Question 1
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Early childhood education
Hon Tommy CHEUNG to ask:
The Government has all along been committed to enhancing the quality of early childhood education and supporting the professional development of teachers. However, there are views pointing out that the current training support provided by the Education Bureau ("EDB") for teachers of private independent ("PI") kindergartens ("KGs") is inadequate. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
regarding the professional exchange activities (including professional development talks, workshops and seminars) provided by EDB for KG teachers, whether EDB has opened the enrolment to teachers of PI KGs; if so, how EDB can enable KG teachers, including those of PI KGs, to learn about the information on such professional exchange activities; how the Government will review the effectiveness of such training activities and follow up on the outcome of the review;
(2)
whether it has provided PI KGs with learning and teaching resources and reference materials, as well as school-based support services; if so, of the details, including the channels through which EDB has provided the resources and reference materials to such KGs; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether any PI KGs have participated in the "Guangdong-Hong Kong Sister Kindergarten Exchange Programme" which has been launched by EDB since the 2023-2024 school year; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 2
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Increasing the Government revenue from land premium
Hon Rock CHEN to ask:
Land premium is one of the major revenue sources of the Government. However, there are views pointing out that the current high inventory of new private residential units has reduced developers' willingness to bid for land, apply for payment of land premium and redevelop old buildings. This has led to significant fluctuations in public finances. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will consider introducing targeted measures to lower the initial investment costs for developers' projects, e.g. enhancing the additional conditions for land sales and splitting up sites for sale, etc., as well as stepping up publicity to attract more local and overseas developers to invest in land, thereby increasing the revenue from land premium; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it will re-launch the "Application List" system (i.e. the Government puts land up for sale hinges on whether there is any developer triggers a certain piece of land) in order to strike a balance between market demand and the Government's dominant position; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
apart from lowering the application threshold for compulsory sale for the redevelopment of old buildings, will the Government consider adjusting the upper limits of plot ratios in various districts to attract developers to participate in the redevelopment of old buildings by raising the plot ratios of sites earmarked for redevelopment; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 3
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Village land and Small House Policy
Dr Hon Junius HO to ask:
Article 40 of the Basic Law stipulates that the lawful traditional rights and interests of the indigenous inhabitants of the "New Territories" shall be protected by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. According to the Court of Final Appeal's judgment in 2021, all components under the Small House Policy are lawful traditional rights and interests of the indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories. However, there are views that the existing Small House Policy, which has been in force for over 50 years, has become outdated in terms of its implementation and details. Regarding village land and the Small House Policy, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has recently reviewed the Small House Policy for indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
given that according to the paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Development of this Council in December last year, the Government has commenced a consultancy study on how to promote urban-rural integration in the entire Northern Metropolis, which will include formulating guidelines on implementation of urban-rural integration, of the progress of the relevant work and the specific measures in place to promote village participation in development, so as to unleash land potential; and
(3)
given that some members of the community have put forward a proposal for "ding" buildings, which involves pooling the rights and interests of various indigenous inhabitants of the New Territories in building small houses (commonly known as "ding" rights) to develop modern apartment buildings, whether the Government will take this proposal into consideration?
Question 4
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Non-skilled workers employed under government service contracts
Hon Tony TSE to ask:
Some members of the property management sector have relayed that quite a number of non-skilled workers employed under government service contracts, particularly those at junior levels such as cleaners and security guards, are paid the statutory minimum wage ("SMW") or slightly more than that level. As government service contracts usually last for three years and are on an all-inclusive basis, the change in the SMW rate arrangement to annual reviews may result in government service contractors incurring losses due to repeated upward adjustments to the SMW rate during the contract period. Furthermore, while the Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme now allows the importation of labour for the property management sector, it is learnt that the relevant government service contracts do not allow contractors to employ imported labour. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of non-skilled workers employed under government service contracts who are currently paid SMW or at a rate that is less than 10% above SMW;
(2)
whether it will consider enhancing the pay arrangements for non-skilled workers employed under government service contracts, so that the Government will bear the additional pay costs arising from the upward adjustments to SMW, instead of requiring contractors to "underwrite" relevant policy risks; and
(3)
whether it will consider relaxing the restriction that prohibits the employment of labour under government service contracts?
