Revised version
OP 96/97-8(1)
(Issued at 11:00 am on 18.11.96)

The Legislative Council
Order Paper
Wednesday 20 November 1996 at 2:30 pm

---

I. Papers

Sessional Papers 1996-97
Miscellaneous
II. Questions
III. Government Bills

First Reading
Second Reading
• Debates to be adjourned
• Debate to be resumed
Committee Stage and Third Reading
IV. Members' Motions

1. Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance
2. Garrison law
V. Members' Bills

First Reading
Second Reading

• Debate to be adjourned

---

I. Papers

Sessional Papers 1996-97

1. No. 35 - Hong Kong Productivity Council Annual Report 1995/96

(to be presented by the Secretary for Trade and Industry)

2. No. 36 - The Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation Annual Report 1995-1996

(to be presented by the Secretary for Trade and Industry)

3. No. 37 - Hong Kong Industrial Technology Centre Corporation Annual Report 1995/96

(to be presented by the Secretary for Trade and Industry)

Miscellaneous

Code of Practice on Employment under the Sex Discrimination Ordinance

(to be presented by the Secretary for Home Affairs)

Code of Practice on Employment under the Disability Discrimination Ordinance

(to be presented by the Secretary for Home Affairs)

II. Questions

1. Mrs Selina CHOW to ask :

It is reported that there has been a significant increase in the number of Vietnamese migrants (VMs) arriving in the territory in recent months. Will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the up-to-date figure of VMs who have arrived in the territory since January this year and how this figure compares to those in the previous two years; and
2. what measures have been put in place to prevent VMs from arriving in the territory?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

2. Mr LEE Cheuk-yan to ask : (Translation)

It is reported that there are more than 200 spouse- battering cases each year in the territory. Will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. details of the education and publicity work on the prevention of spouse battering over the past two years; and whether it has allocated funds to the Working Group on Battered Spouses to carry out such work; if so, of the amount of allocation and the breakdown of the allocation by expenditure items;
2. it will consider setting up half-way houses for battered wives who are unable to return to their former dwelling places and unable to find suitable accommodation, having regard to the fact that such women can only stay in temporary shelters for women for up to a period of three months;
3. it will consider increasing the penalties on spouse battering offences so as to enhance the deterrent effect; and
4. it will, in the longer term, consider the inclusion of the concept of sex equality in the textbooks of primary and secondary schools, so as to foster a harmonious relationship between the sexes in the community, thereby preventing spouse-battering cases occurring?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

3. Mr MOK Ying-fan to ask : (Translation)

In the Policy Commitments of the Policy Address this year, the Government pledged that it will promote the development of arts and culture through providing co-ordination, financial support, education and publicity, as well as support the proposals of the Five-Year Strategic Plan of the Arts Development Council. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. it has formulated any guidelines for purchasing works of art of local artists, or according such works of art priority for display in government buildings; if so, what the details are; if not, why not;
2. it has reserved places at the terminal building of the new airport at Chep Lap Kok, which will be completed soon, for displaying works of art of local artists; if not, why not;
3. it has any plan to commission local arts or academic bodies to study the policy in other countries regarding the promotion of their native culture and arts; and
4. it will conduct a review on the existing policy on the promotion of local culture and arts; if so, when such a review will be conducted; if not, why not?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Broadcasting, Culture and Sport

4. Mr CHAN Wing-chan to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the strength of concrete in existing public housing blocks, is the Government aware of:

1. the standard of concrete strength in public housing blocks, and whether such standard complies with the international safety standard;
2. the extent of the difference between the actual concrete strength of blocks built with sub-standard concrete and the standard concrete strength, the reasons for such a difference, and the remedial measures taken by the Government in respect of these blocks;
3. the number of housing blocks built with sub-standard concrete and the proportion of such blocks to the total number of public housing blocks; the names of those housing estates having this problem, and the dates of completion of these housing estates; and
4. the number of contractors involved in building housing blocks which are found to be of sub-standard concrete strength, the number and names of these contractors who are still taking part in the public housing building programme, and the reasons why their continued participation is permitted by the authority concerned?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Housing

5. Mr CHOY Kan-pui to ask : (Translation)

At present, directional traffic signs (such as those indicating right turn, left turn and straight ahead... etc.) are painted on the road surface and mostly in positions at a short distance from traffic lights and road junctions. Will the Government inform this Council whether, in order to enable motorists to have sufficient time to see these signs and to change lanes at an appropriate distance from traffic lights, it will consider:

