OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 20
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 9221 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 20 June 2007 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE MRS RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, 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 MARTIN LEE CHU-MING, S.C., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LUI MING-WAH, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE MRS SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE BERNARD CHAN, G.B.S., J.P. 9222 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOWARD YOUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE YEUNG SUM 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 CHOY SO-YUK, 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, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 9223 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, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT THE HONOURABLE LI KWOK-YING, M.H., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE DANIEL LAM WAI-KEUNG, 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. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT JINGHAN CHENG THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHI-KIN THE HONOURABLE TAM HEUNG-MAN 9224 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN-SHEK, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MA LIK, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: DR THE HONOURABLE SARAH LIAO SAU-TUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND WORKS THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN LAM SUI-LUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LEE SIU-KWONG, I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR RICKY FUNG CHOI-CHEUNG, J.P., SECRETARY GENERAL MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 9225 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. Legal Aid (Assessment of Resources and Contributions) (Amendment) Regulation 2007 ....................... 114/2007 Environmental Impact Assessment (Exemption of Shenzhen Section of the Shenzhen Bay Bridge) Order ..................................................... 115/2007 Declaration of Increase in Pensions Notice 2007 ......... 116/2007 Widows and Orphans Pension (Increase) Notice 2007... 117/2007 Import and Export (General) Regulations (Amendment of Seventh Schedule) (Liberia) Notice 2007 ....... 118/2007 Legal Aid Ordinance ― Resolution of the Legislative Council (Commencement) Notice.................... 119/2007 Other Paper No. 96 ─ Construction Industry Training Authority Annual Report 2006 ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Mainland Nurses Receiving Training in Hong Kong Public Hospitals 1. DR JOSEPH LEE (in Cantonese): According to the documents of the Hospital Authority (HA), the HA has been working jointly with the Health 9226 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 Department of Guangdong Province to arrange for mainland nurses to receive training and perform clinical nursing work in the public hospitals in Hong Kong. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it knows: (a) currently, which public hospitals have commenced the above training of mainland nurses and whether other public hospitals will gradually commence such training; if they will, of the names of the hospitals concerned and the commencement time; (b) whether the HA recoups the necessary expenses from the mainland nurses concerned, and pay them salaries for performing clinical nursing work in the public hospitals in Hong Kong; if so, of the amount involved, and whether the HA will make reference to the usual practice and reimburse the relevant hospital departments using such income or disburse it to the front-line nurses responsible for supervising the relevant clinical nursing training concerned; if the expenses will not be recouped, the reasons for that; and (c) whether the above mainland nurses have obtained the practising certificates in nursing issued by the Nursing Council of Hong Kong; if not, of the reasons for that; whether the authorities concerned have assessed whether such nurses performing clinical nursing work is in compliance with the laws of Hong Kong, whether it will affect the quality of nursing care in public hospitals and solve the problem of shortage of nurses; if they have made such assessments, of the results? SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD (in Cantonese): Madam President, (a) The HA signed an agreement with the Health Department of Guangdong Province on Guangdong-Hong Kong Nurse Specialist training programme in May this year. Under this training programme, the HA will provide professional training courses for nurses from Guangdong Province, to enhance their knowledge on the role, duties and clinical skills of nurse specialists and improve their management skills through appreciation of the management system of hospitals in Hong Kong. According to the agreement, LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 9227 the HA will provide training for mainland nurses for four years. The HA will also review annually details of the course arrangement and development. Starting from the end of June 2007, the Institute of Advanced Nursing Studies under the HA will arrange for the first batch of 120 mainland nurses to receive 10 months of training in three specialties (Intensive Care Unit, Orthopaedics and Operation Theatre Nursing) at eight hospitals, namely, Queen Mary Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kowloon Hospital, Tuen Mun Hospital, North District Hospital, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, Prince of Wales Hospital and Tai Po Hospital. At present, the HA has no plan to launch the training programme in other hospitals. (b) The HA will collect $10,000 from each mainland nurse as nurse tuition fee. The relevant income will be allocated to the HA's Institute of Advanced Nursing School and the nursing development departments of relevant hospitals for the purpose of nurse training. The HA will not pay any salaries to the mainland nurses under training, but will offer a monthly study grant of $5,000 to each of them as a subsidy to their living expenses in Hong Kong. (c) The aim of this training programme is to provide training opportunities and clinical placement for mainland nurses, and not to increase the manpower of public hospitals. As the mainland nurses under training in Hong Kong will not provide clinical services independently, the issue of practising certificates therefore does not arise. In planning for the training programme and arranging clinical placement for nurse trainees in hospitals, the HA will ensure that its services and the work of the front-line nurses will not be affected. In addition to raising the standard of specialist care of the mainland nurses, the training programme will also facilitate exchanges on health care services between Hong Kong and the Mainland. DR JOSEPH LEE (in Cantonese): The Secretary stated in the main reply that $10,000 will be collected from each mainland nurse as nurse tuition fee, but will 9228 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 20 June 2007 offer each of them a monthly study grant of $5,000. This sounds pretty strange to me and I wish to ask the Secretary via the President: Is this a loss-making business? How is public money used? While collecting $10,000 from each of them as nurse tuition fee, the HA, however, offers each of them $5,000 monthly during the 10-month training period. Hence, the HA has to pay each of them $50,000 in total. In other words, after deducting the tuition fee collected from them, the HA still has to pay each of them $40,000. How is public money actually used? Why is it used in this way? SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD (in Cantonese): Madam President, insofar as the HA's funding is concerned, some $28 billion of government funding is allocated to the HA every year for use at its discretion.