LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 3455 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Wednesday, 7 January 2009 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 IR DR THE HONOURABLE RAYMOND HO CHUNG-TAI, S.B.S., S.B.ST.J., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEE CHEUK-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE DAVID LI KWOK-PO, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE FRED LI WAH-MING, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE MARGARET NG THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG MAN-KWONG THE HONOURABLE CHAN KAM-LAM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS SOPHIE LEUNG LAU YAU-FUN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG DR THE HONOURABLE PHILIP WONG YU-HONG, G.B.S. THE HONOURABLE LAU KONG-WAH, J.P. 3456 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 THE HONOURABLE LAU WONG-FAT, G.B.M., G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MIRIAM LAU KIN-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE EMILY LAU WAI-HING, J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW CHENG KAR-FOO THE HONOURABLE TIMOTHY FOK TSUN-TING, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TAM YIU-CHUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE LI FUNG-YING, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALBERT CHAN WAI-YIP THE HONOURABLE FREDERICK FUNG KIN-KEE, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE AUDREY EU YUET-MEE, S.C., J.P. THE HONOURABLE VINCENT FANG KANG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-HING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE LEE WING-TAT DR THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE ALAN LEONG KAH-KIT, S.C. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 3457 THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG HOK-MING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE RONNY TONG KA-WAH, S.C. THE HONOURABLE CHIM PUI-CHUNG PROF THE HONOURABLE PATRICK LAU SAU-SHING, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE KAM NAI-WAI, M.H. THE HONOURABLE CYD HO SAU-LAN THE HONOURABLE STARRY LEE WAI-KING DR THE HONOURABLE LAM TAI-FAI, B.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN HAK-KAN THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, M.H., J.P. THE HONOURABLE CHAN KIN-POR, J.P. THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN DR THE HONOURABLE PRISCILLA LEUNG MEI-FUN DR THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KA-LAU THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-CHE THE HONOURABLE WONG SING-CHI THE HONOURABLE WONG KWOK-KIN, B.B.S. THE HONOURABLE WONG YUK-MAN THE HONOURABLE IP WAI-MING, M.H. 3458 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 THE HONOURABLE IP KWOK-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE PAN PEY-CHYOU THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN DR THE HONOURABLE SAMSON TAM WAI-HO, J.P. MEMBER ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE WONG YUNG-KAN, S.B.S., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE HENRY TANG YING-YEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE CHIEF SECRETARY FOR ADMINISTRATION THE HONOURABLE STEPHEN LAM SUI-LUNG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR CONSTITUTIONAL AND MAINLAND AFFAIRS DR THE HONOURABLE YORK CHOW YAT-NGOK, S.B.S., J.P. SECRETARY FOR FOOD AND HEALTH THE HONOURABLE TSANG TAK-SING, J.P. SECRETARY FOR HOME AFFAIRS THE HONOURABLE MRS CARRIE LAM CHENG YUET-NGOR, J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT THE HONOURABLE EDWARD YAU TANG-WAH, J.P. SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THE HONOURABLE EVA CHENG, J.P. SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 3459 CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MS PAULINE NG MAN-WAH, SECRETARY GENERAL MRS VIVIAN KAM NG LAI-MAN, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS JUSTINA LAM CHENG BO-LING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MRS PERCY MA, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 3460 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Will the Clerk please ring the bell to summon Members to the Chamber? (After the summoning bell had been rung, a number of Members entered the Chamber) PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): This is the first Council meeting held in 2009. I take this opportunity to wish every public officer and Member a fruitful New Year. TABLING OF PAPERS The following papers were laid on the table pursuant to Rule 21(2) of the Rules of Procedure: Subsidiary Legislation/Instruments L.N. No. Admission and Registration (Amendment) Rules 2008 ....... 277/2008 Legal Practitioners (Risk Management Education) (Amendment) Rules 2008......................................... 278/2008 Employees Retraining Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 2) (No. 3) Notice 2008 .............................. 279/2008 Domicile Ordinance (Commencement) Notice..................... 280/2008 Pawnbrokers Ordinance (Amendment of Schedules) Order 2009 ................................................................ 