Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Protection for food delivery workers of digital platforms
Hon Kingsley WONG to ask:
There are views that food delivery workers on Hong Kong's digital platforms ("platforms") are not covered by various forms of labour protection. This situation lags behind that in both the Mainland and the West. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the Government indicated in November last year that it would propose a direction to strengthen the protection of platform workers, which "may include proposals that can only be implemented by legislation", of the scope of the protection and legislative details being considered by the authorities, and when the legislative proposals are expected to be introduced into this Council;
(2)
given that the Supreme People's Court issued guiding cases last year, pointing out that the key to determining whether there is a labour relationship between enterprises and workers is to establish whether there are "facts surrounding the employment", which constitute dominant labour management, whether the authorities have drawn reference from such cases to formulate the relevant safeguarding direction; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it has been reported that some Mainland enterprises have paid the "five insurances and one housing fund" for platform delivery workers so that they are protected by law in the event of old age, illness, work-related injury, unemployment, maternity and so on, whether the authorities have encouraged Hong Kong platform enterprises to follow suit, such as making Mandatory Provident Fund contributions for platform delivery workers?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Management of sick leave in the civil service
Hon Kenneth FOK to ask:
The 2024 Policy Address proposed to strengthen civil service management. However, there are views pointing out that the figure of over 100 suspected cases of sick leave abuse by civil servants every year reflects that there is room for improvement in the fairness and transparency of the relevant sick leave management mechanism. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has conducted a comprehensive and systematic assessment of the management of sick leave in the civil service, and set out in a table the relevant data on sick leave taken by civil servants in each government department in the past three years, including the number of civil servants who took sick leave and the total number of days of sick leave taken by them, as well as the details of the management methods concerning frequent sick leave and prolonged sick leave; if not, of the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will consider amending the Civil Service Regulations in a timely manner to introduce a more rigorous audit mechanism for sick leave, such as requiring that a civil servant who has taken sick leave in excess of a certain number of days must receive an independent medical assessment by a Medical Board, and conducting in-depth investigations into suspected cases of sick leave abuse and taking more stringent disciplinary actions; and
(3)
of the number of cases of prolonged sick leave taken by civil servants due to injuries sustained while on duty which eventually turned out to be suspected cases of sick leave abuse in each of the past five years; how the authorities assessed the relevant circumstances of such cases?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Addressing measures of the United States aimed against China's shipping industry
Hon YIM Kong to ask:
Last month, the United States released the findings of the "Section 301 Investigation" under the Trade Act of 1974 and announced that port fees would be imposed on vessels owned or controlled by Chinese entities (including Hong Kong entities), including vessels whose owner or operator is headquartered in Hong Kong and vessels of which more than 25% of the equity interest is held by a citizen or citizens or the Government of Hong Kong. Hong Kong is the fourth largest shipping register in the world, with over 1 100 maritime-related companies currently operating here. Some preliminary analyses have pointed out that such maritime companies will be faced with risks such as an upsurge in operating costs and a decline in market competitiveness, and ship leasing and ship financing businesses will also be affected by knock-on impacts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government has systematically assessed the negative impact of the aforesaid measures of the United States on Hong Kong's shipping and maritime-related industries, and formulated a cross-departmental collaboration plan to safeguard Hong Kong's status as an international shipping centre, as well as companies' legitimate rights and interests;
(2)
whether it will provide targeted relief measures to the affected companies engaged in shipping, ship leasing and so on, or provide certain financial support for them to adjust their route deployments; and
(3)
whether it has proactive measures to attract "non-US" ship operators or relevant high-end maritime service providers to carry on developing their business in Hong Kong?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of Police
Dr Hon SO Cheung-wing to ask:
It is learnt that the vacancy situation of the Police remains serious. As at 31 March this year, while the establishment of police officers was 33 090, the strength was 27 325. There was still a shortfall of 5 765 police officers, representing a vacancy rate of 17.4%. Some members of the public are worried that the relevant situation will affect the law enforcement efficiency and the law and order situation of Hong Kong in the long run. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the specific vacancy situation of various ranks in the Police at present, and the target numbers of recruitment of police officers of various ranks this year; when all the vacancies are expected to be filled;
