Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon James To and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

     It has been reported that the Police implemented a two-month pilot scheme in New Territories North and Kowloon East at the end of last year, under which video cameras were used to assist police officers in taking law enforcement actions against six traffic offences which cause serious traffic obstructions, namely (i) picking up/setting down passengers in restricted zone, (ii) loading/unloading goods in restricted zone, (iii) unauthorised stopping at bus stop/public light bus stand/taxi stand, (iv) stopping bus, public light bus or taxi longer than necessary when picking up/setting down passengers, (v) unlawfully entering box junction, and (vi) “U” turn causing obstruction. Besides, the Energizing Kowloon East Office under the Development Bureau is conducting on-site tests on a Kerbside Loading/Unloading Bay Monitoring System (Monitoring System) in some sections of How Ming Street and Hoi Bun Road in Kwun Tong by making use of surveillance cameras installed on on-street lampposts to assist in monitoring the situation of the loading/unloading bays in these two road segments. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of times for which law enforcement actions were taken by the Police under the pilot scheme, broken down by month and the police division to which the law enforcement location belonged;

(2) of the number of prosecutions instituted by the Police under the pilot scheme in respect of each of the aforesaid traffic offences, broken down by the police division to which the law enforcement location belonged;

(3) of the respective numbers of times for which the Police took law enforcement actions under the pilot scheme by ticketing the offenders on the spot and other forms, and the criteria adopted for determining the form of law enforcement action to be taken;

(4) of the criteria adopted by the Police for assessing the effectiveness of the pilot scheme, and the assessment outcome;

(5) as it has been reported that the authorities will expand the coverage of the pilot scheme to the whole territory within the first half of this year, whether the Police have formulated a detailed implementation plan; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) whether the authorities will consider using the Monitoring System to monitor the usage of and the illegal parking situation in the loading/unloading bays in the entire Kwun Tong district and the whole territory; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     To effectively combat traffic contraventions, the Hong Kong Police Force (Police) launched a two-month pilot scheme in New Territories North and Kowloon East in December 2017, under which video cameras were used to assist police officers in taking enforcement actions against six traffic offences which cause serious traffic obstructions (Pilot Scheme). The six offences are: (i) picking up/setting down passengers in restricted zone; (ii) loading/unloading goods in restricted zone; (iii) unauthorised stopping at bus stop/public light bus stand/taxi stand/public light bus stopping place; (iv) stopping public bus, public light bus or taxi longer than necessary when picking up/setting down passengers; (v) unlawfully entering box junction; and (vi) “U” turn causing obstruction. 

     My reply to the various parts of the Hon James To’s question is as follows:

(1) The Police took a total of 103 actions under the Pilot Scheme. A breakdown of these actions by police district and month is set out at Annex 1.

(2) The Police issued a total of 540 fixed penalty tickets under the Pilot Scheme. A breakdown of these fixed penalty tickets for each traffic offence by police district is set out at Annex 2.

(3) In the course of the Pilot Scheme, the Police took 53 enforcement actions under the “immediate ticketing” mode and 50 enforcement actions under the “non-immediate ticketing” mode, issuing respectively 243 and 297 fixed penalty tickets.

     The Police determined the most appropriate mode of ticketing as warranted. The factors taken into account included the safety of frontline officers and other road users, the volume of traffic on the road, the feasibility of stopping vehicles along the section of the road where enforcement actions were taken, the deterrent effects on offending drivers, as well as manpower deployment at the time.

(4) and (5) The Police have completed the two-month Pilot Scheme, and are currently assessing and reviewing its effectiveness and considering whether to further extend the Pilot Scheme. In reviewing the effectiveness of the Pilot Scheme, the Police will take into consideration whether the scheme can serve its purposes, including assisting frontline officers in more efficient enforcement, enhancing the reliability of evidence, boosting the effectiveness of enforcement and conviction, as well as strengthening the deterrent effect.

