Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Making good use of shoreline tourism resources
Hon Benson LUK to ask:
In May last year, the Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council proposed that Hong Kong should establish the concept of "Tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong", and in November of the same year, he advised that Hong Kong's shoreline tourism resources should be put to good use. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether, according to the Government's estimation, the "Round-the-Island Trail" developed on Hong Kong Island can be completed in 2031 as scheduled; how the Government will study with the MTR Corporation Limited the enhancement of the design of the ventilation building of the Airport Railway Extended Overrun Tunnel project, so as to minimize the impact on the waterfront promenade on Hong Kong Island and the Central Harbourfront Event Space, as well as the relevant design proposal and construction schedule;
(2)
given that a number of sections of the waterfront promenade in Kowloon are not connected (including the Yau Ma Tei Public Cargo Working Area, the Green Island Cement Pier, the Fishtail Rock in Hoi Sham Park and the waterfront gas facility off Grand Waterfront, etc.), whether the authorities have plans to connect the entire shoreline of Kowloon in different modes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it has formulated mega event programmes for the proposed waterfront promenades and those under construction, and of the measures in place to facilitate the industry to set up long-term catering premises at such promenades?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Development of fintech
Hon Robert LEE to ask:
It is learnt that there are currently over 1 100 fintech companies in Hong Kong, including eight licensed digital banks, four virtual insurers and 10 virtual asset trading platforms. Regarding the development of fintech, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the plans in place to assist licensed fintech companies in expanding their operations and developing products, such as assisting them in expanding their service scope to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, promoting the asset-under-management size and turnover of Exchange Traded Funds on Virtual Asset ("VA"), enhancing the international competitiveness and attractiveness of VA-related products, as well as developing more futures and options products for VAs, etc.;
(2)
whether it will urge the regulators to allow institutional and retail investors to participate in more VA transactions of different types and currencies and relax the eligibility requirements for professional investors, as well as include VAs as assets under the Securities and Futures (Financial Resources) Rules, so as to facilitate the development of the VA market; and
(3)
how the Government will formulate enhancement measures in the three aspects of regulatory statute, tax concessions as well as publicity and promotion, so as to further attract large-scale international fintech companies to establish presence in Hong Kong, and of the plans in place to assist the financial services industry in introducing fintech in order to enhance operational efficiency and reduce costs, thereby promoting the upgrading and transformation of the industry?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Leveraging technology to promote tourism
Hon MA Fung-kwok to ask:
There are views pointing out that Hong Kong's efforts to digitalize tourism services have failed to keep pace with development. It is learnt that the Mainland, Macao, South Korea and Singapore have all leveraged technology to promote their tourism industries. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that the Government earlier on announced the deployment of augmented reality ("AR") technology for the City in Time tourism project in the Kowloon City District, what further plans the Government has in place to apply AR and virtual reality ("VR") technologies to tourist attractions, particularly sites commemorating the War of Resistance and historical attractions, and set out in a table the attractions where these technologies have been introduced and the number of users to date;
(2)
whether it will draw on the experiences of cities in Asia and the Mainland and make better use of the information available on the Hong Kong Tourism Board website to launch an all-in-one mobile travel application providing services such as travel guides, attraction recommendations, real-time traffic information, and discounts on accommodation and dining, while also analysing visitors' behavioural patterns; if so, which government department or organization will be responsible for designing, updating and maintaining the application, and of the implementation timetable; and
(3)