(2)
whether it has studied the reasons why the Police are currently unable to recruit sufficient manpower, and the impact of the reduction in the civil service establishment proposed in the Budget for this financial year on the manpower of the Police; whether it has assessed the actual impact of the manpower shortage on police duties (such as frontline patrol); and
(3)
whether the Police have explored the use of the latest technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automated equipment, to assist in the police work, thereby reducing the manpower demand; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Construction of a new acute hospital
Hon YANG Wing-kit to ask:
In the reply to my question raised when examining the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Government has indicated that in further planning for the Second Hospital Development Plan, the redevelopment or expansion of existing hospitals and the construction of new hospitals to meet demand, including the feasibility of identifying a site for construction of a new acute hospital in Wong Tai Sin, will be options considered by the authorities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the latest progress in identifying a site for construction of a new acute hospital in Wong Tai Sin; whether it has studied the feasibility of the establishment of an acute hospital, in the form of a cluster of hospital buildings, in the context of the expansion of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Tai Sin Hospital, the vacant land made available after the relocation of the Diamond Hill Service Reservoirs, together with Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has studied the feasibility of construction of an acute hospital at other sites (including the recreation ground at Heng Lam Street, Lok Fu); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it is learnt that there is a shortage of healthcare manpower in Hong Kong, whether the Government has assessed the time frame for having sufficient healthcare manpower to meet the needs of a new acute hospital, and whether it will expedite the introduction of non-locally trained healthcare personnel?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Promoting traditional customs and cultural activities
Hon Edward LEUNG to ask:
It is learnt that the traditional customs of "Petty Person Beating" and "Offering Sacrifices to the White Tiger" carried out underneath the Canal Road Flyover (commonly known as "Ngo Keng Kiu") in Causeway Bay have attracted quite a number of tourists to view and experience them. However, due to the crowded environment at the location, there have been conflicts between tourists and local residents from time to time, which is not conducive to the promotion of the relevant cultural activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the change in the number of stall operators carrying out the aforesaid traditional customs and cultural activities underneath the flyover in the past 10 years; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the details of the authorities' work in promoting the aforesaid traditional customs and cultural activities in the past three years, and whether the effectiveness of such work has been assessed; and
(3)
as it is learnt that at present, the aforesaid stall operators only hold business registration certificates and there is no accreditation mechanism for such cultural activities, while the management of stall operators and related activities also involves different policy areas (e.g. environmental hygiene and cultural tourism), whether the Government has considered setting up an interdepartmental management group to improve the relevant accreditation and management work with the focus on cultural conservation, so as to reduce the conflicts between tourists and residents while balancing the operational needs of the industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Identifying calls from government departments and public organizations
Hon Duncan CHIU to ask:
It has been reported that telephone frauds have occurred frequently in Hong Kong in recent years and to avoid being defrauded, quite a number of members of the public prefer not answering calls from non-traditional telephone numbers with prefixes of "3" or "5", etc., telephone numbers not found in their phone contacts and without caller numbers. However, there are views pointing out that such calls may also include those from government departments and public organizations, such as public hospitals, the Police and Immigration Department, etc., and refusal to answer these calls may result in wastage and ineffective use of some public resources as well as affect the use of public services by members of the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the major prefixes of existing fixed-line telephone numbers of government departments, public organizations and public hospitals, and the respective percentages of telephone numbers with the relevant prefixes;
(2)
whether it has examined the actual situation of the effect of frequent occurrence of telephone fraud on the contact made by various government departments and public organizations with members of the public by phone, including the telephone number prefixes which were most affected, the five government departments and public organizations which were most affected, and the estimated number of members of the public who have not been successfully contacted;
(3)
regarding the failure of staff of government departments and public organizations to effectively contact members of the public by their office fixed-line telephones, whether follow-up mechanism and guidelines have currently been put in place, including the circumstances under which the responsible personnel are allowed to follow up using their private mobile phones; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will formulate the relevant mechanism and guidelines in the future; and
