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The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
The Legislative Council will hold a meeting this Wednesday (December 8) at 11am in the Chamber of the Legislative Council Building. During the meeting, Members will resume Second Reading debate on the Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2010. 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 Stamp Duty (Amendment) (No. 2) 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, Members will debate a motion on air pollution and public health. The motion, to be moved by Hon Kam Nai-wai, states: "That, as the problem of air pollution in Hong Kong has continued to be serious, posing threats to public health, yet the Government has not updated Hong Kong's Air Quality Objectives (AQOs), and at present, many highly polluting franchised buses and lorries still run on the roads, continuing to emit exhaust gas, this Council expresses its disappointment in this regard; according to the statistics of the Hedley Environmental Index, in the first 10 months of this year, air pollution caused as many as 635 premature deaths and more than 4 million attendances of medical consultation in Hong Kong; given that air pollution has incurred huge monetary losses and social costs, this Council urges the Government to implement the following proposals, so as to expeditiously improve air quality for the protection of public health:
(a) to immediately update AQOs by adopting the most stringent standards of the World Health Organization's air quality guidelines as Hong Kong's AQOs, and undertake to review AQOs regularly in the future;
(b) by way of financial subsidy or franchise extension, to push ahead the early phasing out and replacement of franchised buses with high emissions, so as to improve roadside air quality, and immediately install emission reduction devices on all buses that have not been phased out or replaced;
(c) to enhance the scheme for the replacement of Euro II diesel commercial vehicles mentioned in the Budget of this year, including placing Pre-Euro and Euro-I vehicles under the scheme and allowing those vehicle owners who only write off their vehicles to receive subsidies under the scheme;
(d) to increase the number, usage and types of electric vehicles; improve and strengthen support facilities to tie in with the introduction of electric vehicles by, for example, actively discussing with various developers the provision of recharging facilities for electric vehicles in the car parks of their properties; and expeditiously study amending the legislation to expedite and streamline the procedure for electric vehicle drivers to apply for the permit to drive on expressways, so as to assist in popularising electric vehicles;
(e) to urge bus companies to expand and increase the provision of interchange concessions and services which appeal to passengers, and to expedite the reorganisation and improve the arrangement of bus routes, with a view to avoiding the overlapping of bus routes, relieving traffic congestion and reducing air pollution;
(f) to expeditiously implement the proposal of designating 'low emission zones', so as to restrict the entry of vehicles with high emissions into designated areas;
(g) in respect of the situation where the Air Pollution Index reaches the 'extremely severe' level, to formulate specific guidelines, including implementation of measures to suspend schools and arrange for workers who need to work outdoors for long hours to suspend work, etc., so as to protect the health of school children and the socially disadvantaged, such as people with chronic illness, the elderly and workers working outdoors, in situations where the pollution is serious;
(h) when formulating measures to improve air pollution, to adopt the latest objectives and benchmarks of the World Health Organization, and evaluate the effectiveness of each measure in improving public health, and set improving public health as the primary policy objective in addressing the problem of air pollution; and
(i) to recognise that air pollution is a public health issue, and require accountable officials from the Food and Health Bureau to participate in the formulation of policies on improving air quality."
Hon Chan Hak-kan, Hon Ip Wai-ming, Hon Ronny Tong, and Dr Hon Joseph Lee will move separate amendments to Hon Kam Nai-wai's motion.
Hon Audrey Eu will move a motion on reviewing the policy on nature conservation, states: "That this Council urges the Government to expeditiously review the existing policy on nature conservation and formulate appropriate measures, including: setting up a community-led and government-supported nature conservation fund; putting in place a compensation mechanism for cases in which the land lots have been frozen for development due to nature conservation and have established development rights according to law; immediately implementing planning control on 'enclaves' adjacent to country parks; requiring developers, upon the expiry of the planning permission and building plan approval, to apply afresh for development permission according to the existing conservation requirements in respect of projects yet to be commenced; plugging the loophole that developers can undertake large-scale developments by acquiring small house concessionary rights; and increasing the penalties for property owners and liable persons who carry out unlawful development and cause land damage in contravention of the law, so as to properly conserve land lots with high ecological value and picturesque sceneries."
Hon Kam Nai-wai and Hon Cheung Hok-ming will move separate amendments to Hon Audrey Eu's motion.
Hon Tam Yiu-chung will move a resolution under the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to seek the Council's approval to extend the period of amending the Minimum Wage Ordinance (Amendment of Schedule 3) Notice 2010, Minimum Wage Ordinance (Commencement) Notice 2010, Minimum Wage Ordinance (Commencement) (No. 2) Notice 2010, and Employment Ordinance (Amendment of Ninth Schedule) Notice 2010, which laid on the table of the Legislative Council on November 17, 2010, to the meeting of January 5, 2011.
Moreover, the Secretary for the Environment will move a resolution under the Air Pollution Control Ordinance to seek the Council's approval to amend the Second Technical Memorandum for Allocation of Emission Allowances in Respect of Specified Licences, which laid on the table of the Legislative Council on October 20, 2010.
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 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 web broadcast system on the Legislative Council homepage.
Ends/Monday, December 6, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:51
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