HKSAR Government Press Releaseshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/today.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/rss/rss_logo_en.gifHKSAR Government Press Releaseshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/today.htmHKSAR Government - Press Releasesen-UKCopyright, HKSAR Governmentirc@isd.gov.hkWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:00:00 GMTThu, 16 Jun 2016 01:43:00 GMTISD PR RSS Generator 3.21Red flags hoisted at some beacheshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/16/P201606160285.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/16/P201606160285.htmThu, 16 Jun 2016 09:26:29 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 16) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Pui O Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach in Islands District.Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
]]>Appeal for information on missing man in Mong Kok (with photo)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150859.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150859.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 20:11:46 +0800
Yu Kwok-fai, aged 65, was last seen on Cherry Street in December 2013. His family made a report to Police on June 10 this year.

He is about 1.65 metres tall, 73 kilograms in weight and of medium build. He has a round face with yellow complexion and short straight black hair.

Anyone who knows the whereabouts of the missing man or may have seen him is urged to contact the Regional Missing Persons Unit of Kowloon West on 2761 2586 or 9020 6542, or email to rmpu-kw-2@police.gov.hk, or contact any police station.
Photo
]]>Truck driver sentenced to three weeks' imprisonment for illegal disposal of trade wastehttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150767.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150767.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 19:16:14 +0800
An EPD spokesman said that the EPD received a complaint in November 2015 regarding a case of illegal disposal of waste at Wing Lap Street in Kwai Chung. After investigation and tracing the information of the vehicle involved, EPD officers found that a truck driver had illegally disposed of trade waste at the area in October last year. The EPD then initiated prosecution against the truck driver in accordance with the WDO.

The truck driver was also prosecuted by the EPD for illegal disposal of trade waste at Wing Shun Street in Kwai Chung in July and August last year. He was subsequently fined $12,000 in January this year by the court.

Having considered that the truck driver was convicted for repeated violations of the WDO, the Magistrate decided that a prison sentence was required to deter future contraventions.

The spokesman reminded the commercial and industrial sector and the transportation sector, especially members from the logistics industry, to dispose of waste in accordance with relevant laws. Anyone who disposes of waste at public places or government land or without the permission of land owners will violate the WDO. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment. A maximum fine of $500,000 and six months' imprisonment may be imposed on second or subsequent convictions. In addition, a daily fine of $10,000 may be imposed for a continuing offence.
]]>Government releases latest blood test results of citizens affected by lead in drinking water incidenthttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150766.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150766.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 18:34:40 +0800
Taking reference from medical literature as well as local and overseas experience, the Hospital Authority (HA) and the Department of Health (DH) have derived the reference values of blood lead levels and corresponding actions to be taken in various healthcare settings.

According to established measures, the DH will perform lead exposure assessment for all citizens with borderline raised blood lead levels, and will arrange preliminary developmental assessment if they are children aged under 12. The HA will arrange health evaluation and follow-up for citizens with borderline raised blood lead levels who are children aged 12 or above, adults, pregnant women or lactating women, and arrange ongoing blood lead level monitoring for persons with borderline raised blood lead levels.
]]>Hong Kong and Mainland sign co-operation agreement on research for Chinese medicine testing and standards (with photos)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150663.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150663.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 18:23:03 +0800
The co-operation agreement was jointly signed by the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan, and the Director of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of the CFDA, Mr Yuan Lin.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Dr Chan said that Hong Kong and the Mainland have established a solid foundation of co-operation and exchange since the DH and the CFDA jointly signed the first agreement related to control of drugs and medical devices in 2010. The newly signed co-operation agreement not only enables closer co-operation between both sides in developing quality and safety standards for Chinese Materia Medica, but also further enhances the exchange of expertise and promotes the development of Chinese medicine in both places.

According to the co-operation agreement, exchanges in the area of developing standards for Chinese Materia Medica, including research and development of quality and safety standards for Chinese Materia Medica and Chinese medicines decoction pieces, as well as testing on the quality and safety of Chinese medicines and relevant risk control strategies, will be further enhanced through activities such as meetings of experts, symposiums and training between both places.

With the support and participation of the National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), a subordinate agency of the CFDA, the DH has completed the formulation of standards for 21 commonly used Chinese herbs in Hong Kong. Of these, the standards for seven commonly used Chinese herbs were announced in the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards last year while those of the remaining 14 will be announced next year. In addition, the NIFDC will become one of the major working partners and provide technical support for the future Chinese Medicine Testing Centre under the management of the DH.

The Chief Executive announced in the 2015 Policy Address the development of a testing centre for Chinese medicines, which will specialise in the testing of and scientific research on Chinese medicine with a view to setting reference standards for the safety, quality and testing methods of Chinese medicine. The testing centre will also help promote the Hong Kong Chinese Materia Medica Standards and the reference standards for testing Chinese medicine as authoritative international benchmarks to pave the way for the internationalisation of Hong Kong's Chinese medicine industry.
Photo Photo
]]>DH endorses recall of Candinox Vaginal Tablet 100mg (with photo)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150657.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150657.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 18:01:03 +0800
During the DH's market surveillance, samples of the above pharmaceutical product were collected for analysis. Testing results from the Government Laboratory showed that all samples failed the disintegration test, which might affect the efficacy of the product. Deltapharm hence recalled the product from the market.

"We have instructed Deltapharm to report the root cause upon investigation by the manufacturer in Thailand. Our investigation is continuing," a spokesman for the DH said.

According to Deltapharm, the product has been supplied to local private doctors and pharmacies, and exported to Macau.

The above pharmaceutical product contains a Part 1 poison, clotrimazole, and is used for the treatment of vulvovaginal candidiasis. It can only be supplied at a pharmacy under the supervision of a registered pharmacist.

Deltapharm has set up a hotline (3113 6103) to answer related enquiries. The DH will closely monitor the recall.

So far, the DH has not received any adverse reaction reports in connection with the above product.

People who have used the above product should consult their healthcare professionals when in doubt or feeling unwell after use.
Photo
]]>LCQ13: Tenants affected by URA's redevelopment projectshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150580.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150580.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 17:56:58 +0800
Question:

The new Urban Renewal Strategy promulgated in February 2011 stipulates that the aim of the Urban Renewal Authority (URA) in carrying out redevelopment is to "reduce the number of inadequately housed people", and the principles to which URA strictly adheres in carrying out redevelopment include the one that "tenants affected by redevelopment projects should be provided with proper rehousing".Since the establishment of URA in 2001, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has been able to provide URA with an annual quota of up to 1 000 public housing/interim housing flats for the purpose of rehousing households affected by redevelopment projects.URA is required to pay to HA monthly reservation fees and also the cost of the flats concerned when the rehousing of households actually takes place.In addition, given that in the past, quite a number of tenants affected by redevelopment projects had been requested by their landlords to move out upon the expiry or termination of their tenancies before URA acquired the affected properties successfully (evicted tenants), URA launched the Domestic Tenants Compassionate Assistance Programme (DTCAP) in 2011 to enable affected tenants to receive an ex-gratia payment after the completion of URA's acquisition or government resumption of the affected properties.Tenants who are ineligible for DTCAP but are in hardship may be granted the Relocation Assistance by URA at its discretion after they have been assessed by the Urban Renewal Social Service Team for the project concerned.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council if it knows:

