Following is a question by the Hon Starry Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (July 21):
 
Question:
 
    An international language education institution conducted last year a survey on the English proficiency of adults around the world, the results of which showed that Hong Kong ranked the 33rd among the 100 countries and regions surveyed and the fifth in the Asia region. On the other hand, the Government has indicated that it is necessary for Hong Kong people to maintain excellent English proficiency in order to consolidate Hong Kong's status as a metropolis. Regarding the English proficiency of students, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it compared, in the past five years, the English proficiency of Hong Kong students with that of the students in other regions; if so, of the outcome; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) whether, in the past five years, it allocated additional resources to schools, strengthened training for teachers, assisted schools in enhancing the methods for teaching English, and implemented other measures, with a view to enhancing students' English proficiency; if so, of the details (including the expenditure involved); and
 
(3) whether it has evaluated the effectiveness of the various measures mentioned in (2); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
    We reckon that the survey mentioned in the question is likely to be an English Proficiency Index test conducted by a commercial international language education institution. According to the information published online by the institution, the test-takers were those who were interested in learning English or keen to know his/her own English proficiency, and their participation was voluntary. Hence, the sampling of the test might not be comprehensive and could not represent the population of the entire region. Furthermore, as the test was administered only online, people who could not or did not use the Internet during the testing period were automatically excluded from the test. The median age of the test-takers was 26, and 20 per cent of the test-takers aged above 35. Therefore, the test did not reflect the English proficiency of students. In gist, the results of the Index test neither represented the English proficiency of students nor reliably reflected the English proficiency of the population of the participating regions. We should be cautious in interpreting the relevant figures and ranking.
 
    Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Starry Lee is as follows:
 
(1) The Education Bureau (EDB) has been keeping track of the English proficiency of Hong Kong students through various channels, including large-scale assessments like the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examinations and the Territory-wide System Assessment (TSA). Since the inaugural HKDSE Examinations in 2012, at least 77 per cent of students attained Level 2 or above in the English language subject, meeting the requirements for applications of civil service posts and sub-degree programmes. The percentage of students attaining Level 3 or above, i.e. meeting the minimum requirement for admission to local 4-year undergraduate university programmes, increased from 50.1 per cent in 2012 to 55 per cent in 2020. Furthermore, the TSA, which is administered to students upon their completion of Primary 3, Primary 6 and Secondary 3 studies, provides objective, comprehensive and quality data. Concerning the basic competencies in the English language subject, primary and secondary students in Hong Kong performed steadily in the TSA in recent years. In the past few years (from 2014 to 2019), around 80 per cent of Primary 3 students attained the basic competencies in the English language subject every year. The relevant statistics for Primary 6 students also steadily reached 72 per cent; and that for Secondary 3 students stood at around 70 per cent every year. The above shows that students of the respective grades have sustained a steady performance all along. The EDB did not make comparisons on the English proficiency between local students and students in other regions.
 
(2) The EDB provides schools with recurrent resources every year and has implemented various measures with a view to enhancing the English proficiency of Hong Kong students. Furthermore, the Government set up the Language Fund (LF) in 1994 and injected a $5 billion seed money to the LF in 2014 to provide a steady stream of funding to facilitate the long term strategic planning and development of language education. In 1996, the Government also established the Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR), which has been advising the Government on language education issues in general as well as the use of the LF. Through the use of the LF, SCOLAR has complemented the efforts of the Government and other advisory bodies as well as stakeholders by funding and implementing various measures to assist the people in Hong Kong, particularly students and working adults, and enhance the Chinese and English proficiency of people in Hong Kong (including students).
 
    Concerning the support to schools, since 2004, the Task Force on Language Support under the EDB has been providing school-based support services on English language to primary and secondary schools to enhance teachers' professional knowledge and their teaching skills. Moreover, in order to enhance the teaching of English language, the "Native-speaking English Teacher (NET) Scheme" has been implemented in public-sector secondary and primary schools. NETs collaborate with local English language teachers to bring diversified teaching strategies and methods/beliefs, their professional experience and cultural literacy to local English language classrooms to enrich students' language learning experience and strengthen the English language learning environment. Also, in the 2017/18 school year, the EDB launched the "Grant Scheme on Promoting Effective English Language Learning in Primary Schools", which provides a one-off additional grant to primary schools to facilitate their development of school-based measures for further enhancing English language teaching.
 