Question 5
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
Liquor duty
Dr Hon Kennedy WONG to ask:
Since October last year, the Government has reduced the duty rate for liquor with import price over $200 from 100% to 10% for the portion above $200. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the changes in the value and volume of imports and re-exports of liquor to date after the reduction in the duty rate on liquor, and how such data compare with those prior to the reduction, together with a breakdown by type of liquor (e.g. Chinese baijiu, whisky and brandy);
(2)
as the Government has indicated that the reduction in the duty rate on liquor aims to promote the development of Hong Kong into a trading hub for high-end liquor and boost the growth of various industries such as catering, hotel, logistics and warehousing, whether the Government has assessed if the policy has achieved the expected effects after its implementation; whether the Government will study a further reduction in the duty rate on liquor; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
whether the Department of Health has, after the reduction in the duty rate on liquor, conducted a population health survey to compile statistics on the proportion of the population aged 15 or above who have consumed liquor; whether it will step up its efforts to publicize and educate the public about the health effects of alcohol, in order to prevent problems such as alcohol dependence, alcohol abuse and binge drinking; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 6
(For oral reply)
(Translation)
"Flexi-trip" Arrangement for High Speed Rail
Ir Hon Gary ZHANG to ask:
The MTR Corporation Limited ("MTRCL") launched in August 2023 the "Same-day Flexi-trip Arrangement" ("Flexi-trip") for passengers travelling between Hong Kong West Kowloon Station and Futian Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link. The service has been extended to include train trips running to and from Shenzhenbei Station since 18 March last year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the current number of "Flexi-trip"-applicable train trips, its percentage in the total number of train trips running via Futian Station and/or Shenzhenbei Station, and the average proportion of passengers utilizing "Flexi-trip" among such train trips;
(2)
whether it knows the average occupancy rates of "Flexi-trip"-applicable train trips during weekdays, weekends and public holidays respectively from August 2023 to 17 March last year, and from 18 March last year to the present; and
(3)
as it is learnt that the Guangzhou-Shenzhen Intercity Railway fully implemented the electronic ticket "valid once throughout the ticketed date" services in March this year, allowing passengers who have purchased their tickets to travel on trains of the same direction and of the same class throughout the ticketed date without having to alter tickets, whether the Government will require MTRCL to study applying this ticketing model to "Flexi-trip" so as to facilitate passenger travel; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 7
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Technology and Living Curriculum
Hon Dennis LEUNG to ask:
The Technology Education Key Learning Area Curriculum was fully implemented at the junior secondary level in the 2016-2017 school year, with "Technology and Living" as one of the covered knowledge contexts. At the junior secondary level, many schools adopt a subject-based learning approach, implementing relevant learning element modules through subjects such as Home Economics. At the senior secondary level, Technology and Living is one of the elective subjects, in which students may choose to study learning strands related to "clothing" (i.e. "Fashion, Clothing and Textiles') or "food" (i.e. "Food Science and Technology"). These strands serve as a foundation for students' lifelong learning by providing a range of pathways for students with varying abilities and aptitudes, meeting their needs at different developmental stages and supporting the development of personal interests. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the following information regarding secondary schools in each of the 18 districts across the territory that have offered the subject of Home Economics at the junior secondary level (i.e. Secondary One to Three) over the past three school years: (i) the name, (ii) the financing mode (i.e. government, Direct Subsidy Scheme, private or subsidized) and (iii) the type (i.e. boys' school, girls' school, or co-educational school) of the school, (iv) the number of students enrolled in the subject each year (set out by gender), (v) whether the subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles strand) was offered at the senior secondary level, (vi) whether the subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology strand) was offered at the senior secondary level, and (vii) whether the school is equipped with Home Economics room facilities (set out in Table 1);
Table 1
District | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) | (vi) | (vii) |
2022-2023 school year | 2023-2024 school year | 2024-2025 school year |
Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
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(2)
of the following information regarding secondary schools in each of the 18 districts across the territory that have offered the subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles) and the subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology) at the senior secondary level (i.e. Secondary four to Secondary six) over the past three school years: (i) the name, (ii) the financing mode and (iii) the type of the school as mentioned in (1), (iv) the number of students enrolled in these subjects each year (set out by gender) and (v) the number of students sitting for the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education in these subjects each year (set out by gender) (set out in Table 2);
Table 2
District | (i) | (ii) | (iii) | (iv) | (v) |
2022-2023 school year | 2023-2024 school year | 2024-2025 school year | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female | Male | Female |
Subject of Technology and Living (Fashion, Clothing and Textiles) |
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|
|
Subject of Technology and Living (Food Science and Technology) |
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(3)
