LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 2
Contents
PRESIDENT’S FOREWORD
GROUP PHOTO OF MEMBERSCOUNCIL AT WORKCHAPTER 1
The Legislative Council
• Powers and Functions
• Composition
CHAPTER 2Legislative Council Meetings
• Tabling of Subsidiary Legislation and
Other Papers
• Questions
• Bills
• Motions
• Policy Address Debate
• Budget Debate
• Other Debates
• Chief Executive’s Question and
Answer Sessions
CHAPTER 3Committees
• Finance Committee
• Public Accounts Committee
• Committee on Members’ Interests
• House Committee
– Other Subcommittees of the
House Committee
• Committee on Rules of Procedure
• Bills Committees and Subcommittees on
Subsidiary Legislation
• Panels
• Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-Service Work of Mr LEUNG Chin-man 4
68
46
47
52
CHAPTER 4
Redress System
• Analysis of Significant Cases Dealt With
• Other Significant Cases
CHAPTER 5Corporate Liaison and Public Education
• Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee
• Luncheons with Consuls-General
• Contact with District Councils
• Contact with Heung Yee Kuk
• Visitors
• Public Education
CHAPTER 6Support Services for Members
• The Legislative Council Commission
• The Legislative Council Secretariat79
87
91LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 3Contents
APPENDICES
APPENDIX 1
• Composition of the Legislative Council
APPENDIX 2
• Members’ Biographies
APPENDIX 3
• Bills Passed
APPENDIX 4
• Motion Debates Held
APPENDIX 5
• Membership of Legislative Council
Committees (By Committtee and By Members)
APPENDIX 6
• Statistical Breakdown of all Concluded Cases under the Legislative Council Redress System in the 2008-2009 Session
APPENDIX 7
• The Legislative Council Commission and its Committees
APPENDIX 8
• Organizational Chart of the Legislative Council Secretariat
92
94
125
126
198
226
234
236
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 4
President’s Foreword
The challenges in this first year of the
Fourth Legislative Council came from not only the highest number of new Members
returned in a new term and two inquiries conducted simultaneously involving an unprecedented large number of Members, but also a direct challenge in court to the Council on its powers under the Basic Law. Compared to the tasks faced by other Members of the Council, my job as the President in the past year was easier than I had expected when I first assumed this post at the start of this session.
Almost one-third of the 60 Members of the current
Legislative Council were new. However, the challenge was soon overcome by enthusiasm of these newcomers who quickly adapted themselves to the Council’s practice and procedures through active participation in the intensive induction programme and in Council proceedings and committee work. Out of the 17 new Members, eight of them were elected deputy chairmen of Panels at the start of the session, “Compared to the tasks faced by other Members of the
Council, my job as the President in the past year was easier than I had expected…”12 elected chairmen or deputy chairmen of committees
or subcommittees on legislative proposals or specific policy issues. These new Members also played an active part in monitoring Government’s performance. Among the 826 oral and written questions asked in the Council in this session, 192 were asked by these new Members; among the 62 motion and adjournment debates held, 17 were moved by them.
The challenge faced by the more experienced Members
was their leading role in steering the work of committees. Some fifty committees were operating at the same time in assisting the Council to scrutinize legislative and financial proposals and to monitor Government policies. In this session, we had the largest number of subcommittees established to study specific issues of concern. As most of the bills introduced to the Council in this session came towards the end of the session, Members were able to make use of the earlier part of the session to start their study on quite a number of important issues. Two inquiries commenced work almost simultaneously soon after the committees concerned were authorized by the Council to exercise the power to summon witnesses. One of the inquiries was to study the issues arising from Lehman Brothers-related minibonds and structured financial products, whereas the other was to inquire into matters relating to the post-service work of a former Permanent Secretary of the Government, both attracting wide public and media attention. The former inquiry was conducted by a subcommittee of the House Committee, and a select committee was set up by the Council for the latter inquiry.
An application for judicial review was filed by two
witnesses of the latter inquiry in respect of the power of the select committee, authorized by the Council in accordance with the Rules of Procedure. The applicants’ case was on whether the select committee could be delegated with the power to summon witnesses and whether the second phase of the inquiry was ultra vires the resolution passed by the Council on the inquiry. The power to summon witnesses is one of the most important tools to hold the Government to account. In the course of our work, we need to investigate into the circumstances of an unsatisfactory situation on the part of the Government. Through the issue of summonses, we provide the rights to witnesses as if in a court of law. We are glad that in the judgement of Court of First Instance, it has been confirmed that the Legislative Council has the
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 5President’s Foreword
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, GBS, JP
President
Legislative Councilrequisite power of delegation and that the power given
to it under Article 73(10) to summon witnesses can be delegated to its committees. The Court also ruled that there was no case of ultra vires, and if any ambiguity should arise, prima facie, clarification should be sought from the Legislative Council itself. This judgement has shed light on the delineation of responsibilities among the executive authorities, the legislature and the judiciary under the Basic Law and is a milestone on the interpretation of the Council’s powers and functions in the constitutional structure of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
The behaviours of some Members at Council meetings
drew a lot of public attention on the standard of behaviours expected of a Legislative Council Member. The matter was studied by the Committee on Rules of Procedure in response to the request of the House Committee. After deliberation, it was concluded by the Committee that the present rules in the Rules of Procedure were adequate in dealing with the disorderly behaviours of Members at Council meetings and new measures to deter repeated disorderly behaviours were not needed. This view was endorsed by the House Committee.
The Administration has, on the other hand, stressed
the need for greater mutual respect for enhancing the co-operation between the Executive and the Legislature. The Legislature, with its responsibility to hold the Government into account, has a distinct role under the Basic Law. It has the duty to scrutinize and to criticize. However, it does not mean that the administration of the Executive must be handicapped as a result. In actual fact, of the 25 bills introduced to the Council, 11 were passed while the remainder, mostly introduced towards the end of the session, are being studied by their respective Bills Committees. A total of 197 items of subsidiary legislation tabled in the Council, with 50 of them scrutinized by subcommittees of the House Committee, came into effect within the anticipated timeframe. Of the 68 financial proposals submitted to the Finance Committee in the session, all of them including the urgent requests for a total of $9 billion funding to assist the restoration and reconstruction works in Sichuan and the controversial second stage funding support of $12.25 billion for the West Island Line project, were approved.
There is no lack of support from the Legislature for the Executive to carry out its work, though in the process of
scrutiny the Legislature has to perform its role of being a watchdog of the Government. An example is the improved arrangements for Members to scrutinise the proposed Vote on Account resolution. That resolution authorizes the Government to charge on the General Revenue Account the expenditure to carry out existing services in advance of the passage of the Appropriation Bill each year. Noting the concerns of the Subcommittee which scrutinised the proposed resolution in 2008, the Administration took on board suggestions of the Subcommittee and introduced new arrangements this year to allow more time for Members to scrutinise the proposal and to propose a more realistic percentage of fund for individual accounts which was based on need instead of seeking 100% of the funding in the proposed Estimates. This is what we normally regard as positive relationship between the Executive and the Legislature with each performing its respective constitutional duties.
Another great challenge to the operation of the Legislative
Council is the availability of resources to support its increasingly heavy and complex work. I am thankful to Members for their support for strengthening the Legislative Council Secretariat and their active participation in giving views on the design of the new Legislative Council Complex which is due for completion in mid-2011. I am also thankful to the staff of the Secretariat for their most professional and dedicated support services. I am very honoured to be elected as President of the Fourth Legislative Council, and I consider myself even more honoured to be able to work with the 59 enthusiastic and dutiful Members of the Council and the some 400 dedicated staff of the Secretariat.
Looking ahead, the coming session will continue to be
busy. Some of the more controversial legislative proposals are expected to be introduced in the new session while 12 Bills introduced in the last session are still being studied. The next challenge will therefore be on the careful use of time and how to overcome differences and develop common grounds for building a better Hong Kong.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 6
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 7Group Photo Of Members
From left to right:
First row (seated):
Hon LAU Kong-wahHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (President’s Deputy)Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (President)Hon Fred LI Wah-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Second Row:
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon WONG Yung-kanHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon IP Kwok-himHon LAU Wong-fatDr Hon David LI Kwok-poIr Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon CHAN Kam-lamHon CHAN Hak-kan Hon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon TAM Yiu-chungHon WONG Kwok-kin
Third Row:
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Vincent FANG KangHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon CHIM Pui-chung
Fourth Row:
Hon LI Fung-yingHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-longHon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeDr Hon Margaret NGHon Tanya CHANHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon WONG Sing-chiHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Yuk-man
Fifth Row:
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chunHon IP Wai-mingHon CHAN Kin-porDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon KAM Nai-waiHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEE Wing-tat
Absent:
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongGROUP PHOTO OF MEMBERSLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 8
Council At Work
Members-elect Orientation Seminar
Members-elect are briefed on the procedures for taking the oath of office
in the Council Chamber.
Members-elect give the voting system in the Chamber a try-out.An orientation seminar was held for Members-elect before the new term began to familiarize them with Council procedures and services provided by the Legislative Council Secretariat. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 9COUNCIL AT WORK
Briefing for Members-elect also includes a visit to the Ante-Chamber.
Members-elect get to know each other.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 10
Swearing-in
Sixty Members of the Fourth Legislative Council were sworn in at the first Council meeting held in October 2008,
including: (this page, clockwise from upper photo) Hon Albert HO Chun-yan, Dr Hon Margaret NG, Hon Vincent FANG Kang, (page 11, clockwise from upper right photo) Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee, Hon IP Wai-ming, Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau, (page 12, from top) Hon CHAN Kin-por, Hon IP Kwok-him, Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 11COUNCIL AT WORK
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 12
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 13COUNCIL AT WORK
Election of the President of the
Legislative Council
The President of the Legislative Council is elected from and amongst the Members. Before the election took place
at the first Council meeting of the Fourth Legislative Council, a special forum was held to allow the candidates to present their platforms and answer questions put to them by other Members.
The Special forum on election of President of the Fourth Legislative Council was held on 6 October 2008 in the Chamber.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 14
Two candidates for the presidency: Hon Jasper
TSANG Yok-sing (left) and Hon Fred LI Wah-ming.
Members cast their votes to elect the President at the first Council
meeting held on 8 October 2008.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 15COUNCIL AT WORK
After receiving a total number of 36 votes, Hon Jasper TSANG
Yok-sing was elected President of the Fourth Legislative Council and congratulated by fellow Member.
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing addresses the Council after
his election as President.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 16
Members at Meetings
The Finance Committee meets regularly to consider expenditure
proposals submitted by the Financial Secretary or to note financial implications of new policies.Council Meetings are held every Wednesday.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 17COUNCIL AT WORK
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (second from right) and Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
(second from left) chair the House Committee meetings.
Members listen to the views of the deputations on the community support services for ex-mentally ill persons during a joint meeting of the Panel on Health Services and the Panel on Welfare Services.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 18
(Upper left photo)Hon LI Fung-ying (second from
right) and Hon LEE Wing-tat (second from left) chair a public hearing of the Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-service Work of Mr LEUNG Chin-man. Hon LI Fung-ying, Chairman of the Select Committee, conducts a stand-up briefing to media after a meeting.
(Right photo)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai (right)
and Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong (left) chair a public hearing of the Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products. Dr HO briefs the media on the progress of the inquiry after a public hearing.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 19COUNCIL AT WORK
Members in Council and committee meetings. At the
Council are (this page, clockwise from top left corner): Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun, Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong and Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan; at the committees are (next page, clockwise from top left corner): Hon CHIM Pui-chung, Hon James TO Kun-sun, Hon LEE Wing-tat and Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 20
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 21COUNCIL AT WORK
The delegation’s first stop was the OCT East
Resort in Shenzhen, where they are briefed on the development of the hill resort and hold a meeting with the Shenzhen Tourism Bureau to explore opportunities for cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen in developing their respective tourism industries.Duty Visits
Pearl River Delta Region
A delegation led by the President of the Legislative Council and comprising members of the Panel
on Economic Development and the Panel on Environmental Affairs conducted a four-day duty visit to the Pearl River Delta Region to gain a better understanding of the latest economic and environmental developments in the area.
During the second day of the duty visit, the delegation
visits the R&D Centre and exhibition hall of the BYD Company in Shenzhen, where they receive a briefing on the company’s solar energy facilities.
Delegation members visit the South China
International Logistics Centre and are briefed on the development of the Centre.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 22
The delegation meets with Hong Kong entrepreneurs to exchange views
on the difficulties currently faced by small and medium enterprises in running a business in the Mainland, particularly in the light of the recent decline in the economy.
Vice-Governor of the Guangdong Province, Mr WAN Qingliang(right), receives the delegation at the Guangdong Yingbin Hotel, where they hold a meeting that lasts for about two hours. Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing presents a souvenir to Mr WAN Qingliang after the meeting.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 23COUNCIL AT WORK
Taiwan and the Republic of Korea
The Subcommittee on Poverty Alleviation conducted a 7-day overseas duty visit to Taiwan and the
Republic of Korea to study the experience of poverty alleviation and the development of social enterprises in these places.
The delegation meets with the Seoul Metropolitan Government to
understand the poverty alleviation measures implemented in the city.The delegation meets with members of the Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee of the Legislative Yuan, Mr Huang Yi-jiao (centre), Ms Chen Jie-ru (third from the left) and Ms Xu Xiao-ping (fifth from the right).LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 24
Prague, Zagreb, Rijeka and Budapest
A delegation of the Legislative Council conducted a duty visit to Central Europe to obtain first-hand information
on the political and constitutional development in these emerging democracies as well as their electoral systems, so as to draw experience from how they managed the changes during the democratization process.
The delegation presents a souvenir to Mr GoranMarić (sixth from the left),
Chairman of the Committee on Finance and Central Budget of the Croatian
Parliament and members of the Committee.
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing, Leader of the Delegation, exchanges souvenirs with Ms Judit Csiha (sixth from the right), Chairwoman of the Constitutional, Judicial and Standing Orders Committee of the Hungarian National Assembly.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 25COUNCIL AT WORK
Sichuan
The President of the Legislative Council, Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, led members of the Panel on
Development, as well as Chairmen and Deputy Chairmen of the Finance Committee, House Committee, Panel on Education, Panel on Health Services, Panel on Home Affairs and Panel on Welfare Services to visit Sichuan to gain a better understanding of the latest development of the post-quake restoration and reconstruction work in Sichuan, especially those projects supported by the HKSAR.
LegCo Members are briefed on the progress of the construction work of
the Provincial Road 303 Yingxiu to Wolong section.LegCo Members observe one-minute’s silence to mourn those who died in the earthquake in Yingxiu Xuankou Middle School.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 26
LegCo Members receive a briefing from the Principal of Shuimo Middle
School on the facilities of the school supported by the HKSAR.
LegCo Members visit the Sichuan-Hong Kong Rehabilitation Centre and sing with children who became disabled during the earthquake.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 27COUNCIL AT WORK
Local Visits
During a site visit to the Lei Yue Mun seafood bazaar, Members who are on
the Subcommittee on Food Business (Amendment) Regulation 2009 are shown how seawater is extracted for keeping live fish and live shell fish.Members of the Panel on Housing visit an elderly household in a Housing Authority public rental housing unit, and are briefed on the progress of the Total Maintenance Scheme.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 28
Members of the Panel on Home Affairs receive a briefing by
the Administration on the Multimedia Information System and the facilities of the Audio-visual Library at the Hong Kong Central Library.
Members of the Panel on Housing are briefed on the elevator links and elevator systems during a site visit to the Housing Authority’s public rental housing estates.
Members of the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways receive a briefing on the progress of the Kowloon Southern Link during a site visit to the new Austin Station.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 29COUNCIL AT WORK
Handling Complaints from the Public
Members of a Tsoi Yuen Tsuen concern group express discontent
over the demolishing of their village to make way for the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link.Members conduct a site visit to a slope behind San Francisco Towers in Happy Valley to examine the responsibilities of slope maintenance and slope safety.Redress System is a system operated by the Legislative Council to receive and handle complaints from
members of the public who are aggrieved by Government actions or policies.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 30
Representatives of the Hong Kong Fishery Alliance voice their grievances
against the current fishery policy to Members.
Members meet with the Lantau Island Residents Association and a Concern Group on the Rainstorm Incident on 23 September in Tai O to determine whether any assistance could be offered to the commercial operators and residents of Tai O affected by the typhoon.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 31COUNCIL AT WORK
Corporate Liaison
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing presents a souvenir -- an exquisite gold sand faceted
sailing boat to the Chief Executive, Mr Donald TSANG, at the Spring Gathering to express the Council’s wishes that Hong Kong continue to prosper and sail through the tough economic times. Corporate Functions Hosted by the President
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council, hosts a Spring Gathering during the
Lunar New Year for the Chief Executive, Executive Council Members, senior Government Officials and fellow Legislative Council Members.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 32
Members and guests give each other a
toast during the Spring Gathering.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 33COUNCIL AT WORK
During the regular lunch with the Chief Executive, Executive Council Members, senior Government Officials and
fellow Legislative Council Members, Members with different political stances take the opportunity to share their views with Mr Donald TSANG. They are (from top): Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (second from right) and Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen; Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip; and Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 34
At the Lunches with Consul-Generals
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the
Legislative Council, listens to Mr Jaime Antonio POMAREDA Montenegro, Consul-General of Peru (first from right).
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po and Mr Leslie Richard LUCK, Consul-General of Australia.
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO and Mr Fernando URRUTIA, Consul-General of Chile.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 35COUNCIL AT WORK
An annual tea reception was held for Legislative Council Members and the new
boards of directors of six major local charitable organizations to allow them to acquaint themselves with one another and exchange views on charitable activities. (From left): Mrs TUNG NG Ling-ling, Vice-Chairman of Yan Chai Hospital; Mr Peter CHAI Kwong-wah, Chairman of Lok Sin Tong; Dr John LEE Sam-yuen, Chairman of the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals; Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council; Mr David HO, Chairman of Po Leung Kuk; Mr Henry POON Shiu-man, Chairman of Pok Oi Hospital; and Mrs Corona CHEUK, Chairman of Yan Oi Tong.Members have lunch with the Councillors of Heung Yee Kuk after a regular meeting.Members Meet with Local OrganizationsLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 36
Members meet with Overseas Delegations and Other Visitors
A delegation from the Employment and Equality Committee of the
Parliament of Finland poses with Members after having a meeting.Members of the Panel on Financial Affairs meet with a delegation from the Spanish Congress of Deputies to exchange views on the global financial crisis. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 37COUNCIL AT WORK
The delegation receives a warm welcome from other Legislative Council Members.At the request of the Administration, the Legislative Council Secretariat arranged
for a delegation comprising Sichuan earthquake victims and quake-relief personnel to meet with Legislative Council Members and tour the Legislative Council Building during their visit to Hong Kong in January 2009. The delegation meets with Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council in the President’s office. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 38
On the Football Pitch
Under the leadership of team manager Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho and captain Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai, the
Legislative Council Football Team won all five matches held during the session. The brilliant results were as follows: 2-0 over the Fire Services Officers Football Team, 1-0 over the Consuls-General, 3-0 over the Federation of Hong Kong Guangdong Community Organizations, 2-1 over Senior Government Officials and 1-0 over the Media Football Team.
Hon LEE Wing-tat (left) intercepts strikes by the Fire
Services Officers Football Team.
The winning team.In the match against Senior Government Officials, Hon
Jasper TSANG Yok-sing dribbles past the Government team’s defence.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 39COUNCIL AT WORK
Legislative Council Building Open Day
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (centre), President of the Legislative
Council, Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee, Chairman of the House Committee, and Hon Fred LI Wah-ming, Deputy Chairman of the House Committee, cut the ribbon to mark the start of the Open Day.
The President and Members launch a brand-new “LegCo Civic
Education Corner” on the LegCo website during the Open Day. With its user-friendly design and informative content, the new Corner attracts both parents and children.This session’s Legislative Council Building Open Day was held on 29 November 2008, with a total of
3,773 visitors, the highest number on record. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 40
Hon WONG Sing-chi introduces the classical interior
design of the Ante-Chamber and its functions.Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing shows a group of student visitors how Secretariat staff strike the “gong” in the Ante-Chamber before Council meetings begin.
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee explains the voting and
display system to visitors.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 41COUNCIL AT WORK
Hon Miriam LAU is delighted to meet a young visitor.
Hon CHAN Kam-lam (photo above) and Hon Fred LI Wah-
ming (photo below) pose with visitors in front of an Open Day backdrop after taking them on a tour of the Building.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 42
Open Day visitors queue up in the staircase awaiting
the start of a guided tour.
Marching bands perform during the Open Day, giving the event a carnival-like atmosphere.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 43COUNCIL AT WORK
Members in Charity Events
Blood Donation
Blood donation has been an annual event for Legislative Council Members since 1988. In the 2008-2009
session, six Members, joined by 19 Secretariat staff members, Members’ personal assistants and members of the public, donated blood during this meaningful event. The Members taking part include (this page, from top): Hon WONG Kwok-hing, Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, (next page, from top) Hon WONG Ting-kwong, Hon Tanya CHAN and Hon LEE Wing-tat. Hon IP Kwok-him also took part in the activity. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 44
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 45COUNCIL AT WORK
Members help to sell cookies during “Cookie Day” to
raise funds for the Helping Hand Group. They include Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (photo left above) and Hon WONG Yuk-man.
Members-elect in Dress Special Day 2008 T-shirts pose outside the Legislative Council Building with directors of the Community Chest to help promote a fundraising event organized by the Chest.Cookie Day
Dress Special DayLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 46
The Legislative Council
POWERS AND FUNCTIONS
As provided for in Article 73 of the Basic Law, the
Legislative Council of the HKSAR shall exercise the following powers and functions:
• To enact, amend or repeal laws in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law and legal procedures;
• To examine and approve budgets introduced by the Government;
• To approve taxation and public expenditure;
• To receive and debate the policy addresses of the Chief Executive;
• To raise questions on the work of the Government;
• To debate any issue concerning public interests;
• To endorse the appointment and removal of the judges of the Court of Final Appeal and the Chief Judge of the High Court;
• To receive and handle complaints from Hong Kong residents;
• If a motion initiated jointly by one-fourth of all the Members of the Legislative Council charges the Chief Executive with serious breach of law or dereliction of duty and if he or she refuses to resign, the Council may, after passing a motion for investigation, give a mandate to the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal to form and chair an independent investigation committee. The committee shall be responsible for carrying out the investigation and reporting its findings to the Council. If the committee considers the evidence sufficient to substantiate such charges, the Council may pass a motion of impeachment by a two-thirds majority of all its Members and report it to the Central People’s Government for decision; and
• To summon, as required when exercising the above-mentioned powers and functions, persons concerned to testify or give evidence.
COMPOSITION
According to the Basic Law, the Legislative Council of the HKSAR shall be constituted by election. The Fourth Legislative Council (2008-2012) comprises 60 Members, 30 returned by geographical constituencies through direct elections and 30 returned by functional constituencies. The election for the Fourth Legislative Council was held on 7 September 2008, and the term of office is four years.
The President of the Legislative Council is elected by
and from the Council’s Members.
The composition and biographies of Members who
served on the Legislative Council in the 2008-2009 session are provided in Appendices 1 and 2 ,
respectively.Chapter 1
T he Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) stipulates
that the HKSAR shall be vested with legislative power and the Legislative Council shall be the legislature of the Region.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 47Legislative Council Meetings
The business transacted at regular Council meetings
mainly comprises the tabling of subsidiary legislation and other papers and reports; the asking of questions for replies by the Government; consideration of bills; and debates on motions. During the period from October 2008 to July 2009, the Council held 36 meetings and sat for more than 353 hours.
TABLING OF SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
AND OTHER PAPERS
Subsidiary legislation refers to any proclamation,
rule, regulation, order, resolution, notice, rule of court, bylaw or other instrument made by the designated authorities under or by virtue of the relevant ordinances and having legislative effect. Such legislation is subject to the scrutiny of the Council, through either a negative or positive vetting procedure.
Subsidiary legislation scrutinized through the negative
vetting procedure is first published in the Gazette and then laid on the table of the Council when it meets. Where deemed necessary, the Council’s House Committee may set up a subcommittee to study this legislation in greater detail. A Member or public officer may, within a prescribed time period, move a motion in Council to seek the Council’s agreement to amend or repeal an item of subsidiary legislation that has been tabled.
During the 2008-2009 session, 176 items of
subsidiary legislation scrutinized through the negative vetting procedure were tabled in Council. Of these, three items were amended by resolution of the Council. In addition, one technical memorandum and one code of practice were tabled in the Council for scrutiny, with the latter amended by resolution of the Council. As the scrutiny period for 32 items Chapter 2
Meetings of the Legislative Council are open to the public, and may be conducted in
Cantonese, English or Putonghua, with simultaneous interpretation provided. The proceedings of Council meetings are broadcast live and reported by the mass media.
They are also recorded verbatim in the Official Record of Proceedings of the Meetings of the Legislative Council, which is accessible through the Council’s website.
of subsidiary legislation had not yet expired by the
end of the 2008-2009 session, their scrutiny shall continue in the next session. During the period under report, the Council also completed the scrutiny of 21 items of subsidiary legislation that had been tabled in the previous session. Of these, one was amended by resolution of the Council.
The scrutiny by the Council of subsidiary legislation
through the positive vetting procedure is described in the Motions subsection of this chapter.
The other papers tabled at Council meetings include
the annual reports of government departments and public bodies and the reports of Council committees. The Members and public officers presenting these reports may address the Council.
QUESTIONS
Any Member may address questions to the Government concerning its work, either to seek information on a particular matter or to ask for official action with regard to it. The Member specifies whether an oral or a written reply is required.
During the 2008-2009 session, Members asked a
total of 154 oral questions about a wide range of subjects at Council meetings, and they followed these up with 826 supplementary questions. An additional 443 questions seeking written replies from the Government were also asked.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 48
BILLS
The Government is primarily responsible for
proposing new legislation or amendments to existing legislation in the form of bills that are considered by the Council for enactment. Subject to certain conditions, Members may also introduce bills into the Council. Broadly speaking, bills have one or more of the following purposes.
• To introduce new measures or policies, to create new organizations or institutions, or to make changes to existing organizations or institutions.
• To extend the scope of existing legislation.
• To improve and update existing legislation.
• To modify or reform the machinery of Government.
• To appropriate funds for public expenditure and to raise revenue.
A bill is first published in the Gazette before it is introduced into the Council. It must then undergo three readings before its passage by the Council. The First Reading is a formality, with the Clerk reading out the short title of the bill at a Council meeting. The Second Reading begins with the public officer or the Member who has introduced the bill moving a motion “That the bill be read the second time” and explaining the purpose of the bill. Usually, after a motion has been moved, the debate on it is adjourned, and the bill is referred to the House Committee to allow Members more time to study it, either in the House Committee or in a Bills Committee set up by the House Committee specifically for this purpose.
After study of the bill has been concluded, the debate
on the Second Reading resumes at a subsequent Council meeting. During the debate, Members present their views on the general merits and principles of the bill and may indicate their support or opposition. A vote is then taken by the Council on the motion “That the bill be read the second time”. If this motion is not passed, then the bill cannot proceed further. If it is passed, then the bill is given a Second Reading, and a Committee of the whole Council goes through the bill’s clauses, making any amendments agreed to by the Committee. After the bill has passed through the Committee of the whole Council with or without amendments, it is then reported back to the Council, which considers whether to support its passage by giving it the Third Reading.
Once a bill has been given three readings, it
becomes an enacted law. Unless a later date has been specified, it will take effect after it has been signed by the Chief Executive and promulgated in the Gazette. Where the Council considers that the passage of a bill is sufficiently urgent, it may proceed with the Second Reading debate at the meeting at which the bill is introduced. After it has received the Second Reading, the Council may proceed to the remaining stages at the same meeting.
During the 2008-2009 session, 25 bills were
introduced, and the Council completed proceedings on 11 of them, all of which were passed. Of these bills, four were passed with amendments proposed by Government officials. A list of the bills passed is provided in Appendix 3 .
MOTIONS
Motions are the mechanism through which most Council business is transacted. The processing of a bill takes place by way of a series of motions moved, debated and voted upon by the Council at various stages. Amendments to bills and the approval of or amendments to subsidiary legislation are also effected by way of motions.
The process for the aforementioned scrutiny of
subsidiary legislation through the positive vetting procedure begins with a public officer giving notice of a motion to be moved at a Council meeting. The proposed motion is then studied by the House Committee, which may decide to set up a subcommittee to study it in further detail. Where Members deem it necessary, they may propose amendments to the motion. During the 2008-2009 session, public officers moved a total of 21 motions to LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 49Chapter 2
Legislative Council Meetings
either approve or amend subsidiary legislation through
the positive vetting procedure, and all were passed.
In addition to those relating to subsidiary legislation,
motions may also be moved by Members to exercise the Council’s powers under the Basic Law to amend the Council’s Rules of Procedure or to invoke its powers under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382). During the 2008-2009 session, the Council passed two motions to amend the Rules of Procedure. It also passed two motions to authorize the Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products and the Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-service Work of Mr LEUNG Chin-man, respectively, to exercise the powers conferred by Section 9(1) of Cap. 382 to order the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents in the performance of their duties. The Council also passed a motion under Article 73(7) of the Basic Law to endorse the appointment of three non-permanent judges from other common law jurisdictions to the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal.
POLICY ADDRESS DEBATE
The Chief Executive addresses the Council normally at the first meeting of a Legislative Council session on his policies for administering the HKSAR. At a Council meeting held after the Chief Executive has delivered his Policy Address, the Chairman of the House Committee moves a motion to thank the Chief Executive for his Address (“Motion of Thanks”). A debate then follows, with Members offering their comments on the Policy Address and public officers responding to these comments. During the 2008-2009 session, the Chief Executive delivered his Policy Address on 15 October 2008. Members and Government officials then debated the Motion of Thanks for three days, from 29 to 31 October 2008, with the debate divided into five sessions, each of which covered several policy areas.
The Chief Executive, Mr Donald TSANG, delivers his
2008-09 Policy Address entitled “Embracing New Challenges”.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 50
BUDGET DEBATE
Shortly before a financial year ends at the end of
March, the Financial Secretary presents to the Council his Budget for the next financial year, which commences on 1 April each year, in the form of an Appropriation Bill and the Estimates. This is followed closely by legislative measures for implementing the Government’s annual revenue and expenditure proposals for the following financial year. The legislative measures required to implement the revenue and expenditure proposals are presented in the form of bills or subsidiary legislation. After the proposed estimates of expenditure have been examined by the Finance Committee at its special meetings, the Appropriation Bill is brought back to the Council for consideration and a decision. For the 2009-2010 Budget, the Financial Secretary introduced the Appropriation Bill 2009 to the Council on 25 February 2009. The Budget debate took place on 1, 2 and 22 April 2009. The Appropriation Bill 2009 was then passed on 22 April 2009.
OTHER DEBATES
All motions moved at Council meetings are debated and voted upon. In addition to those with legislative or binding effect, Members also debate motions that are not intended to have such effect. These debates provide opportunities for Members to express their views on issues of public interest and for public officers to respond to those views. During the 2008-2009 session, the Council debated 53 such motions moved by Members, of which 39 were passed with or without amendments and 14 were negatived.
If a Member wishes to raise an issue of urgent
public importance for debate in Council, but does not wish to formulate a motion in express terms, then an adjournment debate may be proposed between two items of business on the Agenda of the Council to allow Members simply to express their opinions on the issue (Rule 16(2) of the Rules of Procedure). In addition, if a Member wishes to raise an issue of public interest for debate in Council
Financial Secretary Mr John TSANG announces that
$1.6 billion have been earmarked in his Budget to create new jobs. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 51with a view to eliciting a reply from the Government, but
does not wish to formulate a motion in express terms, then an adjournment debate may be proposed at the conclusion of all business on the Agenda (Rule 16(4) of the Rules of Procedure). A total of nine motions on adjournment were moved during the 2008-2009 session. Of these nine motions, two were moved under Rule 16(2) and seven were moved under Rule 16(4).
The motions moved at Council meetings during the
2008-2009 session and the decisions made by the Council about them are listed in Appendix 4 .
Mr Donald TSANG attended four Chief Executive’s
Question and Answer Sessions during the year. At one of these sessions, held on the day following the delivery of the 2008-09 Policy Address, Mr TSANG elaborates on the policy initiatives outlined in that Address.
CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S QUESTION AND
ANSWER SESSIONS
In the 2008-2009 session, four meetings of the
Council were held during which the Chief Executive addressed the Council and answered questions put to him by Members. Chapter 2
Legislative Council MeetingsLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 52
Committees
In addition, the House Committee co-ordinates
matters relating to the business to be considered at Council meetings and monitors the progress of the study of bills and subsidiary legislation. The scrutiny of bills that require more in-depth study is carried out by Bills Committees, which report their deliberations to the House Committee. Panels refer to committees that monitor and examine policy issues. There are currently 18 panels, the formation and terms of reference of which were approved by the Council on the recommendation of the House Committee.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
The Finance Committee comprises all Members of the Council other than the President. Its Chairman and Deputy Chairman are elected by and from amongst the Committee’s members.
The Finance Committee is vested with the
responsibility to scrutinize and approve the public Chapter 3
Members perform the critical roles of scrutinizing bills, controlling public expenditure
and monitoring the work of the Government through a committee system. There are three standing committees, namely, the Finance Committee, the Public Accounts
Committee and the Committee on Members’ Interests.
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing (centre), Chairman of the
Finance Committee, chairs a regular meeting. The Committee held 25 regular meetings and examined a total of 68 proposed items during the session.expenditure proposals submitted by the Financial
Secretary. Each year, upon presentation of the Appropriation Bill to the Council, the President refers the Estimates of Expenditure to the Finance Committee for its examination, with special meetings held for this purpose. After passage of the Appropriation Bill, any changes to the approved Estimates are put to the Finance Committee for its approval. The Committee normally meets on Fridays to consider these proposals or to note the financial implications of new policies.
During the 2008-2009 session, the Finance Committee
held 25 regular meetings and examined a total of 68 items of proposal , including 17 items containing 121 proposals that had been considered and supported by its two subcommittees, the Establishment Subcommittee and the Public Works Subcommittee.
The Establishment Subcommittee examines and
makes recommendations to the Finance Committee concerning the Government’s proposals for the creation, redeployment, and deletion of permanent and supernumerary directorate posts and for changes to the structure of civil service grades and ranks. During the 2008-2009 session, the Subcommittee, which has 15 members, held nine meetings and examined a total of 19 proposal items put forward by the Government. The membership of this subcommittee is listed in Appendix 5 .
The Public Works Subcommittee examines and makes recommendations to the Finance Committee concerning the Government’s proposals for upgrading projects to, or downgrading them from, Category A of the Public Works Programme or changes to the scope and approved estimates of projects already in that category. During the session LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 53Chapter 3
Committees
under report, the 28-member Subcommittee held 17
meetings and examined a total of 102 proposal items put forward by the Government. It also considered the list of potential submissions to the Public Works Subcommittee in the 2008-2009 session. Its membership is listed in Appendix 5 .
To examine the Estimates of Expenditure 2009-2010, the Finance Committee held a series of seven special meetings consisting of 20 sessions between 23 and 27 March 2009. Prior to these special meetings, the Financial Secretary briefed Members on the 2009-2010 Budget, and the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury provided further information on the Estimates of Expenditure. Members raised 2,985 written questions seeking written replies from the Government to facilitate deliberation at the special meetings. A further 83 supplementary written questions and 37 verbal requests arising from these meetings were also forwarded to the Government for additional information.
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
The Public Accounts Committee is a standing committee of the Council. It is responsible for considering the reports issued by the Director of Audit on the Government’s accounts, as well as the results of value for money audits on the Government and other organizations within the purview of public audits. The Committee may call for explanations and obtain evidence from public officers, the managerial staff of public organizations and other relevant persons, if deemed necessary.
The Public Accounts Committee comprises seven
members, who are elected by Members and appointed by the President. Its membership is listed in Appendix 5 .
During the 2008-2009 session, the Committee examined the Director of Audit’s Report on the Accounts of the Government for the year ended 31 March 2008 and the Reports on the Results of Value for Money Audits (Reports Nos. 51 and 52). The Committee’s conclusions and recommendations are contained in Public Accounts Committee Reports Nos. 51, 51A and 52, which were tabled in Council on 18 February 2009, 20 May 2009 and 8 July 2009, respectively.
The Public Accounts Committee holds a public hearing on
the issue of Hong Kong’s emergency ambulance service.
