Following is a question by the Professor Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, in the Legislative Council today (April 3):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that when the colon, rectum, ileum or urinary bladder of a patient is functionally damaged due to lesions or accidents, doctors may carry out surgical operations to create an opening on the patient's abdomen for waste discharge, known as "stoma". Stomata are classified into colostomy, ileostomy and urostomy. Owing to incapacity as a result of their physical conditions, most stoma patients cannot afford the expenses incurred for purchasing stoma bags, which are used for collecting waste, and other medical consumables. In 2017, the Community Care Fund rolled out a three-year Pilot Scheme on Providing Special Subsidy for Persons with Permanent Stoma from Low-income Families for Purchasing Medical Consumables (the Pilot Scheme), under which eligible persons with permanent stomata are provided with subsidies at the rates of full grant (i.e. $1,000 per month), three-quarters grant or half grant, with a view to relieving their financial burden.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of applications under the Pilot Scheme received and approved by the authorities last year, with a breakdown of the approved applications by type of stoma and rate of subsidy;
 
(2) as it is necessary for patients with permanent stomata to use the relevant medical consumables, whether the authorities will consider providing full-grant subsidies across the board for all eligible patients; and
 
(3) whether the authorities will entrust the responsibility of conducting medical assessments for applications for Disability Allowances lodged by stoma patients to those specialists who are more familiar with the medical conditions and disability conditions of such patients, such as gastroenterologists or urologists; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My consolidated reply to the Member's question is as follows:
 
(1) As at end February 2019, the Social Welfare Department (SWD) received 621 applications for the "Pilot Scheme on Providing Special Subsidy for Persons with Permanent Stoma from Low-income Families for Purchasing Medical Consumables" (the Pilot Scheme), of which 474 applicants were assessed to be eligible for the subsidies and the disbursement amount was about 5.35 million. A breakdown of the beneficiaries by the type of subsidies approved is as follows:
 

 
     SWD does not have information on the breakdown of the beneficiaries by stoma types.
 
(2) The Pilot Scheme will end in August 2020. SWD will review the effectiveness of the Pilot Scheme, with a view to recommending whether the Pilot Scheme should be incorporated into regular assistance programmes and if so, the implementation arrangement in future, including the level of subsidy and eligibility criteria. 
 
(3) The Disability Allowance (DA) under the Social Security Allowance Scheme is a non-contributory cash allowance with no means-test requirement. SWD provides the allowance to eligible persons with a view to assisting Hong Kong residents with severe disabilities to meet their special needs arising from the disabling condition. The applicants have to be certified as severely disabled and the disabling condition has to persist for at least six months.  The medical assessment under the DA is conducted by doctors from the Department of Health or the Hospital Authority. The main duties of the relevant doctors are to provide clinical diagnosis for patients and to assess the physical or mental status and functions of the patients so as to provide appropriate treatment and to follow up on their medical conditions. Under the existing arrangements, the medical assessments for DA applications are conducted during normal medical consultation sessions according to the medical assessment criteria for the DA, and most medical assessments are carried out by the doctors in charge (including those from the general or specialist stream). SWD will vet the applications according to the medical assessment results and other application criteria.

     Following is a question by the Hon Michael Tien and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (April 3):

Question:

     Roadside lay-bys are supposed to be used for picking up/setting down passengers or loading/unloading goods by vehicles. However, it is learnt that the problem of vehicles parking (including stopping and waiting) illegally at lay-bys is serious. Examples include the lay-by at Mei Wan Street, Tsuen Wan, where illegal parking is particularly serious during weekends and public holidays. Some drivers illegally pick up/set down passengers or load/unload goods on traffic lanes marked with double yellow lines because the lay-bys are occupied, thereby causing traffic congestion. On the other hand, the Energizing Kowloon East Office of the Development Bureau is conducting a Proof of Concept Trial on Illegal Parking Monitoring System, and the Police will launch another trial scheme to explore the use of video analytic techniques in the law enforcement actions against traffic contraventions. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council whether it has studied if the Police may rely solely on video footage as evidence to institute prosecution against the driver or owner of a vehicle illegally parked respectively for the situations where the driver is and is not in the vehicle respectively; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the details; if the study outcome is in the negative, whether the Government will consider amending the legislation to empower the Police to institute prosecution by this means?