(6) The Energizing Kowloon East Office of the Development Bureau has been collaborating with the Police since 2018 to conduct a trial on the “Kerbside Loading and Unloading Bay Monitoring System” in Kwun Tong. The two departments are also studying the implementation of a trial on “Illegal Parking Monitoring System” at suitable road sections in Kowloon East. The trial, which makes use of video analytic techniques to monitor illegal parking activities, is expected to commence within this year.

     The Government’s objective is to make use of new technologies to assist frontline officers in taking enforcement actions against traffic contraventions and enhance the efficiency of the back-end support process. If the system is proved practicable by the trial, the Government will consider using such systems at suitable locations to facilitate Police’s prosecution against traffic offences. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Steven Ho and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):
 
Question:
 
     Some fishermen have relayed that at present, some small fishing vessels cannot berth at typhoon shelters due to reasons such as licence restrictions or susceptibility to collision with other vessels.  These fishermen have no choice but to berth their fishing vessels at places such as the outer area of typhoon shelters and breakwaters.  Since such berthing locations lack embarking and disembarking facilities, fishermen can only embark on or disembark from their vessels by quite dangerous means such as climbing the boulders along the shore, striding over other small fishing vessels and making use of hand-pulled ferries and rafts.  There have been cases in which some fishermen fell into the sea or sustained injuries while embarking on or disembarking from a vessel.  I have proposed to the Marine Department (MD) that reference be made to the relevant practices of local pleasure boat clubs and those around the world to provide floating bridges at typhoon shelters for berthing of small fishing vessels, but MD has rejected the proposal on the ground that it falls under the purview of a number of departments and there is currently no policy support.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it has assessed if it is common for fishermen to embark on and disembark from fishing vessels berthed in the outer area of typhoon shelters and breakwaters by adopting the aforesaid quite dangerous means, and if the personal safety of them and other people is thus seriously endangered; if it has assessed and the outcome is in the affirmative, why the authorities have failed to take measures to solve the problem; if it has not assessed, of the reasons for that;
 
(2) of the government department currently responsible for considering the proposal to provide the aforesaid floating bridges at typhoon shelters; whether it will set up an inter-departmental working group to be led by the relevant policy bureau to study the proposal and coordinate the relevant work;
 
(3) as quite a number of fishermen of small fishing vessels have relayed that there is an acute shortage of berthing spaces in typhoon shelters in various districts, how the authorities will improve the relevant situation;
 
(4) of the respective numbers of locally licensed vessels in the past three years that were less than 10 metres and between 10 and 15 metres in length; the number of embarking/disembarking points in various typhoon shelters in the territory in the past three years; whether it has assessed the capacity of the landing facilities, in terms of the number of vessel trips per month, in various typhoon shelters in the territory; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(5) as the Government said in reply to my question raised on July 13, 2016 that survey results indicated that the three landing facilities in Tuen Mun still had capacity to cope with more vessels and meet existing and projected demands, of the details of the survey concerned (including the criteria adopted); and
 
(6) given that some fishing vessels are currently not allowed to enter typhoon shelters under the law, but certain wholesale fish markets and important fisheries facilities are accessible only through typhoon shelters, how the authorities assist those fishermen in selling their catch and getting replenishment?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The reply to the Hon Steven Ho’s question is as follows:
 
(1) Except for certain areas of waters where anchoring is prohibited, owners and masters of local vessels are allowed under existing legislation to anchor their vessels in the waters of Hong Kong according to the vessels’ operational needs and the availability of different areas of waters, including safe and suitable waters in the outer area of typhoon shelters and breakwaters.  Where necessary, seafarers should use shuttle vessels to travel between vessels anchored at sea and facilities such as public piers and landing steps for safe embarkation or disembarkation.  The Government is committed to ensuring that there are enough landing facilities for use by vessels in the Hong Kong waters so as to enable seafarers to travel to and from vessels anchored at sea in a smooth and safe manner.
 