(1) the following information of each redevelopment project commencing in each of the financial years from 2001-2002 to 2015-2016: (a) the total number of households at the time of the Freezing Survey, with a breakdown by category of households, i.e., (i) owner-occupiers, (ii) domestic tenants, (iii) occupiers of rooftop structures and (iv) occupiers of other categories, and (b) the number of households who were offered rehousing or compensation, with a breakdown by rehousing/compensation arrangement, i.e., (v) those rehoused to public housing flats provided by HA, (vi) those rehoused to public housing flats provided by the Hong Kong Housing Society, (vii) those rehoused to flats provided by URA, (viii) those being offered the basic ex-gratia payment and a cash incentive, (ix) those being offered an ex-gratia payment equivalent to the Government's Ex-Gratia Allowance because they were ineligible for basic ex-gratia payment and (x) those who moved in after the date of the Freezing Survey and were offered a compensation in the form of ex-gratia payment equal to two times the prevailing ex-gratia allowance offered by the Lands Department on resumption, and set out such information in Table 1 by project name; if the aforesaid information is not available, whether it can provide the relevant information on the redevelopment projects commencing in the financial years from 2011-2012 to 2015-2016.
ˇ@ ˇ@ ˇ@ ˇ@ ˇ@
(2) the following figures relating to the PRH flats provided by HA in each of the financial years from 2001-2002 to 2015-2016 (set out in Table 2):

(i) the total number of public housing flats disposable by URA (i.e. the sum total of the flats which had been reserved in the past but not yet used for rehousing plus those which were newly reserved in that year),
(ii) the aggregate number of PRH flats reserved by HA;
(iii) the number of PRH flats actually used by URA;
(iv) the number of PRH flats returned to HA by URA;
(v) the amount of reservation fees paid by URA to HA; and
(vi) the amount of money paid by URA to HA when rehousing of households actually took place.

(3) the following figures relating to evicted tenants in respect of the redevelopment projects commencing in each of the financial years from 2010-2011 to 2015-2016 (set out in Table 3 by project name):

(i) the number of tenants who applied for DTCAP;
(ii) the number of tenants who were rehoused;
(iii) the number of tenants who received compensation in the form of ex-gratia payment; and
(iv) the number of tenants who were ineligible for DTCAP but were granted the Relocation Assistance?

Reply:

President,

On the basis of the information provided by the Urban Renewal Authority (URA), my reply to the three-part question is as follows:

(1) The information on the URA's redevelopment projects of which acquisition and rehousing have been completed in the financial years from 2010-2011 to 2015-2016 is tabulated in Annex 1.Regarding the other redevelopment projects, as acquisition and rehousing work are still underway, no definite information can be provided at the moment.

(2)According to the Memorandum of Understanding entered into between the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and URA in June 2002 and revised in June 2012, public rental housing (PRH) units will be reserved for rehousing eligible households affected by the redevelopment projects of URA, and the URA shall pay the HA reservation fees equivalent to the amount of monthly rents payable for the units reserved and the actual rehousing expenses.

In drawing up its annual PRH Allocation Plan, the HA will estimate the numbers of different categories of flats for allocation in the coming year.The numbers of PRH flats reserved for the URA redevelopment projects under the approved PRH Allocation Plans for the past five years, the numbers of PRH flats actually used by the URA for rehousing purposes, the amount of reservation fees paid by URA to HA and the amount of money paid by URA to HA for rehousing of households are tabulated in Annex 2.

As the progress of the URA's redevelopment projects changes from time to time, the URA needs to make corresponding adjustments with the HA in the actual number of PRH units to be reserved.Hence, the URA does not maintain any other related statistics.

(3) The information on evicted tenants in the redevelopment projects of the URA in the financial years from 2010-2011 to 2015-2016 are tabulated in Annex 3.
]]>LCQ2: Regulation of greening projectshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150648.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150648.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 17:20:43 +0800
Question:

On the 20th of last month, the entire green roof of the Chan Tai Ho Multi-purpose Hall, covering an area of more than 1 000 square metres, at the City University of Hong Kong collapsed abruptly.Some professionals have pointed out that accidents of such type are rare, and the roof being covered by green vegetation and thus being overloaded may be one of the causes of the accident.The accident has aroused concerns among various sectors of the community about the regulation and maintenance of various types of greening projects (including rooftop greening projects) for buildings and related matters.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the main government departments which are responsible for the regulation of the construction, vetting and approval of works, works supervision, acceptance, maintenance and environmental protection-related issues, etc., of greening facilities/features (including green rooftops) for buildings, and the main ordinances regulating such matters; whether it conducted inspections of completed greening projects regularly in the past three years; if it did, of the details, including the number of staff members from various departments tasked with the inspection work, the number of inspections conducted by them, whether such inspections were carried out on a sampling basis, and the follow-up actions taken (including the respective numbers of verbal and written warnings issued and the number of cases in which prosecutions were instituted) each year; if it did not conduct any inspection, the reasons for that and whether it will do so; whether it has provided guidelines and practice notes on the maintenance and management of greening facilities/features for property owners and property management companies;

(2) as the authorities have indicated that there are different ways of handling and different arrangements for greening projects (including rooftop greening projects) for uncompleted and existing buildings, of the differences between the two in regard to vetting and approval of works, works supervision, acceptance and maintenance, etc. as well as the reasons for such differences, and whether the authorities will review and revise the relevant arrangements; and

(3) whether there is a requirement that greening projects for buildings (including rooftop greening projects) must be carried out under the supervision and monitoring of authorised professionals, and the acceptance of related works must be done by them; if there is such a requirement, of the types of professionals involved and whether they include landscape architects; if there is no such requirement, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Greening of buildings can bring many benefits on various aspects such as improving the environment and the ecology, saving energy, as well as enhancing people's quality of living.In view of all these benefits, the Government has been striving to promote greening of buildings, including roof greening, vertical greening, sky gardens, terrace planting, etc.Greening has a wide scope, and may be of very different forms, locations and scales.Generally speaking, greening of buildings should pose no risk to safety, as long as it was suitably designed and constructed, and there are proper repairs and maintenance.

My reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

(1) With the paramount objective of ensuring building safety, the Government has in place different levels of regulatory control over the greening of private buildings.If the greening only involves placing of a few flower pots, it generally will not cause any structural risk.If the greening is of a substantial scale, the relevant owner should then consult authorised building professionals on matters such as loading of the building.The building professionals authorised by the Buildings Department possess professional expertise.They should advise the owners, where the greening involves building works, on the need for seeking the consent of the Buildings Department for the works taking into account their location, scope and scale.For works requiring its prior approval, the Department will assess the proposed works in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance, and will only give consent to its commencement upon being satisfied of the safety of the works.

