Lok Ma Chau Station on 2 May, whether the Government has communicated with relevant Mainland authorities to notify passengers who intended to enter Hong Kong via the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point that they should use alternative boundary control points ("BCPs"); given that Shenzhen Metro Line 4 is operated by the MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL"), whether the Government has urged MTRCL on the same day to immediately notify passengers travelling on Line 4 of the passenger stranding situation at Lok Ma Chau Station and called on them to cross the border via alternative BCPs;
(3)
whether the SAR Government has conducted drills with relevant Mainland authorities regarding unexpected incidents at BCPs and formulated various contingency plans; and
(4)
whether simulation tests have been conducted at all BCPs to establish coordination mechanisms and joint response measures between the Mainland and Hong Kong for handling peak passenger flows and potential unexpected incidents (including emergency situations such as malfunctions of immigration systems, baggage and security screening system failures, and railway service disruptions); if so, of the time when such tests were conducted; if not, whether such tests will be conducted in the future?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Dental care services for the elderly
Hon Joephy CHAN to ask:
In recent years, I have received from time to time requests for assistance regarding the failure of effective interface and coordination among different dental support services for the elderly, including cases where some elderly persons, after participating in the Outreach Dental Care Programme for the Elderly ("Outreach Programme") under the Department of Health ("DH") and receiving free oral check-up, were not being treated on site and only referred to other services due to the nature of their dental problems; but when they subsequently applied for the Elderly Dental Assistance Programme of the Community Care Fund ("CCF Programme") for treatments such as the fitting of dentures, they were rejected due to a restriction in the eligibility criteria (i.e. applicants should not have benefited from the Outreach Programme), thus leaving them in the predicament of "no treatment after check-ups". In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as there are views that the current situation where elderly persons who have participated in the Outreach Programme but not being treated on site were unable to apply for the CCF Programme has prejudiced their rights and interests, and the gradual enhancement of services provided under the CCF Programme last year has yet to deal with the aforesaid situation, whether the Government will introduce further enhancement measures to put in place a relevant waiver mechanism and approve applications of special cases in the light of the actual situation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the existing monitoring mechanism for the Outreach Programme, including how the Government ensures that the service quality and follow-up workflow can effectively respond to the actual needs of elderly persons, and whether it has inspected the service records of the outreach teams on a regular basis (e.g. the interface and follow-up of referrals after door-to-door inspection, the level of satisfaction and rate of complaint);
(3)
whether at present, elderly persons will be clearly informed by the relevant government departments that they will not be able to apply for CCF when they participate in the Outreach Programme and be required to sign a written statement to confirm their acknowledgement; if not, whether additional measures will be put in place to ensure that elderly persons participating in the Outreach Programme are well-informed, so as to avoid misunderstanding;
(4)
whether, in the long run, the Government will promote cross-departmental collaboration among DH, Social Welfare Department and CCF, so as to consolidate resources for outreach check-ups and subsidized treatments, e.g. establishing one-stop services from check-up, referral to treatment, so as to achieve seamless interface and avoid repetitive examination, thereby enhancing policy efficiency and users' experience; and
(5)
as some elderly persons have relayed that while the Government had emphasized the wider scope of treatments under the Outreach Programme than the CCF Programme, the treatment resources under the Outreach Programme might not be able to meet the demand for on-site treatment in a timely manner, whether the Government will allocate resources to expand the scope of treatment services provided by the outreach teams and provide additional on-site treatment items?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Asbestos cement pipes
Hon LAM San-keung to ask:
According to government information, the use of asbestos cement pipes in Hong Kong has been discontinued since January 1986, but such pipes still exist in the existing water supply systems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the length of asbestos cement pipes in Hong Kong's water supply systems at present and the districts in which such pipes are mainly located;
(2)
given the potential danger of asbestos to human health, whether the authorities will consider giving priority to replacing the existing asbestos cement pipes; if so, of their plans; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it is learnt that the authorities need to carry out works involving asbestos-containing materials in a safe manner pursuant to the law, whether the authorities engage outsourced contractors to handle works involving asbestos cement pipes; of the costs incurred by the Government in handling works involving asbestos cement pipes in the past three years?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Joint University Programmes Admissions System
Ir Hon Gary ZHANG to ask:
