The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (March 20) at 11.30am (or immediately after the meeting for the Chief Executive's Question Time to be held at 11am) in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex.  During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on reforming the immigration and admission policies.

     The motion, moved by Mr Gary Fan, states: "That between mid-1997 and end 2017, there had been an annual average entry of 48 300 One-way Permit ('OWP') holders into Hong Kong, giving a cumulative inflow of 990 000 people; moreover, between 2013 and 2017, an annual average of some 53 500 non-local professionals were allowed to work and settle in Hong Kong under three major talent admission schemes; as there have been strong views in the Hong Kong community in recent years, expressing concern that the persistent increase in Hong Kong's population has created a heavy burden on public services and facilities in Hong Kong, and that some of the entrants have committed immigration frauds (including concealing overseas assets, using false identities, forging documents, engaging in bogus marriages) to obtain right of abode and social welfare, this Council urges the SAR Government to reform the immigration and admission policies by adhering to the principle of 'putting Hong Kong people first' and taking into account the local carrying capacity; specific measures include:

(1) establishing a dual vetting and approval mechanism for OWP in accordance with Articles 22 and 154 of the Basic Law and the Immigration Ordinance whereby the SAR Government can exercise the power to vet and approve entry for immigration and taking back the initiative in the policy on OWP, so as to serve properly the gatekeeping role on the population policy of Hong Kong;

(2) striving for reducing OWP quota by half to 75 per day and reviewing the quota for various talent admission schemes, so as to alleviate the burden on public healthcare services, subsidized housing, social welfare and educational resources posed by an increasing number of immigrants and entrants in the future, so that priority can be accorded to meeting the needs of the Hong Kong people in the allocation of public resources in Hong Kong;

(3) reforming the OWP application system to make it on a par with the dependents system of various talent admission schemes by incorporating the approval conditions on financial means, to be complemented by a points system, so as to make early identification and selection of immigrants having long-term means to live at a standard well above the subsistence level to settle in Hong Kong;

(4) negotiating with the relevant departments of Mainland China in respect of the OWP system for a study on the introduction of a 'return mechanism' to allow people coming to Hong Kong on OWPs to temporarily retain their household registration in the Mainland and return to Mainland China for resettlement if they cannot adapt to the life in Hong Kong;

(5) regarding people who are granted the right of abode in Hong Kong through various talent admission schemes and the OWP system, stepping up investigation into their overseas assets if they apply for social welfare and subsidized housing in Hong Kong, so as to plug the loopholes in the existing policy;

(6) stepping up efforts in combating cross-boundary bogus marriages by, among others, drawing reference from the practice of the United Kingdom, extending the period for the issue of a Certificate of Registrar of Marriages if the Registrar of Marriages has reasonable suspicions of non-local people planning to get married in Hong Kong engaging in bogus marriages, so that government departments can have more time to conduct investigations and take enforcement actions to prevent fraudsters from obtaining through bogus marriages the requisite documents to apply for settlement in Hong Kong, and the Immigration Department should compile statistics on the number of bogus marriages in Hong Kong annually; and

(7) stepping up efforts against immigration frauds at the local and international levels by, drawing reference from the practices of the United Kingdom and Australia, establishing an inter-departmental dedicated team to tackle organized immigration crime to carry out, focusing on applications suspected of using false identities, forging documents, making false statements, etc., strict verification of supporting documents, and participating in the global cooperation on immigration fraud prevention."

     Ms Claudia Mo, Mr Alvin Yeung, Mr Steven Ho, Mr Chu Hoi-dick and Dr Fernando Cheung will move separate amendments to Mr Gary Fan's motion.

     Mr Wong Ting-kwong will move a motion on proactively expanding development opportunities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.  The motion states: "That the Central Government has promulgated the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area ('the Plan'), the contents of which have taken on board the views of Hong Kong, Macao and the major cities in the Greater Bay Area, setting out the directions for future development of the Greater Bay Area, putting forward specific economic development objectives for Hong Kong and proposing a number of measures to facilitate Hong Kong people in living and working on the Mainland; in order to enable Hong Kong to properly perform the role of a core engine for regional development, grasp new opportunities of future development and improve people's livelihood, this Council urges the SAR Government to formulate policies and allocate more resources to develop pillar industries, innovation and technology and other emerging industries, and to adopt more proactive measures to facilitate the daily living and travel of members of the public in Hong Kong, so as to offer appropriate channels of business expansion in the Greater Bay Area to enterprises of different sizes (micro, small, medium and large), create more new development and employment opportunities for Hong Kong people, particularly young people, and provide Hong Kong people with living space of better quality."