There are currently over 40 000 private buildings in Hong Kong, of which greening may be of varying scope and scale.Therefore, the Buildings Department has not carried out inspections of the greening of buildings specifically.Nevertheless, in view of the greened roof collapse incident at the City University of Hong Kong last month, the Buildings Department has been ascertaining through various channels any roof greening of large area in the territory that might have been carried out without prior evaluation by building professionals.Immediate actions will be taken against any such case found.In the course of its day-to-day handling of public reports on unauthorised building works and other matters and when conducting large-scale operation, the Buildings Department will take appropriate follow-up actions if any greening facilities which are unauthorised building works come to its attention.But I must point out that owners of private buildings are responsible for the timely inspection and maintenance of their properties, including any of their greening facilities, to ensure their safety.They should consult professional advice if in doubt.

Since the establishment of its Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section in 2010, the Development Bureau has been formulating standards and guidelines on various types of greening, and particularly in relation to matters which schools should consider and consult professionals on when carrying out roof greening.In addition, the Home Affairs Bureau has issued the Code of Practice on Building Management and Maintenance under the Building Management Ordinance to set out matters warranting the attention of owners' corporations and other building management bodies, including a chapter covering topics like roof/podium maintenance and repairs, e.g. dealing with water ponding, waterproofing, overloading or misuse of rooftops.In view of the greened roof collapse incident at the City University of Hong Kong last month, the Buildings Department has issued notes on the provision of green roofs in school buildings to ensure safety of the premises and their occupants.The Buildings Department has also issued a circular to the building industry, setting out and reminding practitioners of the existing provisions under the Buildings Ordinance applicable to roof greening.The circular particularly reminds the relevant professionals and contractors of their duties to inform building owners of the actions to be taken during the design and construction of the greening facilities, the impact of greening on the structure of the subject building, and how to safely operate and properly maintain the relevant facilities after commissioning.To enhance public knowledge of the relevant subject, the Buildings Department is drawing up a guide for property owners and the general public on the common greening works of buildings in Hong Kong.

Furthermore, the Buildings Department and other relevant departments have arranged briefings for school administrators and other stakeholders to address their enquiries.If necessary, the Buildings Department stands ready to brief other sectors concerned, such as property management companies, on the relevant matters.

(2) In principle, the same regulatory control with regard to building safety applies to greening irrespective of whether it was carried out during the construction or after the commissioning of the building.For works requiring its prior approval, the Buildings Department will assess the proposed works in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance, and will only give consent to its commencement upon being satisfied of the safety of the works.Greening of buildings, irrespective of when it was carried out, should pose no risk to structural safety, as long as it was suitably designed and constructed, and there are proper repairs and maintenance.

(3) For building works governed by the Buildings Ordinance, the property owners concerned must appoint registered professionals and contractors to carry out the works, irrespective of whether they are greening works or not, in accordance with the extant requirements under the Buildings Ordinance where applicable.Broadly speaking, if the relevant works fall under Class II or Class III Minor Works (i.e. those of moderate or relatively low complexity), owners are required to appoint registered contractors to arrange the works to be carried out.For Class I Minor Works (i.e. more complicated ones) and works that require prior approval from the Buildings Department, owners must also appoint an Authorized Person to be responsible for the preparation of building plans for submission to the Buildings Department and other relevant tasks such as supervision and testing.Where structural details are involved, the appointment of a registered structural engineer is required for the preparation and submission of foundation plans or calculations to the Buildings Department.Moreover, the Authorized Persons concerned should consult the advice of professionals from other related disciplines (such as landscape architects) having regard to the requirements of the actual works.
]]>LCQ5: Police officers testify at court hearingshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150664.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150664.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 17:03:36 +0800
Question:

It has been reported that during the trial of a case in which a secondary school student was prosecuted for assaulting a police officer, the magistrate criticised the testifying police officer as a dishonest witness, and the student was subsequently acquitted and compensated for his litigation costs of $500. Moreover, in May last year, an autistic man with moderate intellectual disabilities was arrested and charged with manslaughter by the Police. The family members of the man reproached the Police for handling the case improperly, including taking the first statement from the said mentally incapacitated person in the absence of his family member or guardian, and asking leading questions that caused him to make a statement against himself. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the measures in place to ensure that police officers collect evidence honestly during criminal investigations, and testify honestly during trials;

(2) whether it will set up a mechanism to impose punishment on police officers who are proven to have testified dishonestly in trials; and

(3) given that some police officers have been criticised by judges for testifying dishonestly in criminal cases, whether the authorities will consider exercising discretion to make compensations to persons who have been acquitted in such cases for their losses in terms of time and money, as well as their mental suffering arising from those cases; if they will not, of the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The consolidated reply to Hon Wong Yuk-man's question is as follows:

Under the criminal justice system in Hong Kong, police officers carry out law enforcement work such as conducting investigations and effecting arrest etc, the Department of Justice (DoJ) is responsible for prosecution while the court is responsible for trial and giving verdict. These three kinds of work adopt different legal standards.

In respect of the Police, police officers are entitled to effect an arrest if they have a reasonable suspicion that the person in question has committed a relevant offence. For the DoJ, in handling prosecution work, prosecutors must in accordance with the Prosecution Code first consider whether there is sufficient evidence and next consider and balance all issues of public interest before deciding whether prosecution should be made. A prosecution shall not be commenced or continued unless there is a reasonable prospect of conviction. As for the court, judges will consider all evidence relevant to the case when hearing a criminal case. Such evidence would include evidence put forward by the prosecution and defence, circumstantial evidence and testimonies by witnesses etc. Judges will deliver a guilty verdict only if the offence is proved beyond reasonable doubt.

Based on the above-mentioned different legal standards, the mere fact that an arrested person is not subsequently charged with any offence in certain cases does not necessarily mean that the Police have made a wrongful arrest; nor does it necessarily follow that the prosecutors have failed in their duty to commence prosecution. And as the court adheres to the principles of "beyond reasonable doubt" and "the benefit of doubt should go to defendants" while handling criminal cases, the mere acquittal of a defendant does not necessarily mean that there is a problem with the arrest, prosecution or testimonies by certain witnesses. Defendants, if convicted, may lodge an appeal. This is indeed a manifestation of how the independent judicial system and rule of law in Hong Kong safeguard the rights of the public.

According to Section 10 of the Police Force Ordinance (Cap 232), the duties of the police force shall be to take lawful measures for preventing and detecting crimes and offences.

During police investigation of a case, the collection of evidence is a very important element. Depending on the nature of the case, and for the purpose of crime prevention and detection, the Police will, if necessary, request for information related to crime investigation from relevant people or organisations. In accordance with relevant legal requirements, the Police will also apply for a court warrant from the court for entering premises and searching for, taking possession of or detaining relevant articles, such as seizing documents or information as evidence. In hearing individual cases, the court will also follow the relevant provisions of the Evidence Ordinance (Cap 8) and consider guidelines under the relevant court case precedents in determining the admissibility of the evidence of the witness(es) and other evidence.

Hon Wong's question asks about what measures are in place to ensure that police officers will testify honestly during court hearings. Same as all people who testify during court hearings, a police officer shall give sworn evidence which he is satisfied to be true and accurate in court.