of the following information regarding teachers currently teaching the junior secondary Home Economics subject or the senior secondary Technology and Living curriculum across all secondary schools in Hong Kong: (i) the number of teachers, (ii) the median age, (iii) the minimum and (iv) the maximum age, (v) the number of teachers teaching only the junior secondary Home Economics subject, (vi) the number of teachers teaching only senior secondary Technology and Living subject, and (vii) the number of teachers teaching both subjects, with a breakdown by position (i.e. subject panel heads and subject teachers) (set out in Table 3); and
Table 3
Position | (i) | …… | (vii) |
Subject panel head |
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|
Subject teacher |
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|
|
(4)
as it is learnt that some schools no longer offer the junior secondary Home Economics subject or the senior secondary Technology and Living curriculum, whether the Government has examined the reasons why some schools have continued to offer such subject or curriculum while other have discontinued them; whether the authorities have other educational resources or programmes in place to encourage students to delve deeper into knowledge related to food or clothing, further consolidate the generic skills they acquired at the junior secondary level, and assist them in constructing new knowledge, thereby nurturing their lifelong learning capabilities; if so, of the specific details, and how schools have responded to such educational resources or programmes; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 8
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating illegal rental activities
Hon SHANG Hailong to ask:
It has been reported that the Police neutralized a rental fraud syndicate several months ago, involving at least 150 victims and approximately HK$13 million in losses. Through an apartment management company, the syndicate recruited local individuals as agents ("principal tenants") with high commissions on websites or social media platforms, luring talent admitted to Hong Kong under talent admission schemes and students that were "drifters in Hong Kong" to prepay one year's rent before defrauding the victims of their rent using fake tenancy agreements. There are views that the incident highlights gaps in the current regulatory framework for the property rental market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it will consider improving the current regulatory framework for domestic tenancies in response to the aforementioned case in which principal tenants allegedly defrauded tenants through illegal means, so as to protect the rights and interests of landlords and tenants;
(2)
whether it will require the Estate Agents Authority to strengthen random inspections of property rental advertisements on Mainland and local social media platforms to root out advertisements containing fraudulent or misleading content;
(3)
whether the authorities will collaborate with the relevant Mainland authorities and Hong Kong's higher education institutions to develop "guidelines on fraud prevention in the local rental market", which will be distributed to relevant individuals after the Immigration Department issues visas under the Top Talent Pass Scheme and before students' arrival in Hong Kong;
(4)
whether the Police will strengthen cooperation with social media platforms to promptly remove and follow up on residential property rental advertisements containing fraudulent content; and
(5)
how the Police will strengthen efforts to combat activities where lawbreakers entice students to participate in rental scams using high commissions; whether penalties be increased to serve as a deterrent?
Question 9
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Improving labour importation policy
Hon CHAU Siu-chung to ask:
Regarding the improvement of labour importation policy, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it has been reported that some employers have engaged in "bogus recruitment" (e.g. rejecting suitable local job seekers after interviews on the grounds that they do not meet the requirements) in order to create the false impression of difficulties in local recruitment, so as to justify applications to the Government for labour importation, while some unscrupulous employers have exploited the imported labour they employed through various means, resulting in the issue of "cheap imported labour", and there are views pointing out that such non-compliant practices severely undermine employment opportunities for local workers, whether the Government will consider establishing a "blacklist system" to regularly publish information on companies involved in substantiated cases of violation of labour importation regulations (including company names, the industries to which they belong, nature and dates of violations, the labour importation schemes involved, and follow-up actions taken by the authorities), so as to enhance monitoring and increase deterrence;
(2)
whether it will study the feasibility of introducing an administrative penalty system to impose heavy fines on employers who violate regulations related to imported labour (including reducing the working hours of local employees or dismissing them after recruiting imported labour) in order to enhance deterrence;
(3)
as there are views pointing out that the median monthly wages for some job categories (particularly those in the catering industry) on the List of Common Posts under the current Enhanced Supplementary Labour Scheme are below market levels, which may bring down the wages for local workers in related job categories and even discourage employers from recruiting local workers, whether the authorities will review and refine the methodology for determining the median wage levels on the List to better align them with market levels;
(4)
as there are views that local labour market statistics (including size of labour force, unemployment rate, underemployment rate and monthly employment earnings of employed persons) regularly published by the Census and Statistics Department do not process data on imported labour separately, making it difficult for such statistics to effectively reflect the impact of labour importation policy on the local labour market (including the employment and wages of local workers), whether the authorities will consider regularly compiling and publishing relevant labour market statistics that exclude the factor of imported labour; and
(5)
whether the authorities will consider proactively and regularly publishing statistics on imported labour (including the numbers of applications, approvals and arrivals to Hong Kong for work, broken down by labour importation scheme, industry and job category, as well as the number and names of enterprises employing imported labour, the industries involved, and the number of local employees and imported workers, etc.), so that society can better understand the implementation of the labour importation policy?
