LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 1987 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 26 November 2020 The Council met at half-past Ten 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 MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. 1988 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 THE HONOURABLE STEVEN HO CHUN-YIN, B.B.S. 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. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 1989 THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN, J.P. 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. MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WU CHI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CHARLES PETER MOK, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE HELENA WONG PIK-WAN 1990 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 THE HONOURABLE IP KIN-YUEN THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WAN SIU-KIN THE HONOURABLE LAM CHEUK-TING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-CHUN THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHUN-YU THE HONOURABLE JEREMY TAM MAN-HO 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 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 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 1991 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 CLERK IN ATTENDANCE: MR KENNETH CHEN WEI-ON, S.B.S., SECRETARY GENERAL THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL UNDER RULE 8 OF THE RULES OF PROCEDURE, AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS PUT BY MEMBERS ON THE POLICY ADDRESS. 1992 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE'S QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Members please remain standing while the Chief Executive enters the Chamber. When the Chief Executive enters the Chamber, the "Request to speak" system will start immediately. Members who wish to ask questions in this Question and Answer Session need to press the button to indicate their wish. (The Chief Executive entered the Chamber) PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): The Chief Executive will first address the Council. CHIEF EXECUTIVE (in Cantonese): President, Honourable Members, good morning. Yesterday, in the Legislative Council, I delivered the Policy Address 2020 which is quite lengthy. So, I am grateful to Members for spending over two hours listening to my Policy Address. As I noted, many Members have stated their positions afterwards. I wish to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for their welcoming attitude and support. We have noted Members' advice to me that it is the implementation of the initiatives in the Policy Address that is the most important, and that they hope for expeditious implementation. Here I will give an undertaking that in the process of implementing each initiative in the Policy Address, we will keep listening to the views of the community, of course, including those of the Legislative Council Members. Today, this is the first time for me to attend the Question and Answer Session of the Legislative Council again after January this year. I have some feelings about it and therefore wish to spend a little time to speak about the relationship between the executive and the legislature. In paragraph 12 of this year's Policy Address, I have expounded on the constitutional status of the Chief Executive under the design of "one country, two systems" and the Basic Law: In addition to leading the executive authorities, the Chief Executive has specific roles and functions to play in respect of the exercise of powers and functions by the legislature and the judiciary of Hong Kong. This demonstrates the HKSAR's adherence to the executive-led structure under the core leadership of the Chief Executive, who is directly accountable to the Central People's Government. Under this framework, the powers of the executive authorities, the legislature and LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 26 November 2020 1993 the judiciary are "individually positioned" with a division of work. There is no conflict between an executive-led system and an independent Judiciary, since one of the Chief Executive's duties is to uphold judicial independence which is protected under the Basic Law. Here, I can add a few words: The duties of the Chief Executive also include safeguarding the Legislative Council's power to exercise the function of monitoring the Government. Being the Chief Executive, I am duty-bound to safeguard Members' capabilities to exercise their powers and functions under the Basic Law, which include raising questions on the work of the SAR Government. As I attach great importance to the executive-legislature relationship and really wish to facilitate the legislature to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to monitor the SAR Government, I am willing to come to the Legislative Council more often during the current term of the Legislative Council or my term of office. The merit of attending the Legislative Council is that the Chief Executive can understand Members' concerns first-hand, and be more effective in instructing various government departments and officials to respond to Members' questions and to assist Members in the scrutiny of bills or funding proposals introduced by the SAR Government. In the past three-odd years, apart from following the convention of attending the Question and Answer Sessions of the Legislative Council every three months―which was around 90 minutes long just like today's, and back then, I attended 10 Question and Answer Sessions which similarly lasted 90 minutes―I also added the 30-minute Question Times which the President referred to as "short question, short answer" sessions, and so far, I have attended 14 Question Times. During these 10 Question and Answer Sessions and 14 Question Times, I responded to a total of 267 questions from Members, each of which would be revisited by me after the meeting to see whether any follow-up action would be required. Today, I would like to tell Members that I have heard the views expressed through these questions, and some of them have been incorporated into my policy initiatives, for example, the alignment of labour holidays with general holidays proposed by Mr POON Siu-ping; the shortage of venues for convention and exhibition industry mentioned by Mr Jimmy NG; financial development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area advocated by Mr Christopher CHEUNG; Ms Elizabeth QUAT's proposal to relax the application threshold for retrofitting lifts under the Universal Accessibility Programme; and Mr CHAN Hak-kan's proposal to subsidize owners of old buildings to carry out lift inspections.