(2) In general, private yacht clubs provide floating bridges as landing facilities while the Government provides mainly public piers and landing steps as landing facilities.  Public landing facilities are built for use by all local vessels for the main purposes of passenger embarkation and disembarkation but not berthing.  From time to time, the Government reviews the utilisation of public landing facilities and gauges views from stakeholders to improve the design of landing facilities and facilitate their use by various stakeholders, including fishermen.  Relevant government departments including the Marine Department (MD), the Home Affairs Department, the Transport Department and the Civil Engineering and Development Department have recently liaised with fishermen representatives and listened to their suggestions on improving the landing facilities.  Considerations will also be given as to how the design and quality of such facilities can be further enhanced.
 
(3) The Government is committed to ensuring that there is sufficient and suitable sheltered space within the Hong Kong waters for local vessels to take refuge during typhoons or inclement weather to safeguard the safety of these vessels and their crew members.  To monitor the utilisation of such sheltered space, the MD keeps records of the highest occupancy of each typhoon shelter during typhoons.  For instance, when a number of typhoons hit Hong Kong in 2017, sheltered spaces remained available for berthing by local vessels (including fishing vessels) in the typhoon shelters frequently visited by fishing vessels, including the Aberdeen, Shau Kei Wan, Cheung Chau, Sam Ka Tsuen and Shuen Wan Typhoon Shelters, with the exception of the Tuen Mun Typhoon Shelter.  The MD is aware that the Tuen Mun Typhoon Shelter has seen occupancy rates of 100 per cent during typhoon passages in recent years.  In view of this, whenever typhoons approach, the MD will closely liaise with local fishermen representatives in Tuen Mun to ensure that fishermen at sea stay alert to the latest typhoon information and return to Hong Kong as early as possible.  To the MD’s understanding from the representatives of local fishery associations, no Tuen Mun-based fishing vessels have been unable to return to the Tuen Mun Typhoon Shelter for berthing during typhoons in the past few years.  The MD will continue to maintain contact with local fishery associations on arrangements during typhoon passages to ensure fishermen safety in inclement weather.  In addition, the MD conducts regular territory-wide assessments on the demand and supply of typhoon shelter spaces to ensure that there is sufficient typhoon shelter space for use by local vessels in the waters of Hong Kong during typhoon passages.
 
(4) In the past three years, the respective numbers of locally licenced vessels (including fishing vessels) that were less than 10 metres and between 10 and 15 metres in length are as follow:

Year (As at year end)	Less than 10 metres	Between 10 and 15 metres
2015	11 733	2 000
2016	11 972	2 027
2017	12 027	2 084

     In the past three years, the total number of embarking/disembarking points in various typhoon shelters in Hong Kong remained at 52.  The Government will from time to time review the usage situation and the structural safety of the various landing facilities to ensure that members of the crew can embark and disembark from a vessel in a smooth and safe manner. When considering the expansion or addition of landing facilities, various factors will be taken into account, including the feasibility of the works involved, the utilisation rate of such facilities, the area to be served, and availability of similar facilities in the waters nearby.
 
(5) The landing facilities mentioned in the reply to the question raised on July 13, 2016, as quoted in this current question, refer to the Kadoorie Public Pier, as well as the Tuen Mun Area 27 Landing No. 1 and the Tuen Mun Area 27 Landing No. 2 located within the Tuen Mun typhoon shelter near Sam Shing Estate.  The Transport Department arranged for a usage survey of these landing facilities in 2015, and the findings indicated that the three landing facilities still had capacity to cope with more vessels.  The usage statistics of the three landing facilities in the duration of the survey are as follow:

Landing facility	Daily vessel usage (Hourly vessel usage on average)
	Weekdays	Weekends
Tuen Mun Area 27 Landing No. 1	75 vessels (6 vessels)	108 vessels (8 vessels)
Tuen Mun Area 27 Landing No. 2	38 vessels (3 vessels)	26 vessels (2 vessels)
Kadoorie Public Pier	0 vessels (0 vessels)	2 vessels (0 vessels)

Remarks: The survey was conducted between 7 am and 8 pm.

