OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 22 May 2019 the Council Met at Half-Past Eleven O'clock
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 10337 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 22 May 2019 The Council met at half-past 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. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, 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. 10338 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. 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 CHAN HAN-PAN, B.B.S., J.P. 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 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 10339 DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN 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, S.B.S., 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 THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, J.P. 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 WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN 10340 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HUI CHI-FUNG THE HONOURABLE LUK CHUNG-HUNG, J.P. 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 THE HONOURABLE GARY FAN KWOK-WAI THE HONOURABLE AU NOK-HIN THE HONOURABLE VINCENT CHENG WING-SHUN, M.H. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HOI-YAN MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-CHUN THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE JAMES HENRY LAU JR., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 10341 DR THE HONOURABLE LAW CHI-KWONG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE THE HONOURABLE JOHN LEE KA-CHIU, S.B.S., P.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR SECURITY THE HONOURABLE FRANK CHAN FAN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING DR CHUI TAK-YI, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH, AND SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH DR BERNARD CHAN PAK-LI, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 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 MR SONNY AU CHI-KWONG, P.D.S.M., J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR SECURITY CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MS ANITA SIT, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 10342 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): The regular Council meeting now commences. PAPERS TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE COUNCIL The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments Legal Notice No. Telecommunications (Method for Determining Spectrum Utilization Fee) (Spectrum for Auction) Regulation ........................................... 74 of 2019 Telecommunications (Designation of Frequency Bands subject to Payment of Spectrum Utilization Fee) (Amendment) Order 2019 .................................. 75 of 2019 Arbitration (Appointment of Arbitrators and Mediators and Decision on Number of Arbitrators) (Amendment) Rules 2019 .................................. 76 of 2019 Insurance Companies (Amendment) Ordinance 2015 (Commencement) Notice 2019 .......................... 77 of 2019 Insurance (Maximum Number of Authorized Insurers) Rules ................................................................... 78 of 2019 Insurance (Financial and Other Requirements for Licensed Insurance Broker Companies) Rules ... 79 of 2019 Financial Reporting Council (Amendment) Ordinance 2019 (Commencement) Notice .......................... 80 of 2019 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 10343 Other Papers Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation Annual Report 2018 (including Financial Statements and Independent Auditor's Report) Qualifications Framework Fund Financial statements for the year ended 31 August 2018 (including Report of the Director of Audit) ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. First question. Conservation of the stilt houses at Tai O 1. MR LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG (in Cantonese): President, the scale of the stilt houses at Tai O has become very small as a result of natural ageing and repeated damages caused by typhoons, rainstorms and fires, and the stringent control on the refurbishment and reconstruction of the stilt houses under the prevailing squatter control policy and Government Land Licences. Some members of the public have pointed out that the stilt houses are described on the website of the Hong Kong Tourism Board as an iconic feature of the fishermen's village in Tai O and one of the most unique scenic spots in Hong Kong. The Government should therefore regard the stilt houses as cultural heritage and conserve them properly, instead of regulating the stilt houses as squatters. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council: (1) whether it will turn a blind eye to the disappearance of the stilt houses at Tai O through natural wastage; if not, whether it will formulate a new policy on the control and conservation of the stilt houses; if it will, of the objectives, details and implementation timetable of the new policy; 10344 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 (2) whether it will change the stipulation that the stilt houses at Tai O may be succeeded to only by immediate family members, so as to facilitate the succession and preservation of the stilt houses; and (3) whether it will take measures to improve the various systems of the stilt houses at Tai O concerning fire safety, water supply, sewage, electricity supply, public lighting, external access walkways, etc.; if not, of the reasons for that? SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT (in Cantonese): President, currently, the stilt houses situated along the waterway of the Tai Oi Creek are mainly structures under Government Land Licences ("licensed structures") and surveyed squatter structures covered in the 1982 Squatter Control Survey ("surveyed squatter structures"). I would like to first briefly explain the background of the Government's policies on licensed structures and surveyed squatter structures. Government Land Licence ("GLL") is land instrument issued by the Government in or before the 1970s mainly to regularize unauthorized structures erected on government land in rural areas at the time. Such licensed structures are tolerated on a temporary basis if they comply with the licence requirements, until they have to be cleared for development, environmental improvement or safety reasons, or phased out due to "natural wastage". "Natural wastage" generally refers to the situation where a licensee is deceased and the licence is not succeeded by an immediate family member. Separately, the Government conducted a territory-wide Squatter Control Survey ("SCS") in 1982 to record the locations, dimensions, building materials and uses of the unauthorized structures erected on government land and leased agricultural land at that time. Such records formed the basis for squatter control. If these structures are in accord with the records of the 1982 SCS, generally they are "tolerated" on a temporary basis until they have to be cleared for development, environmental improvement or safety reasons. For surveyed squatter structures, "natural wastage" generally refers to the situation where a structure is no longer occupied and has its squatter survey number cancelled. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 22 May 2019 10345 Given that these structures were not erected in accordance with the relevant statutes and regulations, they are likely to be less than satisfactory in various aspects including structural, density, fire safety specifications, ventilation and hygiene standards. The purpose of the aforesaid policies on licensed structures and surveyed squatter structures is to freeze and gradually reduce the number of unauthorized structures in the society. Having consulted the relevant departments, my reply to the three-part question is as follows: (1) As far as stilt houses in Tai O are concerned, cases of cancellation of relevant GLL or squatter survey number due to "natural wastage" have not happened in the past two years.