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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (November 30) at 11am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Complex. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on comprehensively reviewing and perfecting the Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme.
The motion, to be moved by Mr Wong Sing-chi, states: "That travelling expenses are an important item of daily expenses borne by the vast number of employees and job-seekers in Hong Kong; the Government announced last year the idea of the Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme ('WITSS') and started to receive applications in October this year, but there are still voices in society calling for further review and improvement of WITSS, so that more low-income workers and grass-root people may benefit from WITSS; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to:
(a) immediately review afresh all the details of WITSS, including simplifying and improving its application procedure, as well as re-assessing and announcing the latest number of people who will benefit from WITSS, instead of waiting for a year to conduct a mid-term review;
(b) relax the eligibility criteria of WITSS, adopt a dual-track approach for each unit of application and relax the income and asset limits, so as to achieve the purposes of subsidising low-income grass-root employees and promoting employment;
(c) review the amount of monthly allowance per person under WITSS, and consider raising the amount having regard to actual living circumstances; and
(d) study including the Job Search Allowance provided under the former Transport Support Scheme in WITSS, and refrain from tightening the eligibility requirements for applicants for the Job Search Allowance and from lowering the ceiling of reimbursement."
Ms Li Fung-ying, Mr Ip Wai-ming, Mr Ip Kwok-him, Ms Miriam Lau and Mr Wong Yuk-man will move separate amendments to Mr Wong Sing-chi's motion.
Mr Andrew Cheng will move a motion on establishing an independent statutory Office of the Health Service Ombudsman. The motion, states: "That, as medical incidents in public and private health services 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 public and private health services 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."
Dr Pan Pey-chyou, Mr Paul Chan and Mr Chan Hak-kan will move separate amendments to Mr Andrew Cheng's motion.
On bills, the Mediation Bill will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Second Reading debate on the bill will be adjourned.
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 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 Chamber of the Legislative Council Complex. They may reserve seats by calling 3919 3399 during office hours. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Members of the public can also watch or listen to the meeting via the web broadcast system on the Legislative Council homepage.
Ends/Monday, November 28, 2011
Issued at HKT 17:26
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