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Following is a question by Ir Dr the Hon Ho Chung-tai and a reply by the Chief Secretary for the Administration, Mr Donald Tsang, in the Legislative Council today (October 31):

Question:

It is learnt that the Sustainable Development Unit set up in April this year will put forward concrete proposals on the establishment of a sustainability impact assessment ("SIA") system and a Council for Sustainable Development ("CSD") within the Government by the end of this year. Government departments will in future be required to carry out SIAs in formulating major policies and programmes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(a) how decisions on whether SIA should be conducted on a certain policy or programme are made, with examples to illustrate;

(b) whether SIAs are required to be conducted on cross-boundary major infrastructural projects; and

(c) given that the Chief Executive proposed the establishment of a CSD in his 1999 Policy Address, but to date the Administration has not yet come up with any proposals on matters such as the composition and terms of reference of the CSD, its relationship with relevant statutory and advisory bodies, as well as the stage at which the CSD intervenes in the assessment mechanism, of the main reasons for the slow progress of work in this regard?

Reply:

Madam President,

My response to the Hon Member's questions is as follows:

(a) An initiative or major programme that may bring about significant or prolonged implications to the economic, social or environmental conditions of Hong Kong will be required to conduct a sustainability assessment. Examples may include regional planning studies, comprehensive transport studies, etc. The responsible bureau or department will have to integrate the three essential considerations in formulating its initiative and explain the long-term sustainability of its proposal when it seeks policy approval from the Chief Secretary's Committee or the Executive Council as the case may be. An early assessment will help scope out cross-sectoral issues and sensitive areas that require special attention or further detailed examination by the relevant bureaux or departments.

(b) Our thinking is that a sustainability assessment should be conducted on any major cross-boundary infrastructural proposal, or indeed policy initiative or programme. The assessment should be carried out at the planning stage.

(c) The Planning Department's consultancy study on Sustainable Development for the 21st Century, including the result of a series of public consultations conducted under the study, was completed and presented to relevant Panels of this Council early this year. We have, since then, embarked on an accelerated programme and established a new Sustainable Development Unit. In the past few months, the Unit has studied the public views and looked into the experience of similar committees overseas. It has also talked to a wide spectrum of stakeholders concerning the composition of as well as issues for priority attention for the Council. The Unit will finalize its recommendations soon. The Chief Executive will consider these recommendations and make appointments to the Council by the end of the year as originally anticipated.

End/Wednesday, October 31, 2001

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