Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
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Wednesday, October 15, 1997 CONTENTS ======== 1. CE to forge closer links during Japan visit 2. Transcript of the Chief Executive 3. Transcript of Acting CE 4. Acting CE visits primary school 5. Government welcomes Germany's new visa policy 6. Review Panel on Land Auction Arrangements to be reconvened 7. Hong Kong welcomes British businessmen 8. CE's statement on Wong Kam-po's victory 9. Acting Chief Executive congratulates cyclist Wong Kam-po 10. SBCS sends congratulations to Wong Kam-po 11. Hong Kong moving towards electronic commerce 12. Grants approved for North Korea relief programmes 13. Safety campaign on fire, equipment and work-at-height 14. Applications invited for Mortgage Interest Subsidy Scheme 15. Air quality report for September released 16. Weather of September 1997 1. CE to forge closer links during Japan visit ******************************************* The Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, arrived in Tokyo tonight (Wednesday) for a two-day visit to forge closer ties with Japan. During meetings with political and business leaders, Mr Tung will stress the importance of strengthening bilateral relations with Japan, Hong Kong third biggest trading partner and the third-largest external investor in the Special Administrative Region. Mr Tung will also explain how it has been 'business as usual' in Hong Kong, with a continued commitment to free- market policies, the rule of law, a freely convertible currency and low taxation. "I hope that through this visit we can the deepen understanding with our Japanese friends on the latest developments in Hong Kong since the Handover on July 1," Mr Tung said. Tomorrow, Mr Tung will hold a series of high-level meetings with Japan's political leaders including Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr Keizo Obuchi, Minister of Finance Hiroshi Mitsuzuka and Minister for International Trade and Industry Mitsuo Horiuchi. Meetings will also be held with the Japan-Hong Kong Business Co-operation Committee and the influential Japan Federation of Economic Organisations (Keidanren). On Friday, Mr Tung will deliver the keynote address at a luncheon jointly hosted by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, the Hong Kong Tourist Association (HKTA) and the Japan Hong Kong Society. Meetings will also be held with Japan's tourism industry leaders as well as the Japan Federation of Bankers Associations. "Hong Kong is a popular destination for Japanese tourists and I very much hope it will continue to be," said Mr Tung. "I am looking forward to meeting with Japan's tourism industry leaders on Friday and to let them know that Hong Kong is still a great place to visit. "We attach great importance to promoting the tourism industry and, as I outlined in my Policy Address last week, we will loan $100 million to the Hong Kong Tourist Association to establish an International Events Fund to keep Hong Kong in the world travellers eye." Also on Friday, Mrs Betty Tung, will be guest of honour at the launch the HKTA's Winter Promotion Campaign in Japan. The campaign will include a series of promotions and special deals designed to attract more Japanese tourists to Hong Kong. Mr Tung will return to Hong Kong on Friday night. He leaves on Sunday for his first official visits next week to the European Union headquarters in Brussels and then London. End 2. Transcript of the Chief Executive ********************************* Following is the transcript of the remarks (English) by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, at the airport before departing for a visit to Japan today (Wednesday): CE: I am going to Japan this afternoon. I'll be coming back Friday evening. While I am there, I will be visiting the Prime Minister, the Foreign Minister and several other ministers. I shall also be meeting the leaders in the field of business and commerce as well as banking. At the same time I'll also be meeting people in the tourist industry. Hong Kong and Japan has a very important economic relationship, a relationship which ranks third - Japan is our third largest partner in terms of trade, Japan is one of our largest investors with about US$11 billion of investment in Hong Kong. Japan also have a lot of tourists who come to Hong Kong. It is an important relationship. I am going to be there to explain to our friends in Japan that what it is, the development after July 1 and how well we are doing, that our economy continue to expand, that our business continue to be good, the whole community is stable and prosperous. I also want to tell our Japanese friends that Hong Kong is still a very attractive place to visit. It is important that we keep up this kind of communication so I look forward to meeting our friends in Japan. Question: What are you going to do to dissolve this row that Japanese are being overcharged here? CE: Yesterday there was a meeting of the tourist industry and the hotel industry and I am glad they came out and clarify the situation that there are no differential charges against any nationalities. They made it very clear, very emphatic. The second point is that tourist industry is very important to Hong Kong . We have provided, as you know, $100 million to the Tourist Association to promote major international events over the next five years. We hope there will be 50 of them and thirdly I will be there in Japan to tell our Japanese friends that Hong Kong continue to be a very attractive place to visit. Thank you very much. I have to catch a flight. End 3. Transcript of Acting CE *********************** Following is the transcript of the media session given by the Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, after visiting the SKH Kei Oi Primary School in Li Cheng Uk this (Wednesday) afternoon: Mrs Chan: I was saying that I am delighted to have an opportunity to come and visit this primary school. I don't often get an opportunity to leave my desk and paper work, so it has been a very very interesting and enjoyable visit. I have particularly welcome the opportunity to meet with the children of course but also with the supervisors, the headmaster, teachers and also have a talk with the parents. As I emphasise to the parents, their role in educating and looking after their children is crucially important, and the education and upbringing of young people must be a joint effort between teachers and parents. I am also very happy to see that in this school they've made such a success of integrating the healthy children with those who may have some handicaps. It is quite clear that the children here enjoy an extremely happy school environment that the supervisors, the teachers and headmaster here care a great deal about the young people under their charge and I am sure this school sets an excellent example for all other schools in Hong Kong. So, questions. Question: ... children born out of wedlock ...? Mrs Chan: No, the Chief Executive has made it abundantly clear that the rule of law prevails in Hong Kong. He and his administration will continue to be committed to maintaining the rule of law. We have decided to appeal against the court decision as regards the relationship between children born out of wedlock and parents and their right of abode in Hong Kong because we feel that the court has not taken sufficiently into account our argumentation. But of course, we will abide by the court ruling and in the light of that ruling, it is necessary to consider any further measures if we so consider. We have decided to appeal. End 4. Acting CE visits primary school ******************************* The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, today (Wednesday) paid a visit to SKH Kei Oi Primary School where a number of major educational initiatives are in progress. Mrs Chan visited classes which adopt the Activity Approach and watched pupils actively learning through participation in purposeful and carefully-designed activities. She was pleased to see the school adopting the Target Oriented Curriculum. This sets clear targets and employs stimulating approaches for more lively and effective teaching, learning and assessment. It is an approach to tailor teaching to pupils' learning ability. Mrs Chan saw displays at a Parent-Teacher Association Corner and held discussions with teachers and parents. The association has been set up since 1995 to enhance communication between parents and the school. "It is good to see parents taking part in school activities. Schools, parents and Government have to work in a co-operative partnership for education to achieve best results," she observed. Mrs Chan also visited a class which accommodates four children with hearing impairment. This is a pilot scheme at nine schools to refine the mode of support for integrating children with disabilities into ordinary schools so that the full potential of these children can be developed. It stresses an accommodating school environment to facilitate physical, academic and social integration. Each of the participating schools admits five to eight children with mild disabilities including mental and physical handicaps, visual and hearing impairments and autism. The school also provides resource classes for pupils who need intensive remedial support. These pupils are withdrawn from their ordinary classes for remedial lessons in one or more of the three basic subjects of Chinese, English and Mathematics. Mrs Chan was accompanied by the school supervisor, Mr Chau Kee-pak, heads of the AM and PM sessions, and the Director of Education, Mrs Helen C P Lai Yu. End 5. Government welcomes Germany's new visa policy ********************************************* In response to the press statement of the Consulate General of Germany, an SAR Government spokesman welcomed the German Government's announcement that HKSAR and BN(O) passport holders who were frequent travellers to Germany may be granted multiple-entry visas valid for up to five years. "The favourable treatment reflects a vote of confidence in the SAR passports and signifies the strong commitment of the German Government to Hong Kong's continued success," the spokesman said today (Wednesday). "The Government continues to welcome German nationals to visit Hong Kong and to enjoy visa-free stays for up to one month. "The length of the visa-free stay period is currently under review for possible extension," the spokesman said. End 6. Review Panel on Land Auction Arrangements to be reconvened ********************************************************** The Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, announced today (Wednesday) that the Review Panel on Land Auction Arrangements will soon be re-convened to conduct another examination on land auction and other land disposal arrangements in Hong Kong. The Review Panel was established in June 1994 by the Government. Its members are Professor C K Leung, retired Director of the Hong Kong Institute of Education and former member of the Town Planning Board; Ms Audrey Eu, Senior Counsel and Chairman of the Hong Kong Bar Association; and Mr C N Brooke, Chartered Surveyor and member of the Housing Authority and the Town Planning Board. The panel's terms of reference are to examine the existing auction arrangement and the scope for improving on them; to assess other options for land disposal and the need to introduce any changes in disposal arrangements; to consider other relevant factors; and make recommendations on improvements and changes to be introduced. Mr Leung said the Government welcomes views from the community, in particular professional organisations representing developers, architects, surveyors, auctioneers and lawyers, for consideration by the Panel when it meets later this month. As to the Kowloon Bay lot, which was withdrawn from the land auction this Tuesday after the bidder could not produce the required deposit, Mr Leung said it will be put back into the Land Disposal Programme for sale again as soon as possible. End 7. Hong Kong welcomes British businessmen ************************************** The