Question 10
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Kaito ferry services
Hon Frankie YICK to ask:
According to a paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene of this Council in June this year, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department is exploring with the Marine Department the feasibility of allowing "dual uses" of Class III fishing vessels (i.e. allowing such vessels to carry out fishing activities and, subject to certain conditions and prerequisites for safe operations, to carry passengers at sea for leisure fishing). However, some operators of kaito services have expressed concern about this, pointing out that there has been a continuous decline in their patronage as a result of Hong Kong people going north for spending, and they are worried that the "dual uses of vessels" will further reduce their room for operation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it has compiled statistics on the patronage of each of the regular kaito ferry service routes in the past three years, as well as the number of kaito ferry service routes added or cancelled during the same period;
(2)
how the Government ensures that the "dual uses of vessels" will not impact operators of kaito services currently holding Class I licences;
(3)
as some operators of regular kaito services have relayed that they are in dire straits in the face of the continuous decline in patronage and continuous increases in operating costs such as insurance premiums, maintenance costs, fuel costs and staff salaries, of the measures put in place by the authorities to support the kaito service sector; and
(4)
whether, in order to resolve the plight of kaito services and facilitate their long-term development, the authorities will set up a special task force to follow up; if so, of the details; if not, how the authorities will promote the sustainable development of kaito services and facilitate their alignment with the Government's efforts to develop island tourism?
Question 11
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Mechanism of direct issue of Hong Kong full driving licence
Dr Hon Dennis LAM to ask:
Under the existing legislation, a person holding an overseas driving licence issued by a "recognized country or place" may be directly issued with a Hong Kong full driving licence without taking a local driving test ("direct issue of driving licence"). It has been reported that queuing gangs have recently been blatantly offering facilitation service for direct issue of driving licence in the vicinity of the Hong Kong Licensing Office of the Transport Department ("the Licensing Office") and on social media platforms (such as Xiaohongshu, etc.), and some individuals have been transferring their same-day queue tickets after waiting in line early in the morning at the Licensing Office, raising suspicions of abuse of services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the aforementioned facilitation service is illegal;
(2)
whether it has reviewed if the existing legislation is adequate in combating the suspected abuse of services and transfer of queue tickets as mentioned above; if so, of the details;
(3)
of the measures the Government will adopt to combat the suspected abuse of services and transfer of queue tickets as mentioned above, including whether it will consider conducting decoy operations on social media platforms (such as Xiaohongshu) or at the Licensing Office; if so, of the details; and
(4)
given the current significant demand for direct issue of driving licence, whether the authorities will consider optimizing the existing ticket distribution mechanism or application process (including the existing system of online appointment booking for services), so as to shorten applicants' waiting time and enhance overall efficiency?
Question 12
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Smoking cessation support services and tobacco control education
Hon Lillian KWOK to ask:
There are views pointing out that among the many tobacco control measures implemented by the Government in recent years, smoking cessation support services and education are of great importance. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the number of persons served by the smoking cessation clinics under the Hospital Authority in each month of the past three years, as well as such persons' success rate of quitting smoking;
(2)
whether it has compiled statistics on the relapse rate for the persons who successfully quit smoking as mentioned in (1), and whether it has provided them with follow-up and support services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
of the following information on the provision of community-based smoking cessation services by non-governmental organizations ("NGOs") subvented by the Department of Health in the past three years: the names of such NGOs, the types of services provided, the number of participants in the smoking cessation services and, among them, the numbers of those who completed the smoking cessation service programme and successfully quit smoking, as well as those who failed to complete the entire service programme;
(4)
whether it has conducted survey on the levels of satisfaction of smoking cessation service users with the various smoking cessation support services (such as smoking cessation counselling services, medications, and smoking cessation services with Chinese medicine and acupuncture) and collected relevant feedback; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(5)
whether it has compiled statistics on the ratios of different smoking cessation treatments used in Hong Kong at present;
(6)
whether it has compiled statistics on and assessed the relationship between the allocation of public resources and the effectiveness of smoking cessation services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
whether it has studied and analysed the reasons for smoking among minors and adults respectively; if so, of the details, and how its future tobacco control education and publicity strategies will tie in with the findings of the relevant studies; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 13
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Traffic light countdown device
Hon Holden CHOW to ask:
The Transport Department ("TD") installed a new type of pedestrian traffic light countdown device ("the new countdown device") at the signalized junction of Tat Tung Road and Mei Tung Street in Tung Chung in 2023 for testing. The new countdown device starts counting down when the "green man" light is on, such that pedestrians can gauge the total time remained of the "green man" light. According to the preliminary data collected from the survey conducted by a local university commissioned by TD, after installation of the new countdown device at the aforesaid pedestrian crossing, the situation where pedestrians were unable to finish crossing the road before the flashing "green man" light ends has greatly improved. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether the data obtained so far from the aforesaid test is sufficient to support the authorities' installation of the new countdown devices at more locations; if so, of the list of locations at which the authorities plan to install such countdown devices; if not, the criteria considered by the authorities and the thresholds for taking forward the implementation of such countdown devices;
(2)
apart from the aforesaid trial location in Tung Chung, of the signalized pedestrian crossings at which the Government has previously installed other pedestrian countdown devices for testing; whether it will consider implementing the new countdown devices at such signalized pedestrian crossings to expedite the collection of data; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as the Government indicated in its reply to a question from a Member of this Council on 10 July last year that there was no worldwide general consensus on the merits concerning the effectiveness of vehicular traffic light countdown device, and that motorists' responses to the time displayed on the countdown device might be very diverse, resulting in a higher risk of head-rear collision between vehicles, whether the authorities will consider following the testing method adopted for the new countdown device and installing the vehicular traffic light countdown devices at suitable locations for testing, so as to obtain useful data; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 14
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Manpower of doctors and consultation efficiency
Dr Hon CHAN Han-pan to ask:
According to the data of the Hospital Authority ("HA"), the number of full-time doctors increased from 5 695 in 2013-2014 to 7 350 in 2023-2024, representing an increase of 29%. During the same period, the number of HA's specialist outpatient attendances increased by only 18.9% while the relevant increase rate in the number of its general outpatient attendances was 3.34%, and the number of accident and emergency ("A&E") attendances even recorded a drop of 4.4%. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether it knows the respective numbers of HA doctors providing general outpatient clinic ("GOPC") services and specialist outpatient clinic ("SOPC") services in 2013-2014 and 2023-2024, as well as the respective percentages of such numbers in the total number of HA doctors (set out in a table);
(2)
whether it knows the respective average waiting time for HA's SOPC new cases, GOPC services and A&E services, the average consultation time per patient, as well as the average number of consultations per doctor in 2013-2014 and 2023-2024 (set out in a table);
(3)
whether it knows if HA has compared the average number of consultations per doctor between HA and medical institutions in other places; if HA has not, how HA assesses the efficiency in the use of doctor manpower and the consultation efficiency; and
(4)
as there are views that the aforesaid data show a significant increase in the number of HA doctors from 2013-2014 to 2023-2024, but there is no significant rise in the number of attendances for various outpatient services, whether the Government knows if HA has examined the reasons for that, and whether HA will consider providing additional evening consultation services, so as to enhance the efficiency in the use of manpower and the service coverage while alleviating the pressure on the daytime services?
Question 15
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Off-school STEAM courses
Prof Hon William WONG to ask:
It is learnt that many parents have enrolled their children in STEAM (i.e. Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) courses conducted outside of school, hoping to cultivate their children's interest in these relevant disciplines. However, there are views pointing out that, in order to increase enrolment within the same class sessions, certain course providers overlook the differences in learning abilities among students of varying ages and employ identical teaching materials for pupils from Primary One to Primary Six. Such practices call into question the effectiveness of teaching and learning. Furthermore, it has been reported that, in recent days, a three-year-old child participating in a STEAM interest class at an external organization sustained scald injuries from hot milk in the course of an experiment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the number of requests for assistance or complaints received by the authorities regarding off-school STEAM courses/interest classes over the past three years; the main subject matters of such requests and complaints, and the specific follow-up measures taken by the authorities;
(2)
whether the authorities will formulate a safety management protocol for off-school STEAM courses by drawing reference from guidelines such as the Safety Handbook for Primary Science and the Handbook on Safety in Science Laboratories; if so, of the specific standards of such a protocol and the timetable for its implementation; if not, whether the authorities will expeditiously commence a study to enhance the safety standards for off-school STEAM courses so as to prevent further accidents; and
(3)
whether the authorities have finalized an accreditation system for teachers, teaching materials and curricula to be established for off-school STEAM courses, and delineated the appropriate age ranges for students to participate in such courses; if so, of the specific accreditation standards and the implementation timetable; if not, whether the authorities will expeditiously commence a study to establish an accreditation system for off-school STEAM courses, with a view to assisting parents in choosing suitable courses for their children?
