OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 5
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 5479 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 5 May 2021 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.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. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. 5480 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, S.B.S., J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JUNIUS HO KWAN-YIU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOLDEN CHOW HO-DING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-FAI, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 5481 THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LUK CHUNG-HUNG, J.P. 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 VINCENT CHENG WING-SHUN, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE TERESA CHENG YEUK-WAH, G.B.S., S.C., J.P. SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT PROF THE HONOURABLE SOPHIA CHAN SIU-CHEE, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH 5482 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL WONG WAI-LUN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER HUI CHING-YU, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY MR LIU CHUN-SAN, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT MR JOSEPH CHAN HO-LIM, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MS MIRANDA HON, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR MATTHEW LOO, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 5483 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will the 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) LAYING OF PAPERS ON THE TABLE OF THE COUNCIL The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation Legal Notice No. Tax Reserve Certificates (Rate of Interest) (Consolidation) (Amendment) (No. 2) Notice 2021 .................................................................... 54 of 2021 Other Papers Gifted Education Fund Financial Statements for the year ended 31 August 2020 (including Report of the Director of Audit) Report of the Bills Committee on Mainland Judgments in Matrimonial and Family Cases (Reciprocal Recognition and Enforcement) Bill ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Development of heritage tourism 1. MR YIU SI-WING (in Cantonese): In December last year, the Government abruptly halted the demolition works for the service reservoir at Bishop Hill in Sham Shui Po ("the service reservoir"), enabling this century-old structure to survive. In March this year, the Antiquities Advisory Board 5484 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 endorsed the recommended grading (i.e. Grade 1 historic building) for the service reservoir. The Government is exploring a restricted opening of the service reservoir for visit by the public upon the completion of the temporary strengthening and tidying up works for the service reservoir. Some members of the public have suggested that the Government may, by making reference to overseas examples, invite experts to discuss the options for revitalizing the service reservoir, as well as consider developing the service reservoir into a tourist attraction in Asia. Regarding the development of heritage tourism, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it has drawn up a series of conservation and revitalization programmes for the service reservoir to promote heritage tourism; if so, of the details (including an implementation timetable); if not, the reasons for that; (2) whether it will include the service reservoir as one of the tourist attractions under the "Hong Kong Neighbourhoods―Sham Shui Po" campaign implemented by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, consolidate the tourism resources in the Sham Shui Po District, and improve the public facilities in the District, with a view to elevating visitors' travel experience without affecting the daily lives of the residents, such as using the technology of augmented reality to introduce the surrounding environment to the visitors; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (3) whether it has learnt a lesson from the incident of almost mistakenly demolishing the service reservoir and stepped up its efforts on conserving and revitalizing monuments; whether it will formulate tourism promotional programmes for monuments worthy of viewing and enhance their ancillary facilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (in Cantonese): President, I thank Mr YIU for his question. The question raised by Mr YIU involves conservation and revitalization of the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir, which is under the purview of the Development Bureau ("DEVB"). Having consulted DEVB, I provide a consolidated reply as follows: LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 5485 Since 2008, DEVB has revitalized some distinctive government historic buildings through the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme, and opened such buildings for visit by the public and visitors. For example, the Old Tai O Police Station has been revitalized into the Tai O Heritage Hotel, and the former Lai Chi Kok Hospital has been revitalized into the Jao Tsung-I Academy. Through the "Conserving Central" initiative, DEVB has also revitalized the former Police Married Quarters on Hollywood Road into a creative hub, the PMQ, and also the Central Police Station Compound into the "Tai Kwun―Centre for Heritage and Arts", which have become tourist attractions with historical, creative and artistic elements. In parallel, the Tourism Commission ("TC") has all along been promoting various tourism projects in different districts, covering projects with historical and heritage themes. These include the revitalization of Dr SUN Yat-sen Historical Trail with the theme of "art across time" leading visitors to trace the history of 16 spots through walking along the Trail; the organization of the "Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival" over three years which provides participants with a new experience that integrates arts, religion, culture, heritage and green elements through a variety of artworks in different forms; and the launch of the "City in Time" which presents the historical panoramic images of individual landmarks of Hong Kong by using augmented reality and creative multimedia technology, enabling visitors to understand the historical landscape and community culture through smartphones. Since 2018, TC, in collaboration with the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, has also been enhancing the tourism supporting facilities of some hiking trails within country parks by phases which are popular and with tourism potential, with a view to enhancing their appeal as heritage and green tourism attractions, including some military relics and spots of historic value, such as the Pinewood Battery Heritage Trail along Peak Trail and the Wong Nai Chung Gap Trail. The reply to the three parts of the question by Mr YIU Si-wing is as follows: (1) Regarding the Ex-Sham Shui Po Service Reservoir, the Government has clearly indicated that it will not be demolished. In March 2021, the Antiquities Advisory Board ("AAB") endorsed the proposed 5486 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 5 May 2021 Grade 1 historic building status of the service reservoir. AAB has conducted public consultation on the proposed grading of the service reservoir and will confirm its grading later having regard to the results. The Water Supplies Department has earlier launched a virtual tour of the service reservoir. The service reservoir was originally a confined space. Although part of the roof has been removed, necessary works including the provision of internal lighting and ventilation facilities have to be carried out.