Director-General of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in London told British businessmen of the new initiatives that are being taken in Hong Kong to maintain the Special Administrative Region's (SAR) business-friendly environment. Speaking at a one-day workshop in London organised by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office with the Institute of Directors, Mr John Tsang said that more than 1,000 British firms operate in Hong Kong and the SAR gains extensive benefit from the experienced and dynamic international business community operating there. He said that Hong Kong's first Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, had made a pledge in his first Policy Address last week that Hong Kong will continue to pay close attention to the requirements of overseas businessmen and to all the factors that help make Hong Kong an attractive place for them. "Business is not just continuing as usual after the handover of sovereignty - we are doing even better than before," said Mr Tsang. He told his audience of businessmen from small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that as part of the Hong Kong SAR Government's initiatives to improve the business environment for SMEs, 40 million pounds had been set aside to establish a pilot Credit Guarantee Scheme to help SMEs seek loans from commercial banks to finance pre-shipment activities. Mr Tsang said the concept was unveiled in Mr Tung's Policy Address and it is hoped that the scheme will be introduced in the near future. For companies operating from Hong Kong, the negative impact of rents on business costs is a big concern. "One of the Government's prime objectives is to ensure that our industries and businesses have the land and support facilities that they need. We are taking various measures to moderate further rises in property prices. "In addition, we are beginning to develop a science park. Sites for a second industrial technology centre and a fourth industrial estate have been identified for further development. "To meet the changing operational requirements of local and international companies, we are also commissioning a study into setting up a business park," said Mr Tsang. Setting out what he thought the future will hold for Hong Kong after the change of sovereignty, Mr Tsang said Hong Kong will play an even greater role as China's window on the world. More and more overseas and multi-national companies will use Hong Kong as the launching pad for their trade and investment drives into China, and indeed, the region. The United Kingdom is the largest foreign investor in Hong Kong's non-manufacturing sector. "The strength of British firms dovetails perfectly with that of Hong Kong which is becoming increasingly important as an entrepot for British re-exports to China, the total value of which increased by some 1,500 fold from 0.4 million pounds in 1978 to 587 million pounds in 1995. "We welcome even more British companies to set up business in Hong Kong and to take advantage of our strategic location as the gateway to China and Asia," said Mr Tsang. End 8. CE's statement on Wong Kam-po's victory *************************************** Following is a statement issued tonight (Wednesday) by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, who is on a three-day visit to Japan: "I am very pleased to learn of the victory by Mr Wong Kam-po in the 8th All China Games and wish to convey my warmest congratulations to him. Hong Kong is proud of the whole sports delegation for its participation in the games and hope all members would do their best. The victory by Mr Wong in Shanghai has demonstrated the great spirit of our members in meeting challenges in national, regional and international sports tournaments." End 9. Acting Chief Executive congratulates cyclist Wong Kam-po ******************************************************** The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, this (Wednesday) evening sent a telegram to congratulate Mr Wong Kam-po on winning a gold medal in the 8th All China Games. The text of the telegram is as follows: "The Acting Chief Executive, Mrs Anson Chan, warmly congratulates Mr Wong Kam-po on winning the gold medal in the men's 180-kilometre flat race in cycling in the 8th All China Games, bringing honour to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region." End 10. SBCS sends congratulations to Wong Kam-po ***************************************** The Secretary for Broadcasting, Culture and Sport, Mr Chau Tak-hay, sends a telegram tonight (Wednesday) to congratulate cyclist Wong Kam-po on winning the Gold medal in men's 180 kilometre flat race in the 8th All China Games. Mr Chau said that Hong Kong people are proud of his achievements. He said: "I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to Mr Wong, his coach and the Hong Kong Cycling Association. I hope all the members of the Hong Kong team would do their best and meet with many successes in the All China Games." End 11. Hong Kong moving towards electronic commerce ******************************************** The Trade Department and Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (Tradelink) jointly announced today (Wednesday) a phased migration programme for the 6,250 textiles traders to shift from paper to electronic submissions of Restrained Textile Export Licence (RTEL) applications at an orderly and well-managed pace with a view to achieving full migration by January 1, 1999. The programme has the full support of the Textiles Advisory Board (TEXTAB). The RTEL, or Quota Licence, is a requirement for all traders exporting restrained garments and textiles to countries that impose quotas, which include Hong Kong's largest export markets in North America and the European community. Last year, some 600,000 RTEL were issued. "Our aim is to achieve the migration to Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in an orderly and well-managed manner avoiding a last minute rush when full migration is implemented in January 1, 1999," said Assistant Director- General of Trade, Mr Edward Yau. "This will be the first statutory trade document in Hong Kong to move entirely from paper to EDI processing, so we are keen to a smooth transition. "The Government is strongly committed to encouraging the use of EDI because it will help the Hong Kong business community to improve its efficiency and productivity, and maintain its competitiveness in the world market. "There are many benefits to traders in electronic licensing. These include longer submission hours, faster approval time, and reduced risk of error and delay." "Moving the whole operation to electronic processing will also enable the Government to deploy its resources more efficiently," Mr Yau added. The electronic submission facility is already being provided by Tradelink, a joint public and private sector organisation which at the same time announced a series of special initiatives to help companies make the switch as easily and affordably as possible. For textile traders who for one reason or another not ready to make the shift, Tradelink will set up an Electronic Services Centre at Trade Department Tower in Mong Kok to which traders can bring their paper submissions for conversion of data to EDI format, Tradelink will provide this service free of charge during the migration period in 1998. As a further incentive to encourage early migration, Tradelink has announced that it will reduce its handling charges for ordinary electronic submissions by 30 per cent between January 1 and April 30, 1998; by 20 per cent between May 1 and August 31, 1998; and by 10 per cent between September 1 and December 31, 1998. These offers will apply both to new and existing Tradelink customers. Tradelink also announced that it is launching a 'total solution' package to new users or those who wish to upgrade their present systems. The package includes a pre-installed computer system with necessary EDI software applications at a favourable price. "This will make moving to electronic commerce convenient and affordable to the smallest of traders," said Tradelink's Chief Executive Officer, Mr Justin Yue, "and they will find that this modest outlay is more than repaid in the efficiency benefits that electronic commerce can bring to import and export operations." A Notice to Exporters has been issued to textile traders setting out the migration programme in four phases at intervals of four months. In brief, about 680 textile traders who are better prepared and equipped for EDI are asked to migrate to EDI submission starting January 1998. This will be followed by another 630 high volume users migrating to EDI by May 1998 and another 1,000 users by September 1998. The remaining 3,900 small volume users will be required to migrate to EDI by end-December 1998. End 12. Grants approved for North Korea relief programmes ************************************************* The Disaster Relief Fund Advisory Committee has approved grants of $3.2 million, $3 million and $1.1 million to World Vision Hong Kong, Oxfam Hong Kong and Cedar Fund Ltd. respectively as a contribution to their emergency relief programmes to assist people, particularly children, facing severe food shortage in North Korea. The committee is concerned about the continuing hardship brought by floods and drought in North Korea over the past few years. Two grants totalling $3.2 million were granted to Medecins Sans Frontieres and Red Cross Hong Kong in 1995 and 1996 respectively for relief programmes in North Korea. Since its establishment in 1994, the committee has altogether approved $10.5 million for relief operations in that country. To ensure that the money will be used for the purpose designated, the Government has required the three agencies concerned to submit an evaluation report and an audited account on the use of individual grant. The committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Other members are Dr Raymond Ch'ien, Mr Norman Leung, Ms Sansan Ching, the Secretary for Health and Welfare and the Secretary for the Treasury. End 13. Safety campaign on fire, equipment and work-at-height ***************************************************** The Labour Department will launch a two-months-long safety campaign on fire, equipment and work-at-height tomorrow (Thursday) to alert employers and workers to pay attention to potential areas of risk and to prevent the occurrence of accidents. Acting Chief Factory Inspector (Operations), Mr Wong Ching-kwok, said today (Wednesday) that during the campaign, officers of the Labour Department would make inspections to all industrial undertakings, including the construction sites and catering establishments. "The exercise is aimed at alerting proprietors and contractors to improve their safety performance, in particular, on fire safety in the coming dry season," Mr Wong said. "Aspects on safe use and handling of flammable substances, as well as provision and maintenance of effective means of escape, will also be looked into." The campaign will also focus on the safe use of equipment, such as lifting appliances and lifting gear, especially on construction sites. Mr Wong reminded contractors not to overlook safety when they have to accelerate their work to make up for the time lost because of the rainy weather earlier. "Particular attention will be paid to ensure proper safety precautions are taken to protect workers in work-at- height operations," Mr Wong added. A total of 43 fatal accidents were recorded in all industries as at the end of September this year, of which 20 are resulted from falling from height. Mr Wong said suspension notices and improvement notices will be issued if breaches of law or situations of potential risks are detected. He warned that unscrupulous employers and workers, who choose to ignore safety practices, will be prosecuted without warning. End 14. Applications invited for Mortgage Interest Subsidy Scheme ********************************************************* The Education Department is inviting eligible full-time employees holding subvented posts in aided schools and per caput grant schools to