    Regarding the professional development of teachers, the EDB has continuously provided or commissioned universities and etc. to conduct professional development programmes for in-service teachers on the effective implementation of the English language curriculum and language across the curriculum. In addition, the "Scholarship for Prospective English Teachers" attracts individuals who are proficient in English to pursue relevant local bachelor degree programmes and/or teacher training programmes for the necessary qualifications to become English teachers upon graduation.
 
    In order to arouse students' interest in learning English and to enhance their exposure to English language, the EDB has been organising or co-organising with different organisations various types of English language activities, such as English language video-making competitions; public speaking/debating competitions; and drama competitions, including the "English Sayings of Wisdom Creative Writing Competition" and "Poetry Remake Competition" held in the 2020/21 school year to promote language learning across the curriculum. The LF also sponsors various organisations to organise English language related activities in the community, such as theatre experiences and story-telling and writing workshops, so as to provide primary and secondary students with enjoyable English language learning experience and boost their confidence in using English.
 
    Meanwhile, the EDB conducts on-going renewal of and optimises the curriculum. The EDB has reviewed the "CDC English Language Education Key Learning Area Curriculum Guide (Primary 1 – Secondary 6)" (the Guide) in 2017 and enriched the content by incorporating e-learning, information literacy, and reading/language across the curriculum in the Guide. The optimising measures of the Senior Secondary English language subject was also announced in April 2021.
 
    In the past five years (i.e. from 2016-17 to 2020-21 financial years), the average total annual expenditure of the aforementioned support measures on English language education was about $900 million. 
 
(3) We conduct ongoing evaluations of the above-mentioned measures through various means, including curriculum development visits to and lesson observations in participating schools; inviting participants of the schemes to take part in questionnaire surveys and/or focus group interviews; holding quality assurance meetings with organisers of the schemes, and vetting the progress and final reports submitted by relevant organisations. All in all, positive feedback was received from schools/participants. They agreed that the schemes had helped teachers in devising teaching strategies that cater for the needs of their students so as to enhance students' English learning abilities and arouse their interest in learning English. As mentioned in reply (1) above, students' results in the English language subject of the HKDSE Examinations were overall satisfactory and their performance in the TSA was also steady.
 
    The EDB will continue implementing various measures to enhance English language education with a view to raising students’ English proficiency.

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Chun-ying and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (July 21):
 
Question:
 
     In June last year, the authorities of the Mainland, Macao and Hong Kong made a joint announcement on the decision to implement a two-way cross-boundary wealth management connect pilot scheme in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which would allow residents in the Greater Bay Area to carry out cross-boundary investment in wealth management products distributed by banks in the area. They also signed a memorandum of understanding earlier this year on matters such as the principles of supervisory co-operation involved. On May 6 this year, the People's Bank of China Guangzhou Branch issued the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Cross-Boundary Wealth Management Connect Pilot Scheme implementation details (Consultation Paper) (Consultation Paper). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the Consultation Paper has mentioned that Hong Kong and Macao investors carrying out businesses under the "Northbound Wealth Management Connect" should meet the relevant requirements set by the financial regulators in Hong Kong and Macao, whether the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has drawn up the relevant requirements in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) as the Consultation Paper has mentioned that the investment products which may be purchased by Mainland investors under the "Southbound Wealth Management Connect" will be subject to the regulations set by the regulators in Hong Kong and Macao, whether HKMA has drawn up the regulations in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) whether HKMA has discussed with the Mainland authorities, in order to tie in with the implementation of the "Southbound Wealth Management Connect", allowing banks in Hong Kong to make enquiries, through the credit information system of the People's Bank of China, about the credit reports of those Mainland investors who intend to purchase investment products offered in Hong Kong; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The People's Bank of China, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) and the Monetary Authority of Macao jointly announced in June 2020 the decision to implement the two-way cross-boundary wealth management connect pilot scheme (Wealth Management Connect) in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) to allow residents in Hong Kong, Macao and nine Mainland cities of the GBA to carry out cross-boundary investment in wealth management products distributed by banks in the area to address the wealth management needs of the residents. Not only will Wealth Management Connect bring enormous business opportunities to the entire financial industry value chain and other professional services in Hong Kong, it will also promote the cross-boundary flow and use of Renminbi (RMB), reinforcing further Hong Kong's position as the global offshore RMB business hub and the international asset management centre. The regulators of the three places announced in early February this year that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the principles of supervisory co-operation under Wealth Management Connect. In May, the Guangdong regulators promulgated the draft implementation guidelines for public consultation. The HKMA has been working closely with the relevant authorities of the three places on various preparation work with a view to expediting the implementation of the scheme.
 