as it is learnt that the Immigration Department ("ImmD") currently does not collect data on travellers' arrival and departure patterns, their length of stay in Hong Kong, the provinces from which Mainland visitors came and the types of endorsement they held, etc., whether the Government will consider enhancing ImmD's systems to obtain more traveller information for analytical purposes?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Opening "bus-only lanes" to other public transport modes
Hon Adrian HO to ask:
In the reply to a question from a Member of this Council in 2018, the Government undertook to conduct a study and consult stakeholders on the proposal to convert "bus-only lanes" into "public transport-only lanes" with a view to allowing the shared use by other public transport modes. Meanwhile, according to information from the Transport Department, the number of bus trips along busy corridors in certain districts decreased cumulatively by 6 762 trips between 2014 and 2023. As such, there are views that this is an appropriate time to review the bus-only lane policy. However, the Government has indicated earlier on that it currently has no plans to open bus-only lanes for use by other vehicles. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics for each year of the past five years on the changes in the number of bus-only lanes in Hong Kong, the average traffic volume and vehicle speed in these lanes during peak hours, as well as how these figures compare with those for other lanes on the same road sections; if so, of the details; if not, how the Government determines the number of bus-only lanes to be added or reduced in the absence of such data;
(2)
of the findings of the Government's study and consultation on the aforesaid proposal to convert bus-only lanes into public transport-only lanes, as well as whether there are specific reasons and actual data supporting the current decision of not to open up bus-only lanes; and
(3)
with regard to the reduction in the number of bus trips along certain busy corridors in recent years, whether the authorities have reassessed the need for bus-only lanes on such corridors and studied the opening up of such lanes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Publicity for National Games and National Special Olympic Games
Hon CHAN Yung to ask:
This year, the 15th National Games ("NG"), 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games ("NSOG") will be co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
how the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau ("CSTB") will collaborate with relevant government departments and organizations to publicize NG and NSOG;
(2)
of the plans of CSTB and the Hong Kong Tourism Board to step efforts to attract Mainland and overseas visitors to Hong Kong for watching the tournaments of NG and NSOG; and
(3)
given that the 2025 Legislative Council General Election will be held immediately after NG, how the Government will integrate the publicity efforts of NG and the Legislative Council General Election so that the two mega events can mutually foster with each other; what is the current progress and timetable of the relevant work?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Bringing in diversified talents
Hon Mrs Regina IP to ask:
It is learnt that the Government, public organizations and some private enterprises have set biliteracy and trilingualism (i.e. the ability to write Chinese and English fluently along with an excellent command of spoken Cantonese, Putonghua and English) as the language proficiency requirement for recruitment. However, there are views pointing out that such requirement makes it impossible for talents with exceptional qualifications but uneven levels of biliteracy and trilingualism, or those who are proficient in specific languages and possess specific expertise to be recruited, and this may affect the talent diversity and competitiveness of Hong Kong in the long run. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the number of personnel in the Government and public organizations who are proficient in specific languages at present; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will compile the relevant statistics;
(2)
given that Hong Kong is following closely the footsteps of our country in deepening international exchanges and cooperation, such as promoting economic and trade cooperation with Latin America and the Middle East region, etc., of the specific measures the Government has put in place to recruit talents proficient in the languages spoken in such regions and with local connections to undertake the aforesaid work; and
(3)
whether the Government will take the lead in formulating more flexible language proficiency standards for recruitment to some government posts (especially those requiring specific expertise or international experience), so as to bring in diversified talents and enhance Hong Kong's competitiveness?