It is learnt that applicants who wish to apply for admission to the programmes under the Joint University Programmes Admissions System ("JUPAS") should submit their applications by the deadline in December of the year preceding the intended school year of admission. Applicants who have missed the deadline may typically submit late applications from December of the same year to May of the following year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows the number of applications processed under JUPAS in each of the past five years and this year to date, and the number of late applications among them (with a tabulated breakdown by the type of documents held by the applicants (i.e. LS1 to LS9))?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Public footbridges
Hon Doreen KONG to ask:
Since the 1960s, with the growth of Hong Kong's population and economy, the Government has employed footbridges to grade separate vehicular and pedestrian traffic, so as to improve road safety and traffic flow capacity. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current number of public footbridges ("footbridges") in Hong Kong and, among them, the number of those equipped with lifts; whether the authorities have plans to install lifts at footbridges not yet equipped with lifts to facilitate public use in the future;
(2)
of the current criteria for the construction of footbridges; whether the authorities have established a regular monitoring mechanism to track the utilization rate of footbridges (e.g. by installing monitoring and counting devices), and incorporated such usage data into the standards for future footbridge construction; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it is learnt that many experts and academics have conducted studies in recent years on the social impact of footbridges, such as the benefits of opening up public spaces on the Mong Kok Footbridge, and that Dubai's "Dubai Walk Master Plan" has reportedly incorporated various elements into walkway design to transform them into meeting places and spaces for social interaction, whether the authorities have now obtained relevant data and empirical evidence to further optimize the use of public spaces on footbridges; if so, how the authorities plan to enhance existing footbridges; if not, of the reasons for that?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Licensing Examination of Medical Council of Hong Kong
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
There are views that the content of the Licensing Examination ("LE") administered by the Medical Council of Hong Kong ("MCHK") is too difficult and its syllabus far exceeds clinical needs, resulting in low pass rates. However, there are also views pointing out that despite its high level of difficulty, LE can ensure that passing candidates are capable of coping with the medical environment in Hong Kong. In addition, a member of the public has relayed to me that he had requested past LE examination papers and the relevant examination information from the Department of Health ("DH"), but DH pointed out that such information was in the possession of MCHK, which refused to disclose it. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has studied if the authorities have the power to access or require MCHK to submit and disclose information, including the examination papers and marking criteria of LE; whether DH has reviewed the LE examination papers and kept full records of the relevant examination materials; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as there have been criticisms that the inclusion of a large number of questions on specialties and rare diseases in LE is a deliberate attempt to create difficulties for overseas candidates, how the authorities ensure that the difficulty of LE examination papers is at a reasonable level while respecting the professional autonomy of MCHK; whether the Director of Health or his/her representative, as an ex officio member of MCHK, has participated in the design of LE examination papers, including giving opinions on the scope and questions of the examination; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as there are views that MCHK's non-disclosure of past LE examination papers undermines candidates' learning and makes it difficult for the community to fairly assess the difficulty of the examination papers, whether the authorities and MCHK will explore the disclosure or restricted disclosure of past LE examination papers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
as there are views pointing out that the "Useful Resources" on MCHK's current website are too simplistic and the number of "Sample Questions" available is insufficient, whether it knows if MCHK will enhance its website and introduce measures to further facilitate overseas candidates in preparing for LE?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures for elderly residents to retire in the Mainland
Dr Hon Dennis LAM to ask:
It is learnt that moving north for retirement has become a growing trend in recent years, and the Government has been proactively promoting cross-border elderly care measures to facilitate retirement of Hong Kong elderly residents in cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective latest numbers of participants in the Residential Care Services Scheme in Guangdong and the Pilot Scheme for Elderly Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Recipients to Reside in Residential Care Homes in Guangdong;
(2)
of the respective numbers of Hong Kong elderly residents currently living in GBA Mainland cities who are receiving (i) Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, (ii) Old Age Allowance, and (iii) Old Age Living Allowance;
(3)
whether it has considered establishing an integrated cross-border elderly care information platform to facilitate elderly residents who wish to retire in GBA Mainland cities and their families in accessing more comprehensive and up-to-date policy information and service guidelines; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether it has conducted any survey on the needs of Hong Kong middle-class elderly residents seeking to retire in the Mainland (including healthcare and everyday needs), and explored how to provide such elderly residents with high-quality elderly care services (such as smart elderly care); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting research and development of Hong Kong
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