     My reply to the various parts of the question is as follows:
 
(1)&(2) The HKMA has conducted several rounds of industry consultation in drawing up the implementation details of Wealth Management Connect. The industry provided many constructive suggestions that have helped us draw up the scheme with a view to offering investors and the industry the necessary convenience while ensuring proper risk management. Our current proposal on the implementation arrangement for the Northbound investor eligibility and the Southbound wealth management product scope is as follows:
 
     Northbound investor eligibility: Hong Kong residents who hold Hong Kong identity cards (including permanent and non-permanent residents) and are assessed by Hong Kong banks as not being vulnerable customers in accordance with the HKMA's circular of September 25, 2019 "Investor Protection Measures in respect of Investment, Insurance and Mandatory Provident Fund Products" (Note) can participate in the Northbound Scheme.
 
     Southbound wealth management product scope: Considering the need for individual investors to gradually gain a better understanding of the wealth management products and market landscape across the boundary, we plan to include relatively low-risk and simple wealth management products at the initial stage of the implementation of the scheme. Therefore, structured products or products mainly involving derivatives (e.g. futures and options) will not be included in the scope of eligible products. We expect that at the initial stage, the Southbound Scheme will mainly cover deposits, low to medium-risk and non-complex bonds and Hong Kong domiciled funds authorised by the Securities and Futures Commission.

(3) Based on the current proposal of the implementation arrangement, Mainland investors' funds in their Hong Kong investment accounts should originate from their Mainland remittance accounts or be generated through investment gain under the Southbound Scheme. These funds can only be used to purchase eligible wealth management products under Wealth Management Connect and cannot be used for purposes such as pledging, or as leverage or guarantee. Therefore, we expect that Hong Kong banks do not need to obtain the credit conditions of Mainland investors for conducting due diligence and managing subsequent investment activities.

Note: Vulnerable customers (VCs) refer to customers who have lower ability to understand the risk and withstand the potential losses of an investment. In determining whether a customer is a VC, banks consider holistically the circumstances of a customer, including the level of financial sophistication (e.g. investment experience), the state of mind (e.g. ability to make investment decision) and the level of wealth.

     Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (July 21):
 
Question:
 
     I have recently received complaints from quite a number of members of the public who claimed that they had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on hiring companies through online decoration platforms to carry out renovation works or produce custom-made furniture, but the works concerned had ended up unfinished, and the furniture had not matched the specifications. They have no way to recover their money and the swindlers continue to deceive others with the same tactics. Regarding deception cases involving renovation works or custom-made furniture, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the following information on the reported cases of violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (TDO) involving renovation works or custom-made furniture received by the authorities in the past three years: (i) the number of such cases, (ii) the unfair trade practices involved, (iii) the number of suspects involved in the cases, (iv) the number of persons prosecuted, and (v) the number of persons convicted;
 
(2) of the number of law enforcement actions (including inspections) taken in the past three years by law enforcement agencies against such type of deception cases and, among such actions, the number of those involving online decoration platforms; whether the approach of officers posing as clients was adopted for law enforcement; if so, of the effectiveness, and whether this approach will be adopted more often for law enforcement; and
 
(3) whether it will discuss with the Consumer Council and the Construction Industry Council the making of concerted efforts to combat such type of deception cases; whether it will consider making public a list of decoration companies which, and persons who, have been complained of having violated the TDO, so that members of the public may guard against being deceived; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Kwok is as follows:
 
(1)The enforcement statistics of the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) in relation to violation of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) (TDO) involving renovation works or custom-made furniture from 2018 to June, 2021 are as follows:

 
(2)As aforementioned, from 2018 to June, 2021, the C&ED initiated investigations on 19 cases in relation to violation of the TDO involving renovation services or custom-made furniture.

     Unlike other goods or services, given the nature of renovation services and custom-made furniture, the C&ED would not take enforcement actions through the approach of undercover officers posing as customers in general, but would mainly initiate investigations and enforcement actions on reported cases.

     The C&ED will continue to closely monitor whether there are traders operating their businesses by adopting unfair trade practices, including whether the renovation services or custom-made furniture sold through online renovation platforms involve unfair trade practices, and take vigorous enforcement actions against illegal traders to protect the lawful interest of consumers.
 
(3)Apart from stepping up enforcement, the C&ED is also committed to promoting compliance to the renovation services industry, including proactively liaising with traders and holding seminars to introduce the coverage of the TDO, with a view to reminding traders and practitioners to comply with the TDO.

     On education and publicity, the C&ED has produced a new promotional video and a new range of promotional posters and souvenirs to introduce common unfair trade practices in four industries (including renovation services) so as to remind consumers and promote compliance with the TDO as well as fair trading.