Reply:

President,

     My reply to the Hon Michael Tien's question is as follows:

     The Government is very concerned about the illegal vehicle parking and waiting situation. In this regard, the Hong Kong Police Force have been closely monitoring the traffic conditions in various districts and taking stringent enforcement actions against vehicles causing serious obstruction to traffic and posing danger.

     Apart from stepping up enforcement efforts, the Government is actively examining the application of new technologies to assist frontline officers in taking enforcement actions against traffic contraventions, thereby enhancing enforcement efficiency and strengthening the deterrent effect. The Energizing Kowloon East Office of the Development Bureau commenced in 2018 two proof-of-concept (PoC) trials on the use of video analytics technology to detect improper use of roadside loading/unloading bays and illegal parking. The PoC trials include on-site tests of video cameras for monitoring purpose and studies on how to use the video analytics technology for prosecution against illegal parking. The Police provide advice and assistance from the perspective of traffic enforcement. In addition, the Police are planning in collaboration with the Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre a separate trial by mounting video cameras on selected lampposts that provide good vantage points and making use of the video analytics technology for actual enforcement against certain offences which more commonly cause traffic obstruction, including illegal stopping of vehicle at a bus stop and no-stopping restriction zone, etc. Depending on the progress of the preparatory work, the trial is expected to commence within 2019. Taking into account the results of the aforesaid trials and such relevant factors as technical feasibility and cost-effectiveness, the Government will actively consider the further application of the video analytics technology to facilitate the Police's enforcement against illegal parking and other traffic offences.

     According to the law, illegal parking of vehicles is an act of contravention, irrespective of whether the driver is inside the vehicle or not. On the use of video footage as evidence for prosecution, the Police carried out a territory-wide trial in 2018. Under the trial, police officers used portable video cameras to record traffic offences stipulated in the Fixed Penalty (Criminal Proceedings) Ordinance (Cap. 240), including illegal stopping of vehicle at a bus stop and picking up/setting down passengers or loading/unloading goods in a restricted zone, etc, and then served the fixed penalty notices (FPNs) to the offenders by post. The Police are currently reviewing the effectiveness of the trial. On the other hand, under the Fixed Penalty (Traffic Contraventions) Ordinance (Cap. 237), the Police should only affix a FPN to the vehicle concerned or give the FPN personally to the person in charge of the vehicle.  Serving a FPN by post is not allowed. As such, the above-mentioned trial did not cover the illegal parking offences under Cap. 237. The Government is considering amendments to the law to increase the means of serving FPNs (including by electronic means) and plans to consult the Legislative Council Panel on Transport later this year.

     Following is a question by the Hon Yiu Si-wing and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, in the Legislative Council today (April 3):
 
Question:
 
     Under the Travel Agents Ordinance (Cap. 218), a travel agent is liable to pay a levy in respect of every outbound fare received for an outbound travel service (i.e. a service comprising any two or all of the following: carriage from Hong Kong to places outside Hong Kong, accommodation outside Hong Kong and an activity outside Hong Kong). When travel agents make levy payments, they must make use of the traditional franking machines or the E-levy System to put levy stamps on the receipts for issue to customers (and travellers must hold receipts with levy stamps in order for them to be protected by the Travel Industry Compensation Fund). It is learnt that the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) has recently informed travel agents that as the supplier of the traditional franking machines will cease providing services, all traditional franking machines will be taken out of use with effect from July 1 this year, and all travel agents must then use the E-levy System to put levy stamps on receipts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:
 