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong (third from left), Chairman
of the Public Accounts Committee, presents a souvenir to a representative of the delegation of the Senate Committee on Drugs, Narcotics, Financial Crimes and Anti-corruption, National Assembly of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 54
COMMITTEE ON MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
The Committee on Members’ Interests is also a
standing committee of the Council. It considers complaints made in relation to Members’ registration and declaration of interests and their conduct concerning claims for the reimbursement of operating expenses or applications for an advance of operating funds, as well as examining arrangements for the compilation, maintenance and accessibility of the Register of Members’ Interests. The Committee also considers matters of ethics in relation to the conduct of Members in their capacity as such, and provides advice and issues guidelines on such matters.
The seven members of the Committee are elected
by Members and appointed by the President. The membership of the Committee is listed in Appendix 5 .
During the period under report, the Committee held three meetings to consider the advisory guidelines on matters of ethics in relation to the conduct of Members in their capacity as such, as well as the procedures for handling complaints received in relation to the registration or declaration of Members’ interests or claims for the reimbursement of operating expenses or applications for an advance of operating funds.
HOUSE COMMITTEE
The House Committee comprises all Members, other than the President, who elect from amongst themselves the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman. While the Legislative Council is in session, the House Committee normally meets weekly, and its meetings are open to the public.
The House Committee prepares for meetings of the
Council and considers matters relating to the Council’s business. One important function of the Committee is to scrutinize bills introduced into the Council and subsidiary legislation tabled in Council or presented to the Council for approval. The House Committee may form Bills Committees to scrutinize bills or appoint subcommittees to study subsidiary legislation. It then monitors the progress and studies the reports of the Bills Committees and Subcommittees concerned.
The House Committee may refer any policy matters
relating to the business of the Council to the relevant panels for consideration. It may also consider, in such a manner as it sees fit, any other items relating to Council business.
The House Committee also serves as a focal point
for establishing a formal and regular dialogue with the Government. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman of the Committee meet with the Chief Secretary for Administration on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual concern.
During the 2008-2009 session, a total of 31 regular
meetings of the House Committee were held. The Committee also held three special meetings, including one to receive a briefing by the relevant officials and financial institutions on the updated situation regarding minibonds and two to discuss the political appointment system and tree management with the Chief Secretary for Administration and other principal officials. Mr Henry TANG Ying-yen (second from left), Chief
Secretary for Administration, attends a special House Committee meeting to answer Members’ questions regarding the implementation of the Accountability System and attendance at meetings of the Legislative Council by Principal Officials.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 55Other Subcommittees of the House Committee
The House Committee may appoint subcommittees to
assist in its consideration of issues of public concern that fall outside the purview of panels or in any other matters relating to the business of the Council. The following subcommittees were in operation during the 2008-2009 session.
• Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee
• Subcommittee on Members’ Remuneration and Operating Expenses Reimbursement
• Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products
• Subcommittee on Preparatory Work for the Appointment of the Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-service Employment of Mr LEUNG Chin-man
• Subcommittee to Examine the Implementation in Hong Kong of Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council in relation to Sanctions
• Subcommittee to Study Issues Relating to Mainland-HKSAR Families
The memberships of these subcommittees are listed in Appendix 5 .
Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from
Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products
In September 2008, Lehman Brothers Holdings
Inc. (LB) of the United States filed for bankruptcy protection and, as a result, defaulted on their obligations with regard to minibonds and other structured financial products. In Hong Kong, some HK$20.17 billion worth of LB-related products had been sold to more than 43,700 investors mainly through 19 banks and six brokerage firms, including HK$11.2 billion in minibonds sold to about 33,600 investors. Those affected were gravely concerned about the substantial or total loss of their investments, and there was also wide public concern about the effectiveness of the current regulatory regime in safeguarding investors’ interests. On 17 October 2008, the House Committee appointed a Subcommittee that was tasked with studying the issues arising from LB-related minibonds and structured financial products and to make recommendations where necessary. This Subcommittee was also authorized by resolution of the Council on 12 November 2008 to exercise the power to summon witnesses conferred by Section 9(1) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382) in the performance of its functions.
Witnesses at the public hearings of the Subcommittee
to Study Issues Arising from Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products include Mr Joseph YAM Chi-kwong (upper photo), Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, and Professor Ceajer CHAN Ka-keung (centre in lower photo), Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury. Chapter 3
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The Subcommittee conducted its inquiry in stages.
After completing the necessary preparatory work, it has since mid-February 2009 conducted hearings to obtain evidence from the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, the Monetary Authority, the Chief Executive Officer of the Securities and Futures Commission, and the senior executives of these regulatory bodies. The focus of the current phase of the Subcommittee’s study is on the overall policy and regulatory regime governing the sale of LB-related structured financial products, with due regard given to the roles and responsibilities of the Government and regulators in ensuring the efficacy of the regulatory system. Up to 3 August 2009, the Subcommittee had held 40 meetings, including 21 hearings to obtain evidence from five key witnesses. It will continue its work in the next session.
COMMITTEE ON RULES OF PROCEDURE
The Committee on Rules of Procedure is responsible for reviewing the Rules of Procedure of the Council and the committee system and for proposing to the Council any amendments or changes considered necessary.
The Committee consists of a Chairman, a Deputy
Chairman and 10 members appointed by the President in accordance with the recommendations of the House Committee. Its membership is listed in Appendix 5 .
During the 2008-2009 session, the Committee held a total of seven meetings to study a number of issues relating to the procedural arrangements for Council meetings and the procedures of Council Committees.
The Committee on Rules of Procedure
presented three papers to the House Committee recommending changes to current procedures. It also presented a report to the Council on 8 July 2009 summarizing its deliberations on specific issues during the period under report.
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai chairs a public
hearing of the Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products (upper photo). A group of victims of the Lehman Brothers minibond affair protest outside the LegCo Building.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 57BILLS COMMITTEES AND
SUBCOMMITTEES ON SUBSIDIARY LEGISLATION
The House Committee may allocate bills, except for
the Appropriation Bill and bills not referred to it by the Council, to the Bills Committees for detailed scrutiny. All Members other than the President may join any Bills Committee. The Chairman of each of these Committees is elected from amongst its members. Government officials and representatives of relevant organizations, as well as members of the public, may also be invited to attend their meetings.
Each Bills Committee considers the principles and
merits of the bill concerned, as well as its detailed provisions, and may propose amendments if deemed necessary. It may also appoint subcommittees to assist in the performance of its functions. After a Bills Committee has completed its scrutiny of a bill, it will notify the House Committee and advise it in writing of its deliberations. This Bills Committee will be dissolved upon enactment of the bill concerned or as decided by the House Committee.
During the 2008-2009 session, 21 Bills Committees
were formed. Seven of them completed their scrutiny work and reported to the House Committee. At the end of the session, 14 Bills Committees were still in action.A total of 25 subcommittees considered 39 items of subsidiary legislation and two other instruments tabled in Council, as well as 10 proposed resolutions presented by the Government for the Council’s approval. The membership lists of the Bills Committees and various subcommittees are in Appendix 5 . Their
reports are on the LegCo website: www.legco.gov.hk.
PANELS
Panels are committees of the Council that are tasked with monitoring and examining Government policies. They provide a forum for Members to deliberate on policy matters and study issues related to the policy areas of their corresponding bureaux that are of wide public concern. The items for discussion can be raised by members of the panels, referred to them by the House Committee or other committees, proposed by the Government, or raised by other Members following meetings with the District Councils or upon the receipt of complaints or representations. Panels also offer their views on major legislative and financial proposals before their introduction into the Council or Finance Committee, respectively. To enhance the panels’ effectiveness in scrutinizing these proposals, a series of measures agreed by the House Committee, on the recommendation of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, have been put into place to ensure early consultation with the relevant panels and to allow more thorough discussion of the policy aspects of the proposals.
A panel may appoint subcommittees to study specific
issues and present reports to the Council as it considers appropriate.
Each panel has a Chairman elected from amongst its
members. Membership of the 18 panels formed during the 2008-2009 session and that of their subcommittees are listed in Appendix 5 .Members of the Subcommittee on Food Business
(Amendment) Regulation 2009 visit the Lei Yue Mun seafood bazaar to better understand the seafood traders’ operations.
Chapter 3
CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 58
Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal
Services
The Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal
Services was tasked with monitoring the progress of preparations made by the Judiciary and two legal professional bodies for the implementation of Civil Justice Reform (CJR). The Panel considers it important to monitor the reformed civil justice system and to enhance services to unrepresented litigants. The Judiciary Administration was to brief the Panel on the effectiveness of the reformed system about one year after its implementation.
During the session under report, the Panel
concluded that to complement the changes brought about by CJR, the scope of legal aid services should be extended to cover legal advice. It expressed its strong dissatisfaction with the fact that the Administration had not put forward any concrete proposals to address the unmet needs for legal advice service in the community. The Panel further noted that although recovery agents may be meeting the unsatisfied demand for legal services, their activities needed to be combated. The Administration undertook the task of working out concrete proposals for improvement, and the Panel will continue to monitor its actions in this regard.
The Panel recommended that the scope of the
Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme be expanded and that there should be no single financial limit for all types of legal aid applications. It agreed to follow up on these issues once the Administration’s recommendations on the ongoing five-yearly review of the criteria for assessing the financial eligibility of legal aid applicants are available.
The Panel supports the Administration’s efforts to
develop mediation as an alternative means of settling disputes. It was briefed on the developments of the Working Group on Mediation, chaired by the Secretary for Justice, and its three Sub-groups and on implementing the proposal to extend legal aid to cover the costs of mediation in matrimonial cases. It was also informed of the findings of an evaluation of the one-year Pilot Scheme for Building Management Cases in the Lands Tribunal.
The Panel expressed its disappointment that,
although the Administration had reached broad consensus with the two aforementioned professional bodies about the adoption of a new fee structure for the criminal legal aid fee system more than two years ago, it had yet to resolve its differences with the Law Society of Hong Kong over the fee rate for solicitors. The Panel urged the two parties to resolve their differences as soon as possible.
The Panel has always held the view that prosecution
work in the Magistrates’ courts should be conducted by legally qualified practitioners, rather than Court Prosecutors who are not required to be legally qualified. However, the Administration has not yet set a timeframe for achieving this goal. The Administration has undertaken to revisit the issue of the Court Prosecutors system after the effectiveness of a training programme that emphasizes criminal prosecution, which is to be introduced by the Hong Kong Bar Association for its junior members, has been evaluated.
During the 2008-2009 session, the Panel also invited
the Secretary for Justice to explain the Department
Members of the Panel on Administration of Justice and
Legal Services meet with the Chief Justice Andrew Li (first from left) and are briefed on the accommodation strategy of the Judiciary during a visit to the High Court Building.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 59of Justice’s decision not to prosecute the wife of the
President of the Republic of Zimbabwe who had allegedly assaulted a photojournalist during her visit to Hong Kong. The Panel expressed grave concern over the public confidence in the rule of law in Hong Kong if a person who has blatantly and intentionally committed an assault can enjoy immunity from prosecution.
The Panel noted with concern the growing number
of appointments of judges for extra-judiciary functions and held a discussion with the Judiciary Administration and the Administration on overall government policy with regard to the issue. It also followed up on the Administration’s responses to recommendations made in the Report on Review of the Jurisdiction of the Office of The Ombudsman.
The Panel was consulted on a legislative proposal
to grant higher rights of audience to solicitors. It was also informed of the Administration’s plan to introduce a bill to enable solicitors to practise in limited liability partnerships. The Panel noted that provisions would be included to ensure the operational transparency of these partnerships and that the Administration would work out a public education programme when the new mode of practice was implemented.
Panel on Commerce and Industry
In view of the current global financial turmoil and the financial hardship faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs), the Panel on Commerce and Industry held a series of meetings with the Administration, various chambers of commerce and trade associations, and the Association of Banks to discuss ways of assisting SMEs that face liquidity problems in light of tightened credit facilities. The Panel urged the Administration to devise more concrete measures of boosting lender confidence in providing credit facilities and to provide more supportive measures to assist SMEs in weathering this difficult period. The Administration subsequently proposed a number of measures, including a time-limited Special Loan Guarantee Scheme and a further enhancement measure under this Scheme that would provide up to an 80% guarantee to participating lending institutions that granted loans to SMEs.
Regarding the implementation of the Mainland
and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement (CEPA), Panel members urged the Administration to offer assistance to Hong Kong enterprises to help them to make the best use of the opportunities brought about by the CEPA. It particularly recommended greater co-operation between service industries in the Pearl River Delta Region (PRD) and Hong Kong. In view of the successful events held by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) in Guangzhou and Wuhan, Panel members concluded that more funding resources should be provided to the HKTDC to encourage it to organize similar events in other Chinese cities to help Hong Kong enterprises tap into the business opportunities in the Mainland market.
Following completion of the Atrium Link extension
in April 2009, Panel members recommended that the Phase 3 development of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre be pursued without further delay to meet growing demand for exhibition and conference facilities. They suggested that the Administration begin public consultation as soon as possible after conducting studies of this development. The Panel also recommended that the Administration commence the Asia World-Expo Phase 2 expansion project and consider other support facilities to meet future demand.
The Panel also completed a mid-term review of
the operation of the Research and Development (R&D) Centres. Panel members were generally supportive of the continuous development of these Centres, and welcomed the Administration’s proposal to adjust industry contributions to platform projects from 40% to 15%, which was made in response to the Panel’s suggestion. Some Panel members suggested stepping up efforts to stage trade shows to strengthen the connection Chapter 3
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between the R&D Centres and industry. It was also
recommended that the Administration should speed up the commercialization of R&D deliverables and strengthen cooperation with local and Mainland universities/institutions to fully leverage their technical hardware and software and that it should assist the R&D Centres in forging closer ties with manufacturers in the PRD Region. However, some members expressed serious concern over the corporate governance of these Centres and urged that their operating expenditure be kept at a low level to ensure the prudent use of public resources.
Panel on Constitutional Affairs
Public consultation on the electoral methods to be used in 2012 to select the Chief Executive and form the Legislative Council was originally scheduled to begin in the first half of 2009. Some members of the Panel on Constitutional Affairs suggested that in addition to these two electoral methods, the public should also be consulted about the ultimate models for implementing universal suffrage. They stressed that functional constituencies (FCs) should be abolished for the implementation of universal suffrage. In response, the Administration explained that the target of the current Government was to determine the two electoral methods to be adopted in 2012, but that the public was free to offer its views on the ultimate models for universal suffrage. Pursuant to the Administration’s announcement that the public consultation in question would be deferred until the fourth quarter of 2009, some members expressed concern that there would now be insufficient time for both the public consultation and the relevant legislative process. Others, however, said they considered the new timetable to be workable.
When the Panel discussed the Electoral Affairs
Commission’s Report on the 2008 LegCo Election Report, some members expressed strong dissatisfaction that it contained no concrete recommendations for tightening the regulation of exit polls. Others suggested that only minimum restrictions should be imposed.The Panel was consulted on the relevant subsidiary legislation and the draft Code of Practice on Employment under the Race Discrimination Ordinance prior to the full implementation of the Ordinance. Some members expressed disappointment that the initial draft Code had failed to deal adequately with language-related discrimination issues. They stated that the Code should provide practical guidance on the elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equal opportunities. The Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) subsequently revised the initial draft Code substantially.
The Panel was also consulted over the way forward
for the proposed separation of the EOC posts of Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Although members held divergent views on the three options put forward by the Administration, the majority expressed support for the separation of the two posts. Some urged the Administration to enhance the transparency and neutrality of the appointment process, and the Administration assured the Panel that both the Chairperson and the CEO would be selected through open recruitment.
The Panel discussed the HKSAR’s second report
concerning the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, with some members expressing concern that it failed to truly reflect the problem of racial discrimination in Hong Kong. They were also concerned about whether support services to help ethnic minorities gain access to medical services and educational opportunities were adequate.
In addition, the Panel also discussed the HKSAR
report for the United Nations Humans Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review and the outline of the topics in the HKSAR’s second report under the terms of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Some members urged the Administration to set up a Commission on Children, as there is a lack of co-ordination amongst bureaux and departments with regard to the effective protection of children’s rights. The Panel passed a motion condemning LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 61the Government for its refusal to set up such a
Commission and requesting that it do so immediately.
The Administration kept the panel informed of its
follow-up actions on the High Court ruling that the provisions disqualifying prisoners across the board from registration as electors and from voting in LegCo elections were unconstitutional. A majority of Panel members expressed support for relaxing the restrictions on prisoners’ voting rights. The Panel was further consulted on the practical arrangements for helping prisoners and other persons in custody to exercise these rights.
Following media reports about the role of the Hong
Kong members of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the Administration explained to the Panel the HKSAR Government’s position on the role of both these members and the Hong Kong deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC). Notwithstanding the Administration’s clarification that the HKSAR Government had not reached any agreement with the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR on the role of CPPCC members, some members of the Panel expressed concern that formalizing the participation of NPC deputies and CPPCC members in local affairs would undermine the high degree of autonomy of Hong Kong. Others took the view that the work of these deputies and members was constructive, and thus that they should not be seen as intervening in the internal affairs of Hong Kong.
The Panel also discussed the financial provision made
for the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data. Some members criticized the Administration for not providing adequate resources to allow the Office to discharge its statutory functions. The Administration assured the Panel that it would provide the resources required for the effective enforcement of the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. Panel on Development
In November 2008, the Panel on Development discussed the temporary reclamation works for the proposed Trunk Road comprising the Central- Wan Chai Bypass and the Island Eastern Corridor Link. The Administration subsequently consulted the Panel on funding proposals for the construction of this Trunk Road, engineering works for Wan Chai Development Phase II and the establishment of a permanent government helipad at the north-eastern corner of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Noting that the Administration was confident that the reclamation works involved in the Trunk Road project met the legal requirements of the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance (Cap. 531), Panel members were generally supportive of implementing the project as soon as possible. They urged the Administration to ensure that the construction works for the Trunk Road project and the Shatin-to-Central Link project were well co-ordinated and that the traffic arrangements during construction were carefully planned to minimize the disturbance to the public.
The Panel continued to monitor the 320-hectare
Kai Tak Development (KTD) in the session under report. In early 2009, the Administration briefed Chapter 3
Committees
A round-the-harbour tour is conducted by the
Subcommittee on Harbourfront Planning. Members of the Subcommittee are briefed on the land use suggested by the Urban Design Study for the New Central Harbourfront and the Central Reclamation Phase III Project.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 62
it on the KTD implementation plan and on the
detailed design and construction of its infrastructure facilities. Members offered their views on various planning and implementation issues. In response to members’ concerns about the pollution and odour problems at the Kai Tak Approach Channel (KTAC), the Administration advised them that the proposal to adopt bio-remediation treatment was based on the successful treatment of the Shing Mun River and Sam Ka Tsuen and the results of site trials at the KTAC. The Administration ensured the Panel that the water quality at the KTAC would be up to the required standards before the 600-metre-wide opening was created.The Administration launched a three-stage Urban Renewal Strategy Review in July 2008. At the end of the first stage of this Review in January 2009, the Panel discussed the key issues to be examined at subsequent stages. It then held a special meeting to obtain the views of the public. Panel members are of the view that there should be more compensation options for affected residents and business operators and that a mechanism should be put in place to gauge public views on the location of future urban renewal projects. Some members suggested that the Urban Renewal Authority conduct tracking studies on affected residents and business operators to evaluate the actual impact of redevelopment projects.
The Administration regularly updated the Panel
on the progress of key heritage conservation initiatives throughout the session. Some members suggested that the Administration adopt a district-based approach to planning the preservation and revitalization of old districts and various areas of the New Territories. The Panel voiced its views on the conservation arrangements made for various heritage sites, and emphasized that revitalized historic buildings and facilities should be made accessible, with any charges affordable for the general public. The Panel also discussed the selection results of and way forward for revitalization projects for the seven buildings included under Batch I of the Revitalizing Historic Buildings through Partnership Scheme.
The Administration briefed the Panel in
December 2008 on the preliminary findings and recommendations of its review on the provision of public facilities in private developments. Further meetings were held to obtain public views and to discuss policy and operational issues with the Administration. Although Panel members, in general, supported the policy framework and approaches recommended by the Administration, they urged it to handle existing outstanding cases of private developments with public open space in a transparent, fair and sensible manner.
During a site visit to the Lok Ma Chau Loop, the proposed
Liantang/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point and the Frontier Closed Area, members of the Panel on Development are briefed by the Administration on the latest development of these areas (upper photo). Members receive a petition letter from a concern group opposing the land resumption policy.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 63The Administration briefed the Panel in October
2008, February 2009 and June 2009 on the progress of reconstruction support work in Sichuan. Concerning a proposal to provide further financial support for the second and third stages of this work, Panel members sought more details on the mechanisms in place to monitor the quality, progress and financial management of the projects involved. Members also requested a visit to Sichuan to obtain first-hand information on the progress of the reconstruction work.
Panel on Economic Development
During the session, the Panel on Economic Development continued to monitor tourism development in Hong Kong. It suggested that the new cruise terminal at Kai Tak be commissioned as early as possible. Although members did not object to the “Government Design, Build and Lease” approach to developing the cruise terminal, they urged the Administration to start work early to draw up the terms and conditions of future tenancy agreements for its operation and to invite tenders before 2011. The Panel also expressed its grave concern over the shelving of Fisherman Wharf in Aberdeen and passed a motion urging the Administration to reconsider its decision.
Regarding the Hong Kong Disneyland expansion
plan, the Panel held three special meetings with the Administration to discuss the financial arrangements for it. Panel members expressed reservations over the financial viability of the project, as insufficient financial information has been made available. They urged the HKSAR Government, as the major shareholder, to ensure greater transparency in the operation of Hong Kong Disneyland, including information on the patronage figure, the calculation of revenue and management fees, and the use of reserved land on the site.
The Panel urged the Hong Kong Tourism Board
to take advantage of the liberalization measures of the Individual Visits Scheme and to step up promotional efforts in other locales. It also advised the Administration to devise more measures to assist the tourism industry amidst the economic downturn and the spread of swine flu. The Administration subsequently waived the licence fee for travel agents for one year and suspended the Travel Industry Compensation Fund Levy. Panel members suggested that the Government conduct an overall review of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, and they passed a motion to that effect.
The Panel expressed grave concern about the
Administration’s lack of action to safeguard consumer interest in relation to high-pressure sales practices, consumer scams and inaccurate advertising in the print media. With regard to the proposed Competition Bill, the Panel noted that the Government needs more time to refine the institutional framework and exemption provisions. Panel members expressed concern about issues relating to criminal liability, the exemption of statutory bodies and the provision for private action against anti-competitive conduct.
The Panel continued to monitor retail oil prices and
considers that oil companies should reduce retail prices in tandem with the drop in international oil prices. In this connection, the Panel welcomed Environment Bureau and Consumer Council iniatives to publish the local import and retail prices of auto fuels on a weekly basis, thus enabling consumers to make informed choices.
In line with the newly signed Scheme of Control
Agreements with Hong Kong’s two electricity companies, the Panel noted that CLP Power Hong Kong Limited had reduced its tariff by 3% and would gradually increase the use of natural gas, whereas the Hongkong Electric Company Limited had introduced a 5.9% tariff reduction. The Panel urged the Administration to closely monitor the fuel clause charge adjustments made by CLP, and called on the Hongkong Electric Company to exercise greater versatility in handling coal procurement contracts in the interest of its customers.
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Following a visit to the PRD Region, the Panel held a
joint meeting with the Panel on Environmental Affairs to exchange views with the respective bureaux on means to promote cooperation between Hong Kong and the PRD Region in the areas of logistics, tourism and environmental protection.
Panel on Education
The 2008-2009 school year was an eventful one for both the education sector and the Panel on Education. The number of meetings held and items discussed by the Panel were unprecedented. In light of the imminent implementation of a new academic structure in the 2009-2010 school year, the Panel examined the preparation that has been made for the curriculum, assessment procedures, and interface with post-secondary and university education. Members discussed issues relating to Liberal Studies, which will be a core subject in the new senior secondary curriculum, international recognition of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education qualification, school leaving arrangements for students with intellectual disabilities who are studying in special schools, and the implementation of 11 capital works projects for University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded institutions that are expanding the existing space and facilities on their campuses to accommodate the additional students.
The Panel received the views of 29 deputations,
including school councils, schools, teacher associations and parent-teacher associations, on the fine-tuned arrangements for the medium of instruction in secondary schools that will take effect in September 2010. Members noted the diversity of views on these arrangements and stressed the importance of Education Bureau monitoring to ensure the learning effectiveness of students in schools with a large enrolment of academically weak students and those that intend to employ the time previously used for extended learning activities in English in the teaching of content subjects through the adoption of English as the medium of instruction.Following the passage of a motion urging a review of the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS), the Panel welcomed the Administration’s decision to adjust annually the fee remission ceilings under the Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme on the basis of the respective weighted average fees of the non-profit-making half-day and whole-day kindergartens eligible for PEVS. Members called on the Administration to expedite its review of PEVS to address the concerns of the pre-primary education sector about the lesser subsidies received by whole-day kindergartens relative to their half-day counterparts and the absence of a comprehensive remuneration structure for kindergarten teachers that is commensurate with their qualifications.
The other items discussed by the Panel during the
session under report include the establishment of an inter-institutional independent redress mechanism for the higher education sector, the provision of hostels for tertiary students, loan schemes for post-secondary providers and students, recurrent funding for UGC-funded institutions in the next triennium, the establishment of a Research Endowment Fund, the redesignation of the Hong Kong Institute of Education as a university, the number of international school places, the recognition of non-local academic qualifications, the closure of secondary schools as a result of class restructuring under the new senior secondary academic structure, the extension of the Early Retirement Scheme for Aided Secondary School Teachers, education for non-Chinese-speaking students, the mechanisms for checking and marking public examination papers, school-based management, the development of electronic textbooks, the prices of printed textbooks, the monitoring of Direct Subsidy Scheme schools, drug abuse in schools, the pilot scheme for school-based voluntary drug testing, the relocation of Christian Zheng Sheng College to Heung Yee Kuk Southern District Secondary School, the provision of school places on the Islands, primary class suspension in the face of swine flu, and the University of Hong Kong (Amendment) Bill 2009.
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 65Panel on Environmental Affairs
Hong Kong’s deteriorating air quality remained high
on the agenda of the Panel of Environmental Affairs. To achieve the 2010 emission reduction targets, the Secretary for the Environment is empowered under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 311) to specify in a technical memorandum (TM) caps on the emission of specified pollutants, namely, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and respirable suspended particulates, by power plants in Hong Kong. Whilst supporting the need to improve air quality, some members questioned the basis for arriving at these particular emission caps. Given that achieving these caps would requires the two local power companies to build into their operational plans the costs of pollution abatement equipment and the use of cleaner fuels, these members were concerned that the additional costs would be passed on to consumers through increased electricity tariffs.
About the proposal to introduce a statutory ban
on idling vehicles, some members remained of the view that the Administration should further consult the trades that would be affected to work out practicable solutions to resolve the problems that may arise from the ban, as they did not wish to see the implementation of a piece of legislation that was not workable. Other members pointed out, however, that about 60% to 70% of people in Hong Kong were in support of the ban, and that for improving the environment, a price would have to be paid. These members stressed that the proposed ban should not be put on hold because of certain technical issues, and the Administration should proceed with the preparation of a draft bill for scrutiny by LegCo.
Enshrining the “polluter pays” principle, the
environmental levy scheme on plastic shopping bags (PSBs) was the first producer responsibility scheme to be implemented under the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance (Cap. 603). Although they supported the levy scheme, which aims to reduce the number of PSBs disposed of in landfills, some members expressed concern over possible abuses if a PSB refers only to a bag with a hole, perforation, handle or string on or attached to it. Registered retail outlets can easily get around the scheme by providing PSBs with no holes, perforations or handles, they said. In addition, non-registered retail outlets may engage in profiteering, as consumers may be unaware that the levy does not apply to them. The Administration was urged to review the definition of PSBs and the levy scheme’s exemptions; for example, members suggested that it also be applied to manufacturers. The Panel also recommended that the Government take the lead in avoiding the indiscriminate use of PSBs, such as the large plastic bags used in street cleaning. The relevant Regulation was subsequently passed in April 2009.
The commissioning of the Harbour Area Treatment
Scheme (HATS) Stage 1 has helped to improve the water quality of the harbour, but it has also produced a large quantity of sludge. The current practice of sludge disposal in landfills is unsustainable from both the environmental and technical perspective. The Administration therefore proposed that Sludge Treatment Facilities (STF) be built at the eastern end of the ash lagoon at Tsang Tsui near Nim Wan, Tuen Mun. Some Panel members noted that the Tuen Mun District Council (TMDC) is opposed to the proposed STF because the incineration of a large amount of sludge will have an environmental impact and because it is unfair to place a large number of unwelcome public facilities in Tuen Mun. Other members spoke out in support of the proposed STF, however, as incineration seems to represent the long-term solution for waste treatment. Given that many overseas incineration facilities are situated in proximity to recreational facilities and residential developments, the Administration was urged to arrange for TMDC members to observe such modern facilities, which are clean and environmentally friendly. To compensate for the various unwanted facilities placed in Tuen Mun, it was suggested that more desirable facilities also be placed there for the betterment of Tuen Mun residents.
The Panel has set up two subcommittees to study
policies and measures to improve air quality and to combat fly-tipping.
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Panel on Financial Affairs
In the midst of the global financial crisis, the Panel
on Financial Affairs had taken on the responsibility to examine the impact of the financial crisis on Hong Kong and the measures taken to stabilize and revive the economy. Members noted that Hong Kong’s banks remained well-capitalized and highly liquid, although signs of deterioration in loan quality have been observed. The Panel considers the maintenance of a healthy and properly regulated banking sector in Hong Kong to be important. In this connection, the Panel received a briefing on a consultancy report that reviewed the Hong Kong Monetary Authority’s (HKMA) work on banking stability. The report covered the respective roles played by financial regulators and the regulatory approach. The Panel decided to further discuss with the HKMA a policy response to the consultant’s recommendations. The Panel also examined the recommendations of the Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board concerning an increase in the protection limit and an extension of protection coverage.
In view of the liquidity problems faced by SMEs
in light of the adverse economic situation, the Panel called on the Government to liaise with the banking sector to devise measures, including the enhancement of loan guarantee schemes, to assist these enterprises.
With regard to the investments and management
of the Exchange Fund, the Panel noted that despite a 5.6% investment loss in 2008, the fiscal reserves placed with the Fund had achieved a 6.8% return in the past year under the fixed-rate fee payment arrangement. Concerning market development, the Panel examined the proposed Government Bond Programme announced in the 2009-2010 Budget, noting that the sums raised under this Programme would be subject to a borrowing limit of HK$100 billion, which would be credited to a Bond Fund managed separately from the fiscal reserves. Whilst expressing support in principle for the initiative to develop a bond market, some Panel members raised concerns about the investment and management of the Bond Fund and the details of its implementation.
Noting the large number of complaints about the sale
of Lehman Brothers-related minibonds and structured financial products following the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers Holding Inc. in September 2008, the Panel urged the HKMA and the Securities and Futures Commission to deploy more manpower to expedite the investigation of these complaints and to come up with measures to assist those investors affected. The Panel also monitored a number of issues of public concern with regard to investor protection, including the protection of minority shareholders during the privatization of listed companies, the disclosure of investment and financial information by listed companies, and the disclosure of risk in the sale of credit-linked notes to retail investors.
The Panel expressed concerns over the large
remuneration packages for HKMA senior executives and the mechanisms for appointments to the HKMA. Panel members called for a higher degree of transparency in the selection process of the new Monetary Authority (MA) following the retirement of the incumbent MA. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 67Panel on Food Safety and Environmental
Hygiene
The Panel on Food Safety and Environmental Hygiene
is generally supportive of the Administration’s proposal to empower the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene to issue administrative orders to prohibit the import and supply of problem foods and to order a recall of such foods by way of the Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2008 (the Amendment Bill), ahead of the introduction of the full Food Safety Bill. The Amendment Bill was introduced into the Legislative Council on 5 November 2008 and scrutinized by a Bills Committee. It was passed at a Council meeting on 29 April 2009 and entered into effect on 8 May 2009.
To address claims made by local vegetable traders
that some of the Mainland vegetables supplied to Hong Kong come from non-registered vegetable farms, but are disguised by carrying a proper label from a registered vegetable collection and processing plant, the Panel met with deputations and the Administration on two occasions. It also paid a visit to the Man Kam To Control Point to observe a joint operation of the Customs and Excise Department and the Centre for Food Safety of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department during the inspection of vegetable vehicles and the sampling of vegetables from the Mainland.
The Panel expressed grave concern about the drastic
drop in the supply of live poultry and day-old chicks in Hong Kong, following the expiry of the buyout scheme for the live poultry trade in September 2008, which had rendered live chickens less affordable for the general public. The Panel urged the Administration to increase the daily supply of live chickens in Hong Kong, which currently averages around 10,000 a day, to bring the retail price of live chickens down to a more affordable level.
The Panel also urged the Administration to, in the
context of its review of the hawker licensing policy, to consider the value of the hawking trade in providing people with a livelihood and stimulating the local economy, particularly pertinent issues in the prevailing economic downturn. The Panel also called on the Administration to adopt a holistic approach to formulating this policy, in consideration of its cultural, economic and social relevance.
To assist licensed hawkers and public market stall
tenants in overcoming the difficulties brought about by the financial crisis, Panel members passed a motion urging the Administration to waive the licence fees of all hawkers for one year and the rental fees of all public markets for two quarters.
The Panel criticized the Administration for not
seeking its views or conducting a thorough consultation with public market stall tenants before arranging for those tenants to sign new tenancy agreements. It further criticized the Administration for failing to first rationalize the positioning, functions and subsidization of public markets, as had been recommended by the Public Accounts Committee. Members passed a motion urging the Administration to, amongst other measures, suspend the signing of new public market tenancy agreements for one year and extend the tenancy agreements with stall tenants for one year. Subsequent to this meeting, the Administration agreed to suspend the signing of the new public market tenancy agreements for one year until 30 June 2010.
Panel on Health Services
Human cases of a new strain of swine influenza A
(H1N1) virus infection were identified in April 2009 in Mexico, the United States and Canada. According to the World Health Organization, the swine influenza A(H1N1) viruses identified in this outbreak had not been previously detected in pigs or humans. On 27 April 2009, the Administration gazetted “Swine influenza” as a statutorily notifiable disease with immediate effect under the Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Cap. 599) and as a specified disease under the Prevention and Control of Disease Chapter 3
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Regulation (Cap. 599A). The first imported case
of human swine influenza (HSI) in Hong Kong was confirmed on 1 May 2009.
The Panel on Health Services in general supported
the Administration’s strategy of containment against pandemic influenza for as long as it took to delay community transmission, after which mitigation would take priority. Mitigation would apply when the local transmission of HSI became significant and the containment strategy was no longer appropriate or feasible, i.e., when there was a confirmed local case that had no identifiable link, such as travel to an affected area in the previous seven days. Whilst supporting the procurement of HSI vaccines, the Panel also requested the Administration to provide more details in its funding proposal to the Finance Committee about the need for the early procurement of these vaccines, as well as about their possible side effects and the implementation of the vaccinations.
Following the publication of the Report on First Stage
Public Consultation on Healthcare Reform in December 2008, questions were raised about whether, in light of the recent global financial turmoil, the Administration would review its plan to implement mandatory medical savings or mandatory insurance as supplementary financing. Members noted that there was not yet a consensus on the Administration’s healthcare financing proposals. The findings of the first-stage public consultation clearly revealed some of the general values held by the public. The Panel was informed that the Administration would incorporate such values in the formulation of healthcare financing arrangements prior to a stage-two public consultation to be launched at an appropriate juncture upon completion of the formulation of more detailed proposals for the future development of Hong Kong’s healthcare system.
In light of a series of incidents concerning
pharmaceutical products in Hong Kong, such as fungal-contaminated Allopurinol, the Panel urged the Administration to further increase the number of Department of Health pharmacists available to perform more inspections to ensure greater surveillance of the drug supply chain. The Panel will continue to monitor the progress of a review of the existing regulatory regime for pharmaceutical products.
Whilst expressing support for the development of
a territory-wide electronic healthcare record (eHR) sharing system, members wondered whether the project could succeed if the level of participation amongst private doctors was not high. The Panel asked the Administration to provide details of its strategy for encouraging private doctors to join the eHR sharing system in its funding proposal to the Finance Committee.
Panel on Home Affairs
The Panel on Home Affairs continued during
the session to monitor the initiatives taken by the Administration to strengthen the arts and cultural software. Members suggested that the Administration step up efforts to bring the arts and culture to the community, nurture artistic talent and future arts administrators, widen the audience base for the arts, and capitalize on the new senior secondary school curriculum to promote arts education, particularly in view of the commencement of the West Kowloon Cultural District development.