Question 7
(For written reply)
Waiver of Government lease conditions
Hon Louis LOONG to ask:
Under the current land administration system, the Lands Department ("LandsD") may grant waivers to temporarily relax restrictions under Government Leases to allow the leaseholders to carry out activities which do not comply with the lease conditions in the premises concerned ("waiver premises"), subject to payment of waiver fees assessed on the basis of the annual difference in full market rental value of the premises before and after the issue of the waiver letter. According to the information on the website of LandsD, the waiver fee will be reviewed from time to time pursuant to the terms and conditions set out in the waiver letters and/or prevailing departmental policy and practice. It is learnt that due to the continuing sluggish rental market since the COVID-19 pandemic, the rental income from waiver premises, particularly those in retail use, has fallen substantially, with the result that in many cases, the net rental income after payment of the waiver fee is reduced to an unsustainable level and, in some cases, the rental income is less than the waiver fee. Some members of the real estate and construction sector have relayed to me that applications for review (including reassessment) of the waiver fees have not been processed by LandsD in a timely manner and some have been pending for over a year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether LandsD has taken the initiative, in the absence of applications for review of the waiver fees, carried out any periodic reviews of waiver fees in the past 5 years; if so, of the number of cases reviewed; if not, whether LandsD will undertake to carry out such reviews, and of the frequency and mechanism for such reviews;
(2)
in the past 5 years, of the following information on the applications made for review (including reassessment) of waiver fees:
(i)
the numbers of applications received and processed, and the average time taken from the date of application received to the date of the completion of the review; and
(ii)
the number of outstanding applications, and the average time lapse since the date of application for such applications; and
(3)
as there are views that three-month period is a reasonable time for processing application for review of waiver fees, whether LandsD will consider, in respect of applications which have been processed for more than three months and approved with reduced waiver fees, backdating the effective date of the new waiver fee to a date which is three months immediately after the date of application?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Landscape architect
Hon Tony TSE to ask:
There are views that good public open space and green space design will help enhance Hong Kong's living environment, physical and mental health of its citizens, as well as increase its appeal to tourists from home and abroad, and that landscape architect profession can play a significant role in this regard. However, some members of the industry have reflected that the Government has failed to attach importance to and optimize the use of the landscape architect profession when launching related projects (such as construction of parks) or consultancy services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether guidelines have been drawn up to specify that the relevant government departments will fully consult their in-house landscape architects when inviting tenders for the planning, design or construction contracts for projects or consultancy projects focusing on public open space or green space, or those with landscape design accounting for a significant proportion; if so, what are the contents of the guidelines and their implementation status; if not, whether it will consider formulating relevant guidelines;
(2)
whether it will formulate uniform guidelines to specify that, when inviting tenders for projects focusing on public open space or green space, or those with landscape design accounting for a significant proportion, professional landscape consultancy companies should be allowed to bid in an independent capacity, and that they should not only act as sub-consultants of other professional consultancy companies; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
of the policies and measures in place to further optimize the use of and give full play to the profession of landscape architects, so as to make Hong Kong an even better city for living, working and travelling?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Complaints and medical incident claims handled by Hospital Authority
Hon CHAN Hoi-yan to ask:
It has been reported that the Hospital Authority ("HA") will handle cases of medical incident claims by such means as compensation and mediation, including the handling of compensation matters through the medical incidents insurance scheme of HA ("the scheme"). Regarding the complaints and medical incident claims handled by HA, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows:
(1)
the administrative expenses (including insurance and legal costs, etc.) incurred by HA in respect of the scheme in each of the past five years;
(2)
the number of cases of medical incident claims received by HA in each of the past five years; the total amount of compensation paid in such cases and, among them, the respective amounts of compensation borne by insurance companies and HA;
(3)
the number of cases of medical incident claims in the past five years in which HA had reached settlements with the complainants before proceeding to legal proceedings; the total amount of compensation paid in such settled cases and, among them, the highest and lowest amounts of compensation paid;
(4)
the number of medical complaints or cases of medical incident claims in the past five years in which HA had taken the initiative to pay compensation without going through legal proceedings because the responsibility was clearly established; the amounts of compensation paid in such cases; and
