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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 5577 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 24 January 2018 The Council met at 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. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.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. 5578 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 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 FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, S.B.S., J.P. 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 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 DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 5579 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 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. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN 5580 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HUI CHI-FUNG 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 MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, 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 MS TERESA CHENG YEUK-WAH, G.B.S., S.C., J.P. SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE MR JACK CHAN JICK-CHI, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS, AND SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 5581 MR JOSEPH CHAN HO-LIM, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY, AND SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY DR THE HONOURABLE LAW CHI-KWONG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE THE HONOURABLE JOSHUA LAW CHI-KONG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE THE HONOURABLE FRANK CHAN FAN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL WONG WAI-LUN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE PATRICK NIP TAK-KUEN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 5582 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 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) 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. Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 2 and 3) Order 2018 ........................................................................ 3/2018 Energy Efficiency (Labelling of Products) Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules) Order 2018 ................ 4/2018 Legal Aid in Criminal Cases (Amendment) Rules 2017 (Commencement) Notice ....................................... 5/2018 Other Papers No. 66 ― Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications Annual Report 2016/17 No. 67 ― Vocational Training Council Annual Report and Financial Report 2016/2017 No. 68 ― The Government Minute in response to the Annual Report of The Ombudsman 2017 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 5583 Report of the Bills Committee on Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing (Financial Institutions) (Amendment) Bill 2017 and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2017 Report of the Bills Committee on Inland Revenue (Amendment) (No. 5) Bill 2017 Report of the Bills Committee on Banking (Amendment) Bill 2017 ADDRESS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Address. The Chief Secretary for Administration will address the Council on "The Government Minute in response to the Annual Report of The Ombudsman 2017". The Government Minute in response to the Annual Report of The Ombudsman 2017 CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION (in Cantonese): President, laid on the table today is the Government Minute responding to the recommendations contained in the Annual Report of The Ombudsman 2017 ("the Annual Report"). This is the first Government Minute of the current-term Government in response to the Annual Report of The Ombudsman. Just as in the previous terms of Government, we will continue to support the work of the Office of The Ombudsman ("the Office") in full strength and strive to take forward The Ombudsman's recommendations for sustained enhancement of public administration. The Ombudsman summarized 11 direct investigation and 218 full investigation cases, and made a total of 254 recommendations in the Annual Report. The Government Minute responds to the 11 direct investigation and 95 full investigation cases in which recommendations were made by The Ombudsman. The vast majority of the recommendations made by The 5584 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 Ombudsman were accepted by the government departments and public bodies concerned, and they have taken or are taking various measures to implement those recommendations. As for individual recommendations that were not accepted, the relevant departments have given an account to The Ombudsman, and explained their difficulties and responses in detail in the Government Minute. President, the Office handled nearly 5 000 complaints in 2016-2017. No matter the Office followed up the cases by means of inquiry, full investigation or mediation, government departments and public bodies handled every investigation of the Office in a cooperative and earnest manner. The above process fully demonstrates the positive interaction between the Office and government departments in improving public administration. Having reviewing the contents of the Annual Report, I note that the number of direct investigations initiated by the Office in 2016-2017 is a record high in recent years. Through initiating direct investigations, The Ombudsman examined policies of extensive public concern from a more macroscopic perspective, thereby fully realizing the Office's role as a watchdog of public administration. For example, in a direct investigation concerning the manpower at public swimming pools and beaches, The Ombudsman has probed into the problem from different aspects such as substitution arrangement, induction training, demand for manpower and made so many as 12 recommendations to the Leisure and Cultural Services Department. The Department also accepted all the recommendations made by the Office, and formulated new management mechanisms and instructions. It even proceeded to make improvements before the Office has concluded its investigation. I am pleased to see that the Office's investigative effort is indeed, as The Ombudsman has said in the Annual Report, a catalyst for change. Also, government departments accepted the advice from the Office and proactively improved the quality and effectiveness of their services, thus making their operations more efficient and people-oriented. A number of cases contained in the Annual Report are related to areas of public service of various government departments. From handling individual water seepage complaints of flats to regulating special transport services for persons with mobility difficulties across the territory, the cooperation and liaison between various bureaux and departments are warranted. Departments must LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 24 January 2018 5585 proactively initiate communication and strengthen inter-departmental coordination, so as to respond to individual complainant's concern and look for long-term solutions for problems affecting people's livelihood over the years. The Chief Executive has always been advocating "innovation", "interaction" and "collaboration", thus the current-term Government will solve problems of the public in a proactive, practical and serious manner. In this connection, the Government is revamping the Central Policy Unit into the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Unit, which will be responsible for promoting policy research and innovation, as well as coordination across bureaux and departments. The Unit will also endeavour to encourage public participation, so as to achieve effective formulation of cross-bureaux policies, thus enhancing social benefits for the well-being of the public.