In consideration of high community expectations for
the West Kowloon Cultural Development project, its importance for Hong Kong’s long-term development, especially in terms of the cultural life of the populace, and the significant amount of public resources involved, the Panel on Home Affairs and the Panel on Development set up a joint subcommittee to monitor the implementation of the project.
The Panel on Home Affairs held lengthy discussions
with the Administration and deputations about funding support for and the governance of arts groups. Members expressed concern about the Administration’s funding mechanism, which in their view was tilting towards major performing arts groups and not addressing the needs of small-and medium-sized arts groups. To address the issue, LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 69the Administration advised that it would commission
a consultancy study to develop a new set of assessment criteria and funding mechanisms for major performing arts groups.
The Panel has been actively following the
development of Cantonese Opera. It expressed support for the Administration’s proposal to convert the Yau Ma Tei Theatre and the Red Brick Building into a Xiqu Activity Centre. Taking into account the unique history and status of the Sunbeam Theatre in the development of Cantonese Opera, the Panel also passed a motion to urge the Administration to consider the preservation of the Theatre as a performance venue for or as part of the collective memory of Cantonese Opera.
After visiting the major venues for the 2009 East Asian
Games, the Administration briefed the Panel on the progress made in preparation for the Games. The Panel noted the financial position of the Games and the measures that will be taken by the Administration to facilitate the public viewing of and participation in the Opening Ceremony and the 100-Day Countdown and Torch Relay. In view of public concerns over the worrying decline in local football, members urged the Administration to strengthen funding support and venue provision for the sport and to formulate long-term strategies to raise its standards. Members expressed divergent views when the Panel deliberated on a Hong Kong Jockey Club proposal to increase the number of race days, but in general agreed that the Administration should strengthen efforts to address gambling-related problems and publicize the negative effects of gambling, particularly to young people.
The Panel also closely monitored the implementation
of recommendations for the 2006 District Council Review in the 18 District Councils. Members raised concerns about the progress of the District Minor Works projects. They also urged the Administration to expand the role of the District Councils to cover the management of all district facilities relating to food and environmental hygiene, as they affected quality of life in the local community.
Panel on Housing
With property prices continuing to rise following the recovery of the local economy, there were increasing calls for the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) and Tenants Purchase Scheme (TPS) to be relaunched to assist low-income families in achieving home ownership. The majority of members held the view that the Administration’s decision to cease the HOS was unacceptable. To avoid any overlap between the HOS and the private residential market, they said, consideration could be given to restricting the eligibility for HOS flats to tenants of public rental housing (PRH). Some members opposed the re-launching of the HOS, however, as they felt it would put additional pressure on the private property market. They also suggested that the limited housing resources would be better used for the provision of PRH so as to shorten the average waiting time for such housing. With regard to the TPS, some members pointed out that its re-launch would have virtually no impact on the private property market given the low sales prices of TPS flats. Nor, they said, would it affect the Housing Authority’s (HA) ability to maintain the target average waiting time for PRH at around three years, as the sale of a few thousand TPS flats to sitting tenants would
During site visits to the 2009 East Asian Games venues,
Members of the Panel on Home Affairs pose in the Tseung Kwan O Sports Ground after viewing the major features of the Main Sports Ground and touring the Secondary Sports Ground.Chapter 3
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have little effect on the current stock of about 700,000
PRH flats, let alone the annual production of about 15,000 new PRH flats.
The Panel expressed concern about the shortage of
land for PRH development in recent years. Unlike earlier years, when large-scale sites were earmarked for PRH development, today only smaller and scattered sites could be obtained due to a shortage of land and objections from the local community. The situation was further aggravated by the return of prime-cleared PRH sites to the Government for other purposes, which will not only affect the steady supply of PRH, but is also undesirable from the planning perspective, particularly in terms of the provision of facilities, as new PRH developments will have to share facilities with other existing developments within the district. Given that more people are likely to register on the PRH waiting list, given the current state of the economy, members expressed concern that the HA may be unable to maintain its target average waiting time of around three years. To this end, it was advised that more incentives be provided to sitting PRH tenants to encourage them to purchase surplus HOS flats, thus improving the turnover of PRH flats for re-allocation.
The Panel has been closely monitoring the progress
of the divestment of 180 HA retail and car-parking (RC) facilities, as there have been ongoing concerns about the management of divested RC facilities and the protection of the interests of non-skilled workers who are engaged in the services contracted out by The Link Management Limited (The Link). Some members reiterated that the decision to privatize public assets had been wrong from the outset. The divestment had resulted in hefty rental increases for RC facilities, which had not only affected retailers’ livelihoods but had also affected the tenants concerned, as these increases were eventually reflected in the prices of goods. The situation was at variance with the undertaking formerly given by The Link management that it would not increase rents at markets and shopping centres if patronage traffic and sales revenue had not increased
Members of the Panel on Housing express great
interest in the green measures adopted by the public rental housing estate.correspondingly. Panel members opined that the
HA could not detach itself from the management of RC facilities within PRH estates even after the divestment. To resolve the problem, they said, the Administration should seriously consider buying back shares of The Link.
The Panel noted that the income and asset limits for
2009-2010 would increase by an average of 3.3% and 0.6%, respectively, over those for 2008-2009. Despite the proposed increase, some members remained of the view that the present income limits were overly stringent. There seemed to be a lack of co-ordination in the formulation of housing and welfare policies, they said, as evidenced by the incoherent policy on minimum wage being contemplated by the Labour and Welfare Bureau and the current review of PRH Waiting List income limits. They opined that there should be cross-referencing between the Waiting List income limits and the minimum wage, and that the former should be revised upwards to ensure that applicants did not lose their eligibility for PRH as a result of a slight change in household income, such as a pay rise or the receipt of a bonus. Consideration should also be given to reviewing the adequacy of the 5% “contingency” provision, they added.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 71Panel on Information Technology and
Broadcasting
In the wake of a series of incidents involving the
loss of USB memory sticks that contained personal data held by Government bureaux/departments and public hospitals, the Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting held meetings with the relevant departments and expressed grave concern over information security and the handling of sensitive personal data by the Government and public bodies. Panel members were keen to ensure that appropriate measures were in place to reduce the risk of leakage and to prevent the occurrence of similar incidents, so as to restore public confidence in the handling of personal data by the Government and public organizations.
With regard to a review of the administration of
Internet domain names in Hong Kong, the Panel met with representatives of relevant stakeholders to gauge their views. Panel members urged the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC) to take note of the comments and suggestions made by members and deputations, and introduce a clear set of policies and procedures to ensure transparency and good corporate governance. These members also emphasized that domain name registration should be processed fairly in the interest of the community.
Following the launch of public consultation on a
review of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (COIAO), the Panel held two meetings to receive views from deputations and members of the public. As there were divergent views in the community about this review, some Panel members recommended that the Administration strike a balance between protecting youth from indecent and obscene materials and preserving the free flow of information and freedom of expression. Given the transient and extraterritorial nature of the massive information flow on the Internet, which is not subject to the laws of Hong Kong, members called on the Government to carefully address the legal and technical problems involved in Internet control.
The Panel noted that the establishment of the
Create Hong Kong office was a timely move aimed at driving the development of creative industries through the coordination of Government policies and the integration of resources. Panel members urged this office to work closely with the trade to boost the development of creative industries, and to formulate comprehensive strategies and a long-term policy for promoting those industries. They also called on the Administration to put in place a fair, open and transparent mechanism for vetting applications under the CreateSmart Initiative.
Some Panel members expressed grave concern over
the delay in the opening up of radio/TV channels for the use of the community and the Government’s deferral of the release of a consultation paper on public service broadcasting and the future of Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK). They urged the Administration to exert greater effort to finalize this consultation paper and to consult the public and RTHK more widely as soon as possible. The Administration was requested to brief the Panel on its latest position on the matter and its timetable for a public consultation.
Panel on Manpower
The Panel on Manpower noted that the Administration intended to introduce an across-the-board statutory minimum wage (SMW) and set up a Minimum Wage Commission to advise on the SMW level and its review mechanism. Some members stated that in setting the SMW level, the Administration should ensure that a safety net was provided to enable low-income groups to earn a living wage. Most members supported a proposal for persons with disabilities whose productivity was impaired by those disabilities to be exempted from the SMW so as to minimize any adverse impact on their employment opportunities. One member Chapter 3
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disagreed, however, noting that these persons should
also receive the SMW. Regarding the employees who were to be covered under the SMW legislation, some members expressed support for exempting live-in foreign domestic helpers, whereas others supported covering such helpers under the legislation. No members raised objections to the exclusion of students undertaking internship programmes to meet academic or other programme requirements.
In general, Panel members supported the
Administration’s proposal to make the non-payment of Labour Tribunal (LT) awards a criminal offence. Some took the view that all three improvement measures proposed by the Administration to assist employees in enforcing these awards, namely, making the non-payment of LT awards a criminal offence, empowering the LT to order defaulting employers to pay additional sums to employees, and empowering the LT to order the disclosure of defaulting employers’ financial details, should be implemented together. The Administration advised that, although it had accorded priority to making the non-payment of LT awards a criminal offence to ensure that employees benefited from the new measure as soon as possible, it was still working out the details of the other two measures.
The Panel expressed its serious concerns about the
employment services and training programmes for young people. Members noted that an Internship Programme for University Graduates (IPUG) was to be launched to provide 4,000 places for interested graduates to work as interns and receive training in local or mainland enterprises for a period of six to 12 months. The wages offered by employers should in no case be less than $4,000 per month. Some members expressed concern over university graduates being offered wages as low as $4,000 per month under the programme. Others queried the need to provide further training to university graduates, given that they had received the requisite training at university. The Administration explained that the IPUG was introduced as a temporary measure to help university graduates establish a foothold in the job market. It said the $4,000-per-month wage for university graduates was a misconception on the part of the community. Employers who participated in the IPUG must offer wages that were commensurate with the duties, responsibilities and training content of the posts.
On the future direction of the Employees Retraining
Board (ERB), members noted that some trainees believe that taking ERB courses may not necessarily lead to employment that is related to the courses taken. They said they were also concerned about the type of courses offered and whether the skills taught were in demand in the job market. The Administration assured them that the ERB attaches great importance to course quality. Graduates of full-time placement-tied ERB courses were subject to an end-of-course assessment. The ERB attached great importance to quality assurance, the Administration said, and had begun to develop professional and para-professional certification schemes to enhance the employability of trainees and set them on a path to professional careers. The ERB also monitors the performance of training bodies to ensure their cost-effectiveness in administering courses by paying class visits and surprise visits and by conducting site audits.
Panel on Public Service
In view of the public concern arising from the Government’s permission for Mr LEUNG Chin-man, the former Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands and Director of Housing, to take up post-retirement employment with a subsidiary of the Hong Kong New World Development Company Limited, the Panel on Public Service discussed the related issues with the Administration and the Committee on the Review of Post-Service Outside Work for Directorate Civil Servants set up by the Chief Executive. Panel members recommended that improvement measures be introduced to address specifically concerns about “deferred rewards” and to meet public expectations that the protection of the public interest be held more important than the protection of an individual’s right to pursue post-service employment. The Panel also expressed concern that civil servants were subject LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 73to more stringent control arrangements than were
politically appointed officials.
The Administration’s announcement that it would
defer the implementation of the recommendations of three Grade Structure Review reports, which were supported by the Government and have additional financial implications, has aroused significant dismay, especially amongst the disciplined services affected. Whilst some members supported the deferral in view of the current economic situation, others said it was unfair to those who would have benefited from the timely implementation of the recommendations. The Panel urged the Administration to address the various concerns raised by the disciplined services, such as pay structure, career progression and the conditioned hours of work, and to map out the way forward as soon as possible.
The Panel was consulted on the 2009-2010 civil
service pay adjustment following the 2009 Pay Trend Survey. Some members opposed the proposed pay cut of 5.38% for civil servants in the upper salary band and above. They expressed concern that the proposed pay cut might trigger off a spate of wage cuts in the community, and suggested imposing a pay freeze or offsetting the pay cut against future pay increases instead. The Panel also noted the views of the staff sides of the central consultative council on the findings of the Pay Trend Survey, and requested that the Administration provide further information to address these queries.
In line with the expansion of the Political Appointment
System, the Administration issued for consultation a draft Civil Service Code that sets out the values and standards of conduct that civil servants should uphold, as well as the framework within which they are expected to work with politically appointed officials. The Panel discussed the draft Code with the Administration and heard the views of the civil servants associations. There were concerns that the Code fails to delineate the roles and responsibilities of Permanent Secretaries, Under Secretaries and Political Assistants, and that it does not address the unclear supervisory/subordinate relationship between Under Secretaries and civil servants.
During the session, the Panel also examined civil
service recruitment policies and the disciplinary frameworks for different categories of civil servants. Panel members expressed concern about the consistency, fairness and constitutionality of the various policies and measures in place.
Panel on Security
The Panel on Security continues to closely follow the youth drug abuse problem, and during the session examined the recommendations made in the Report of the Task Force on Youth Drug Abuse. Regarding the Report’s proposal that compulsory drug testing be introduced, members noted that the proposal would be set out in a detailed consultation paper and that public views would be invited before it was taken forward. Members also noted that a proposal to introduce a school-based voluntary drug testing scheme had prompted considerable discussion within the school sector. The Administration advised the Panel that it would undertake a more in-depth study of the relevant issues and suggest model schemes for reference.
The Panel expressed concern over the assistance
provided to Hong Kong residents stranded overseas in times of crises and/or because of unexpected incidents. Members suggested that the Administration had been too slow in responding to requests for assistance from the Hong Kong residents stranded in Thailand in late November and early December 2008. They said they were particularly concerned about the mechanisms for assisting residents who encountered problems outside Hong Kong and how similar cases would be handled in future. The Administration advised the Panel that it has an established emergency response mechanism to help Hong Kong residents stranded overseas in times of crises and/or because of unexpected incidents. It said there are clear Chapter 3
CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 74
and effective alerting, notification and activation
procedures in place to ensure that the relevant government officials are informed promptly of any natural or man-made disaster anywhere in the world in which there is a likelihood that Hong Kong residents have been affected or injured or have died. Members noted that the Administration has conducted a review of this mechanism and proposed 30 enhancement measures.
Members expressed concern about the breakdown
of emergency ambulances, the ageing of the ambulance fleet and the replacement of aged emergency ambulances. They said a replacement lead time of two to three years is too long and urged the Administration to review the existing procedures for vehicle procurement, so as to shorten the lead time required and expedite the replacement of ambulances. The Administration stressed that it attaches great importance to the quality of its emergency ambulance service. In deciding on the replacement schedule, the departments concerned take into account a number of factors, including the actual working condition of the vehicle, vehicle age, cumulative mileage and maintenance history. The Administration said it would endeavour to shorten the preparation period for the specifications for new ambulance requirements.
Regarding the issues raised by the Commissioner
on Interception of Communications and Surveillance in his Annual Report 2007 to the Chief Executive, Panel members said they were very concerned about how law enforcement agencies handled interception products involving information that might be subject to legal professional privilege. The Administration stressed that the checks and balances built into the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance had struck a balance between protecting privacy and legal professional privilege, whilst allowing law enforcement agencies to carry out covert operations for the prevention and detection of serious crimes and the protection of public security in warranted circumstances.The Panel also expressed concerns about how the Police handled sex workers and detainee searches. It has formed a subcommittee to examine the scope and classification of detainee searches, as well as the ranking of authorizing officers for searches that involve the full removal of underwear, the use of advanced technology and devices to assist Police officers in the conduct of searches, the need for undercover operations against vice activities, and the monitoring of Police officers engaged in undercover anti-vice operations.
Panel on Transport
Meeting in the midst of the economic downturn,
the Panel on Transport recommended that public transport fares be kept at affordable levels or adjusted downwards to alleviate the burden of transport expenses on low-income workers and other disadvantaged groups. The Panel passed a motion urging the franchised bus companies and the MTR Corporation Limited to offer concessionary fares to the elderly on a permanent basis and to continue to offer other fare concessions. The Panel also expressed dissatisfaction with the fare levels proposed for the Kowloon Southern Link, noting that they were too high, and passed a motion urging the MTR Corporation Limited to re-examine them.
In response to concerns about the revision of the
quarterly bus fare adjustment formula, which had been caused by a miscalculation in the wage figures of the transport services sector, the panel discussed with the Administration ways to improve the collection of wage figures from this sector. The Panel was also keen to ensure that the MTR Corporation Limited would not increase its fares when the effective period of its rail merger commitment of not increasing fares expired in June 2009.
With regard to the uneven distribution of tunnel
traffic, the panel discussed with the Administration measures to rationalize the utilization of Build-Operate-Transfer tunnels. It noted that the LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 75Southern Link, the Shatin to Central Link, the Hong
Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the West Island Line, the South Island Line and the Tseung Kwan O Extension (Phase II). The Subcommittee also reviewed recent railway incidents, the installation of platform screen doors and the relevant railway by-laws.
Panel on Welfare Services
Following the release of the Review Report on the Lump Sum Grant Subvention System prepared by the Lump Sum Grant Independent Review Committee in December 2008, the Panel on Welfare Services discussed the recommendations made in this Review Report. It noted that the Administration had accepted in principle all of the recommendations and would take them forward in concert with the welfare sector. However, most members held the view that the Review Report had not thoroughly resolved the problems arising from Administration has commissioned a one-year consultancy study to find a long-term solution to traffic congestion at harbour crossings.
Road safety remains a major concern of the Panel.
During the session, it discussed proposals for addressing the circumvention problem in the service of summons to facilitate the disqualification from driving of repeat traffic offenders and to combat drink driving with heavier penalties and the introduction of the new offence of “dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm”. The Panel also examined the causes and prevention of bus fire/smoke incidents and measures to address other road safety concerns. Following a fatal traffic accident in Mongkok involving a public light bus, Panel members expressed their dissatisfaction over the lack of progress in installing “blackboxes” and speed limiters on these buses. Members recommended enhanced law enforcement actions and undercover operations to combat speeding by public light buses.
The Panel offered its support to the new taxi
structure, which “raises short-haul fares and lowers long-haul fares” and said it would continue to monitor the effectiveness of the new structure in curtailing discount gang activities. It will follow up on the need to introduce legislation on charging according to meters to combat fare bargaining.
Addressing concerns raised by the staff of the MTR
Corporation Limited about changes to staff welfare and working conditions, the Panel passed a motion criticizing the government for failing to strictly monitor the fulfilment by the MTR Corporation Limited of the job and salary protection undertakings it made during the rail merger agreement.
A Subcommittee was set up under the Panel
to monitor matters relating to railways. This Subcommittee has been actively monitoring the planning, implementation and operation of railways in Hong Kong. During the session, the Panel and the Subcommittee reviewed the planning and funding arrangements for implementing the Kowloon
Members of the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to
Railways view a demonstration of the Mechanical Gap Filler at Lo Wu Station.Chapter 3
CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 76
the implementation of the system, such as unequal
pay for equal work, the high level of staff wastage and turnover in non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Members also suggested that the Administration had failed to take concrete measures to address the problems arising from the implementation of the system or the concerns raised by the welfare sector.
Members also said they were gravely concerned about
the salary arrangements for subvented staff. Pointing out that additional subventions to NGOs under the Lump Sum Grant system had been approved by the Finance Committee in July 2008 as part of the 2008-2009 Civil Service Pay Adjustment, members took the view that the sole purpose of granting these additional subventions had been to allow salary increases for NGO staff. As some NGOs had not used the additional subventions for this purpose, members urged the Administration to take remedial measures to ensure that they were forced to do so and to impose in future clear conditions on the exclusive use of these subventions for salary increases.
Members were updated on the progress of
preparatory work for the introduction of a licensing scheme to regulate the operation of residential care homes for persons with disabilities. They strongly urged the Administration to conduct an overall assessment of the proposal’s impact on the operation of existing residential care homes and the residents living therein. Members were subsequently advised that the Administration aims to introduce the relevant legislative proposal into the Legislative Council in the 2009-2010 session.
The Panel engaged in extensive discussion with
and heard the views of about 150 deputations and individuals on the proposed amendments to the Domestic Violence Ordinance before the Amendment Bill was introduced into the Council. Some members expressed concern that the proposed amendments would not only undermine the core values of family and marriage, but also represented a further step torwards recognizing same-sex marriages and relationships. Other members, however, were of the view that the legislative proposal should be introduced expeditiously, as it was supported by Members of the Third Legislative Council. Panel members were advised that the proposal merely seeks to extend the scope of the Ordinance to include persons in same-sex cohabitating relationships in the distinct and unique context of domestic violence. It remains the Administration’s clear policy not to recognize same-sex relationships.
The Panel attaches great importance to the welfare
and well-being of disadvantaged and low-income groups and, during the 2008-2009 session, continued to call on the Administration to conduct expeditiously a comprehensive review of the adequacy of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) standard rates. The Administration advised the Panel that the CSSA Scheme is a safety net of last resort for those who cannot support themselves financially. In addition to the regular monitoring of price changes, the weighting of items covered under the Scheme will be updated on the basis of the findings of the next Household Expenditure Survey on CSSA Households.
A Subcommittee set up under the Panel in January
2009 to study policies and measures relating to poverty alleviation paid a duty visit to the Republic of Korea and Taiwan in July 2009 to facilitate its study on poverty alleviation and social enterprise development so as to provide assistance to the unemployed and disadvantaged in Hong Kong. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 77SELECT COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE INTO
MATTERS RELATING TO THE POST-SERVICE WORK OF MR LEUNG CHIN-MAN
The appointment of Mr LEUNG Chin-man by New
World China Land Limited (NWCL) as the company’s Executive Director and Deputy Managing Director in August 2008 sparked a public outcry. Given Mr LEUNG’s position as the Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing) and Director of Housing prior to his retirement from the civil service and his involvement in the disposal of the Hunghom Peninsula Private Sector Participation Scheme (PSPS) flats developed by a subsidiary of NWCL ’s parent company, the public expressed
Mr LEUNG Chin-man, former Permanent Secretary
for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing)/Director of Housing (upper photo); Dr Henry CHENG Kar-shun (centre in the lower photo), and Mr Stewart LEUNG Chi-kin (right in the lower photo) give evidence during public hearings of the Select Committee to Inquire into Matters Relating to the Post-service Work of Mr LEUNG Chin-man. concern over whether there was any conflict of
interest involved in Mr LEUNG’s taking up of post-service work with NWCL. There was also public discussion over the propriety of the Government granting Mr Leung the approval to do so. On 10 December 2008, the Council passed a resolution to appoint a select committee to inquire into the vetting of and approval for Mr LEUNG to take up post-service work with NWCL and other real estate organizations and to determine whether there was any connection between such work and the major housing or land policies whose formulation or execution Mr LEUNG had taken part in and the decisions he had made pursuant to such policies while serving as Director of Buildings, Permanent Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands (Housing), and Director of Housing and whether there was any potential or actual conflict of interest. Based on the results of its inquiry, the Select Committee will make recommendations on the policies and arrangements governing the post-service work of directorate civil servants and other related matters.
Between December 2008 and July 2009, the Select
Committee held a total of 38 meetings, including 21 public hearings. The first round of 14 hearings focused on the control regime governing the post-service work of directorate civil servants and the taking up by Mr LEUNG of post-service work with NWCL. The Select Committee took evidence from 19 witnesses, including the Secretary for the Civil Service, a number of officials involved in the vetting of Mr LEUNG’s post-service work with NWCL, the Chairman and members of the Advisory Committee on the Post-service Employment of Civil Servants, representatives from NWCL, and Mr LEUNG Chin-man. The second round of hearings inquired into Mr LEUNG’s role and participation in the disposal of the Hunghom Peninsula PSPS flats. Seven witnesses were summoned to give evidence, including the former Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, officials involved in the disposal of the PSPS flats, representatives of the developer, and Mr LEUNG Chin-man. Five of those summoned gave evidence to the Select Committee Chapter 3
CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 78
during the second round of hearings (see the following
paragraph). In addition to these public hearings, the Select Committee also held a series of internal meetings to prepare for the public hearings and to deliberate on the evidence obtained.
On 10 July 2009, two representatives of the
developer (“the applicants”) who had been ordered to appear before the Select Committee at its hearing on 15 July 2009 to give evidence and produce documents relating to the disposal of the Hunghom Peninsular PSPS flats filed an application for leave to apply for judicial review against the Select Committee’s order for their attendance. At the hearing of this application on 14 July 2009, the Court of First Instance granted leave to the applicants to apply for judicial review on certain items of the relief sought. The substantive hearing on the application for judicial review was held from 17 to 20 August 2009. The applicants were informed of the Select Committee’s decision that their attendance before the Committee on 15 July 2009 was not required and that they would be notified when their attendance would be required pursuant to a decision to be made by the Select Committee at a later stage.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 79Redress System
Members take turns, in groups of six, for duty each
week to oversee the system and to receive and handle representations and complaints made by deputations. In addition, they take turns for “ward duty” during their duty week to meet individual complainants and to provide guidance to staff in processing cases. Staff of the Secretariat provide full-time support services for the Members in the operation of the system.
In 2008-2009, 2,201 new cases that required
investigation and 1,885 telephone enquiries/views were received. Of the new cases received, 413 were group representations and 1,788 were cases brought by individual members of the public. Of the 1,884 cases dealt with and concluded within the Chapter 4
The Council operates a redress system under which the public can make
representations on or seek solutions to problems arising from Government policies, decisions and procedures. Under this system, Members provide assistance, where
justified, for members of the public who are aggrieved by Government actions or policies. They also deal with public representations on Government policies and legislation and with other matters of public concern.
period, Members directly handled 654 cases, which
constituted 34.7% of the caseload. Of the remaining 1,230 cases, 1,214 required circulation amongst Members for consideration, and 16 were simple cases that could be handled by the Secretariat staff on behalf of Members. To resolve cases expeditiously, Members held 69 case conferences with representatives of the Government.
The nature of the cases concluded during the period
under review is shown in Fig. 4.1, with their outcome shown in Fig. 4.2. Of the 1,884 cases concluded, assistance was provided to 1,765 cases (93.6%), whilst the remaining 119 cases (6.4%) were not pursued, as they were outside the scope of the redress system, groundless or incomprehensible.
Fig. 4.1 Nature of concluded cases
Proposa l / View
1,344
(71.3%)
Enquiry
21
(1.1%) Matters outside scope
87
(4.7%)Complaint
270
(14.3%)Request for a ssistance
162
(8.6%)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 80
Fig. 4.3 and Fig. 4.4, respectively, present statistical breakdowns of the cases concluded, by nature and
outcome, by the 10 Government policy bureaux/departments that received the largest number of complaints. A breakdown of the cases concluded by all Government policy bureaux/departments, independent organizations and others is provided in Appendix 6 .Fig. 4.2 Outcome of concluded cases
Information given/referrals made
1,455
(77.2%)Suitable assistance given
185
(9.8%)
Cases resolved/views accepted
125
(6.6%)Not pursued because outside
scope, groundless,
incomprehensible, etc.
119
(6.4%)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 81Chapter 4
Redress System
0102030405060
HOUSING DEPARTMENTTRANSPORT DEPARTMENTSECURITY BUREAU
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT
FINANCIAL SERVICE & THE TREASURY BUREAULANDS DEPARTMENT
TRANSPORT & HOUSING BUREAU
FOOD & ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE DEPARTMENTHOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HONG KONG POLICE FORCE
HOUSING DEPARTMENTTRANSPORT DEPARTMENTSECURITY BUREAU
SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT
FINANCIAL SERVICE & THE TREASURY BUREAULANDS DEPARTMENT
TRANSPORT & HOUSING BUREAU
FOOD & ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE DEPARTMENTHOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT HONG KONG POLICE FORCEGovernment Policy Bureaux/DepartmentsNumber of cases
Nature:
ComplaintRequest for
assistanceProposal/view scopeEnquiryMatters outsideFig. 4.3 Statistical breakdown of concluded cases
by nature by the 10 Government policy bureaux/departments which received the largest number of complaints
0102030405060
Government Policy Bureaux/DepartmentsNumber of casesFig. 4.4 Statistical breakdown of concluded cases
by outcome by the 10 Government policy bureaux/departments
which received the largest number of complaints
Cases resolved/
views acceptedSuitable assistance
givenInformation given/referrals madeNot pursued because outside scope,
groundless, incomprehensible, etc.Outcome :LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 82
ANALYSIS OF SIGNIFICANT CASES
DEALT WITH
Some of the more common and significant cases
dealt with under the redress system are as follows.
Housing Cases
Housing issues attracted the largest number of cases, totalling 50. These consisted mainly of individuals’ complaints against the management of public rental housing (PRH), such as water seepage, dog keeping and the service provided by management contractors. There were a significant number of requests for assistance in tackling noise nuisances in housing estates. Other cases were mainly about applications for PRH, including compassionate rehousing, the expedition of applications and the termination of tenancies. Group cases were mainly related to such issues as the maintenance, repair and refurbishment of PRH units. The Complaints Division took up the cases with the Administration and advised the complainants accordingly.
Transport Cases
Transport cases, 44 in total, accounted for the second largest number during the year. Most of those brought forward by individuals were views on or requests for assistance in relation to road safety, drink driving, the adjustment of taxi fares, improvements in traffic conditions and cross-boundary coach services, the provision of railings for the protection of pedestrians and drivers, the noise nuisance caused by trams, and applications for disabled persons’ parking permits. Other cases included complaints about the services provided by
Members pay a site visit to the Lek Yuen Estate to
discuss the Estate’s redevelopment with the Sha Tin District Councillors.A case conference was held with the Administration after Members conducting a site visit to observe the progress of the construction of the MTR South Island Line in Wong Chuk Hang.
Members visit a site in Tuen Mun to observe the
construction of noise barriers along the Tuen Mun Road town centre section.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 83bus/minibus companies. Group cases were mainly
concerned with improvements to bus services to provide the greater facilitation of passengers. All of these issues were taken up with the Administration in the form of written referrals and case conferences.
Security Bureau-related Cases
Cases within the purview of the Security Bureau, totalling 43, formed the third largest number of cases received during the session. These were mainly individual cases brought forth by deputations requesting assistance for women from the Mainland married to Hong Kong residents. Most of these individual cases were concerned with entitlement to the right of abode in Hong Kong, applications for One-way Permits, extensions of stay in Hong Kong, rights to social welfare/public services in Hong Kong, particularly obstetric services, and the level of charges for the use of such services and facilities. Members expressed grave concerns over the difficulties faced by some Mainland mothers who come to Hong Kong on Two-way Permits to take care of their young children. They raised the matter with the Administration, and were advised that the assessment of applications for and the issue of One-way Permits were processed by the Mainland authorities in accordance with the laws and policies of the Mainland and thus fell outside the remit of the HKSAR Government. Notwithstanding this fact, the HKSAR Government from time to time receives requests for assistance from the public in relaying requests to the Mainland authorities, such as help to expedite their applications or those of their relatives or requests to exercise discretion in the handling of applications. The Immigration Department will continue to apprise the Mainland authorities of exceptional circumstances and provide appropriate assistance if necessary.Social Welfare Cases
Cases related to the Social Welfare Department, totalling 41, ranked fourth amongst those handled during the year. Many of these were complaints and views concerning the administration of the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme. Requests for assistance and views on the Old Age Allowance were also received. Individual cases were taken up with the Department, with suitable assistance rendered to the complainants.
Members meet with the Lantau Island Residents
Association and a Concern Group on the Rainstorm Incident on 23 September in Tai O to determine whether any assistance could be offered to the commercial operators and residents of Tai O affected by the typhoon.Chapter 4
Redress SystemLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 84
Financial Services and Related Issues
Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau attracted
40 cases, the fifth largest number of cases handled during the session. Most of the individual cases lodged by members of the public were complaints and views about the selling of Lehman Brothers-related minibonds and structured financial products; other cases were views on improving the Deposit Protection Scheme, monitoring the financial market and stabilizing the Hong Kong stock market. The cases lodged by groups were related to requests to expand the coverage of the Government’s one-off injections to the Mandatory Provident Fund accounts of eligible persons, permission to transfer the electricity charge subsidy for elderly residents of a public housing estate due to estate redevelopment, and views on the future development of the securities and futures industry. These issues were taken up with the Administration and the authorities concerned in the form of written referrals or case conferences or were referred to the subcommittee of the relevant panel for follow-up.
OTHER SIGNIFICANT CASES
Kwun Tong Town Centre Redevelopment Project
Residents affected by the Kwun Tong Town Centre
Redevelopment Project sought Members’ assistance in their negotiations with the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) on the acquisition price of their domestic properties. The residents complained that the acquisition price was too low to purchase a notional seven-year-old flat of a similar size in a comparable locality.
At a case conference amongst Members, the URA
and the Administration, the URA explained that eligible owner-occupiers of domestic properties would be offered $5,937 per square foot of saleable floor area, based on its assessment of the unit rate of a notional seven-year-old flat as of 1 December 2008. In view of the large number of property interests involved, and taking into account the opinions of the residents affected, the URA said it had enhanced the valuation mechanism by commissioning 11 independent valuation firms (instead of seven, as is usual practice) to perform the unit rate assessment.
The URA advised Members that although
comparable notional seven-year-old buildings are absent from Kwun Tong, the valuation had been made with reference to transactions made in comparable buildings in comparable districts with characteristics and a transport network similar to those of Kwun Tong. The districts chosen for benchmarking included Kwun Tong, Lam Tin, Choi Hung, Diamond Hill, Wong Tai Sin, San Po Kong, Hung Hom, Mongkok and Yau Ma Tei. Bilingual valuation reports with company profiles will be put on display at the URA Resource Centre in Kwun Tong for owners’ information. A series of briefing sessions on acquisitions and rehousing arrangements will also be held for the residents affected after the issuance of purchase offers.
During a site visit to the North Kwai Chung Market,
Members listen to the view of the stall owners on the fire safety facilities and crime prevention measures of the market stalls.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 85Objection to the Construction of Hotels in
Ocean Park
Some residents of the Southern District met with
Members to voice their objections to the proposed hotel development projects in Ocean Park Hong Kong. They complained that the location, height and densities of the proposed hotels are incompatible with the area’s green environment. In particular, a proposed hotel near the Shouson Hill residential area would block the view of the immediate neighbourhood. The residents also expressed concerns about the traffic that would be generated by the proposed hotels, which they thought would further aggravate the traffic conditions of a number of existing roads. They also queried whether hotel development was in accordance with Ocean Park’s mandate, which is to conserve marine life and educate the public.
As a case follow-up, Members held a case
conference with the Administration and the Ocean Park Corporation (OPC). The OPC explained that hotel development is consistent with its statutory objectives to provide recreational, educational and related facilities for visitors and locals. It said it was common for world-class theme parks to introduce hotel developments to strengthen their destination appeal, noting that there has been strong demand from the tourism industry for Ocean Park to be upgraded so as to become a world-class marine park destination.
With regard to the impact on the surroundings, the
OPC advised Members that the proposed hotels would be integrated and blend in with their natural surroundings and would be compatible with the functions of theme park development. The projects also required the compensatory planting of trees. The sites selected for hotel developments were only partially formed at present and would take on a much improved appearance with well-landscaped areas upon completion. The OPC noted residents’ concerns about the blockage of views. At the Members’ request, the company agreed to consider the feasibility of reducing the height of the hotel nearest to the Shouson Hill area, subject to financial viability. With a lower height, this hotel would have no impact on views.
As for the impact on traffic, the OPC explained that the
additional traffic generated would have an insignificant impact. Furthermore, upon project completion, the major park entry would be shifted to the front gate, thus alleviating the traffic capacity of Shum Wan Road to the Tai Shue Wan entry. When the new South Island Line was completed in 2015, the demand for road capacity would be further reduced.
Hopewell Centre II Project
A group of Kennedy Road residents met with Members to raise their objection to the Hopewell Centre II Project, which will involve the construction of a 93-storey hotel and commercial building in the Wan Chai District. They raised great concerns over the development’s intensity and height, as well as its impact on traffic conditions.
Members held a case conference with the
Administration to follow up various issues, including the planning features of and land exchange related to the project, the additional traffic that would be
Members conduct a site visit with representatives of
the Administration to observe the road improvement works at Kennedy Road in Wanchai where the Hopewell Centre II Project will be built.Chapter 4
Redress SystemLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 86
generated, and the proposed road improvement
works and associated environmental impact. The Administration explained that the planning application and building plans for the proposed development had been approved by the Town Planning Board (TPB) in 1994. According to TPB guidelines, a development project with approved building plans would be deemed as having commenced. Although the TPB, with the assistance of the Planning Department, continued to review the relevant outline zoning plans from time to time to keep pace with changes in circumstances, it could not revoke approved development projects. Although the Administration was aware of the public’s aspirations for a better living environment, it had to be perseverant in the implementation of policy and honour past cases handled in accordance with that policy. With regard to the traffic and environmental impacts of the project, the Administration promised to keep a close watch on the project and ensure that appropriate mitigation measures were in place and in compliance with the law.