According to a research publication released by the Legislative Council Secretariat last month, the number of research and development ("R&D") personnel per million population in Hong Kong is significantly lower than that of neighbouring regions, and the proportion of local research postgraduates is continuously declining. There are views that research postgraduates also face multiple challenges in employment and the transformation of research outcomes. If such issues are not addressed in a timely manner, Hong Kong's future innovation development and economic restructuring will be affected. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that according to the aforesaid research publication, Hong Kong currently has only 4 809 researchers per million population, lagging far behind Singapore and South Korea, whether the Government has drawn up specific measures to attract and nurture local R&D talent, particularly in STEM fields; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it has set specific targets and timelines to increase the number of local R&D personnel in the next three years;
(2)
given that according to the aforesaid research publication, in the 2022-2023 academic year, only 63% of research postgraduates from universities funded by the University Grants Committee secured full-time employment within six months after graduation, and only 11.6% of graduates could manage to find jobs directly related to their studies, whether the Government has tailor-made support measures to address the employment challenges faced by research postgraduates, so as to help them maximize their potential and meet the needs of the local R&D industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views pointing out that while Hong Kong's R&D outcomes reach international standards, they fall short in terms commercialization and industrialization, whether the Government will strengthen efforts to promote industry-academia-research collaboration to enhance the industrialization of R&D outcomes and foster the development of an innovative economy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Small Claims Tribunal
Hon CHAN Kin-por to ask:
The jurisdictional limit of the Small Claims Tribunal ("SCT") was increased from $50,000 to $75,000 in 2018. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the number of cases filed to SCT over the past three years and its percentage in the total number of court cases, together with a breakdown by the claim amount (i.e. (i) $50,000 or less, (ii) $50,001 to $74,999, and (iii) $75,000);
(2)
given that in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Judiciary has indicated that when considering adjusting the jurisdictional limit of SCT, it would analyse a host of factors, including public demand for SCT's services and changes in economic indicators, and that it is learnt that the amounts involved in civil disputes in recent years have significantly increased, with the claim amount of some cases filed to SCT already reaching the limit of $75,000, whether the Government knows when the Judiciary will adjust the jurisdictional limit of SCT and whether it will consider raising the claim limit; and
(3)
given that, according to information from the Judiciary, the average waiting time for cases in SCT from filing to first hearing over the past three years was 35 to 41 days, which is better than the target time of 60 days, there are views that the relevant situation indicates that even if the jurisdictional limit of SCT is adjusted, SCT still has sufficient manpower to handle additional caseload, whether the Government knows how the Judiciary assesses the impact of adjusting the jurisdictional limit of SCT on the average waiting time for cases filed?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Commemorative activities for 80th anniversary of victory in War of Resistance
Hon CHAN Yung to ask:
This year marks the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, and Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao will also co-host the 15th National Games ("15th NG") this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that in its reply to my question on 26 February this year, the Government indicated that the Working Group on Patriotic Education would coordinate various policy bureaux and government departments in launching a series of commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance, of the current progress of the Government's preparation for such activities; and
(2)
whether it will consider combining the publicity work for the 15th NG and the commemorative activities for the 80th anniversary of victory in the War of Resistance to achieve a synergy effect, thereby creating a widespread atmosphere of affection for our country and Hong Kong?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions
Dr Hon TIK Chi-yuen to ask:
Launched by the Government in late 2016, the Pilot Accredited Registers Scheme for Healthcare Professions ("the Scheme") aims to enhance the current society-based registration arrangement of healthcare professions under the principle of professional autonomy, and ensure the professional competency of relevant healthcare professionals. However, there are views pointing out that the implementation of the Scheme has been slow and lacks transparency. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government will assess the effectiveness of the Scheme and submit reports on the Scheme; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether the Government will provide professional bodies intending to apply for the Scheme with specific reference materials on accreditation applications to enhance the fairness and transparency of the Scheme; if so, of the details (including the timetable); if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
whether the Government will establish a formal appeal channel or re-application mechanism for the Scheme, and explain the reasons to professional bodies whose applications are rejected, and proactively assist them in improving their standards in order to meet the accreditation requirements in future; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as the Government has indicated that the Scheme will serve a basis for it to study how to formulate a statutory registration regime for relevant accredited professions, of the progress and timetable of the relevant work; and
