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The following is issued on behalf of Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council will hold a meeting this Wednesday (July 13) at 11am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on the appointment of a select committee on the Internet Learning Support Programme.
The motion, to be moved by Hon Emily Lau, states: "That this Council appoints a select committee to inquire into whether there are government officials or other persons who acted unduly, in the course of selecting the implementing organisation for the Internet Learning Support Programme, to interfere with the selection process to influence the selection results with a political aim to assist the selected organisation, as well as related matters, and based on the results of the above inquiry, to make recommendations on the tendering and selection procedures of government programmes funded by public moneys and other related matters; and that in the performance of its duties the committee be authorised under section 9(2) of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (Cap. 382) to exercise the powers conferred by section 9(1) of that Ordinance."
Hon Mrs Sophie Leung will move a proposed resolution under Rule 85 of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. The motion states: "Resolved that having considered the report of the Committee on Members' Interests made to this Council on June 22, 2011 under Rule 73(1)(e) of the Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in relation to its consideration of a complaint against Honourable Abraham Shek Lai-him, Honourable Abraham Shek Lai-him be admonished for failing to disclose the nature of his pecuniary interest in the project to construct the Hong Kong Section of Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL Project) by virtue of his being an independent non-executive director of MTR Corporation Limited before he spoke on the XRL Project at the meetings of the Subcommittee on Matters Relating to Railways of the Panel on Transport of the Legislative Council held on November 6, 16 and 17, 2009, contrary to Rule 83A of the aforesaid Rules."
Hon Mrs Sophie Leung will move another motion on Issues in relation to procedural rules on pecuniary interests. The motion states: "That this Council takes note of the issues in relation to the procedural rules on pecuniary interests that are set out in the Report of the Committee on Members' Interests on its consideration of a complaint against Ir Dr Hon Raymond Ho, Hon Jeffrey Lam and Hon Abraham Shek."
Dr Hon Philip Wong will move a motion on the Public Accounts Committee's Report on "Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games". The motions says: "That this Council notes Chapter 1 of the Public Accounts Committee Report No. 56 on 'Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games'."
Members will also debate a motion on improving the medical services of the various clusters under the Hospital Authority. The motion, to be moved by Hon Fred Li, states: "That the proportion of the Government's expenditure on medical and health services in its recurrent expenditure has increased from 15.9% in 2007-2008 to 16.5% in 2011-2012, but population ageing and population growth have resulted in increased healthcare costs, and the Government's development of the healthcare industry and private medical services in the absence of proper manpower planning has led to a serious wastage of healthcare manpower and manpower shortage in the public healthcare system, and the manpower retention measures adopted by the Hospital Authority (HA) have resulted in further increases in the costs of public medical services; at the same time, owing to the uneven distribution of resources among the various clusters and the lack of transparency in the allocation of manpower and resources within individual clusters, many community hospitals are unable to improve services in response to the demands of residents within the communities; in this connection, this Council urges the executive authorities to face up to the problems of increasing healthcare costs and healthcare manpower shortage, review the policy direction and the pace of developing the healthcare industry and private medical services to reduce the impact on the public medical system, improve the management of HA, set a staffing establishment so as to ensure that public medical resources are put to proper uses and spent on the districts and fields with the greatest need, and apart from handling problems commonly found in various districts, such as the HA Drug Formulary rendering many patients unable to get the required drugs, long waiting time for services of accident and emergency departments as well as specialist out-patient services, long booking periods for surgical operations, difficulties in booking out-patient services and the non-provision of dental services in the public medical system, etc., focus particularly on clusters facing a particularly severe shortage of medical resources and manpower, such as New Territories West Cluster and Kowloon East Cluster, etc., and allocate more resources and manpower to respond to people's aspirations and improve services within the districts; the relevant measures should include:
(a) to expand United Christian Hospital and include the provision of oncology services;
(b) to extend the services of Tseung Kwan O Hospital, provide a more comprehensive range of healthcare services, and draw up a timetable for equipping it with delivery rooms;
(c) to introduce 24-hour out-patient services or services of the Accident and Emergency Department in Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital;
(d) to expeditiously and fully launch the new facilities at Pok Oi Hospital, which was redeveloped in 2007, for service commencement;
(e) to extend the services of North District Hospital by providing in-patient services in its Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine Department, strengthen the support for its Accident and Emergency Department, and, in view of the various major medical incidents at North District Hospital, to raise the number and quality of its healthcare personnel; and
(f) to improve transportation support for Lantau Island residents going to Princess Margaret Hospital, and expeditiously complete the construction of North Lantau Hospital, so as to provide medical services for Lantau Island residents."