To address the concerns raised by the deputation,
Members urged the Administration to actively discuss the proposed project with the developer, with a view to achieving a balance between addressing public concerns and respecting the developer’s rights. The developer subsequently agreed in principle to significantly reduce the scale of the project to keep the open space area for public use unchanged.
Registration System for Chinese Medicine
Practitioners
A deputation comprising listed Chinese medicine
practitioners (CMPs) solicited Members’ assistance in March 2009 to urge the Administration to allow listed CMPs with no less than 15 years of practising experience after January 2000 to be exempted from the Licensing Examination and to be registered directly. The deputation also expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace with which Chinese medicine was being promoted in Hong Kong.Members followed up the case at a case conference with the Administration and the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong. The Administration advised Members that the registration system for CMPs was implemented in 2000 in accordance with the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549). According to this Ordinance, persons practising Chinese medicine on 3 January 2000 could have their names entered on a list as listed CMPs. They could then continue practising Chinese medicine until a date specified by the Secretary for Food and Health. Except for those who had been practising for a specified period and/or had obtained the required academic qualifications, and should thus be granted an exemption, listed CMPs were required to pass the Licensing Examination before they were qualified to apply for registration as registered CMPs. To encourage listed CMPs to take part in the Licensing Examination, appropriate measures had been put in place in the past few years to assist those seeking registration. The Administration stressed that these transitional arrangements for the registration of CMPs were the result of extensive consultation with different sectors of the community, including the Chinese medicine profession. Under the Ordinance, only the continuous period of Chinese medicine practice immediately before January 2000 would be considered in assessing the practising experience of a listed CMP. To uphold the professional standards of registered CMPs and to safeguard public health, the Administration had no intention of altering the arrangements.
In response, Members said they did not see the
justification for not allowing listed CMPs who had been practising Chinese medicine in Hong Kong continuously for not less than 15 years after January 2000 to become registered, given that they were allowed to practise Chinese medicine in Hong Kong. As the subject of the registration system for CMPs touched on wider health policy, the case was referred to the Panel on Health Services for further deliberation. Members also urged the Administration to expedite the process for setting up 18 Chinese medicine clinics in the districts and to formulate a timetable for the establishment of a Chinese medicine hospital. LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 87PARLIAMENTARY LIAISON
SUBCOMMITTEE
The Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee of the House
Committee is responsible for the overall co-ordination of all parliamentary liaison activities between the Council and other parliamentary organizations outside Hong Kong, and for considering proposals to set up friendship groups with such organizations. This Subcommitte, whose membership is listed in Appendix 5 , makes recommendations to the House
Committee on such matters.
At the suggestion of the subcommittee and as
endorsed by the House Committee, a delegation of eight Members of the Council visited Prague of the Czech Republic, Zagreb and Rijeka of the Republic of Croatia, and Budapest of the Republic of Hungary from 13 to 23 September 2009.
The delegation obtained first-hand information on the
political and constitutional development in the above emerging democracies as well as their electoral systems, and drew experience from how they managed the changes during the democratization process. The delegation also gained a better understanding of the operation of the legislatures concerned, including their committee structure and the parliamentary services provided to individual Members of Parliaments.
The delegation met Members and staff of the
Parliaments, members of political parties, government officials, non-governmental organizations, academics specializing in the study of democratization in these countries, as well as those who had participated in the democratic movements.
Members hold meetings on a roster basis with members
of the 18 District Councils to discuss and exchange views on matters of mutual interest and concern. Here we see them in meetings with the Kwai Tsing District Councillors (upper photo) and Tai Po District Councillors.LUNCHEONS WITH CONSULS-GENERAL
To enhance contacts between Members and the
diplomatic community in Hong Kong, luncheons were organized regularly during the session to provide opportunities for Members to make the acquaintance of and exchange views with consular officials about the Council’s work and matters of mutual concern. Three such luncheons, which were attended by a total of 46 consular officials, were held between October 2008 and September 2009.Chapter 5
Corporate Liaison And
Public EducationLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 88
Hon Nancy PELOSI also meets with Members to
discuss Hong Kong’s latest developments.Hon Nancy PELOSI, Speaker of the US House of
Representatives, signs a guestbook before holding a meeting with Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council.Members in a meeting with the Councillors of Heung
Yee Kuk.CONTACT WITH DISTRICT COUNCILS
Members hold regular meetings on a roster basis
with the District Councils to exchange views on matters or issues of mutual interest. Members take turns to convene such meetings, each of which is followed by a luncheon that is attended by members of the District Council concerned, the President and Members. Policy issues raised at these meetings are referred to the relevant panels for more in-depth study, whereas individual cases are taken up by the Complaints Division for follow-up with the Government. During the 2008-2009 session, 16 such meetings were held with the District Councils.
CONTACT WITH HEUNG YEE KUK
Members also hold regular meetings with Councillors of Heung Yee Kuk to exchange views on matters or issues of mutual concern. During the 2008-2009 session, one meeting between Members and Heung Yee Kuk Councillors was held on 8 January 2009, with the Chairman of the House Committee presiding. Policy issues raised at the meeting were referred to the relevant panels and the Government for follow-up, whereas individual cases are to be taken up by the Complaints Division for follow-up with the Government.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 89
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the
Legislative Council, exchanges souvenir with a delegation from the Spanish Congress of Deputies.A representative of a delegation from the Employment and Equality Committee of the Parliament of Finland presents a souvenir to Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, President of the Legislative Council, before having a meeting with Members.Chapter 5
Corporate Liaison And
Public Education
VISITORS
Members and senior staff of the Legislative
Council Secretariat regularly receive visiting parliamentarians, dignitaries and delegations referred by the Information Services Department and other Government departments and by consuls-general in Hong Kong. During the 2008-2009 session, a total of 71 meetings were held with visitors to brief them on the work of the Council and on the latest developments in Hong Kong. These visitors included members of legislatures, political and business leaders, government officials, and prominent persons from various countries and regions.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 90
PUBLIC EDUCATION
To enhance public understanding of the work
of the Council and its Members, the Secretariat develops and implements a comprehensive public education programme for schools, non-profit-making organizations and members of the public. The programme includes arranging visits to the Legislative Council Building, organizing workshops for teachers, producing teaching and educational materials, and other relevant civic education activities such as mock Council debates and the Legislative Council Building Open Day.
During the period under review, a total of 633 visits
to the Legislative Council Building involving 22,825 visitors were conducted, an increase in 45% and 46% respectively as compared with 437 visits and 15,659 visitors in the 2007-2008 session. Two teachers’ workshops on the New Senior Secondary (NSS) curriculum introduced in the 2009 school year were also conducted to facilitate teaching and classroom learning. Moreover, a total of six mock Council debates were organized during the session, and the Legislative Council Building Open Day held on 29 November 2008 had attracted a record number of 3,773 visitors.
In addition, a Focus Group comprising school
principals and teachers has been formed to garner their views on how to enrich the Council’s public education programme. Since its inception in April 2008, the Focus Group held a total of three meetings. Based upon the views given by members of the Focus Group, the Secretariat has revamped the Council’s “Civic Education Corner” website and produced a new and enhanced version of the website to enable students and young people to get to know the Legislature in an interesting way. Following the implementation of the NSS curriculum, a subgroup under the Focus Group was set up to assist the Secretariat in developing learning and teaching materials for students and teachers to tie in with the curriculum.
Hon LAM Tai-fai takes a photo with a group of students
in the Dining Hall after briefing them on the work of the Legislative Council.
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee listens to the speech given
by a member of the Hong Kong Federation of Youth during a Mock Council Debate.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 91Chapter 6
Support Services For Members
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COMMISSION
The Legislative Council Commission is a statutory
body established under The Legislative Council Commission Ordinance (Cap. 443). Chaired by the President of the Council and comprising 11 other Members (the Ordinance states that the Commission may have no more than 13 members, including the Chairman), the Commission exercises managerial and financial functions in providing, through the Legislative Council Secretariat, administrative support and services to the Council independent of the Government. Four Committees under the Commission carry out specific delegated functions: the Committee on Personnel Matters, the Committee on Members’ Operating Expenses, the Committee on Facilities and Services, and the Committee on Art. Membership of the Commission and its four Committees, as well as their terms of reference, are set out in Appendix 7 .
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SECRETARIAT
Headed by the Secretary General, the Legislative Council Secretariat comprises nine divisions, with Secretariat staff being directly appointed by the Commission. As of 30 September 2009, 342 posts had been established in the Secretariat. In addition, a temporary Project Team, headed by an Assistant Secretary General, was set up in March 2008 to oversee and co-ordinate the planning and implementation of the new Legislative Council Complex. The organizational chart of the Secretariat is presented in Appendix 8 .LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 92
Appendix 1
Composition of The
Legislative Council
PRESIDENT
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, GBS, JP
(Hong Kong Island)
MEMBERS
FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai,SBS, S.B.St.J., JP(Engineering)
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po, GBM, GBS, JP
(Finance)
Dr Hon Margaret NG
(Legal)
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
(Education)
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun,
GBS, JP(Textiles and Garment)
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong, GBS
(Commercial – Second)
Hon WONG Yung-kan, SBS, JP
(Agriculture and Fisheries)
Hon LAU Wong-fat, GBM, GBS, JP
(Heung Yee Kuk)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee, GBS, JP
(Transport)
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting, GBS, JP(Sports, Performing Arts, Culture and Publication)
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him, SBS, JP
(Real Estate and Construction)
Hon LI Fung-ying, BBS, JP
(Labour)
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, SBS, JP
(Catering)
Hon Vincent FANG Kang, SBS, JP
(Wholesale & Retail)
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long, SBS, JP
(Health Services)
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung, SBS, JP
(Commercial – First)
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen,
SBS, JP(Industrial – First)
Hon WONG Ting-kwong, BBS, JP
(Import and Export)
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
(Financial Services)
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing, SBS, JP
(Architectural, Surveying and Planning)
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai, BBS, JP
(Industrial – Second)
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po, MH, JP
(Accountancy)
Hon CHAN Kin-por, JP
(Insurance)
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
(Medical)
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
(Social Welfare)
Hon IP Wai-ming, MH
(Labour) Hon IP Kwok-him, GBS, JP(District Council)
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
(Labour)
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
(Tourism)
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho, JP
(Information Technology)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 93
GEOGRAPHICAL CONSTITUENCIES
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
(New Territories West) Hon LEE Cheuk-yan(New Territories West)
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming, SBS, JP
(Kowloon East)
Hon James TO Kun-sun
(Kowloon West)
Hon CHAN Kam-lam, SBS, JP
(Kowloon East) Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung(New Territories West)
Hon LAU Kong-wah, JP
(New Territories East) Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing, JP(New Territories East)
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
(New Territories East)
Hon TAM Yiu-chung, GBS, JP
(New Territories West)
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip(New Territories West) Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, SBS, JP(Kowloon West)
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee, SC, JP
(Hong Kong Island)
Hon WONG Kwok-hing, MH
(New Territories West)
Hon LEE Wing-tat
(New Territories West) Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit, SC(Kowloon East)
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
(New Territories East)
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming, GBS, JP
(New Territories West)
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah, SC
(New Territories East)
Hon KAM Nai-wai, MH
(Hong Kong Island)
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan(Hong Kong Island)
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
(Kowloon West)
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
(New Territories East)
Hon Tanya CHAN
(Hong Kong Island)
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
(Kowloon West) Hon WONG Sing-chi(New Territories East)
Hon WONG Kwok-kin, BBS
(Kowloon East) Hon WONG Yuk-man(Kowloon West)
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, GBS, JP
(Hong Kong Island)Appendix 1
Composition of The
Legislative CouncilLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 94
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing, GBS, JP
President of the Legislative Council
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A., The University of Hong Kong (1968)
• Cert. Ed., The University of Hong Kong (1981)
• M. Ed., The University of Hong Kong (1983)
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and
Progress of Hong KongHon Miriam LAU Kin-yee, GBS, JP
President’s Deputy
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Transport
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A. Hons., The University of Hong Kong
• Solicitor, Supreme Court of Hong Kong
• Solicitor, Supreme Court of England
• Barrister and Solicitor, Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia
• Diploma in Chinese Law, University of East Asia
Occupation :
• Solicitor and Notary Public
• China-Appointed Attesting Officer
Political Affiliation :
• Liberal PartyAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 95Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Laws (Hons.), The University of Hong
Kong
• Post-graduate Certificate in Laws, The University of Hong Kong
• Solicitor, Supreme Court of Hong Kong
• Notary Public
Occupation :
• Practising Solicitor and Notary Public
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyIr Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai, SBS,
S.B.St.J., JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Engineering
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Ph.D., City University of London, UK (1968-1971)
• P.D.S.E., The University of Manchester, UK (1963-
1964)
• B.Sc. (Eng.), The University of Hong Kong (1963)
• Honorary Doctor of Laws, The University of Manchester, UK (2001)
• Honorary Doctor of Business Administration, City University of Hong Kong (1999)
• Authorized Person (Building Ordinance)
• Registered Structural Engineer (Building Ordinance)
• Registered Professional Engineer (Building, Civil, Control, Automation & Instrumentation, Environmental, Geotechnical, Material, Structural)
• Honorary Fellow (Disciplines: Building, Civil, Control, Automation & Instrumentation, Environmental, Geotechnical, Materials, Structural) and Former President (1987-1988), The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers
• Fellow, Institution of Civil Engineers, UK
• Fellow, Former Vice President (1989-1990) and International Representative (Asia-Pacific Region), The Institution of Structural Engineers, UK
• Former Council Member (1984-1987) and Registered Principal, The Association of Consulting Engineers of Hong Kong
• Fellow and Council Member, The Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences
• Honorary Fellow, The Chartered Institute of Building
• Former Honorary Advisor (2004-2006), The Chartered Institute of Building (Hong Kong)
• Fellow & Former President (1989-1990), The Hong Kong Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology
• Fellow & Former Honorary Adviser (1999-2002), Hong Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 96
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B. Sc. (Eng.), Department of Civil Engineering,
The University of Hong Kong
Occupation :
• General Secretary, Hong Kong Confederation of Trade Unions
Political Affiliation :
• Hong Kong Confederation of Trade UnionsKong Institute of Real Estate Administrators
• Honorary Fellow, The Hong Kong Institute of Facility Management
• Founder Member and Fellow, The Hong Kong Institution of Highways and Transportation
• Honorary Advisor and Honorary Fellow, The Hong Kong Institute of Utility Surveyors
Occupation :
• Engineer
Political Affiliation : - LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 97Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po, GBM, GBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Finance
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• M.A. (Economics and Law), University of
Cambridge
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Bankers
• Fellow, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
• Chartered Fellow, British Computer Society
• Fellow, Hong Kong Computer Society
• Fellow, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, England
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Law, University of Cambridge
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, University of Warwick
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws, The University of Hong Kong
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Social Sciences, Lingnan College
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration, Napier University
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science, Imperial College London
• Fellow, Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Fellow, The Hong Kong Institute of Bankers
• Fellow, The Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants
Occupation :
• Banker (Chairman and Chief Executive, The Bank of East Asia, Limited)
Political Affiliation : - Hon Fred LI Wah-ming, SBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Arts (Sociology)
• Master of Social Work
• Registered Social Worker, Hong Kong
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 98
Dr Hon Margaret NG
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Legal
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A. , The University of Hong Kong
• M.A. , The University of Hong Kong
• Ph.D. , Boston University
• B.A. (Law), University of Cambridge
• P.C.LL. (Law), The University of Hong Kong
• Barrister-at-Law
Occupation :
• Barrister
Political Affiliation :
• Civic PartyHon James TO Kun-sun
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• LL. B., The University of Hong Kong
• Solicitor of Hong Kong Court
Occupation :
• Solicitor
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 99Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Education
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Social Science, The Chinese
University of Hong Kong (1978)
• Registered Teacher
Occupation :
• Teacher
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyHon CHAN Kam-lam, SBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Hong Kong Technical College (now known as The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (1971)
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 100
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun,
GBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Textiles and Garment
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Mathematics and Computer
Science, University of Illinois, USA
Occupation :
• Non-Executive Director, Bay Apparel Limited
• Non-Executive Director, Golden Emblem Investment Company Limited
Political Affiliation : -Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A. (Hons.), University of Essex, UK
• Post-graduate Certificate in Education,
The University of Hong Kong
Occupation :
• Teacher
Political Affiliation :
• Neighbourhood and Worker’s Service CentreLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 101Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong, GBS
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Commercial (Second)
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• M.Sc. (Engineering), University of California, USA
• J.D. (Law), Southland University, USA
• Ph.D. (Engineering), California Coast University,
USA
Occupation :
• Chairman and Chief Executive, Winco Paper Products Company Limited
Political Affiliation : - Hon WONG Yung-kan, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Agriculture and Fisheries
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Diploma in Modern Management, South China Teacher’s University
Occupation :
• Fisherman
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 102
Hon LAU Kong-wah, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• St. Paul’s College
• Sir Robert Black College of Education
• B.A. in Sociology and Philosophy, University of
Exeter, UK
• M (Phil.) in Public and Social Administration, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
• Executive Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and
Progress of Hong KongHon LAU Wong-fat, GBM, GBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Heung Yee Kuk
Education and Professional Qualifications : -
Occupation :
• Chairman, Wing Tung Yick (Holdings) Limited
Political Affiliation : -LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 103Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A., Broadcast Journalism, University of
Southern California, USA
• M. Sc., International Relations, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, UK
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyHon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A., M.A., M.Ed., Practising Solicitor
Occupation :
• Solicitor
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 104
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting, GBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Sports, Performing Arts, Culture
and Publication
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• University of Southern California, USA
Occupation :
• Merchant
Political Affiliation : - Hon TAM Yiu-chung, GBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• “Adult Education”, Australian National University,
Centre for Continuing Education
• “Trade Union Studies”, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of London, UK
• Honorary Life Fellow, Institute of Commercial Management, UK
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 105Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Real Estate and Construction
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A. and Dip. Ed., University of Sydney, Australia
Occupation :
• Company Director
Political Affiliation : -Hon LI Fung-ying, BBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Labour
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Tertiary Education
Occupation :
• Trade Union Officer
Political Affiliation :
• The Federation of Hong Kong and Kowloon
Labour UnionsAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 106
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Catering
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Pepperdine University (B.Sc., M.B.A.)
Occupation :
• Chairman, Goldearn Consultants Ltd.
• Chairman, Syto Trading and Investment Ltd.
• Chairman, Citiway Development Ltd.
• Deputy General Manager, World Trade Centre
Club Hong Kong
• Director, Art Concept International Culture Studies Foundation Ltd.
Political Affiliation :
• Liberal PartyHon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Social Work
• Master of Social Work
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• League of Social Democrats
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 107Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee, SBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.A. (Hons.) in Social Policy and Public
Administration, Bradford University, UK (1982)
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Hong Kong Association for Democracy and People’s LivelihoodHon Audrey EU Yuet-mee, SC, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• St. Francis Canossian College (1960-1970)
• St. Paul’s Co-Educational College (1970-1972)
• LL.B. (Hons.), The University of Hong Kong (1972-1975)
• LL.M., University of London (1975-1976)
• College of Law (Bar Finals) (1976-1977)
• Called to the Bar in England (1977)
• Called to the Bar in Hong Kong (1978)
• Called to the Inner Bar in Hong Kong (1993)
• Senior Counsel (1997)
Occupation :
• Senior Counsel
Political Affiliation :
• Civic PartyAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 108
Hon Vincent FANG Kang, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Wholesale & Retail
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• M.Sc of Textiles Engineering, North Carolina
State University (1969)
• B.Sc of Textiles Engineering, North Carolina State University (1967)
• Wah Yan College (1962)
Occupation :
• Chief Executive Officer, Toppy Co (Hong Kong) Ltd
• Managing Director, Fantastic Garments Ltd
Political Affiliation :
• Liberal PartyHon WONG Kwok-hing, MH
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Diploma of Social Administration of The University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education
• BA of Sociology of Jinan University
• Outstanding Lifelong Learner Award of The University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education (9/2001)
Occupation :
• Labour Service Executive Officer
• Writer
• Executive Officer, The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions New Territories Office
Political Affiliation :
• The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 109Hon LEE Wing-tat
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• St. Paul’s College
• Bachelor of Science, The University of Hong Kong
• Certificate of Education, The University of Hong
Kong
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Health Services
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Ph.D. (Social Science)
• Registered Nurse
Occupation :
• Associate Professor and Programme Leader, Nursing School of Science & Technology, The Open University of Hong Kong
Political Affiliation : - Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 110
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Commercial (First)
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• St. Joseph’s College, Hong Kong
• Tufts University, USA (BSME)
Occupation :
• Managing Director, Forward Winsome
Industries Limited
• Managing Director, Eltee Enterprise Limited
Political Affiliation : -Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Industrial (First)
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• BSc (Hon), Leeds University
• Fellow, Textiles Institute
• Fellow, Clothing and Footwear Institute
Occupation :
• Merchant
Political Affiliation : -LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 111Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit, SC
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• LL.B., The University of Hong Kong (1982)
• LL.M., University of Cambridge (1984)
• Called to the Hong Kong Bar (1983)
* Called to the Inner Bar (1998)
Occupation :
• Senior Counsel
Political Affiliation :
• Civic PartyHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Form Six
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• April Fifth Action
• League of Social DemocratsAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 112
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming, GBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• College
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and
Progress of Hong KongHon WONG Ting-kwong, BBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Import and Export
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Heung To Middle School
• Guangzhou No.6 High School
Occupation :
• Merchant
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 113Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah, SC
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Queen’s College, Hong Kong
• LL. B. (First Class Honours/First of Class), The
University of Hong Kong (1972)
• B.C.L. (Honours), Oxford University (1974)
• Holder of Simon Lee Medal in Laws, The University of Hong Kong (1972)
• Graduate Awardee, Rotary International (1973-1974)
• Winter-Williams Scholar of St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University (1972-1974)
• Certificate of Honour, London Bar Final Examination (First Class Honours/First of Candidates) (1974)
• The Lloyd Stott Memorial Prize (1974)
• J.B. Montagu Pupillage Prize (1974)
• The Middle Temple Certificate of Honour Prize (1974)
• Member of Hong Kong Bar Association
• Member of The General Council of the Bar of England
• Member of the New York State Bar Association of the United States of America
• Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association (1999-2001)
Occupation :
• Senior Counsel
Political Affiliation :
• Civic PartyHon CHIM Pui-chung
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Financial Services
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Secondary School
Occupation :
• Director of a number of companies
Political Affiliation : - Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 114
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing, SBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Architectural, Surveying and
Planning
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• People’s Republic of China Class I Registered
Architect Qualification (2004)
• Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (1989)
• Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Architects (1974-1989)
• Member of Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (1971)
• Honorary University Fellow, The University of Hong Kong (2006)
• Master of Business Administration, University of East Asia (1988)
• Bachelor of Architecture, University of Manitoba (1969)
• The Artist of the Year Award (1999)
• HKIA Outstanding Architect Award (1991)
• Ten Outstanding Young Persons Award (1984)
Occupation :
• Architect
• Honorary Professor, Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong (2006 - present)
• Honorary Professor, College of Humanities and Law in The University of Hong Kong School of Professonal and Continuing Education (2005 - present)
• Head of Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong (1996-2000)
• Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Professor of Department of Architecture, The University of Hong Kong (1973-2004)
Political Affiliation : -Hon KAM Nai-wai, MH
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Diploma of Social Work with Distinction, City Polytechnic of Hong Kong
• Registered Social Worker, Hong Kong
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
• District Councillor
• IT Company Part-time Consultant
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 115Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• University of Waterloo
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Civic Act-upHon Starry LEE Wai-king
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• BBA, The Hong Kong University of Science and
Technology
• HKICPA
• ACA
• ACS
• ACIS
Occupation :
• Certified Public Accountant
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 116
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai, BBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Industrial (Second)
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Higher Diploma in Textile Technology, Hong
Kong Polytechnic (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University)
• Honorary Degree of Doctor of Business Administration, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation : - Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Social Science (Hons) (CUHK)
• Master of Social Science (CUHK)
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong KongLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 117Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po, MH, JP
Constituency: Functional Constituency -
Accountancy
Education and Professional Qualifications:
• Bachelor and Master of Business Administration,
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
• Fellow Member of The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Fellow Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants
• Fellow Member of CPA Australia
• Fellow Member of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries of Administrators
• Fellow Member of the Taxation Institute of Hong Kong
• Fellow Member of the Hong Kong Institute of Company Secretaries
Occupation:
• Certified Public Accountant
Political Affiliation: -Hon CHAN Kin-por, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Insurance
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Ng Wah College
• Associate of The Chartered Insurance Institute
• Chartered Insurer of The Chartered Insurance
Institute
Occupation :
• Member of the Munich Re China Advisory Board
Political Affiliation : - Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 118
Hon Tanya CHAN
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor of Laws
• Post-Graduate Certificate in Laws
Occupation :
• Barrister
Political Affiliation :
• Civic PartyDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Barrister-at-law (Hong Kong)
• Arbitrator, China International Economic and
Trade Arbitration Commission
• PCLL (The University of Hong Kong)
• CPE (Manchester Metropolitan University)
• BSSc (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• JSD & LLM (Renmin University of PRC)
Occupation :
• Associate Professor, Law School, City University of Hong Kong
• Barrister-at-law (Hong Kong)
Political Affiliation : -LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 119Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Medical
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• MBChB (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
• FRCS (Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh)
• FCSHK
• FHKAM (Surgery)
• MD (The Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Occupation :
• Doctor
Political Affiliation : -Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Social Welfare
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Certificate of Social Work
Occupation :
• Social Worker
Political Affiliation :
• Hong Kong Social Workers’ General UnionAppendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 120
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
New Territories East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Bachelor Degree in Social Work
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic PartyHon WONG Kwok-kin, BBS
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon East
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Post Experience Diploma in International
Shipping Management, Shanghai Maritime University (1/1994 - 11/1996)
•
• Certificate of Trade Unions Relative, China
Institute of Industrial Relations (3/2000 - 1/2003)
• Maritime Engineer
Occupation :
• Trade Union Worker
Political Affiliation :
• The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions 廣東行政學院現代管理專業課程証書 (1998)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 121Hon WONG Yuk-man
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Kowloon West
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Master of Arts in Chinese History, Chu Hai College
Occupation :
• Full-time Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• League of Social DemocratsHon IP Wai-ming, MH
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Labour
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• Diploma in Social Work, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University
• LLB, Peking University
• LLM, Peking University
Occupation :
• Trade Union Worker
Political Affiliation :
• The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 122
Hon IP Kwok-him, GBS, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
District Council
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• South China Normal University
Occupation :
• Legislative Council Member
Political Affiliation :
• Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and
Progress of Hong KongHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee, GBS, JP
Constituency : Geographical Constituency -
Hong Kong Island
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• BA. (First Class Honors), The University of Hong Kong
• Master of Letters, University of Glasgow
• M.Sc (Management), Stanford University
• M.A. (East Asian Studies), Stanford University
Occupation :
• Chairperson of the Board of Governors, Savantas Policy Institute
Political Affiliation : -LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 123Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Labour
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• M.B., B.S. (H.K.)
• M.R.C. Psych.
• F.H.K.C. Psych.
• F.H.K.A.M. (Psychiatry)
Occupation :
• Consultant (Psychiatry)
Political Affiliation :
• The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Constituency : Functional Constituency - Tourism
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• University of New South Wales - Bachelor of Laws
• University of New South Wales - Bachelor of
Commerce (major in Accounting and Financial Management)
• City University of Hong Kong - Master of Laws (Chinese law and Comparative Law)
• People’s University of Beijing (LL.M coursework completed)
• Barrister of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
• Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore
• Associate Member of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators
• Associate Member of the Australian Society of Certified Professional Accountants
• Barrister of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong (1984 - 1991)
• Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong
Occupation :
• Solicitor
Political Affiliation : - Appendix 2
Members’ BiographiesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 124
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho, JP
Constituency : Functional Constituency -
Information Technology
Education and Professional Qualifications :
• B.Sc Hons, The Chinese University of Hong
Kong
• Ph.D., The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
• Honorary Fellewship, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
• Fellow, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers
Occupation :
• Director, Information Technology Co.
Political Affiliation : - LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 125Public Health and Municipal Services
(Amendment) Bill 2008
Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points)
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Adaptation of Laws Bill 2009Disciplined Services Legislation
(Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009
Appropriation Bill 2009
Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Voting by Imprisoned Persons BillDutiable Commodities (Amendment) Bill 2009Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2009Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Amendment)
Bill 2009
Supplementary Appropriation (2008-2009) Bill
+ A Bills Committee was formed for the Bill
@ Bill passed with CSAs moved by the Administration24.10.2008
23.1.2009
30.1.2009
13.2.2009
25.2.2009
24.4.2009
30.4.200930.4.200930.4.2009
15.5.2009
5.6.20091
23
4
5
6
7
8910
11@+++
+
@+
@+
[email protected]
4.2.2009
11.2.2009
18.2.2009
25.2.2009
6.5.2009
6.5.2009
13.5.2009
13.5.2009
27.5.20 0 9
10.6.200929.4.2009
20.5.2009
29.4.2009
17.6.20 0 9
1-2.4.2009 &
22.4.2009/
23.4.2009
8.7.20 0 9
24.6.2009
17.6.20 0 9
24.6.200924.6.2009
24.6.2009
Appendix 3
Bills Passed
Gazette Date Bills1st Reading
DatePassage through
LegCo DateAppendix 3
Bills PassedLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 126
Appendix 4
Motion Debates Held
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
22 October 2008
“Assisting the victims of the Lehman
Brothers incident” moved by
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fing
amendments moved by
Hon KAM Nai-waiHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitThe motion as amended by Hon KAM Nai-wai, Hon WONG
Kwok-hing and Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit: “That, under the existing financial monitoring mechanism, there is still a large number of bank clients and investors complaining against the banks and securities companies using misleading marketing practices, which have led to their purchasing of financial products such as Lehman Minibonds and notes without knowing the potential risks, resulting in their suffering substantial losses when the company went bankrupt; this incident has not only caused many members of the public to lose confidence in the above financial institutions and the system for monitoring banks and the financial system, but has also seriously affected Hong Kong’s reputation as an international financial centre; in this connection, this Council condemns the Government for its inadequate monitoring, and urges the Government to immediately take the following actions:
(a) using all possible means, including setting up an
inter-departmental response team to assume overall responsibility for providing comprehensive assistance to affected small investors and protecting their interest;
(b) urging distributors to expeditiously disclose information on the underlying assets of Lehman Minibonds or related financial products, including the nature of the underlying assets, their prices and liquidity;
(c) expeditiously completing a comprehensive investigation into whether the distributors of Lehman Minibonds and related financial products have violated the relevant regulatory rules or guidelines, including whether these distributors have used improper sales practices to mislead the investors and whether they have breached the regulations or deviated from the guidelines, and expeditiously disclose the nature and number of cases involving improper sales practices and violation of and deviation from the guidelines; if it is proved that they have violated the relevant rules or guidelines, the Government should pursue the matter and seek compensation on behalf of the victims;
(d) urging the Police to expeditiously complete their investigations for the authorities concerned to institute prosecutions against illegal acts, so as to severely penalize such acts;LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 127
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(e) urging various distributors to expeditiously propose to their
clients compensation options for improper sales practices and violation of regulations;
(f) with reference to the practice of Singapore in handling disputes resolution in the financial sector, considering the setting up of an independent commission or institution to provide one-stop service for disputes resolution, so as to enable the victims to seek compensation through such means as mediation and adjudication;
(g) supporting the Consumer Council to conduct a study of the suspected cases involving misleading practices and, where necessary, use the Consumer Legal Action Fund to seek compensation from the banks and securities companies concerned for the small investors;
(h) demanding the authorities to urge the trustees and distributors concerned to appoint an independent notary agency to properly handle the assets of holders of Lehman Minibonds or related financial products, thereby providing the best protection for the interest of small investors; and
(i) at the same time conducting an investigation into whether there is dereliction of duty on the part of the Financial Secretary, the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the Securities and Futures Commission in this incident, and making recommendations on how to improve the mechanism for monitoring the sales of financial products, strengthen the protection of investors’ interests and prevent the recurrence of similar incidents;
(j) expeditiously providing the details about implementing the plan for distributors to buy back the bonds from the bond-holders and the implementation timetable;
(k) also expeditiously completing a comprehensive investigation into the issuers and sponsors etc of Lehman Minibonds and related financial products and, if it is proved that they have violated the rules or regulations, the Government should pursue the matter and seek compensation on behalf of the victims; and
(l) demanding the Hong Kong Monetary Authority to investigate the unreasonable management measures adopted by the relevant banks to coerce their employees to achieve sales targets of the bonds concerned, establish channels for employees of banks to reflect such situations to the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and, at the same time, monitor bank management not to use high-handed Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 128
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
and target-oriented approach in marketing products to
protect front-line employees from becoming scapegoats, so as to restore public confidence in banks; and
(m) demanding the authorities to appoint, with the highest efficiency and within the shortest possible time, independent persons of credibility and authorize them to deal with the following tasks respectively:
(i) monitoring the process of various banks for investigating complaint cases; and
(ii) with the consent of the parties concerned, arbitrating those cases which cannot be settled by way of conciliation,
so as to reduce the anxiety and dissatisfaction of the affected
persons.” was passed.
The original motion: “That this Council passed motions on
a number of occasions over the past few years calling for improvement to transport facilities for people with disabilities and offer of concessionary transport fares to them, but the Administration, some statutory transport corporations and other public transport operators still fail to face up to and give effect to the motions; this Council strongly demands that the Administration and various public transport operators immediately respond positively and give effect to the relevant motions previously passed by this Council and the Report of the Council’s Subcommittee to Study the Transport Needs of and Provision of Concessionary Public Transport Fares for Persons with Disabilities in the last term, which include that:
(a) in order to effectively assist people with disabilities in
integrating into society, the Administration must adopt legislative, administrative and financial measures to press various major public transport operators to offer concessionary fares to them;
(b) the Government must put forth, in the near future, specific proposals and a timetable for introducing half-fare concession for people with disabilities, so as to help them integrate into society and improve their life;22 October 2008
“Facing up to the transport needs of
people with disabilities” moved by
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 129
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
29, 30 and 31 October 2008
“Motion of Thanks” moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
amendment moved by
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
5 November 2008
“Old age allowance and universal
retirement protection system”
moved byHon Fred LI Wah-ming
amendments moved by
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon WONG Sing-chi Hon TAM Yiu-chung (c) the Government must allocate additional resources to
comprehensively improve the Rehabus service and, in particular, should enhance such service for people with disabilities living in remote areas and new towns; and
(d) the Government must step up consultation with people with disabilities to fully realize the concept of ‘Transport for All’, and strictly regulate the public transport operators in providing barrier-free facilities, so as to enable more people with disabilities to use public transport and integrate into society.” was passed.
The original motion: “That this Council thanks the Chief
Executive for his address.” was passed.
