OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 28
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 7829 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 28 March 2018 The Council met at thirty-one minutes past Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, S.B.S., J.P. 7830 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK WING-HANG THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 7831 DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE ALVIN YEUNG THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WAN SIU-KIN THE HONOURABLE CHU HOI-DICK THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JUNIUS HO KWAN-YIU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HO KAI-MING THE HONOURABLE LAM CHEUK-TING THE HONOURABLE HOLDEN CHOW HO-DING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-FAI THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-CHUN THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. 7832 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LUK CHUNG-HUNG THE HONOURABLE LAU KWOK-FAN, M.H. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LAU IP-KEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE CHENG CHUNG-TAI THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHUN-YU THE HONOURABLE JEREMY TAM MAN-HO THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI THE HONOURABLE AU NOK-HIN THE HONOURABLE VINCENT CHENG WING-SHUN, M.H. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S. MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE HUI CHI-FUNG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 7833 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE NICHOLAS W. YANG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THE HONOURABLE JAMES HENRY LAU JR., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY PROF THE HONOURABLE SOPHIA CHAN SIU-CHEE, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH DR BERNARD CHAN PAK-LI, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL WONG WAI-LUN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR MATTHEW LOO, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 7834 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Council now holds the regular meeting of 28 March 2018. TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments L.N. No. Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Amendment) Ordinance 2009 (Commencement) Notice 2018 .............................. 43/2018 Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) (Safety and Survey) (Amendment) Regulation 2018.............................. 44/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Cargo Ship Construction and Survey) (Ships Built On or After 1 September 1984) (Amendment) Regulation 2018.............................. 45/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Carriage of Cargoes and Oil Fuel) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 .................... 46/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Line) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 ..................................................... 47/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Lines) (Deck Cargo) (Amendment) Regulation 2018.............................. 48/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Load Lines) (Length of Ship) Regulations (Repeal) Regulation ........................... 49/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Passenger Ship Construction) (Ships Built Before 1 September 1984) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 ..................................................... 50/2018 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Passenger Ship Construction and Survey) (Ships Built On or After 1 September 1984) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 ................... 51/2018 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 7835 Merchant Shipping (Safety) (Subdivision and Damage Stability of Cargo Ships) (Amendment) Regulation 2018 ........................................................................ 52/2018 Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Notice 2018 ........................................ 53/2018 Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance (Commencement) Notice ...................................................................... 54/2018 Pesticides Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) Notice 2018 ........................................................................ 55/2018 Other Papers No. 88 ― HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund Financial statements and Report of the Director of Audit for the year ended 31 August 2017 No. 89 ― Self-financing Post-secondary Education Fund Financial statements and Report of the Director of Audit for the year ended 31 August 2017 No. 90 ― Report of changes made to the approved Estimates of Expenditure during the third quarter of 2017-18 Public Finance Ordinance : Section 8 Report No. 9/17-18 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments Report of the Bills Committee on Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill 2017 Report of the Bills Committee on Chinese Medicine (Amendment) Bill 2017 7836 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Technology Voucher Programme 1. MR CHUNG KWOK-PAN (in Cantonese): President, in November 2016, the Innovation and Technology Commission launched, on a pilot basis, a Technology Voucher Programme ("TVP") to subsidize local small and medium enterprises ("SMEs") in using technological services or solutions to enhance their productivity, or upgrade or transform their business processes. Some persons-in-charge of SMEs have relayed to me that the long time taken for vetting and approval of TVP applications have resulted in delays in the implementation of their innovation and technology projects. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) of the number of applications received since the launch of TVP, with a breakdown by the major type of businesses in which the applicants engaged and the technological services or solutions involved in the applications; among such applications, the respective numbers and percentages of cases approved and rejected; (2) of the respective average and longest time taken for vetting and approval of the applications before they were approved; whether it has reviewed if the vetting and approval time is too long and whether it will streamline the vetting and approval procedure; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (3) whether the number of TVP applications has shown an upward trend recently; whether it will extend the scope of TVP and increase the amount of subsidy to complement the implementation of the "re-industrialization" policy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? SECRETARY FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY (in Cantonese): I thank Mr CHUNG for his question. President, the Innovation and Technology Commission ("ITC") launched TVP on 21 November 2016 to subsidize local SMEs in using technological services and solutions to improve productivity, or LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 28 March 2018 7837 upgrade or transform their business processes. TVP has approved about $50 million in a short period of 15 months, benefiting enterprises of different types. My reply to Mr CHUNG's question is as follow: (1) From the launch of TVP to late February this year, a total of 889 enterprises submitted applications. The applicant enterprises come from various industries, including mainly wholesale and retail, import and export trade and professional services. TVP has also benefited many traditional shops such as florists, restaurants, Chinese and western clinics, travel agencies, as well as shops selling dried seafood or furniture. With no restriction on the types of technological services, the applications involve a wide range of technological solutions, with the more common ones being enterprises resource planning solutions, document management and mobile access systems, electronic inventory management systems, point-of-sales systems, and electronic procurement management systems, etc. A detailed breakdown is set out in the Annex. Of the 403 applications assessed by the TVP Committee ("the Committee") so far, 377 were approved funding, representing a success rate of 94%. Only 26 applications were not supported by the Committee. Another 348 were awaiting supplementary information from the applicant enterprises or were under assessment by the Secretariat. The remaining 138 applications could not be processed and had to be returned, mainly because the applicant enterprises could not submit all the supporting documents required.