apply for interest subsidy under the 1997-98 Mortgage Interest Subsidy Scheme (MISS) Chief Executive Officer of the Education Department, Miss Mary Ha, said today (Wednesday) that eligible staff are: * those receiving a monthly basic salary equivalent to Master Pay Scale point 22 or above ($26,540 or more) and having a minimum of 10 years' continuous qualifying service as at October 31, 1997; or * those receiving a monthly basic salary below Master Pay Scale point 22 (less than $26,540) and having a minimum of 20 years' continuous qualifying service as at October 31, 1997. The closing date for submitting applications is November 26, 1997. "Circulars, application forms and relevant information leaflets have been sent to heads of schools. Under the scheme, successful applicants will receive a monthly subsidy for payment of interest on their home mortgage loan," Miss Ha said. Enquiries should be directed to the MISS Section on 2961 7406 or 2961 7409. End 15. Air quality report for September released ***************************************** The Environmental Protection Department today (Wednesday) released air quality report for September. The report showed that all measurements recorded in the month had complied with the air quality objective values. The report includes the monitoring results from Mong Kok, Central/Western and Kwai Chung, which represent three important land use types in the territory: * locations close to road traffic in built-up urban areas, * combined commercial and residential districts, and * districts close to industrial areas. Air pollutants reported include sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, total suspended particulates, and respirable suspended particulates. All these pollutants can affect respiratory health when present in sufficient concentration. Air pollution originates from various sources, including combustion, industrial and construction processes. In terms of impact on the local air quality, motor vehicle exhaust is the most important source of nitrogen dioxide and airborne particulate matter, especially the smaller respirable particles. End 16. Weather of September 1997 ************************* September 1997 was cooler than normal and the mean temperature of 26.4 degrees was the eighth lowest for the month. The mean maximum temperature of 28.5 degrees was the fourth lowest for the month. The month was also cloudier than normal with the mean amount of cloud, 74 per cent, ranking the eighth highest for the month. As a result, the monthly total bright sunshine was only 117.1 hours, the second lowest for September. The total rainfall in the month was 232.9 millimetres, 66.8 millimetres below the normal figure. However, the accumulated rainfall since January 1 of 3,216.6 millimetres was 60 per cent above the normal figure and the highest ever recorded for the period. With no tropical cyclones in our vicinity, the monthly mean pressure of 1,012.1 hectopascals was the highest on record for September. The month started mainly fine and sunny with temperatures climbing to 31.5 degrees on September 1, the highest in the month. With the approach of a trough of low pressure, the weather turned cloudy with thundery showers on September 3. There were some mist patches the next day. Although sunny weather returned on September 5 and 6 as the trough moved into the South China Sea, the retreat of the trough northwards across the coast brought heavy showers to Hong Kong on September 7 and thundery showers the next day. It became fine again on September 9 and sunny conditions prevailed for the next few days. Temperatures reached 31.5 degrees again on September 12. Isolated heavy showers affected the northeastern part of the New Territories on the afternoon of September 13. A band of rain and thunderstorms swept across Hong Kong early the next morning. The weather remained cloudy with some showers the next few days, except on September 17 when it was fine and sunny. Heavy rainfall occurred over the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island on the early morning of September 18. The northeast monsoon intensified over China and pushed southwards bringing cooler weather on September 21 and temperatures dropped to 19.3 degrees, the lowest in the month. This figure was the fifth lowest for the month of September. The combined effect of the monsoon and Tropical Storm Fritz over the South China Sea maintained strong easterly winds along the coastal areas for the next couple of days. The weather remained generally cloudy with some light rain patches. A drier airstream reached the coastal areas on September 24 bringing along fine and sunny conditions in the next three days. On September 28, the weather became cloudy with periods of rain which persisted until the end of the month. Six tropical cyclones occurred in the western North Pacific and the South China Sea in the month. Details of the issuance/hoisting and cancellation/lowering of various warnings/signals in the month are summarised in Table 1.1. Monthly meteorological figures and departures from normal of September are tabulated in Table 1.2. Table 1.1 Warnings and Signals in September 1997 Beginning Time Ending Time Type of Warnings/Signals day/month hour day/month hour Strong Monsoon Signal 22/9 2300 24/9 0830 Flood Warning 14/9 0300 14/9 0620 Thunderstorm Warnings 2/9 1300 2/9 1500 3/9 0800 3/9 1000 3/9 1845 3/9 2245 7/9 0450 7/9 0650 7/9 0945 7/9 1145 8/9 0100 8/9 0900 8/9 1220 8/9 1615 13/9 1500 13/9 1700 14/9 0145 14/9 0745 Fire Danger Warning Yellow 27/9 0600 28/9 1520 Table 1.2 Figures and Departures from Normal - September 1997 Figure of Departure from normal Meteorological Element the month above normal below normal Total Bright Sunshine 117.1 ---- 64.6 (hours) Mean Daily Global Solar 12.25 ---- 4.24 Radiation (MJ/Square Metre) Total Rainfall (mm) 232.9 ---- 66.8 Mean Cloud Amount (%) 74 11 ---- Mean Relative Humidity 79 1 ---- (%) Mean Daily Maximum Air 28.5 ---- 1.8 Temperature (Degree Celsius) Mean Air Temperature 26.4 ---- 1.2 (Degree Celsius) Mean Daily Minimum Air 24.5 ---- 1.0 Temperature (Degree Celsius) Mean Dew Point 22.4 ---- 0.9 (Degree Celsius) Total Evaporation (mm) 107.0 ---- 43.3 Remarks: All measurements were made at the Hong Kong Observatory except sunshine, solar radiation and evaporation which were recorded at King's Park Meteorological Station. End PROVISIONAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEETING SUPPLEMENT CONTENTS ======== 1. Govt Minute on the Ombudsman's Ninth Annual Report 2. Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance 3. Companies (Fees & Percentages) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1997 4. Motion to repeal the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1997 5. Granting of legal aid 6. Manpower forecasts for social welfare sector explained 7. Traffic arrangements during WB/IMF Meetings 8. Comprehensive programme to abate air pollution 9. Post-retirement employment of civil servants bound by pensions legislations 10. Repair works in Temporary Housing Areas 11. Services provided by YMT geriatric day hospital 12. Impact of currency turmoil on HK's economy 13. Public acceptance of the SAR Government 14. Labour productivity and wage increase 15. Facts and figures on tailor-made retraining courses 16. Control scheme on import and export of contaminated waste 17. Clearance of two squatter areas in Diamond Hill 18. Controls on the transport of dangerous goods 19. Adequate supply of residential flats 20. Statistics on surrendered II children 21. Split-type air-conditioners phased enforcement programme 22. Public transport between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung 1. Govt Minute on the Ombudsman's Ninth Annual Report ************************************************** Following is a statement by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, when presenting the Government Minute in Response to the Ombudsman's Ninth Annual Report at the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Madam President, When the Ombudsman's Ninth Annual Report was presented to the former Legislative Council on June 23, 1997, the Administration undertook to prepare a Government Minute in response to the recommendations made by the Ombudsman in relation to the cases listed in Annexes 7 and 11 of the Report. This Government Minute is tabled today. The Government Minute covers all the complaint cases which the Ombudsman investigated and has made recommendations on, as well as three direct investigation cases initiated by him in late 1995 and 1996. In the majority of these cases, the bureaux and departments involved have accepted and acted upon all of the Ombudsman's recommendations. There are a few cases in which some of the Ombudsman's recommended measures have had to be modified because of operational constraints. The reasons for such modifications are set out in the Minute. Members will note that the Government Minute also includes the Judiciary and two public bodies, namely the Hospital Authority and the Mass Transit Railway Corporation. Although they are not part of the Administration, they recognise their accountability to the public and have provided us with information relating to their follow-up actions in respect of the Ombudsman's recommendations. We share with members of the community the aspirations for an open government, and we recognise the contribution of the Ombudsman in this respect. Legislative amendments were enacted in December 1996 to bring about further improvements to the operation of this institution and to expand its jurisdiction to cover the Police Force and the Independent Commission Against Corruption for complaints about breaches of the Code on Access to Information. We in the Administration will continue our efforts in facilitating the work of the Ombudsman. We will also do our best to ensure that a harmonious working relationship is maintained between the Office of the Ombudsman and the public bodies under its jurisdiction. Should any Member of this Council wish to have further clarification on any point in the Government Minute, the Administration would be happy to provide it. End 2. Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance ******************************************* Following is a speech by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in moving the motion on Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 1997, in the Provisional legislative Council today (Wednesday): Madam President, I move the second motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The fees included in this Order are in relation to inspection, certification and registration of documents payable to the Registrar of Companies under the Registered Trustees Incorporation Ordinance. The extent and reasons for the proposed revision are identical to those as I have just outlined in moving the first motion. Thank you. End 3. Companies (Fees & Percentages) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1997 ************************************************************ Following is a speech by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in moving the motion on Companies (Fees and Percentages) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1997, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Madam President, I move the first motion standing in my name on the Order Paper. The Companies (Fees and Percentages) (Amendment) (No.2) Order 1997 has been made by the Chief Justice. It increases three fee items payable to the Registrar of Companies in relation to the inspection and photocopying of liquidators' statements sent to the Registrar under the Companies Ordinance. The fees contained in the Order were last revised in March 1996. We propose to revise the fees on average by 9 per cent in line with increase in costs due to inflation as measured by the movement of the Government Consumption Expenditure Deflator (GCED). As a trading fund, the Companies Registry is required to provide an efficient and effective service while meeting the costs of the services that it provides from the income it receives. Since its establishment as a