The motion as amended by Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, Hon
WONG Sing-chi and Hon TAM Yiu-chung: “That this Council welcomes the Chief Executive’s announcement that the rates of the Old Age Allowance will be increased to $1,000 per month and the Government will study whether the permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong under the Old Age Allowance Scheme can be relaxed; at the same time, this Council urges the Government to comprehensively examine the existing welfare policy for the elderly to ensure that elderly people who have financial difficulties and are not on the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance can also receive certain form of living supplement, and when studying the establishment of a universal retirement protection system, the Government must ensure that the system will not increase the burden on the next generation and will enable all elderly people to have comprehensive retirement protection and enjoy a dignified and comfortable life in their twilight years; regarding the Chief Executive increasing the rates of the Old Age Allowance to $1,000 per month, this Council welcomes his acceptance of this Council’s view, and also welcomes his withdrawal of the proposal of introducing a Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 130
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
5 November 2008
“Preventing the lower and middle
classes from being trapped in hardship amid the financial tsunami” moved by
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
amendments moved by
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon CHAN Kam-lam
amendment to amendment moved by
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wahThe motion as amended by Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan and
Hon CHAN Kam-lam: “That, under economic globalization, Hong Kong’s position as an important global financial centre and its free and open economy system have caused the local economy to fluctuate more easily with the external environment, the governance philosophy of a free market economy upheld by the Government also allows the disparity between the rich and the poor to persist for years in Hong Kong; the lower and middle classes are not able to benefit when the economy is growing and cannot save money or capital to fight against adversity, and the social security system is not comprehensive; as a result of the financial tsunami, the Hong Kong economy is now about to enter into recession and many people in the lower and middle classes may fall into hardship, which has become a major challenge to the Government’s governance; while the Government has undertaken to fully support the financial and banking industries and take measures to support the small and medium enterprises, it should at the same time pay more attention to the impact of the financial tsunami on the lower and middle classes; this Council urges the Government to adopt various measures to protect the lower and middle classes from being trapped in hardship, including:means test mechanism under the Old Age Allowance Scheme after listening to the opposing voices of this Council and the public; in addition, this Council urges the Government to consider implementing an ‘elderly maintenance grant scheme’ in addition to the existing Old Age Allowance and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance system, so that those elderly people who are aged 60 will receive a monthly living supplement from the Government after making a simple asset declaration; further relax the permissible limit of absence from Hong Kong for Old Age Allowance applicants; and increase the value of elderly health care vouchers to $1,000 and lower the eligibility age for such vouchers to 65.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 131
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(a) setting up a special committee chaired by the Chief
Secretary for Administration to constantly monitor and assess the impact on the lower and middle classes when the Hong Kong economy is in times of financial crisis and to put forward corresponding measures, including introducing further relief measures such as reducing rates, Government rent and salaries tax;
(b) the Task Force on Economic Challenges having to strive to explore specific measures to revitalize the local economy and, in particular, focusing on the over-reliance of the local economy on the financial and real estate sectors, identifying corresponding strategies and promoting more comprehensive development of the economy, including developing eco-tourism, taking the initiative to bid for the hosting of international activities, polishing the brands of Hong Kong as a ‘culinary capital’ and an ‘events capital’, providing more logistics back-up sites and facilities to strengthen the status of Hong Kong as a logistics centre and to support recycling industries etc, so as to create low-skilled jobs, and reduce the impact of the global financial conditions on the economy system of Hong Kong and its labour market;
(c) expeditiously implementing the 10 major infrastructure projects undertaken in the Policy Address of last year, accelerating the construction of infrastructures such as public housing estates and hospitals, expediting the redevelopment of old urban areas, repair and renovation of old buildings, inspection of buildings and removal of unauthorized building works, and expediting the implementation and commencement of the outstanding projects of the ex-Municipal Councils, so as to expeditiously create employment opportunities to counteract the impact of the financial tsunami on the employment rate;
(d) promoting the development of social enterprises, assisting the disadvantaged in making effective use of social capital and creating employment opportunities through the improvement of legislation, funding allocation, training and education, and administrative support, etc, so as to alleviate the difficulties of the disadvantaged in seeking employment in times of economic recession;
(e) strengthening the support to low-income families, including assisting the unemployed recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance in securing employment, creating temporary jobs in various sectors Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 132
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
of social services, expanding the ‘Transport Support
Scheme’ and extending the duration of subsidy, as well as expeditiously enhancing the food bank services, etc, so as to make up for the inadequacies of the social security and employment protection systems; and
(f) assisting as far as possible the families in the lower and middle classes in reducing expenses and lessening their burden, urging the power companies to expeditiously adjust the fuel clause surcharge and basic tariff downwards, and taking effective measures to alleviate the impact of high oil prices on various trades and industries and the public;
(g) actively supporting and assisting small and medium enterprises, including formulating preferential policies for trades and industries, and offering concessions to those trades and industries which are conducive to the restructuring of Hong Kong’s economy and increasing of employment opportunities; studying splitting major government projects to enable more small and medium enterprises to undertake such projects; promoting the development of new points of growth in the economy, including creative industries and healthcare service industries; fostering at a faster pace cooperation in cross-boundary travels; making effective use of the land in border areas to turn Hong Kong into an all-year-round capital of exhibitions and sales; deepening the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and expeditiously discussing with the Guangdong Provincial Government more cooperation plans, so as to create low-skilled jobs; and
(h) revitalizing the community economy, utilizing vacant land in remote areas, such as Tin Shui Wai and Tung Chung, to develop commercial projects which can increase employment opportunities.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 133
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The original as amended by Hon CHAN Hak-kan, Hon WONG Kwok-
hing and Hon Fred LI Wah-ming: “That, as the drop in international oil prices has accelerated recently, yet the local fuel oil and gaseous fuel retail prices have only been reduced to a limited extent, resulting in fuel oil and gaseous fuel prices remaining persistently high, which causes people to query whether oil companies are ‘quick in raising prices but slow in reducing them’ and engaging in ‘price cheating’; in order to safeguard the interests of the public and relevant trades, and to alleviate their burden of fuel oil and gaseous fuel costs, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) press oil companies to immediately reduce the local prices of
auto-fuel, marine fuel and industrial fuel as well as gaseous fuel according to the level of reductions in international oil prices;
(b) introduce a fair competition law to enhance the monitoring and effective regulation of the fuel oil and gaseous fuel market, so as to prevent market monopoly and ensure that fuel oil and gaseous fuel retail prices are fair and reasonable;
(c) request oil companies to re-introduce petrol of 95 octane rating, so as to provide more choices for consumers and reduce their unnecessary burden;
(d) strive to explore more supply sources of processed oil and assist the development of the local biofuel industry to enable real competition in the market;
(e) publish more detailed data on the prices of international oil and gaseous fuel products and the import prices of local oil and gaseous fuel products, so that the public can more effectively monitor the changes in oil and gaseous fuel prices;
(f) actively consider implementing the introduction of price regulation in the tendering of petrol filling station sites; and
(g) reduce the duty on unleaded petrol to alleviate the burden on car owners; and
(h) increase the number of dedicated liquefied petroleum gas (‘LPG’) filling stations to alleviate the burden on drivers of LPG taxis and public light buses, and increase the number of auto LPG filling nozzles to shorten the queuing time for drivers to refill their LPG vehicles; and
(i) request oil companies to publish the pricing criteria for central LPG and domestic cylinder LPG, and review their prices once a month, so as to increase the transparency of the prices of LPG products.” was passed.12 November 2008
“Alleviating the burden of fuel costs
on the public and relevant trades” moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
amendments moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kanHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Fred LI Wah-ming
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 134
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
12 November 2008
“Supporting small and medium
enterprises to tide over the financial tsunami” moved by
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
amendments moved by
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon Tanya CHANHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
amendment to amendment moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee The motion as amended by Hon Tanya CHAN and Hon Jeffrey
LAM Kin-fung: “That, small and medium enterprises (‘SMEs’), which employ a large number of workers, are the important pillars of Hong Kong economy, and being struck by the global financial tsunami, many SMEs and small shop operators in Hong Kong have to face diminishing consumers’ confidence and shrinking business turnover, as well as the banks’ recent substantial tightening of credit and delayed reimbursement of payment for customers’ purchases, resulting in many SMEs and small shop operators which have been operating soundly and steadily being pushed to the brink of collapse; and in particular, for those non-exporting local consumption industries not supported by government policy, including the wholesale, retail, catering and service industries which employ over 1.2 million of the local workforce, should they close down because of the banks’ tightening of credit, a severe domino effect will definitely be triggered; hence this Council urges the Government to provide SMEs with more appropriate support, so as to enable them to tide over this difficult period; and the relevant measures should include:
(a) establishing an inter-departmental task force on
sustainable development for supporting SMEs and revitalizing the economy to take charge of the study and implementation of policies on supporting SMEs, as well as the formulation of measures to stimulate the economy, so as to enable SMEs to sustain their business;
(b) in addition to the existing ‘SME Funding Schemes’ which primarily aim at supporting export enterprises, formulating long-term plans to support the development of the industries engaging in local consumption, including the wholesale, retail, catering and service industries;
(c) strengthening the liaison between the Government and the banks with a view to encouraging the banks to provide robust credit facilities and credit card payment services to enterprises which have been operating soundly and steadily, so that they can continue their operation;
(d) providing guarantee for SMEs’ trust receipts and accounts receivables by the Government, so as to enable them to continue utilizing the relevant financing arrangements; LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 135
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(e) increasing the loan guarantee provided by the Government
under the ‘SME Loan Guarantee Scheme’ from the current 50% to 70% or above;
(f) extending the insurance coverage of the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation to include local sales enterprises;
(g) waiving the rentals of all food markets, government markets and shopping arcades for one quarter and waiving the hawkers’ licence fees for one year to reduce the operational expenses of staple food operators, so as to curb inflation;
(h) holding over SMEs’ provisional payment of profits tax for one year;
(i) discussing with the Central Government and governments of those provinces and municipalities where there is a relatively large number of factories set up by Hong Kong SMEs, with a view to encouraging them to provide more support and concessions to SMEs;
(j) providing more support for SMEs, including consultancy services and designated loan schemes, so as to assist them in complying with newly passed legislation and regulations amid the difficult business environment; and
(k) further extending the scope of assistance provided under the SME Export Marketing Fund to enable SMEs to launch various types of promotional campaigns with greater flexibility;
(l) following the approach of the United Kingdom whereby the Government injects funds into banks and designates such funds as loans for enterprises; and
(m) reducing various types of business license fees across the board.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 136
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
19 November 2008
“Comprehensively improving the
public dental out-patient services and the dental care scheme” moved by
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
amendments moved by
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
(amendment proposed by
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
was withdrawn)The motion as amended by Andrew CHENG Kar-foo: “That oral health is an important factor affecting people’s health and quality of life, yet many people are not able to receive proper treatment when they have oral health problems; the Government on the one hand promotes oral care among the entire population, but on the other hand the public dental out-patient services and dental care services in Hong Kong are seriously inadequate, resulting in the grassroots who cannot afford the charges of private dental clinics not being able to receive timely dental treatment even when they have dental diseases, and at the same time, the present dental care scheme remains to be available to primary schools only, this Council urges the Government to provide additional resources to improve oral care for the entire population, the public dental out-patient services and the dental care scheme, including:
(a) providing public dental out-patient services to members of
the public at the medical and health organizations run by the Government in various districts;
(b) public dental out-patient services must include comprehensive dental treatment, such as dental examination, scaling, extraction, filling, endodontic treatment and crowning, etc, and providing out-reaching dental services for the elderly living in residential care homes;
(c) setting up a dental care scheme for secondary school students;
(d) setting up a dental care scheme for the poor elderly aged over 60;
(e) studying the provision of small dental clinics in elderly health centres; and
(f) reviewing the policy and goals in respect of oral health, and drawing up an implementation timetable and a detailed plan to comprehensively improve the public dental out-patient services and the dental care scheme; as it takes time to improve public dental out-patient services, the Government should first set up a fund to subsidize the people in need to use the dental services of private or non-profit-making organizations.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 137The motion as amended by Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo:
“That, as presently the Eastern Harbour Crossing (‘EHC’) and Western Harbour Crossing (‘WHC’) have failed to achieve the function of diverting cross-harbour traffic flows effectively, and their tolls are on the high side, imposing a heavy burden on vehicle owners and the general public, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) discuss with the management of EHC and WHC for the
provision of more toll concessions, such as offering lower tolls during non-peak hours and half tolls for commercial vehicles which do not carry passengers or goods;
(b) actively discuss with the two tunnel companies and various bus companies to make more room for reduction in cross-harbour bus fares through the offer of toll concessions by the two tunnel companies to the bus companies, thereby bringing down cross-harbour bus fares;
(c) lower the tolls of EHC and WHC to reasonable levels by way of buying out, ‘offering shares in exchange for the tunnel ownership’ or extending the franchises of these two tunnels; and
(d) improve the connecting road networks for EHC and WHC, including expeditiously constructing the Central-Wan Chai Bypass,
so as to attract more vehicle owners and members of the
public to use EHC and WHC, and improve the current traffic congestion at the Cross Harbour Tunnel in Hung Hom, with a view to achieving the objectives of reasonable distribution of traffic among the three tunnels, improving air pollution and alleviating the burden of travelling expenses on vehicle owners and the general public.” was passed.19 November 2008
“Concern about the cross harbour
tunnels failing to divert traffic flows effectively and their high tolls” moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
amendments moved by
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and ResultAppendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 138
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
26 November 2008
“Formulating a roadmap for a low
carbon economy” moved by
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee
amendments moved by
Hon KAM Nai-waiHon CHAN Hak-kan
amendment to amendment
moved by
Hon CHAN Kam-lamThe motion as amended by Hon KAM Nai-wai, Hon CHAN
Hak-kan and Hon CHAN Kam-lam: “That the problem of global warming is aggravating, the Chief Executive has proposed in his Policy Address to build a low carbon economy, i.e. promoting the development of an economy based on low energy consumption and low pollution, yet he has failed to put forward a specific policy framework, strategies, proposed plans, targets and a timetable to set out the specific steps and measures to be taken for achieving a low carbon economy, this Council urges the Government to study the formulation of a timetable and a roadmap for a low carbon economy, including:
(a) setting interim and long-term targets for the reduction of
total greenhouse gas emissions in Hong Kong;
(b) making reference to overseas examples and studying the formulation of strategies and legislation on climate change;
(c) providing economic incentives and formulating measures to encourage energy conservation by the public;
(d) expeditiously drawing up proposed plans for grid access;
(e) expeditiously formulating standardized arrangements for grid connection, allowing electricity trading between users and power companies, and encouraging the use of renewable energy power facilities by various sectors of the community;
(f) studying cooperating with Guangdong Province in developing wind farm projects to promote the use of renewable energy;
(g) greening or installing solar power facilities on the roofs of newly built public housing blocks and covered pedestrian walkways, and encouraging private developers to introduce related facilities;
(h) implementing the promotion of the first stage of ‘low emission zones’ in Hong Kong in 2010;
(i) setting up a data bank on energy efficiency of vehicles covering the data on greenhouse gas emissions; and
(j) tightening the current standards of the Air Quality Objectives to expeditiously align them with the World Health Organization Air Quality Guidelines, raising them to the standards adopted by the European Union by 2012, and implementing the standards prescribed by the World Health Organization by 2015;LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 139The motion as amended by Hon Albert HO Chun-yan and
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee: “That, the recent spate of incidents occurring in the financial sector, including the ‘Lehman Incident’ and the ‘Citic Pacific Incident’, etc, reflect that the regulatory regime of Hong Kong’s financial system needs to be further reformed and to enhance protection for bank clients and investors, whilst presently the regulation of the financial sector and financial products is vested in a number of regulators, causing the suspicion that there are duplication and fragmentation of their regulatory roles, functions and resources, this Council urges the Government to expeditiously conduct a comprehensive review and study of the existing four major financial regulators, including the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission, the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Authority, to ascertain if there is any need to rationalize and improve their regulatory roles, functions and resources in the regulation of the financial sector, or introduce other improvement measures, such as strengthening the regulation on the sale of financial products, so as to enhance the standards of the regulators, as well as studying the establishment of an independent financial ombudsman to provide one-stop and convenient disputes resolution service for handling disputes and compensation matters between clients 26 November 2008
“Reforming financial regulators”
moved byHon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
amendments moved by
Hon CHAN Kam-lamHon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(k) considering bringing carbon dioxide emissions from local
thermal power plants into the regulatory ambit;
(l) actively collaborating with the neighbouring regions, including formulating agreements and relevant legislation, as well as setting up a trading platform to develop a mechanism for local and cross-border carbon trading;
(m) discussing with power companies the inclusion of carbon emissions of users in their electricity bills, so as to assist users in conducting carbon audit; and
(n) raising the current tax concession rates and caps under the first registration tax concession scheme for environment-friendly vehicles to provide additional incentive for the public to switch to environment-friendly vehicles.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 140
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon WONG Sing-chi and Dr Hon
Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun: “That, being struck by the financial tsunami, Hong Kong’s growth in Gross Domestic Product for the third quarter has slackened to 1.7%, the effects of the financial tsunami have gradually surfaced, the risk of the economy entering into recession has substantially increased, layoffs and pay cuts take place one after another, the unemployment rate has rebounded but there is no notable downward adjustment in the prices of goods, causing people’s livelihood to become more difficult; moreover, a latest report of the United Nations points out that Hong Kong ranks first among all Asian cities in the disparity between the rich and the poor, with the Gini Coefficient which reflects the inequality of income distribution rising to a record high of 0.533, indicating that the disparity between the rich and the poor is increasingly serious, this Council therefore urges the Government to adopt the following measures to alleviate the problem of disparity between the rich and the poor:
(a) the Government should create new positions at the middle
and low ranking levels to absorb those groups which have a more serious employment problem, such as young people and middle-aged low-skilled workers, etc;
(b) expanding the Transport Support Scheme to cover the 18 districts in the territory to benefit people with low income and job-seekers;
(c) encouraging Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (‘CSSA’) recipients to increase their income through employment, and assisting low-income or unemployed CSSA recipients who are employable to engage in employment and upgrade their skills in order to help them leave the CSSA net;3 December 2008
“Alleviating the disparity between the
rich and the poor and assisting the grassroots in facing up to economic adversities” moved by
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
amendments moved by
Hon TAM Yiu-chungHon WONG Sing-chiDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon LI Fung-yingand financial institutions, so as to better protect the interests of
investors; and changing the existing regulatory regime, which is ‘disclosure-based’ and ‘subjecting one industry to several regulatory authorities’, as well as strengthening the regulation on the sale of investment-linked insurance products, so as to plug the existing loopholes in the regulation of the financial sector and protect the interests of insuring public.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 141The motion as amended by Hon Fred LI Wah-ming, Hon WONG
Yung-kan and Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit: “That public markets perform the major function of supplying daily necessities to the public, yet the Administration’s approach in planning and managing public and public housing estate markets is very outdated, hence all along it is unable to boost customer flows effectively, and has even resulted in serious vacancy situation in some public and public housing estate markets, this Council urges the Administration to immediately formulate policies on public and public housing estate markets which meet the needs of a modern society, and particularly in view of the recent economic downturn and the worsening trend of the unemployment rate, it is necessary for the Administration to expeditiously enhance the competitiveness of public and public housing estate markets, and assist small traders in these 3 December 2008
“Formulating new policies on public
and public housing estate markets”
moved byHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
amendments moved by
Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon WONG Yung-kanHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon WONG Kwok-hing
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(d) allocating funds to set up district poverty funds, and
formulating focused proposals to alleviate poverty having regard to the poverty situation in various districts; and
(e) expeditiously implementing all the recommendations in the Report of the Commission on Poverty, and re-establishing the Commission on Poverty to explore and recommend focused measures to assist the grassroots in facing up to economic adversities and to formulate comprehensive and long-term policies to effectively allocate community resources and narrow the gap between the rich and the poor, thereby protecting the basic livelihood of the grassroots and promoting harmonious social development;
(f) focusing on the persistently high food prices, the Government should expeditiously implement short-term food assistance projects and study the further extension of their scope of implementation; and
(g) taking into account the fact that the unemployed population in Hong Kong may increase substantially, the Government should take precautionary measures to organize more training courses in collaboration with local tertiary institutions or training bodies and subsidize the unemployed to pursue continuing education to help them add value to and transform themselves, so as to soothe their emotions and restore their confidence in the future.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 142
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
markets in countering monopolization by supermarkets, so as
to benefit the grassroots; the measures include:
(a) prior to the building of new public markets in the future,
having to take into account the factor of whether the lack of public markets in the districts concerned may lead to monopolization by supermarkets;
(b) actively allocating resources to improve the business environment of markets, such as installing additional air-conditioning systems and escalators, improving the drainage design, etc, thereby facilitating the business operation of stall tenants and boosting customer flows to bring about long-term return;
(c) analyzing in depth, from a market perspective, the needs of the districts to which the markets belong, and planning afresh the sizes of individual markets and installs, and types of commodities sold, layout of stalls and ancillary measures of individual markets;
(d) adopting proactive letting policies, such as offering short-term rent concessions to improve the situation of low occupancy and striving to assist traders in the markets in introducing new types of commodities or services, so as to inject new elements into the markets and bring into play their characteristics of trade mix; and
(e) appropriately relaxing the tenancy conditions of market stalls so as to facilitate business operations as far as possible and enable traders to provide unique value-added services, thereby enhancing the attractiveness of the markets; and
(f) during times of economic downturn, reducing the rents of public and public housing estate markets by half for a period of one year, so as to relieve the operating difficulties of small traders;
(g) according priority to small shop operators who are affected by the rent increases of The Link Management Limited and are unable to continue their business to rent public and public housing estate markets at concessionary rent; and
(h) developing public and public housing estate markets into markets for organic agricultural produce, thereby providing room for the marketing of organic farm products.” was passed.(amendment proposed by
Hon WONG Kwok-hing was
withdrawn)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 143
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
10 December 2008
“Promoting infrastructure
development” moved by
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
amendments moved by
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyouHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEE Wing-tatThe motion as amended by Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming, Hon
Audrey EU Yuet-mee and Hon LEE Wing-tat: “That the once-in-a-century international financial tsunami is sweeping across the world, striking the economies of various places including Hong Kong and the situation is very acute, this Council urges the Government to promote infrastructure development with every effort at this critical moment so as to stabilize the economy, increase employment opportunities, enhance the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong and attain sustainable development; to achieve the above objectives, the Government should expeditiously adopt the following measures:
(a) expeditiously implementing the 10 major infrastructure
projects;
(b) formulating forward-looking plans as early as possible, and planning future works projects following the 10 major infrastructure projects;
(c) enhancing cooperation between Hong Kong and the Mainland in planning and commencing cross-border infrastructure projects which are beneficial to both places;
(d) implementing public participation and ensuring the smooth implementation of infrastructure projects to achieve sustainable development for Hong Kong;
(e) enhancing coordination among departments, recruiting engineers for District Offices in various districts, and allowing various District Councils to engage their own consultants for the minor works proposed by them, so as to expedite the approval of contracts for small and medium works projects and the progress of such projects;
(f) commencing more public works projects through public-private partnership;
(g) ensuring a stable amount of work through detailed planning, so as to prevent a cyclical imbalance between the supply and demand in the manpower market; and
(h) strengthening training for young engineers and construction workers, including educating them on the latest developments in such fields as energy conservation and green construction, so as to meet the latest needs of the community; andAppendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 144
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
10 December 2008
“Raising the limit of university
places for publicly-funded bachelor’s degree programmes” moved by
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
amendments moved by
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon IP Kwok-himHon Tanya CHANThe motion as amended by Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong, Hon
IP Kwok-him and Hon Tanya CHAN: “That, the university admission rate in Hong Kong has long been lower than the levels of major countries and regions in Europe, America and Asia, and in the face of competition under globalization and being an international city, Hong Kong must enhance the integrated competitiveness of its population and upgrade the academic qualifications and education level of young people, and in order to match the development of a knowledge-based economy, this Council urges the Government to raise the limit of university places for publicly-funded bachelor’s degree programmes and increase the corresponding student hostel places to allow more students who meet the requirements to (i) stepping up the work of environmental impact assessment
to achieve sustainable development for Hong Kong;
(j) regarding strengthening training for young engineers and construction workers, also strengthening training for architects, planners, surveyors and landscape architects;
(k) regarding expediting the approval of contracts for small and medium works projects, particularly expediting the approval of contracts for those projects for the provision of community facilities such as escalators and lifts for pedestrians, waterfront promenades and cycling tracks; and at the same time, having to streamline the approval procedures of District Councils, so that more community projects can be implemented more expeditiously;
(l) before commencing the various infrastructure projects, having to make public all information and conduct extensive public consultation;
(m) in planning the various projects, having to ensure that the projects complement the surrounding districts, avoid doing damage to the nearby natural and ecological environment and community culture, and strive with every effort to conserve relics and monuments as well as historical buildings, so as to strike a balance between conservation and development; and
(n) subject to not violating the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement, adjusting upwards the contract caps for small projects and splitting into smaller projects for open tender.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 145
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
enrol in publicly-funded degree programmes, and ease the long-
standing shortage of articulation places in bachelor’s degree programmes for sub-degree graduates; while encouraging the provision of more self-financing university places, the Government must at the same time provide reasonable allowances and subsidies to maintain the quality and quantity of degree programmes and alleviate the financial burden of students, with a view to solving the problem of the bottleneck in further studies arising from the corresponding increase in the number of secondary students promoting to universities upon the implementation of the ‘3+3+4’ academic structure; to ensure that students have sufficient financial capability to enrol in publicly-funded bachelor’s degree programmes, this Council also urges the Government to provide interest-free or low interest loans to needy students of degree and sub-degree programmes; and also
(a) review the existing target that 18% of the relevant age cohort
may enrol in publicly-funded bachelor’s degree programmes;
(b) offer additional tax concessions for donations to universities and encourage individuals and enterprises to make donations to enable universities to have sufficient resources to meet the expenses arising from the increase of university places; and
(c) review various existing financial assistance and loan schemes for post-secondary students so that more students can afford the expenses for pursuing studies in universities.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 146
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon WONG Kwok-hing, Hon
Andrew CHENG Kar-foo and Hon WONG Sing-chi: “That the fares of local public transport are escalating, and local franchise bus companies have recently announced the cancellation of fare concessions for the elderly on holidays and same day return fare concessions which were provided in the past three years, causing the travelling expenses of the elderly and grassroots to increase, this Council expresses condemnation in this regard; since public transport operators have continued to increase their fares, causing the public to bear a heavy burden of travelling expenses for a long time, coupled with the fact that a large number of middle-class and grassroots face further difficulties in life amid continuous layoffs and pay cuts by enterprises under the impact of the financial tsunami, this Council urges the Government to adopt further effective measures to alleviate the burden of travelling expenses on the public, including:
(a) providing subsidies to the MTR Corporation, bus
companies, green minibus and ferry operators so that they will offer half-fare concessions to passengers on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, thereby enabling the public to have more opportunities to get together with their families and friends on those days;
(b) further relaxing the eligibility criteria and subsidy period under the Transport Support Scheme, and expanding the Scheme to cover all districts in the territory;
(c) discussing with various public transport operators to offer the Free-ride Day for the elderly on Sundays and public holidays on a permanent basis, formulate an implementation timetable for the provision of half-fare concessions to people with disabilities, and study the feasibility of introducing daily, weekly and monthly travel passes that are valid among various public transport operators;
(d) focusing on the problem of high fares of outlying island ferry services, actively studying various suitable options, including substantially increasing the non-fare box revenue of ferry operators or the Government directly operating the services, etc; and allocating resources to alleviate the burden of ferry service expenses on outlying island residents, and offering half-fare concessions on 17 December 2008
“Alleviating the burden of
travelling expenses” moved by
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
amendments moved by
Hon WONG Kwok-hingHon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
amendment to amendment
moved by
Hon WONG Sing-chi LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 147
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
ferry services to students of outlying islands;
(e) discussing with the MTR Corporation to extend its two-year
fare-freeze period, re-launch the ‘Ride 10 Get One Free’ Promotion and, according to the request of the residents and using more consistent standards, set up more MTR Fare Savers as well as explore further extension of the existing monthly ticket schemes;
(f) discussing with the franchised bus companies ways to improve their existing fare structures, expeditiously revise the scale of fares under the Public Bus Services Ordinance as well as the route groupings under the scale, reformulate the existing guidelines on the setting of fares to provide comprehensive sectional fares and bus-bus interchange concessions, including discounts for interchange among buses of different companies, provide half-fare concessions to all full-time students, as well as introduce daily and monthly ticket schemes for buses; and
(g) on the basis of the above measures, further utilizing Octopus card which is widely used by the public to provide all people in the territory with concessions on monthly tickets that are valid for use on all types of public transport, and continuing to provide the current fare concessions for the elderly on holidays and same day return fare concessions provided by local franchise bus companies, hence will provide convenience to the public and not lead to excessively high administrative and operating costs to the various public transport operators, thereby alleviating the burden of travelling expenses on the general public, particularly the elderly and the working class; and
(h) discussing with the MTR Corporation to establish a fare stabilization fund to be underpinned by the proceeds from properties and make monthly ticket schemes a permanent arrangement.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 148
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon CHAN Hak-kan, Hon Audrey
EU Yuet-mee and Hon LEE Wing-tat: “That there is no marked improvement in the air quality in the Pearl River Delta Region, posing an increasing threat to Hong Kong people’s health, but the Government still uses the first stage objectives of the World Health Organization (‘WHO’) as the goals of the reform in its recent review of Air Quality Objectives, this Council expresses disappointment at this; quite a number of local and overseas studies nowadays have proved that serious air pollution will increase death rates as well as direct and indirect medical costs, and result in a loss in productivity, in this connection, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) establish a ‘smog alarm system’ and formulate guidelines
and corresponding measures for the alarm system, so as to enable the public to know more about the impact of air pollution on health;
(b) adopt the latest objectives of WHO as the benchmark for formulating measures to improve air pollution, evaluate the effectiveness of each of these measures in improving public health, and set improving public health as the primary policy objective in addressing the problem of air pollution;
(c) conduct a long-term tracking study to accurately calculate the loss of life expectancy in the territory resulting from air pollution, as well as the impact of air pollution on the health of people of different ages (including the elderly and children) and on those suffering from various forms of respiratory illnesses and cardiovascular diseases in the territory, so as to provide reference data for formulating long-term policies; and provide financial support to those academic institutions and non-profit-making bodies which are interested in conducting the above study;
(d) in conducting the review of Air Quality Objectives, entrust the Food and Health Bureau with the responsibility of assessing whether the intended benefits to public health as a result of the implementation of new Air Quality Objectives have been achieved and, based on the assessment results, formulate the guiding framework, timetable and corresponding air quality improvement measures for implementing the new Air Quality Objectives; 7 January 2009
“Air pollution and public health”
moved byHon KAM Nai-wai
amendments moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEE Wing-tatLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 149
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(e) continue to implement measures to regulate the emission
standards of vehicles in areas with busy traffic, develop footbridge networks and encourage the public to use mass transit systems;
(f) improve the subsidy scheme for owners of commercial diesel vehicles to replace such vehicles with new ones and attract more owners to participate in the scheme, as well as expand the subsidy scheme to cover franchised buses;
(g) gradually implement the mandatory Building Energy Codes and mandatory energy efficiency labelling for electrical appliances, and expeditiously set the caps on the emissions of air pollutants from power companies for the next stage, so as to reduce pollution caused by generation of electricity; and
(h) expeditiously discuss with the Guangdong Provincial Government the post-2010 cross-boundary cooperation plan between Hong Kong and the Mainland for improving air quality, and draw up the post-2010 emission reduction targets to further improve the air quality in the Pearl River Delta Region;
(i) implement appropriate policies and measures to encourage owners of private cars to use cleaner cars; and
(j) expeditiously formulate a timetable and an action plan for achieving the target of raising the proportion of electricity generated by natural gas to 50%;
(k) relocate the sources of air pollution (e.g. concrete plants) which are adjacent to residential areas, so as to reduce the impact of pollutants on the health of the residents nearby; and
(l) step up tree-planting and greening efforts on roads and in high-rise buildings, and introduce more greening concepts into the procedures for renewal of old districts and construction of new roads.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 150
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon TAM Yiu-chung, Hon
WONG Kwok-hing and Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee: “That the Government estimates that elderly people aged 65 and above in 2036 will constitute 27% of the total population and amount to over two million; however, the services in areas such as welfare, housing, medical and health care as well as life development currently provided by the Government for the elderly are insufficient to cater for the needs of the elderly in various aspects, coupled with the fact that at present the majority of the elderly people do not have full retirement protection, rendering it unable to cope with the trend of an ageing population, this Council urges the Government to consolidate the various existing elderly services and coordinate the relevant bureaux and executive departments to formulate a comprehensive and forward-looking elderly policy which includes:
(a) reviewing the various measures for elderly healthcare
vouchers, including the registration procedure, publicity and promotion, etc; increasing the value of elderly healthcare vouchers to $1,000 per elderly person per year and lowering the eligible age to 65;
(b) urging the MTR Corporation to reinstate fare concessions to the elderly on Sundays and make it a permanent measure; urging franchised bus companies to implement fare concessions to the elderly on holidays on a permanent basis;
(c) comprehensively reviewing the policy on Old Age Allowance (‘OAA’) and Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (‘CSSA’) payments for the elderly, abolishing the absence limit for OAA; introducing an ‘elderly maintenance grant scheme’ for elderly persons aged over 60 who are ineligible for CSSA; allowing the elderly to receive Disability Allowance and OAA concurrently, so as to more comprehensively safeguard the basic needs of the elderly;
(d) providing sound primary healthcare services for the elderly, and promoting a positive and healthy lifestyle among them;14 January 2009
“Formulating a comprehensive
elderly policy” moved by
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
amendments moved by
Hon TAM Yiu-chungHon WONG Kwok-hingHon WONG Sing-chiHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 151
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(e) reducing the burden of medical expenses on the elderly;
reducing public medical fees for the elderly by half; establishing an elderly dental care scheme;
(f) increasing the places in subvented residential care homes for the elderly, and improving various community-based elderly care services;
(g) providing a favourable living environment for the elderly, including implementing ‘barrier-free’ designs for the elderly in public places, and introducing a subsidy scheme for providing additional barrier-free facilities to allow easy access for the elderly;
(h) proactively advocating a proper perspective about the elderly, and encouraging public and private organizations to make good use of the knowledge and experience of the elderly; and
(i) promoting ‘lifelong learning’ to enrich the lives of the elderly,
so as to cater for their physical and psychological needs and
provide the elderly with more opportunities to enable them to actively participate in social building and continue to contribute to the community, thus providing ‘golden twilight years’ for the elderly; such a comprehensive elderly policy should also basically cover the following:
(a) conducting extensive consultation on the elderly policy
by comprehensively collecting the views of the elderly, deputations and service organizations, and formulating a comprehensive and forward-looking elderly policy, improvement measures and implementation timetable on the basis of such consultation;
(b) drawing up an integrated retirement protection plan to benefit all the people of Hong Kong;
(c) launching various measures to encourage children to live with their elderly parents, such as expanding the schemes to foster harmonious families in public rental housing and providing home purchase assistance and loan schemes, etc, so as to advocate the spirit of respecting and caring for the elderly;Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 152
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(d) relaxing the requirement for elderly persons to apply for
CSSA on a household basis, and ensuring that CSSA and allowances can meet the basic needs of the elderly;
(e) allocating additional resources to improve elderly services at the community level, including increasing the number of elderly centres across the territory, increasing the places for the Integrated Home Care Services, and providing diversified district services;
(f) studying the provision of comprehensive financial planning, management and services for the elderly; and
(g) formulating comprehensive, proactive and forward-looking hospice care services;
this Council also urges the Government to expeditiously
implement the recommendations made by the Legislative Council Subcommittee to Study the Subject of Combating Poverty in its Report on Elderly in Poverty and the recommendations on elderly issues put forward in the Report of the Commission on Poverty.” was passed.