Question 16
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Conservation of the geopark in Sai Kung
Hon Stanley LI to ask:
There are views that the geopark in Sai Kung ("the geopark"), as part of Hong Kong's precious natural and geological heritage, has ecological conservation, scientific research and tourism education values. However, it has been reported that with the increase in the number of tourists recently, the pollution problem of the geopark has been worsening, posing challenges to the natural environment and the sustainable development of scenic areas. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the current numbers and distribution of litter bins and waste separation facilities in the geopark, as well as the frequency of waste removal and conveyance at such facilities; in view of the waste disposal pressure arising from the surge in the number of tourists, whether the Government has specific plans to increase the number of temporary cleansing facilities, optimize the waste conveyance routes or introduce smart waste monitoring equipment to enhance the efficiency of disposal; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2)
whether it has launched publicity and educational measures on the conservation of the geopark (such as by placing publicity notices in the geopark and producing guidebooks); whether it will make use of multimedia to step up multilingual publicity and introduce interactive environmental education experience projects, and publicize "Leave No Trace" tourism through travel agencies and at the entrances of scenic areas; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
regarding littering in the geopark, of the relevant law enforcement manpower and frequency of inspections at present, as well as the number of relevant prosecutions instituted in the past three years; whether it will consider installing additional surveillance devices at the key areas where littering is often detected; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
whether the Government will establish an interdepartmental working group (comprising the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the Environmental Protection Department, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, etc.) to coordinate the geopark's waste management; whether it will promote tripartite cooperation among "the Government", "environmental groups" and "local villagers/business operators" in handling refuse in the geopark, such as by encouraging business operators in neighbouring areas to take part in the cleaning work, recruiting community volunteers to go to the geopark for cleaning on a regular basis, or introducing an "Environmental Contribution Award Scheme" to attract the input of community resources; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
in the light of the ecological sensitivity of the geopark, whether the Government has plans to assess its visitor carrying capacity, and formulate measures such as booking of time slots or limiting visitor flows to strike a balance between visitor demand and environmental conservation; whether the Government will, in the long run, devise a Development Strategy for Hong Kong Geopark and incorporate waste management into its contents, while formulating systematic improvement proposals by combining ecological restoration, low-carbon tourism facilities (e.g. setting up distribution points for degradable rubbish bags) and the environmental impact assessment mechanism; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 17
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Mainland exchange programmes for students
Hon Stanley NG to ask:
The media earlier reported that some Hong Kong students had developed problems of different natures while participating in Mainland exchange tours ("exchange tours"), which has aroused public concerns about the quality of the exchange tours and may have an impact on the willingness of parents, teachers and students to go north for exchange. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the total number of primary and secondary schools that have been subsidized by the Education Bureau ("EDB") and the number of primary and secondary students who have participated since the implementation of the Mainland exchange programmes for students; the effectiveness of the programmes;
(2)
whether EDB has provided various schools with the tendering criteria for selecting the service providers of exchange tours; if so, of the details; the review mechanism in place to examine areas such as health and accommodation safety of the exchange tours, and whether guidelines have been drawn up to specify the requirements for the capability of service providers to respond to incidents; and
(3)
it is learnt that EDB has pointed out that if the quality of the exchange tours was poor, the service providers concerned would not be invited to submit bid again by the authorities, whether the authorities have used the service providers' records of the exchange tours as the selection criterion, and of the effectiveness of the relevant selection mechanism; whether the authorities have put in place a mechanism to regularly review and enhance the arrangements for the exchange tours (e.g. the itinerary arrangements and selection of itineraries for patriotic education); whether any service providers have been removed from the list of potential service providers for exchange tours by EDB due to poor track record; if so, of the details?
Question 18
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Promoting meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions tourism
Hon TANG Fei to ask:
It is reported that the Singapore Government is actively developing the meetings, incentive travels, conventions and exhibitions ("MICE") industry, having set a clear target of tripling related tourism revenue by 2040. Through measures such as policy support, financial assistance, and cross-departmental collaboration, the Singapore Government has successfully attracted numerous international event organizers to establish a presence there, significantly enhancing Singapore's competitiveness in the global MICE market. However, Hong Kong's ranking in the international MICE market is relatively behind, having ranked only 33rd globally in terms of the number of MICE events held in 2023. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
whether comprehensive and regular evaluations of the effectiveness of Hong Kong's existing MICE policies have been conducted, including performance in areas such as recent international rankings, market competitiveness, economic gains and spillover benefits to related industries; if so, of the details and how the authorities will adjust future development strategies for the MICE industry based on the evaluation results; if not, the reasons for that and whether consideration will be given to initiating such evaluations as soon as possible to more effectively promote the long-term development of the MICE industry;
(2)
as there are views that Hong Kong's current image at international MICE events is primarily associated with traditional trade exhibitions and lacks high-end international summits with global influence, whether the Government will consider re-examining and adjusting its current MICE promotion strategies, which could involve actively pursuing the hosting of internationally renowned summits with decision-making influence, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong's image as an international city, attracting high-end visitors and driving economic growth; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3)
as there are views that resources for the MICE industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ("GBA") are dispersed, and with Hong Kong being the most internationalized city in the region, how the Government will assume a leading role in promoting MICE development; whether it will, through policy advocacy, resource integration, cross-city collaboration and other means, guide the Mainland cities in GBA to jointly develop a coordinated MICE development strategy, thereby enhancing the overall competitiveness of the entire GBA in the international MICE industry?