(1) among all travel agents, the number and percentage of those which are currently using the E-levy System, and the measures put in place by TIC to ensure that all travel agents will have completed the preparation work for switching to use the E-levy System before the traditional franking machines are put out of use;
 
(2) whether TIC has formulated contingency plans to deal with the situation where the E-levy System cannot, due to malfunctioning, put levy stamps on receipts; and
 
(3) whether TIC will expand the functions of the E-levy System to collect data on travel agents' sales of group tours and independent travel products, and then disseminate to the travel industry the statistics generated from such data for conducting market analyses and developing new products; if TIC will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Travel agents providing outbound travel services are required to pay levies in respect of the outbound fares received from travellers. In this regard, the E-levy System provides an electronic platform for travel agents to make levy payments in respect of the outbound fares paid by travellers directly through the System and handle related matters, for example, to increase the amounts in their e-levy accounts online. Travellers can also check online whether the travel agents have paid the levies in respect of their transactions in order to ensure that they are eligible for protection under the Travel Industry Compensation Fund. With the development of technology and change of payment behaviour in the market, there is an increasing number of travel agents using the System since its launch on June 1, 2018. Following the cessation of support services for franking machines by the service contractor, the franking machines will also cease operation with effect from July 1, 2019.
 
     In response to the question raised by the Hon Yiu Si-wing, my reply is as follows:

(1) The Travel Industry Compensation Fund Management Board (TICFMB) and the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong (TIC) have been actively promoting the E-levy System as well as providing training and support to the travel agents, including organising training workshops and setting up a training website for staff of the travel agents to gain hands-on experience on data input and generating e-levy stamps. In addition, both the TICFMB and TIC have set up support hotlines to answer enquiries from the travel agents, and prepared bilingual training videos and procedural manuals for their reference. The Government has also allocated a sum of $40 million for the TIC to implement the Pilot Information Technology Development Matching Fund Scheme for Travel Agents to enhance the productivity and service quality of travel agents through applying information technology, including the use of the System.

     At present, there are about 1 760 licensed travel agents, of which 1 046 travel agents need to make levy payments by nature of their business. About 460 of the latter have set up or used their account with the System for payment of levy. This accounts for about 44 per cent of the total number of levy-paying travel agents and about 87 per cent in terms of market share of the total levy loading.
 
     The TICFMB and TIC will continue to implement measures to assist travel agents to use the System as early as possible, including:

(a) continue to conduct training workshops for staff of the travel agents (so far 21 training workshops have been conducted with around 800 participants);
 
(b) organise dedicated training workshops for travel agent members of the eight associations under the TIC;
 
(c) create administrator accounts for travel agents after attending the training workshops to facilitate their use of the System; and
 
(d) provide additional manpower to solve problems relating to the System for travel agents, including providing on-site support services when needed.

(2) The E-levy System was designed, developed and tested in accordance with the guidelines and standards stipulated by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, and is monitored and maintained by an information technology service contractor. It has been running smoothly since its implementation on June 1, 2018. The System has dual protection against the impact of untoward incidents. There are two servers in the operation system, such that when one of them encounters problems, the other will start operation automatically to ensure the continuous running of the System. In addition, the System adopted a dual site approach, i.e. the operation system and the backup system are located at different places of Hong Kong. In the event that the operation system is affected by accidents such as power outage, fire, etc, the backup system in the other site can be put to operation to maintain the service.

(3) In view of the sensitivity of the information concerned and for ensuring smooth operation, the existing E-levy System captures only the essential data in order to facilitate efficient and reliable transactions by the staff of travel agents. The System does not store other data for the purpose of sales or business analysis. We will continue to maintain liaison with the trade and review the System and explore further enhancement of its functions when appropriate.