The motion as amended by Hon CHAN Hak-kan: “That medical
incidents have occurred frequently in recent years, but there is a current lack of a uniform, credible and highly transparent mechanism for handling health service complaints from members of the public, causing the public to feel helpless; this Council urges the Administration to, without violating the principle of professional autonomy, establish an independent statutory Office of the Health Service Ombudsman to receive complaints concerning health service from the public, investigate and conciliate complaints as well as handle compensation matters under a uniform mechanism, also inform complainants of the investigation outcome within a reasonable time frame and regularly announce to the community the situation regarding handling of medical complaints, so as to ensure that complaints targeting at health service are properly handled and transparency in the handling of complaints is enhanced, and thereby improving the quality of health service.” was passed.14 January 2009
“Establishing an independent
statutory Office of the Health Service Ombudsman” moved by
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
amendment moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kanLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 153
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan and Hon
Paul CHAN Mo-po: “That Hong Kong’s economic development is already at a crossroads where there is a pressing need to develop a new economy and the creation of jobs has become a social consensus; this Council urges the Government to make reference to the experience of successful countries or regions to formulate expeditiously the long-term policies, objectives and implementation timetables for creative industries in coping with the development of a new economy, as well as to:
(a) safeguard free flow of information and freedom of
thoughts and speech to stimulate creativity and imagination;
(b) secure Hong Kong as the locomotive for developing creative industries in the region, with a view to assisting the industries in expanding their markets, in particular the highly promising Mainland market, and strengthening its cooperation with the industries in the Pearl River Delta region;
(c) facilitate cross-sector collaboration among creative industries, take proactive measures, such as building a one-stop platform and using the internet and technologies of new media, to enhance the competitiveness of local creative industries and assist the conventional industries in transforming their business successfully;
(d) offer various incentives, including tax concession, to ensure that adequate resources are available for implementing the policies and realizing the objectives;
(e) nurture and engage talents needed by creative industries;
(f) promote creative commons, strike a balance between retaining of copyright and the right of reasonable utilization to further broaden the room for developing creative industries; and
(g) foster a social culture which is conducive to promoting the development of creative industries, encourage the general public to have the values of exploration and innovation, and build up a local cultural identity; and
(h) offer various incentives to help Hong Kong enterprises and manufacturers upgrade their business and transform into high value-added industries, which include, but not limited to, the following tax concessions:4 February 2009
“Promoting the development of local
creative industries” moved by
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
amendments moved by
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 154
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing:
“That, as the high litigation fees in Hong Kong are beyond the means of the middle class in general, in particular cases for which appeals may be lodged to the Court of Final Appeal where the litigation fees incurred are often astronomical, it is not uncommon that middle-class people go bankrupt because of their involvement in legal proceedings, hence the provision of appropriate legal aid services to such middle-class people is very important; however, under section 5 of the existing Legal Aid Ordinance (Cap. 91), the asset limit for legal aid applicants is $165,700, which is far below the actual need, rendering the majority of the middle class being excluded from the protection net of legal aid; if involved in litigation, the middle-class people are neither able to pay the high lawyer fees on their own nor eligible to apply for legal aid, they are therefore deprived of judiciary justice; on the other hand, the existing legal aid services only cover litigation cases in Hong Kong, and over the past two decades, a large number of Hong Kong permanent residents have been working and living in the Mainland, and it is very likely that they may get involved in legal proceedings in their daily lives, business operation or work, but they have nowhere to turn to for any legal assistance; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) conduct a comprehensive review on the existing legal aid
system; and
(b) relax the asset limit for legal aid applicants (including that for the Supplementary Legal Aid Scheme) to a reasonable level so that more people in need are eligible to apply for legal aid.” was passed.11 February 2009
“Relaxing the eligibility criteria for
legal aid” moved by
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
amendments moved by
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon Albert HO Chun-yanProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing (i) extending the current practice of allowing deduction
of expenditure incurred in the purchase of patent rights in calculating assessable profits to cover the purchase of trade marks and copyrights; and
(ii) increasing the amount of tax deduction for expenditure on research and development from the existing 100% to 200% of the actual expenditure.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 155
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming,
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung and Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee: “That, according to government information, the number of prosecutions against drink driving has been on the rise in recent years; furthermore, several serious traffic accidents caused by drink driving have occurred recently, which resulted in a large number of casualties, reflecting that the awareness of the danger of drink driving among motorists is still weak, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) allocate more resources for conducting random breath
tests, and set up permanent breath test checkpoints at cross-boundary control points and the roads nearby, various major speeding blackspots across the territory, as well as major bar areas and restaurants, etc;
(b) expeditiously conduct a comprehensive review on the effectiveness of the newly implemented Road Traffic Legislation (Amendment) Ordinance 2008, including studying the introduction of a new provision on ‘dangerous driving causing grievous bodily harm’ in the Ordinance and introducing dangerous driving after drinking as a factor of consideration for meting out heavier penalties, as well as increasing the disqualification period upon first conviction of this offence as well as raising the maximum imprisonment term and fine for such an offence where necessary;
(c) consider further tightening the legal limit of blood alcohol concentration, and formulate a set of penalties whereby the greater the extent the alcohol limit is exceeded, the heavier the punishment;
(d) lodge reviews or appeals to the Court by the Department of Justice against drink driving cases with relatively lenient sentences so as to allow the Judiciary to formulate more stringent sentencing criteria and guidelines;
(e) consider raising the maximum imprisonment term for dangerous driving causing death to the same level as that for manslaughter; and
(f) enhance public education and publicity, and require that cautionary words such as ‘don’t drink and drive’ must be printed on the packages of alcoholic beverages to enable motorists to understand the perils of drink driving,18 February 2009
“Measures for combating drink
driving” moved by
Hon LEE Wing-tat
amendments moved by
Hon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
amendment to amendment
moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 156
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Starry LEE Wai-king, Hon
WONG Sing-chi and Hon LEE Cheuk-yan: “That, as the global economy slows down, and Hong Kong is struck by the financial tsunami, young people will definitely face pressure from various fronts, including the financial burden arising from repaying student loans and the employment difficulties caused by reduction in jobs etc; this Council urges the Government to show concern for the needs of young people amid economic adversities and offer suitable support to help them alleviate their pressure, develop their career and contribute to the society, with specific measures which include:
(a) standardizing the existing interest rate for the ‘Non-means
Tested Loan Scheme’ at a flat rate of 2.5%, making changes to the effect that the interest will be calculated after a student has completed the relevant programme and secured employment, as well as changing the means-tested loans to interest-free loans;
(b) suspending the collection of repayments from all borrowers of student loan schemes for one year and waiving the interests on all loans for that year;
(c) providing young people with more employment counselling and support, especially by increasing the resources allocated to the environmental protection and creative industries, with a view to helping them find suitable jobs;
(d) creating temporary jobs and placements which are suitable for young people, including those in the fields of environmental conservation, survey studies, community relations, publicity and promotion etc, to give them opportunities to accumulate working experience;18 February 2009
“Helping young people cope with
the financial tsunami” moved by
Hon Tanya CHAN
amendments moved by
Hon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-hingHon LEE Cheuk-yan
(amendment proposed by
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
was withdrawn)so as to safeguard public safety; this Council also urges the Government to set up medical facilities for treating alcoholics and community counselling centres for such people to receive appropriate treatment and counselling, so as to enable them to understand the perils of drink driving, thereby reducing the occurrence of drink driving accidents.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 157
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
4 March 2009
“Actively implementing
complementary policies for the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta” moved by
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
amendments moved by
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeThe motion as amended by Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho and
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee: “That, as Hong Kong is being struck by the financial tsunami, the need for new economic restructuring has become more imminent, this Council urges the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to expeditiously redefine the role and positioning of Hong Kong and formulate corresponding complementary policies for the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020) promulgated earlier by the Central Government, so as to facilitate Hong Kong’s closer co-operation with Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region and promote Hong Kong’s economic and social development; such policies include:(e) exploring various forms of support, including appropriate
training, counselling services, subsidies or loan arrangements, for young people who aspire to start a business or become self-employed; and
(f) expeditiously implementing the recommendations of the Task Force on Economic Challenges which target at young people’s needs, introducing an attachment allowance scheme for tertiary graduates whereby the Government will offer allowances to Hong Kong and Mainland enterprises which provide attachment places with a view to helping fresh graduates tackle employment difficulties, and putting forward specific work plans as well as announcing the details;
(g) reviewing various financial assistance schemes for post-secondary students, relaxing the eligibility criteria, and raising the amount of grants and loans, so as to alleviate the financial burden on tertiary students; and
(h) considering giving tertiary graduates more flexibility in repayment, including repaying a smaller amount during the first three years after graduation; and
(i) establishing a training contract system to enable young school leavers to have training opportunities and working experience.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 158
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(a) expediting the planning and construction of the Hong
Kong Section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (‘HZMB’) as well as the related connecting infrastructure works for HZMB, and at the same time actively studying the development of a bridgehead economy at the landing point of HZMB in Hong Kong and the implementation of ‘free flow of vehicles’ between Guangdong and Hong Kong, so as to fully utilize HZMB;
(b) expediting transport connection works between the airports in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and expeditiously implementing the proposal to construct a high-speed rail link connecting the airports in Hong Kong and Shenzhen;
(c) actively discussing with the Government of Guangdong Province to clearly delineate the roles and division of work between the ports and terminals in Guangdong and those in Hong Kong, so that a new setting will be formed in the Pearl River Delta Region (‘PRDR’) under which there is a clear demarcation of work among the ports, complementarity of edge and co-development;
(d) in line with the general requirement for a ‘Digital Pearl River Delta’, facilitating the sharing of online resources and interconnection and mutual access among the networks in Guangdong and Hong Kong, and jointly promoting co-operation of the two places in developing digital creative industries;
(e) strengthening co-operation among the exhibition and convention industries in PRDR, and capitalizing on Hong Kong’s edge to turn the territory into a capital of international exhibitions and sales;
(f) strengthening co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in improving the overall water quality in PRDR and reducing the overall volume of water pollution, and at the same time establishing a sound system for the monitoring and prevention of air pollution, as well as striving to solve the problem of atmospheric haze;
(g) helping higher education institutions and education providers in Hong Kong to run education institutions independently in PRDR;
(h) deepening the implementation of the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement by expediting mutual recognition of professional qualifications in Guangdong and Hong Kong as well as lowering the thresholds of practice in PRDR for Hong LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 159
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
Kong professionals, so as to foster the expansion of Hong
Kong’s service industries into PRDR;
(i) formulating focused facilitating measures to provide convenience for PRDR residents to invest in Hong Kong’s stock market, and enhancing efforts in Guangdong Province to provide information on and publicize Hong Kong stocks, so as to prepare for launching the through train scheme for Guangdong’s and Hong Kong’s stock markets;
(j) strengthening various services for Hong Kong residents working and residing in PRDR, and actively considering enhancing the functions of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government’s Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong;
(k) strengthening tourism co-operation among Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, and assisting Hong Kong’s tourism enterprises in operating in PRDR; and
(l) considering setting up a Guangdong/Hong Kong/Macao Leaders’ Conference to strengthen co-operation among the three places;
(m) strengthening co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong in areas such as water, air and climatic change to improve the overall environmental quality in PRDR, including formulating a set of standardized air quality objectives for both places, setting the emission reduction targets beyond 2010 for PRDR, etc; and
(n) taking all effective measures to expeditiously co-operate with Shenzhen to develop the Lok Ma Chau Loop, and strengthening co-operation with Shenzhen in the development of higher education, new and high technology as well as cultural and creative industries, so as to facilitate Hong Kong’s restructuring towards a knowledge-based economy, broaden Hong Kong’s economic structure and complement the North East New Territories New Development Areas.” was passedAppendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 160
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
4 March 2009
“Comprehensively improving the
effectiveness of Integrated Family Service Centres” moved by
Hon WONG Sing-chi
amendments moved by
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
(amendment proposed by
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king was withdrawn)The motion as amended by Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che: “That the
Integrated Family Service Centres (‘IFSCs’) are the key players of the front-line social service teams which respond to family crises and prevent family tragedies, whether they can smoothly operate in responding promptly and properly to such social crises is indeed critical to alleviating people’s hardship and fostering an overall harmonious atmosphere in the community; recently there have been ample evidence and voices indicating that if IFSCs are to achieve their functions under the current service mode, the Government has to adjust their service concept and operation mode, in addition to allocating additional resources to IFSCs; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to adopt the following measures:
(a) setting up a central mechanism to regularly and
comprehensively assess and co-ordinate the support and services provided by various departments;
(b) assessing and studying afresh the mission and objectives of IFSCs, and ensuring that the information and data collected through the relevant study must be made public subject to consideration of privacy protection;
(c) strictly implementing the staff establishment of IFSCs, increasing the staff ratio of both supervisory staff and senior practitioners, setting workload indicators for social workers working in IFSCs, and recruiting temporary staff to cope with the additional workload arising from social crises as necessary, so as to ensure that there is sufficient manpower to adequately meet the needs of potentially high-risk families, and providing preventive and support services;
(d) increasing the staff establishment of frontline social workers, and monitoring non-governmental organizations (‘NGOs’) so that they recruit social workers according to the salary benchmark formulated by the Government, so as to lessen their workload, boost the currently low morale among social workers and enable them to tackle family problems more effectively;LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 161
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(e) striving to standardize the respective roles of the Social
Welfare Department (‘SWD’) and NGOs and their division of responsibilities in respect of IFSCs, and giving more powers to NGOs so that they can provide practical assistance (such as housing assistance or Comprehensive Social Security Assistance) to clients in a timely manner;
(f) examining in depth the difficulties faced by staff of SWD and NGOs working in IFSCs (such as being required to handle non-professional clerical work, and being authorized to vet and approve requests for social resources, etc), formulating measures for improvement, strengthening clerical support to staff, and referring non-core counselling or professional services to non-IFSC units for follow-up;
(g) comprehensively reviewing the performance pledge of IFSCs, and setting a service standard that can sensitively and accurately reflect the needs of potentially high-risk families;
(h) formulating a comprehensive policy on family service, particularly focusing on the needs of multi-stressed and potentially high-risk families, and exploring how to support and facilitate the healthy development of families in Hong Kong; and
(i) adjusting the population-to-IFSCs ratio to one IFSC serving some 80,000 to 90,000 people, and according priority to setting up IFSCs in ‘potentially high-risk communities’.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 162
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
11 March 2009
“Promoting medical check-up for the
whole community” moved by
Hon CHAN Kin-por
amendments moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kanHon WONG Kwok-hingDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
(amendment proposed by
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
was withdrawn)The motion as amended by Hon CHAN Hak-kan, Hon WONG
Kwok-hing and Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau: “That, with the ageing of the Hong Kong population, which will exert even greater pressure on the healthcare system, yet the general public often neglect the importance of undergoing regular medical check-up and do not seek medical consultation until their clinical conditions have worsened, which will not only affect their chance of being cured, but also substantially increase the public healthcare expenditure; this Council urges the Government to comprehensively plan afresh policies on prevention of non-communicable diseases and health promotion, including:
(a) expeditiously studying the provision of regular basic
medical check-ups for Hong Kong residents systematically through such means as medical check-up vouchers or other financial incentives, and subsidizing the poor to undergo medical check-ups, so as to prevent diseases through early diagnosis and treatment;
(b) at the same time, formulating suitable medical check-up plans for different high-risk groups;
(c) increasing the quotas at the elderly health centres to provide medical check-up, health assessment, counselling and health education services to more elderly persons at low fees, so that elderly patients can receive appropriate treatment expeditiously; and
(d) promoting healthy living and health education to encourage the public on all fronts to do more exercise, so as to enable Hong Kong to develop into a genuinely healthy city; and
(e) immediately launching a screening programme for common diseases, including high blood pressure, diabetic and cholesterol tests, fecal occult blood test, breast examination and Pap smear test, Hepatitis B test and optometry examination, and extending dental care to pre-school children, secondary students and the elderly.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 163
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po, Hon Starry
LEE Wai-king, Hon Tanya CHAN, Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee and Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou : “That, following the international trend that more and more countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Singapore, etc, have abolished their university grants committee mechanism, this Council urges the Government to comprehensively review the role and functions of the University Grants Committee of Hong Kong, with a view to optimizing the academic quality of local universities as well as the quality of their scientific researches, including:
(a) complementing the switch to the ‘334’ academic structure,
fostering the interface between local universities and the top universities in the world, and strengthening mutual academic exchange and co-operation in scientific researches;
(b) improving the mechanism for approving research funding, abandoning the vetting criterion of giving emphasis to quantity rather than quality, ensuring academic freedom, and promoting research studies which meet the needs of the local community;
(c) establishing a Fifth Matching Grant Scheme, continuing to encourage universities to raise funds from the community and their alumni, strengthening the link between universities and the community, and cultivating within the community a philanthropic culture in support of the development of university education;
(d) allocating more funds to provide subsidized undergraduate places and for the universities to determine the intake of associate degree graduates and the number of undergraduate places that need to be substantially increased after the academic structure reform; and
(e) promoting the development and construction of campuses under the principle of university autonomy, and developing Hong Kong into the education hub of Asia; and
(f) supporting Hong Kong’s universities to operate higher education institutions in the Pearl River Delta Region and collaborate with mainland education institutions in the area of scientific research, thereby enhancing the quality of these universities’ scientific researches, so as to complement the development of Hong Kong into an education hub and nurture talents for the Pearl River Delta Region;18 March 2009
“Comprehensively reviewing the
role and functions of the University Grants Committee” moved by
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
amendments moved by
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Tanya CHANHon WONG Yuk-manHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 164
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(g) expeditiously reviewing the effectiveness of the work
of the University Grants Committee and, based on the review results, examining the Committee’s composition, structure, statutory status, mode of connection with the Government, powers and responsibilities, as well as its mode of regulation over various education institutions;
(h) in vetting research funding applications, the University Grants Committee or the various education institutions should arrange for the vetting work to be carried out by persons with research experience in the academic fields for which the funding is applied;
(i) reviewing the existing target that 18% of the relevant age cohort may enrol in publicly-funded undergraduate programmes; and
(j) through various feasible ways, striving to enhance the corporate governance standard of publicly-funded education institutions and improve their administration, financial and human resources management systems, so as to strengthen the protection of academic freedom and enhance the transparency of the operation of the universities;
(k) ensuring that universities will not, as enterprises do, set increasing income as their objective;
(l) promoting knowledge creation, new and high technology as well as research studies which meet the needs of economic development; and
(m) improving the teaching quality and curricula under the principle of giving priority consideration to nurturing local students, and broadening the international perspective of Hong Kong students;
(n) adjusting Hong Kong’s current development strategy on higher education which has all along emphasized the scientific, commercial and professional disciplines, and giving greater weight to humanities to enable university students to have a more all-rounded perspective and scholastic achievement; and
(o) assisting the various local universities in exploring other sources of income in addition to government funding, so that the universities can have more sufficient resources to develop their teaching and research work.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 165
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon WONG Kwok-hing: “That, as
the SAR Government lacks an appropriate and sustainable policy on agriculture and fishery industries, the operation of traditional agriculture and fishery industries has fallen into decline, and the room for survival of the local trades which rely on the production of agricultural and fishery products has been shrinking; at the same time, with changes in people’s travel patterns, many places have put emphasis on upgrading their traditional agriculture and fishery industries and developing them into leisure tourism industry, which enriches the tourism resources of these places, and creates a way out for the agriculture and fishery industries to transform; yet, the SAR Government does not attach importance to the need of the agriculture and fishery industries in Hong Kong to transform, and there is a lack of a comprehensive development policy and strong resources support in this regard, resulting in the development of the local leisure agriculture and fishery trades still lagging far behind; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to formulate a comprehensive policy on the development of leisure agriculture and fishery trades and step up its support to develop the trades into a tourism project with local characteristics; the relevant measures should include:
(a) under the principle of sustainable development and
through appropriate tourism regulation and ecological management as well as the provision of resources, conserving natural landscape with ecological values as well as rural areas and fishing villages with traditional cultural characteristics, so as to balance the needs for conservation and tourism development;
(b) reviewing the current restrictions relating to the transformation of the agriculture and fishery industries to engage in tourism business, so as to give the industries more room for transformation and development;
(c) drawing on overseas experiences, enhancing the facilities of local live and fresh food wholesale markets and typhoon shelters, injecting tourism elements into such facilities to provide more diversified leisure agriculture and fishery projects; 18 March 2009
“Promoting the development of
leisure agriculture and fishery trades” moved by
Hon WONG Yung-kan
amendment moved by
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 166
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(d) allocating more resources to training talents and stepping
up the promotion of local leisure agriculture and fishery trades, so as to attract more tourists;
(e) considering formulating a licensing system for ‘water taxis’, and abolishing unnecessary regulations and restrictions on the transformation of fishing vessels, so as to provide opportunities for suitable fishing vessels to engage in the leisure fishery trade;
(f) formulating policies to encourage organic farming, thereby developing related leisure organic farming activities;
(g) flexibly utilizing parks and open areas, etc to develop weekend and holiday bazaars for organic agriculture and fishery products, so as to attract the public and tourists and provide additional sales channels for such products; and
(h) formulating policies on revitalization and greening of agricultural lands, fish ponds and woodlands to ensure that abandoned agricultural lands will not be illegally turned into waste dumping grounds or container yards, fish ponds will not be filled up and hills will not turn bare, so as to nurture a pleasant environment and atmosphere for the development of leisure agriculture and fishery trades.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 167
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
29 April 2009
“Developing new economic
strategies to meet economic challenges” moved by
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
amendments moved by
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEE Wing-tatHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Cyd HO Sau-lan
(amendment proposed by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee was withdrawn)The motion as amended by Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee, Hon
LEE Wing-tat and Hon WONG Kwok-hing: “That the economy of Hong Kong lacks diversification in recent years, which aggravates the disparity between the rich and the poor as well as undermines social mobility, and Hong Kong’s short-term and long-term economic development will face enormous challenges, with short-term challenges arising from the global financial tsunami and the economy entering recession; while in the long term, with the industries in the Pearl River Delta gradually transforming and upgrading, the enterprises in Hong Kong are facing big challenges and the risk of being hollowed out, coupled with the fact that China and ASEAN will form a free trade area and the State Council has decided to develop Shanghai into an international financial centre, the competitive edge of Hong Kong’s traditional economic pillars, including finance, trading and logistics, tourism as well as the related service sectors, etc, is on the wane, Hong Kong must therefore promote new economic strategies which can create higher economic value and benefit various social strata, and the Task Force on Economic Challenges headed by the Chief Executive also announced earlier its decision to develop industries including those based on innovation and technology as well as cultural and creative industries; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to adopt the following measures to develop these new industries:
(a) formulating long-term and practicable development
strategies for the new industries and implementing them in a down-to-earth manner to ensure that the new industries will not become ‘empty talks’;
(b) drawing reference from the successful experience of countries such as the United Kingdom, Korea and Australia, etc, for example, assigning the work relating to the promotion of innovation and technology as well as cultural and creative industries to suitable policy bureaux or assigning the work to a higher-level body for overall co-ordination and setting up new policy bureaux in respect of individual areas of the innovative industry or cultural industry as necessary, as well as restructuring the organization of the various policy bureaux to achieve a more rational distribution of work among them;Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 168
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(c) making good use of the land available for development in
the Lok Ma Chau Loop and the North East New Territories, putting emphasis on supporting the development of innovation and technology as well as cultural and creative industries, and utilizing the geographical advantage to complement the development of the Pearl River Delta so as to achieve synergy;
(d) recruiting talents from the private sector, making good use of society’s resources and introducing new ideas to ensure that the new industries will not lose vitality due to the Government’s bureaucratic way of doing things;
(e) studying the impact of the establishment of China-ASEAN Free Trade Area on Hong Kong, and formulating corresponding strategies;
(f) while developing new industries, exploring the creation of more jobs that are related to the new industries for non-skilled workers, so that sufficient employment opportunities are available to such workers; and
(g) improving the education and training systems to provide more talents for the new industries, and promoting a social climate that respects talents engaging in scientific and technological research and creative work, so as to attract the young generation to join the new industries;
(h) reviewing the current subsidies on cultural arts provided by the Government so as to nurture budding performing arts groups and, apart from subsidizing performing arts, extending the scope of subsidies to other forms of arts such as literature or installation arts, etc, thereby enabling arts development in Hong Kong to be more diversified and fostering a social culture which is conducive to promoting the development of the creative industry;
(i) increasing the opportunities for local artists to display their works, including improving the management and operation mode of cultural venues as well as the operation of their supporting facilities, and providing more exhibition space to enable artists to have more opportunities to display their works to the public, thereby enhancing their popularity and augmenting the economic contributions of the cultural and creative industries;LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 169
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(j) promoting public art and increasing the display of art works
in public space or at venues other than museums and art galleries to enable the community and the public to enjoy more local art works, so that cultural arts can integrate into the community to nurture the local audience, thereby boosting the development of cultural and creative industries; and
(k) opening up public service broadcasting to promote and encourage public participation in the diversified broadcasting businesses, and setting up radio and television channels for use by the public, so as to boost the creative industry through broadcasting businesses;
(l) examining the provision of tax concession and land assistance as well as how to make good use of vacant factory buildings, constructing infrastructural facilities, opening up areas for research and development, as well as nurturing relevant talents, etc for the new industries; and
(m) providing one-stop support services to centrally process all applications relating to the creative industry, including those for licences required for setting up business, government subsidy and tax concession, etc.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 170
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen,
Hon CHAN Hak-kan, Hon KAM Nai-wai and Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun: “That, the Financial Secretary has proposed in the Budget this year that promoting investments and economic activities that protect the environment and save energy will put the overall economy on a more sustainable path, this Council urges the Government to take the following specific actions to promote green economy, so that it will become an economic driver of Hong Kong’s future development to create employment opportunities and reduce the costs of energy and materials of the community and enterprises on the one hand, and at the same time reverse the trend of deterioration in the environment and enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness:6 May 2009
“Promoting green economy” moved by
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
amendments moved by
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon CHAN Hak-kanHon KAM Nai-waiDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun 29 April 2009
“Concern about the youth drug
problem” moved by
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
amendments moved by
Hon WONG Sing-chiHon CHAN Kin-por The motion as amended by Hon WONG Sing-chi and Hon
CHAN Kin-por: “That, the youth drug problem has been plaguing the Hong Kong community for a long time, the recent incidents such as secondary students taking drugs on campus and young singers being arrested in Japan for suspected possession of drugs which occurred successively have once again aroused the concern about the youth drug problem; yet, the Government’s concern about the deteriorating youth drug problem has all along been inadequate and the progress of its anti-drug work is slow; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to expeditiously formulate a comprehensive anti-drug policy, which includes providing additional resources and complementary measures to tie in with the voluntary school-based drug testing programme to help drug-abusing students and curb the spread of the menace of drugs in schools, and measures providing support to parents and families as well as allocating additional resources to social workers, particularly school and outreaching social workers, so as to address the increasingly serious youth drug problem and rebuild a healthy atmosphere in schools.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 171
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(a) making reference to the recommendations in the global
report released by the United Nations Environment Programme in February this year and the Central Government’s scale of investment, allocating at least an additional HK$30 billion in this and next year to develop green economy, and focusing efforts on five areas, namely energy for health, green buildings, sustainable transport, circular economy and resource productivity, to create more employment opportunities;
(b) expeditiously upgrading Hong Kong’s environmental quality standards for air, potable water, effluent discharge, energy and land use, so as to expand the markets for local green products and professional services and promote green trade;
(c) assuming the role of leader in green economy to enhance the requirements of government departments for green procurement and implement such requirements within the current year;
(d) making optimal use of the existing foundation laid by scientific research on environmental protection to foster public and private investment in scientific research on green products, with a view to turning the achievements of Hong Kong’s scientific research into commodities that are beneficial to the Earth;
(e) providing greater economic incentives and more encouragement to attract the transportation industry and the public to use electric vehicles;
(f) expeditiously introducing a financial assistance scheme to assist local property owners and enterprises in formulating energy-saving targets and undertaking initiatives to reduce carbon dioxide emissions; and
(g) organizing the environmental services sector and the recycling industry in Hong Kong and increasing the assistance for them, so as to provide employment opportunities for low-skilled workers; considering establishing social enterprises to provide environmental and recycling services, and providing subsidies and appropriate complementary arrangements for such enterprises, with a view to fully maximizing the benefits of the EcoPark;
(h) establishing an emissions trading platform and expeditiously enacting relevant legislation to develop Hong Kong into a centre for emissions trading;Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 172
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(i) formulating a certification mechanism and labelling scheme
for green products;
(j) adopting more pro-active measures to strengthen the conservation of natural environment, as well as further developing Hong Kong’s ecotourism through effective tourism management; and
(k) making optimal use of the restored landfills to facilitate the production of renewable energy and promote the development of other environmental enterprises in Hong Kong;
(l) complementing the promotion of green economy through policy changes, including, in the transport aspect, providing subsidies for franchised bus companies to replace old vehicles;
(m) providing relevant facilities for the introduction of electric vehicles, including providing adequate charging apparatuses and constructing plants for manufacturing vehicle batteries;
(n) operating the EcoPark in the mode of an industrial estate, flexibly adjusting the areas of lands for lease according to the needs of the applicants, and leasing the lands at low rents so as to attract investors in the environmental protection industry; and
(o) encouraging the development of a waste recovery economy, establishing a licensing regime for waste collectors and providing operation space, tax concession as well as technical support for waste collectors;
(p) establishing an ‘advisory committee on green economy’ and appointing representatives from different industries to sit on it, turning the notion of green economy into different types of front-line jobs so as to create more employment opportunities, and assisting the entire population in boarding the express train of green economy; and
(q) enhancing education and publicity to instil the concept of green living in the public.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 173
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That, amid the financial tsunami,
the general public of Hong Kong are stoically facing up to economic hardship, yet some enterprises have still effected layoffs and pay cuts despite making huge profits, and fail to go through the hard times with the public; on the other hand, the management and major shareholders of individual enterprises have recklessly resorted to various ploys to maximize their private interests, while the interests of minority shareholders are left unprotected; as such, this Council urges the Government to create a favourable environment for enterprises to fulfill their social responsibility, implement employment training programmes, and support those enterprises which are in difficulty, while at the same time discussing with the business sector to urge enterprises that, in seeking to make profits, they must also take into account the overall interests of the community, enhance the transparency of corporate decision making, strengthen communication with their employees, fulfill their social responsibility and must not effect layoffs and pay cuts, so as to safeguard the rights and interests of employees and minority shareholders.” was passed.20 May 2009
“Urging enterprises to fulfill their
social responsibility” moved by
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
amendments moved by
Hon WONG Sing-chiHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon IP Wai-mingHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon LEE Cheuk-yan
(amendment proposed by
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan was withdrawn)Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 174
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
20 May 2009
“Promoting the development of the
testing and certification industry in
Hong Kong” moved by
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
amendments moved by
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Fred LI Wah-mingThe motion as amended by Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
and Hon Fred LI Wah-ming: “That recently the Task Force on Economic Challenges has identified the testing and certification industry as one of the six economic areas where Hong Kong has enormous potential for development and considered that this industry could benefit Hong Kong’s economy in the medium and long term; moreover, Hong Kong has a professional and established testing and certification industry which brings substantial benefits to our economy and helps safeguard the interests of consumers both locally and overseas; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to grasp the market opportunities and draw up a comprehensive plan to facilitate the growth of this industry by:
(a) outsourcing more government testing services to private
laboratories;
(b) striving to further relax the restrictions on the industry to establish businesses in the Mainland under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement and promoting the service of the industry in the Mainland and in the region;
(c) strengthening the local accreditation system to enable the industry to engage in a wider range of testing services;
(d) reinforcing the reputation of the industry by concluding more mutual recognition agreements overseas, so as to enhance international confidence in export products manufactured in Hong Kong and the Mainland;
(e) widening the scope of food testing in the interests of consumers;
(f) introducing tax incentives and other encouragement policies to enhance the development of the industry; and
(g) discussing with local institutes and organizations to encourage them to provide more testing-and-certification-related training programmes to ease the shortage of specialists in the industry; and
(h) allocating more resources to the Hong Kong Accreditation Service for providing new accreditation service for food manufacturing process and establishing a certification system for organic food to facilitate consumers to recognize such products.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 175
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho,
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming and Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen: “That, in order to meet the challenges of globalization, the Task Force on Economic Challenges has identified six economic areas where Hong Kong enjoys clear advantages as the targets of focal development to boost Hong Kong’s economic growth and provide job opportunities, and in order to successfully promote the development of these economic areas, Hong Kong must lay a solid foundation for research and development (‘R&D’); in this connection, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) set up committees to make recommendations on policies
and various complementary measures for promoting R&D, for implementation by bureaux;
(b) consolidate and coordinate the existing relevant policies as well as the structures and resources of various related public organizations, so as to more effectively boost Hong Kong’s technological R&D business;
(c) improve the existing rotation system of administrative officers to nurture a batch of talents with technological R&D mindset, so that long-term technological research strategies can be implemented effectively;
(d) through education and publicity, foster an atmosphere that emphasizes technological research and innovation;
(e) take the lead in allocating more funding to enhance the capability of technological research, and stipulate the interim and long-term targets that government funding in R&D shall represent a certain proportion of local gross domestic product;
(f) establish negotiation platforms in conjunction with Guangdong Province and other regions in the Mainland to achieve complementarity of edge, maximal application of R&D results and effective protection of intellectual property;
(g) strive for setting up more state partner laboratories in Hong Kong so that Hong Kong may directly participate in more technological research projects at the state level, and assist the relevant industries to strive for participation in formulating the standards for state products;3 June 2009
“Promoting research and
development” moved by
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
amendments moved by
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoHon Fred LI Wah-mingHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon LI Fung-ying
(amendments proposed by
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung and Hon LI Fung-ying were withdrawn)
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 176
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(h) formulate policies for nurturing talents in R&D and
strategically bring in overseas professionals under the principle of giving priority to local talents;
(i) introduce tax concessions and other incentives to encourage private organizations to invest in R&D work in Hong Kong, and at the same time bring in multinational enterprises to set up R&D centres in Hong Kong to promote the integration of local and overseas technological research capabilities; and
(j) make optimal use of the land of the existing industrial estates and science park, etc, and expeditiously develop the land in the boundary districts between Hong Kong and Shenzhen for the purposes of technological R&D and talent training, so as to facilitate the establishment of industry clusters;
(k) introduce concessionary land premium and concessionary loans to encourage private organizations to operate in the above six economic areas; and
(l) collaborate with the cities in the Pearl River Delta region to enhance the promotion of technological research projects on clean fuels (including electricity generation and transport), green construction, effluent treatment and solid waste treatment etc, which can facilitate the transformation of industries and upgrade the quality of life in the region; and
(m) make optimal use of Hong Kong’s comprehensive and effective protection regime for intellectual property rights (‘IPR’) and consider establishing a ‘Patent Trademark Authority’ to promote Hong Kong as the IPR service centre in the region, so as to attract local and overseas organizations to allocate more resources to R&D work.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 177
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
10 June 2009
“Improving environmental hygiene
in the community” moved by
Hon IP Kwok-him
amendments moved by
Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanThe motion as amended by Hon Fred LI Wah-ming and Hon
Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan: “That, with the implementation of clean-up campaigns in Hong Kong since the 1970s, the cityscape of Hong Kong has improved a lot; however, the environmental hygiene conditions of some communities in Hong Kong are still poor and hygiene blackspots are everywhere, which have aroused public concern, coupled with the threat of a new strain of influenza, this Council urges the Government to focus on the problem and take effective measures to ensure a clean community environment and enhance public awareness of hygiene, including:
(a) formulating community environmental hygiene indices
for the 18 districts to enable members of the public to understand the environmental hygiene conditions in various districts;
(b) studying the provision of funds to District Councils to assist buildings without owners’ corporations in carrying out work to eliminate hidden hygiene hazards in the communal areas of such buildings;
(c) recruiting additional staff and enhancing the training for frontline personnel responsible for cleansing and epidemic prevention work, so as to ensure that the personal protection of frontline personnel is safeguarded and that public health and epidemic prevention work is effectively carried out;
(d) organizing on a yearly and regular basis territory-wide clean housing estate competitions, and encouraging tenants of public housing as well as owners and management companies of private buildings to pay attention to environmental hygiene in housing estates;
(e) continuing to organize territory-wide clean-up campaigns, and setting up internet and telephone complaint hotlines for members of the public to report hygiene blackspots in the territory;
(f) by making reference to the arrangement of rest days for market cleansing, specifying a monthly cleansing day for households and communities across the territory, and through such activities, educating the public on the awareness of keeping their homes and the community clean;Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 178
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
10 June 2009
“Immediately reviewing the
Pre-primary Education Voucher
Scheme” moved by
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
amendments moved by
Hon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan The motion as amended by Hon Starry LEE Wai-king and Hon
Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan: “That, the purpose of introducing the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme is to lessen the financial burden of parents and provide them with direct fee subsidy, but the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, since its implementation in the 2007-2008 school year, has given rise to a number of problems, including the failure of the policy on fee remission which has rendered a number of parents having to pay higher school fees; moreover, the Administration has abolished the proposed pay scale for kindergarten teachers, resulting in the loss of salary protection for kindergarten teachers, who can hardly enjoy salary increase even after upgrading their qualifications, whereas pressure from work and studies has substantially increased; as the voucher system has aroused strong discontent among the early childhood education sector and parents of kindergarten children, this Council urges the Administration to immediately conduct a comprehensive review on the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme, including:(g) setting up volunteer work teams in various districts to
pay regular visits to the elderly who live alone to carry out cleansing work in their homes;
(h) stepping up hygiene education for the public, especially focusing on secondary and primary school students, so as to enable them to develop good hygiene habits from a young age;
(i) devolving to District Councils some of the decision-making powers on environmental hygiene affairs, including street cleansing, refuse disposal and recycling, etc, so as to effectively improve environmental hygiene in the community; and
(j) reconsidering the resumption of the management right of private streets, so as to improve the standard of environmental hygiene in those areas; and
(k) ensuring, through lasting measures, that improvement to the hygiene conditions of these blackspots is sustained, so as to prevent the resurgence of hygiene problems.” was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 179
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(a) reviewing the Kindergarten Fee Remission Scheme and
adjusting the level of fee remission with reference to the changes in price indices on an annual basis, so as to ensure that low-income families receive appropriate assistance;
(b) comprehensively reviewing the various subsidies for early childhood education institutions, as well as increasing the manpower and resources for such institutions, so as to ensure the quality of early childhood education;
(c) offering subsidies under the voucher scheme on a fair and equal basis so that all kindergarten children are benefited and parents are free to choose the early childhood education institutions;
(d) formulating a pay scale for kindergarten teachers which is commensurate with their qualifications, and directly subsidizing the remuneration of kindergarten teachers, so as to relieve the burden on parents;
(e) relieving the work pressure on kindergarten teachers, including simplifying the administrative work arising from self-evaluation, external evaluation and the voucher scheme, as well as providing sufficient support staff, etc; and
(f) allowing kindergarten teachers who are still taking Certificate in Early Childhood Education courses at the end of the 2011-2012 school year to keep their teaching posts;
(g) reviewing the mechanism under which kindergarten teachers are subsidized to pursue further studies, so that teachers working in independent private kindergartens or non-profit-making kindergartens which do not receive or cannot benefit from voucher subsidies and those working in kindergartens receiving voucher subsidies may enjoy the same opportunities and subsidies for further studies, thereby eliminating the unfair treatment faced by kindergarten teachers in receiving subsidies for further studies;
(h) expeditiously resolving the discrepancies between the voucher system and the various fee subsidy schemes for child care centres and kindergartens, so as to avoid the problem of parents with financial difficulties having to pay higher school fees after the implementation of the voucher system; and
(i) immediately reviewing the existing problem that the proportion of voucher subsidies received by students attending whole-day kindergartens is substantially lower than that received by students attending half-day kindergartens, as well as appropriately raising the proportion, so that parents of whole-day students can receive subsidies in a fair manner.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 180
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan, Hon IP
Wai-ming, Hon WONG Ting-kwong and Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun: “That Hong Kong has all along been an important platform for commercial and social exchanges across the Taiwan Strait, since the implementation of the ‘Three Direct Links’, i.e. direct maritime, air and postal links, across the Taiwan Strait in December last year, coupled with the impact of the financial tsunami, the air passenger and air cargo traffic of Hong Kong has, to a certain extent, been affected; however, apart from promoting cross-strait exchanges and trade flows, the ‘Three Direct Links’ across the Taiwan Strait is also a development opportunity for Hong Kong; as such, this Council urges the Government to formulate a comprehensive plan to turn the ‘Three Direct Links’ across the Taiwan Strait into an opportunity for Hong Kong to further develop the relations among the three places across the Taiwan Strait, including:
(a) conducting a study on fully opening up air rights on a
reciprocal basis with the Mainland and Taiwan, so as to raise Hong Kong’s position as a regional and international aviation centre;
(b) strengthening cooperation with the neighbouring airports in the Pearl River Delta to achieve complementarity of edge, so as not to result in mismatched development and to consolidate Hong Kong’s status in aviation;
(c) putting into place arrangement for mutual visa-free access between Hong Kong and Taiwan, and establishing formal channels among the three places across the Taiwan Strait to strengthen exchanges and cooperation at the non-government and societal level as well as in areas of tourism, culture and creativity, etc;
(d) setting up a high level inter-departmental task force to study and coordinate long-term development plans for promoting economic and trade cooperation among the three places across the Taiwan Strait;
(e) assisting the Mainland and Taiwan in concluding the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement at an early date to eliminate the trade barriers between them and jointly create common markets in the Greater China, as well as fully utilizing the functions of the Trade Development Council’s Taiwan Office to help Hong Kong businessmen to further develop;24 June 2009
“Seizing the chance to turn the
risks from the ‘Three Direct Links’ across the Taiwan Strait into opportunities” moved by
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU
Yau-fun
amendments moved by
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Fred LI Wah-mingHon IP Wai-mingHon WONG Ting-kwongDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 181
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(f) studying the feasibility of promoting mutual recognition of
professional qualifications among the Mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan, so as to foster the development of Hong Kong’s professional services industries; and
(g) bringing forward arrangements with Taiwan to avoid double taxation, so as to enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong, strengthen Hong Kong’s position as a business platform of the Greater China and promote a win-win situation for the three places across the Taiwan Strait; and
(h) discussing the setting up of a task force on an airport cluster in the Great Pearl River Delta to exchange views on issues relating to the positioning, airspace, flight routes, flight schedules, runway construction and equity exchange, etc of the airports in the region, and studying the construction of the third runway for the airport of Hong Kong as well as discussing with the Mainland to resolve the problem of airspace allocation, etc;
(i) stepping up efforts to attract Taiwan enterprises to raise capital through Hong Kong, so as to optimize Hong Kong’s function as an international financial centre; and
(j) actively participating in the planning and construction of the economic zone on the western side of the Taiwan Strait, and optimizing Hong Kong’s function as an international financial, shipping and trading centre, so as to enable Hong Kong to continue to maintain its active role and functions in the economic and trading exchanges among the three places across the Taiwan Strait and give new impetus to Hong Kong’s economic development;
(k) actively studying the streamlining of customs clearance procedures for residents of the three places across the Taiwan Strait travelling to and from these places;
(l) strengthening exchanges and cooperation in areas of education, environmental protection and mutual legal assistance among the three places across the Taiwan Strait; and
(m) in accordance with the existing mode adopted by the Special Administrative Region Government in establishing offices on the Mainland, commencing a study on the feasibility of establishing a government office in Taiwan.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 182
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
The motion as amended by Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
and Hon WONG Kwok-hing: “That, in the face of the impact of the financial tsunami, as well as many uncertain factors in the development of the global economic situation, Hong Kong must strengthen its own human resources in order that its position as a regional financial, trade and trade-related services (such as shipping) centre can be consolidated; in this connection, this Council urges the Special Administrative Region Government to comprehensively review the existing policies and measures, with a view to strengthening the manpower training provided by local tertiary institutions in the fields of finance, trade and shipping, and further attracting relevant professionals across the world to Hong Kong under the principle of giving priority to local talents.” was passed.24 June 2009
“Strengthening human resources
in the fields of finance and trade” moved by
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
amendments moved by
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
8 July 2009
“Assisting local enterprises in brand
building and product development” moved by
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
amendment moved by
Hon Vincent FANG Kang The motion as amended by Hon Vincent FANG Kang: “That,
under the attack by both the financial tsunami and human swine flu, market competition is getting keener, Hong Kong enterprises engaging in original equipment manufacturing and processing businesses, especially the small and medium enterprises, are facing problems of diminishing competitiveness and narrowing room for development, and coupled with the slackening European and US economy and declining purchasing power, the export business of Hong Kong enterprises is hard hit and their operation is getting more difficult; in order to achieve the objective of ‘supporting enterprises and preserving employment’, this Council urges the Government to proactively assist Hong Kong enterprises in brand building and product development so as to enhance the uniqueness of their products and services, thereby increasing their market competitiveness and opening up a diversified market, as well as safeguarding local employment opportunities, the measures include:LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 183
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
I. MOTIONS PASSED Wording of Motion and Result
(a) supporting brand and design research projects so as to
provide the industry with technical and information support for the development of product branding and service branding, and establishing a high-level standing institution which is specifically responsible for initiating, studying, formulating and promoting an overall development strategy for Hong Kong brands, as well as planning and coordinating brand-related activities organized by various sectors, in particular the industrial and business sectors, of Hong Kong;
(b) systematically establishing a platform for promoting local brands, such as turning industrial buildings into exhibition and sales centres for brand-name products and setting up character precincts in immigration control points to showcase Hong Kong’s brand-name products, with a view to exploring business opportunities and promoting employment;
(c) providing substantive support for Hong Kong brands to expand in the Mainland market and implementing the trade and investment facilitation measures in relation to the cooperation in areas of commodity inspection, brands, etc, under the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, so as to open up business opportunities in the Mainland market;
(d) proactively discussing with the Mainland Government to expeditiously strengthen the protection of Hong Kong businessmen’s intellectual property rights in brands, trademarks, designs and patented technologies, and introducing facilitation measures, such as making reference to overseas practices to study the feasibility of ‘one-registration, two-uses’ for trademarks, establishing a mutual recognition regime for trademark registration in both the Mainland and Hong Kong, and offering special protection for well-known trademarks and brands; and
(e) vigorously promoting to other places Hong Kong’s testing and certification services to enhance its international profile and increase its recognition, so that local manufacturers can better utilize Hong Kong’s testing and certification services to avoid encountering obstacles in testing, as well as ensuring that sufficient testing and certification professionals are trained to meet the demand.” was passed.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 184
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That, The Link Real Estate Investment
Trust (‘The Link’), being the largest landlord of retail shops in Hong Kong, has a total of 11,000 tenants providing services of daily necessities to three million residents in public housing estates, yet since its listing, The Link has deviated from its original principle and philosophy and increased rents every year, causing great burden to the lower class and small shop tenants, and despite the increase in shop rentals by almost 30% in 2007 and the recent economic downturn in Hong Kong, The Link still increases rents against the market trend, thereby reducing room for survival of the grassroots and causing social discontent; hence this Council urges the Government to balance the community interests at large in handling the issue of rental of public housing shopping arcades, and consider various possible means to buy back sufficient shares of The Link to become the major shareholder, so as to influence the management of The Link Management Limited to take into consideration its corporate social responsibility.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.