(5)
in respect of the medical service-related complaints received by HA in each of the past five years, the average time taken from the receipt of a complaint to the completion of its handling; given that according to HA's complaint handling mechanism, the target response time for first-time complaint cases is six weeks (three months for complex cases), the number of first-time complaint cases which could not be responded to within the target time in the past five years?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Lei Yue Mun Park
Hon Edward LEUNG to ask:
The Working Group on Developing Tourist Hotspots led by the Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration announced last month the implementation of nine new tourist hotspot projects. There are views that Lei Yue Mun Park ("LYM Park"), a holiday camp located in Chai Wan under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, which covers an area of nearly 23 hectares and offers fine views overlooking Lei Yue Mun Channel, has great potential to become one of the next tourist hotspots to attract tourists. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of visits to LYM Park in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by type of booking (i.e. residential camp and day camp);
(2)
of the respective staffing expenses and other administrative costs incurred in operating LYM Park in each of the past three years;
(3)
as it is learnt that the basketball court and football pitch of LYM Park remain close to date due to temporary quarantine camps set up there during the pandemic which are yet to be demolished, when the Government will reopen these facilities for public use;
(4)
of the reasons why the catering services at the canteen and the fast food kiosk of LYM Park remain suspended since 21 November last year, and when the catering services will resume;
(5)
given that LYM Park is all along accessible only to members of the public who book the holiday camp, whether there are other means through which non-local tourists may gain access to the park to visit the monuments therein; whether it has formulated special plans or promotional measures at present to attract tourists to visit the park; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
as there are views that while LYM Park houses a number of historic buildings of significant value, its operating mode fails to keep pace with changes in people's lifestyles over the years since it came into operation as early as 1988, and its facilities have become dilapidated and unappealing, whether the authorities have considered plans to enhance the attractions in the park; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
whether it has considered repositioning LYM Park by upgrading it into one of the next tourist hotspots, so as to provide more recreational space for locals while attracting more visitors, thereby achieving better operational efficiency; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Default payments of Mandatory Provident Fund contributions by employers
Hon Paul TSE to ask:
It has been reported that, while default payments of Mandatory Provident Fund ("MPF") contributions by employers are considered as a "bad omen for closure of businesses", the number of such cases has been rising in recent years. In 2022, the number of "Payment Notice for Mandatory Provident Fund Contributions and Surcharge" ("Payment Notice(s)") issued by the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority ("MPFA") to employers defaulting on MPF contributions was about 340 000, and such number had increased to about 370 000 in 2023 and even reached about 400 000 last year, representing an average annual increase of about 8%. Also, the amount of default contributions which could not be recovered last year was as much as $13 million. What is more, the increasing trend of cases of employers defaulting on MPF contributions is in line with the trend of closure of businesses. According to information from the Companies Registry, from 2022 to 2024, about 88 000, 94 000 and 116 000 companies were dissolved in Hong Kong respectively. On the other hand, there are views that among the 400 000 cases of employers defaulting on MPF contributions last year, MPFA only filed 1 432 civil claims and issued 352 summonses for criminal prosecution, which indicated a low percentage of prosecutions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has studied the reasons why the aforesaid number of cases of employers defaulting on MPF contributions, which is considered as a bad omen for closure of businesses, increased drastically to about 400 000 last year; as there are views pointing out that the aforesaid situation is very much different from the Government's view that the economic trend continues to be positive, whether the Government has explored the reasons for such a huge difference;
(2)
whether it knows why MPFA has filed civil claims and instituted criminal prosecutions in respect of only a very small number of employers defaulting on MPF contributions, and the criteria based on which MPFA determines to file civil claims or institute criminal prosecution in respect of the cases of default contributions;
(3)
given that default payments of MPF contributions is a criminal offence and the employers concerned are liable on conviction to imprisonment of a maximum of four years, and there are views that employers will not default on MPF contributions unless they are left with no alternative, and therefore the situation of employers defaulting on MPF contributions can be taken as a prediction of the economic outlook, whether the Government knows if MPFA will consider publicizing on a monthly basis the number of Payment Notices it has issued, or compiling a list of enterprises defaulting on MPF contributions for a prolonged period of time, e.g. more than six months, to enable the various sectors of the community to have an early grasp of the economic situation of Hong Kong; and