1/2009 Tax Reserve Certificates (Rate of Interest) Notice 2009...... 2/2009 Fugitive Offenders (Ireland) Order (Commencement) Notice ........................................................................ 3/2009 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 3461 Other Paper No. 53 ─ The Audited Financial Statements together with the Report of the Director of Audit on the Immigration Service Welfare Fund and the Report by the Director of Immigration Incorporated on the Administration of the Fund ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Questions. Question time normally does not exceed one and a half hours. After a Member has asked a main question and the relevant official has given reply, the Member who asks a question has priority to ask the first supplementary question. Other Members who wish to ask supplementary questions will please indicate their wish by pressing the "Request to speak" button and wait for their turn. Members can raise only one question in asking supplementary questions. Supplementary questions should be as concise as possible so that more Members may ask supplementaries. Members should not make statements when asking supplementaries. PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): First question. Light Pollution 1. MR IP KWOK-HIM (in Cantonese): President, a green group has found that as most of the 1 300 wall bracket-mounted street lights installed on the external walls of buildings are close to the windows of residential flats, they seriously affect the quality of sleep of the residents concerned. Furthermore, the Highways Department (HyD) indicated in December last year that with the completion of energy saving pilot schemes, it planned to install, in the next four years, dimmable electronic ballasts (ballasts) in order to save energy, in 3462 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 conjunction with the replacement of 12 000 street lights by new lighting installations. Regarding the problem of light pollution, will the Government inform this Council: (a) whether it will phase out wall bracket-mounted street lights; if so, of the relevant timetable; if not, the reasons for that; (b) of the specific reasons why four years is needed to complete the installation of ballasts for 12 000 street lights; and (c) as there have been comments that the light pollution problem in Hong Kong is becoming more serious and, in addition to street lights, there are light pollution sources such as advertisement signboards and large outdoor television screens, whether the Government will formulate long-term policies to solve the light pollution problem; if not, the reasons for that? SECRETARY FOR TRANSPORT AND HOUSING (in Cantonese): President, (a) There are currently about 133 000 street lights in the territory installed by the HyD. The majority of them are vertical street lights which are light poles (column lights) erected along roads. A small number of street lights have to be mounted onto external walls and structures of buildings (wall lights) due to the site conditions and some 1 100 of which are mounted onto the external walls of residential structures. The majority of them were installed before the 1980s. Since the 1980s, due to the continuous improvement in town and road planning, the HyD has largely been able to avoid mounting wall lights on external walls of buildings. Only when column lights cannot be placed due to environmental constraints will installing wall lights be considered. The HyD has been taking measures to reduce the impact of wall lights on residential units in the vicinity. When wall lights have been installed at locations close to the windows of residential units, the HyD will make use of cut-off lanterns when practicable. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ─ 7 January 2009 3463 Cut-off lanterns have the merits of better illumination effect and energy saving. They can also prevent the exposure of bulbs so as to reduce the nuisances created by the diffusion of light from source. Taking into consideration the location and the actual needs, light shields will also be installed to avoid the diffusion of light from source to the external walls of buildings. In response to the public concern about the nuisances caused by wall lights, the HyD completed a preliminary review of wall lights mounted outside the residential units throughout the territory in December 2008. According to the results of the review, about 400 wall lights are relatively distant from the windows of residential units and about 720 are close to the windows of residential units. Regarding the latter, as at December 2008, about 350 of them have had cut-off lanterns or light shields installed. The HyD will further study and implement other feasible mitigation measures for the remaining 370 or so wall lights. In addition to the installation of cut-off lanterns or light shields, the mitigation measures also include adjusting the location of wall lights on the external walls, and replacing them with column lights on pedestrian walkways in view of changes in the road conditions.