(4)
whether consideration will be given to reorganize and centralize the allocation of telephone numbers of government departments and public organizations with specified prefixes, so as to facilitate identification by members of the public and reduce the chance of refusal to answer calls?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
A dedicated "technology enterprises channel"
Dr Hon TAN Yueheng to ask:
The Securities and Futures Commission and the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing Limited ("HKEX") jointly established a dedicated "technology enterprises channel" ("TECH") to facilitate the listing application of specialist technology companies and biotechnology companies, as well as allowing them to submit listing applications on a confidential basis. There are views that the establishment of TECH is a key measure for Hong Kong to consolidate its position as a global hub for capital of technology and innovation, effectively highlighting the advantages of listing in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the expected outcomes of TECH;
(2)
whether it knows the differences between TECH and the original listing mechanism for technology enterprises, and how HKEX will strengthen the coordinated operation of the two;
(3)
whether it knows how HKEX will optimize the structure and vetting procedures of its Listing Division to cope with the large number of service applications upon establishment of TECH, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the relevant policies; and
(4)
as TECH allows submission of listing applications by technology enterprises on a confidential basis so as to reduce the risks associated with premature disclosure of their specialist technology, whether the Government knows how HKEX will strike a balance between protecting the intellectual property rights of technology companies and maintaining market transparency?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge
Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
It is learnt that during the morning session on the first day of the long Easter holidays in April this year (i.e. 18 April), the traffic flow to the Mainland through the "Quota-free Scheme for Hong Kong Private Cars Travelling to Guangdong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge ('HZMB')" ("'Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles' Scheme") caused serious congestion at HZMB Hong Kong and Zhuhai Ports, with some members of the public travelling from Admiralty taking four hours to arrive at Zhuhai. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of bookings for departure on 18 April this year made under the "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" Scheme, and the number of vehicles that actually made such trips, together with a breakdown by time slots; and
(2)
whether it has rigorously checked if all vehicles travelling to the Mainland under the "Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles" Scheme have completed their bookings or made their trips according to the time slots they have booked; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Arts and mega events
Hon Dominic LEE to ask:
There are views that while Hong Kong has successfully hosted international mega events such as Art Basel Hong Kong in recent years, Singapore has introduced many large-scale events (e.g. concerts by world-renowned singers) through cross-departmental collaboration and dedicated mechanisms, also with notably significant results. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will, with reference to the experience of the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises, consider setting up a Committee for Attracting Major Events to coordinate work for attracting major international mega arts events and provide one-stop administrative support to organizers (e.g. assistance with approvals, coordination of venue hiring and cross-border logistics, and provision of ancillary support); if so, of the specific plans (e.g. the terms of reference of the committee and implementation timetable); if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
of the respective numbers of large-scale arts events and mega events held in Hong Kong in each of the past five years, and the total amount of resources allocated by the authorities to such events and mega events, together with a breakdown of the amount of subsidies provided by the authorities by name of event; and, among such events and mega events, the percentage of world-class international arts events and mega events (e.g. mega events on the scale of the Venice Biennale);
(3)
as it has been learnt that Singapore attracts organizers to hold large-scale arts events and mega events by upgrading venues (e.g. Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay) and providing flexible subsidies, whether the authorities have assessed the competitiveness gap between Hong Kong's existing venues (e.g. the West Kowloon Cultural District) and those in Singapore; whether it will formulate long-term plans for hardware upgrades and rental concessions to enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness in hosting mega events; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
in order to leverage the benefits of regional collaboration, whether the authorities have plans to collaborate with Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA") in taking forward a collaborative initiative on mega arts events, attracting global event organizers to hold mega events in GBA through joint event planning and preparation, introduction of transportation packages and joint promotional efforts; if so, of the specific cooperation framework and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Provision and planning of car parking space