(4)
there are views pointing out that given the current operating conditions of enterprises which are even worse than those of the period during the epidemic, the continued bad omens for closure of businesses, increasing number of affected unemployed persons, and the unemployment rate which has risen to 3.4%, whether the authorities will consider allowing business operators and enterprises with similar operating difficulties as mentioned above, as well as their employees, to temporarily suspend their MPF contributions, so as to alleviate the burdens on employers and employees and prevent "the wave of closure of businesses" from spreading?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Application of artificial intelligence in primary and secondary school teaching
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
The Steering Committee for Teaching in Basic Education under the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China ("MOE") has recently published the "Guidelines for artificial intelligence ("AI") general education in primary and secondary schools (2025)" and the "Guidelines for the use of generative AI in primary and secondary schools (2025)", with the aim of regulating and promoting AI education across all key stages. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will follow the practice of MOE in formulating guidelines for AI education and the use of generative AI in primary and secondary schools, so as to build a comprehensive AI general education system and set clear regulations for the use of generative AI in primary and secondary education for various learning stages;
(2)
in order to prevent students from becoming over-reliant on generative AI to the detriment of their independent thinking skills, whether the authorities will draw up guidelines on the use of generative AI for different learning stages, so as to provide teachers and parents with reference material for supervising students and their children's use of generative AI;
(3)
in order to effectively safeguard the privacy and data security of students, whether the authorities will require schools to adopt the "Artificial Intelligence: Model Personal Data Protection Framework" published by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, so as to provide primary and secondary school teachers and administrative staff with clear guidelines on the use of AI;
(4)
in order to support teachers in providing teaching and learning support plans tailored to students of different levels and abilities, whether the authorities will produce a large language model for all primary and secondary schools across the territory that can be used for teaching and learning purposes, as well as developing vertical applications; and
(5)
whether the authorities will draw up guidelines and provide technical support for primary and secondary schools to enhance their application of AI in school affairs, thereby encouraging the use of generative AI technologies to optimize school administration?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Facilities of West Kowloon Station of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link
Dr Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask:
Quite a number of members of the public have relayed that the absence of refreshment vending facilities or automatic vending machines in the waiting hall for departing passengers at the West Kowloon Station ("WKS") of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, coupled with the many shops that have been left vacant for a long time in the waiting hall area, has affected passengers' service experience at WKS. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current vacancy situation of shops in the waiting hall area at WKS, and the main reasons for such shops being left vacant;
(2)
as the Government indicated in its reply to a question from a Member of this Council on 11 December last year that it was actively working with the MTR Corporation Limited on the details of the arrangement for providing food and beverages services and shops in the waiting hall at WKS, of the progress of the relevant work; and
(3)
as some members of the public have relayed that the relatively basic ancillary facilities of the Lounge at WKS have affected travellers' perception of WKS, whether the Government has discussed and explored improvement proposals with the relevant parties; if so, of the details of and implementation arrangement for the improvement proposals; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Curbing youth gambling participation
Dr Hon Starry LEE to ask:
In April this year, the Government published a consultation paper on the regulatory regime on basketball betting. There are views pointing out that while the regime aims to combat illegal gambling activities, the community is generally concerned about possible intensification of the gambling craze upon regulation of basketball betting, particularly the negative impact on youths. In addition, it has been reported that the average age of participants in basketball betting is younger than the corresponding figures in horse racing and football betting, and statistical data from gambling counselling organizations also indicate a deteriorating trend in the gambling problem among young people. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as the aforesaid consultation paper has pointed out that the regulation of football betting since 2003 has generally been effective in channelizing illegal betting demand to the legal channel, whether the Government has compiled statistics on the changes in betting turnovers of legal and illegal gambling, as well as the number of help-seeking cases from pathological gamblers and the age distribution trend of those help-seekers, since the regulation of football betting; whether it has assessed the effectiveness of the existing betting regulatory regime in reducing youth gambling participation;
