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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council will hold a meeting this Wednesday (May 12) at 11am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building. During the meeting, Members will debate a motion on protecting the safety and health of employees at work in inclement weather.
The motion, to be moved by Hon Li Fung-ying, states: "That this Council urges the Administration to review the relevant guidelines and legislation for employees at work under very hot weather warnings, typhoon or rainstorm warnings so as to enhance the protection of employees' safety and health when working in inclement weather."
Hon Chan Hak-kan, Hon Audrey Eu, Hon Ip Wai-ming and Hon Lee Cheuk-yan will move amendments to Hon Li Fung-ying's motion respectively.
Members will debate another motion on reviewing the existing policy on live poultry in Hong Kong. The motion, to be moved by Hon Vincent Fang, says: "That, in view of the remark made publicly by the Secretary for Food and Health that the risks of avian influenza outbreaks have been significantly reduced, coupled with the fact that there has not been a case of indigenous human avian influenza in Hong Kong since 1997 and there was no case of avian influenza outbreak in local farms and Mainland farms which supply chickens to Hong Kong in the past one and a half years; on the other hand, there is still a strong demand for live chickens among Hong Kong people and that quite a number of people express the wish to buy live chickens at affordable prices through more convenient channels, especially during major traditional Chinese festivals; in this connection, this Council urges the Government:
(a) to review the existing policy on live poultry supply so as to reduce market intervention by administrative means and to appropriately increase the supply of live poultry according to market demand under safe and reasonable conditions, with a view to alleviating the pressure of price increases in live poultry and satisfying people's needs for live poultry as far as possible;
(b) to faithfully implement the usual practice of the Food and Health Bureau to maintain the quantity of daily market supply of live poultry from the Mainland and local farms at similar levels;
(c) to continuously maintain the usual practice for the live poultry trade in the past by appropriately increasing the supply of live poultry from the Mainland to Hong Kong according to market demand during major traditional Chinese festivals under safe circumstances, so as to meet people's special needs in those festivals; and
(d) to re-assess the need to develop a live poultry slaughtering centre in Hong Kong with regard to economic benefits and risk levels."
Hon Wong Kwok-hing, Hon Wong Yung-kan and Hon Fred Li will move amendments to Hon Vincent Fang's motion respectively.
On bills, the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill 2010 and the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2010 will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Debate on the Bills will be adjourned.
During the meeting, Members will also ask the Administration 20 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the Legislative Council InfoFax Service (Tel: 2869 9568) or the Legislative Council web site (www.legco.gov.hk).
Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Legislative Council Chamber. They may reserve seats by calling 2869 9399 during office hours. Seats will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis. Members of the public can also listen to the meeting via the audio webcast system on the Legislative Council homepage.
Ends/Monday, May 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:01
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