Hon Vincent CHENG to ask:
It has been reported that the Middle Road Multi-storey Carpark in Tsim Sha Tsui and the Yau Ma Tei Multi-storey Carpark have been demolished one after another, resulting in the reduction of over a thousand parking spaces in Yau Tsim Mong District. However, these parking spaces have not been promptly replaced. In addition, some members of the public have reflected that parking spaces in that district and Sham Shui Po District have been insufficient for a long time. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current shortage of parking spaces for private cars, motorcycles and goods vehicles in Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District respectively, according to the population of the two districts and the standards set out in the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines ("HKPSG");
(2)
given that in the reply to this Council on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Government indicated that the average utilization rates of public car parks managed by Government Property Agency and Leisure and Cultural Services Department in Yau Tsim Mong District were only 42% and 33% respectively last year, while those in Sham Shui Po District were only 54% and 23% respectively, whether the Government has examined the reasons of the relatively low utilization rates of these car parks; whether it will consider introducing measures to attract motorists to use these public car parks;
(3)
given that the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by this Council in February last year that it would, where circumstances permit, increase appropriately the number of public parking spaces in suitable "Government, Institution or Community" facilities and public open space projects, etc., whether the authorities have plans to provide additional parking spaces in Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District; if so, of the details (including target numbers and the timetable);
(4)
whether the Government will provide additional public parking spaces equipped with intelligent parking systems; if so, of the details, including the locations of such parking spaces, whether it will consider installing electric vehicle charging facilities at such parking spaces, and how the Government will control the relevant construction costs;
(5)
whether the Government will consider providing parking spaces underneath flyovers; if so, of the details (including whether more of such parking spaces will be provided in Yau Tsim Mong District and Sham Shui Po District); and
(6)
given that Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by this Council in January this year that it would regularly review and timely revise the standards for parking facilities in HKPSG to tie in with the parking space demand, when will the Government conduct the next review of the relevant standards?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Measures to support non-Chinese speaking students
Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
It is learnt that the lack of Chinese language proficiency of non-Chinese speakers has always been the biggest obstacle for them in pursuing further studies, seeking employment and integrating into the community. Although the Government has been providing non-Chinese speaking ("NCS") students with all-encompassing learning support through diverse strategies to help them master the Chinese language and integrate into the community, some members of the education sector have reflected that some primary schools still have reservations about admitting NCS students. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of (a) primary schools admitting NCS students and (b) NCS primary school students, together with a breakdown by school type (i.e. (i) public sector primary school, (ii) Direct Subsidy Scheme primary school, and (iii) private primary school), in each of the past five years;
(2)
of the measures currently put in place by the Government to support the pre-primary education of NCS students, so as to assist them in learning Chinese and enhancing their language proficiency, thereby enabling them to articulate more smoothly to the primary school curriculum;
(3)
of the measures currently put in place by the Government to encourage primary schools to admit NCS students (e.g. reserving some school places for NCS students), so as to enable their early integration into the community; and
(4)
whether the Government has reviewed the effectiveness of the existing measures to support NCS students; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will conduct such a review in the future?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Public housing estates with supply of centralized liquefied petroleum gas
Hon CHAN Hok-fung to ask:
It is learnt that there are 15 public housing estates ("PHEs") under the Hong Kong Housing Authority ("HA") that are installed with centralized liquefied petroleum gas ("LPG") supply. The previous arrangements for renewal of LPG suppliers were such that existing suppliers with satisfactory performance would be eligible for renewal. Subsequently, with reference to the experience in private housing developments, and taking into account public views and the Competition Commission's recommendations, HA decided in August 2017 that tenders should be invited for awarding new contracts for the supply of centralized LPG to PHEs upon expiry of the existing contracts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the information on current contracts for the centralized LPG supply systems of the 15 PHEs and the Home Ownership Scheme ("HOS") estates sharing the same LPG compound ("shared HOS estate") (set out in the table below); whether such contracts were awarded by tender; if not, of the reasons for that;
PHE | Shared HOS Estate | Current contract information |
