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Tired Exco needs new members
Now that the chief executive has announced he plans to be pro- active in government throughout his last months in office, we can all reasonably expect him to take firm action.  He could start by  getting rid of the dead wood on his overpopulated 29-seat  Executive Council.
 Too many  civil servants, such as the secretary for the civil  service, sit  on Exco. A proper cabinet would consist of politically attuned elected representatives, who would make decisions that civil servants would be instructed to carry out. Civil servants  should not be involved in political  decision making.
 There are too many tycoons on the council, who  surely represent nothing  but their own commercial interests. Nobody has elected them. What's more, they carry no responsibility for any particular government department, and are therefore political and departmental lightweights.
 Also, some members, such as  Education Secretary Michael Suen Ming-yeung,  have  introduced policies which have proved to be deeply unpopular.  And Mr Suen has well-publicised health problems.  
Isn't it time to inject new blood and more energetic individuals? An effective cabinet should consist of a dozen or so politically attuned people, preferably having been elected to public office and bearing responsibility for a government department.
The present set-up of  Exco fails on all three counts. That needs to change, if  it is to prove effective over the next few months.
Rob Leung, Wan Chai
Targeting young people from Taiwan
I  refer to the letter by Angel Ng ('New deal a boost for tourism', June 19).  The Hong Kong  Tourism Board  has been actively  marketing Hong Kong as a  holiday destination in Taiwan in recent years.
In anticipation of the possible impact of direct cross-strait links, which would probably lead to a decline in same-day (mostly business) arrivals,  the  board stepped up its effort to raise the share of overnight vacation visitors. The average per capita spending by these visitors, which reached almost HK$5,200 in 2010, is much higher than the HK$610 of same-day visitors. Our target visitor segments include families and young  people. For the former, we highlight our city's family attractions and  activities. For example, in June, the  board  rolled out a promotional campaign featuring local cartoon character McDull  to encourage travel to Hong Kong  during the summer holidays. 
As for the  young people, we profile Hong Kong as a hip and trendy destination offering  stylish lifestyle and entertainment options. Besides leveraging the peak summer and winter  sale seasons,  we have also  publicised the city's Halloween  celebrations.  
 We have enhanced our promotions in the secondary cities of Kaohsiung and Taichung to explore a new source of arrivals.
Since 2009, we have seen a steady increase in overnight visitors from Taiwan. Last year, the number of overnight arrivals rose by 18 per cent over 2009. In the first five months of 2011, the figure increased by a further 7 per cent year on year.
We will definitely continue our efforts to  attract overnight arrivals from Taiwan.  Last month, we launched a major campaign  based on the 'Asia's world city' theme. Through travelogues, PR promotions and enticing packages developed with the travel trade, we are going to make Hong Kong an ideal vacation destination for Taiwanese travellers.
Anthony Lau, executive director, Hong Kong Tourism Board
Risky spot for proposed marina
The East Lamma Channel is Hong Kong's most important shipping lane. Living in Mo Tat Wan, overlooking the busy channel,  I often hear the warning horns of container ships, particularly at weekends.
 That there never has been a reported collision is a tribute to the professionalism and competence of those guiding container ships, fishing vessels and pleasure craft. The new marina proposed to be located right next to the exit of the East Lamma Channel would - according to the developer's plans - introduce up to 500 additional pleasure craft into the already crowded area, and  raise the statistical likelihood of accidents.
 Is the government willing to take this risk by allowing the development to proceed? 
How often can Hong Kong afford to have the main access to its container port blocked to allow the search for bodies and wreckage after an accident?
Aren't there safer spots for a marina than right between the East Lamma Channel and the south Lamma dangerous goods anchorage? 
Eva Wiegandt, Lamma
Foreign helpers not privileged
Your correspondent, Audrey Lam, of Mid-Levels,  makes the well-understood point that nativism in the use of English is hardly the way to go ('Native aspect of a language is not important to people learning English', June 30). 
But her  letter  reveals that she is upset not only by a foreign  language being spoken more fluently in classrooms in poorer neighbourhoods in Hong Kong but also that there are 'privileged' foreign domestic workers here. So it is clear Ms Lam needs  a lesson in the meaning of  privilege. 
It is no privilege to leave a village soaked in poverty, to leave one's loved ones and children to come to Hong Kong and work for low pay and long hours. Or am I wrong? 
Perhaps in her variety of English, the meaning of privilege has been inverted. Such inversion is not unknown in linguistics. Whatever, let me  say that Hong Kong is indeed privileged to have its foreign domestic workers.
 Certainly, the local parents I mix with every weekend tell me how lucky they are to be able to place their children in a foreign domestic worker's care. 
It is the shared partnership between hard-working local and foreign teachers, parents and domestic workers that is maintaining Hong Kong's privileged position in the region.  
Des Moriarty, Ma On Shan
Exodus of firms would hurt HK
I refer to the letter by Cynthia Sze  ('Nothing wrong with our schools', June 27). 
 If Asia's world city cannot provide adequate  English medium of instruction teaching for foreigners, then  your correspondent is right, the foreigners  could go back home or at least leave Hong Kong. However, so could the international companies based here. They might decide to find somewhere more accommodating, somewhere like Singapore perhaps.
 Then, who would pay for the SAR's infrastructure projects, hospitals and new shopping malls?  We should all  realise who is paying the bills which keep this  place afloat.  
Revenue from personal salaries tax doesn't cut it.   
Jeff Bell, Discovery Bay



Letters