(6) Except for fishing vessels with length overall exceeding the “permitted length overall” of a typhoon shelter and outboard open sampans, currently all fishing vessels are allowed to enter typhoon shelters.  The intention of granting licences to outboard fishing sampans, which are fishing sampans of smaller size and fitted with engines of smaller horsepower, was to enable and facilitate fishermen in transporting fish catch, fish fry, feed, replenishment, etc, within mariculture rafts located in remote waters.  Owing to safety considerations, we do not advise this type of vessel to navigate in open waters where winds and waves are stronger, or to leave the rafts and head to further destinations.  Should there be a need for fishermen to head to the relevant fisheries facilities to sell their catch and get replenishments, it would be more suitable to use other fishing vessels of greater size and sturdier construction.  Nevertheless, if needed, open fishing sampans could still use the nearby public piers and landing steps located outside of the typhoon shelters to handle their catch and replenishments. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Ho Kai-ming and a reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, in the Legislative Council today (May 23): Question:      Recently, a working woman has relay… read more

     Following is a question by Hon Dennis Kwok and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):

Question:

     A report of an international survey organisation has pointed out that among the international metropolises around the globe, Hong Kong has been dubbed the world’s most unaffordable city in terms of property price for eight consecutive years. As at the third quarter of last year, the median price of residential units in Hong Kong was around $6.19 million, representing 19.4 times of the annual median income of $319,000 earned by local families. In other words, it takes a family on that income level as long as 19.4 years to acquire a property, even if it did not spend a penny nor buy any food. Meanwhile, as at the end of last year, there were a total of 9 000 unsold units in the completed private residential buildings in the territory, among which 4 000 had remained unsold for more than one year after completion. In connection with assisting local residents in acquiring properties by levying new taxes, will the Government inform this Council whether it will consider:

(1) levying new taxes on the first-hand residential units which have remained unsold for a period of time after completion to increase the cost of hoarding of units by developers, and to push them to offer the units for sale at a faster rate, with a view to increasing the supply of residential units; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) levying new taxes on the vacant residential units owned by non-local residents or companies at least 25 per cent of the beneficial interests of which are held by such persons; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3)  levying a capital gains tax on the sale of residential units owned by non-local residents or companies at least 25 per cent of the beneficial interests of which are held by such persons, so as to dampen their desire to purchase residential units; if so, of the details and the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Owing to abundant liquidity in the global monetary environment, ultra-low interest rates and tight housing demand-supply balance, local housing prices continue to rise. In the face of the overheated property market, the Government has been striving to increase land and housing supply through a multi-pronged approach with a view to addressing the demand-supply imbalance at source in the long run. At the same time, the Government has introduced several rounds of demand-side management measures since 2010 to reduce short-term speculative activities, external demand and investment demand. My reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Dennis Kwok is as follows:

     As at March 31, 2018, there were around 9 000 unsold first-hand private residential units in completed projects, among which 6 000 units were completed in 2017 or the first quarter of 2018 while the remaining 3 000 units were completed between 2011 and 2016. These unsold units may be vacant units, units occupied by the developers for self use or units rented out by developers as serviced apartments.

     In the face of the current housing demand-supply imbalance, the Government has been striving to increase land and housing supply through a multi-pronged approach. The Government has all along been closely monitoring the developments of the private residential property market and the supply of first-hand private residential units. The Government is also aware that the number of unsold first-hand private residential units in completed projects has been increasing in recent years. We are exploring ways to address the situation. As regards the proposal of levying new tax on these unsold units, the Government will carefully consider the justifications, feasibility and effectiveness of the proposal before making a decision. 

     Under the existing stamp duty regime, unless otherwise specified in the law, the acquisition of residential property by a non-Hong Kong permanent resident (non-HKPR) (including any companies) is subject to the Buyer’s Stamp Duty and the New Residential Stamp Duty, both at a flat rate of 15 per cent, i.e. a stamp duty of 30 per cent in aggregate. According to the information provided by the Inland Revenue Department, in the first four months of 2018, the number of residential property transactions involving non-local individuals and non-local companies accounted for only 1 per cent of the total number of transactions, which was lower than 4.5 per cent recorded during the period from January to October 2012 (i.e. before the introduction of the Buyer’s Stamp Duty). This indicates that the demand-side management measures have been effective in curbing external and investment demands.

