Working Reports
WK LO's LegCo Express (June 2018)
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WK Lo’s LegCo Express
June 2018
1. Urged the MOHURD to further relax the scope of works of Hong Kong invested construction and engineering companies
The Hon. Tony Tse and I wrote a joint letter on 25th April to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China (MOHURD) regarding the relaxation of scope of works of Hong Kong invested construction and engineering companies in the Mainland. The MOHURD replied in June that they would actively consider our suggestions and exempt those companies from the foreign investment restrictions through the CEPA platform. The Hon. Tse and I will take follow up action as appropriate.
2. Investigation on works at Hung Hom Station of Shatin to Central Link
The CE announced on 12 June that the government was setting up a Commission of Inquiry to investigate subpar works at Hung Hom Station on the Shatin-to-Central rail link. The commission will examine the cause and assess the extent of the problems, review the work supervision system of the Mass Transit Railway Corporation as well as the mechanism under which the government monitors and controls such works. I urged the Government to appoint an independent and professional engineer to join the Commission.
3. Passage of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Bill
The LegCo passed the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (Co-location) Bill on 14 June. It marks the basic completion of the three-step process of the co-location arrangement at the XRL West Kowloon Station. The Government is working on the preparatory work to commission the link's Hong Kong section in September. The Co-location Ordinance has been gazetted on June 22.
4. Funding requests approved in the PWSC and the FC in June
On 22 June, the PWSC approved a funding request of HK$1.6 billion for constructing a building on a Government, Institution or Community site at Kowloon Bay as a postal complex to reprovision the Hongkong Post’s Headquarters. On 25 June, the PWSC approved funding requests of HK$1.9 billion, HK$0.28 billion and HK$2.6 billion respectively for the provision of air traffic control facilities, aviation weather services facilities and fire services facilities to support the Three-Runway System. A funding allocation of HK$2 billion for relocation of Sha Tin Sewage Treatment Works to caverns was approved on the same day.
On 8 June, the FC approved a funding of HK$ 5.6 billion for the construction of the Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link.
5. Called for half-price fares for students and the elderly who will use the Express Rail Link
On 5 June, together with some other LegCo members, I urged the SAR government and mainland authorities to reduce ticket prices for students and the elderly using the Express Rail Link.
6. LegCo Subcommittee visited Wang Chau
Together with some other legCo members, I joined a site visit to Wang Chau in Yuen Long on 19 June to understand the latest development of the Wang Chau development project. I visited Wang Chau Phase 1 development area, which covers an area of about 5.6 hectares. It is expected that the development of the site will provide around 4000 public housing units. During the visit, I also exchanged views with the affected residents to learn more about their needs.
7. Visited the Shek Kip Mei Estates with Government official
On 3 June, together with some other LegCo members and district councilors, I accompanied the Secretary for Transport and Housing to visit the Shek Kip Mei estates. We urged the Government to listen to residents’ voice and to rebuild the remaining nine old public housing estates in Shek Kip Mei as soon as possible.
8. Subcommittee on Subsidiary Legislation Relating to the Commissioning of the West Kowloon Station of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link and Gazetted on 1 June 2018
The Secretary for Security has made the Immigration (Places of Detention) (Amendment) Order 2018, in order to set up detention quarters upon commissioning of the XRL West Kowloon Station Port for use by the Immigration Department in its daily immigration control and law enforcement. I joined the Subcommittee in June and have finished the scrutiny on the amendments at the meeting on 20 June.