1. Landfill and incinerator funding requests passed by the PWSC

Funding requests for the incinerator at Shek Kwu Chau and for the extension to the Tseung Kwan O landfill were passed at the Public Works Subcommittee (PWSC) meetings. The landfill extension is estimated to cost HK$1.9 billion, providing an additional 6.5 million cubic metres of space. The HK$18 billion incinerator on a reclaimed site near Shek Kwu Chau, would be able to burn 3,000 tonnes of waste a day, turning waste to energy. Some members put forward over 200 motions at the meetings. As Chairman of the PWSC, I have to strike a proper balance between respecting the right of individual members to express their opinions and /or move motions, and ensuring orderly, fair and proper conducting of the meetings. I made my judgment and decided not to admit some of the motions. The rest of the motions were put to vote and were all negatived. These two projects together with the extension to the Ta Kwu Ling landfill and the feasibility study on enlarging the Tuen Mun landfill passed by the PWSC last year will be submitted to the Finance Committee for further approval.

2. Elected as the Chairman of the Bills Committee on Construction Workers Registration (Amendment) Bill 2014

On 1 September 2007, the Phase One Prohibition under the Construction Workers Registration Ordinance (CWRO) came into effect. Starting from that date, unregistered construction workers are prohibited from carrying out construction works at construction sites. Employers are also prohibited from employing unregistered construction workers. The Administration adopted a two-stage approach for the legislative amendments. While Stage 1 amendments are to provide for the amalgamation of the Construction Industry Council and the Construction Workers Registration Authority and other streamlining measures, Stage 2 would deal with amendments to CWRO to facilitate implementation of the remaining phase of Prohibition. The Bill was published in the Gazette on 17 April 2014 and received its First Reading in the LegCo on 30 April 2014. At the meeting of the House Committee on 2 May 2014, members agreed to form a bills committee to study the Bill. I joined the bills committee and was elected as the Chairman.

3. Subcommittee to study the proposed Legislative amendments relating to the establishment of a new Innovation and Technology Bureau

A subcommittee to study legislative amendments relating to the setting up of the new Innovation and Technology Bureau (ITB) was proposed to set up. I had issued a joint letter with Hon Dr Elizabeth QUAT and some other LegCo Members to the Chief Executive in October 2012 urging the administration to set up a new Technology Bureau expeditiously. However, it was not until early this year that the Chief Executive announced in the 2014 Policy Address the decision to re-initiate the setting up of ITB. I joined the subcommittee and was elected as the Chairman on 5 June.

4. Delay in the construction works of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link

At the House Committee on 2 May, members discussed on the appointment of a select committee to exercise the powers under the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance (the P&P Ordinance) to inquire into the delay in the construction works of the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (the XRL project). As the representative of the engineering functional constituency in LegCo, I was gravely concerned about the delay in the construction works of the XRL project and agreed to the need to obtain more information on the causes for the delay, such as whether adequate site investigation had been conducted before commencement of the construction works and whether the complex geological ground conditions had rendered it difficult for the project team to complete the relevant works. I added that given that at present the public's prime concern was on how to minimize the delay and the overrun in the project cost as far as practicable, I considered it not necessary and inappropriate to invoke the powers under the P&P Ordinance to inquire into the matter at the current stage.

5. Bills Committee on Electronic Health Record Sharing System Bill

The administration introduced the Bill into the Legislative Council on 30 April 2014 to establish an Electronic Health Record Sharing System (System), to provide for the sharing and using of data and information contained and the protection of the System, and to provide for incidental and related matters. The Bill covers, among others, the establishment of the System; the appointment of the Commissioner; registration of healthcare recipients and healthcare providers; use of electronic health record; system security and integrity; interaction with Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance; new offences specific to the operation of electronic health record sharing; complaints and appeal mechanism; access to card face data; and liability of Government and public officers. A bills committee was set up in May and I joined the committee.