The original motion: “That, this Council demands that when the
Chief Executive draws up proposals for reform of the method of election of the Chief Executive and election of the Legislative Council for public consultation early this year as he has pledged in his Policy Address, the Chief Executive will make clear that functional constituencies are to be abolished and he will ensure that such proposals lead:
(a) for the method of election of the Chief Executive, to a
nomination process which is open and in accordance with Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (‘ICCPR’); and
(b) for election of the Legislative Council, to the abolition of functional constituencies and to election by universal and equal suffrage and in accordance with Article 25 of ICCPR.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.17 December 2008
“Buying back the shares of The
Link” moved by
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
amendments moved by
Hon CHAN Kam-lamHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Vincent FANG KangHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
7 January 2009
“Public consultation on 2012
constitutional development” moved by
Dr Hon Margaret NG
amendments moved by
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 185
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
4 February 2009
“Assisting grassroots workers
in counteracting economic adversities” moved by
Hon IP Wai-ming
amendments moved by
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Vincent FANG KangHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon Albert HO Chun-yan The original motion: “That the economic outlook for Hong
Kong is not optimistic, employees lose their jobs as a result of economic slowdown and closure of enterprises, some enterprises use the financial tsunami as the pretext to effect pay cuts and layoffs even when they are making profits, resulting in an increase in the unemployment rate, and employees are the first ones to be hard hit, this Council calls on employers to undertake not to effect pay cuts and layoffs and urges the Government to:
(a) immediately promote collective bargaining between
employers and employees, formulate collective agreements, study overseas experience in implementing collective bargaining, as well as legislate on the right to collective bargaining on the central, trade and enterprise levels, so as to strive for employees a bargaining position which is on an equal footing with their employers;
(b) subsidize the Mandatory Provident Fund contributions of low-income employees to relieve their burden;
(c) improve the mode of developing social enterprises to allow more bodies and organizations to establish social enterprises;
(d) promote local community culture economy in various districts, such as morning and night markets, holiday flea markets and art fairs, etc, to bring into play the local community culture and create employment opportunities;
(e) allocate suitable spaces in various districts to set up commercial and household waste recycling points, so as to promote the transaction of second-hand products and recycling of wastes;
(f) develop diversified industrial structures to create positions in more trades and at more levels; and
(g) establish an unemployment assistance system with integrated measures of financial assistance, employment training, employment placement, etc, so as to obviate the need for the unemployed to apply for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to tackle imminent financial problems.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 186
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That this Council strongly condemns the
Chief Executive Mr Donald TSANG Yam-kuen for failing to honour his pledge made in the Policy Address by procrastinating public consultation on constitutional development, hence breaking faith with the people.” was negatived.
The original motion: “That, as the report released by the
Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance in June 2008 has revealed that currently there are many malpractices in the enforcement actions of the law enforcement agencies, this Council urges the Government to immediately review the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.
The original motion: “That, as the Hong Kong Monetary
Authority (‘HKMA’) has been seriously lacking transparency and accountability for many years and has failed to effectively monitor financial institutions, and its performance is disappointing, causing the development of the financial industry in Hong Kong to be at a standstill; moreover, the recent decision of the Central Government to develop Shanghai into another international financial centre in addition to Hong Kong will definitely further threaten Hong Kong’s position as a financial centre, this Council therefore urges the Government to expeditiously conduct a comprehensive review of HKMA and implement reforms to restore public confidence in the financial system of Hong Kong; such reforms include:
(a) expeditiously implementing a comprehensive reform of
the staffing and organization of HKMA, formulating a clear accountability mechanism, and replacing the management whose performance was poor for many years;11 February 2009
“Procrastinating public consultation
on constitutional development” moved by
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
11 March 2009
“Reviewing the Interception of
Communications and Surveillance Ordinance” moved by
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
amendments moved by
Hon LAU Kong-wahHon James TO Kun-sunHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
6 May 2009
“Demanding a comprehensive
reform of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority” moved by
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
amendments moved by
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon WONG Yuk-manHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 187
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
(b) assigning the responsibilities of developing the financial
market and regulating the banking system, and managing the foreign exchange reserve to maintain the stability of Hong Kong dollars to two institutions respectively;
(c) formulating a clear mechanism for the appointment of senior staff of the above two institutions, under which the management should be recruited by open recruitment, and stipulating a definite contract period and devising reasonable remuneration packages to ensure that the remuneration of these staff will not be substantially higher than that of the Chief Executive; and
(d) enhancing the transparency of personal investments made by senior staff of the above two institutions, requiring the key management staff to make public the details of all their investment items, and prohibiting the management of these institutions from making personal investments in the stock market.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.
13 May 2009
“Enhancing the tax system to keep
Hong Kong competitive” moved by
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
amendments moved by
Hon Vincent FANG KangHon Albert HO Chun-yan
amendment to amendment moved by
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wahThe original motion: “That, whereas the Hong Kong profits
tax system has not kept pace with time and does not offer adequate incentives and concessions to help Hong Kong enterprises and manufacturers upgrade their business to improve their competitiveness; whereas improved competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises and manufacturers will create more jobs and economic opportunities for the people of Hong Kong; whereas appropriate choice of tax incentives and concessions is a key inducement to drive business innovation and to lure business investment which can in turn improve the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong; and whereas tax issues are becoming increasingly complex yet setting the right tax policy is becoming ever more important to the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong; therefore, this Council urges the Administration to:
(a) amend the Inland Revenue Ordinance or otherwise to
provide for appropriate tax incentives or concessions or other features to encourage business upgrading, drive business innovation, stimulate business investment and Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 188
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
foster economic growth, such tax incentives or concessions
or features shall include but not limited to the following:
(i) tax loss carry-back provisions, with appropriate dollar cap for the loss that can be carried back and an appropriate maximum number of years to which tax loss carry-back can be applied;
(ii) group tax loss relief, to be available only to wholly-owned and near wholly-owned subsidiaries within the same group of companies;
(iii) allowance for capital expenditure incurred on plant or machinery physically located outside Hong Kong (e.g. on the Mainland) and which are used in processing trade arrangements producing profits assessable in Hong Kong; and
(iv) profits tax reduction and tax credits on foreign withholding tax, with appropriate anti-avoidance provisions, to make Hong Kong a choice location for regional offices and service centres for group companies;
(b) identify and evaluate further changes, enhancements, initiatives and priorities, as appropriate, in respect of tax policy principles and tax administration practices, in order to further improve the overall competitiveness of Hong Kong’s tax system; and
(c) establish a specialist ‘tax policy unit’, to be staffed by sufficiently senior personnel with relevant technical knowledge and practical experience, to conduct research and provide policy formulation support to the Administration, in order to enable a continued and focused effort at identifying and evaluating changes, enhancements, initiatives and priorities to better Hong Kong’s tax policy and tax administration practices.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 189
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That, in order to promote the development
of Hong Kong’s tourism industry in a more effective and systematic manner, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) establish a ‘Tourism Bureau’ and confer dedicated powers
and responsibilities on the ‘Secretary for Tourism’ to formulate tourism policies and take charge of the business of the Bureau, including coordinating the various organizations which regulate and promote the development of tourism, such as placing the Hong Kong Tourism Board (which is responsible for marketing and promotion), the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (which is responsible for regulating travel agents) and the Travel Agents Registry (which is responsible for the licensing of travel agents) within the purview of the Tourism Bureau, and immediately review and abolish over-lapping structures and work procedures, so that the departments can focus on their respective responsibilities and cut down expenditure;
(b) confer on the ‘Secretary for Tourism’ the authority to represent the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to attend meetings organized by travel organizations worldwide, and directly liaise with the official tourism representatives of various places to handle and promote tourism-related policies and issues;
(c) assign departments with specific responsibilities to take charge of (i) sea and land transport that primarily serves tourism; (ii) hotel business; (iii) the management and development of tourist attractions; and (iv) tourists’ protection and complaints, so as to ensure that every tourism-related issue is efficiently and directly handled by a corresponding department;
(d) authorize the ‘Tourism Bureau’ to take over the jurisdiction on hotel licensing to formulate a licensing regulation and rating mechanism, so as to safeguard the rights of tourists;
(e) formulate a regulatory and rating mechanism for tourist attractions and coordinate and promote the development of new tourist attractions, so as to safeguard the right to know and consumers’ rights of both local and inbound tourists;
(f) confer financial power on the ‘Tourism Bureau’ to handle applications for huge expenses for promoting tourism, determine the establishment and remuneration arrangement of the organizations within the purview of the 13 May 2009
“Proposed establishment of a
Tourism Bureau with dedicated responsibility for handling tourism issues” moved by
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
amendment moved by
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 190
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That this Council urges that: the 4
June incident be not forgotten and the 1989 pro-democracy movement be vindicated.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.27 May 2009
“The 4 June incident” moved by
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
amendments moved by
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Tanya CHANBureau, regularly review the accumulated balance of the
Travel Industry Compensation Fund and adjust the level of stamp levy, reduce the licence fees of travel agents, and abolish the ‘Council Levy’ which was previously used for operating the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong, so as to reduce the operating costs of the industry;
(g) establish a contingency mechanism under the ‘Tourism Bureau’ to handle tourism-related crises, review the existing mechanism for issuing ‘travel advices’ and ‘travel warnings’ and its efficiency, and arrange Hong Kong tourists stranded overseas to return to Hong Kong;
(h) ensure that the departments under the ‘Tourism Bureau’ fully seek the views of the representatives of the tourism industry and invite operators of the industry to take part in policy formulation, so that the policies will closely follow the needs of the market; and
(i) strive to encourage and assist community organizations and private enterprises in exploring, conserving and developing tourist facilities, and organizing and promoting tourist events or projects that have local characteristics or are appealing to tourists.” and the proposed amendment to the motion were negatived.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 191
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That, it was reported in Wen Wei Po on
11 March 2009 that LI Guikang, Deputy Director of the Central Government Liaison Office (‘the Liaison Office’), said at a group meeting of Hong Kong (‘HK’) members of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (‘CPPCC’) held in Beijing on 10 March 2009 that the Liaison Office and the Special Administrative Region (‘SAR’) Government had reached a 10-point agreement to allow HK members of CPPCC to participate in the political affairs of the SAR, which includes: should there be suitable talents among the HK members of CPPCC, the SAR Government may appoint them to public offices or award them Medals of Honour; the SAR Government should accord them treatment according to protocol and provide venues for them to hold activities; if conducting visits in the Mainland, the SAR Government officials may approach them for company, etc; moreover, in January last year, CAO Erbao, Head of the Research Department of the Liaison Office, published an article entitled ‘Hong Kong’s Governing Forces under One Country, Two Systems’ in Study Times, pointing out that there are two governing teams in HK; one is ‘a team of the establishment of the HKSAR’, comprising the Chief Executive, principal officials, Executive Council members and civil servants of various ranks, judges and other judicial officers, etc, while the other is ‘a team of the Central Government and Mainland cadres engaging in Hong Kong affairs’, comprising competent authorities and representative offices of the Central Government responsible for Hong Kong affairs or specialized in work related to Hong Kong, competent authorities of the Central Government responsible for other national affairs and relevant policies, and party cadres of the relevant mainland provinces/regions/municipalities having close ties with the HKSAR, as well as government cadres responsible for matters involving HK, so as to rationalize the comments and acts of the Liaison Office and various provincial, municipal and local governments to interfere in the HKSAR affairs; in this connection, this Council urges:
(a) the Central Government and SAR Government to solemnly
clarify whether there is such a 10-point agreement and whether two governing teams exist in HK;27 May 2009
“Implementation of One Country,
Two Systems” moved by
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 192
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
3 June 2009
“Comprehensive review of the
accountability system” moved by
Hon WONG Yuk-man
amendment moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeThe original motion: “That the Government of the Special
Administrative Region has made countless blunders in the implementation of policies, since TUNG Chee-hwa introduced the so-called accountability system in 2002, accountability of Directors of Bureau is only empty talk; subsequently, Donald TSANG Yam-kuen adds a wretched sequel to the accountability system by appointing the so-called Under Secretaries and Political Assistants at his own discretion; this provides convenience for authoritarians to hand-pick their deputies, which results in a total collapse of the accountability system and is detrimental to the well-being of the people; this Council urges the Government to conduct a comprehensive review of the accountability system so as to implement fundamental reforms to restore its ability to govern; such reforms include:
(a) establishing a political system which is truly accountable to
the people, and expeditiously implementing dual universal suffrage for the Legislative Council and the Chief Executive elections;
(b) formulating a political parties law to promote the development of party politics, so as to induce political parties to be truly accountable to their constituents;
(c) establishing an impeachment mechanism for replacing those officials under the accountability system who are derelict of their duties; and(b) the Central Government to strictly abide by the Basic Law and require that no Central Government departments and local governments may interfere in the affairs which the HKSAR Government administers on its own; and
(c) the Central Government to restrain the Liaison Office and other mainland officials from making impudent comments, so as to avoid creating confusion in governance and causing the public to worry and panic;
thereby implementing ‘One Country, Two Systems’, ‘Hong Kong
people ruling Hong Kong’ and ‘a high degree of autonomy’.” was negatived.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 193
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
(d) clearly defining the roles, functions and powers among the
Chief Executive, officials under the accountability system and civil servants.” and the proposed amendment to the motion were negatived.
The original motion: “That, under the impact of the financial
tsunami, Hong Kong’s economic development should seek new opportunities amid the crisis and enhance cooperation with Shenzhen, and operating businesses in the Pearl River Delta will be the new economic drive for Hong Kong in the future; recently, the State Council has approved the Shenzhen Overall Comprehensive Reform Pilot Programme and Shenzhen has proposed to jointly establish with Hong Kong a global ‘logistics centre’, ‘trade centre’, ‘innovation centre’ and ‘international cultural creativity centre’, which is a course of action taken by the Central Authorities to implement the Outline of the Plan for the Reform and Development of the Pearl River Delta (2008-2020), and Hong Kong should also grasp the opportunity, change its mindset and take the initiative to plan for the future; this Council urges the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to:
(a) take the initiative to expeditiously start discussion with
Shenzhen on jointly establishing a global ‘logistics centre’, ‘trade centre’, ‘innovation centre’ and ‘international cultural creativity centre’, so as to deepen its cooperative relationship with Shenzhen;
(b) enhance cooperation between Hong Kong and Shenzhen on the financial front, assist local securities companies in setting up offices in Shenzhen at an early stage and on a pilot basis, and study the feasibility of merging the two stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, thereby combining the strengths of both places and increasing the depth and breadth of the market, so as to consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international financial centre;
(c) create a new Hong Kong-Shenzhen cooperation mechanism, and study the feasibility of setting up an integrated office on Hong Kong-Shenzhen opportunities;
(d) formulate publicity strategies to promote to the world Hong Kong’s opportunities for cooperation with Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta, so as to attract more investments and talents;17 June 2009
“Promoting cooperation between
Hong Kong and Shenzhen” moved by
Hon LAU Kong-wah
amendments moved by
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Paul CHAN Mo-po Hon CHAN Kin-por
amendment to amendment moved by
Dr Hon Margaret NGAppendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 194
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
(e) discuss with Shenzhen the joint planning and development
of the Qianhai zone in Shenzhen, and explore the feasibility of Hong Kong and Shenzhen jointly operating businesses in the Qianhai cooperation zone;
(f) expedite and push forward the works for the interface of major infrastructural facilities in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, and speed up the implementation of measures to facilitate Shenzhen residents to visit Hong Kong, so as to achieve a more convenient and efficient flow of people, capital, goods and information;
(g) assist Hong Kong’s professional services industries to develop in Shenzhen, and implement facilitation measures to further relax market entry for the services in 20 areas covered in Supplement VI to the Mainland and Hong Kong Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, namely, legal, architecture, healthcare, research and development, real estate, convention and exhibition, telecommunications, audio and visual, distribution, banking, securities, tourism, cultural and recreational, maritime transport, air transport, railway transport, individually-owned stores, job intermediary, printing and publishing, and public utilities, etc;
(h) jointly build green and environmental cities with Shenzhen, raise the air and water quality in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and develop green and environmental industries;
(i) jointly develop education industries with Shenzhen, and assist Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions in setting up branch campuses in Shenzhen;
(j) cooperate with Shenzhen to facilitate Hong Kong products in entering the Mainland’s local consumption market, so as to boost Hong Kong brands and assist Hong Kong enterprises in their transformation;
(k) expeditiously implement various development proposals in the Hong Kong-Shenzhen river-loop area; and
(l) foster integration of the two places, including abolishing telephone roaming charges in both places, developing an Octopus Card (electronic wallet) which can be used in both places, establishing public transport services systems which link up the two places, and setting up 24-hour boundary control points, etc.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 195
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
II. MOTIONS NEGATIVEDWording of Motion and Result
The original motion: “That this Council urges the Government
to enact legislation on referendum and conduct a referendum on the proposal on constitutional reform in Hong Kong, so as to realize the principle of a high degree of autonomy for Hong Kong people, allow Hong Kong people to decide on the selection of the Chief Executive and the election of all Legislative Council Members by universal suffrage in 2012, fully comply with the relevant requirements of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of the United Nations, and return the political power to the people.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.
The original motion: “That it is anticipated that on 1 July this year, a
large number of people will take part in the march to express their dissatisfaction at the Government’s lack of sincerity to implement dual universal suffrage for the Chief Executive and the Legislative Council elections in 2012 as well as its various blunders in the implementation of policies, including the failure to put in place an effective system to regulate the sale of financial products and the persistently high unemployment rate, etc, this Council urges the Government to face up to the aspirations of the people participating in the march.” and the proposed amendments to the motion were negatived.17 June 2009
“Proposal on the constitutional
reform in Hong Kong” moved by
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
amendments moved by
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon WONG Yuk-man
8 July 2009
“Facing up to the aspirations of the
people participating in the march on 1 July” moved by
Hon James TO Kun-sun
amendments moved by
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 196
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
III. MOTIONS ON ADJOURNMENTWording of Motion and Result
7 January 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hungMotions moved under Rule 16(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Motions moved under Rule 16(4) of the Rules of Procedure“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following issue: The Israeli Government’s attack on the Gaza Strip.” The motion on adjournment was negatived.
29 April 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
26 November 2008
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
17 December 2008
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
4 March 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
6 May 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon LAU Kong-wah“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
how to counteract the spread of the A/H1N1 swine influenza viruses and properly carry out preventive work against the threat posed by the viruses to Hong Kong.” The motion on adjournment was negatived.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the
following issue: Adjustment in the fares for the hiring of Lantau and urban taxis.” The motion on adjournment was passed.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following issue: Predicament faced by the small and medium enterprises due to tightened credit facility from banks.” The motion on adjournment was passed.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following issue: The situation faced by Hong Kong people (including Legislative Council Members, District Council members, members of political parties, people from non-government organizations and journalists) for being persistently refused entry by the Macao Government.” The motion on adjournment was not voted upon.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following issue: Commencement of the Independent Police Complaints Council Ordinance.” The motion on adjournment was passed.LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 197
Date of Council meeting,
Subject and Mover
III. MOTIONS ON ADJOURNMENTWording of Motion and Result
3 June 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
24 June 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
8 July 2009
Motion on adjournment moved by
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the selection of candidates for the post of Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority.” The motion on adjournment was passed.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following issue: the relocation of Christian Zheng Sheng College to the former Heung Yee Kuk Southern District Secondary School in Mui Wo.” The motion on adjournment was not voted upon.
“That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating
the following two issues:
(a) review of the tree management policy and the report on
the review raised by Hon Tanya CHAN; and
(b) persistent rent increases by The Link Management Limited and the substantial layoffs upon the change of service contracts for its carparks raised by Hon WONG Kwok-kin.”