     According to the Rating and Valuation Department’s statistics, the vacancy rate of private residential units had dropped from 4.3 per cent as at end 2012 to 3.7 per cent as at end 2017, which was substantially lower than the long-term average vacancy rate of 5 per cent from 1997 to 2016. These figures suggest that the overall vacancy rate of private residential units in Hong Kong is at a low level, and there are no notable signs of the idling of private residential units. In fact, it is inevitable for properties to be left vacant for a period of time when landlords seek buyers or tenants, engage in price negotiation, or refurbish their flats. This is a normal market phenomenon. Levying a vacancy tax on residential units owned by non-local residents or companies at least 25 per cent of the beneficial interests of which are held by such persons may therefore not be an effective way to increase housing supply.

     As for capital gains tax, introduction of this tax is very controversial and will complicate Hong Kong’s longstanding simple tax regime. Given that capital gains tax will only be charged when an owner earns profits from selling his property, we believe that the various demand-side management measures currently in place have a more immediate impact on increasing the transaction costs of non-HKPRs, thereby reducing their demand for local residential properties. The Government has no intention to study the introduction of capital gains tax at this juncture.

     The Government will continue to stay vigilant and closely monitor the property market and the ever-changing external circumstances, and implement appropriate measures as and when necessary.

     Thank you, Mr President. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Holden Chow and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, in the Legislative Council today (May 23):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the child health assessment and rehabilitation services provided by the Government, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that the Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) of the Department of Health (DH) provide health promotion and disease prevention services for children from birth to five years old, of the average time elapsed between children having been suspected of having Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD) to their receiving initial assessments under such services in the past five years; whether the Government has any plan to shorten such time; if so, of the details;
 
(2) of the number of children in the past five years who were suspected of having AD/HD as initially assessed by MCHCs;
 
(3) given that the children mentioned in (2) will be referred to Child Assessment Centres (CACs) for further assessments, but some parents have criticised that the waiting time for children to receive further assessments is too long, whether the Government will introduce measures expeditiously to shorten such time; as DH has indicated that it has not compiled any statistical information on the average, median and longest waiting time for further assessments, whether the Government will compile the relevant statistics for a more accurate understanding of the problem of overly long waiting time with a view to introducing appropriate measures to address the problem;
 
(4) given that the Government introduced a Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services (Pilot Scheme) in November 2015, under which interdisciplinary teams coordinated and arranged by non-governmental organisations provide outreaching on-site rehabilitation training services for children with special needs who are studying at ordinary kindergartens and kindergartens-cum-Child Care Centres (KG-cum-CCCs), of the number of kindergartens and KG-cum-CCCs currently taking part in the Pilot Scheme, as well as the number of children serviced by the interdisciplinary teams so far;
 
(5) given that the Government will regularise the Pilot Scheme starting from the next school year and increase the number of service places of the Pilot Scheme from 3 000 to 7 000 in two years, how the Government will ensure that the interdisciplinary teams will have adequate manpower to cope with the additional workload; and
 
(6) of the number of members of the interdisciplinary teams who possess the relevant professional qualifications for handling AD/HD?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the Labour and Welfare Bureau, my reply to the Hon Holden Chow’s question is as follows:
 
(1) and (2) The 31 Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) of the Department of Health (DH) provide a range of health promotion and disease prevention services to children from birth to five years.  The child health services include immunisation, health and developmental surveillance, and parenting education.  Children with developmental concerns identified during developmental surveillance will be arranged for a doctor’s preliminary developmental assessment by a doctor of MCHCs.  In the past three years, waiting time for developmental assessment conducted by doctors ranged from one to eight weeks among MCHCs, the median waiting time in each year ranged from three to four weeks.  DH will continue to monitor the service demand and arrange internal redeployment of resources, if needed.
 