     Dr Lo Wai-kwok, Mr Christopher Cheung, Mr Tony Tse, Mr Yiu Si-wing, Mr Wu Chi-wai, Mr Martin Liao, Dr Kwok Ka-ki and Mr Ho Kai-ming will move separate amendments to Mr Wong Ting-kwong's motion.

     In addition, Mr Chan Hak-kan will move a proposed resolution under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance (Cap.1) to extend the period for amending the Public Health and Municipal Services (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2019, laid on the table of the Legislative Council on February 20, 2019, to the meeting of April 17, 2019.

     On Government Bills, the Second Reading debate on the Inland Revenue and MPF Schemes Legislation (Tax Deductions for Annuity Premiums and MPF Voluntary Contributions) (Amendment) Bill 2018 will resume.  If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will stand committed to the committee of the whole Council.  After the committee of the whole Council has completed consideration of the Bill and its report is adopted by the Council, the Bill will be set down for the Third Reading.

     The Judicial Officers (Extension of Retirement Age) (Amendment) Bill 2019, the Inland Revenue (Amendment) (Tax Concessions) Bill 2019 and the Electoral Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2019 will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading.  The Second Reading debate on the Bills will be adjourned.

     On Government Motions, the Chief Secretary for Administration will move two proposed resolutions under the Criminal Procedure ordinance and the Coroners Ordinance respectively to resolve that the Criminal Procedure (Witnesses' Allowances) (Amendment)Rules 2019, made by the Criminal Procedure Rules Committee on February 19, 2019, and the Coroners (Witnesses' Allowances) (Amendment) Rules 2019, made by the Chief Justice on February 19, 2019, be approved.

     The Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury will move a proposed resolution under the Public Finance Ordinance to resolve that the Authority is given for a sum not exceeding $131,081,699,000 to be charged on the general revenue for expenditure on the services of the Government in respect of the financial year commencing on April 1, 2019.

     During the meeting, Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk).  Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and the latest information about the agenda could be found on the LegCo Website.

     Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Chamber of the LegCo Complex.  They may reserve seats by calling 3919 3399 during office hours.  Members of the public can also watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.

     Police today (March 18) appealed to the public for information on a couple who went missing in North Point.

     Lam Chi-tat, aged 71, and his 60-year-old wife, Tsim Fung-yee, were found missing after they left an elderly home on North Point Road on March 1 morning. Staff of the elderly home made a report to Police on the next day (March 2).

     The man is about 1.65 metres tall, 54 kilograms in weight and of thin build. He has a pointed face with yellow complexion and short white hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, grey trousers and black shoes.

     The woman is about 1.6 metres tall, 68 kilograms in weight and of fat build. She has a round face with yellow complexion and straight black hair. She was last seen wearing a purple and red jacket, black trousers and black shoes.

     Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing couple or may have seen them is urged to contact the Regional Missing Person Unit of Hong Kong Island on 2860 6490 or 9886 0034 or email to rmpu-hki@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.

    

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, accompanied by the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, met with the visiting Co-Chairs of the Congressional US-China Working Group (USCWG), Mr Rick Larsen and Mr Darin LaHood, and four members of the USCWG this morning (March 18). The President of the National Committee on US-China Relations, Mr Stephen Orlins, and the Consul General of the United States to Hong Kong and Macau, Mr Kurt Tong, also attended the meeting.
 
     Mrs Lam welcomed the visit of the congressmen to see for themselves Hong Kong's latest developments and situation. She pointed out that since its return to the motherland, Hong Kong has successfully implemented "One Country, Two Systems". In particular, the rule of law and judicial independence, fully protected by the Basic Law, are the cornerstones of the city's success and key factors in maintaining the confidence of the business sector. She said that Hong Kong ranks among the best in the world in terms of judicial independence and the rule of law, and that justice is further safeguarded with the city's comprehensive legal aid system. She also stressed that Hong Kong is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China. It has the constitutional duty to safeguard national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and exercises a high degree of autonomy in accordance with the Basic Law.
 
     Mrs Lam said that Hong Kong and the US have close economic and trade ties and that the US is Hong Kong’s second largest trading partner and enjoys the highest trade surplus with Hong Kong among all other economies, with the US goods trade surplus with Hong Kong reaching US$31.1 billion last year. Among the 8 754 business operations in Hong Kong with parent companies overseas and in Mainland China, more than 1 300 are from the US, of which more than half are operating as regional headquarters or regional offices in Hong Kong. She expressed the hope that Hong Kong and the US will strengthen mutually beneficial co-operation, expanding common interests. Mrs Lam pointed out that Hong Kong is striving to advance the development of innovation and technology and welcomed more US institutions and technology enterprises to establish a presence in Hong Kong. She also said she hopes that Hong Kong and the US will strengthen exchanges and collaboration in various aspects such as culture and arts, youth exchanges and mutual assistance between law enforcement agencies.
 
