OFFICIAL RECORD of PROCEEDINGS Friday, 19
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LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 5589 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Friday, 19 February 2016 The Council continued to meet at Nine 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 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. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P., Ph.D., R.N. 5590 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 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. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU 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 WONG YUK-MAN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 5591 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, 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 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 5592 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 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. 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. MEMBERS ABSENT: DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN YUEN-HAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TANG KA-PIU, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 5593 PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE JOHN TSANG CHUN-WAH, G.B.M., J.P. THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE RIMSKY YUEN KWOK-KEUNG, S.C., J.P. THE SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR LABOUR AND WELFARE MR JAMES HENRY LAU JR., 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 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 WONG KAM-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT 5594 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 THE HONOURABLE NICHOLAS W. YANG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE CLEMENT CHEUNG WAN-CHING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE MR SHIU SIN-POR, S.B.S., J.P. HEAD, CENTRAL POLICY UNIT MR YAU SHING-MU, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING MR JOHN LEE KA-CHIU, P.D.S.M., J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR SECURITY MR GODFREY LEUNG KING-KWOK, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MR RONALD CHAN NGOK-PANG, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS 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 MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 5595 MEMBER'S MOTION PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Good morning, Members. This Council will now continue with the debate on the Motion of Thanks and proceed to the fifth debate session on the theme of "Rule of Law, Governance, Elections and District Administration". This session covers the following seven policy areas: Constitutional Affairs; District Administration; Civic Education; Administration of Justice and Legal Services; Human Rights; Security; and Public Service. Will Members who wish to speak in this session please press the "Request to speak" button. MOTION OF THANKS Continuation of debate on motion which was moved on 17 February 2016 MR TONY TSE (in Cantonese): President, the Financial Secretary proposed the "0-1-1" envelope savings programme in mid-2014, requiring government bureaux and departments to reduce the expenditure in their financial envelopes by 1% annually in the following two financial years. The fiscal prudence demonstrated by the Financial Secretary to ensure continuous stability and healthiness of the public finances of the Special Administrative Region has my understanding and support. But I am worried that it may not be opportune to reduce public expenditure when the Government is now enhancing its administration by introducing a number of policies and measures across different areas. It may add further pressure to the resources and manpower of the departments, thereby affecting service quality while undermining the morale of the Civil Service. President, in response to the rising aspirations and expectations of the people, the Government needs to keep enhancing its effort in a number of policy areas and accord top priority to housing in its administration. In order to meet the target of housing construction, the Government has formulated a number of short-, medium- and long-term measures to accelerate and increase land and housing supply, thereby significantly increasing the workload of those departments related to land planning, development and housing construction, and so on. In the past, many architects, surveyors, planners and landscape architects 5596 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 19 February 2016 working in the Government relayed to me that they had difficulty coping with the significant increase in workload due to manpower shortage in their departments. As staff members from a wide range of grades have to work long hours, their life has been affected in one way or another. The Government must look squarely at the pressure they face. In recent years, the occurrence of a number of incidents, including the incident of lead in drinking water in public rental housing estates, the harassment, verbal abuse and attack on Mainland visitors by self-proclaimed localists, and the illegal Occupy Central incident has aroused widespread concern in society. And in the Mong Kok riot last week, a large number of police officers were attacked, while firemen and ambulance personnel were obstructed in the performance of their public duties. Civil servants from a number of departments had to face and handle these incidents. We may not be able to fully feel and appreciate their physical and emotional stress, especially those police officers who became the targets of violence by rioters in maintaining law and social order. In the face of such irrational acts of violence, they still stood fast in their post without backing down. We should salute and commend them. For these reasons, I hope the Financial Secretary can exercise flexibility in the Budget to be released next week when it comes to the original cost reduction arrangements by allocating additional resources to those departments in need, enhancing manpower provision and alleviating the pressure on the Civil Service, so as to avoid undermining staff morale. Lastly, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all accountability officials and the Civil Service for the effort they made.