LPG supplier | Start date | Expiry date | Whether the contract was awarded by tender |
Tai Yuen Estate, Tai Po | Ting Nga Court |
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Yau Oi Estate, Tuen Mun | / |
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On Ting Estate, Tuen Mun | Siu On Court |
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Choi Yuen Estate, North District | Yuk Po Court |
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Butterfly Estate, Tuen Mun | Siu Shan Court |
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Wu King Estate, Tuen Mun | Siu Shan Court |
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Lung Tin Estate, Lantau Island | Lung Hin Court |
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Oi Man Estate, Kowloon | / |
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Kwong Fuk Estate, Tai Po | Wang Fuk Court |
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Kam Peng Estate, Peng Chau | Peng Lai Court |
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Ngan Wan Estate, Lantau Island | / |
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Sam Shing Estate, Tuen Mun | / |
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Shui Pin Wai Estate, Yuen Long | / |
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Wah Fu (II) Estate, Hong Kong Island | / |
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Nga Ning Court, Cheung Chau | / |
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(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the total annual supply of domestic piped LPG to the PHEs and shared HOS estates mentioned in (1) over the past five years, as well as the annual average price of LPG in such PHEs and HOS estates; of the comparison between such average LPG prices and the corresponding town gas prices during the same period; and
(3)
whether the owners' committees or residents of the PHEs mentioned in (1) have requested HA to replace the gas supply system (e.g. natural gas)?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Handling water mains leakage
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
It is learnt that the issue of water mains leakage in Hong Kong has become increasingly serious in recent years. There are views that the Water Supplies Department ("WSD") should address this problem promptly to ensure the efficient use of water resources. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the total volume of fresh water leaked from private water mains in each of the 18 districts in the territory in the past five years; and the following information on the top 10 private housing courts with the most severe water mains leakage: (i) name; (ii) year of completion; (iii) volume of water leakage involved; (iv) number of Repair Notices ("RNs") and Disconnection Notices ("DNs") received from WSD; (v) number of times the water supply was suspended by WSD; and (vi) repairs to the leaking water mains;
(2)
given that according to WSD's website, the number of RNs issued by WSD under Section 16 of the Waterworks Ordinance (Cap. 102) ("the Ordinance") was around 700 to 1 000 per year in the past 10 years with no apparent downward trend while the number of DNs issued under Section 11 of the Ordinance and the number of disconnection cases under Section 10 of the Ordinance have shown a decreasing trend, whether WSD has studied the reasons for this situation;
(3)
given that according to WSD's website, the leakage rate of government water mains was approximately 13.4% in 2024, and WSD has also set a target to reduce the leakage rate to 10% or below by 2030, but there are views that the aforesaid rate fails to cover the leakage situation of all water mains (e.g. leakage from non-government water mains), whether WSD has plans to consolidate and make public the complete statistics concerned, and give an account of the annual amount of water loss from the water mains in the territory and the reasons for such loss in its annual reports; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
whether WSD has plans to set up a committee to take full responsibility for and handle water mains leakage, and to expedite the implementation of "smart waterworks" through coordinating work across different departments and introducing new technologies, so as to further implement "smart leakage control"; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Overseas training for civil servants
Hon Maggie CHAN to ask:
In the reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Government has indicated that the revised estimate of expenditure of the Civil Service College ("CSC") for various training and development areas in 2024-2025 is $81.6 million. In addition, apart from the Civil Service Bureau ("CSB"), individual departments or grades will also arrange for their staff to attend overseas training, duty visits, and conferences. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the estimated expenditure of CSB on overseas training, other than exchanges in the Mainland, in the past year; and among which, the respective percentages of spending on tuition fees, round-trip travel and accommodation, as well as study grants;
(2)
regarding the arrangements for civil servants to attend overseas training, duty visits, and conferences, whether CSB has formulated detailed selection criteria in respect of the countries, institutions, courses or nature of training concerned; if so, of the details;
(3)
given that individual departments or grades will arrange for civil servants to attend overseas training, of the respective percentages of the expenditure of these departments on the relevant overseas training in their total expenditure in the past year; whether various departments have adopted consistent criteria for selecting overseas training programmes, and whether CSB has issued the relevant selection criteria to the departments;
(4)
