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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 2517 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 28 November 2012 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. 2518 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 2519 THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE NG LEUNG-SING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN DR THE HONOURABLE KENNETH CHAN KA-LOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG 2520 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY MR YAU SHING-MU, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 2521 THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE THE HONOURABLE GREGORY SO KAM-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND TAM CHI-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS MR JOHN LEE KA-CHIU, P.D.S.M., P.M.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY THE HONOURABLE EDDIE NG HAK-KIM, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 2522 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Clerk, please ring the bell to summon Members to the Chamber. (After the summoning bell had been rung, a number of Members entered the Chamber). TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instrument L.N. No. Competition Ordinance (Commencement) Notice 2012 ... 177/2012 Other Papers No. 28 ─ Estate Agents Authority Annual Report 2011/12 No. 29 ─ Annual Report 2011 to the Chief Executive by the Commissioner on Interception of Communications and Surveillance (together with a statement under section 49(4) of the Interception of Communications and Surveillance Ordinance) Report No. 5/12-13 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Work of Central Policy Unit 1. MR ALBERT HO (in Cantonese): The Head of the Central Policy Unit (CPU) has reportedly said in a recent television interview that, in future, the LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 2523 CPU will deploy more resources and manpower to closely attend to messages posted on social networking websites and discussion forums on the Internet. In addition, the CPU has been assigned a new duty of identifying talents for hundreds of advisory bodies and committees. It has also been reported that some Administrative Officers have recently been informed that all appointments to public offices of important statutory and advisory bodies are required to be reported to a newly appointed full-time member of the CPU. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) of the resources and manpower that the CPU will deploy in the next five years for monitoring the opinions on public affairs expressed by members of the public on social networking websites and discussion forums on the Internet; whether it will recruit additional manpower to post comments on these social networking websites and discussion forums; if it will, of the additional manpower to be recruited; (b) whether various Policy Bureaux were previously required to report to CPU members appointments to the public offices of statutory and advisory bodies; of the total number of candidates for appointment to public offices which have been reported by various Policy Bureaux since the implementation of the measure, and whether the CPU member concerned has raised objection to any of these candidates; if objections have been raised, whether the candidates concerned have been appointed eventually; and (c) whether it has assessed if the CPU's new function concerning appointments to public offices of statutory and advisory bodies will undermine the power of Policy Bureaux in appointing members of the community to public offices; if the assessment outcome is in the affirmative, of the details; if the assessment outcome is in the negative, the reasons for that? CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION (in Cantonese): President, the principal function of the CPU is to provide advice to top government officials, that is, the Chief Executive, the Chief Secretary for Administration, and the Financial Secretary. It is a think tank in nature. Apart from conducting policy research and drafting the Chief Executive's annual Policy Address, the CPU also 2524 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 28 November 2012 examines major policy issues in depth, analyses and assesses community concerns and public opinions, and encourages community discussion on public policy through the appointment of Part-Time Members. In recent years, the CPU has also been tasked with providing secretariat support for the Commission on Strategic Development. My reply to the three-part question is as follows: (a) Analysing and assessing community concerns and public opinions is a major area of work of the CPU. The CPU has been gauging public sentiment through different channels, such as its Part-time Members, community networks, newspapers and magazines, electronic media, regular opinion surveys, and so on. Online media has become increasingly popular in recent years, in particular among the younger generation. The public no longer express their views just through the traditional media. To keep up with the times, the CPU needs to extend its channels for collecting, assessing and analysing public opinions to online media to gain a better grasp of community sentiment and views. The CPU has recently deployed one to two existing staff members to collect online opinions. They will not post any views or comments on social networking websites or discussion forums. (b) The Administration has not required Policy Bureaux to report to a Member of the CPU before the appointment of members to advisory and statutory bodies. Neither has it empowered or entrusted the CPU to approve, decide on or veto the appointments of candidates nominated by Policy Bureaux. The advisory and statutory bodies of the SAR Government form an integral part of our political system and play an important role in supporting the Administration's work.