trading fund in August 1993, the Registry is continuously seeking to improve service quality and efficiency. Among the measures instituted so far are: introducing on-line receipt of documents, providing over 50 computer terminals showing indices of documents held by the Registry, all the directorships held by directors of listed companies and disqualification orders in respect of directors disqualified by the courts, organising regular customer visits, conducting surveys and questionnaires to ascertain customer needs, setting up customer service desks and a touch-screen information system, as well as organizational restructuring to reduce costs and to streamline office procedures. Currently, the Registry is working on development projects which will further enhance the efficiency in making searches for company records by customers. If the present fee levels are maintained, the Companies Registry in general terms will suffer an annualised financial loss of $21 million in 1997-98. This will increase the difficulties in funding the development projects as outlined above and will reduce the rate of return of the Trading Fund to below the targeted 10 per cent. The fee adjustments are therefore essential for the continual effective operation of the Registry and the financial health of the Trading Fund. Thank you. End 4. Motion to repeal the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1997 ******************************************************* Following is a speech by the acting Secretary for Trade and Industry, Mr Tam Wing-pong, in response to the Hon James Tien's motion to repeal the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1997 in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Madam President, The purpose of the Trade Marks (Amendment) Rules 1997 is, as Hon Tien said, to update and rationalize various fees under the Trade Marks Ordinance for the registration of trade marks and related services. These fees were last revised in November 1994. We are proposing an average increase of 23 per cent. I understand that some Members have doubted if the proposed amendments are appropriate because the increase seems higher than the inflation rate, and also because the Trade Marks Ordinance, first enacted in 1954, is now being exhaustively reviewed to keep up with modern-day circumstances. I would like to respond to these two concerns. First, on the proposed rate of fee increase. I can assure Members that users of our trade marks services are getting more than value for money for their payments. The proposed average increase of 23% is meant not only to cover the 20.4 per cent price inflation since November 1994 (to October 1997), but also to enable the Intellectual Property Department to recover the full costs, rather than a mere 80% of these, of providing her trade marks services. Madam President, it is long-accepted government policy to seek to recover the full costs of providing public services. The general tax payers have already been subsidizing trade marks users since 1994. We do not see any valid grounds for their having to continue with this. Second, on the review of the Trade Marks Ordinance. As I mentioned, this piece of legislation has been in existence for forty-three years. The purpose of the review is to seek to modernise our trade marks regime, to simplify procedures, and to offer enhanced protection to trade mark proprietors in accordance with latest international norms. We will also consider the feasibility of simplifying and rationalising the structure for trade marks fees. However, these changes are not the thrust of the modernisation exercise, and the exact financial and staffing implications of the review results have yet to be ascertained. We have therefore decided to separate our current proposed fee revision, which is a pure costing exercise, from the review of the Trade Marks Ordinance, which involves policy, legal and other administrative considerations. Madam President, the Government's proposed fee increase only seeks to recover costs from trade marks applicants and owners for services we render and they receive. If a freeze were to be imposed, which would be the case if the Honourable James Tien's motion were carried, the general public would have to continue subsidizing the trade marks proprietors pending an overhaul of the trade marks regime. The wait could well be over 18 months, since we cannot introduce the bill until the next legislative session begins in late 1998 and, having regard to the time required for deliberations, the new regime cannot be activated until early 1999 at the earliest. We see no reason why the interest of the general public has to be thus compromised. Another undesirable consequence of imposing a freeze on the trade marks fees is that it would make the eventual increase sharper and less palatable to the trade marks proprietors. We have consulted and received no objection from the Law Society on our proposed fee increases. A freeze is really uncalled for even from the users' point of view. Madam President, we see no justification for repealing the Trade Marks Fees (Amendment) Rules. It does not benefit the general public; it may not even be welcomed by the trade marks owners in the longer run. I do recommend voting against the motion. Thank you. End 5. Granting of legal aid ********************* Following is a question by the Hon Chim Pui-chung and a reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mrs Anson Chan, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: It is reported that the Legal Aid Department provided legal aid to a person, who had been injured after inhaling the smell of pesticide, to claim compensation. As the result, the Department bore a considerable amount of costs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of: (a) the entire process of the claim for compensation; (b) the total costs (interest included) incurred by the Department in the case, and the person responsible for approving payment of the costs; and (c) the criteria adopted by the Department in determining the amount of assistance granted and whether there is an upper limit of the amount; and how it ensures that every aided person is treated consistently? Reply: Madam President, (a) The case which the Hon. Chim Pui-chung referred to relates to an incident that happened in June 1987. A musician with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra suffered organic and then psychiatric injury as a consequence of exposure to a harmful substance while rehearsing at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts in the course of a pesticide operation. He was immediately hospitalised. Although he initially made a partial recovery, his condition subsequently deteriorated and he had to leave his job and return to the United States. Legal aid was granted in 1990 and proceedings subsequently commenced against five defendants, including the contractor responsible for the spraying, the Hong Kong distributor of the insecticide, the manufacturer of the insecticide, the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society as the employer and the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts as the venue owner. The case proceeded to trial in the first part of this year. The legally aided person won his case and was awarded damages of HK$24.5 million plus the costs of his action. The judgement is enforceable against any or all of the five defendants. (b) Up to September 1997, the Legal Aid Department has disbursed about HK$30 million on this case. However, as the legally aided person has been awarded costs by the court, the above sum will be recoverable from the defendants, and from the damages awarded to the aided person. Therefore, the expenses of legal aid to be met out of public fund in this case is likely to be minimal. As in other cases, the Director of Legal Aid and his senior directorate staff exercised their statutory authority to approve the grant of legal aid and the payment of fees in this case. (c) The Director of Legal Aid will determine the granting of legal aid to a person having regard to the financial circumstances of the applicant, the merits of the case, and the nature and requirements of the case. This practice applies consistently to each legally aided person. No cost ceiling is set for each legal aid case because the nature and complexity of each case varies. To do so could also prejudice the proper conduct of a legal aid case. Our prime concern is to safeguard the interests of the aided person. At the same time, the Director of Legal Aid has an obligation to monitor the conduct of all legally aided cases to ensure that public funds are properly spent. Funds voted for legal aid purpose is of course subject to the approval of the Finance Committee of this Council. End 6. Manpower forecasts for social welfare sector explained ****************************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Lau Hon-chuen and a reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, at the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: It is reported that the Social Welfare Department has cut the number of new recruits due to a slow down in the growth of social welfare spending this year, and this has resulted in a number of social service programmes failing to meet the set targets. Meanwhile, among more than 900 fresh graduates of full-time degree and diploma courses in social work, 70 per cent are still unable to obtain employment. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the employment situation of fresh social work graduates in terms of whether they are employed, unemployed or under-employed; (b) of the factors leading to the above situation of unemployment or under-employment, and whether it has resulted from a slow down in the development of social services or from the oversupply of social work places; (c) whether it will conduct investigations into allegations made by some fresh social work graduates that in seeking jobs they have been discriminated against on the grounds of religious belief; and (d) of the measures in place to assist fresh social work graduates in finding jobs? Reply: Madam President, (a) According to statistics recently obtained from the tertiary institutions, there are 376 and 517 full time social work degree and diploma graduates in 1997. On the basis of the information available from the tertiary institutions so far, it does appear that not all graduates have been able to secure employment at this point in time. There are however many factors which affect employment, such as when students want to start work, whether they wish to remain in the social work field, when non-governmental organisations need to recruit staff etc. For its part, the Government examines the employment situation of fresh social work graduates every year as part of the manpower projection exercise together with the tertiary institutions and the Hong Kong Council of Social Service. (b) I would briefly outline how we arrive at manpower forecasts for this sector. Projections on the supply of, and demand for, social workers are updated every year taking into account information collected from Social Welfare Department, organisations employing social workers and the tertiary institutions. The manpower projection exercise involves many variables. The annual supply is calculated by aggregating the current strength of social workers and the number of graduates for the year, taking account of the number of non- entrants. Demand is estimated on the basis of funds available for approved projects, and replacement for wastage. Factors such as the wastage and non-entry rates, the attractiveness of other jobs in the market and the general economic situation, are relevant. For example, actual wastage rates have dropped to relatively low levels in recent years. For the social work officer grade, the rate has fallen from 6.8 per cent in 1992/93 to 1.6 per cent in 1996/97. An increase in the number of overseas returnees may have further complicated the situation. Factors such as these may account for differences between the projected and actual manpower situation. As regards