given that in reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Government has indicated that CSB does not have the relevant expenditure and participant figures in respect of the arrangements made by individual departments or grades for their staff to attend overseas training, duty visits, and conferences, whether CSB has plans to collect or consolidate the aforesaid information and make public the information as appropriate to enable the public to have a full picture of the situation of civil service training as well as the detailed expenditure; and
(5)
given that in reply to my question on the Estimates of Expenditure 2025-2026, the Government has indicated that CSC collects feedback from the participating civil servants through questionnaires or interviews upon completion of the overseas training, and requires them to submit a study report to evaluate the effectiveness of the training, of the standards adopted for such evaluation methods; how to ensure that the outcome of the evaluation can objectively reflect the long-term effectiveness of overseas training?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund
Hon LAI Tung-kwok to ask:
The Government established the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund ("GSF") in 2008 to provide scholarships to students every year on an ongoing basis with investment returns. Since the 2016-2017 academic year, the Education Bureau ("EDB") has established the Belt and Road ("B&R") Scholarship under the Targeted Scholarship Scheme of GSF to encourage students from countries/regions along B&R to pursue post-secondary education in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that in its press release issued on the 24th of last month, EDB changed the name that has been used for many years for the Targeted Scholarship Scheme, one of the five types of scholarships and awards under GSF, to the Belt and Road Scholarship, whether the Targeted Scholarship Scheme has been officially renamed as the Belt and Road Scholarship or replaced by it; if so, of the details and reasons for that;
(2)
of the respective principal, surplus, investment income and expenditure of GSF in each of the past five academic years;
(3)
of the following information in respect of the scholarships under the Targeted Scholarship Scheme other than the B&R Scholarship for each of the past five academic years: (i) the maximum number of places, (ii) the number of awardees (set out by participating institutions and awardees' places of origin), and (iii) the total amount of scholarships awarded;
(4)
given that there are three categories of B&R Scholarship, namely "B&R Scholarship (Designated Countries)", "B&R Scholarship (Other Countries)" and "B&R Scholarship (Research Postgraduate)", of the following information on the three scholarships for each of the past five academic years: (i) the maximum number of places, (ii) the number of awardees (set out by participating institutions and awardees' places of origin), and (iii) the total amount of scholarships awarded;
(5)
as it is learnt that the Education Bureau indicated a few years ago that it did not maintain statistics on the respective numbers of B&R Scholarship awardees who had, upon completion of their studies, stayed in Hong Kong for advancing their studies, taking up employment or starting businesses, whether the authorities have maintained the relevant statistics thereafter to monitor the effectiveness of such scholarship; if not, how the authorities review the effectiveness of the scholarship; and
(6)
whether the authorities have plans to introduce other measures or scholarships to attract more overseas students to come to Hong Kong to study; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Coping with extreme weather
Hon Kenneth LEUNG to ask:
There are views pointing out that in recent years, Hong Kong has been affected time and again by localized rainstorms, super typhoons and even very hot weather, thereby exposing the safety as well as lives and properties of members of the public to a greater risk. On coping with extreme weather, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of weather warnings and signals issued by the Hong Kong Observatory ("HKO") in each of the past five years (set out by type of weather warnings and signals);
(2)
in order to cope with extreme weather (including super typhoons and severe rainstorms) that may occur in Hong Kong, of the details of the interdepartmental drills conducted and contingency plans drawn up by various government departments so far this year (including the number of government departments and personnel involved); whether various government departments have put in place a comprehensive contingency mechanism for coping with extreme weather to assist members of the public and disseminate the relevant information in a timely manner;
(3)
given that in the past, flooding and landslides frequently occurred in some districts (including Chai Wan, Wong Tai Sin, Wan Chai, Yuen Long and Tsim Sha Tsui) during rainstorm, whether the authorities have increased the supporting staff for flood and disaster prevention work specifically for those districts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether the authorities will formulate a mechanism to require the relevant government departments to take corresponding measures in the districts concerned simultaneously when the Localised Heavy Rain Advisory was issued by HKO, e.g. strengthening local flood monitoring and deploying manpower to clear the drains, with a view to preventing the occurrence of localized large-scale flooding;
(5)
given that the 2023 Policy Address indicated that the Drainage Services Department would complete the "Strategic Planning Study on Flood Management against Sea Level Rise and Extreme Rainfall" and develop a forward-looking strategy, of the progress of the relevant work and the findings of the Study; whether the Government has set aside resources for the implementation of the recommendations of the Study and the construction of the relevant infrastructure facilities; and