Hon Frederick Fung, Hon Chan Hak-kan, Dr Hon Pan Pey-chyou, Hon Tommy Cheung, Dr Hon Leung Ka-lau and Hon Ronny Tong will move amendments to Hon Fred Li's motion respectively.
Members will debate another motion on perfecting harbourfront planning and management in all districts of Hong Kong. The motion, to be moved by Prof Hon Patrick Lau, says: "That this Council urges the Government to adopt the following measures to perfect harbourfront planning and management in all districts of Hong Kong:
(a) to make reference to appropriate overseas experience to formulate a comprehensive strategic harbourfront development policy with the objective of harbourfront beatification;
(b) to establish a statutory body and recruit professionals to co-ordinate and implement strategic harbourfront development; formulate harbourfront development master plans for all districts of Hong Kong; organise open competitions on harbourfront design; construct harbourfronts of different styles by integrating the special features of various districts and dovetailing with community characteristics, and undertake a comprehensive planning for the provision of convenient, easily accessible and three-dimensional harbourfront connective networks, so as to link up fragmented harbourfronts and connect them to the communities in the vicinity;
(c) through the public-private partnership approach, to proceed with continuous monitoring, public engagement and private development throughout the process from strategy formulation and design concept to operational management; encourage public engagement in the planning consultation for harbourfront community construction, and provide public space in private development projects, with a view to providing local community residents with harbourfront community facilities that suit their needs;
(d) to support tourism-based harbourfront development, provide high quality tourism facilities that are convenient and attract visitors, including various forms of water transport, and promote diversified leisure water sports, for example, the provision of vessel berthing spaces, water sports rafts, hydroplane and seafood restaurants, etc.;
(e) through harbourfront improvement plans, to revitalise and develop afresh decommissioned old piers and support the development of the local community economy; and
(f) to manage harbourfronts with sustainable modes of financial operations.
Hon Hon Wong Kwok-hing, Hon Hon Kam Nai-wai, Hon Ip Kwok-him and Hon Tanya Chan will move amendments to Prof Hon Patrick Lau's motion respectively.
Hon Miriam Lau will move a motion on bidding farewell to the Legislative Council Building. The motion states: "That, as the Legislative Council will move to the new Legislative Council Complex after this legislative session, this Council bids farewell to this historic building."
On bills, Personal Data (Privacy) (Amendment) Bill 2011, Immigration (Amendment) Bill 2011, Protection of Wages on Insolvency (Amendment) Bill 2011, Road Traffic (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011 and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Amendment) Bill 2011 will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Debate on the Bills will be adjourned.
Members will also resume Second Reading debate on the University of Hong Kong (Amendment) Bill 2010. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will then go through the Committee Stage and be read the Third time.
During the meeting, Hon Tam Yiu-chung, Chairman of the Committee on Rules of Procedure, will present the Committee on Rules of Procedure of the Legislative Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Progress Report for the period November 2010 to June 2011 and address the Council. Dr Hon Leung Ka-lau, Chairman of the Panel on Health Services; Prof Hon Patrick Lau, Chairman of the Panel on Development; Hon Tam Yiu-chung, Chairman of the Panel on Constitutional Affairs; Hon Wong Ting-kwong, Chairman of the Panel on Commerce and Industry; Hon James To, Chairman of the Panel on Security; Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Chairman of the Panel on Public Service; Hon Starry Lee, Chairman of the Panel on Education; Hon Jeffrey Lam, Chairman of the Panel on Economic Development; Dr Hon Margaret Ng, Chairman of the Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services; Hon Andrew Cheng, Chairman of the Panel on Transport; Hon Chan Kam-lam, Chairman of the Panel on Financial Affairs; Hon Wong Yuk-man, Chairman of the Panel on Information Technology and Broadcasting; Hon Chan Hak-kan, Chairman of the Panel on Environmental Affairs; Hon Lee Wing-tat, Chairman of the Panel on Housing; will present the 2010-2011 Reports of the related Panels and address the Council respectively.
Members will also ask the Administration 20 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo InfoFax Service (Tel: 2869 9568) or the LegCo website (www.legco.gov.hk). Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and the latest information about the agenda could be found in the LegCo website.
Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Legislative Council Chamber. They may reserve seats by calling 2869 9399 during office hours. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Members of the public can also listen to the meeting via the web broadcast system on the Legislative Council homepage.
Ends/Monday, July 11, 2011
Issued at HKT 20:28
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