the demand for social workers, we have, over the past few years continued to increase the resources allocated to the welfare sector. We are spending over $19.5 billion, in terms of recurrent funding, on welfare services in 1997/98. This represents real growth of 9.4 per cent compared with the previous year. Of this, funding spent on direct service has increased from three billion in 1993/94 to 7.2 billion in 1997/98. The University Grants Committee(UGC)-funded institutions basically follow a triennial planning cycle to coincide with the recurrent grant allocation exercise. The UGC is currently reviewing the institutions' academic proposals for the 1998-2001 triennium. We are liaising closely with the Education and Manpower Bureau and the UGC to work out a plan for the coming triennium to match supply and demand in the social work discipline. (c) The Social Welfare Department has not received any complaints of discrimination on grounds of religious belief. However, the Department always acts on the receipt of complaints and investigates the matter with the assistance of the relevant non-governmental organisations. (d) The Social Welfare Department will request non- governmental organisations to publicise their social work post vacancies through a variety of channels including placing recruitment advertisements through the Labour Department, the appointment offices of tertiary institutions and by placing advertisements in newspapers. End 7. Traffic arrangements during WB/IMF Meetings ******************************************* Following is a question by the Hon Wong Siu-yee and a reply by the Secretary for Transport, Mr Nicholas Ng, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: During the World Bank and International Monetary Fund annual meetings held in Hong Kong, the departments concerned made a series of traffic re-directions which resulted in traffic chaos. Take September 23 as an example, traffic in the Central District and the surrounding area came to a standstill for almost the entire day. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) whether any review has been undertaken to determine the propriety of the traffic arrangements made by the departments concerned during that period; if so, what the findings are; and (b) whether the departments concerned have learned any lessons from the traffic arrangements on this occasion, so that similar traffic chaos will not recur when big international events take place in future on non-public holidays in Hong Kong; if so, what the details are? Reply: Madam President, There were some 9,000 participants and visitors during the World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings which were held from September 13 to 25, 1997 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. In view of the scale of the event, special traffic arrangements were introduced in Wan Chai North to facilitate traffic into and out of the meeting venue. The key elements were as follows:- (a) Introduction of a one-way clockwise gyratory road system involving Harbour Road, Convention Avenue and Fleming Road to facilitate convenient access to and exit from the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre; (b) Prohibition of all traffic except buses and taxis in the northbound direction of Fleming Road flyover to reduce the traffic in Fleming Road which was the main exit of the meeting venue. Traffic was diverted to either Marsh Road Flyover or Arsenal Street Flyover; (c) Closure of U-turn loop in Fleming Road immediately south of the junction with Convention Avenue to reduce traffic on Fleming Road; and (d) Designation of more kerbside picking up/setting down spaces in Harbour Road and Convention Avenue for participants of the World Bank/IMP Annual Meetings. These arrangements were widely publicised in advance and traffic police were deployed to direct traffic on the ground. During the period when the special traffic arrangements were in force, the Transport Department and Police closely monitored the situation on site. They were satisfied that the special traffic arrangements were effective in facilitating traffic circulation and minimising congestion in Wan Chai. Among the participants of the meetings were a large number of senior ministers and officials of other governments who had to be provided with special protection under international conventions for events of this nature. The need to co-ordinate the transport movements of a large number of Internationally Protected Persons who took part in the Meetings and the associated activities inevitably created some inconvenience to other commuters. Every effort had been made to minimize such inconvenience. The 1997 World Bank/IMF Annual Meetings were special and important events for Hong Kong. They allowed the international community to see Hong Kong after the handover. We are aware that the events have caused some inconvenience to Hong Kong people. We hope they will understand. Our experience on this occasion will be taken into account when we plan traffic arrangements for similar major international events in future. End 8. Comprehensive programme to abate air pollution ********************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Ho Chung-tai and a reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: On August 19 and 20 this year, the air pollution index (API) exceeded 100 for two consecutive days for the first time. The Environmental Protection Department explained that the weather condition and undispersed motor vehicle emissions were the main causes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the following: (a) the principal cause of air pollution in Hong Kong; (b) the impact of air pollution on the health of the public, especially those working long hours outdoor, when the API exceeds 100; (c) whether it has considered issuing health guidelines to the public, listing out the matters to be noted and the measures to be adopted when the air quality deteriorates; (d) the specific measures adopted by the Government to improve the air quality of the territory and to reduce motor vehicle emissions; amongst the measures adopted, whether it has studied the feasibility of the use of motor vehicles driven with natural gas and electricity, and the reinforcement of the control over the increase in the number of motor vehicles; and (e) details of the facilities for monitoring the air quality at street level? Reply: Madam President, (a) The dominance of diesel vehicles in Hong Kong and the considerable mileage they make is the main cause of Hong Kong's air pollution problem, which is characterised by high ambient concentrations of a harmful air pollutant known as respirable suspended particulates emitted primarily from combustion of diesel fuel. (b) Researches have shown that episodes of poor air quality are associated with increased morbidity and mortality in persons with heart or respiratory diseases, young children and the aged. The general public may develop symptoms like eye irritation, cough and throat discomfort when exposed to air pollution for a prolonged period. Persons working long hours outdoor in polluted areas are at a higher risk of developing such symptoms. (c) The Environmental Protection Department has published a pamphlet on "Air Pollution Index" which advises the public on the potential health effects associated with high API readings and the precautionary measures to be taken. The Department is revising the information pamphlet to include more detailed advice. On days of poor air quality, advice to susceptible persons with heart or respiratory disease to reduce physical exertion and outdoor activities are made through TV and radio announcements and schools. (d) We have implemented a comprehensive programme to abate air pollution. Polluting industrial processes are subject to rigorous licensing controls under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance and are required to adopt the best practicable measures to minimise emissions. Construction activities are required by law to implement specified dust suppression measures. As regards vehicle emissions, our strategy comprises the following elements: (i) since 1992, to require newly registered petrol vehicles to operate on unleaded petrol and be fitted with catalytic converter; (ii) to adopt the most stringent practicable emission standards for diesel vehicles; (iii) to upgrade the quality of motor diesel fuel progressively. Since April 1997, the sulphur content of motor diesel was further reduced to 0.05 per cent, making our diesel fuel the cleanest used in Asia; and (iv) to strengthen the annual inspection arrangements for commercial vehicles, including the use of a more revealing dynamometer test. However, as our air pollution problem is caused by the large number of intensively used diesel vehicles, only a substantial reduction in their numbers can bring sufficient improvements to our air quality. In the long term, therefore, we aim to introduce LPG vehicles to replace part of our diesel vehicle fleet. We will launch a trial of LPG taxis in November 1997 to ascertain their technical reliability when operating in the local driving environment and to obtain information on their fuel consumption and repair and maintenance requirements for devising a viable motor fuel strategy to improve air quality. We have also been monitoring the development of clean fuel alternatives such as electric and natural gas vehicles. At present they are not practicable options for Hong Kong. The lack of stable supply and an infrastructure for distribution and storage preclude the introduction of natural gas vehicles at this stage. As for electric vehicles, the technology is still at a prototype stage and is not yet mature enough for large scale commercial production and use. On transport demand management, our policy is to promote the use of public transport through the improvement and expansion of mass transit by railway and facilitation of the movement of people by bus by such measures as introduction of bus-only lanes. The Third Comprehensive Transport Study commissioned by the Transport Department would examine and recommend a balanced transport strategy which would also address air quality concerns. (e) The Environmental Protection Department has been operating a roadside air quality monitoring station at Mong Kok. Two roadside stations are being constructed in Causeway Bay and Central. They will come into operation in November 1997 and April 1998 respectively. End 9. Post-retirement employment of civil servants bound by pensions legislations **************************************************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yuen-han and a reply by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr W K Lam, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: According to the regulations concerning the retirement of civil servants, where retired civil servants enter into business or are employed within a specified period after retirement and the principal part of such business or employment is carried on in Hong Kong, they are required to obtain prior approval. It is learned that an Assistant Director of Information Services (on D2 scale) applied for retirement in March 1997 and was given approval to retire in November 1997 and to proceed on pre-retirement leave from March 1997. This official has taken up employment in two private organisations respectively in June and since September this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether: (a) civil servants of all ranks are subjected to the relevant regulations upon retirement; if so, whether there are respective sets of criteria for respective ranks; (b) in general, the Advisory Committee on Post- retirement Employment processes and approves the applications from retired civil servants leniently; if so, whether it contravenes the spirit of the relevant requirement; and (c) the said retired Assistant Director of Information Services has been given approval to be employed during the specified period and the effective date of such employment? Reply: Madam President: I will respond to the issues raised in