According to Chapter 45 of the Police General Orders, prior to the trial, prosecution witnesses (including police officers) are allowed to refresh their memories of what occurred from records (for example, their own statements, etc.). However, they should not have a pre-trial discussion of the evidence. In particular, police officers should not hold a meeting before the trial to look at each other's notebooks or statements, or to discuss the evidence. Nevertheless, police officers may follow the accepted practices of: (a) pooling their re-collections of events when making their notebook entries, either at the time of or shortly after those events when facts are fresh in their minds; (b) at the time of (a), signing each other's notebooks to indicate that these are true and that they agree with the records made; and (c) later, before giving evidence, refreshing their memories individually from the records made. In addition, a witness (including a police officer) must not speak to another witness who has not yet given evidence. Any communication or conversation on case-related or evidence-related topic amongst witnesses (including police or civilian) is strictly prohibited. Contravention by police officers will result in a full disciplinary investigation which may even lead to criminal charges.

Furthermore, a witness wilfully committing perjury in court and a witness being considered by a judge as not giving credible testimonies can be two different situations. Currently, there are legal and administrative mechanisms to deter such from happening.

In respect of wilful perjury, under Section 31 of the Crimes Ordinance (Cap 200), if any person lawfully sworn as a witness, either generally or in a particular judicial proceeding, wilfully makes a statement in any judicial proceeding which is material in that proceeding and which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true, he shall be guilty of perjury and shall be liable on conviction upon indictment to imprisonment for seven years and to a fine.

If in certain cases, the court considers that there is prima facie evidence suggesting perjury by a witness (including police officers), the court may refer the case to the DoJ for follow-up. If the DoJ gives instructions after receiving referral from the court, the Police will seriously handle any case of non-compliance where a police officer is suspected to have committed perjury. Depending on the investigation results, the officer concerned may be liable to criminal responsibility and also subject to disciplinary actions.

Separately, if a judge considers that the testimonies given by a police officer in court are not credible, he may advise the DoJ to refer the case for follow-up by the Complaints Against Police Office of the Police and inform the court in writing of the results of the case after it has been dealt with.

In respect of compensation, while hearing cases, the court may give its rulings on the court costs. Besides, if there are sufficient grounds, relevant persons may also initiate a civil litigation to seek monetary compensation.

Hon Wong's question mentions a case related to a mentally incapacitated person (MIP). In June 2015, the Police formed a working group to, in collaboration with relevant government departments and experts, re-examine the policies for handling cases involving MIPs and the guidelines of investigation, explore the means to enhance and optimise investigation work, and study the ways to further augment frontline police officers' training in handling relevant tasks. The HKSAR Government has explained the work of the above-mentioned working group at the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Welfare Services in June last year, as well as in the reply to a LegCo written question in December last year.

The working group has already held a number of meetings. One of the work priorities is to give consideration to the more effective adoption of multi-agency co-operation, which includes the need to seek professional assistance in the handling of MIPs. Furthermore, as far as training is concerned, given that the current training programmes for frontline police officers on the handling of MIPs are mainly conducted by instructors of the Police, the working group will consider stepping up co-operation with professionals of other departments as well as other stakeholders in the realm of training. In addition, the working group will review whether the current mode of training, mainly in the form of classroom instruction, is the most effective, including the need to strengthen other modes of training like role-playing and field training, so that frontline police officers will have a better grasp of the skills in handling cases involving MIPs.

Thank you, President.
]]>CHP closely monitors six human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Mainlandhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150645.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150645.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 17:00:03 +0800
According to the Tianjin Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning, two patients from Langfang (Hebei) and Binhai New Area (Tianjin) were hospitalised for management of severe pneumonia. Both had contact with poultry but were not epidemiologically linked. These are the first two human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) in Tianjin.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning reported an additional case affecting a female farmer aged 68 from Langfang (Hebei). She had no poultry exposure and was hospitalised for isolation and management in critical condition.

In addition, three cases were notified by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The case in Hebei affects a male farmer aged 57 from Shijiazhuang who was in serious condition. The two cases in Jiangsu affect a male farmer aged 45 from Changzhou working in a market with poultry, and a woman aged 53 from Huai'an with live poultry contact. Both were in serious condition.

"H7N9 has become enzootic in poultry in the Mainland. From January 2015 to April 2016, according to the Ministry of Agriculture, poultry and environmental samples collected from markets in Anhui, Fujian, Guangdong, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Shanghai and Zhejiang tested positive for H7N9. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations revealed that positive samples in the Mainland were mainly taken from live bird markets, vendors and some commercial or breeding farms," a spokesman for the CHP said.

"In view of additional human cases reported in the Mainland in warmer months as well as the recent local positive sample of faecal droppings of live poultry, the public should remain vigilant. Travellers to the Mainland and other avian influenza-affected areas in the upcoming summer vacation should not visit poultry markets, and should avoid contact with poultry and their droppings," the spokesman added.

From 2013 to date, 766 human cases of avian influenza A(H7N9) have been reported by the Mainland health authorities, while since October 2015 to date, 109 have been recorded.

"We will remain vigilant and work closely with the World Health Organization and relevant health authorities to monitor the latest developments," the spokesman said.

The DH's Port Health Office conducts health surveillance measures at all boundary control points. Thermal imaging systems are in place for body temperature checks on inbound travellers. Suspected cases will be immediately referred to public hospitals for follow-up.

The display of posters and broadcast of health messages in departure and arrival halls as health education for travellers is under way. The travel industry and other stakeholders are regularly updated on the latest information.

Travellers, especially those returning from avian influenza-affected areas with fever or respiratory symptoms, should immediately wear masks, seek medical attention and reveal their travel history to doctors. Health-care professionals should pay special attention to patients who might have had contact with poultry, birds or their droppings in affected areas.

The public should remain vigilant and take heed of the advice against avian influenza below:

* Do not visit live poultry markets and farms. Avoid contact with poultry, birds and their droppings;
* If contact has been made, thoroughly wash hands with soap;
* Avoid entering areas where poultry may be slaughtered and contact with surfaces which might be contaminated by droppings of poultry or other animals;
* Poultry and eggs should be thoroughly cooked before eating;
* Wash hands frequently with soap, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, handling food or eating; after going to the toilet or touching public installations or equipment (including escalator handrails, elevator control panels and door knobs); and when hands are dirtied by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
* Cover the nose and mouth while sneezing or coughing, hold the spit with a tissue and put it into a covered dustbin;
* Avoid crowded places and contact with fever patients; and
* Wear masks when respiratory symptoms develop or when taking care of fever patients.

