LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 13375 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 19 June 2013 The Council met at Eleven 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 LEE CHEUK-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. 13376 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 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. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 13377 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. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI 13378 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG THE HONOURABLE DENNIS KWOK THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, 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 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 CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHUNG SHU-KUN, B.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LEUNG DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 13379 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY 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 LAI TUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY 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 PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MR ANDY LAU KWOK-CHEONG, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 13380 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 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. Dangerous Drugs Ordinance (Amendment of Second Schedule) Order 2013 .......................................... 101/2013 Hospital Authority Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 1) Order 2013 ............................................................. 102/2013 Prevention and Control of Disease (Amendment) Regulation 2013 ..................................................... 103/2013 Prevention and Control of Disease Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules 1 and 2) Notice 2013 ........................ 104/2013 Declaration of Markets (Amendment) Notice 2013 .......... 105/2013 Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Public Markets) (Amendment of Tenth Schedule) Order 2013 ........................................................................ 106/2013 Declaration of Increase in Pensions Notice 2013 .............. 107/2013 Widows and Orphans Pension (Increase) Notice 2013 ...... 108/2013 Other Papers No. 97 ─ Correctional Services Children's Education Trust Report by the Trustee for the period from 1st September 2011 to 31st August 2012 Report of the Bills Committee on Education (Amendment) Bill 2013 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 13381 QUESTION UNDER RULE 24(4) OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. Apart from six oral questions for this meeting, I have permitted Mr MA Fung-kwok to ask an urgent question under Rule 24(4) of the Rules of Procedure. Allegations that Computer Systems in Hong Kong Have Been Hacked MR MA FUNG-KWOK (in Cantonese): President, Edward SNOWDEN, a former analyst of the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States, disclosed in a recent interview with the South China Morning Post that the United States Government had been hacking into the computer systems in both Hong Kong and the Mainland since 2009 and had acquired huge quantity of communications information, and the targets included the computer systems of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), local public officers, enterprises and students. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (a) whether the authorities have taken immediate and effective measures since the aforesaid report was published in the newspapers to ensure that the overall network and computer systems in Hong Kong will not be hacked; if they have, of the details; if not, how the authorities ensure that information security in Hong Kong will not be threatened; (b) whether the Government has immediately followed up the aforesaid report with the relevant authorities of the United States and taken immediate and necessary remedial and preventive measures in respect of information security; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and (c) as it has been reported that the aforesaid person is now in Hong Kong, and that he has indicated that he worries about his personal safety because he has received reliable information that the United States Government has requested for extraditing him to the United States, whether the authorities have received any relevant request from the United States Government, and whether they have assessed if the personal safety of the person is under threat; if they have received such request or the assessment outcome is that the person's 13382 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 personal safety is under threat, of the immediate follow-up measures to be taken by the authorities? SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (in Cantonese): President, the major issues raised in the Member's question concern network security, information security and combating technology crimes such as hacker intrusion into local computer systems. These issues are related to the policy areas of the Security Bureau and the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau. Our consolidated reply is as follows: (a) To promote information system security and combat technology crimes, the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) have adopted a series of measures in collaboration with the industry and relevant stakeholders to promote the importance of protecting computer systems and network security. The Administration is also very concerned about recent media reports which alleged that local computer systems had been hacked. The departments concerned have already taken immediate actions to review the relevant information security arrangements. Regarding the information security within Government, the OGCIO has formulated comprehensive information security policies and guidelines for compliance and reference by bureaux and departments (B/Ds), so as to ensure that they have taken appropriate and sufficient measures to protect the security of their systems and data, with a view to minimizing the risk of information security attacks and hacker intrusion as well as enabling B/Ds to take appropriate response in case of incidents. To protect against information security attacks and intrusion by hackers, B/Ds have implemented the following specific measures: (i) install firewalls, anti-virus software, and intrusion detection/prevention systems on Internet gateways to protect critical systems against security threats; (ii) timely update systems software and patches and use latest virus signature files to prevent infection of malware; LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 June 2013 13383 (iii) encrypt all confidential data during storage and transmission; and (iv) conduct regular security risk assessment and audit for critical information technology systems.