(2)
of the following information on the assistance provided by the Ping Wo Fund to help youths quit gambling in the past five years: the number of youths assisted, the expenditure on the relevant publicity and education activities and the number of people covered, and the percentage of help-seeking cases from youths involving basketball betting;
(3)
whether it will, upon implementation of the regulatory regime on basketball betting, require basketball betting operators to submit data on young bettors on a regular basis; whether it has assessed the adequacy of the existing measures to curb underage betting, including whether it will further restrict advertising targeted at youths;
(4)
as there are views in the community that the authorities should consider setting up a dedicated committee to monitor the impact of basketball betting on youths, and strengthening the use of the Ping Wo Fund to take forward anti-gambling education (especially publicity efforts targeting young groups), whether the authorities will study the relevant proposals; and
(5)
whether it has studied if implementation of the regulatory regime on basketball betting will result in a lower age range of gamblers; whether it will make use of technology to enhance the monitoring of gambling activities (such as using artificial intelligence to identify abnormal betting patterns), so as to prevent youth gambling addiction?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Regulation of premises providing Chinese-style wellness and health services
Prof Hon CHAN Wing-kwong to ask:
It has been reported that on 20 March this year, a woman had to be sent to hospital for treatment as she got burnt while receiving cupping service at a blind massage parlour in Sham Shui Po. It has also been learnt that at present quite a number of premises in the market providing beauty, hairdressing, massage, foot spa, wellness and health services ("such premises") openly boast that they can provide customers with such services as tuina, bone-setting, pain relief, moxibustion, cupping and scraping. Regarding the regulation of premises providing Chinese-style wellness and health services, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of complaints received by the authorities in relation to such premises and the follow-up situation in each of the past five years; among them, of the number of cases involving unlicensed medical practice, and the respective numbers of persons prosecuted and convicted;
(2)
of the measures taken by the authorities to regulate such premises; whether they have taken the initiative to inspect such premises in prevention of illegal medical practices at such premises; if so, of the number of inspections carried out by the authorities and the result in each of the past three years; and
(3)
whether the authorities will step up promotion and education efforts to prevent members of the public from inadvertently falling into the trap of illegal medical practice at such premises; if so, of the details?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Reduction in the leasing of private premises for government office accommodation
Hon Kenneth LAU to ask:
It is learnt that with the successive completion of various new government buildings, the Government Property Agency has indicated that it will reduce the leasing of private premises for office accommodation in order to save public money. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of private premises currently leased by various bureaux and government departments for office accommodation, and the rental ranges of these premises, together with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory;
(2)
whether the authorities have formulated plans to relocate from the private premises mentioned in (1); if so, of the details (including the relocation dates and the addresses of the new offices); if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
given that the 2017 Policy Address proposed the redevelopment of the three government buildings on the Wan Chai waterfront, and that according to the Public Accounts Committee Report No. 69, the authorities are required to construct nine replacement buildings for 28 bureaux and departments, as well as the Judiciary, of the specific progress to date of the relocation plan (including how many government departments have yet to move out), and the expected timeframe for completing the entire relocation plan?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
The incident of malfunction of air-conditioning system in private hospital
Hon Michael TIEN to ask:
It has been reported that in the middle of last year, a malfunction of the air-conditioning system in the operating theatres of the main block of St. Teresa's Hospital ("the Hospital") in Kowloon lasted approximately 45 minutes, affecting a total of 12 operations. Some doctors and patients subsequently complained with the Department of Health ("DH"), which concluded its investigation in March of this year. DH stated that the Hospital had not breached the requirements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it has been reported that a doctor indicated that at the time of the incident, he felt that airflow in the operating theatre had stopped, that condensation water had caused the operating lamp to drip, and that the endoscope lens and connecting components were suspected to be dampened. The Hospital once denied that the situation aforesaid had occurred in its operating theatres, but after the media reported the aforesaid incident, the Hospital changed its version of the incident several times. During the investigation conducted at the Hospital by DH, whether DH inspected the operating theatres in question (e.g. by conducting environmental simulations or taking samples in the operating theatres) and found out why the Hospital had changed its statement several times; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as