     Also, the Consumer Council (the Council) has an established mechanism to name and shame traders adopting unscrupulous sales practices, by considering a number of factors including the number of complaints against a trader and the sales practices involved. In this regard, the Council will continue to closely monitor the complaints related to decoration and renovation services, and consider naming of the traders concerned when necessary in accordance with the mechanism so that consumers can become aware. The Council and the C&ED also hold regular meetings to enhance communication on consumer complaints involving unscrupulous sales practices, including those cases related to decoration and renovation services.

     Regarding the Construction Industry Council, the Development Bureau advised that matters relating to renovation services or custom-made furniture are not within the functions of the Construction Industry Council.

     A spokesman for the Transport Department announced today (July 21) that due to a backend system problem, the remote payment functions in the HKeMeter mobile application are temporarily out of service until further notice. Motorists should conduct payment of parking fees directly on the parking meters. The department apologises for any inconvenience caused. For enquiries, please contact the service hotline at 2332 3700.

     The Government yesterday (July 20) exercised the power under the Prevention and Control of Disease (Compulsory Testing for Certain Persons) Regulation (Cap. 599J) to make a "restriction-testing declaration" effective from 8pm yesterday, under which people (hereafter referred to as "persons subject to compulsory testing") within the specified "restricted area" in Taikoo Shing (i.e. Tang Kung Mansion, Kam Din Terrace, Taikoo Shing (excluding Taikoo Shing Management Limited and the kindergarten (Hamilton Hill International Kindergarten (Island East))) were required to stay in their premises and undergo compulsory testing. Persons subject to compulsory testing were required to stay in their premises until all such persons identified in the area had undergone testing and the test results were mostly ascertained. Moreover, the Government issued a compulsory testing notice yesterday, requiring persons who had been present at the above building for more than two hours from July 16 to 20, 2021, even if they were not present in the "restricted area" at the time when the declaration took effect, to undergo compulsory testing on or before July 22. The Government announced the completion of the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today (July 21) and carried out enforcement action in the "restricted area" afterwards to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone compulsory testing in accordance with the requirements of the relevant declaration and compulsory testing notice. The Government announced that the enforcement operation ended at around 10am today.

     In this exercise, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) (including the Eastern District Office), the Hong Kong Police Force and the Department of Health mobilised around 230 staff to arrange for implementation of the declaration and enforcement actions for breaches of the compulsory testing notice issued earlier.

     The Government provided simple food for persons subject to compulsory testing, including canned food, instant noodles and corn kernels, so as to facilitate the dinner arrangements of some persons subject to compulsory testing. Anti-epidemic packs with masks, hand sanitiser and alcohol wet tissues were also provided to each person subject to compulsory testing to help them fight against the virus.

     The HAD also set up a hotline for people restricted by the declaration to make enquiries and seek assistance.

     The Government thanks persons subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding. With everyone's co-operation and efforts, coupled with the tireless efforts of the testing contractors, residents have been informed about their testing results by SMS notification. After finishing the compulsory testing exercise at around 7am today, the Government took enforcement action in the "restricted area" immediately to verify that all people in the "restricted area" had undergone testing according to the requirements of the declaration and the compulsory testing notice. Persons who could present an SMS notification containing a negative testing result or wore a wristband as proof of having undergone the compulsory testing could leave the "restricted area" through the designated exit after providing personal information to a prescribed officer. The enforcement operation was completed at around 10am. Test records of around 160 persons subject to compulsory testing were checked. Nobody was found to have not undergone compulsory testing. Taking into account the above situation, the Secretary for Food and Health revoked the "restriction-testing declaration" in accordance with Cap. 599J (see attachment).

     The Government hopes that the about 40 households who have not answered the door will contact the Government for arrangement of testing as soon as possible after reading the notices put up by the Government, in the hope of eliminating the possible risk of further spread of the virus in the community.

     The Government thanks all participating government staff and the testing agencies for their hard work. The Government is also grateful to those subject to compulsory testing for their support and understanding, and their full co-operation during this period in undergoing testing and waiting for the results at home.

     The Government will seriously follow up on the compliance situation of the compulsory testing notices and the "restriction-testing declaration" by persons subject to compulsory testing. Any person who fails to comply with the compulsory testing notices commits an offence and may be liable to a fixed penalty of $5,000. The person will also be issued with a compulsory testing order, requiring him or her to undergo testing within a specified time frame. Failure to comply with the order or the "restriction-testing declaration" is an offence and the offender may be liable to a fine of level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months.