Elected as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Proposed Resolution Relating to Glass Beverage Containers under the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance
The Government moved a motion at the LegCo meeting of 29 June 2022 to seek LegCo’s approval of the Product Eco-responsibility (Regulated Articles) Regulation. The Regulation provides for the operational details of a mandatory producer responsibility scheme that first targets glass beverage containers for the promotion of proper recycling and disposal of such containers. In view of this, a Subcommittee was set up to study on the Regulation. I was elected as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Proposed Resolution Relating to Glass Beverage Containers under the Product Eco-responsibility Ordinance in June.
Funding projects approved at the PWSC and FC meetings
At the FC meeting of 10 June, an allocation of $79.6 million was approved for the purpose of implementing the re-organisation of the Government Secretariat with effect from 1 July 2022. At the FC meeting on 24 June, the allocation of $21.9 billion was approved for the redevelopment of Prince of Wales Hospital, phase 2; and another allocation of $9.9 billion was approved for the redevelopment of Grantham Hospital.
At the PWSC meeting on 27 June, a funding project of $425.1 million was approved for the infrastructure works for West Kowloon Cultural District. At the PWSC meeting on 24 June, a funding project of $477.0 million was endorsed to construct a research building in the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; another allocation of $651.2 million was approved to construct an academic building in the Education University of Hong Kong. The projects together with the others would be forwarded to the FC for final funding approval. During the LegCo session of 2021-2022, the PWSC approved 28 funding projects and involved the cost of $95.6 billion.
Raised a question on statistical classification of manufacturing industry
On 15 June, I raised a written question at the LegCo council meeting and asked the Government whether it will update the method of compiling statistics on the total value of production of the manufacturing industry, and bringing the production activities of Hong Kong's manufacturing enterprises outside Hong Kong into the scope of statistics compilation, so as to reflect more accurately the value of the manufacturing industry; whether the Government will update the industrial classification under the manufacturing industry, so as to reflect the share of the advanced manufacturing industry in the overall manufacturing industry. Please view my question and the Government’s reply via the following link: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/ general/202206/15/P2022061500254.htm?fontSize=3
Support for engineering, construction, architectural, surveying, town planning and landscape sectors
At the CE Q&A session on 9 June, I urged the Government to continue its subsidy to private organisations to employ assistant professionals and graduates of the engineering, construction, architectural, surveying, town planning and landscape sectors. The Government responded immediately and launched “Support for Engineering, Architectural, Surveying, Town Planning and Landscape Sectors 3.0” on 10 June to retain talents in the engineering, construction, architectural, surveying, town planning and landscape industry and support the development of its professional sectors. A total of 2 000 subsidy places of two groups are provided, 625 subsidy places for Graduates (Architectural, Surveying, Town Planning and Landscape Sectors), and 1375 subsidy places for Assistant Professionals (Engineering, Architectural, Surveying, Town Planning and Landscape Sectors). For fresh graduates studying engineering, employers can apply for subsidies under the Engineering Graduate Training Scheme. They will receive a subsidy of $5,610 per month for up to 18 months for each fresh graduate studying engineering subjects employed. The quota for such subsidies is 500 this year.
Subcommittee on Antiquities and Monuments (Declaration of Monuments and Historical Buildings) (Consolidation) (Amendment) Notice 2022
The Government has decided to declare the three historic buildings, Jamia Mosque, Lui Seng Chun and the City Hall as monuments accorded with Grade 1 status under the existing administrative grading mechanism. In addition to reflecting the outstanding heritage value of the three historic buildings, the declaration will provide the three buildings with statutory protection. The Notice took immediate effect in the Legislative Council for negative vetting on 25 May 2022. I joined the Subcommittee in June.
Bills Committee on Occupational Safety and Occupational Health Legislation (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2022
The Government made a commitment in the 2017 Policy Address to review the penalty regimes of relevant OSH legislation. It completed the review and consulted relevant stakeholders successively on the preliminary proposal in 2019 and the revised proposal in 2020. The salient features of the proposed amendments to the maximum penalties of OSH legislation under these two proposals are set out in the Bill. A Bills Committee was set up to scrutinize the Bill. I joined the Bills Committee in June.