The public may visit the CHP's pages below for more information:

* The avian influenza page (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/24244.html);
* The weekly Avian Influenza Report (www.chp.gov.hk/en/view_content/3879.html);
* Global statistics and affected areas of avian influenza (www.chp.gov.hk/files/pdf/global_statistics_avian_influenza_e.pdf);
* The Facebook Page (www.fb.com/CentreforHealthProtection); and
* The YouTube Channel (www.youtube.com/c/ChpGovHkChannel).
]]>LCQ14: Aircraft noisehttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150625.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150625.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:46:01 +0800
Question:

In reply to my question at the meeting of this Council on May 27 last year, the Government indicated that to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on the districts near the flight paths, the Civil Aviation Department had implemented a series of aircraft noise mitigating measures in accordance with the balanced approach to aircraft noise management promulgated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), and the measures included requiring aircraft to avoid overflying populated areas, to adopt the noise abatement departure procedures prescribed by ICAO during take-off and the Continuous Descent Approach for landing, etc., in the small hours as far as possible. Yet, I have learnt that aircraft noise during the period between 11pm to 7am the next day still often causes nuisance to the residents of quite a number of housing estates to date, making it difficult for them to fall asleep. In recent months, I have even received complaints from quite a number of members of the public pointing out that quite a number of aircraft still overfly Ma Wan at an altitude of less than 5 000 feet after take-off, in contravention of the authorities' undertaking made years ago that all departing aircraft will overfly Ma Wan at an altitude of not less than 7 000 feet. In addition, some aircraft overfly the urban areas at an altitude of less than 7 500 feet, resulting in residents in the urban areas suffering greatly from aircraft noise nuisance. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective numbers of departing aircraft overflying Ma Wan last year at altitudes of (i) less than 5 000 feet, (ii) 5 000 to 7 000 feet, and (iii) more than 7 000 feet (set out in a table);

(2) of the monthly data recorded between May 2015 and May 2016 by the various aircraft noise monitoring terminals on aircraft noise levels which reached 70 to 74, 75 to 79, and 80 decibels (dB) or above during the aforesaid period;

(3) among last year's departing aircraft, of the types of those aircraft with noise levels reaching 80 dB or above, and the names of the airline companies to which such aircraft belonged; and

(4) whether it will further enhance the existing aircraft noise mitigating measures to reduce the nuisance caused to residents in the districts concerned; if it will, of the details?

Reply:

President,

In accordance with international standards and recommendations, the design of flight paths takes into account factors including terrain environment and required obstacle clearances. To ensure aviation safety, departing aircraft are required to comply with the minimum climb gradient requirements specified in the departure procedures published in the Hong Kong Aeronautical Information Publication (HKAIP). The departure procedures published in the HKAIP are designed in accordance with the safety requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). According to the relevant requirements, departing aircraft are required to fly at an altitude of not less than 1 800 feet in the vicinity of Ma Wan. The actual climb gradient of departing aircraft is dependent on various factors such as the payload and performance characteristics of individual aircraft and weather conditions, etc.Generally speaking, apart from the requirements set out in the HKAIP as far as minimum climb gradient is concerned, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) would not specify additional requirement for departing aircraft.

Our reply to the various parts of the Hon Albert Chan's question is as follows:

(1) The number and altitude of aircraft flying overhead of Ma Wan between 11pm and 7am the following day when departing to the northeast of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) in 2015 are set out at Annex 1.

(2) The CAD has 16 noise monitoring terminals (NMT).The aircraft noise events recorded between 11pm and 7am the following day by these terminals from April 2015 to March 2016 by month are set out at Annex 2.The data for April and May 2016 are pending verification and thus not available yet.

The noise data recorded at the Ma Wan NMT between 2011 and 2015 show that the number of noise events of 70 decibels or above at night has decreased. Those of 80 decibels or above have also been decreasing during the night period since 2011, representing a reduction of 75 per cent in 2015 compared with 2011. This shows the effectiveness of the aircraft noise mitigating measures adopted by the CAD, the details of which are elaborated in part 4 below.

(3) In 2015, among departing aircraft, aircraft with noise events of 80 decibels or above recorded between 11pm and 7am the following day, and the operating airlines and aircraft types concerned are set out at Annex 3.

(4) The CAD has implemented a series of aircraft noise mitigating measures in accordance with the balanced approach to aircraft noise management promulgated by the ICAO. These measures include requiring aircraft to avoid overflying populated areas, to adopt the noise abatement departure procedures prescribed by the ICAO during take-off and the quieter Continuous Descent Approach for landing, etc. in the small hours as far as possible. The CAD has also implemented a new set of flight procedures since 2012 to allow aircraft equipped with satellite-based navigation technology to adhere closely to the nominal centre line of the flight track when departing to the northeast of the HKIA and making south turn to the West Lamma Channel, thereby keeping the aircraft at a distance away from the areas in the vicinity of the flight paths, and reducing the impact of aircraft noise on these areas.

Apart from implementing the aircraft noise abatement operational procedures mentioned above, the CAD has prohibited aircraft not meeting the relevant aircraft noise standards from landing and taking off in Hong Kong. Since 2002, aircraft not complying with the noise standards in Chapter 3 of Volume I, Part II of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chapter 3 noise standards) are not allowed to operate in Hong Kong. To strengthen this aircraft noise mitigating measure, starting from 2014, the CAD has imposed further restrictions on aircraft which are marginally compliant with the Chapter 3 noise standards (Note) to land and take off in Hong Kong. The CAD will review this arrangement from time to time and closely monitor the latest developments of the ICAO, the international aviation industry and the operation of the HKIA in considering the need to step up the relevant requirement.

With the advancement of aviation technology, aircraft engines are quieter than before, and the improved design of airframe has also helped reduce noise significantly. To reduce the impact of aircraft noise on the areas near the flight paths, many airlines are replacing their aircraft with quieter models progressively. The CAD will continue to monitor the progress made by airlines in aircraft fleet replacement and deployment of quieter aircraft for night time operations, as well as the effectiveness of such measures.

On the basis of the 24-hour operation of the HKIA, and by adopting the guidelines relating to aircraft noise charges issued by the ICAO, the Airport Authority Hong Kong is studying in detail the introduction of environmental charges/incentive schemes as a means of encouraging more airlines to use quieter aircraft. Subject to the findings of the study, the aviation industry and the stakeholders will be consulted accordingly.

Note: Volume I, Part II of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation sets out the aircraft noise standards formulated by the ICAO at different times. The aircraft noise standards of Chapter 3, which were formulated at a later stage than those of Chapter 2, were more stringent. Generally speaking, the noise levels of Chapter 3-compliant aircraft were lower than those of Chapter 2-compliant aircraft. Aircraft marginally complying with Chapter 3 noise standards refers to an aircraft which is in compliance with Chapter 3 noise standards, but its noise level is relatively close to the upper limit prescribed in Chapter 3.
]]>LCQ3: Conservation work of the Governmenthttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150592.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150592.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:44:04 +0800Question:

Recently, some community groups have relayed to me their grave concerns about the progress of projects of the Reassembly of the Queen's Pier (RQP) and Revitalisation of the Former Central Police Station Compound (commonly known as the "Big Station"), as well as their dissatisfaction with the performance of the Government in handling the two projects. On the other hand, an external wall of the former married quarters for inspectors located inside the Big Station collapsed suddenly on the 29th of last month (the incident), which has stunned the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that after the incident, the authorities only entrusted the investigation work of the incident to the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which is responsible for the revitalisation project of the Big Station, of the reasons why the authorities have not taken the incident and the RQP project to the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) for discussion; whether the authorities will, in light of public concerns, expeditiously take the two projects to AAB for discussion and recommendations; if they will not, of the reasons for that;