     After being assessed by doctors of MCHCs, children with suspected developmental problems would be referred to Child Assessment Service (CAS) under DH/the Hospital Authority (HA) for further management.  The number of referrals to CAS by MCHCs in the past five years is listed below:
 

Year	Total number of referrals to Child Assessment Service under DH and HA	Number of cases with suspected hyperactivity or attention problems
2013	5 967	1 105
2014	6 458	1 228
2015	7 157	1 428
2016	7 434	1 600
2017	7 981	1 880

(3) In the past few years, the number of new referrals to the CAS of DH has been on an increasing trend.  Nearly all new cases in CAS were seen within three weeks after registration.  The assessment service will then be arranged according to needs.  Due to the continuous increase in the demand for assessment service and the high turnover rate and difficulties in recruiting doctors, CAS was unable to meet the target for completion of assessment for 90 per cent of the new cases within six months in 2017.  CAS has already adopted a triage system to ensure that children with urgent and more serious conditions are accorded with higher priority in assessment.  To meet increasing service demands, additional resources have been allocated in the past few years to recruit additional manpower.  Currently we are planning to recruit additional nurses and allied health professionals for the CAS to improve the waiting time and strengthen service.
 
     CAS adopts a multi-disciplinary team approach for assessment.  The assessment team comprises paediatricians, nurses, clinical psychologists, speech therapists, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, audiologists, optometrists and medical social workers.  The team will seek information from the parent on the development, behaviour and learning of the child, and, with the application of assessment tools and clinical observation appropriate to the child’s age and condition, conduct assessments on various developmental aspects of the child such as physical, cognition, language and communication, self-care and behaviour.  The team will also arrange and coordinate follow-up and rehabilitation services in accordance with the child’s individual needs and the family’s circumstances.

     The actual waiting time depends on the complexity and conditions of individual cases.  While children await rehabilitation services, DH will provide support to their parents, such as organising seminars, workshops and practical training etc., with a view to enhancing the parents’ understanding of their children and community resources so that the parents could provide home-based training to facilitate the development and growth of the children.

     DH has begun the construction for a new Child Assessment Centre (CAC) to cater for the increasing number of referrals. Meanwhile, a temporary CAC has been set up in existing facilities in Ngau Tau Kok in January 2018 to cope with the demand during the construction period.
 
(4) to (6) The Government has implemented the Pilot Scheme on On-site Pre-school Rehabilitation Services (the Pilot Scheme) since November 2015.  Under the Pilot Scheme, non-governmental organisations with experience in implementing subvented pre-school rehabilitation services coordinate and arrange for the provision of on-site pre-school rehabilitation services, through multi-disciplinary service teams comprising occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech therapists, clinical/educational psychologists, social workers and special child care workers, for children with special needs (including those assessed as having attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD)) at participating kindergartens (KGs) and kindergarten-cum-child care centres (KG-cum-CCCs).  Currently, there are 492 participating KGs/KG-cum-CCCs, which accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the total number of KGs/KG-cum-CCCs in Hong Kong.  From November 1, 2015 to March 31, 2018, a total of 5 797 children received services.
 
     The Government has earmarked an annual recurrent expenditure of $460 million to regularise the Pilot Scheme in the 2018-19 school year and increase the service places from about 3 000 to 7 000 in two years.  The Social Welfare Department (SWD) commissioned a consulting team headed by the City University of Hong Kong to carry out an evaluative study on the Pilot Scheme.  The consulting team will put forward recommendations on the mode of the regularised services, including staffing establishment and the optimal mix of allied health professionals and other professionals in the multi-disciplinary service teams, as well as standards of services.  SWD will, taking into consideration the recommendations of the evaluative study, review the manpower required for the services.

     Since there is no standard definition of the “professional qualification” for handling AD/HD cases, we do not have the number of interdisciplinary team members who possess such qualification. read more