The motion on adjournment was not voted upon.Appendix 4
Motion Debates HeldLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 198
Membership Of Legislative Council
Committees (By Committees And By Members)
BY COMMITTEES
SUBCOMMITTEES OF FINANCE
COMMITTEEEstablishment Subcommittee
Hon WONG Yung-kan (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Deputy Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiDr Hon David LI Kwok-poHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon LAU Kong-wahHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon WONG Ting-kwongProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Wai-mingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Public Works Subcommittee
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai (Chairman)Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (Deputy Chairman)Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamHon LAU Wong-fatHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon WONG Kwok-hingHon LEE Wing-tatHon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon CHAN Hak-kanHon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon Tanya CHAN Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon WONG Kwok-kinHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMITTEE
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong (Chairman)Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po (Deputy Chairman)Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Alan LEONG Kah-kit Hon Starry LEE Wai-king Hon WONG Yuk-man
COMMITTEE ON MEMBERS’ INTERESTS
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun (Chairman)Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing (Deputy Chairman)Hon WONG Yung-kanHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon WONG Sing-chi
SUBCOMMITTEES OF HOUSE COMMITTEE
Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him (Chairman)
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing (Deputy Chairman)Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon James TO Kun-sunHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing Appendix 5LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 199(By Committees And By Members)
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon CHAN Hak-kanHon Tanya CHAN Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from
Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds and Structured Financial Products
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai (Chairman)
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (up to 17.11.2008) Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po (up to 27.10.2008)Dr Hon Margaret NG (up to 15.1.2009)Hon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon LAM Tai-fai (up to 3.2.2009)Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po Hon CHAN Kin-porHon Tanya CHAN (up to 30.10.2008)Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon IP Wai-mingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeSubcommittee to Examine the
Implementation in Hong Kong of Resolutions of the United Nations Security Council in relation to Sanctions
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)
Hon LAU Kong-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Tanya CHAN
Subcommittee to Study Issues Relating to
Mainland-HKSAR Families
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan (Chairman)
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-fai (since 16.1.2009) Hon CHAN Hak-kanDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 200
Subcommittee on Preparatory Work for the
Appointment of the Select Committee to Inquire into Matters relating to the Post-service Employment of Mr LEUNG Chin-man
Hon LI Fung-ying (Chairman)
Hon LEE Wing-tat (Deputy Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiDr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon LAU Kong-wahHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Hak-kanHon Tanya CHANHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Subcommittee on Members’ Remuneration
and Operating Expenses Reimbursement
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon LEE Cheuk-yanHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Tanya CHANHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeCOMMITTEE ON RULES OF PROCEDURE
Hon TAM Yiu-chung (Chairman)Dr Hon Margaret NG (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
BILLS COMMITTEES
Bills Committee on Adaptation of Laws Bill 2009
Hon WONG Ting-kwong (Chairman)
Hon IP Wai-ming (Deputy Chairman)Dr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LEUNG Kwok-hungDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon WONG Kwok-kinHon IP Kwok-himHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Arbitration Bill
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanIr Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon LAU Kong-wahHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 201Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Bunker Oil Pollution
(Liability and Compensation) Bill
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming (Chairman)
Hon WONG Yung-kanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Tanya CHAN
Bills Committee on Copyright (Amendment)
Bill 2009
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon Margaret NGHon CHAN Kam-lamHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Disciplined Services
Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan (Chairman)
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon IP Wai-mingDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouBills Committee on Domestic Violence
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon TAM Yiu-chung Hon LI Fung-ying Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hung (since 29.6.2009)Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Paul CHAN Mo-poDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Dutiable Commodities
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon CHAN Kin-por (Chairman)
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Vincent FANG KangDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long (since 30.5.2009)Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (since 30.5.2009)Hon WONG Ting-kwongHon Tanya CHANAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 202
Bills Committee on Employment
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon LI Fung-yingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Genetically Modified
Organisms (Control of Release) Bill
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon WONG Ting-kwongHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kanHon Tanya CHANDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (up to 13.7.2009)Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Bills Committee on Immigration (Amendment)
Bill 2009
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Kong-wahHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon LI Fung-yingHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kanHon WONG Kwok-kinHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Bills Committee on Inland Revenue
(Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2009
Hon CHAN Kam-lam (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon James TO Kun-sunHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Bills Committee on Inland Revenue
(Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2009
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po (Chairman)
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Starry LEE Wai-king
Bills Committee on Legal Practitioners
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan Hon LAU Kong-wahHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon Paul TSE Wai-chunLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 203Bills Committee on Mandatory Provident
Fund Schemes (Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon CHAN Kam-lam (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon LEE Chuek-yanHon LI Fung-yingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Tanya CHANHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Wai-ming
Bills Committee on Minimum Wage Bill
Hon TAM Yiu-chung (Chairman)Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Kin-porHon Tanya CHANDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kinHon WONG Yuk-man (Since 28.9.2009)Hon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Bills Committee on Occupational Deafness
(Compensation) (Amendment) Bill 2009
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (since 28.7.2009)Hon CHAN Kin-porHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-him
Bills Committee on Public Health and
Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2008
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming (Chairman)
Hon WONG Yung-kanHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Kwok-hingDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-longHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 204
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (up to 17.2.2009)Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Bills Committee on Public Officers Pay
Adjustment Bill
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanDr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon TAM Yiu-chungHon LI Fung-yingHon LEUNG Kwok-hungProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Bills Committee on Road Traffic (Driving-
offence Points) (Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (Chairman)
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon WONG Kwok-hingHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Bills Committee on Village Representative
Election Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Wong-fatHon LEE Wing-tatHon CHEUNG Hok-mingDr Hon LAM Tai-fai (up to 15.6.2009)Hon Tanya CHANHon WONG Sing-chiHon Paul TSE Wai-chunBills Committee on Voting by Imprisoned
Persons Bill
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon James TO Kun-sunHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon WONG Ting-kwongHon CHIM Pui-chungDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
SUBCOMMITTEES ON SUBSIDIARY
LEGISLATION
Subcommittee on Air Pollution Control
(Volatile Organic Compounds) (Amendment) Regulation 2009
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Vincent FANG KangHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kan
Subcommittee on Building (Minor Works)
Regulation
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai (Chairman)
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon LEE Wing-tatLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 205Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Cyd HO Sau-lan (up to 23.4.2009)Hon Tanya CHANHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Employees Retraining
Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3) Notice 2008
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon LI Fung-yingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEE Wing-tatHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kinHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Employees Retraining
Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3)
(No. 2) Notice 2008
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon LI Fung-yingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon LEE Wing-tatHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kinHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Fixed Penalty (Smoking
Offences) Regulation and Fixed Penalty (Smoking Offences) (Specification of Authorities and Public Officers) Notice
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long (Chairman)
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon WONG Ting-kwongHon CHAN Hak-kan
Subcommittee on Food Business
(Amendment) Regulation 2008
Hon WONG Yung-kan (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon Fred LI Wah-mingHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon LI Fung-yingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Subcommittee on Food Business
(Amendment) Regulation 2009
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan (Chairman)
Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon CHAN Kam-lamHon WONG Yung-kanHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon WONG Ting-kwongHon WONG Kwok-kinHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 206
Subcommittee on Harmful Substances in
Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming (Chairman)
Hon WONG Yung-kanHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-longHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Tanya CHAN Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauDr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Subcommittee on Hong Kong Court of
Final Appeal Fees (Amendment) Rules 2009, District Court Civil Procedure (Fees) (Amendment) Rules 2009 and Civil Justice (Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2008 (Commencement) Notice
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan Hon LAU Kong-wahHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Subcommittee on Independent
Police Complaints Council Ordinance (Commencement) Notice
Hon LAU Kong-wah (Chairman)
Hon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon WONG Kwok-kinHon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Independent
Police Complaints Council Ordinance (Commencement) (No. 2) Notice 2009
Hon LAU Kong-wah (Chairman)
Hon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Vincent FANG KangHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon WONG Kwok-kinHon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Mutual Legal Assistance
in Criminal Matters (Indonesia) Order, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Japan) Order and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Sri Lanka) Order
Hon James TO Kun-sun (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon LAU Kong-wahLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 207Subcommittee on Ozone Layer Protection
(Products Containing Scheduled Substances) (Import Banning) (Amendment) Regulation 2009
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)
Hon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Ting-kwongHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Tanya CHAN
Subcommittee on Product Eco-responsibility
(Plastic Shopping Bags) Regulation
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Vincent FANG KangHon LEE Wing-tatHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongHon KAM Nai-waiHon CHAN Hak-kanHon Tanya CHAN
Subcommittee on Proposed Resolution
under Section 7(a) of the Legal Aid Ordinance (Cap. 91)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon Margaret NGHon LI Fung-yingHon Audrey EUDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Paul TSE Wai-chunSubcommittee on Proposed Resolution
under Section 7(1) of the Public Finance Ordinance (Cap.2)
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing (Chairman)
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Starry LEE Wai-king
Subcommittee on Proposed Resolutions
under Section 29 of the Public Finance Ordinance (Cap. 2) and Section 3 of the Loans Ordinance (Cap. 61)
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon David LI Kwok-poHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon CHAN Kin-porHon Tanya CHANHon WONG Kwok-kinHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 208
Subcommittee on Race Discrimination (Formal
Investigations) Rules, Race Discrimination (Investigation and Conciliation) Rules and Code of Practice on Employment under the Race Discrimination Ordinance
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (up to 7.6.2009)Hon IP Kwok-him
Subcommittee on Race Discrimination
(Proceedings by Equal Opportunities Commission) Regulation
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon IP Kwok-himDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoSubcommittee on Road Traffic (Public Service
Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation 2008
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (Chairman)
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon LI Fung-yingHon WONG Kwok-hingHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon IP Wai-ming
Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation
Relating to Consular Matters
Hon James TO Kun-sun (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon LAU Kong-wahDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation
to Enable the Release of Spectrum for Expansion of the Second Generation Mobile Service and Mobile TV Services
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho (Chairman)
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon LEE Wing-tatHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Paul TSE Wai-chunLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 209Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation
Relating to Voting by Imprisoned Persons
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon WONG Ting-kwongHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Subcommittee on Tate’s Cairn Tunnel
Ordinance (Replacement of Schedule) Notice 2008
Hon WONG Kwok-hing (Chairman)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Subcommittee on Technical Memorandum
for Allocation of Emission Allowances in Respect of Specified Licences
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)
Hon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kan Hon Tanya CHAN (up to 25.11.2008)PANELS
I. Panels
Panel on Administration of Justice and
Legal Services
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (Deputy Chairman) Hon James TO Kun-sunHon LAU Kong-wahHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Panel on Commerce and Industry
Hon Vincent FANG Kang (Chairman)Hon WONG Ting-kwong (Deputy Chairman)Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan (since 12.11.2008)Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon Tanya CHANDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 210
Panel on Constitutional Affairs
Hon TAM Yiu-chung (Chairman)
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yan Dr Hon Margaret NGHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Kong-wahHon LAU Wong-fatHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon WONG Kwok-hingHon LEE Wing-tatHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Kin-porDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kinHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoPanel on Development
Hon LAU Wong-fat (Chairman)Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanIr Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon LEE Wing-tatHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Tanya CHANDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (since 22.10.2008)Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Panel on Economic Development
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung (Chairman)Hon Starry LEE Wai-king (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon David LI Kwok-poHon Fred LI Wah-mingHon CHAN Kam-lamHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Vincent FANG KangHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHIM Pui-chungLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 211Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon Tanya CHANHon IP Wai-mingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Panel on Education
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (Chairman)Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (Deputy Chairman)Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Tanya CHANHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Panel on Environmental Affairs
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)Hon CHAN Hak-kan (Deputy Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon James TO Kun-sunHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Kong-wahHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon LEE Wing-tat Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Kin-porDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Panel on Financial Affairs
Hon CHAN Kam-lam (Chairman)Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon David LI Kwok-poHon James TO Kun-sunDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Vincent FANG kang (since 21.11.2008)Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongHon CHIM Pui-chungHon KAM Nai-waiHon Starry LEE Wai-kingHon Paul CHAN Mo-po Hon CHAN Kin-porHon CHAN TanyaHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (since 18.12.2008)
Panel on Food Safety and Environmental
Hygiene
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming (Chairman)
Hon WONG Yung-kan (Deputy Chairman)Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan Hon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Kwok-hingDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-longHon Alan LEONG Kah-kit Hon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon WONG Yuk-manAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 212
Panel on Health Services
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long (Chairman)
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Fred LI Wah-mingHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kanHon IP Kwok-himDr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Panel on Home Affairs
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)Hon Tanya CHAN (Deputy Chairman)Hon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting Hon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Hak-kanHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon Paul TSE Wai-chunPanel on Housing
Hon WONG Kwok-hing (Chairman)Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee (Deputy Chairman)Hon Fred LI Wah-mingHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHAN Kam-lamHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon LEE Wing-tatDr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-longHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiHon CHAN Hak-kanHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kin
Panel on Information Technology and
Broadcasting
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen (Chairman)
Hon LEE Wing-tat (Deputy Chairman)Hon CHAN Kam-lamHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon WONG Ting-kwongHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon WONG Yuk-manHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 213Panel on Manpower
Hon LI Fung-ying (Chairman)
Hon WONG Kwok-kin (Deputy Chairman)Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Kin-porDr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingHon IP Kwok-himDr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Panel on Public Service
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan (Chairman)Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (Deputy Chairman)Dr Hon Margaret NGHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon TAM Yiu-chungHon LI Fung-yingHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouPanel on Security
Hon LAU Kong-wah (Chairman)Hon James TO Kun-sun (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon Margaret NGHon CHEUNG Man-kwongDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Wong-fat (up to 1.3.2009)Hon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen Hon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHIM Pui-chungHon CHAN Hak-kanHon WONG Kwok-kinHon WONG Yuk-manHon IP Kwok-him
Panel on Transport
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming (Chairman)Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo (Deputy Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon LAU Kong-wahHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yanHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon WONG Kwok-hingHon LEE Wing-tatHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon KAM Nai-waiHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 214
Panel on Welfare Services
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip (Chairman)
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (since 23.10.2008)Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon TAM Yiu-chungHon LI Fung-yingHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon WONG Kwok-hingHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Paul CHAN Mo-poHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kin
II. Subcommittees of Panels
Panel on Development
Subcommittee on Harbourfront Planning
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing (Chairman)
Hon Tanya CHAN (Deputy Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon James TO Kun-sunHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon LEE Wing-tatHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon IP Kwok-himHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (up to 25.6.2009)Panel on Development and Panel on
Administration of Justice and Legal Services
Joint Subcommittee on Amendments to Land Titles Ordinance
Dr Hon Margaret NG (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Panel on Enviromental Affairs
Subcommittee on Improving Air Quality
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee (Chairman)Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo (up to 14.5.2009)Hon LEE Wing-tat Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon KAM Nai-waiHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon CHAN Hak-kan Hon CHAN Kin-por
Panel on Enviromental Affairs
Subcommittee on Combating Fly-tipping
Hon LEE Wing-tat (Chairman)Hon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon KAM Nai-waiLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 215Panel on Home Affairs and Panel on
Development
Joint Subcommittee to Monitor the Implementation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Project
Hon IP Kwok-him (Chairman)
Hon LEE Wing-tat (Deputy Chairman)Hon Albert HO Chun-yanIr Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon CHAN Kam-lamHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon CHEUNG Hok-mingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon Cyd HO Sau-lanHon Starry LEE Wai-kingDr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Hak-kanHon Tanya CHANDr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-funHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Yuk-manHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeHon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoPanel on Security
Subcommittee on Police’s Handling of Sex
Workers and Searches of Detainees
Hon James TO Kun-sun (Chairman)
Hon Albert HO Chun-yanDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon WONG Yung-kanHon LAU Kong-wahHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon WONG Kwok-kinHon WONG Yuk-man
Panel on Transport
Subcommittee on Matters Relating to
Railways
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (Chairman)
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-taiHon LAU Kong-wahHon Andrew CHENG Kar-fooHon Abraham SHEK Lai-himHon LI Fung-yingHon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon WONG Kwok-hingHon LEE Wing-tatHon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon CHEUNG Hok-mingHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon KAM Nai-waiHon WONG Sing-chiHon IP Wai-mingHon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yeeAppendix 5
Membership Of Legislative
Council Committees(By
Committees And By Members)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 216
Panel on Welfare Services
Subcommittee on Poverty Alleviation
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon LEUNG Yiu-chungHon TAM Yiu-chungHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon CHEUNG Kwok-cheHon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kin
SELECT COMMITTEE TO INQUIRE
INTO MATTERS RELATING TO THE
POST-SERVICE WORK OF MR LEUNG
CHIN-MAN
Hon LI Fung-ying (Chairman)
Hon LEE Wing-tat (Deputy Chairman)Dr Hon Margaret NGHon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon LAU Kong-wahHon LEUNG Kwok-hungHon Ronny TONG Ka-wahHon Cyd HO Sau-lanDr Hon LAM Tai-faiDr Hon PAN Pey-chyouDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 217Finance Committee
Establishment Subcommittee
Finance Committee
Public Works Subcommittee
Public Accounts Committee
Committee on Members’ Interests
Committee on Rules of Procedure
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai C
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
Dr Hon Margaret NG C D C D
Hon James TO Kun-sun
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun C
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong C
Hon WONG Yung-kan C
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing DC
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung C
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-meeHon Vincent FANG KangHon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fungHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
DC
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po DC
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 15 28 7 7 12
C = Chairman DC = Deputy ChairmanMembership Of Legislative Council
Committees (By Members)Appendix 5LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 218
Parliamentary Liaison Subcommittee
Subcommittee to Study Issues Arising from
Lehman Brothers-related Minibonds andStructured Financial Products
Subcommittee to Examine the
Implementation in Hong Kong ofResolutions of the United Nations SecurityCouncil in relation to Sanctions
Subcommittee to Study Issues Relating to
Mainland-HKSAR Families
Subcommittee on Preparatory Work for
the Appointment of the Select Committeeto Inquire into Matters Relating to thePost-service Employment of Mr LEUNGChin-man
Subcommittee on Members’ Remuneration
and Operating Expenses Reimbursement Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (1)
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai C
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan C
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po (2)
Hon Fred LI Wah-min g
Dr Hon Margaret NG (3) C
Hon James TO Kun-su n
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwon g
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fu n
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung DC
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong DC
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing DC C
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-tingHon TAM Yiu-chung
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him C
Hon LI Fung-ying C
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yipHon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Audrey EU Yuet-mee
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat DC
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai (4) (6)
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN (5)
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-ki n
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 10 22 4 18 23 11
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (up to 17.11.2008)
(2) Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po (up to 27.10.2008)(3) Dr Hon Margaret NG (up to 15.1.2009)(4) Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai (up to 3.2.2009)(5) Hon Tanya CHAN (up to 30.10.2008)(6) Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai (since 16.1.2009)Membership of Subcommittees of House CommitteeLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 219Appendix 5BC on Adaptation of Laws Bill 2009
BC on Arbitration Bill
BC on Bunker Oil Pollution (Liability and
Compensation) Bill
BC on Copyright (Amendment) Bill 2009
BC on Disciplined Services Legislation
(Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009
BC on Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill
2009
BC on Dutiable Commodities (Amendment)
Bill 2009
BC on Employment (Amendment) Bill 2009
BC on Genetically Modified Organisms
(Control of Release) Bill
BC on Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2009
BC on Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 2)
Bill 2009
BC on Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 3)
Bill 2009
BC on Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill
2009
BC on Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes
(Amendment) Bill 2009
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan C C
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming C
Dr Hon Margaret NG C C
Hon James TO Kun-sun
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam C C
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee C
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long (2)
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (3) C
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung (1)
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong C
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po C
Hon CHAN Kin-por C
Hon Tanya CHAN
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (4)
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming DC
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho C
Total 13 11 7 13 7 20 8 17 8 13 6 9 9 15
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung (since 29.6.2009)(continued ...)(2) Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long (since 30.5.2009)
(3) Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (since 30.5.2009)(4) Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (up to 13.7.2009)Membership of Bills CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 220
BC on Minimum Wage Bill
BC on Occupational Deafness
(Compensation) (Amendment) Bill 2009
BC on Public Health and Municipal Services
(Amendment) Bill 2008
BC on Public Officers Pay Adjustment Bill
BC on Road Traffic (Driving-offence Points)
(Amendment) Bill 2009
BC on Village Representative Election
Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill2009
BC on Voting by Imprisoned Persons BillHon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming C
Dr Hon Margaret NG
Hon James TO Kun-sun
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee C
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung C
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (2)
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (3)
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai (4)
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po DC
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-ki n
Hon WONG Yuk-man (1)
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him C C C
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou C
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 37 10 12 11 7 10 15
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Hon WONG Yuk-man (since 28.9.2009)
(2) Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit (since 28.7.2009)(3) Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (up to 17.2.2009)(4) Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai (up to 15.6.2009)Membership of Bills Committees (… continued)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 221Appendix 5Subcommittee on Air Pollution Control
(Volatile Organic Compounds)(Amendment) Regulation 2009
Subcommittee on Building (Minor
Works) Regulation
Subcommittee on Employees Retraining
Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3)Notice 2008
Subcommittee on Employees Retraining
Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3)(No. 2) Notice 2008
Subcommittee on Fixed Penalty (SmokingOffences) Regulation and Fixed Penalty(Smoking Offences) (Specification ofAuthorities and Public Officers) Notice
Subcommittee on Food Business
(Amendment) Regulation 2008
Subcommittee on Food Business
(Amendment) Regulation 2009 Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai C
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
Dr Hon Margaret NG
Hon James TO Kun-sunHon CHEUNG Man-kwongHon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan C
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fatHon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chungHon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan C
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-keeHon Audrey EU Yuet-mee
C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long C
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (1)
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-porHon Tanya CHAN
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lauHon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee C C
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chunDr Hon Samson TAM Wai-hoTotal 6 11 16 16 6 12 8
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(continued...)(1) Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan (up to 23.4.2009)Membership of Subcommittees on Subsidiary Legislation LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 222
Subcommittee on Harmful Substances in
Food (Amendment) Regulation 2008
Subcommittee on Hong Kong Court of Final
Appeal Fees (Amendment) Rules 2009,District Court Civil Procedure (Fees)(Amendment) Rules 2009 and Civil Justice(Miscellaneous Amendments) Ordinance 2008(Commencement) Notice
Subcommittee on Independent Police
Complaints Council Ordinance(Commencement) Notice
Subcommittee on Independent Police
Complaints Council Ordinance(Commencement) (No. 2) Notice 2009
Subcommittee on Mutual Legal Assistance in
Criminal Matters (Indonesia) Order, MutualLegal Assistance in Criminal Matters (Japan)Order and Mutual Legal Assistance inCriminal Matters (Sri Lanka) Order
Subcommittee on Ozone Layer Protection
(Products Containing Scheduled Substances)(Import Banning) (Amendment) Regulation2009
Subcommittee on Product Eco-responsibility
(Plastic Shopping Bags) Regulation
Subcommittee on Proposed Resolution under
Section 7(a) of the Legal Aid Ordinance (Cap.91)Hon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan C
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-poHon Fred LI Wah-ming
C
Dr Hon Margaret NG C
Hon James TO Kun-sun C
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwon g
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-funHon LEUNG Yiu-chungDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah C C
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee C C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-faiHon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-porHon Tanya CHAN
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chiHon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 16 7 15 15 3 6 9 9
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman (continued...)Membership of Subcommittees on Subsidiary Legislation
(… continued)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 223Appendix 5Subcommittee on Proposed Resolution under
Section 7(1) of the Public Finance Ordinance(Cap.2)
Subcommittee on Proposed Resolutions
under Section 29 of the Public FinanceOrdinance (Cap. 2) and Section 3 of theLoans Ordinance (Cap. 61)
Subcommittee on Race Discrimination
(Formal Investigations) Rules, RaceDiscrimination (Investigation andConciliation) Rules and Code of Practice onEmployment under the Race DiscriminationOrdinance
Subcommittee on Race Discrimination
(Proceedings by Equal OpportunitiesCommission) Regulation
Subcommittee on Road Traffic (Public
Service Vehicles) (Amendment) Regulation2008
Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation
Relating to Consular Matters
Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation to
Enable the Release of Spectrum forExpansion of the Second Generation MobileService and Mobile TV Services
Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation
Relating to Voting by Imprisoned Persons
Subcommittee on Tate's Cairn Tunnel
Ordinance (Replacement of Schedule) Notice2008
Subcommittee on Technical Memorandum
for Allocation of Emission Allowances inRespect of Specified LicencesHon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanDr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming
Dr Hon Margaret NG
Hon James TO Kun-sun C
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee C
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing C
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing C
Hon LEE Wing-tat
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung C
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon Alan LEONG Kah-kitHon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN (2)
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (1)
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him C
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun C C
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho C
Total 4 18 12 11 8 4 6 14 6 4
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun (up to 7.6.2009)
(2) Hon Tanya CHAN (up to 25.11.2008)Membership of Subcommittees on Subsidiary Legislation
(… continued)LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 224
Panel on Administration of Justice
and Legal Services
Panel on Commerce and Industry
Panel on Constitutional Affairs
Panel on Development
Panel on Economic Development
Panel on Education
Panel on Environmental Affairs
Panel on Financial Affairs
Panel on Food Safety and
Environmental Hygiene
Panel on Health Services
Panel on Home Affairs
Panel on Housing
Panel on Information Technology and
Broadcasting
Panel on Manpower
Panel on Public Service
Panel on Security
Panel on Transport
Panel on Welfare Services
Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (6)
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai DC
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan C
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-ming C
Dr Hon Margaret NG C
Hon James TO Kun-sun DC
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam C
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan DC
Hon LAU Kong-wah C
Hon LAU Wong-fat C (5)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo DC
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung C
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying C
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan (1)
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip C
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee DC
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang C (3)
Hon WONG Kwok-hing C
Hon LEE Wing-tat DC
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long C
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung C
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen C
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming C
Hon WONG Ting-kwong DC
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah DC
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing DC
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan C
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king DC
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
Hon CHAN Hak-kan DC
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN DC
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun DC
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau DC
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che DC
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin DC
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him C
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (2) (4) DC
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 8 15 38 24 20 17 17 19 13 13 18 17 13 16 10 18 18 15
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan (since 12.11.2008)
(2) Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (since 22.10.2008)(3) Hon Vincent FANG Kang (since 21.11.2008)(4) Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (since 18.12.2008)(5) Hon LAU Wong-fat (up to 1.3.2009)(6) Hon Albert HO Chun-yan (since 23.10.2008)Membership of Panels LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 225Appendix 5Panel on Development
Subcommittee on HarbourfrontPlanning
Panel on Development and Panel on
Administration of Justice and LegalServicesJoint Subcommittee on Amendments toLand Titles Ordinance
Panel on Enviromental Affairs
Subcommittee on Improving Air
Quality
Panel on Enviromental Affairs
Subcommittee on Combating Fly-tipping
Panel on Home Affairs and Panel on
DevelopmentJoint Subcommittee to Monitor theImplementation of the West KowloonCultural District Project
Panel on Security
Subcommittee on Police's Handling ofSex Workers and Searches of Detainees
Panel on Transport
Subcommittee on Matters Relating toRailways
Panel on Welfare Services
Subcommittee on Poverty Alleviation
Select Committee to Inquire into
Matters Relating to the Post-ServiceWork of Mr LEUNG Chin-manHon Albert HO Chun-yan
Ir Dr Hon Raymond HO Chung-tai
Hon LEE Cheuk-yan
Dr Hon David LI Kwok-po
Hon Fred LI Wah-mingDr Hon Margaret NG
C
Hon James TO Kun-sun C
Hon CHEUNG Man-kwong
Hon CHAN Kam-lam
Hon Mrs Sophie LEUNG LAU Yau-fun
Hon LEUNG Yiu-chung
Dr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hong
Hon WONG Yung-kan
Hon LAU Kong-wah
Hon LAU Wong-fat
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee C
Hon Emily LAU Wai-hing
Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo (2)
Hon Timothy FOK Tsun-ting
Hon TAM Yiu-chung
Hon Abraham SHEK Lai-him
Hon LI Fung-ying C
Hon Tommy CHEUNG Yu-yan
Hon Albert CHAN Wai-yip
Hon Frederick FUNG Kin-kee C
Hon Audrey EU Yuet-mee C
Hon Vincent FANG Kang
Hon WONG Kwok-hing
Hon LEE Wing-tat C DC DC
Dr Hon Joseph LEE Kok-long
Hon Jeffrey LAM Kin-fung
Hon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuen
Hon Alan LEONG Kah-kit
Hon LEUNG Kwok-hung
Hon CHEUNG Hok-ming
Hon WONG Ting-kwong
Hon Ronny TONG Ka-wah
Hon CHIM Pui-chung
Prof Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shing C
Hon KAM Nai-wai
Hon Cyd HO Sau-lan
Hon Starry LEE Wai-king
Dr Hon LAM Tai-fai
Hon CHAN Hak-kan
Hon Paul CHAN Mo-po
Hon CHAN Kin-por
Hon Tanya CHAN DC
Dr Hon Priscilla LEUNG Mei-fun
Dr Hon LEUNG Ka-lau
Hon CHEUNG Kwok-che
Hon WONG Sing-chi
Hon WONG Kwok-kin
Hon WONG Yuk-man
Hon IP Wai-ming
Hon IP Kwok-him C
Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (1)
Dr Hon PAN Pey-chyou
Hon Paul TSE Wai-chun
Dr Hon Samson TAM Wai-ho
Total 16 8 9 5 28 10 17 9 12
C = Chairman DC = Deputy Chairman
(1) Hon Mrs Regina IP LAU Suk-yee (up to 25.6.2009)
(2) Hon Andrew CHENG Kar-foo (up to 14.5.2009)Membership of Subcommittees of Panels and
Select CommitteeLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 226
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 227STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL CONCLUDED
CASES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REDRESS SYSTEM IN THE 2008-2009 SESSIONAppendix 6
Appendix 6
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL CONCLUDED
CASES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
REDRESS SYSTEM IN THE 2008-2009 SESSION
Statistical breakdown, by Go vernment policy bureaux/department s, independent Outcome A : Cases resolved/views accepted
organi zations and non -government organi zations, of co ncluded cases B : Suitable assistance given
C : Informa tion given/referrals made
From 01-O ct-2008 to 30 -Sep-2009 D : Not pursued because outside scope, groundless , incomprehensible, etc.
Request for Matter
Nature : Comp laint assistance Propo sal/view En quiry outsi de sc ope Total
Outcome : A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D
Government policy bureaux/departments
HOUSING DEPARTMENT 7 8 9 2 5 3 3 1 1 0 4 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 3 50
TRANSPORT DEPARTMENT 0 6 7 0 0 7 0 0 10 5 8 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 44
SECURITY BUREAU 1 2 2 0 0 16 9 0 1 1 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 43
SOCIA
L WELFARE DEPARTMENT 1 5 7 3 3 1 3 0 0 0 14 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 41
FINANCIAL SERVICES & THE TREASURY BUREAU 1 0 5 1 1 0 3 0 0 0 27 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 40
LANDS DEPARTMENT 8 6 7 0 3 2 4 1 1 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 36
TRANSPORT & HOUSING BUREAU 0 3 3 0 0 5 9 0 2 1 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 36
FOOD & ENVIR ONM ENTAL HY GIEN E DEPART MENT 7 3 7 2 1 3 0 0 4 3 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33
HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT 4 9 4 1 6 2 1 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 33
HONG KONG POLICE FORCE 1 5 2 1 0 2 0 2 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 9 28
LABOUR & WELFARE BUREAU 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 1 19 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27
DEVELOPMENT BUREAU 0 4 1 0 0 5 1 0 1 0 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 26
FOOD & HEALTH BUREAU 0 1 0 0 2 5 3 0 0 0 13 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25
LEISURE & CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT 9 2 2 1 2 2 0 0 3 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 25
CHIEF EXECUTI VE'S OFFICE 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 22
FINANCIAL SECRETARY'S OFFICE 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 18 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20
HONG KONG MONETARY AUTHORITY 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 5 18
IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT 3 3 3 0 0 2 2 0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 18
EDUCATION BUREAU 0 2 3 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 17
HIGHWA YS DEPARTM ENT 2 2 4 0 1 0 0 1 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15
LABOUR DEPARTMENT 3 2 4 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12
BUILDINGS DEPARTMENT 2 2 2 2 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 228
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 229Appendix 6
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL CONCLUDED
CASES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
REDRESS SYSTEM IN THE 2008-2009 SESSION
Statistical breakdown, by Go vernment policy bureaux/department s, independent Outcome A : Cases resolved/views accepted
organi zations and non -government organi zations, of co ncluded cases B : Suitable assistance given
C : Informa tion given/referrals made
From 01-O ct-2008 to 30 -Sep-2009 D : Not pursued because outside scope, groundless , incomprehensible, etc.
Request for Matter
Nature : Comp laint assistance Propo sal/view En quiry outsi de sc ope Total
Outcome : A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D
HOME AFFAIRS BUREAU 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 11
ENVIRONMENT BUREAU 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9
CORRECTIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT 1 4 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8
ENVI
RONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT 1 0 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8
POST OFFICE 0 3 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 8
CONSTITUTION AL & MAINLAN D AFFAIRS BUREAU 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6
WATER SUPPLI ES DEPARTMENT 0 2 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES & CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION'S OFFICE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
CIVIL ENGINEERING AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4
CIVIL SERVICE BUREAU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 4
LEGAL AID DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 4
COM
MERCE & E CONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUREAU 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 3
DRAINAGE SERVICES DEPARTMENT 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
ELECTRICAL & MECHANICA L SERVICES DEPARTMENT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
CUSTOMS & EXCISE DEPARTMENT 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
INLAND REVENUE DEPART MENT 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
RATING & VALUATION DEPARTMENT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 2
TOURISM COMMISSION 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
ELECTORAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 230
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 231Appendix 6
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL CONCLUDED
CASES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
REDRESS SYSTEM IN THE 2008-2009 SESSION
Statistical breakdown, by Go vernment policy bureaux/department s, independent Outcome A : Cases resolved/views accepted
organi zations and non -government organi zations, of co ncluded cases B : Suitable assistance given
C : Informa tion given/referrals made
From 01-O ct-2008 to 30 -Sep-2009 D : Not pursued because outside scope, groundless , incomprehensible, etc.
Request for Matter
Nature : Comp laint assistance Propo sal/view En quiry outsi de sc ope Total
Outcome : A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY AGENCY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
INFORMATION SERVICES DEPARTMENT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
OFFICE OF THE TELEC OMM UNICATIONS AUTHORITY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
OFFICIAL RECEI VER'S OFFICE 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
PLANNING DEPARTMENT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
RADIO TELEVISION HONG KON G 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
REGISTRATION & ELECTORAL OFFICE 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE AGENCY 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
THE OFFIC E OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HKSAR IN BEIJING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Sub-total 55 85 87 17 28 68 45 7 35 19 237 2 1 1 12 0 0 0 3 33 735
Independent organizations
HOSPITAL AUTHORITY 0 5 5 2 0 1 2 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 6 28
JUDICIARY 1 0 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 8
URBAN RENEWAL AUTHORITY 0 0 1 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5
MAN
DATORY PROVIDENT FUND SCHEMES AUTHORITY 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3
SECURITIES & FUTURES COMMI SSION 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3
CHINESE MEDICINE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
ESTATE AGENTS AUTHORITY 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2
MTR CORPORATION LIMITED 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2
OFFICE OF THE PRIVACY COMMISSIONER FOR PERSONAL DATA 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2
COMPLAINTS AGAINST POLICE OFFICE 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
CONSUMER COUNCIL 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1
EMPLOYEES RETRAINING BOARD 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 232
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 233Appendix 6
STATISTICAL BREAKDOWN OF ALL CONCLUDED
CASES UNDER THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
REDRESS SYSTEM IN THE 2008-2009 SESSION
Statistical breakdown, by Go vernment policy bureaux/department s, independent Outcome A : Cases resolved/views accepted
organi zations and non -government organi zations, of co ncluded cases B : Suitable assistance given
C : Informa tion given/referrals made
From 01-O ct-2008 to 30 -Sep-2009 D : Not pursued because outside scope, groundless , incomprehensible, etc.
Request for Matter
Nature : Comp laint assistance Propo sal/view En quiry outsi de sc ope Total
Outcome : A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D A B C D
EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES COMMISSION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
THE LINK 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
THE MEDICAL COUNCI L OF HONG KONG 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1
Sub-total 2 5 10 3 1 4 4 1 1 1 12 0 1 0 4 0 0 0 1 13 63
Non-go vernment organizati ons
NON-GOVERNMENT 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 4 0 0 1037 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 35 1086
Sub-total 1 1 0 4 0 0 0 4 0 0 1037 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 35 1086
Total 58 91 97 24 29 72 49 12 36 20 1286 2 2 2 17 0 0 0 6 81 1884
* * * End of Report * * *
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 234
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL COMMISSION
Terms of Reference
1. To provide through the Legislative Council
Secretariat administrative support and services to the Legislative Council;
2. To provide office accommodation to Members of the Council and staff of the Secretariat;
3. To supervise the operation of the Secretariat;
4. To produce an official report of all proceedings in the Council and in any committee of the whole Council; and
5. To perform such other duties as the Council may by resolution determine.
Membership
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (Chairman)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yee (Deputy Chairman)Hon LEE Cheuk-yanHon Fred LI Wah-mingDr Hon Margaret NGHon CHEUNG Man-kwongDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon Andrew LEUNG Kwan-yuenHon WONG Ting-kwongProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon IP Kwok-himCommittee on Personnel Matters
Terms of Reference
1. To consider personnel matters including staffing
resources, appointment, promotion, dismissal, grading, duties, remuneration and other terms and conditions of service of staff of the Secretariat which require the attention of the Commission;
2. To approve appointments including acting appointments with a view to promotion of officers at Chief Council Secretary level and above; and
3. To monitor progress of appointment and personnel matters delegated to the Secretary General.
Membership
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (Chairman)
Hon LEE Cheuk-yanDr Hon Margaret NGDr Hon Philip WONG Yu-hongHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon IP Kwok-him
Committee on Members’ Operating Expenses
Terms of Reference
1. To advise on administrative matters relating to
Members’ operating expenses; and
2. To review the Secretary General’s decision on a Member’s claim for operating expenses reimbursement upon the Member’s request.
Membership
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (Chairman)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeHon Fred LI Wah-mingAppendix 7
The Legislative Council Commission
And Its CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 235Committee on Facilities and Services
Terms of Reference
1. To advise on matters relating to the provision of
office accommodation, furniture and equipment to the Council and the Secretariat;
2. To assess the needs of the Council and of individual Members for services and facilities for the conduct of Council business;
3. To advise on the provision of services and facilities to the public who visit the Legislative Council Building/Complex;
4. To formulate solutions for meeting needs identified at (1), (2) and (3);
5. To consider financial matters relating to (1) to (4) above, and approve procurement of fixed assets costing above $500,000 but not exceeding $2,000,000; and
6. To monitor the progress and developments relating to the above items.
Membership
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (Chairman)
Hon Miriam LAU Kin-yeeDr Hon Margaret NGHon Emily LAU Wai-hingHon WONG Ting-kwongProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon IP Kwok-him Committee on Art
Terms of Reference
1. To formulate policy/guidelines on the acquisition
of works of art for the new Legislative Council (LegCo) Complex;
2. To advise on the locations of works of art in the new LegCo Complex;
3. To advise on matters relating to the display and management of the art collection in the new LegCo Complex; and
4. To monitor the progress and developments relating to the above items.
Membership
Hon Jasper TSANG Yok-sing (Chairman)
Dr Hon Margaret NGHon Emily LAU Wai-hingProf Hon Patrick LAU Sau-shingHon IP Kwok-himAppendix 7
The Legislative Council Commission
And Its CommitteesLegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 236
LegCo Annual Report 2008-2009 237Organization Chart of the Legislative
Council Secretariat (as at 30 September 2009)Appendix 8
Senior Assistant
Legal Advisers
Mr Arthur CHEUNG
Ms Connie FUNG Legal Service
Division
Head (Research and
Library Services)Mr Watson CHAN Research and
Library Services
Division
Research Officers
Ms Vicky LEE
Mr Jackie WU
Mr Michael YU
Ms Diana WONG Ms Ivy CHENG
Miss Lettice AU YEUNG
Dr Yuki HUEN
Ms Katrina WU Translation and
Interpretation
Division
Senior Translation
Officers
Miss Lucie CHAU
Ms Pollyanna CHUNG
Miss Margaret LI
Ms Loretta WOO
Ms NG Wan-king
Mrs Suzanne LI
Mr WONG Kin-bun
Mr Daniel AU Miss Linda CHAN
Ms Tamus HON
Miss Iris TSUI Ms Gloria MA
Mr George LO
Miss Tammy LEUNG Ms Winnie CHAN
Miss Rebecca LOUIE
Miss Anita CHAN Miss Christabel CHIU
Mr Thomas YEUNG
Ms Jo SIU Ms Eva LAN
Ms Mandy LAM
Ms Vivian TAM Ms Alice WOO Ms LAM Kit-hing
Mr Stanley CHOW
Ms Eliza YEUNG Chief Translation
Officers
Mrs Angelica CHUNG
Mr CHAN Wing-hong
Mr Peter CHUNG
Miss Vivian LEE Mr Philip YU Assistant Legal
Advisers
Mr Stephen LAM
Mr KAU Kin-wah
Miss Kitty CHENG
Mr Kelvin LEE
Mr Timothy TSO Miss Winnie LO Ms Clara TAM
Mr YICK Wing-kinCouncil Business
Division 3
Assistant Secretary
General 3
Mrs Justina LAM Assistant Secretary
General 2
Mrs Vivian KAM Project Team for
the New Legislative
Council Complex Council Business
Division 2
Senior Council
Secretaries
Miss Lolita SHEK
Ms Dora WAI
Ms Serena CHU Ms Jessica CHAN
Mr Desmond LAM Senior Council
Secretary
Mr Matthew LOO
Senior Information
Technology OfficerMr Ian LEONGSenior Council
Secretaries
Mrs Eleanor CHOW
Ms Amy YU
Ms Alice LEUNG Miss Josephine SO Ms Maisie LAM
Ms Florence WONG
Miss Joanne FONG Mr Lemuel WOO Ms Judy TING
Mrs Claren MOK Chief Council
Secretaries
Ms Miranda HON
Mr Colin CHUI
Mr Arthur LEUNG Chief Council
Secretaries
Miss Odelia LEUNG
Miss Flora TAI
Ms Connie SZETO
Miss Mary SO Miss Betty MA Mr Raymond LAM Ms Betty FONG Administration
Division
Principal Council Secretary (Administration)
Mr Andy LAU
Information
Technology Manager
Mr CHAN Wai-kwong
Senior Council
Secretaries
Mr Anthony CHU
Mr Derek LO
Ms Hedy FOK Chief Public
Information OfficerMr Simon WONG Public Information
DivisionComplaints Division
Senior Public
Information Officers
Ms Emily PANG
Mr Jimmy YUEN
Mr Kelvin LI Ms Brenda YEUNGSenior Council
Secretaries
Mrs Pandora CHAN
Miss Erica WONG
Miss Erin TSANG Mrs Queenie YU
Ms Shirley CHAN Principal Council
Secretary (Complaints)
Mrs Sharon TONG
Accountant
Mr Joseph KWONGDeputy Head (Research and Library Services)
Ms Elyssa WONG Council Business
Division 1
Assistant Secretary
General 1
Mrs Constance LI
Chief Council
Secretaries
Miss Polly YEUNG
Miss Becky YU
Ms Anita SIT Ms YUE Tin-po Ms Rosalind MA Ms Joanne MAK
Ms Debbie YAU
Senior Council
Secretaries
Mrs Mary TANG
Ms Sarah YUEN
Mr WONG Siu-yee Mr SUNG Pui-yin Ms Annette LAM
Mr Thomas WONG
Ms Angel SHEK Mr Simon CHEUNG
Mr KWONG Kam-fai
Miss Constance MAN Assistant Secretary
General (Special Duties)
Mrs Percy MA
Head (Translation
and Interpretation)
Mr Kenneth WONG
Consultant
Architect
Mr IP Ching-wan The Legislative Council Commission
Secretary General
Ms Pauline NG Legal AdviserMr Jimmy MA Appendix 8
Organization Chart of the
Legislative Council Secretariat
(as at 30 September 2009)
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