seriatim. (a) Under the pensions legislation, all retired civil servants have to seek prior permission from the Chief Executive before they enter into business, become partners or directors, or become employees, if the principal part of the business or employment is carried out in Hong Kong, within two years after their retirement, or within three years for officers retiring at Director of Bureau rank and above. All retired civil servants on pensionable terms, irrespective of ranks, are covered by the relevant legislation governing post-retirement employment, and all applications are considered against the same criteria. The basic principle is that there should be no impropriety in the proposed employment. Specifically, we will consider whether the proposed employment will conflict with the previous duties of the retired officer in the Government, and whether it will compromise public confidence in the integrity of the Civil Service. Among the retired civil servants, only those who retired at Model Scale I ranks (basically Workmen) are given blanket approval to take up post-retirement employment, having regard to the nature of their duties and the unlikelihood of their post-retirement employment conflicting with the interest of Government. (b) The Advisory Committee on Post-retirement Employment advises the Government on applications for post- retirement employment from directorate officers, according to the general principles and criteria mentioned above. I should add that the Committee is not the approving authority. Applications are approved by the Chief Executive or by public officers acting under delegated authority. (c) While I have to respect the privacy of individuals and am not in a position to disclose in public, details of the post-retirement employment of individual former civil servants, I can state that under the pensions legislation and the relevant Civil Service Regulations, approval may be given for an officer to take up employment while he/she is on pre-retirement leave subject to the criteria mentioned above. End 10. Repair works in Temporary Housing Areas *************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Choy So-yuk and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: With regard to repair works in Temporary Housing Areas, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the time taken by the Housing Department to complete repair works after receiving such requests from residents thereof; and (b) whether work on such repair is often delayed and if so, whether the Housing Department has reviewed the causes of such delay and identified any solution? Reply: Madam President, Upon receipt of requests for repair works in Temporary Housing Areas (THAs), maintenance staff of the Housing Department will identify the problem and categorise the nature of works required. Emergency repairs will be carried out immediately. Minor repairs will normally be completed within a week. Major repairs, involving ceilings, floors or underground services, take two to four weeks. The Housing Department has been monitoring the progress of repair works closely, and is satisfied that there has been no delay in general. End 11. Services provided by YMT geriatric day hospital *********************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Mok Ying-fan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health and Welfare, Mrs Katherine Fok, at the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: Regarding the geriatric day hospital (GDH) established in the Yau Ma Tei Specialist Clinic Extension, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the types of services provided by this GDH, and the channels or referral procedures through which members of the public can gain access to the services of this GDH; (b) of the number of elderly who attended the above GDH in each of the past three years; (c) whether the services at this GDH are only offered to residents in the district who are at or over the age of 60; if so, whether there are plans to extend the services to residents in other districts who are at or over the age of 60; (d) whether, apart from this GDH, there are other GDHs operating in public hospitals or clinics; if so, what the total attendances at such GDHs in each of the past three years are; and (e) whether the Government or the Hospital Authority has any plans to set up such specialist hospitals in other districts; if so, of the working timetable and the amount of funds to be incurred; if not, why not? Reply: (a) The Geriatric Day Hospital at the Yau Ma Tei Specialist Clinic Extension, assesses the types of care and rehabilitation required by the patients, and then provide them with suitable treatments, e.g. physiotherapy and occupational therapy. Its clients are mainly elderly patients discharged from hospital and those living in the community who require these services. As a bridge between the hospitals and the community, geriatric day hospitals facilitate re-integration of discharged patients into the community. Patients discharged from hospitals can be referred to the geriatric day hospitals by their attending doctors. Patients in the community can be referred to the geriatric day hospitals by any registered doctors. (b) The number of attendances for Yau Ma Tei Geriatric Day Hospital are: Year Attendances 1994/95 10,440 1995/96 12,110 1996/97 12,880 (c) Geriatric day hospitals mainly serve elderly persons aged 60 and above. However, patients under the age of 60 who because of their health conditions require the special services provided in these day hospitals are also admitted. The geriatric day hospitals under the Hospital Authority operate on the basis of catchment areas. There are a total of 10 geriatric day hospitals which cover the whole of Hong Kong. The Yau Ma Tei Geriatric Day Hospital provides services to residents of Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei and Mong Kok. (d) There are 10 geriatric day hospitals under the Hospital Authority. They are situated in: 1. Caritas Medical Centre 2. Ngau Tau Kok Jockey Club Clinic 3. Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital 4. Ruttonjee Hospital 5. Shatin Hospital 6. South Kwai Chung Specialist Clinic 7. Tuen Mun Hospital 8. Wong Tai Sin Hospital 9. Yau Ma Tei Jockey Club Clinic 10. Yung Fung Shee Memorial Centre The total attendances for the 10 geriatric day hospitals are: Year Attendances 1994/95 62,650 1995/96 76,310 1996/97 91,740 (e) With 10 geriatric day hospitals operating in different parts of Hong Kong, there is no plan to set up more such hospitals in the near future. We will continue to monitor the need for this service closely and make plan when necessary. End 12. Impact of currency turmoil on HK's economy ****************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Henry Tang and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: Although the strength of the Hong Kong dollar remains unaffected under the linked exchange rate system amid recent devaluations of several Southeast Asian currencies, the export trade of Hong Kong has suffered a blow. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council what impact this Southeast Asian currency turmoil will have on Hong Kong's economy (in particular the import and export trade) in the long run and what will the counter-measures put in place be in this regard? Reply: The recent significant depreciation of several Southeast Asian currencies have given rise to increased uncertainties in the economic prospects of the affected countries in the region, such as Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. Contractionary policies induced by the currency turmoil in these countries will curb their demand for investment and consumer spending and reduce their intake of imported goods, thereby dampening the growth of trade in the region. Thus Hong Kong's visible trade will be affected to some extent. In respect of invisible trade, Hong Kong's tourism will also face some downward pressure. At the same time, the significant depreciation of these Southeast Asian currencies will weaken the competitiveness of the goods of Hong Kong and those of the Mainland exported via Hong Kong in the world market. However, the impact of exchange rate movements on Hong Kong's exports normally will only be reflected after one or two quarters, and only by then the extent of impact can be discerned more accurately. On the other hand, the significant currency depreciation will also have a negative effect on import prices and production costs in these Southeast Asian countries. Higher interest rates and tighter liquidity will also restrain their output. Additionally, exports of the Southeast Asian region are relatively concentrated in electronic products, while those of Hong Kong and the Mainland are more diversified. Apart from electronic products, textiles, garment and toys also account for a considerable share of the exports of the two places. Furthermore, in recent years Hong Kong has been continuously developing high value-added products and services in such fields as finance, information technology and business services. The competitive edge we maintain in these areas will help alleviate the impact of this Southeast Asian currency turmoil on the overall economic performance of Hong Kong. We will certainly not view the impact of this currency turmoil lightly. Apart from closely monitoring the situation, we will continue to improve our productivity and competitiveness and actively strengthen our marketing efforts, so as to strive for a better performance in our trade in goods and services under the current conditions. End 13. Public acceptance of the SAR Government *************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Kan Fook-yee and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr David Lan, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: It is reported that the Special Adviser to the Chief Executive agreed that democratic parties in Hong Kong must be won over in order to make the Special Administrative Region (SAR) Government more acceptable to the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of its assessment of the present level of the public's acceptance of the SAR Government; (b) whether it has formulated a set of policies in winning over democratic parties in the territory; and (c) apart from democratic parties, whether it will devise strategies to win the support of other political parties? Reply: President, (a) Concerning the assessment of the public's acceptance of the Government, the Home Affairs Bureau conducts at 2-month interval a telephone opinion poll in which the respondents are asked, inter alia, about their opinions on Government's overall performance. The last telephone opinion poll conducted in September shows that 53 per cent of the respondents were satisfied with the overall performance of Government, which is higher than that in May (49 per cent) and July (50 per cent). On the other hand, 22 per cent of the respondents indicated that they were dissatisfied with Government's overall performance. This percentage is the same as that in July but lower than that in May (26 per cent). The Government always attaches great importance to the assessment of the public's acceptance of it and will continue with its telephone opinion poll to solicit the public's opinions on Government's overall performance. (b)&(c) The Government's aim is to seek the widest support from the community, including all political parties, for its policies and programmes including political policies. We do not see the need for a specific policy or strategy targeted at any one political party. End 14. Labour productivity and wage increase ************************************* Following is a question by the Hon Chan Wing-chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services, Mr Rafael Hui, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: Will the Government inform this Council: (a) in respect of the three years from 1994 to 1996, of the: (i) nominal and real wage indices and wage increase rates; and (ii) labour productivity and rates of labour productivity