1. adopting the practice in other countries (e.g. the United States) of displaying such signs in overhead positions; and
2. erecting such signs on roads at a further distance, say 20 to 30 metres, from traffic lights and road junctions?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

6. Dr Samuel WONG to ask : (Translation)

Is the Government aware of:

1. the total number of traffic accidents involving Light Rail Transit (LRT) trains, and the number of persons who have sustained serious injuries or died as a result of such accidents, since the commencement of the LRT service in 1988;
2. the total estimated cost of the losses arising from damage caused to locomotives and carriages of LRT trains in the above traffic accidents; and
3. whether the Government and the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation have taken steps to prevent the occurrence of accidents at level crossings, and whether consideration has been given to reducing the number of such crossings?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

* 7. Miss CHAN Yuen-han to ask : (Translation)

In view of the continuing growth in population in the West New Territories district in recent years, does the Government know whether the medical services currently provided by Tuen Mun Hospital and Pok Oi Hospital are able to meet the demand for such services in the district over the next ten years; if not, what measures does the Hospital Authority have to tackle the problem?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

* 8. Mr WONG Wai-yin to ask : (Translation)

At present, many villages located in the remote parts of the New Territories do not have direct access roads for fire engines and ambulances in the event of an emergency, and this has resulted in rescue efforts being delayed. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the number of cases in which rescue efforts have been delayed due to the above problem in each of the past three years;
2. of the difference between the time taken for fire engines and ambulances to reach the scene of accidents in the areas mentioned above and the arrival time in other areas; and
3. whether there are any short-term or long-term measures to reduce the difference in arrival times mentioned in the answer to (b) above, so that the lives and properties of residents in the villages located in the remote parts of New Territories can be better protected?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

* 9. Mr James TO to ask : (Translation)

According to the findings of a study by the City Polytechnic University to measure the levels of radon daughter (which is a potentially lung-cancer-causing radioactive substance) in Mass Transit Railway (MTR) stations in the territory, 23 out of the 31 underground MTR stations have levels of radon daughters exceeding the average level in the world. The study has also found that workers engaged in overnight maintenance work on MTR tracks are exposed to a level of radiation one-sixth higher than the level to which ordinary people are exposed. In view of this, will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. it will consider introducing statutory control on radon levels in public places; and
2. it is aware of any steps taken by the Mass Transit Railway Corporation to re-assess the quality of air in MTR stations in the light of the findings of the study; if so, what measures the Corporation will adopt to improve the air quality in MTR stations?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

*10. Mr David CHU to ask :

Regarding the air pollution problem in the territory, will the Government inform this Council whether it will:

1. review the vehicle emission standards which have been in use for over ten years;
2. take steps to tighten the enforcement of the vehicle emission standards; if so, what the details are; and
3. consider hiving off the Environment Protection Department from the Planning, Environment and Lands Branch and upgrading the Department to a separate policy branch so as to give the new set-up greater independence and flexibility in the redeployment of its resources towards tackling the air pollution problem, particularly in the control of emissions from motor vehicles?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

*11. Mr Henry TANG to ask : (Translation)

Will the Government inform this Council whether any non-British Dependent Territories citizen with less than seven years' residency in the territory was issued with a Hong Kong Permanent Identity Card in the past; if so, what the reasons for this were, and the number of cases in which Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards were issued to such persons in each of the past five years?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Security

*12. Mr Albert CHAN to ask : (Translation)

There are many types of vehicles, and in great numbers, running on the limited number of roads in the territory. Furthermore, the capacity of many roads, particularly expressways, is not fully utilised because of the imposition of speed limits on such roads. For example, private cars are subject to a speed limit of 70 kilometres per hour when running along Tuen Mun Highway, and this has resulted in private cars not being able to make effective use of Tuen Mun Highway. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether:

1. it will follow the practice in other places and impose different speed limits on different types of vehicles using expressways; and
2. it will carry our a pilot scheme to assess if the measure mentioned in (a) above will result in an improvement to the utilisation of the territory's expressways?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Transport

*13. Dr HUANG Chen-ya to ask : (Translation)

Is the Government aware of:

1. the number of patients transferred from one public hospital to another as well as the number of such transfers in each of the past two years; and the reasons for such transfers; and
2. whether an electronic data transfer system has been adopted in public hospitals to facilitate the transfer of patients' data between hospitals in a prompt and reliable manner?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*14. Dr David LI to ask :

It is learnt that some Filipino workers have paid exorbitant placement fees to certain recruiting agencies which supply foreign labour for the Airport Core Programme projects. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether any complaints have been received in this regard; if so, of the number of complaints which have been investigated and the number of prosecutions, if any, which have been instituted as a result of such investigations?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Education and Manpower

