HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 1453 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 15 December 1993 The Council met at half-past Two o'clock PRESENT THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JOHN JOSEPH SWAINE, C.B.E., LL.D., Q.C., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE MRS ANSON CHAN, C.B.E., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE NATHANIEL WILLIAM HAMISH MACLEOD, C.B.E., J.P. THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THE HONOURABLE JEREMY FELL MATHEWS, C.M.G., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALLEN LEE PENG-FEI, C.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LEE CHU-MING, Q.C., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, O.B.E., LL.D., J.P. THE HONOURABLE NGAI SHIU-KIT, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PANG CHUN-HOI, M.B.E. THE HONOURABLE SZETO WAH THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WONG WANG-FAT, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EDWARD HO SING-TIN, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE RONALD JOSEPH ARCULLI, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN GILBERT BARROW, O.B.E., J.P. 1454 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 THE HONOURABLE MRS PEGGY LAM, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WAH-SUM, O.B.E., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEONG CHE-HUNG, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES DAVID McGREGOR, O.B.E., I.S.O., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS ELSIE TU, C.B.E. THE HONOURABLE PETER WONG HONG-YUEN, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE VINCENT CHENG HOI-CHUEN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MOSES CHENG MO-CHI THE HONOURABLE MARVIN CHEUNG KIN-TUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG REV THE HONOURABLE FUNG CHI-WOOD THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY HA WING-HO, M.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL HO MUN-KA DR THE HONOURABLE HUANG CHEN-YA THE HONOURABLE SIMON IP SIK-ON, O.B.E., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM KUI-CHUN DR THE HONOURABLE CONRAD LAM KUI-SHING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT THE HONOURABLE ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 1455 THE HONOURABLE MAN SAI-CHEONG THE HONOURABLE STEVEN POON KWOK-LIM THE HONOURABLE HENRY TANG YING-YEN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TIK CHI-YUEN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN DR THE HONOURABLE SAMUEL WONG PING-WAI, M.B.E., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG DR THE HONOURABLE YEUNG SUM THE HONOURABLE HOWARD YOUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ZACHARY WONG WAI-YIN DR THE HONOURABLE TANG SIU-TONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHRISTINE LOH KUNG-WAI THE HONOURABLE ROGER LUK KOON-HOO THE HONOURABLE ANNA WU HUNG-YUK THE HONOURABLE ALFRED TSO SHIU-WAI ABSENT THE HONOURABLE HUI YIN-FAT, O.B.E., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN-SHEK THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, O.B.E., J.P. IN ATTENDANCE MR MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS MR CHAU TAK-HAY, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY 1456 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 MR JAMES SO YIU-CHO, O.B.E., J.P. SECRETARY FOR RECREATION AND CULTURE THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL SZE CHO-CHEUNG, I.S.O., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS MR ANTHONY GORDON EASON, J.P. SECRETARY FOR PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS MR HAIDER HATIM TYEBJEE BARMA, I.S.O., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT MR GORDON SIU KWING-CHUE, J.P. SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES MR DONALD TSANG YAM-KUEN, O.B.E., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE TREASURY DR LEE SHIU-HUNG, I.S.O., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE MR STUART WREFORD HARBINSON, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE MR LAM WOON-KWONG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER MR KENNETH JOSEPH WOODHOUSE, J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY MR TAM WING-PONG SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES THE CLERK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MR CLETUS LAU KWOK-HONG THE DEPUTY CLERK TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MR PATRICK CHAN NIM-TAK HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 1457 Papers The following papers were laid on the table pursuant to Standing Order 14(2): Subject Subsidiary Legislation L.N. No. Film Censorship (Amendment)(No. 2) Regulation 1993 ...................................................................................... 465/93 Education (Amendment) Regulation 1993 ...................................................... 466/93 Pilotage (Dues) (Amendment) Order 1993...................................................... 467/93 Public Health and Municipal Services (Public Pleasure Grounds) (Amendment of Fourth Schedule) (No. 7) Order 1993 ................................................................. 