DH has indicated that air-conditioning interruption is not a reportable event of private hospitals and there was no breach of the requirements of the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) ("the Ordinance") and the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals ("the CoP") was found by the investigation, whether DH will review the Ordinance and the CoP in due course, following the occurrence of the aforesaid incident, to safeguard the level of medical safety in private healthcare facilities and enhance transparency in incident handling; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as it has been reported that the patient concerned has indicated that the Hospital has not yet explained the aforesaid incident to her, whether the authorities have put in place a mechanism to require private hospitals to follow up with patients concerned and find out more about their situation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange
Hon LAM San-keung to ask:
It is learnt that at present, there are stops at the Tai Lam Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange ("the Interchange") for most of the bus routes running from the Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai areas to various places on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon via the Tai Lam Tunnel ("TLT") to facilitate transfer to other bus routes. There are views that with the gradual completion of a number of development projects in Yuen Long, the passenger and bus flows at the Interchange are expected to increase continuously, causing traffic bottleneck and congestion problems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has estimated the number of bus routes using the Interchange in the next five years;
(2)
whether it has studied converting the toll plaza of TLT into a major transport node to facilitate transfer to various modes of public transport for travelling to and from various districts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether it has plans to construct a large car park (with motorcycle parking spaces) and cycle parking area in the vicinity of the Interchange to facilitate transfer to public transport, thereby reducing the vehicular flow of TLT?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund
Revd Canon Hon Peter Douglas KOON to ask:
Regarding the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund ("PWIF"), will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of approved applications under PWIF and their percentage in the total number of bankruptcy cases over the past five years;
(2)
of the total amount of ex gratia payment released under PWIF, the accumulated surplus of PWIF and the average amount approved per application in each of the past five years;
(3)
given that PWIF implemented enhancement measures in June 2022, which included engagement of private law firms to assist applicants in filing winding-up/bankruptcy petitions against the employers, and setting up of an in-house legal team to make recommendations direct to the Labour Department in respect of applications under section 18 of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance (Cap. 380), of the respective number of (a) cases referred to law firms for follow-up actions (broken down into (i) cases with assistance rendered to applicants in filing winding-up/bankruptcy petitions against employers and (ii) cases not requiring the filing of winding-up/bankruptcy petitions against employers), and (b) cases received by the in-house legal team (broken down into (i) cases with recommendations made to the Labour Department in accordance with Cap. 380 and (ii) cases not requiring the making of recommendations), since the implementation of the said enhancement measures;
(4)
given that the Government has established an interdepartmental task force to strengthen cooperation in combating illegal activities relating to PWIF abuse, in respect of fraud and other illegal acts involving PWIF in the past five years, of (i) the number of employers, company directors, responsible individuals and employees prosecuted by the government departments concerned, and (ii) the number of successful applications made by the government departments concerned to the court for disqualifying responsible individuals of companies from being directors and taking part in the formation or management of a company;
(5)
whether it will consider increasing the penalties for PWIF abuse by legislative amendments so as enhance deterrence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(6)
given that the Government indicated in the paper submitted to the Panel on Manpower of this Council on 25 March last year that it would review the coverage of ex gratia payment in respect of severance payment under PWIF to explore the room for further increasing the payment ceiling in order to enhance its fully covered rate, of the progress made in this regard, and whether the Government will consider extending the coverage of PWIF to include mandatory contributions to the Mandatory Provident Fund defaulted by employers; whether it will consider establishing a mechanism to review PWIF regularly; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
given that starting from 1 April last year, the Government waives the business registration levy of $150 payable to PWIF for two years, whether the Government will consider, on the premise of not affecting PWIF's operation, further reducing and/or waiving such levy in the light of the slowdown in economic growth; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Estate planning
Hon Nixie LAM to ask:
It has been reported that according to a survey conducted by a social enterprise, only about 20% of the public in Hong Kong have made wills, and nearly 40% do not have any legacy planning documents, reflecting a serious lack of public awareness of estate planning. Moreover, such social enterprise projected that the number of elderly people aged over 65 in Hong Kong would reach 2.5 million in 2038, and the assets involved would amount to about $3 trillion. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the Government will roll out a territory-wide publicity programme for popularization of wills and work with the legal sector and social welfare organizations to enhance public awareness of the legal effect and procedures of wills; if so, of the specific measures and timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
as it has been reported that currently some cities in the Mainland have already set up government-supported wills services centres to provide members of the public with one-stop public services for consultation on will making, safekeeping of wills and assistance in will execution, whether the Government will consider working with the legal sector to introduce similar referral services to meet the demand of members of the public; and
(3)
as it has been reported that currently more than 500 people from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan have registered their wills for safekeeping through the China Will Registration Center in the Mainland, reflecting the keen demand of Hong Kong people for cross-boundary estate planning, whether the Government will collaborate with Mainland departments to streamline the notarization procedures for Hong Kong wills in the Mainland, such as by exempting some documents from going through the probate process again; if so, of the details; if not, the relevant factors for consideration?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Employees Retraining Board courses
Hon CHAN Pui-leung to ask:
Training courses of the Employees Retraining Board ("ERB") offered by the appointed Training Bodies ("retraining courses") aim at assisting service targets in entering the employment market and continuously upgrading their skills. It has been reported that at present, ERB had a balance of over $13 billion but an annual deficit of about $800 million to $900 million, which has aroused public concern about issues such as the effectiveness and coverage of its courses, as well as the adequacy of its financial resources in the long run. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the overall placement rate of trainees who had completed retraining courses in each of the past three years, together with a breakdown by training course;
(2)
whether it knows if ERB has followed up on a long-term basis the employment situation of trainees who have completed placement-tied courses and collected the relevant data (e.g. the average time taken to successfully secure employment, the proportion of trainees who have not successfully secured employment and the reasons for that); whether ERB has provided trainees with the relevant employment advice; if ERB has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as it is learnt that some people have repeatedly attended retraining courses for the purpose of applying for retraining allowance, leading to abuse and waste of resources, whether the Government has followed up in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
as there are views that the contents of some retraining courses are overlapping and outdated, whether the Government knows if ERB will consider keeping abreast of the times and further enhancing the courses, as well as adding more relevant courses to tie in with the current market demand; if ERB will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether the Government has assessed the effectiveness of retraining courses; as there are views pointing out that the enrolment rate of young people in retraining courses is relatively low, how the authorities promote and attract trainees of different age groups to enrol in such courses; and
(6)
given that ERB currently has an annual deficit of about $800 million to $900 million, how the Government ensures its long-term financial sustainability so that it can continue to provide retraining courses?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Applying innovative technologies in the management of public housing estates
Prof Hon Priscilla LEUNG to ask:
It is learnt that the Housing Department is actively promoting smart estate management, including employing drones to inspect lift shafts, external walls of buildings and pipes located beneath higher ceilings, utilizing LiDAR-based localization to capture images and analysing the images with artificial intelligence and thermal imaging technology to identify problems with the buildings, thereby reducing the risks of working at height and enhancing work efficiency. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of public housing estates ("PHEs") where drone technology is applied in day-to-day management at present, and its percentage in the total number of PHEs in Hong Kong; whether it has compiled statistics on the specific effectiveness of the authorities in enhancing maintenance efficiency and reducing incident risks (e.g. the time saved or the reduction rate of untoward incidents) since the implementation of smart estate management;
(2)
as it is learnt that, prior to using drones for inspections, the management offices of the relevant PHEs will notify households in advance, and the system will automatically blur faces to protect household privacy, of the standard procedures for notifying households (e.g. the number of days of advance notification and the means by which the notification is made) and the operational details of the automatic face blurring technology; how the authorities will handle privacy-related complaints from households arising from drone inspections; and
(3)
of the plans in place to further promote the application of drone technology and other innovative technologies in the management of PHEs (including the implementation timetable, the number of estates where such technologies will be applied, as well as an overview of the estimated expenditure and resource allocation)?