OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 30 June 2010 the Council Met at Eleven O'clock
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 10471 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 30 June 2010 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 IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.S., S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. 10472 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, B.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 AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 10473 THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PAN PEY-CHYOU DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN 10474 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 MEMBERS ABSENT: DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE WONG YAN-LUNG, S.C., J.P. THE SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE MISS ADELINE WONG CHING-MAN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LEE SIU-KWONG, G.B.S., I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE PROF THE HONOURABLE K C CHAN, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 10475 THE HONOURABLE EVA CHENG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING THE HONOURABLE MRS RITA LAU NG WAI-LAN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, SECRETARY GENERAL MRS VIVIAN KAM NG LAI-MAN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 10476 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 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 pursuant to Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments L.N. No. Hawker (Permitted Places) Declaration 2010.................... 88/2010 Other Papers No. 102 ─ Airport Authority Hong Kong Annual Report 2009/10 Report No. 15/09-10 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments Report of the Bills Committee on Deposit Protection Scheme (Amendment) Bill 2010 ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. Apart from the six oral questions for this meeting, I have permitted Mrs Regina IP to ask, under Rule 24(4) of the Rules of Procedure, an additional urgent question which is of an urgent character and relates to a matter of public importance. PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Urgent question. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 10477 Tree-falling Incidents MRS REGINA IP (in Cantonese): President, following the tragic tree-falling incident which occurred earlier in Yuen Chau Kok Park, Sha Tin, resulting in the death of a passer-by, a big Chinese banyan tree situated outside the entrance of the Central Government Offices (CGO), West Wing, collapsed a few days ago as it could not withstand days of winds and rain, causing injury to a passer-by and damages to properties. There are comments that the repeated occurrence of tree-falling incidents everywhere in Hong Kong reflects that serious problems exist in the management of trees by the Government, posing threats to the lives and safety of the public. Given that the rainy season has started: (a) whether the Government will immediately make public the list of trees which have been identified by the authorities to be in need of further inspections, so that members of the public can take precautions; and (b) as the tree outside the entrance of the CGO, West Wing, which collapsed was not on the aforesaid list, whether the Government will hire local and overseas experts to carry out inspections and monitoring of trees throughout Hong Kong, in order to prepare an accurate list of dangerous trees, thereby removing the threats posed to the public in a more expeditious and effective manner? SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT (in the absence of Secretary for Development) (in Cantonese): President, I thank Mrs Regina IP for the question. As the Secretary for Development, Mrs Carrie LAM, is now in Singapore representing the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) at the Asia-Pacific Water Ministers' Forum and the World Cities Summit 2010, she is unable to attend the meeting of the Legislative Council today. I will give a reply here on her behalf to the question raised by Mrs Regina IP. The SAR Government was deeply saddened by the death of Mr CHOI Kit-keung following the tree collapse incident on a cycle track in Yuen Chau Kok, Sha Tin, in the middle of this month and offered its heartfelt condolences to his family. The SAR Government also extended its best wishes to the 10478 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 30 June 2010 passers-by who were injured in the tree collapse incident occurred on Battery Path, Central, on the 27th of this month. I now give a reply to the question raised by Mrs Regina IP on behalf of Secretary Carrie LAM as follows: (a) The Task Force on Tree Management led by the Chief Secretary for Administration published a report in June last year. Pursuant to a recommendation of the report, the Development Bureau, in conjunction with various tree management departments, implemented the arrangements for tree risk assessment in January this year to protect public safety more effectively. In essence, the objective of tree risk assessment is to deal with trees that may have problems at locations with high pedestrian or vehicular flow through a systematic methodology and procedures in a timely and appropriate manner, in the hope of reducing their risks to personal safety and property of the public. Tree risk assessment is conducted step by step in two stages. In the first stage that involves an "area basis" assessment, departments will first identify those areas with high pedestrian or vehicular flow under their management. In the second stage that involves a "tree basis" assessment, departments will carry out tree group inspections at locations with high pedestrian or vehicular flow in accordance with the tree risk assessment guidelines to identify trees that are in need of particular protection, such as old and valuable trees and masonry wall trees, as well as dead trees that may pose hazards to the public and trees with obvious health or structural problems. During tree group inspections, if departments come across trees that meet the conditions mentioned earlier, they will conduct detailed inspections of individual trees, including visual assessment, and subject to the specific conditions of trees, carry out further inspections using equipment where necessary, in order to assess the improvement measures required.