LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 115 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 21 October 2009 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 DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. 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. 116 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. 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 ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.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 ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP 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 ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 117 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. THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN 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 WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. 118 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 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 THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. MEMBER ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE HENRY TANG YING-YEN, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN LAM SUI-LUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS 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 MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 119 THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 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 120 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 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. Import and Export (Electronic Cargo Information) Regulation .............................................................. 188/2009 Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1A and 1B) Notice 2009....................... 189/2009 Import and Export Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 2 and 3) Notice 2009.............................................. 190/2009 Reserved Commodities Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 2) Notice 2009............................. 191/2009 Other Papers No. 7 ─ Hong Kong Deposit Protection Board Annual Report 2008-2009 No. 8 ─ Occupational Safety and Health Council Annual Report 2008/2009 No. 9 ─ Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund Board Annual Report 2008-09 No. 10 ─ Audited Financial Statements and Auditors' Report for the Fish Marketing Organization (for the year ended 31 March 2009) No. 11 ─ Audited Financial Statements and Auditors' Report for the Vegetable Marketing Organization (for the year ended 31 March 2009) No. 12 ─ Marine Fish Scholarship Fund Trustee's Report and Audited Financial Statements and Auditors' Report on the Fund (for the year ended 31 March 2009) LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 121 No. 13 ─ Agricultural Products Scholarship Fund Trustee's Report and Audited Financial Statements and Auditors' Report on the Fund (for the year ended 31 March 2009) No. 14 ─ The Land Registry Trading Fund Hong Kong 2008-09 Annual Report No. 15 ─ Consumer Council Annual Report 2008-09 No. 16 ─ Environment and Conservation Fund Trustee Report 2008-2009 No. 17 ─ Companies Registry Trading Fund 2008-09 Annual Report No. 18 ─ West Kowloon Cultural District Authority 08/09 Annual Report No. 19 ─ The Government Minute in response to the Reports No. 51A and 52 of the Public Accounts Committee dated May and July 2009 Report of the Bills Committee on Village Representative Election Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009 ADDRESSES PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Address. The Chief Secretary for Administration will address the Council on the "Government Minute in response to the Reports No. 51A and 52 of the Public Accounts Committee dated May and July 2009". The Government Minute in response to the Reports No. 51A and 52 of the Public Accounts Committee dated May and July 2009 CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION (in Cantonese): President, laid on the table today is the Government Minute responding to the Reports No. 51A and 52 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). 122 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 When presenting the Reports No. 51A and 52 respectively on 20 May and 8 July, the Chairman of the PAC set out the comments made by the PAC on the four chapters from the Director of Audit's Reports, namely, emergency ambulance service (EAS), the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), the Hong Kong Arts Development Council (HKADC) and the Quality Education Fund (QEF). The Government is grateful for the time and efforts devoted by the PAC to the scrutiny of the items concerned. Details of the Government's response to the conclusions and recommendations made in the Reports are set out in the Government Minute that has been tabled. Today, I would like to highlight the key measures taken by the Government in the relevant areas. Regarding EAS, the Government is committed to providing effective, reliable and efficient EAS for persons in need. We welcome and accept all the recommendations made by the PAC. Moreover, we have duly followed up and implemented the relevant measures. We have reviewed the performance of the EAS and introduced a number of measures to improve the ambulance response time performance. To ensure that the performance target is achieved in all Divisions, the Fire Services Department (FSD) has redeployed its resources, increased front-line manpower and arranged new ambulance shifts at locations with the greatest demand. In particular, the number of deployment points in the New Territories Region has been increased to enhance the coverage of ambulance service and improve the response time performance in the New Territories Region. To enhance the EAS in the long run, we have proposed the Medical Priority Dispatch System. According to the proposal, the FSD will categorize calls for EAS in accordance with the degree of urgency and prioritize the deployment of ambulances, such that a quicker delivery of service can be made available to persons in the greatest need. We are conducting a public consultation exercise to collect the views advanced by various parties on the proposal. We agree with the PAC that there is a need to make efforts to improve the reliability of ambulance service. To this end, the FSD and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department have taken a series of measures, including increasing the frequency of preventive maintenance, advancing the replacement of vulnerable parts of ambulances in the entire fleet, establishing a monitoring mechanism to tackle premature mechanical failure, extending the service hours of workshops and setting up quick repair workshops at strategic locations. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 21 October 2009 123 The Administration is in the course of replacing 196 ambulances and the new ambulances are expected to start delivering service before the end of next year. After the new ambulances have started providing service, the average age of the ambulance fleet will be lowered to less than two years.