26 November 2003 1503
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 1503 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 26 November 2003 The Council met at half-past Two o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE MRS RITA FAN HSU LAI-TAI, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH TING WOO-SHOU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TIEN PEI-CHUN, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID CHU YU-LIN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE ALBERT HO CHUN-YAN IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LEE CHU-MING, S.C., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE ERIC LI KA-CHEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LUI MING-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE NG LEUNG-SING, J.P. 1504 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE MRS SELINA CHOW LIANG SHUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE HUI CHEUNG-CHING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KWOK-KEUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE BERNARD CHAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE SIN CHUNG-KAI THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WONG WANG-FAT, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN THE HONOURABLE JASPER TSANG YOK-SING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOWARD YOUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE YEUNG SUM THE HONOURABLE YEUNG YIU-CHUNG, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE LAU CHIN-SHEK, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 1505 THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, J.P. THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LAU HON-CHUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHOY SO-YUK THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE SZETO WAH THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LAW CHI-KWONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE TANG SIU-TONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HENRY WU KING-CHEONG, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL MAK KWOK-FUNG THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE LEUNG FU-WAH, M.H., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LO WING-LOK, J.P. 1506 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LAU PING-CHEUNG THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE DONALD TSANG YAM-KUEN, G.B.M., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN IP SHU-KWAN, G.B.S., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY AND SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND LABOUR THE HONOURABLE ELSIE LEUNG OI-SIE, G.B.M., J.P. THE SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL SUEN MING-YEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOUSING, PLANNING AND LANDS PROF THE HONOURABLE ARTHUR LI KWOK-CHEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND MANPOWER DR THE HONOURABLE YEOH ENG-KIONG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HEALTH, WELFARE AND FOOD DR THE HONOURABLE PATRICK HO CHI-PING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 1507 DR THE HONOURABLE SARAH LIAO SAU-TUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND WORKS THE HONOURABLE AMBROSE LEE SIU-KWONG, IDSM, J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR RICKY FUNG CHOI-CHEUNG, J.P., SECRETARY GENERAL MR LAW KAM-SANG, J.P., DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MR RAY CHAN YUM-MOU, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 1508 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table pursuant to Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments L.N. No. Amusement Game Centres (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2003....................................................... 250/2003 Summary Disposal of Complaints (Solicitors) Rules..... 251/2003 Tung Chung Cable Car Ordinance (20 of 2003) (Commencement) Notice 2003 ....................... 252/2003 Other Papers No. 25 ─ Report on the Administration of the Immigration Service Welfare Fund prepared by the Director of Immigration Incorporated in accordance with Regulation 12(b) of the Immigration Service (Welfare Fund) Regulation No. 26 ─ Queen Elizabeth Foundation for the Mentally Handicapped Report and Accounts 2002-2003 No. 27 ─ Report of the Director of Audit on the Accounts of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the year ended 31 March 2003 No. 28 ─ Report No. 41 of the Director of Audit on the results of value for money audits - October 2003 No. 29 ─ Accounts of the Government for the year ended 31 March 2003 No. 30 ─ Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data, Hong Kong Annual Report 2002-2003 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 1509 No. 31 ─ Ocean Park Corporation Annual Report 2002-2003 Report of the Bills Committee on Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (Amendment) Bill 2003 ADDRESS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Address. Mr Henry WU will address the Council on the Ocean Park Corporation Annual Report 2002-2003. Ocean Park Corporation Annual Report 2002-2003 MR HENRY WU (in Cantonese): Madam President, I table before the Legislative Council today the Ocean Park Corporation Annual Report 2002- 2003. The Park remains an immensely popular facility for the people of Hong Kong, and a magnet for tourists, particularly visitors from the Mainland. However, as the annual report clearly describes, the past financial year was an extraordinary year of two very different parts — the first half, which showed the Park headed towards record levels of visitors, and a return to operating profit, driven by new and exciting programmes and events, and the second half devastated by the impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), with mainland visitors barred from visiting Hong Kong through the end of the financial year, and the Park's staff opening the gates to a virtually empty park every day for more than three months. Staff with management worked with patience and fortitude to minimize the impact of this catastrophe, taking many tough decisions to cut costs — including the staff taking a day's unpaid leave every week, the Park completely shutting on Mondays, operating hours being reduced and show schedules adjusted. The Park completed its year with a small deficit of $4.1 million. Despite the SARS setback, 2002-03 was marked by numerous successful developments. The introduction in November of four scalloped Hammerhead Sharks aroused tremendous interest among visitors to the aquarium, as only a 1510 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 few facilities worldwide maintain these wonderful fish. The new "Dinosaurs Now and Then" exhibition allowed visitors to come face to face with three living descendants of dinosaurs — Chinese alligators, Chinese Giant Salamanders, and the Chinese sucker fish. In recent years, the Park has received international awards and recognition for its service quality as well as its animal shows. This year, the Park received accreditation from the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA), which was the first for any animal facility in Asia and a Brass Ring Award from the International Association of Amusement Parks (IAAPA) for the Website Ocean Park created for the Halloween Bash 2001. Educational and conservation programmes continued to be developed in spite of SARS. More than HK$1 million was raised during the Park's annual Conservation Day, supporting studies of Chinese white dolphins and finless porpoises in Hong Kong as well as dolphins from the Irrawady in Burma, the Ganges in Bangladesh, and in the waters around Taiwan and Cambodia. Ocean Park also provided funding support to the Hong Kong Society for Panda Conservation, which undertook to raise HK$1 million for the new giant panda hospital in the China Wolong Nature Conservation and Research Centre. Very importantly, we saw the beginning of work of the Government Task Force on the future development of Ocean Park and of other Tourist Attractions Aberdeen. The Park's new Chairman, strongly supported by a Board, has successfully taken up the reins from the outgoing team in working with the Task Force to develop detailed plans for the future. A special Development Group has been set up, which is currently working with a team of international consultants to prepare plans that will hopefully be presented to the Task Force early in 2004. To tie in with the development of Hong Kong as an international tourist spot, Ocean Park hopes that the Government can make an early decision, and to materialize the plans concerned as soon as possible, with the support and co-operation of the Legislative Council. Perhaps in closing, it would be appropriate to give special thanks to Philip CHEN, Ocean Park's Chairman, and to the other seven board members. Working closely with Chief Executive Randolph GUTHRIC and the Park's executive team, together with the whole crew exercising its esprit de corps, the Board under Philip CHEN has focused successfully over the past three years on two key priorities: to turn the Park from losses to operational surplus, and to lay LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 26 November 2003 1511 plans for the long-term future.