Question 19
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Combating traffic offences
Hon YUNG Hoi-yan to ask:
It has been reported that after the occurrence of traffic accidents recently, many drivers who caused the accidents chose to hit and run or refused to provide the drivers' personal particulars. There are views that the reason for the drivers who caused the accidents taking such actions is the lighter penalty for the relevant traffic offences, thereby enabling them to circumvent more serious offences such as causing casualties by dangerous driving, which reflected the existence of legal loopholes in the authorities' efforts to combat traffic offences. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of persons who were (i) arrested, (ii) prosecuted, (iii) convicted after trial and on own plea for being involved in traffic accidents in each of the past five years, together with a breakdown by the offenses involving the drivers concerned (including but not limited to (a) careless driving, (b) causing grievous bodily harm by dangerous driving, (c) causing death by dangerous driving, (d) failing to stop after a traffic accident, (e) failing to report after a traffic accident, and (f) refusing to provide the driver's information after a traffic accident, etc.);
(2)
given that under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) ("the Ordinance"), the maximum penalty for refusal to give information on the driver of a vehicle suspected of having committed an offence under the Ordinance is liable to a fine of $10,000 and an imprisonment for six months, whereas the maximum penalty for dangerous driving causing death is a fine of $50,000 and an imprisonment for 10 years; disqualification from driving for not less than five years on first conviction and not less than 10 years or life on subsequent conviction, there are views that the disparity in the penalties between the two offences is significant, which may indirectly encourage drivers who caused accidents to circumvent serious offences by refusing to give personal particulars, whether the Government has plans to increase the penalties and maximum penalty for refusal to give a driver's personal particulars, so as to enhance the deterrent effect; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
it is learnt that if the registered owner of the vehicle concerned is a limited company and the relevant person refused to give the driver's personal particulars after the traffic accident, the penalty is only limited to a fine and no one has to be imprisoned, whether the Government has plans to review the responsibility of the registrant of the vehicle concerned after a traffic accident, e.g. whether it will hold the responsible individuals of companies of the vehicle involved (including director, general manager or company secretary) responsible for the traffic accident, and whether it will study empowering the Commissioner for Transport to refuse to issue licences to owners of company vehicles who have repeatedly committed offences under section 63(1) of the Ordinance; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4)
given that Schedule 8 to the Criminal Procedure Ordinance (Cap. 221) sets out the level of fines for offences, but there are views that the Schedule was last revised in 1994 and has failed to adequately reflect the severity of some of the offences (including behaviour in contravention of traffic legislation) taking into account the current social environment and economic changes, whether the Government has plans to review the Schedule and increase the corresponding amounts of fines; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5)
given that under the Magistrates Ordinance (Cap. 227), the maximum sentence Magistrates' Courts can impose is generally two years' imprisonment and a fine of $100,000; and maximum three years' imprisonment where there are two or more indictable offences being dealt with by the courts at the same time, whether the Government will review the Ordinance and study expanding the Magistrates' power to impose imprisonment and fine in parallel, so as to ensure that they can impose deterrent penalties when more serious offences (including contravention of traffic legislation) are being adjudicated; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 20
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Nurturing environmental, social and governance talents
Ir Hon CHAN Siu-hung to ask:
In recent years, environmental, social and governance ("ESG") has become a core strategy for global development, and Hong Kong has also been actively promoting Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050 ("the Plan") and the development of green and sustainable finance. It has been reported that according to a study, only 27% of the secondary schools in Hong Kong have included references to matters relating to sustainable development, climate and biodiversity in their school development plans, reflecting that there are still inadequacies in the nurturing of ESG talents and civic awareness in Hong Kong. According to the Report on 2023 Manpower Projection, the Labour and Welfare Bureau has also envisaged that ESG will be deemed essential knowledge in the future employment market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
as it is stated in the Plan that the authorities will broaden school teachers' knowledge about climate change, and that schools may strengthen the relevant learning materials in different subjects, but the findings of the aforesaid study have revealed that such efforts seem to have failed to achieve the intended results, whether the authorities have assessed the effectiveness of schools' education on climate change and biodiversity, etc.;
(2)
whether the authorities have considered further strengthening education on ESG (e.g. climate actions and social responsibilities) in secondary schools, and formulating interdisciplinary teaching guidelines; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3)
as the Plan has mentioned the need to incorporate learning materials relating to climate change, low-carbon technologies and green finance, etc. into the curricula in tertiary institutions, whether the authorities have assessed if the relevant curricula in the institutions can satisfy the need to train ESG talents; how to ensure that students are equipped with ESG literacy to meet the needs of the future job market, thereby facilitating the development of Hong Kong into a regional green finance centre; and