     During its stay in Hong Kong, the USCWG has also met the Secretary for Justice, Ms Teresa Cheng, SC, and the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau.

    

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 18) investigating a case of measles infection and hence reminded the public that vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles.
 
     The case involves a 41-year-old man with good past health, who developed fever and rash on March 11. He consulted a private doctor on March 11 and 14. He sought medical advice at Princess Margaret Hospital on March 14 and was admitted for treatment. His blood sample tested positive for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies to measles virus upon laboratory testing. He has been in a stable condition and has already been discharged.

      Epidemiological investigations revealed that the patient had not received measles vaccination and did not have contact with measles patients during the incubation period. He had no travel history during the period of communicability. His home contacts have remained asymptomatic so far and have been put under medical surveillance.
 
     Investigations are ongoing and relevant contact tracing has been conducted. The places the patient visited during the period of communicability are listed below:
 

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     A spokesman for the CHP explained that measles is a highly infectious disease caused by the measles virus. It can be transmitted by airborne droplets spread or direct contact with nasal or throat secretions of infected persons, and, less commonly, by articles soiled with nose and throat secretions. A patient can pass the disease to other persons from four days before to four days after the appearance of skin rash.
 
     The spokesman reminded the public that the incubation period of measles ranges from seven days to up to 21 days. Contacts who are not immune to measles may develop relevant symptoms, such as fever, skin rash, cough, runny nose and red eyes, in the incubation period. They should observe if they develop such symptoms in the period. If symptoms arise, they should wear surgical masks, stop going to work or school and avoid going to crowded places. They should also avoid contact with non-immune persons, especially persons with weakened immunity, pregnant women and children aged below 1. Those suspected to have been infected are advised to seek medical attention as early as possible and reveal relevant contact history of measles to healthcare professionals.
 
     In Hong Kong, children are given the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine at 1 year old, followed by a second dose at Primary One under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunisation Programme. The coverage of MMR vaccination in Hong Kong is over 95 per cent at Primary One. 
 
     "Vaccination is the most effective way to prevent measles. Members of the public who are planning to travel to places with high incidence or outbreaks of measles should review their vaccination history and past medical history, especially people born outside Hong Kong who might not have received measles vaccination during childhood. The history of measles vaccination in Hong Kong is available in the CHP's measles thematic page. Those who have not received two doses of measles-containing vaccines, with unknown vaccination history or unknown immunity against measles are urged to consult their doctor for advice on vaccination at least two weeks before departure," the spokesman said.
  
     Besides being vaccinated against measles, members of the public should take the following measures to prevent infection:
 

• Maintain good personal and environmental hygiene;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Keep hands clean and wash hands properly;
• Wash hands when they are dirtied by respiratory secretions, such as after sneezing;
• Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing and dispose of nasal and mouth discharge properly;
• Clean used toys and furniture properly; and
• Persons with measles should be kept out of school till four days from the appearance of rash to prevent spread of the infection to non-immune persons in school.

 
     For more information on measles, the public may call the 24-hour health education hotline 2833 0111 or visit the CHP's measles thematic page. For outbreak news of measles outside Hong Kong or the latest travel health advice, please visit the website of DH's Travel Health Service.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (March 18) investigating an outbreak of upper respiratory tract infection (URI) at a special school in Yuen Long, and appealed to members of the public and staff of institutions to stay alert and maintain strict personal and environmental hygiene.

     The outbreak affected five male students and 10 female students aged 6 to 19, as well as eight female staff members, who have developed URI symptoms including runny nose, cough and sore throat since March 8. Nineteen of them sought medical attention and none required hospitalisation. All patients are now in stable condition.
 
     Officers of the CHP have conducted a site visit and advised the school to adopt necessary infection control measures against respiratory tract infections. The centre has been placed under medical surveillance.
 
     The public should maintain good personal and environmental hygiene against influenza and other respiratory illnesses:
 

• Receive seasonal influenza vaccination for personal protection;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water properly whenever possibly contaminated;
• When hands are not visibly soiled, clean them with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub;
• Cover the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing, and wash hands thoroughly afterwards;
• Dispose of soiled tissue paper properly in a lidded rubbish bin;
• Put on a surgical mask when respiratory symptoms develop;
• Maintain good indoor ventilation;
• Avoid going to crowded or poorly ventilated public places; high-risk individuals may consider putting on surgical masks when staying in such places; and
• Maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly, take adequate rest, do not smoke and avoid overstress.

     Members of the public, particularly children, the elderly and those with chronic diseases, should wear a face mask and consult a doctor promptly if they develop symptoms of respiratory tract infection.