growth; (iii) in Hong Kong, broken down by "industry sector" and "occupation group"; and (b) whether the rates of overall labour productivity growth in these three years were higher than the rates of overall real wage increase during the same period; if so, whether the wage increases have had the effect of fuelling inflation in Hong Kong? Reply: (a)(i) Nominal and real wage indices and their respective rates of change broken down by sector and by occupation from March 1994 to March 1996 are available. (ii) Labour productivity index for the manufacturing sector and average labour productivity for the economy as a whole and their respective growth rates are available. Labour productivity statistics for the other sectors are not available. (b) Overall labour productivity growth, averaged at around 2.5 per cent for the past three years, was higher than the corresponding real wage increase, averaged at 0.2 per cent. But labour productivity growth is also underpinned by other factors, apart from the improvement in workers' own efficiency. These include the structural shift in employment to higher value-added service activities; support from more extensive automation and mechanisation; and adoption of more efficient production methods and techniques. It is therefore not appropriate to simplistically link labour productivity growth with real wage increase. In any case, the on-going productivity improvement and the more moderate wage increase in the past few years have helped to alleviate local production costs. Coupled with continued stable import prices, local inflation has come down from 8.7 per cent in 1995 to 6.0 per cent in both 1996 and the first eight months of 1997. End 15. Facts and figures on tailor-made retraining courses *************************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Cheng Yiu-tong and a written reply by the Secretary for Education and Manpower, Mr Joseph W P Wong, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: Under the Supplementary Labour Scheme, if an application for a certain type of posts involves vacancies of 15 or more, the Employees Retraining Board will consider organising tailor-made courses for that particular type of posts. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the number of applications as at the end of August 1997 which involve a certain type of posts with 15 or more vacancies, together with a breakdown of the vacancies in these applications by sector and by post; and (b) of the number of tailor-made retraining courses organised by the Employees Retraining Board for the applications mentioned in item (a); the number of people who graduated from these courses, and the number of graduates who were successfully employed in the vacancies mentioned in the answer to item (a); and the reasons why some graduates failed to get employed successfully? Reply: Madam President, (a) Under the Supplementary Labour Scheme, the Job Matching Centre of the Labour Department will refer to the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) any screened-in application for imported workers which involves 15 or more vacancies belonging to a particular job type. This is to explore whether it is feasible to organise any retraining courses tailor-made for the requirements of the employer in respect of the vacancies in question, so as to facilitate local workers filling such vacancies. As at 31.8.1997, a total of 103 applications involving 4,385 vacancies were referred to ERB for the purpose. It should be noted that about 20 per cent of the number of imported workers for these applications have been approved. (b) ERB has been running tailor-made retraining courses which seek to cater for the specific needs of employers with respect to particular types of job vacancies since 1995/96. A total of 1,651 training places for the tailor-made programmes have been provided since late 1995. The majority of job vacancies involved in such courses are paging operators, sales persons and building attendants. Most of them are for the retail industry, telecommunications industry and the security and guarding industry. So far, no tailor-made retraining programmes have been organised by the ERB specifically for the applications under the Supplementary Labour Scheme. This is mainly because the vast majority of the employer applications in question were looking for employees with certain years of relevant working experience or a specific level of skills or educational standards which the graduate retrainees of any tailor-made courses were lacking. Some examples of such job vacancies are electric arc & gas welders, levellers, electrical technicians, surveying technicians and divers. End 16. Control scheme on import and export of contaminated waste ********************************************************* Following is a question by the Hon Tso Wong Man-yin and a written reply by the Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Bowen Leung, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: It is reported that because of its lax legislative controls on importation of waste, Hong Kong has become a popular place for trans-shipment of waste from foreign countries, some of which even contain toxic substances. It is also learnt that the destinations of most of the waste trans-shipped through Hong Kong are provinces and cities in the Mainland. In this regard, will the Government inform this Council: (a) whether the local legislation on waste control is more lenient, with regard to penalty and deterrent effect, than the relevant legislation of other signatories to the Basel Convention; (b) of the staffing establishment in the Environmental Protection Department responsible for the control of importation of waste; whether it has undertaken any review on the adequacy of such manpower; if so, what the findings and follow-up actions are; and (c) whether it has any plans to strengthen co- operation with provinces and cities in the Mainland against the importation of waste; if so, what the details are? Reply: Madam President, A scheme to control the import and export of hazardous and contaminated waste, under the Waste Disposal Ordinance (WDO) (Cap. 354), came into operation on September 1, 1996. The WDO controls are fully in line with the letter and spirit of the Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal. The main control mechanism under the Basel Convention is to effect a system of prior notification and consent by the authorities of the states of import, export and transit prior to the commencement of shipments of hazardous or contaminated waste. The import of such waste without a permit, regardless of the purpose of the import, is an offence. The maximum penalties under the WDO are a fine of $200,000 and six months imprisonment for the first offence, and $500,000 and two years for subsequent offences. During the first nine months of 1997, we received from other competent authorities under the Basel Convention a total of 18 transit notifications. None of these were destined for China. Up to the end of September 1997, there was a total of four shipments controlled under the Basel Convention which actually transited through Hong Kong after receiving consent. All these transit shipments originated from, and were destined for, OECD countries. All these transit shipments were given our prior consent under the Basel Convention notification/consent system. Since September 1996, we have detected only two cases of illegal shipment of contaminated waste from overseas countries to the mainland via Hong Kong. In both cases the offenders were charged and convicted under the WDO. In response to the specific questions raised - (a) We have not been able to compare our legislation and its deterrent effect with those of other Basel Convention signatories. Given the many different situations they face, it is likely that they vary from one country to the other. However, we consider the penalties and deterrent effect of our legislation to be sufficient, but we will review them from time to time. (b) The Director of Environmental Protection (DEP) is satisfied that sufficient personnel are deployed to deal with this issue. If required, he is able to redeploy significant numbers of personnel from other areas to meet any short term needs. (c) As explained above the popular perception that Hong Kong is the transshipment port for large quantities of contaminated or hazardous waste from overseas countries en route to China is not borne out by the facts. Nonetheless, we have established good working relations with our counterparts in the Mainland and we intend to build on this in the future. End 17. Clearance of two squatter areas in Diamond Hill *********************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Chan Kam-lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: As the Chief Executive earlier undertook to completely clear the two squatter areas at Diamond Hill by 2001, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the current number of occupants in these two squatter areas; (b) whether it has formulated any specific timetable for the clearance of these squatter areas; if so, what the details are; (c) of the land use plan for these squatter areas after clearance, and the estimated number of public and private housing units that will be provided; and (d) whether it has any plan for the clearance of all squatter areas in Hong Kong; if so, what the specific plan is? Reply: Madam President, There are about 8,000 persons residing in the two squatter areas in Diamond Hill. The Government plans to clear them by 2001 for development purpose. A specific timetable will be announced as soon as the resources required, including resumption costs for private lots and rehousing resources, have been determined. According to the draft Outline Zoning Plan, the site in question is zoned as a "Comprehensive Development Area" to be used for district centre, community, housing, retail and office purposes. Insofar as housing is concerned, some 3,000 residential flats will be built, and the proportion of public and private housing will be determined in due course. As regards part (d) of the question, the Government will clear squatters when there is a public requirement for the site or when the living structures on the site are susceptible to geotechnical risk. The Government does not intend to clear other squatters at present. All squatters are encouraged to apply for public housing. End 18. Controls on the transport of dangerous goods ******************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Lee Kai-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: In February this year, a container exploded in Lung Cheung Road whilst in transit. Also, a container truck exploded in Siu Lik Yuen whilst unloading. In the light of these incidences, will the Government inform this Council of: (a) the causes of the such incidents, and the measures in place to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents; and (b) the controls over the transport of dangerous goods by containers trucks, and the measures in place to safeguard drivers, the workers concerned and the public? Reply: Madam President, (a) The initial finding of the Fire Services Department (FSD) on the cause of the incident at Lung Cheung Road is that sparks caused by the impact on the metal parts of the motor cycles under transportation inside the container ignited flammable vapour leaking from the fuel tanks of the motor cycles. The Government Chemist is still investigating into the cause of the incident. As regards the incident at Siu Lek Yuen, the FSD believed that the explosion was caused by the disposal of lighted smoking material which ignited the flammable methanol vapour leaking from a ruptured plastic container. The Transport Department (TD), the Marine Department, the Hong Kong Police Force and the FSD have been examining improvement measures to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents. Actions taken by the departments include - (i) The TD would formulate additional guidelines to be incorporated into the Code of Practice for the Loading of Vehicles, published