(6)
whether it has further stepped up public education on disaster preparedness, e.g. regularly arranging for members of the public and students to participate in disaster prevention exercise, and teaching members of the public the corresponding measures to take when extreme weather and even natural disasters occur; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will strengthen such efforts in the future?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Extension of retirement age
Ir Hon LEE Chun-keung to ask:
To address the challenges arising from an ageing population and a shrinking workforce, the Government has raised the retirement age for civil servants in the civilian and disciplined services grades who were newly recruited on or after 1 June 2015, to 65 and 60 respectively. On the other hand, according to information from the Census and Statistics Department, the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over will increase from 20.5% in 2021 to 36% in 2046, meaning that by then, one in every three Hong Kong people will be aged 65 or over. Regarding the extension of retirement age, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Mainland has, since 1 January this year, been gradually extending the statutory retirement age for male employees from 60 to 63 and for female employees from the original 50 and 55 to 55 and 58 respectively, whether the Government will follow such practice and further extend the retirement age for civil servants; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has conducted a survey to identify which occupations in Hong Kong currently have a mandatory retirement age, and what the relevant requirements are; whether it has compiled statistics on the average retirement age of employees in these occupations over the past five years, as well as the number of serving employees and how many of them are expected to retire within the next five years;
(3)
whether it has plans to encourage government-funded and private organizations to extend retirement age, so as to address the challenges posed by an ageing population and sustain Hong Kong's competitiveness; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
what measures the Government currently has in place to promote the employment of mature persons, so as to encourage them to delay retirement and remain active in the workforce?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Traffic incidents involving animals
Hon CHAN Hak-kan to ask:
Under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), the driver of a vehicle shall stop if an accident involving that vehicle occurs whereby damage is caused to animals not in the vehicle, and the Government included cats and dogs in the definition of "animal" under the Ordinance in 2021. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information in respect of traffic accidents involving vehicles hitting animals in each of the past five years: (i) the number of animals being hit (set out in the table below a breakdown by type of animals (i.e. (a) horses, (b) cattle, (c) ass, (d) mules, (e) sheep, (f) pigs, (g) goats, (h) cats and (i) dogs)), (ii) the number of reports received by the Government on such accidents, and (iii) among these accidents, the number and percentage of cases involving hit-and-run drivers, (iv) the number of such accidents investigated by the Government under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169), and (v) among them, the number of prosecutions instituted;
Year | (a) | …… | (i) |
2021 |
|
|
|
...... |
|
|
|
2025 (This year to date) |
|
|
|
(2)
of the current handling procedures adopted by the government departments concerned upon receipt of cases of animals being hit by vehicles; the number of such cases in which animal carcasses were handled directly by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in each of the past five years, and their percentage in the total number of cases involving animals being hit by vehicles;
(3)
as there are views that the deterrent effect of the existing legislation on accidents involving vehicles hitting animals is inadequate, whether the authorities will introduce fixed penalty or incorporate a demerit point system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether the Government will allocate additional resources to assist in rescuing animals hit and injured by vehicles; and
(5)
whether the Government will review the legislation to include more local wild animals (including but not limited to monkeys and wild pigs) in the definition of "animal" under Cap. 374; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Borrowing on the part of foreign domestic helpers
Hon Judy CHAN to ask:
The Government has indicated that the borrowing problems of foreign domestic helpers ("FDHs") not only affect their own financial well-being, but also bring much trouble to their employers. It has been reported that in recent years, there have been instances where employers or former employers of FDHs are harassed by money lenders or financial intermediaries as FDHs default on loans. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the annual number of cases received by the Companies Registry from FDH employers, in 2024 and this year to date, in which harassment was allegedly inflicted on them by licensed money lenders during debt recovery from their FDHs;
(2)
given that in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 27 November last year, the Government indicated that it was formulating specific measures for public consultation along such directions as reviewing the existing regulations on money lenders and enhancing publicity and education, and it planned to commence such consultation in the first half of this year, of the progress of the public consultation on such new measures and the actual implementation timetable;