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Ho Kai-ming and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, in the Legislative Council today (April 3):

Question:

     In 2014, the Construction Industry Council formulated a labour-supply list on 26 trades in the construction industry. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows (i) the mode of employment of workers (i.e. being employed or self-employed), (ii) the method for calculating the wages, and (iii) the number of hours worked per week by each worker on average, in respect of each of the 26 trades at present, and set out such information in Table 1;

Table 1

(2) whether it knows (i) the number of people employed, (ii) the number of job seekers, (iii) the number of job vacancies, (iv) the job vacancy rate, (v) the number of industrial accidents, and (vi) the respective numbers of workers the importation for whom was applied and approved, in respect of each of the 26 trades in each of the past five years, and set out such figures using tables of the same format as Table 2:
 
Table 2　　Year: ________

(3) whether it knows the total number of training courses provided by the Vocational Training Council and the Construction Industry Council (including the training bodies under them) for the 26 trades in the past five years, as well as (i) the name, (ii) the years in which the course was offered, (iii) the number of training places, (iv) the entry requirements, (v) the duration of training, and (vi) the employment rate of graduated trainees, in respect of each of the training courses; set out such information by trade and training body using tables of the same format as Table 3; and

Table 3　　Trade: ________

 
(4) whether the authorities have formulated new measures to attract local workers to join the construction industry to work in the 26 trades, and to reduce the manpower wastage in those trades; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,
      
     The reply to the Hon Ho Kai-ming's four-part question is as follows:

(1) Sub-contracting is a common practice in the construction industry, in which skilled workers can either be employees or self-employed persons. The methods of wage calculation are market-driven, mainly in terms of daily wages, monthly wages or piece rates. We do not have information on the modes of employment and methods of wage calculation for individual trades.
 
     Based on the telephone survey on construction workers commissioned by the Construction Industry Council (CIC) during June to September 2018, the average number of working days per week for the 26 trades is as follows:
 

     
     â€‹Given the physically demanding nature of construction activities, construction workers working more than four days a week are considered to be fully engaged.
 
(2) The Government does not have the statistical breakdown by numbers of people employed, job seekers, job vacancies, job vacancy rate and industrial accidents for the 26 specified trades. Based on the information from the Census and Statistics Department and the Labour Department, the numbers of people employed, job vacancy rate (manual workers at construction sites) and industrial accidents for the entire construction industry in the past five years are as follows:
 

     
     â€‹The numbers of imported worker applied and approved for the 26 trades in the past five years are set out at Annex 1.
 
(3) Information on training courses offered by the CIC and the Vocational Training Council involving the 26 trades with manpower shortage is set out at Annex 2.
 
(4) With a view to attracting more new entrants to the construction industry, particularly youngsters, and keep in-service workers in the industry, we have implemented various measures in collaboration with the CIC and stakeholders in recent years:

(i) Offering well-structured programmes by the Hong Kong Institute of Construction (HKIC): The HKIC, established by the CIC, offers programmes recognised under the Qualification Framework with clear career development paths, which help encourage youngsters to join the industry.
      
(ii) Expanding the construction industry apprenticeship programme: In the 2019-20 Budget, we have proposed to allocate $200 million to extend CIC's construction industry apprenticeship programme to more manpower shortage trades, increase the training allowance for new trainees pursuing the one-year full-time training programmes to encourage youngsters to join the construction industry, and encourage in-service workers to upgrade their skill level and continue to develop in the industry.
      
(iii) Introducing the construction industry through the STEM Alliance: To generate interest in the construction industry, the HKIC has put in place a STEM Alliance scheme to foster understanding and appreciation of the construction industry among students and teachers, thus attracting new entrants to the industry.
      
(iv) Promoting a positive image for the construction industry: We have been working with the CIC to promote the industry's image through TV and radio announcements in the public interest, hoardings at construction sites, the Construction Industry Sports and Volunteering Programme and other publicity initiatives in order to attract new entrants.
      
