LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 963 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 23 October 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 THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. 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, 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, B.B.S., M.H. 964 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P., Ph.D., R.N. 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, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE 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 ─ 23 October 2013 965 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 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 KENNETH LEUNG THE HONOURABLE ALICE MAK MEI-KUEN, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE KWOK KA-KI THE HONOURABLE KWOK WAI-KEUNG 966 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 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: DR THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE MA FUNG-KWOK, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE ELIZABETH QUAT, J.P. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 967 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 PROF THE HONOURABLE ANTHONY CHEUNG BING-LEUNG, G.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING MS JULIA LEUNG FUNG-YEE, S.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 THE HONOURABLE PAUL TANG KWOK-WAI, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE CIVIL SERVICE THE HONOURABLE WONG KAM-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT MR GODFREY LEUNG KING-KWOK UNDER SECRETARY FOR COMMERCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 968 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, DEPUTY SECRETARY GENERAL MR ANDY LAU KWOK-CHEONG, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MISS ODELIA LEUNG HING-YEE, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 969 TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table under Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instrument L.N. No. Electronic Transactions (Exclusion) (Amendment) Order 2013 .............................................................. 156/2013 Other Papers No. 10 ─ Customs and Excise Service Children's Education Trust Fund Report by the Trustee for the year 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 No. 11 ─ Traffic Accident Victims Assistance Fund Annual Report for the year from 1 April 2012 to 31 March 2013 No. 12 ─ The Land Registry Trading Fund Hong Kong Annual Report 2012-13 No. 13 ─ The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 60 of July 2013 ADDRESSES PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Address. The Chief Secretary for Administration will address the Council on "The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 60". 970 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 60 of July 2013 CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION (in Cantonese): President, laid on the table today is the Government Minute (Minute) responding to Report No. 60 of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). When presenting Report No. 60 on July 10 to the Legislative Council, the Chairman of the PAC gave comments on two chapters in the Director of Audit's Reports, namely: Administration of road safety measures; and Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme. We are grateful for the time and efforts that the PAC has devoted to investigating these subjects. We accept the PAC's various recommendations and have set out in detail the specific responses of the relevant bureaux/departments in the Minute. Now, I would like to highlight the key measures that we have taken in these policy areas and the progress. The Government has all along been committed to improving the administration of road safety measures. On measures to tackle drink driving, the police plan to equip all land region police stations with evidential breath test devices by the end of 2013. With effect from 1 August, 2013, the time interval target between taking screening and evidential breath tests has been reduced from 90 minutes to 75 minutes. The police also plan to modify a police vehicle as a Mobile Breath Test Centre for trial in December 2013. In April 2012, the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) was amended to introduce measures to deter speeding by public light bus (PLB) drivers and enhance safe operation of PLBs. Since then, the police have conducted a number of territory-wide enforcement operations intended to enhance PLB safety, including detection of speeding PLBs and checking whether PLBs are equipped with speed limiters as required, while the Transport Department (TD) has continued to conduct surveys to check PLB operations. Since January 2013, the police have been submitting Defective Vehicle Reports to the TD for the latter to arrange vehicle examinations for those PLBs found speeding in excess of the speed limit set by the speed limiter. Furthermore, with the Government's LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 23 October 2013 971 implementation of the new initiative to phase out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, the number of PLBs with passenger seat belts will increase as PLBs registered on or after 1 August 2004 are required by law to be equipped with passenger seat belts. Regarding the safe operation of taxis, the Government has, apart from enforcement efforts, implemented a series of publicity and education programmes to tackle the speeding problem of taxis. On franchised buses, the TD and the franchised bus companies have completed a review of the health check arrangements of franchised bus captains. All franchised bus companies have implemented additional measures to further improve the health check arrangements since August 2013, such as requiring bus captains, irrespective of their age, who have suffered from certain illnesses to be subject to annual health checks and an electrocardiogram. Next, I would like to talk about the Pre-primary Education Voucher Scheme (PEVS). In response to the PAC's concerns and recommendations regarding the PEVS, the Education Bureau has implemented improvement measures to step up the regulation of the trading activities and charging of miscellaneous fees by kindergartens under the PEVS. We have issued a new circular to consolidate all prevailing guidelines and provide clearer guidance on trading activities of kindergartens. Kindergartens will also be reminded to properly account for their incomes from trading operation and report them properly in their audited accounts in accordance with the guidelines. Moreover, to enhance transparency, kindergartens under the PEVS have been required to publish additional items of miscellaneous fees in the Kindergarten Profile, to which parents make reference when choosing suitable kindergartens for their children.