(5)
as it is learnt that the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom has categorized certain types of psychologists (e.g. counselling psychologists, clinical psychologists, and educational psychologists) into one profession (i.e. "Practitioner Psychologists") and established a registration system for them, whether the Government will consider drawing on such practice and standardize the categorization of local psychologists as practitioner psychologists for professional registration?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Planning of the site of former St. Joseph's Home for the Aged
Hon TANG Ka-piu to ask:
According to the Approved Ngau Chi Wan Outline Zoning Plan No. S/K12/18, the site of the former St. Joseph's Home for the Aged is zoned for use as Comprehensive Development Area. It has been reported that in July last year, the Buildings Department ("BD") granted the building plan for the site ("the building plan"), approving the construction of five 54-storey buildings ("the project"), which involves about 137 000 square metres of residential gross floor area ("GFA") and about 63 000 square metres of non-residential GFA. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of residential units, the population capacity, the number of parking spaces (set out by vehicle type), the number of loading and unloading spaces (set out by vehicle type), the commercial floor area, the floor area of community facilities (set out by proposed uses) and the open space area of the project, as well as the respective anticipated dates of intake/commissioning of such residential units, parking spaces and various facilities;
(2)
as it has been reported that the proposed numbers of podium floors and building floors as well as the proposed non-residential GFA in the building plan are different from the information stated in the developer's application for planning permission A/K12/42 submitted to the Town Planning Board ("TPB") in 2021, and that according to the information on TPB Statutory Planning Portal 3, the applicant of the planning permission had withdrawn the application, of which application for planning permission or other documents BD had based in granting the building plan;
(3)
given that there are three Grade II historic buildings within the area of the project, whether it knows the plans put in place by the developer of the project to conserve and revitalize such buildings;
(4)
given that according to the application for planning permission A/K12/42 submitted by the developer of the project, a 24-hour barrier-free pedestrian link connecting Choi Hung MTR Station and Choi Wan Estate is proposed to be provided in the project, whether it is still planned to construct such a pedestrian link under the building plan; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
as there are views that the additional population to be generated by the project will add to the burden on Clear Water Bay Road, Choi Hung Interchange and Choi Hung MTR Station, and taking into account the developments of the public housing at Ngau Chi Wan Village and the Choi Hung Estate redevelopment project, whether the authorities have assessed the impact of the project on the traffic in the vicinity when vetting and approving the project; if so, of the plans in place to avoid the traffic in the vicinity of the project and the congestion at Choi Hung Station from worsening, in particular, how to avoid bringing additional traffic flow to Clear Water Bay Road, and whether it will consider making good use of the land vacated after the demolition of Choi Hung Estate to improve the traffic congestion at Choi Hung Interchange; and
(6)
whether, in vetting and approving the project, the authorities have considered the land space that may be required for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in East Kowloon to be set up with a station in the vicinity of the project and even have to be extended to the west, and requested the developer to reserve the relevant land; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Special 100% Loan Guarantee
Hon Adrian HO to ask:
The Government launched the Special 100% Loan Guarantee ("Special Loan") under the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme to assist small and medium enterprises in tiding over the difficulties. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the criteria for classifying default cases under the Special Loan; the respective cumulative default rates of the 80% Guarantee Product, the 90% Guarantee Product and the Special 100% Guarantee Product under the Special Loan as at the end of last month;
(2)
given that the representative of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority ("HKMA') indicated at the meeting of the Panel on Financial Affairs of this Council on 3 February this year that HKMA noted an upward trend in the latest default rate of the Special Loan, and that recovery actions had been taken against enterprises which had been in malicious default, of the specific work plan of the authorities to deal with cases which had been in default to minimize the occurrence of defaults; the success rate of the recovery actions concerned;
(3)
regarding the cases involving failure to make repayments, of the estimates of the required provision coverage as confirmed by the authorities; as it is learnt that HKMA has been, in conjunction with the banks, discussing with the borrowing enterprises to assist those borrowing enterprises which have become unable to make repayments in terms of their repayment arrangement, as well as to reach a debt restructuring arrangement in an endeavour to restore the loan quality of the relevant cases to a favourable level, whether it knows the number of successful cases; and
(4)
