LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 9541 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 18 May 2016 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, 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 FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, B.B.S., M.H. 9542 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P., Ph.D., R.N. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, S.B.S. THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.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 ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 9543 THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE NG LEUNG-SING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI 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. DR THE HONOURABLE KENNETH CHAN KA-LOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.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 THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK 9544 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU, J.P. 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 CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE ALVIN YEUNG NGOK-KIU MEMBERS ABSENT: DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 9545 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: PROF THE HONOURABLE ANTHONY CHEUNG BING-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING THE HONOURABLE EDDIE NG HAK-KIM, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION DR THE HONOURABLE KO WING-MAN, B.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS MR GODFREY LEUNG KING-KWOK, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MR JAMES HENRY LAU JR., J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY 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 9546 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 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. Inland Revenue (Double Taxation Relief and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income) (Romania) Order .................................................... 61/2016 Inland Revenue (Double Taxation Relief and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income) (Russian Federation) Order .................................... 62/2016 Road Traffic (Parking) (Approved Cards) (Amendment) Notice 2016 ............................................................ 63/2016 Other Paper Report No. 17/15-16 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 9547 Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme 1. DR CHIANG LAI-WAN (in Cantonese): Under the current Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHCVS), the Government provides health care vouchers with a total value of $2,000 per person annually to eligible elderly persons aged 70 or above to subsidize their use of private primary care services. The unused health care vouchers each year may be retained and used in future, subject to a cap of $4,000 on the cumulative value of the vouchers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) as the information provided by the authorities to the Finance Committee of this Council in April this year indicated that in both of the past two years, the annual average values of health care vouchers used by an elderly person had exceeded $2,000, with a significant increase in the value of last year as compared with that of the preceding year, whether the authorities will consider increasing the annual value of health care vouchers so as to ease the burden of medical expenses on the elderly; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; (2) as I have learnt that quite a number of elderly persons need to purchase auxiliary medical equipment and buy medicines at pharmacies, but they may not use health care vouchers for such purposes, whether the authorities will consider relaxing the restrictions on the permitted uses of such vouchers; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (3) as the population projections published by the Census and Statistics Department in September last year indicated that the percentage of elderly persons aged 65 and above in the population would rise sharply, i.e. from 15% in 2014 to 23% and 30% in 2024 and 2034 respectively, whether the authorities will consider afresh lowering the minimum age requirement for EHCVS to 65 so that more elderly persons will benefit from it; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that? 9548 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH (in Cantonese): President, the Government launched the Elderly Health Care Voucher Pilot Scheme in 2009 to subsidize Hong Kong elders aged 70 or above to use private primary care services, including preventive care services. The scheme was converted from a pilot project into a recurrent programme in 2014. Since the implementation of the EHV Scheme, we have introduced various enhancement measures to give elders a greater flexibility in using the vouchers for private primary care services. For example, the annual voucher amount for an eligible elder has increased progressively from the initial sum of $250 to $2,000, and the financial cap has been revised upward from $3,000 to $4,000. Moreover, the face value of each voucher was changed from $50 to $1 in 2014 to make it more convenient for the elders to use the vouchers. As at end-March 2016, about 5 300 healthcare service providers are enrolled under the Scheme and over 610 000 elders have made use of the vouchers (accounting for about 80% of the eligible elderly population). My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows: (1) and (3) We have made a reply on the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHCVS) to the Finance Committee during its examination of Estimates of Expenditure 2016-2017. The figures in the reply show the average amount of vouchers used per elder among those who have made use of the vouchers, with breakdown by age group, during the period from the launching of the Scheme in 2009 up to end 2014 and end 2015. Analysed by year among those elders who have made use of the vouchers, the average amount of vouchers used by an elder in 2014 and 2015 was $1,260 and $1,711 respectively. Most of them (about 85% and 67% respectively) used an amount of $2,000 or less during these two years. As regards the requests for lowering the eligible age for the EHCVS to 65 and increasing the annual voucher amount for an eligible elder, according to the Hong Kong Population Projections 2015-2064 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 18 May 2016 9549 published by the Census and Statistics Department, there will be 930 000 elders aged 70 or above in 2020, which is 1.5 times as much as the existing number of elders using the vouchers, whilst the projected number of elders aged 65 or above is estimated to reach 1.4 million in 2020, which is about twice the number of elders using the vouchers at present.