(v) Encouraging adoption of innovative construction technologies: With effect from January 2018, Government's capital works projects exceeding $30 million are required to use Building Information Modelling technology from design to implementation. With a view to upgrading the industry through innovation and technology, we, together with the CIC, launched the $1 billion Construction Innovation and Technology Fund in October 2018 to enhance productivity, build quality, site safety and environmental performance. A technology-based construction industry would be more appealing to youngsters.
      
(vi) Assisting trainees to settle in their working environment: To retain trainees in the industry, the CIC helps them settle in their working environment through continuous counselling, regular sharing programmes and follow-up visits to the trainees and their employers.

(vii) Setting out clear career paths: The CIC offers training courses at different levels that dovetail with each other. After acquiring practical experience, trainees can upgrade themselves to become skilled workers or take higher-level supervisory or managerial courses. Better career prospects help retain workers and empower them to advance in the industry.

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (April 3):
 
Question :
 
     Regarding the subsidised sale flats projects developed by the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that the total project costs of the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) projects developed by the HA comprise development costs, land costs at 35 per cent of the development costs, administration overheads and other sales related expenditure, of the respective specific expenditure items included in the (i) development costs, (ii) land costs and (iii) administration overheads;
 
(2) of the reasons for the Government to pitch the land costs of HOS projects at 35 per cent of their development costs;
 
(3) of the (i) total project costs, (ii) total sales proceeds, (iii) operating surplus, and (iv) land costs in respect of each HOS sale exercise conducted in the past five years;
 
(4) whether it will standardise the calculation of the land costs payable to the Government by the HA and the HKHS for the subsidised sale flats they develop; if not, of the reasons for that;
 
(5) of the respective numbers of sale exercises for subsidised sale flats projects to be conducted and the respective total numbers of flats involved, as projected by the HA and the HKHS for the current as well as each of the coming four financial years; and
 
(6) given that the number of White Form (WF) applicants far exceeded that of Green Form (GF) applicants in each HOS sale exercise conducted in recent years, whether the HA will change the ratio of the quota between GF and WF applicants from the current 50:50 to 40:60; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, the details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My consolidated response to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
 
     The development cost of the Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) of the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) includes construction cost and overhead cost. According to the prevailing arrangement, the Government provides land to the HA for the development of subsidised sale flats (SSFs) (including HOS flats) at a nominal premium of $1,000. The HA would pay the Government a land cost at 35 per cent of the development cost as contribution to site formation and supporting infrastructure. Administration overheads and other sales-related expenditure include expenses for printing, advertisements, publicity, consultancy, pre-flat intake management, etc. Financial information of HOS flats put up for sale by the HA from 2014 to 2018 is set out in Annex.
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) is an important partner of the Government's housing policy and plays an active role in providing low to middle-income families with rental units and SSFs. The HKHS has been developing subsidised housing projects on a self-financing basis on sites granted to the HKHS by the Government at concessionary land premium.
 
     Under the new HOS pricing mechanism announced on June 29, 2018, the HKHS may need to offer a correspondingly higher discount rate for its SSFs, which may lower the HKHS's income and affect its financial sustainability. Having reviewed the land premium arrangements for the HKHS's subsidised housing projects, the Government revised the arrangements in January 2019 as follows: from one-third of the full market value (FMV) to a nominal premium at $1,000 for the HKHS's rental estates; and from one-half of FMV to one-third of FMV for domestic portion of SSF projects, while maintaining existing arrangement of charging FMV for non-domestic portion of SSF projects.
 
     The Government believes that the revised land premium arrangements would help mitigate the financial impact of the new HOS pricing mechanism on HKHS, and strengthen HKHS's long-term financial sustainability. This will enable the HKHS to continue to provide rental units and SSFs at affordable rentals and prices to address housing needs of the public.
 
     The HA and the HKHS are assuming different and complimentary roles in providing public housing: the HA is the major organisation responsible for developing public rental and HOS units, whereas the HKHS plays the role of "housing laboratory" apart from providing rental units and SSFs. The two organisations also differ in structure and mode of operation. The Government does not consider it necessary to adopt the same land premium arrangement for SSF projects of the two organisations.
 