468/93 Public Order Curfew (Variation) (No. 4) Order 1993...................................... 469/93 The European Communities Notification........................................................ 470/93 Travel Industry Compensation Fund (Amount of Ex Gratia Payments and Financial Penalty) Rules .................................. 471/93 Travel Industry Compensation Fund (Procedure for Ex Gratia Payments) Rules...................................................................... 472/93 Sessional Papers 1993-94 No. 40 — Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped Report and Accounts 1992-93 No. 41 — The Accounts of the Lotteries Fund 1992-93 No. 42 — Chinese Temples Fund Income and Expenditure Account with Balance Sheet and Certificate of the Director of Audit for the Year Ended 31 March 1993 No. 43 — Grantham Scholarships Fund Income and Expenditure Account with Balance Sheet and Certificate of the Director of Audit for the Year Ended 31 August 1993 1458 HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 No. 44 — Social Work Training Fund Thirty-Second Annual Report by the Trustee for the Year Ending on 31 March 1993 No. 45 — Emergency Relief Fund Annual Report by the Trustee for the Year Ending on 31 March 1993 No. 46 — Hong Kong Housing Authority Annual Accounts for the Year Ended 31 March 1993 and Balance Sheet as at that Date Oral answers to questions Retirement protection system 1. MR MICHAEL HO asked (in Cantonese): A motion was passed at the Legislative Council sitting on 3 February 1993 urging the Government to expedite the establishment of a central provident fund scheme, so that the people of Hong Kong could be provided with a properly designed retirement protection system. But the Governor pointed out in this year's policy address that public views were divided on such a system, and that proposals on the way forward could not be announced before the end of this year. Will the Government inform this Council of the basis on which the public views have been identified as divided, and the research to be carried out on this matter before the end of the year? SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER (in Cantonese): Mr President, our basis for identifying public views on this subject include the 176 written submissions made in response to the consultation paper A Community-wide Retirement Protection System, the views made by commentators through the media, the views made to us through meetings, discussion sessions and seminars, and of course the views made by Members of this Council. On the basis of these feedbacks, it is obvious to the Government that there is a diversity of views both as to whether a mandatory savings system is the right solution and as to the nature of that system. Turning to the second part of the question, the Government has examined in detail the implications of the different approaches to retirement protection. We have now come to a conclusion on the way forward. I shall be making a statement in this Council later today to announce that conclusion. HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL — 15 December 1993 1459 MR MICHAEL HO (in Cantonese): Mr President, I would like to raise a follow up question. How does the Administration identify from the 176 written submissions and other opinions from elsewhere the pros and cons of different options? And how does the Administration take the almost unanimous views of the Legislative Council on seeking the early establishment of a central provident fund? PRESIDENT: Secretary, will you be covering this in your statement? SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER (in Cantonese): Mr President, on receipt of the 176 written submissions, we had in fact submitted a summary of views to Members early this year. We had also presented to this Council submissions from organizations which did not object to making them public. Although a motion debate on this subject held at the Council sitting on 3 February was passed, the result of 22 for and 17 against the motion indicated that Members' views on the issue were divided. Mr President, here I would like to add that I will explain in detail in the statement I am going to make later this afternoon as to how the Administration analyses the public views received. MR TAM YIU-CHUNG (in Cantonese): Mr President, in the conclusion the Administration is going to make later today, how much weight will be given to the 176 written submissions? SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER (in Cantonese): Mr President, the statement I am going to make later today is based on a summary of views of not just certain quarters but the community at large, which of course will include Members' views put to the Administration. MR HENRY TANG (in Cantonese): Mr President, when the Executive Council discussed the retirement protection system yesterday, had the Administration put forward its views on the way forward? SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER (in Cantonese): Mr President, since what have been discussed at the Executive Council meeting is confidential, I consider it inappropriate to disclose the views we put forward.