LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 6635 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 2 June 2021 The Council met at Eleven o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.M., 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 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. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. 6636 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 THE HONOURABLE FRANKIE YICK CHI-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE YIU SI-WING, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAN-PAN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG CHE-CHEUNG, S.B.S., M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MARTIN LIAO CHEUNG-KONG, G.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 JIMMY NG WING-KA, B.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JUNIUS HO KWAN-YIU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HOLDEN CHOW HO-DING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-FAI, J.P. THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 6637 DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. 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 VINCENT CHENG WING-SHUN, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TONY TSE WAI-CHUEN, B.B.S., J.P. MEMBER ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE MATTHEW CHEUNG KIN-CHUNG, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., M.H., J.P. FINANCIAL SECRETARY THE HONOURABLE TERESA CHENG YEUK-WAH, G.B.S., S.C., J.P. SECRETARY FOR JUSTICE THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 6638 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 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 PROF THE HONOURABLE SOPHIA CHAN SIU-CHEE, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL WONG WAI-LUN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE KEVIN YEUNG YUN-HUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION THE HONOURABLE PATRICK NIP TAK-KUEN, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE THE HONOURABLE ALFRED SIT WING-HANG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY THE HONOURABLE ERICK TSANG KWOK-WAI, I.D.S.M., J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE CASPAR TSUI YING-WAI, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER HUI CHING-YU, J.P. SECRETARY FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES AND THE TREASURY LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 6639 CLERK IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS. 6640 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S QUESTION TIME PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Members please remain standing while the Chief Executive enters the Chamber. (The Chief Executive entered the Chamber) PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): The Chief Executive's Question Time. PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Members who wish to ask questions please press the "Request to speak" button. The Question Time should be conducted in a "short question, short answer" format. Each Member will be given 3 minutes to ask questions to and receive replies from the Chief Executive. The time for a Member to ask a question should not exceed 1.5 minutes. MR CHAN CHUN-YING (in Cantonese): President. Chief Executive, you held the first Community Dialogue session in September 2019 with 150 participants from all walks of life expressing their views. Yet, after the dialogue session, some of the participants who spoke during the session were doxxed maliciously and chaos occurred outside the venue, the Community Dialogue was therefore suspended. Last year, due to the epidemic and the prohibition on group gathering, it is understandable that the Community Dialogue could not be resumed. However, ever since the outbreak of the epidemic, many large-scale activities and seminars have been held online using Zoom with participants being able to gather together before the camera, and the results were quite good. In addition, after the implementation of the National Security Law, social order has been restored; following the improvement to the electoral system, the Government will also need to focus its efforts on handling livelihood and economic issues in the future. Chief Executive, will you resume the Community Dialogue to listen to people's views on policy implementation of the Government and their demands by means of not only face-to-face dialogue but also Zoom using big screens? LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 6641 CHIEF EXECUTIVE (in Cantonese): I thank Mr CHAN Chun-ying for his question. In fact, all governments need to listen to people's views in the course of their administration. Only by doing so can we ensure that our policies are effective and to the point. I have attached great importance to the communications with the public since taking office, but as Mr CHAN said, many things happened in the past two years, making this kind of communication very difficult. Even before what had happened after mid-2019, many public consultation activities at district level encountered strong opposition and nuisance. I believe that after the enactment of the National Security Law and the improvements to the electoral system, Hong Kong will embrace a new situation which will better facilitate the interaction and communication between government officials and the general public. I am very willing to strengthen such kind of interaction and communication in our work in the future; especially after the pandemic. Mr CHAN also mentioned that there is an increasing number of face-to-face conversations online―not really face to face, but we can see each other's expression actually―and this kind of conversation is very effective. In fact, concerned officials and I have never stopped holding Zoom meetings, or so-called webinar, which is a mean of exchange and communication, but we use it mainly for meetings with certain sectors. I will seriously consider widening the use of this kind of communication in the future so that we can listen to more opinions. Thank you Mr CHAN for his suggestion. MS YUNG HOI-YAN (in Cantonese): President, Chief Executive, the Government and the business sector have been racking their brains these few days to come up with ways to encourage more people to receive the vaccines. Unwilling to get involved, the Government only made an appeal to the public rather than taking any action. Still, some warm-hearted members of the business community offer incentives in the hope of encouraging the general public to receive the vaccines proactively. In fact, there are a number of examples of foreign governments organizing cash lucky draws. I do not see any reason why we cannot do that, so I hope that the Government can consider this option proactively. The Chief Executive stated at a press conference a few days ago that if there was a fifth wave of outbreak in Hong Kong, the Government would examine the implementation of a series of restrictive measures for people who had not received the vaccines, including prohibiting them from entering high-risk premises such as restaurants, schools, libraries, cinemas, sports centres and construction sites. In fact, strong reaction was aroused in the community after the Government's announcement. Many people around me, and many of 6642 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 2 June 2021 my colleagues and friends have "three hypers" or people with chronic illness. If they are truly unsuitable for vaccination, how will the Government differentiate them from the others? Has the Government thought about any future rules or implementation plans so that people who want to get vaccinated but are unsuitable to do so will not be discriminated against, and can go out and travel freely such as going to work, going to school and eating out? Thank you. CHIEF EXECUTIVE (in Cantonese): I thank Ms YUNG for her opinions on two aspects concerning the disease prevention and control measures announced by the Government recently.