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The following is issued on behalf of Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council will hold a meeting this Wednesday (November 24) at 11am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building. During the meeting, Members will resume Second Reading debate on the Buildings Energy Efficiency Bill. If the Bill is supported by Members and receives its Second Reading, it will then go through the Committee Stage and be read the Third time.
Meanwhile, the University of Hong Kong (Amendment) Bill 2010 will be introduced into the Council for First and Second Readings. Second Reading debate on the bill will be adjourned.
On Members' motions, Hon Cyd Ho will move a resolution under the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to seek the Council's approval to extend the period of amending the Human Organ Transplant (Amendment) Regulation 2010 and the Human Organ Transplant (Appeal Board) Regulation, which laid on the table of the Legislative Council on November 3, 2010, to the meeting of January 5, 2011.
Members will debate a motion on promoting the waste recycling industries. The motion, to be moved by Hon Vincent Fang, states: "That, over 90% of the recyclable waste currently recovered in Hong Kong is exported to other countries or places for recycling, yet owing to developed countries' gradual tightening of their policies on waste import, the number of countries permitting waste import will decrease in the future; in order to resolve the problem of waste accumulation in Hong Kong in the long run, it is of utmost importance to extend the categories and proportion of recyclable waste recovery and expedite the development of Hong Kong's environmental and recycling industries; in this connection, this Council proposes that:
(a) the Government should conceive an overall waste policy on the 3R concept (i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle), so as to formulate a follow-through policy on reducing, recovering and recycling waste, implementing and promoting it in a well-planned manner, with a view to resolving the problem of waste accumulation in Hong Kong, encouraging the development of environment-related new industries, promoting sustainable economic development and creating more employment opportunities;
(b) since waste recycling industries require considerable investments but yield relatively low returns, the Government should therefore, by making reference to the policies of developed countries on promoting environmental and waste recycling industries, formulate local preferential policies, including providing land and tax concessions, technology support, etc, so as to encourage the commercial sector to invest in waste recovery and recycling industries; and
(c) while broadening the scope of product eco-responsibility, present efforts in recovering recyclable waste should be extended, and the use of green products by society should be encouraged; the Government should avoid making environmental levies prevalent in Hong Kong or charging to another kind of consumption tax, so as not to turn Hong Kong into a 'taxes and levies capital', tarnish Hong Kong's reputation as a shoppers' paradise, affecting people's daily habits and boosting inflation."
Hon Ip Wai-ming, Hon Kam Nai-wai, Hon Tanya Chan, Hon Chan Hak-kan and Hon Jeffrey Lam will move separate amendments to Hon Vincent Fang's motion.
Hon Frederick Fung will move a motion on alleviating the disparity between the rich and the poor, which states: "That over the years, the seriously tilted social and economic policies of the Government, coupled with factors such as economic restructuring, have led to the deterioration of the disparity between the rich and the poor, the continuous increase in the poverty population and the gradual intensification of class conflicts in society; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to establish a high-level committee to comprehensively review and study in-depth various aspects ranging from the Government's concepts and principles of governance to the formulation of policies and implementation of measures, to formulate, through public engagement and consultation, comprehensive and sustainable social and economic development strategies that give consideration to all social strata, effectively allocate social resources and narrow the disparity between the rich and the poor, and at the same time implement appropriate poverty alleviation measures, so as to enable all social strata to truly share the fruit of economic success and promote the harmonious development of society."
Hon Chan Kin-por and Hon Wong Kwok-hing will move separate amendments to Hon Frederick Fung's motion.
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 LegCo InfoFax Service (Tel: 2869 9568) or 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 in the LegCo website.
Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the LegCo 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 web broadcast system on the LegCo homepage.
Ends/Monday, November 22, 2010
Issued at HKT 17:48
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