under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Chapter 374), which deals with the safe loading/mounting of goods on vehicles. The guidelines will advise that the fuel tanks of all vehicles and motor cycles must be drained before they are packed and carried by vehicles; (ii) The TD has issued a summary pamphlet on the safe loading of vehicles with a paragraph on the safe transportation of vehicles; (iii) The TD has also issued advisory letters to the Motor Trade Association, trucking industry and motor cycle importers to remind them of the safety guidelines on the transportation of motor vehicles; (iv) The FSD has met representatives of the Container Transportation Employees General Union, explained to them the fire safety requirements under the Dangerous Goods Ordinance (Chapter 295) and its subsidiary legislation, and reminded them of the fire safety precautions to be observed by drivers of dangerous goods vehicles. The FSD has also sent representatives to attend the TD's regular meetings with the trucking industry to provide advice on fire safety matters; and (v) Dangerous goods vehicles are inspected annually by different Government departments prior to the renewal of their licences to ensure that the vehicles and their safety devices are functioning properly. In addition, various safety checks are carried out on a regular basis. (b) The Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations stipulates controls on the conveyance of Category 2 (compressed gases except liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)) and Category 5 (substances giving off inflammable vapours) dangerous goods. Under the Regulation, no person shall use any mechanically propelled vehicle for the conveyance by road of these goods in containers unless the use of such vehicle has been approved by the Director of Fire Services (DFS). The DFS also needs to be satisfied that these dangerous goods are carried in a tank wagon of approved size, type and construction, and equipped for the carriage, loading and discharge of such goods. It is a licensing requirement for dangerous goods vehicles under the Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations that the transportation of dangerous goods must be attended by an experienced attendant. The FSD provides training for drivers and attendants of dangerous goods vehicles licensed by the department. The conveyance of LPG either in bulk or in cylinder is governed by the Gas Safety Ordinance (Chapter 51). Only vehicles registered with the Gas Authority (GA) and constructed in accordance with the special safety requirements stipulated in the Ordinance are allowed to convey LPG. The Gas Safety (Gas Supply) Regulations require that at least two trained persons must be employed on a LPG vehicle. The training for drivers and attendants of LPG vehicles is provided by the respective gas supply companies to standards approved by the GA. Under the Dangerous Goods (General) Regulations, a removal permit issued by the Commissioner of Mines (C of M) is required each time a vehicle conveys explosives by land via an agreed route. No vehicle shall carry more than 200 kg of explosives at any time except with the permission in writing of the C of M, and such vehicle needs to be purpose built and have approved safety devices installed. The driver for a vehicle carrying explosives and his assistant must be given special training on fire safety. The driver has to be registered with the C of M. The Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance (Chapter 59) also provides safety guidelines for personnel handling dangerous goods in the course of transportation. End 19. Adequate supply of residential flats ************************************ Following is a question by the Hon Yeung Chun-kam and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: Regarding its pledge to supply an average of 85,000 residential flats a year over the next ten years, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the actual number of residential flats produced in each of the past five years and how it differed from the original estimate; (b) whether it is anticipating any difficulties in fulfilling the pledge; if so, what the major difficulties are going to be; and (c) of the other measures, besides the pledge, to ensure an adequate supply of residential flats to the public? Reply: Madam President, (a) The actual number of residential flats produced in the public and private sectors in the past five years is given below - Financial Public Calendar Private year housing year housing --------- ------- -------- ------- 1992-93 38,384 1992 26,222 1993-94 45,486 1993 27,673 1994-95 28,598 1994 34,173 1995-96 36,756 1995 22,621 1996-97 32,795 1996 19,875 Total 182,019 Total 130,564 No formal or original estimate was made specifically covering the five-year period, although progress reports on annual flat production are compiled by individual departments from time to time. (b) The Administration has taken positive steps to ensure and is confident that the pledge made by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address on October 8, 1997 to produce not less than 85,000 flats a year from 1999-2000 onwards can be achieved. (c) To ensure that we can achieve the annual target, we will- (i) provide a steady and sufficient supply of land for housing development; (ii) make more efficient use of land for housing development; (iii) fast-track the provision of housing related infrastructure; (iv) make arrangements for an adequate supply of construction labour for housing development; (v) provide greater opportunities for participation by the private sector in meeting the housing needs of the community; (vi) streamline Government procedures for housing production in the public and private sectors; and (vii) put in place a strengthened mechanism to resolve problems in housing projects speedily at both district and central levels. End 20. Statistics on surrendered II children ************************************* Following is a question by the Hon Ma Fung-kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Peter Lai, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Will the Government inform this Council of the following since the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government: (a) the number of mainland-born children who landed unlawfully in Hong Kong (illegal immigrant children) and subsequently surrendered to the Immigration Department (the Department), and the number of "recognisance forms" (commonly known as "going-out passes") issued to such children by the Department; (b) the number of illegal immigrant children who have been repatriated by the Department, and among them, the number who surrendered themselves to the Department after the establishment of the HKSAR Government; and (c) the number of cases referred by the Department to the Chief Executive in Council for consideration under section 53 of the Immigration Ordinance, involving illegal immigrant children applying for review; and the number of such cases on which the Chief Executive in Council has concluded deliberation, and the average period of extension of stay granted to the applicants concerned? Reply: Madam President, (a) Between July 1, 1997 and October 5, 1997, 469 mainland children surrendered to the Immigration Department (the Department) after entering Hong Kong illegally, of whom 421 were released on recognisance. (b) During the same period of time, 230 illegal immigrant children have been repatriated by the Department, of whom 156 children had surrendered themselves to the Department after the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. (c) Under section 53(8) of the Immigration Ordinance, no objection can be made under section 53 to the making of a removal order. Appeals against removal orders, including those concerning illegal immigrant children, are considered by the Immigration Tribunal under section 53A. Accordingly, no such case has ever been referred to the Chief Executive in Council for consideration under section 53 of the Immigration Ordinance. End 21. Split-type air-conditioners phased enforcement programme ******************************************************** Following is a question by the Hon Tang Siu-tong and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: A few months ago, the Housing Department demanded public housing tenants who had installed split-type air- conditioners to move the compressor units into their flats. Regarding the installation of air-conditioners by public housing tenants, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the present number of public housing tenants in Hong Kong who have installed split-type air-conditioners at unsuitable positions; (b) how the Housing Department can ensure that the tenants concerned will install the air-conditioners at suitable positions; and (c) whether the position of the compressor units inside the flats will affect the residents' health? Reply: Madam President, There are about 5,000 public housing tenants who have installed split-type air-conditioners in unsuitable positions. Under a phased enforcement programme, tenants involved in the first phase are required to make rectifications between April 1997 and March 1998. Guidelines and illustrative drawings on the proper method of installation and permitted positions have been provided. To ensure that air-conditioners are properly and safely installed, the Housing Department is taking stringent enforcement action on the requirements to obtain formal permission through the estate office, as stipulated in the tenancy agreement, and to employ registered technicians to install air- conditioners. In order to obtain the co-operation of tenants in observing the requirements, the Housing Department mounted a territory-wide publicity campaign on the safety aspects and tenants' responsibilities early this year through press releases, media advertisements, newsletters and the Estate Management Advisory Committee system. Further publicity campaigns will be mounted when required. As regards part (c) of the question, the Housing Department advises tenants to install compressor units on the balcony near to the external wall so as to enhance the ventilation effect. The exhaust air emitted from compressor units can then be directly discharged into the open air and should not cause harm to the health of tenants. End 22. Public transport between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung ************************************************ Following is a question by the Hon David Li and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport, Mr Nicholas Ng, in the Provisional Legislative Council today (Wednesday): Question: It is reported that privately-run ferries are operating between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung and that students from Tuen Mun are taking the twenty-minute ferry ride instead of the two-hour bus journey to and from their schools in Tung Chung. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it has undertaken any study on the adequacy of public transport for students travelling from Tuen Mun to Tung Chung; if so, what the findings are? Reply: Madam President, At present, students who need to travel daily between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung New Town can either use franchised buses, or a school bus service arranged by their schools. For those who wish to use the regular franchised buses, they can take any of the bus routes leaving Tuen Mun and interchange with Route E31 at Tsuen Wan for Tung Chung. The service frequency of Route E31 is 8 minutes during peak hours. In addition, a school bus service between Tuen Mun and Tung Chung New Town, organised by schools in Tung Chung for students living in Tuen Mun, has been in operation since September 15. On school days, it departs Tuen Mun at 7.15 am for Tung Chung. The journey time is about 1 hour. The return trip leaves Tung Chung at 4.20 pm. Surveys conducted by the Transport Department in the past few weeks indicate that the students are now adequately served by either public transport or school bus services. End