*15. Miss Christine LOH to ask :

Is the Government aware of:

1. the current provision of acute beds in public hospitals on Hong Kong Island; and
2. the provision of acute beds in each of the following hospitals upon becoming fully operational:
   1. Prince of Wales Hospital;
   2. Tai Po Nethersole Hospital;
   3. North District Hospital;
   4. Tseung Kwan O Hospital?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*16. Question Withdrawn

*17. Mr LEUNG Yiu-chung to ask : (Translation)

Regarding the occurrence of cases in public hospitals involving babies lapsing into a 'vegetative' state because of deficiency of oxygen in the brain during birth, does the Government know:

1. of the number of such cases which have occurred in public hospitals in the past three years and their causes; and whether these causes are related to the staffing establishment for obstetric services in public hospitals or the fact that a woman in labour is allowed to choose between natural delivery and delivery by caesarean section;
2. how the incidence of such cases in the territory compares with those in other countries; and
3. what measures have been put in place in public hospitals to prevent new-born babies lapsing into a 'vegetative' state?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Health and Welfare

*18. Mr CHIM Pui-chung to ask : (Translation)

Is the Government aware of:

1. the daily average turnover of stock futures since their introduction at the Hong Kong Futures Exchange (HKFE); and
2. if the turnover mentioned in the answer to (a) above is lower than expected, whether consideration will be given to asking the HKFE to cease stock futures trading?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Financial Services

*19. Mr Howard YOUNG to ask :

Regarding the collection of wastewater samples from hotels by the Environment Protection Department (EPD) for the purpose of obtaining information that is needed in determining the rate of trade effluent surcharge, will the Government inform this Council:

1. of the criteria adopted by the EPD for selecting the location of the wastewater outlet in hotel premises for taking wastewater samples; and
2. whether the Government will consider allowing hotels to connect different wastewater outlets to a single outlet so that a joint sample reading of the different categories of wastewater can be taken?

Public Officer to reply : Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands

* For written reply.

III. Government Bills

First Reading

1. Fraud Bill

2. District Court (Amendment) Bill 1996

3. Submarine Telegraph Bill

Second Reading

Debates to be adjourned

Debate to be resumed

Committee Stage and Third Reading

IV. Members' Motions

1. Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance

Mr IP Kwok-him :

(See Resolution at Appendix)

2. Garrison law

Dr CHEUNG Bing-leung : (Translation)

That this Council urges the Chinese Government to explain and consult the people of Hong Kong as soon as possible on the draft law governing the garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR); and to listen to the views of the Hong Kong people on the jurisdiction of the courts over the garrison stationed in Hong Kong and revise the draft law to the effect that any contravention of the laws of the SAR by the garrison and related members, irrespective of whether they are on duty or not, shall be tried by the courts in Hong Kong, so as to ensure that the law governing the garrison is in line with Article 14 of the Basic Law which provides that members of the garrison shall abide by the laws of the SAR.

Amendments to Dr CHEUNG Bing-leung's motion

1. Mr IP Kwok-him : (Translation)

To insert ", as the draft law governing the garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) recently announced by the Chinese government helps to dispel the misgivings of the people in Hong Kong about arrangements regarding the stationing of armed forces in the territory in the future," after "That"; and to delete "Chinese government to explain and consult the people of Hong Kong as soon as possible on the draft law governing the garrison in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR); and to listen to the views of the Hong Kong people on the jurisdiction of the courts over the garrison stationed in Hong Kong and revise the draft law to the effect that any contravention of the laws of the SAR by the garrison and related members, irrespective of whether they are on-duty or not, shall be tried by the courts in Hong Kong, so as to ensure that the law governing the garrison is in line with Article 14 of the Basic Law which provides that members of the garrison shall abide by the laws of the SAR" and substitute with "people of Hong Kong to actively put forward their views on the provisions of the draft law so that the law governing the garrison in the SAR will be better formulated".

2. Mr LEUNG Yiu-chung : (Translation)

To insert ", and that troops of the People's Liberation Army stationed in the territory shall obtain the consent of the SAR government before carrying out any other duties except those related to defence and foreign affairs" after "the laws of the SAR".

Public Officer to attend : Secretary for Security

V. Members' Bills

First Reading

1. Landscape Architects Registration Bill

2. Prevention of Corrupt and Illegal Practices at the Election of the First Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Bill

Second Reading

Debate to be adjourned