LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 2221 OFFICIAL RECORD OF PROCEEDINGS Thursday, 8 December 2016 The Council continued to meet at Nine o'clock MEMBERS PRESENT: THE PRESIDENT THE HONOURABLE ANDREW LEUNG KWAN-YUEN, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JAMES TO KUN-SUN THE HONOURABLE LEUNG YIU-CHUNG THE HONOURABLE ABRAHAM SHEK LAI-HIM, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE TOMMY CHEUNG YU-YAN, G.B.S., J.P. PROF THE HONOURABLE JOSEPH LEE KOK-LONG, S.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE JEFFREY LAM KIN-FUNG, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE WONG TING-KWONG, S.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, B.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. 2222 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 THE HONOURABLE PAUL TSE WAI-CHUN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE LEUNG KWOK-HUNG# THE HONOURABLE CLAUDIA MO 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 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. 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 WING-HANG # According to the Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 14 July 2017, LEUNG Kwok-hung, Nathan LAW Kwun-chung, YIU Chung-yim and LAU Siu-lai have been disqualified from assuming the office of a member of the Legislative Council, and have vacated the same since 12 October 2016, and are not entitled to act as a member of the Legislative Council. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 2223 THE HONOURABLE CHRISTOPHER CHEUNG WAH-FUNG, S.B.S., J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE FERNANDO CHEUNG CHIU-HUNG 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 ALVIN YEUNG THE HONOURABLE ANDREW WAN SIU-KIN THE HONOURABLE CHU HOI-DICK THE HONOURABLE JIMMY NG WING-KA, J.P. DR THE HONOURABLE JUNIUS HO KWAN-YIU, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HO KAI-MING THE HONOURABLE LAM CHEUK-TING THE HONOURABLE HOLDEN CHOW HO-DING THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-FAI THE HONOURABLE SHIU KA-CHUN 2224 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 THE HONOURABLE WILSON OR CHONG-SHING, M.H. THE HONOURABLE YUNG HOI-YAN DR THE HONOURABLE PIERRE CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHAN CHUN-YING THE HONOURABLE TANYA CHAN THE HONOURABLE CHEUNG KWOK-KWAN, J.P. THE HONOURABLE HUI CHI-FUNG THE HONOURABLE LUK CHUNG-HUNG DR THE HONOURABLE CHENG CHUNG-TAI THE HONOURABLE KWONG CHUN-YU THE HONOURABLE JEREMY TAM MAN-HO THE HONOURABLE NATHAN LAW KWUN-CHUNG# DR THE HONOURABLE YIU CHUNG-YIM# DR THE HONOURABLE LAU SIU-LAI# MEMBERS ABSENT: THE HONOURABLE MRS REGINA IP LAU SUK-YEE, G.B.S., J.P. THE HONOURABLE MICHAEL TIEN PUK-SUN, B.B.S., J.P. # According to the Judgment of the Court of First Instance of the High Court on 14 July 2017, LEUNG Kwok-hung, Nathan LAW Kwun-chung, YIU Chung-yim and LAU Siu-lai have been disqualified from assuming the office of a member of the Legislative Council, and have vacated the same since 12 October 2016, and are not entitled to act as a member of the Legislative Council. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 2225 THE HONOURABLE CHUNG KWOK-PAN THE HONOURABLE LAU KWOK-FAN, M.H. THE HONOURABLE KENNETH LAU IP-KEUNG, M.H., J.P. PUBLIC OFFICERS ATTENDING: THE HONOURABLE PAUL CHAN MO-PO, G.B.S., M.H., J.P. SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT MR ERIC MA SIU-CHEUNG, J.P. UNDER SECRETARY FOR DEVELOPMENT CLERKS IN ATTENDANCE: MISS FLORA TAI YIN-PING, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MS DORA WAI, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL MR MATTHEW LOO, ASSISTANT SECRETARY GENERAL 2226 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 MEMBERS' MOTIONS PRESIDENT (in Cantonese): Good morning. Debate on motion with no legislative effect. This Council will now deal with the motion debate on "Updating the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and increasing community facilities to enhance living environment". Members who wish to speak in the debate on the motion will please press the "Request to speak" button. I now call upon Mr CHAN Han-pan to speak and move the motion. UPDATING THE HONG KONG PLANNING STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES AND INCREASING COMMUNITY FACILITIES TO ENHANCE LIVING ENVIRONMENT MR CHAN HAN-PAN (in Cantonese): Good morning, President, housing policy is the top priority of the current-term Government and Members have already spoken a lot during the debate on Mr Paul TSE's motion yesterday. And yet, today, I want to stress that housing issue is not just a matter of the number of flats, a "roof over the head" or even the size of flats, but should also take into account the local environment, especially community facilities, which include job opportunities, transport arrangements and distance from the market, etc. I appreciate the intent of the Government to increase the supply of residential units, but various signs have aroused my concern because while the authorities rise up to challenges to identify land for housing construction, the provision of community facilities has failed to go in tandem with the construction. Worse still, community sites have been converted to residential use, which has attracted great opposition in respect of rezoning. If such conflict cannot be resolved, the efforts of government officials will become futile and applicants on the Waiting List for Public Rental Housing will continue to suffer as well. When the affected residents find that the Government has turned a cold shoulder to their views, they are disappointed with the governance, resulted in an all-loss situation. Therefore, after our debate on housing today, we should also show some concern for community facilities. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 2227 Looking back at the mode of development of new towns in the 1980s and 1990s, the authorities usually formulated development plans for the entire region and this is why housing units and community facilities were provided in a new development area. Although there are times when the provision of community facilities failed to go in tandem with population growth, land had at least be earmarked and the provision of such facilities is just a matter of time. However, the major task of the current-term Government in respect of short- to medium-term housing is to increase housing supply by rezoning 150 sites in built-up areas. Therefore, apart from the provision of residential units, it is almost impossible for these new developments to provide any community facilities to cater for the needs of the increased population, which can only be absorbed by the existing facilities. Of course, whenever the relevant District Council was consulted, the authorities would produce a lot of data to prove that the additional population would not have any adverse effect on the original residents or community, but according to the first-hand experience of local residents, the community is overcrowded, venues are fully booked and services are lacking. Since I serve and live in the New Territories West, I do have very strong feeling about the overcrowded community and Yuen Long is a typical example. Looking at the figures, the planned population for the Yuen Long New Town is 180 000. According to the population estimates in 2016, Yuen Long (excluding Tin Shui Wai and the rural areas) has a population of only 160 000 and community facilities are mainly located in the city center. These facilities, which include market, community hall, theatre, swimming pool, library or sports centre, not only serve the needs of the 160 000 Yuen Long residents, but also have to cope with the needs of 100 000-odd rural population and even some Tuen Mun residents. If we do not count the large-scale developments in Yuen Long South and Hung Shui Kiu, the rezoning of land alone can produce an additional 42 000 housing units for Yuen Long in the future, which will bring in about 120 000 people. But has the Government provided community facilities for the additional population? I dare say no. Of course, the government official who is giving a response later on may say that a brand new sports centre and library will soon come into service in Yuen Long, and that the Yuen Long Stadium will be redeveloped, and a Community Services Building will be constructed on its side. However, first of all, while the sports centre and library are newly constructed, the planning was made more than 10 or 20 years ago and such facilities have completely failed to keep up with population growth. As for the redevelopment of the Stadium, it mainly involves the reconstruction of the spectator stand and there is still only one pitch. What is more, the construction 2228 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL ― 8 December 2016 of the Yuen Long District Community Services Building has to be funded by the Yuen Long District's Signature Project together with money raised by local people.