     According to the latest projections in the Long Term Housing Strategy Annual Progress Report 2018 published in December 2018, the total housing supply target for the ten-year period from 2019-20 to 2028-29 is 450 000 units, comprising the public housing supply target of 315 000 units and the private housing supply target of 135 000 units. According to the forecast as at December 2018, the estimated total public housing production of the HA and the HKHS in the five-year period from 2018-19 to 2022-23 is about 100 400 units. As for private housing, based on the Government's preliminary assessment as at end-2018 of private residential developments on known disposed sites, the private sector will, on average, complete about 18 800 private residential units annually in 2019 to 2023.
 
     When considering the HOS developments to be launched in each year, the HA would review the progress of the preparation work for each pre-sale project (i.e. preparation of the land lease and the Deed of Mutual Covenant, etc.) and the suitable pre-sale date. The selling prices and sales arrangements of each HOS sale exercise will be reviewed and endorsed by the Subsidised Housing Committee of the HA. In 2019, the HA will offer for sale 4 871 HOS flats in six developments at Homantin, Cheung Sha Wan, Kwai Chung, Tseung Kwan O, Ma On Shan and Sha Tin.
 
     As regards the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH), the HA decided in March 2019 to convert two public rental housing (PRH) projects on Chai Wan Road in Chai Wan and Tsing Hung Road in Tsing Yi into GSH. These projects will provide about 3 700 flats, and are planned for pre-sale in late 2019. In future, the HA will roll out GSH projects in accordance with the decision made when regularising GSH, i.e. to implement GSH at a more modest pace to gather experience, reduce the risk of unsold flats and minimise impact on the waiting time for PRH applicants. The HA will continue with this incremental approach and take account of operational experience and sales response in considering suitable PRH projects for conversion to GSH each year.
 
     The HKHS launched the pre-sale exercise of 620 SSFs in Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O respectively in November 2017, all of which were sold in June 2018.
 
     On the other hand, the Government announced on June 29, 2018 the re-allocation of nine sites at Kai Tak and Anderson Road Quarry, originally intended for sale in the coming few years, for the use of public housing. These sites are expected to provide 11 000 public housing units. This will help narrow the public housing shortage in later years. One of the sites in Kai Tak will be allocated to the HKHS for the redevelopment of Chun Seen Mei Chuen. The HKHS can then make use of the original site of Chun Seen Mei Chuen to redevelop Lok Man Sun Chuen by phases. The remaining new units on this Kai Tak site can also be used to rehouse other eligible households affected by Government development and projects by the Urban Renewal Authority. As for the remaining eight sites, the HA and the HKHS will each take up one site in Kai Tak and three sites in Anderson Road Quarry for SSF development, having regard to the original planning intentions for these sites and other developments in the vicinity.
 
     In line with established practice, prior to the launching of new HOS sale exercise, the HA will, having regard to prevailing circumstances, draw up the sales arrangements, including the ratio between Green Form (GF) and White Form (WF) applicants.  For Sale of HOS Flats 2019, the HA has maintained the ratio between GF and WF applicants at 50:50. The HA has taken into account that the selling of HOS to GF applicants (mainly PRH tenants) would speed up the turnover of PRH units. Moreover, any remaining quota from the GF queue would be re-allocated to the WF queue. For example, despite the 50:50 ratio between GF and WF applicants adopted in HOS 2016 and HOS 2017 sale exercises, WF buyers actually took up around 70 per cent and 60 per cent respectively of the flats. On the other hand, the White Form Secondary Market Scheme (WSM) provides WF buyers with an additional avenue for home ownership, and the annual quota for WSM 2019 has also been increased to 3 000. Therefore, for Sale of HOS Flats 2019, the HA has maintained the ratio between GF and WF applicants at 50:50.
 
     The HA will, in line with established practice, continue to consider all relevant factors when determining the ratio between GF and WF applicants in future.