(2) given that when the authorities earlier conducted a public consultation on various options for the RQP, the views received which were in support of the RQP at or nearest to its original location (in-situ reassembly option) far exceeded those in support of the three reassembly options proposed by the authorities, whether the authorities will consider afresh the in-situ reassembly option; if they will not consider, of the justifications for that; if they will consider, whether the authorities will conduct relevant studies and consultation anew for this option; and

(3) whether the authorities concerned will consider, in addition to inspecting the structural safety of various buildings inside the Big Station, inspecting the structural safety of all the outdoor public places of the Big Station concurrently; if they will, of the details of the inspection work; if not, the reasons for that; whether the authorities concerned will, upon the completion of various investigation and inspection work, make public the full report and identify in the report the party to be held responsible; if they will, of the specific arrangements; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Government is gravely concerned with the partial collapse of the external wall of the Married Inspectors' Quarters of the Central Police Station (CPS) Compound, and takes the public views on the reassembly options of the Queen's Pier (QP) seriously. Our reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

(1) After the partial collapse of the external wall of the Married Inspectors' Quarters of the CPS Compound, the priority is to ensure the safety of the works site including the other 15 historic buildings in the Compound. The Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will continue to work closely with the Buildings Department (BD). Other than the emergency strengthening works agreed by the BD, the revitalisation works in the CPS Compound will only be resumed after it is certified safe. Given alteration and addition works are involved in the CPS Compound revitalisation project, all design drawings must be approved by the BD before construction works can commence. Since the start of the revitalisation project, the Antiquities and Monuments Office (AMO) has been providing comments to the BD from the heritage conservation perspective. As the CPS Compound is a group of declared monuments, the HKJC has to submit the heritage conservation measures and the method statement to the AMO regarding the revitalisation proposal in accordance with the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance. The AMO will consider the impact of the revitalisation proposal on the heritage value of the monuments before giving approval. As a matter of fact, during the preparation and identification of the conservation management plan of the CPS Compound revitalisation project, the Antiquities Advisory Board (AAB) was consulted. The AMO is responsible for monitoring its subsequent implementation. In the meantime, the HKJC and its revitalisation team are actively drawing up the restoration plan of the Married Inspectors' Quarters during which the AMO will provide comments. Should the restoration plan significantly affect the heritage value of the monuments, the AMO will request the HKJC to consult the AAB at an appropriate juncture and seek the approval of the Antiquities Authority (i.e. the Secretary for Development) before implementation.

As regards the proposal to reassemble the QP, the Planning Department conducted two phases of public engagement exercise for the Urban Design Study of the New Central Harbourfront (UDS) in 2007 and 2008. There was extensive discussion on the location to reassemble the QP, and the AAB, the former Harbour-front Enhancement Committee, relevant professional bodies, 18 District Councils and the public were consulted during the process. The UDS finally recommended that the QP be reassembled between Central Piers Nos. 9 and 10 for commemorative purpose and to revive its pier function. Design elements were also recommended to be added at the original site of the QP to commemorate the historical significance of the QP.

The Government subsequently proposed to develop a new piazza at the original site of the QP. Its key design features include shallow water features to reflect the old coastline; a new canopy at the original site of QP near the entrance to the piazza and a feature wall mounted with etched-on photos and text to explain the history of the old QP; and paving pattern to emphasise the central ceremonial axis facing the existing flag poles and parade stage.

As per the existing heritage impact assessment mechanism, since the area in the vicinity between Central Piers Nos. 9 and 10 does not have any historic building, or site or building with archaeological value, there is no need to conduct heritage impact assessment. In addition, the location for reassembly works went through extensive consultation during the UDS process, including consultation with the AAB, before it was recommended at the site between Central Piers Nos. 9 and 10. Hence, there is no need to consult the AAB again.

(2) The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) conducted a community engagement exercise from March to May this year for the design of the reassembly of the QP. Members of the public completed and returned 1 955 survey forms. Among them, 1 741 chose the design options for reassembling the QP between Central Piers Nos. 9 and 10 (317, 413 and 1 011 chose the three design options respectively). At the same time, the CEDD also received 1 058 written submissions, mostly submitted via standard template, which considered that the QP should be reassembled at its original location in front of the City Hall. We also note from the media that individuals have expressed different opinions on the reassembly location.

The Government is now carefully analysing and considering the public views received from the community engagement exercise before deciding on the way forward for the reassembly of the QP. At the present stage, there has yet been any conclusion. However, we must point out that the location for the QP reassembly was discussed extensively in the public engagement exercise of the UDS and its recommendation was to reassemble the QP between Central Piers Nos. 9 and 10. I understand that some individuals may not agree with the proposed location but repeated studies and further consultations would not be constructive either.

Furthermore, according to the CEDD, reassembly of the QP at its original location at the current juncture is impractical from an engineering perspective. First, reassembly works at the original location will be in conflict with a number of existing or planned infrastructures, including that Lung Wo Road will need to be realigned, the existing box culvert underneath will need to be modified, and serious restrictions will be imposed on the planned overrun tunnel for the Tung Chung Line and the Airport Express, the proposed new North Island Line, as well as the future development of Site 4 of the new Central harbourfront. Furthermore, as the reassembly at the original location will involve the above-mentioned works and additional advance works for the overrun tunnel, higher costs are expected. These are relevant factors that the Government has to take into account when it considers the relevant proposal.

(3) After the partial collapse incident, officers of the BD promptly carried out site inspections of the overall structures of the remaining 15 historic buildings in the CPS Compound and the open areas. No abnormalities were revealed and the initial assessment was that the risk of structural safety was not high. Notwithstanding the above, all revitalisation works in the entire Compound have been suspended for safety sake. The authorised person and registered structural engineer of the project will submit an assessment report to the BD and the works will only be resumed after the safety of the overall structures of the historic buildings in the entire Compound and the open areas has been confirmed. In this regard, the BD will continue to liaise closely with the HKJC as well as its authorised person, registered structural engineer and registered contractor.

The BD will conduct a detailed investigation into the cause of the partial collapse incident. As the investigation involves the testing of the relevant building materials and samples can only be collected upon the completion of the structural strengthening works in the collapsed parts of the building, it is expected that the investigation may take some more time to complete. The BD will make public its findings as appropriate after the completion of the investigation.

Apart from the investigation conducted by the BD, the HKJC will set up an independent review panel comprising professionals to conduct a thorough investigation on the cause of the incident and to make recommendations on necessary improvement measures in future.