(4)
regarding the workforce in the local employment market at present, whether the authorities have plans to promote the popularization of ESG education, thereby assisting members of the public in enhancing their ESG knowledge to address the needs of the future employment market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Question 21
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Schemes for attracting talents and capital to Hong Kong
Hon Elizabeth QUAT to ask:
At present, there are nine schemes mainly for attracting talents and capital to Hong Kong, including the Top Talent Pass Scheme ("TTPS"), the General Employment Policy ("GEP"), the Admission Scheme for Mainland Talents and Professionals ("ASMTP"), the Quality Migrant Admission Scheme, the Immigration Arrangements for Nonlocal Graduates, the Admission Scheme for the Second Generation of Chinese Hong Kong Permanent Residents, the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, the Technology Talent Admission Scheme and the Vocational Professionals Admission Scheme ("such talent admission schemes"). In addition, the Immigration Facilitation Scheme for Visitors Participating in Short-term Activities in Designated Sectors ("the STV Scheme") was introduced on 1 June last year to provide immigration facilitation to visitors invited/sponsored by authorized host organizations for undertaking specified short-term activities which are beneficial to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
of the respective numbers of applications received and approved by the authorities under such talent admission schemes from June to last month, as well as the respective incomes involved;
(2)
of the distribution of the regions or countries of applicants admitted to Hong Kong each year since the implementation of TTPS;
(3)
among applicants admitted to Hong Kong through such talent admission schemes in each of the past three years, of the respective numbers of those who were engaged in the area of innovation and technology, with a breakdown by such talent admission schemes;
(4)
of the respective numbers of persons who were approved to take up short-term employment in Hong Kong through GEP and ASMTP in each of the past five years, as well as the respective distribution of their industries/sectors; apart from these two schemes, whether the Government will explore the introduction of other measures or schemes to enable non-Hong Kong residents to apply for short-term employment in Hong Kong (i.e. the limit of stay is not more than 180 days);
(5)
of the respective numbers of applicants admitted to Hong Kong since the implementation of the STV Scheme, the distribution of their regions or countries and their designated sectors;
(6)
whether the authorities have plans to expand the list of "authorized host organizations" and/or "designated sectors" under the STV Scheme; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(7)
as it is learnt that the introduction of a series of new policies by the United States ("US") Government in recent years, including tightening the visa regime and substantially reducing research funding, has led to a large number of local scientific researchers (especially Chinese scientists) considering leaving the US, of the Government's measures (including whether it will introduce targeted talent admission schemes or measures) to support local universities in striving to attract such top-notch overseas scientists to Hong Kong for development?
Question 22
(For written reply)
(Translation)
Waste reduction measures in sports stadiums
Hon Doreen KONG to ask:
The 15th National Games ("the 15th NG") will be held in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in November this year. One of the key highlights of the Games is the thorough implementation of green initiatives in organizing the event, and the endeavour to make it the first carbon-neutral event in the history of NG. However, there are views that the Kai Tak Sports Park ("KTSP"), which is a newly-opened international flagship stadium, still has room for improvement in its waste reduction measures. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1)
given that KTSP previously prohibited audience from bringing any containers into sport events for security reasons and declined to provide reusable cups, but it has been reported that various types of prohibited containers were found in the corporate boxes and VIP seats during several major sport events held in the Park, whether the authorities have reviewed why there were such inconsistencies in the standards, and how they will ensure the fairness and consistency in the relevant requirements in the future;
(2)
as there are views pointing out that while KTSP allowed audience to bring plastic or silicone water bottles and cups into the venue during concerts held in April this year, relevant arrangements were not made for sport events which had left local and overseas audience at a loss, (i) of the reasons why the aforesaid arrangements were not implemented consistently for different types of events, and (ii) whether the Government will request KTSP to clearly define the types of events for which the aforesaid arrangements are to be implemented and the specific justifications;
(3)
as there are views that Hong Kong has mature experience in reusable container systems, and that the arrangement of "reuse instead of disposal" has been successfully implemented in many large shopping centres, restaurant chains and major events (e.g. the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens held at the Hong Kong Stadium in the past), which are effective in reducing the amount of waste, and it is learnt that KTSP has also adopted "sustainability" (i.e. striving to integrate operational solutions conducive to sustainable development, and optimizing resource usage) as one of its core values, of the reasons for not implementing the reusable container systems in KTSP so far; and
(4)
how the stadiums in Hong Kong (including KTSP and other competition venues) will specifically implement the element of green initiatives under the principles of "green, inclusive, open and clean" during the 15th NG, so as to create exemplary venues for the 15th NG in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area?