as it is learnt that the HKMC Insurance Limited has taken appropriate actions in respect of cases which may involve illegal acts, including issuing clear guidelines to lending institutions participating in the Special Loan, taking legal actions through lending institutions and reporting to law enforcement agencies, of the number of cases which needed to be reported to law enforcement agencies as at the end of last month?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme
Hon Lillian KWOK to ask:
The Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme ("the Programme") of the Home Affairs Department seeks to provide funding support for eligible organizations to set up or expand social enterprises ("SEs") to help enhance the self-reliance of socially disadvantaged groups. According to the Guide to the Programme, the funded SEs are required to become commercially sustainable after the end of the funding period. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information on the Programme in each of the past five years: (i) the amount of funding approved, (ii) the names of the organizations or groups which applied for the setting up or expansion of SEs, (iii) the services provided by and the service targets of the funded SEs as well as (iv) the types of socially disadvantaged groups employed by them, (v) the numbers of applications approved and (vi) rejected, and (vii) the reasons for the applications being rejected;
(2)
whether the Government has followed up on the funded SEs' commercial sustainability after the end of the funding period of the Programme; if so, of the details (including the number and names of SEs which failed to become commercially sustainable in the past five years); if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Government has regularly assessed the operation of the SE projects funded by the Programme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting student mental health
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
It has been reported that according to a survey, more than half of the students surveyed consider that the mental health of young people in Hong Kong is unsatisfactory, and about 14% even consider the situation very unsatisfactory. In addition, between 2013 and 2023, the number of suicide deaths among students in Hong Kong increased from about 10 to 32 per year. Regarding the promotion of students' mental health, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as a study has pointed out that 80% of the students who experienced psychological crises had no record of attending psychiatric specialist services, of the authorities' plans in place to strengthen the training of teachers and school personnel, so as to increase their sensitivity to identifying students in need of support at an early stage;
(2)
as some members of the education sector have pointed out that quite a number of students do not have a proper understanding of death, and that work related to life and death education is inadequate, of the authorities' plans in place to strengthen life education in schools, so as to enable students to treasure life and further cultivate positive values and qualities;
(3)
whether it will study the establishment of additional School Life Coordinators and two task forces on "suicide prevention" and "bullying prevention" in schools, as well as the implementation of the "one counsellor for each school" measure to complement the work of existing school social workers by identifying high-risk students at an early stage and intervening immediately to provide comprehensive support;
(4)
as a survey has pointed out that most students do not take the initiative to seek help from others when faced with negative emotions and difficulties, of the authorities' plans in place to step up the promotion of a "help-seeking culture", reduce the labelling of help-seekers, and encourage students to take the initiative to care for others and help one another;
(5)
given that the Quality Education Fund Thematic Network on "Promoting Wellness in School" aims to help participating schools (including secondary schools, primary schools and nursery schools) develop into schools where the well-being of students is the top priority, and incorporate mental wellbeing education into the school curriculum, so as to nurture resilience of students, whether the authorities have assessed the effectiveness of such programme, and whether they will study extending similar programmes to all schools in the territory;
(6)
as a study has pointed out that more than half of the students with emotional problems come from single-parent or divorced families, whether the authorities will conduct a study on strengthening support for such students in schools and establishing a mechanism for community collaboration, so as to prevent the marginalization of students with emotional problems; and
(7)
as there are views pointing out that the pressure of education progression is one of the major factors affecting students' mental health, whether the authorities will study reforming the vocational and professional education and training system and promoting the relevant programmes, so as to provide students with diversified pathways, thereby alleviating their pressure of education progression; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Liquor duty
Hon Jimmy NG to ask:
The 2024 Policy Address announced the reduction of the duty rate for liquor. There are views pointing out that reduction of liquor duty will help promote liquor trading, and at the same time benefit industries such as catering, hotel, logistics, warehousing, auctioning, financial and professional services, arousing public concern about whether the Government will further reduce liquor duty. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the respective numbers of additional companies engaging in the liquor-related businesses and new jobs in the liquor-related industries after the reduction of liquor duty;
(2)
as it has been reported that the Government will review in a timely manner whether liquor duty will be further reduced, of the details of the relevant work (including the estimated time required for the work and the staff establishment involved); and
(3)
whether it will make reference to the successful experience of abolishing the duty on wine and study the complete abolition of liquor duty as early as possible; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?