LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 11951 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 22 May 2013 The Council met at Two o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.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, M.H. 11952 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. 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 RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN 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, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.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. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 11953 THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO 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 THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHI-CHUEN THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN DR THE HONOURABLE KENNETH CHAN KA-LOK THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. 11954 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG 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, J.P. THE HONOURABLE POON SIU-PING, B.B.S., M.H. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU DR THE HONOURABLE CHIANG LAI-WAN, J.P. IR DR THE HONOURABLE LO WAI-KWOK, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 11955 MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION PROF THE HONOURABLE ANTHONY CHEUNG BING-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE PROF THE HONOURABLE K C CHAN, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY THE HONOURABLE GREGORY SO KAM-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND TAM CHI-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS DR THE HONOURABLE KO WING-MAN, B.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH 11956 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT MR LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 11957 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/Instrument L.N. No. Tate's Cairn Tunnel Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule) 70/2013 Notice 2013 ............................................................. Other Papers No. 94 ─ The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 59 of February 2013 No. 95 ─ Securities and Futures Commission Approved budget of income and expenditure for the financial year 2013/2014 Report No. 17/12-13 of the House Committee on Consideration of Subsidiary Legislation and Other Instruments ADDRESSES PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Address. The Chief Secretary for Administration will address the Council on "The Government Minute in response to the Report No. 59 of the Public Accounts Committee". 11958 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 59 of February 2013 CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION (in Cantonese): President, laid on the table today is the Government Minute responding to Report No. 59 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). When presenting Report No. 59 on 6 February to the Legislative Council, the Chairman of PAC gave comments on four chapters in the Director of Audit's Reports: (a) Monitoring and reporting of air quality; (b) Implementation of air-quality improvement measures; (c) Regulatory control of private hospitals; and (d) Land grants for private hospital development. First of all, I am grateful for the time and efforts that the PAC has devoted to investigating these subjects. We accept the Committee's various recommendations and have set out in detail the specific responses of the relevant bureaux/departments in the Government Minute. Today, I would like to highlight the key measures that we have taken in these important policy areas and the progress. On monitoring and reporting of air quality and Implementation of air-quality improvement measures, the current-term Government is committed to improving air quality. The Chief Executive, in his first address to the Legislative Council on 17 October 2012, made it clear that public health is our primary concern when we formulate our clean air policy. Environmental protection carried significant weight in the Chief Executive's first Policy Address delivered on 16 January, 2013. The policies on air quality improvement have been broadly welcomed by the community. The Environment Bureau released "A Clean Air Plan for Hong Kong" on 28 March 2013 to outline comprehensively and clearly the challenges Hong Kong is facing with regard to air quality. It also gives an overview of the relevant policies, measures and plans to tackle air pollution covering land and sea transport, power plants and non-road mobile machinery, as well as collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong to deal with regional pollution. Collaboration among various government bureaux and departments and the concerted efforts of different sectors will all contribute to attaining the goal of cleaner air and a healthier living environment for the public. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 22 May 2013 11959 The priorities of air-quality management initiatives are to improve roadside air quality, reduce emissions from marine vessels, and tackle the regional pollution problem in collaboration with the Guangdong authorities. The Government's efforts in these three fronts are briefly set out below. To expedite the phasing out of heavily polluting diesel commercial vehicles, the Government has proposed to set aside $10 billion to subsidize owners of pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles to replace the vehicles and to ban their use on road by phases. This will reduce the particulates and nitrogen oxides emissions by 80% and 30% respectively, and will go a long way in protecting public health. The Government also proposes to set a maximum service life of 15 years for newly registered diesel commercial vehicles. Consultation with the transport trades and other stakeholders is currently underway. A major cause of the roadside air pollution problem is the high nitrogen dioxide concentration which increased by 22% between 2006 and 2010. To strengthen emission control on poorly maintained petrol and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles that emit nitrogen dioxide, from 2014, we will use roadside remote sensing equipment to detect those vehicles with excessive emissions, and will require them to be repaired. Before the deployment of remote sensing equipment, we will provide a one-off grant to help petrol and LPG taxis and light buses owners to replace once the worn-out catalytic converters of their vehicles. The replacement is expected to commence in the second half of 2013. With regard to bus route rationalization, in addition to the annual Route Development Programmes, a new "area approach" is being adopted, under which bus route rationalization will be carried out on an area/district basis, instead of on the basis of individual routes.