(3)
as the revised Code of Practice for Employment Agencies ("CoP") promulgated by the Labour Department ("LD") in May last year requires employment agencies to, when making an application for a licence and renewal of a licence, inform the LD of whether they are associated with any financial institution, of the number of employment agencies that have made such declarations to LD since the revision of CoP;
(4)
given that in reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on 8 January this year, the Government indicated that only about 90 licensed money lenders had joined or were in the process of joining "Credit Data Smart" ("CDS"), a Credit Reference Platform, how the authorities plan to encourage the remaining licensed money lenders to join CDS so that the affordability of borrowers (including FDHs) for unsecured personal loans can be more accurately assessed by the industry; and
(5)
as it is learnt that some FDHs have successfully applied for loans using their former employers' addresses despite the completion of their agreements, whether the authorities have plans to address this issue, such as requiring financial institutions to verify with the authorities whether the FDH has an employment relationship with the employer declared by him or her before approving the loan?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Arts and cultural activities and mega events
Hon Stanley NG to ask:
There are views that arts and cultural activities serve as an essential vehicle for value transmission. In recent years, the Government has invested a great deal of resources in relevant projects, and the Mega Arts and Cultural Events Fund has, since its establishment, supported 21 mega arts and cultural events, with a total approved funding of about $230 million. The Chief Executive has pointed out in the 2023 Policy Address that the Government endeavours to build mainstream values characterized by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of "One Country, Two Systems" ("the mainstream values"). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
how the various departments under the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau guarantee that the various types of arts and cultural projects being supported are in line with the gatekeeping efforts to uphold the mainstream values;
(2)
of the mechanisms or clear guidelines the Government have put in place for vetting and approving arts and cultural activities and mega events to ensure that they will not go against the mainstream values throughout the process from planning to implementation; and
(3)
of the number of government-subsidized arts and cultural projects associated with the promotion of the mainstream values, as well as the percentage share and effectiveness of such projects, and set out the relevant information by project in a table?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Public benefits received by residents of public housing estates
Dr Hon NGAN Man-yu to ask:
There are views pointing out that with an ageing population, persistent poverty problem and increasing expenditure on education, there has been increasing public concern over the coverage, effectiveness and fairness of various social welfare payments and assistance schemes, and low-income residents of public housing estates ("PHEs") are particularly dependent on the relevant benefits. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information in respect of the PHE residents receiving (a) Working Family Allowance, (b) Old Age Living Allowance, (c) Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, (d) Old Age Allowance and (e) School Textbook Assistance ("the beneficiaries") and their PHEs in the past three years: the top 20 PHEs with (i) the largest numbers of beneficiaries and (ii) the highest percentages of beneficiaries in the populations of the PHEs concerned (set out by social welfare payment and assistance scheme in a table), together with the names of the PHEs concerned, the districts in which they are located, their population sizes, the total amount of allowances involved, as well as the numbers of beneficiaries and the percentages of beneficiaries in the populations of the PHEs concerned;
(2)
whether the Government has plans to comprehensively review the barriers faced by PHE residents in applying for (a) to (e) in (1), such as complicated application procedures, insufficient information transparency, digital divide or excessively stringent eligibility criteria, etc., and to introduce specific enhancement measures (e.g. streamlining the application procedures, providing exclusive support services for PHEs, etc.) to increase the coverage and efficiency of the various schemes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
given that the financial conditions of residents and demographic structures vary in different PHEs, whether the Government has studied implementing targeted schemes in PHEs with a larger number of beneficiaries to support residents in getting rid of poverty or receiving education, such as introducing additional programmes on vocational training, offering subsidies for extra-curricular activities or providing training on digital skills, so as to facilitate the lifting of inter-generational poverty and promote social mobility; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4)
in view of the relatively high proportion of elderly people and low-income families in PHEs, whether the Government will, when considering adjustments to the amounts of allowances or eligibility requirements for receiving (a) to (e) in (1), accord priority to assessing the impact of such adjustments on residents of PHEs and adopt targeted measures to alleviate their financial burdens; if so, of the details (including the assessment mechanism and measures adopted); if not, the reasons for that?