Thank you, President.
]]>Effective Exchange Rate Indexhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150258.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150258.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:28:38 +0800]]>LCQ20: Regulation of e-cigaretteshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150618.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150618.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:22:09 +0800
Question:

In 2014, the World Health Organization issued a report proposing to bring electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) under regulation.Since then, a number of countries have enacted legislation to regulate e-cigarettes.Earlier on, the media captured photographs of a girl smoking a fruit-flavoured e-cigarette in a public place, causing some members of the community to worry about the increasing popularity of smoking e-cigarettes among young people and children in Hong Kong.They are of the view that there is an urgent need to regulate the manufacture, import, sale, distribution and publicity of e-cigarettes (including e-cigarettes not containing nicotine).In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1)as the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) submitted a paper to the Panel on Health Services of this Council in as early as May last year indicating that the Government would study the enactment of legislation to regulate e-cigarettes, and the officials from the Bureau have reiterated such intention to the media in recent months, and quite a number of members of the community have also requested for expeditious enactment of legislation, of the timetable and details of such legislative work, and whether the authorities will undertake to introduce the relevant bill to this Council within this year;

(2)given that quite a number of e-cigarettes and e-cigarette liquid are currently sold on the Internet, how the Government has planned to regulate the online sale of e-cigarettes;

(3)whether it has studied how overseas legislation and relevant initiatives which regulate e-cigarette products not containing nicotine; if it has, of the details, as well as the provisions and initiatives which are of reference value to Hong Kong; and

(4)as it was discovered in a survey commissioned by FHB and conducted by the University of Hong Kong in the past two years that 2.6% of primary school students and 9% of secondary school students indicated that they had smoked e-cigarettes before, whether the authorities have launched publicity exercises targeting both secondary and primary school students on the perils of smoking e-cigarettes; if they have, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

My reply to the questions raised by the Dr Hon Priscilla Leung is as follows:

(1)According to the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), e-cigarettes containing nicotine are considered pharmaceutical products.They have to comply with the relevant requirements on safety, quality and efficacy, and must be registered with the Pharmacy and Poisons Board of Hong Kong before they can be put up for sale or distribution in Hong Kong.Under the same ordinance, nicotine is categorised as Part 1 poison which can only be legally possessed or sold by licensed medicine dealers, including "licensed wholesale dealers" and "authorised sellers of poisons".Illegal possession or sale of Part 1 poisons or unregistered pharmaceutical products is an offence.Any person convicted of the offence is liable to a maximum fine of $100,000 and imprisonment up to two years.

In addition, under section 3 of the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371), no person is allowed to smoke or carry a lighted cigarette, cigar or pipe in a no-smoking area, and "smoke" is defined as "inhaling and expelling the smoke of tobacco or other substance."As such, smoking of e-cigarettes or similar products in a statutory no-smoking area is an offence.

We are discussing the legislative arrangements with relevant departments.It is expected that the amendment bill, which aims to completely prohibit the import, manufacture, sale, distribution and advertising of e-cigarettes, will be introduced for the scrutiny of the Legislative Council in 2016-17.

(2)The legislative proposal to regulate e-cigarettes being considered by the Government will apply to all sale activities of e-cigarettes, whether they are conducted physically or online.The Department of Health (DH) has put in place an established mechanism to monitor the drugs supplied on the market (including the Internet).The DH will carry out investigations upon receiving information about suspected illegal possession or sale of unregistered pharmaceutical products or Part 1 poisons, and take joint actions with the Police or make test purchases where necessary.Legal actions will be taken if any irregularities are detected.

(3)We note that other jurisdictions such as Singapore, the United States, the United Kingdom and a few other countries have planned / adopted measures to either regulate or completely prohibit the import, distribution and sale of e-cigarettes.We will study in details the regulatory approaches adopted by different jurisdictions and formulate a suitable tobacco control policy in the light of the actual situation in Hong Kong.

(4)The Tobacco Control Office (TCO) of the DH has, by producing and broadcasting more new TV and radio Announcements in the Public Interest, stepped up publicity to increase public awareness of the potential harm in using e-cigarettes.The TCO has also produced information leaflets and posters, and uploaded the relevant information to its website for reference of the public and healthcare personnel.To discourage the use of e-cigarettes among young people, the TCO has also strengthened education on the potential harm of e-cigarettes.By sending letters, promotional leaflets and posters to all primary and secondary schools in the territory, the TCO has advised schools to remind their students not to use e-cigarettes.In collaboration with various non-governmental organisations, the TCO also promotes smoke-free lifestyle and disseminates the message of abstaining from e-cigarettes in kindergartens as well as primary and secondary schools.The Government will continue its health education work to prevent the general public and students from starting to use e-cigarettes.
]]>British eco-friendly paint company opens Asia-Pacific regional headquarters in Hong Kong (with photo)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140625.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140625.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:01:40 +0800
The new office with a laboratory, located in Wong Chuk Hang, measures over 2 000 square feet and markets high-end paint products that are environmentally friendly, non-toxic and good for both indoor and outdoor facilities, according to its Managing Director, Mr Joakim Cimmerbeck. He added that its paint products are ideal for children's bedrooms, in schools and for people prone to allergies.

He said, "Hong Kong people are getting more health conscious, which is a key driver for our products. They demand paint products that are responsibly made, kind to the environment and non-damaging to health. That is why we opened a new headquarters in the city to provide our environmentally friendly paint products, not only to facility management companies but also retail customers."

He added, "Hong Kong as an international city is the ideal place to raise the awareness of sustainability and green living in Asia. Apart from expanding our business, we will also make more efforts in communicating and educating people on quality living environments."

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion Dr Jimmy Chiang said, "I appreciate eicó's eco-conscious business vision. They will add to the choices of environmentally friendly paints for the construction industry as well as retail customers. We wish eicó every success in Hong Kong and beyond."

About eicó

Established in the UK in 2009, eicó is a paint company with a commitment to eco-friendly manufacturing. Its paints are made in Iceland and Sweden using geothermal and hydroelectric power, then shipped to Asia using empty space on existing shipping routes, making its production process carbon-positive and creating a truly environmentally friendly paint brand. For more information, please visit: www.eico.hk.

About InvestHK

Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kong's vibrant economy. As of December 2015, InvestHK had assisted over 3 820 companies which have created more than 41 200 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and over HK$101 billion of investment. For more information, please visit: www.investhk.gov.hk.

For event photos, please visit: www.flickr.com/photos/investhk/albums/72157667068355464.
Photo
]]>June 2016 issue of Hong Kong Monthly Digest of Statistics now availablehttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150578.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150578.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 16:00:49 +0800
Apart from providing up-to-date statistics, this issue also contains three feature articles entitled "Estimation of Hong Kong Residents Usually Staying in the Guangdong Province", "The Cultural and Creative Industries in Hong Kong" and "Trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland of China".

"Estimation of Hong Kong Residents Usually Staying in the Guangdong Province"

Given the geographical proximity and convenient transport network, there are especially close ties between the Guangdong Province and Hong Kong. A significant number of Hong Kong residents are staying in the Guangdong Province for a prolonged period or travelling frequently between the two places. The C&SD estimated that in mid-2015, around 516 000 Hong Kong residents usually stayed in the Guangdong Province. This feature article gives a brief account of the estimation methodology and presents the estimation results for mid-2013 to mid-2015.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Demographic Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel: 3903 6933; email: population@censtatd.gov.hk).

"The Cultural and Creative Industries in Hong Kong"

The cultural and creative industries are among the most dynamic sectors in Hong Kong, contributing to both economic growth and job creation. The cultural and creative industries comprise a set of knowledge-based activities that deploy creativity and intellectual capital as primary inputs and deliver goods and services with cultural, artistic and creative contents. This feature article provides the latest statistics of the cultural and creative industries in Hong Kong in 2014.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Construction and Miscellaneous Services Statistics Section, C&SD (Tel: 3903 6962; email: asps@censtatd.gov.hk).

"Trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland of China"

Hong Kong has maintained a close trading relationship with the mainland of China (the Mainland) for many years. In the past decade, the Mainland was Hong Kong's largest destination of re-exports and supplier of imports, on average accounting for 52.3% and 46.8% of Hong Kong's total re-exports and imports respectively. Since 2005, the Mainland had replaced the United States of America to become the largest destination of Hong Kong's domestic exports, accounting for 40.2% on average of total domestic exports over the last decade.

This feature article analyses the performance and highlights the salient features of trade between Hong Kong and the Mainland during the period from 2006 to 2015.

For enquiries about this feature article, please contact the Trade Analysis Section, C&SD (Tel: 2582 5026; email: trade@censtatd.gov.hk).

Published in bilingual form, the HKMDS is a compact volume of official statistics containing about 140 tables. It collects up-to-date statistical series on various aspects of the social and economic situation of Hong Kong. Topics include population; labour; external trade; National Income and Balance of Payments; prices; business performance; energy; housing and property; Government accounts, finance and insurance; and transport, communications and tourism. For selected key statistical items, over 20 charts depicting the annual trend in the past decade and quarterly or monthly trend in the recent two years are also available. Users can download the Digest free of charge at the website of the C&SD (www.censtatd.gov.hk/hkstat/sub/sp140.jsp?productCode=B1010002).

Enquiries about the contents of the Digest can be directed to the Statistical Information Services Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 4738; email: gen-enquiry@censtatd.gov.hk).
]]>LCQ18: Establishment of bazaarshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150594.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150594.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:51:18 +0800
Question:

It has been reported that according to the findings of a recent survey, nearly 90 per cent of the practitioners in the tourism industry were "worried" or "very worried" about the prospect of the tourism industry in Hong Kong.There are views that in addition to increasing the percentage of overnight visitors in the total number of tourists, the development of tourist night markets may also help to promote local gourmet culture, thereby creating low-skilled employment opportunities and boosting the economic development.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the Secretary for Food and Health said in March last year that he was studying with the 18 district councils (DCs) the setting up of night markets, of the latest details of the discussions (including the views put forward by various DCs), the progress of the study and the completion date; of the time required for conducting the relevant consultation exercise and the implementation timetable of the entire programme, as estimated by the authorities; whether the authorities have conducted surveys to find out the potential demand of members of the public in Hong Kong and overseas tourists for tourist night markets and their views in this respect;

(2) of a breakdown by DC district of the number of prosecutions instituted by the authorities last year against unlicensed hawkers selling cooked food; whether it has studied the impact caused by unlicensed hawkers selling cooked food on the environmental hygiene of the areas and streets with a higher concentration of such unlicensed hawkers; of the hygienic requirements the authorities have planned to impose on night markets, and whether they will formulate the hygienic criteria specifically for the food sold at night markets; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that during the celebrations of the birthdays of Zhen Jun and Tin Hau in recent years, Tsing Yi Bamboo Theatre would be set up in Tsing Yi, and that it is learnt that the night market inside the Theatre consisting of a few dozen traditional food stalls was very popular among members of the public and tourists alike, whether the authorities will make reference to the successful example of Tsing Yi Bamboo Theatre and study the economic boosters and growth that tourist night markets may bring to the local catering industry, tourism industry or hotel industry, etc.; whether the authorities will apply the experience of Tsing Yi Bamboo Theatre to the development of Lunar New Year night markets or other tourist night markets in various districts; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

The Government keeps an open mind towards proposals for the establishment of open-air bazaars (including night markets), and considers the district-led approach desirable.The Government will render assistance to development proposals as long as they will not jeopardise food safety and environmental hygiene or obstruct public access, and provided that suitable sites can be located by the organisations concerned and that support from local communities and respective district councils (DCs) is obtained.

(1) In March 2015, the Food and Health Bureau (FHB) presented proposals to the Subcommittee on Hawker Policy of the Legislative Council.One of them covered the setting up of district-led bazaars.In the same month, FHB briefed the Chairmen of the 18 DCs.On that as well as various subsequent occasions, we articulated the Government's stance and the positioning of our hawker policy, as well as invited interested parties to identify suitable sites in districts to set up bazaars.

An individual organisation organised a bazaar on a trial basis in Kiu Kiang Street in Sham Shui Po on Sundays of August 2015.Besides, a kaifong organisation organised a bazaar with stalls selling cooked food at Maple Street Playground in Sham Shui Po during the Lunar New Year period of 2016.

In November 2015, the Government received proposals related to bazaars from a number of organisations.FHB wrote to the DC Chairmen concerned, seeking their assistance in putting the proposals before the DCs for discussion and follow-up.With the support of Sham Shui Po DC, an organisation submitted an application for the requisite Temporary Places of Public Entertainment Licence (TPPE) for organising a bazaar in Kiu Kiang Street in Sham Shui Po from June to October 2016.The concerned government departments did not raise any objection to the application.The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) issued the Letter of Requirements to the applicant on June 7.As and when compliance with all licensing requirements is confirmed, FEHD will issue the requisite licence.Separately, the Island DC has formed a Working Group on promotion of bazaar development (WG).The WG held its first meeting in April 2016 to follow up the bazaar proposals.FHB will keep in touch with the DCs concerned to take forward the proposals.

The Government has been showcasing local culture and delicacies to tourists through the Hong Kong Tourism Board's (HKTB) website, mobile applications, visitors' guidebooks, visitor information centres and hotline.Open-air markets form one of the main themes of HKTB's promotion efforts, such as the Ladies Market in Mong Kok and the Temple Street Night Market in Yau Ma Tei.

If and when any night market has seen its way to development into a tourist hotspot, HKTB stands ready to consider including it as one of those highlighted attractions for promotion to tourists.Currently, HKTB has not commissioned any survey to examine the potential demand for and tourists' feedback on night markets.

(2) Unlicensed cooked food hawkers usually gather and operate at prime locations to conduct their hawking activities, thus causing environmental hygiene, noise nuisance, food safety problems and obstruction to public passageways.To achieve deterrent effect, FEHD carries out stringent enforcement action against such unlicensed cooked food hawkers causing risks to public health by arresting them and seizing their hawking equipment.The Annex gives the number of prosecutions instigated against unlicensed cooked food hawkers (broken down by DC boundaries) in 2015.FEHD has not conducted case studies on the environmental hygiene impact caused by unlicensed cooked food hawkers at specific areas.

Under the Food Business Regulation (Cap.132X), the operation of a food business requires the relevant food licence from FEHD.For food business which involves the operation of a stall / kiosk of temporary nature for heating up and sale of pre-cooked food for human consumption in conjunction with a public function of short duration, a temporary food factory licence (TFFL) should be obtained from FEHD.Under a TFFL licence, the pre-cooked food sold must be obtained from lawful sources.Only warming of food by electricity is allowed.FEHD's current regulatory regime over the sale of food by licensed food premises is premised on the principle that no food safety and environmental hygiene would be compromised.FEHD would consider each application for food business licence on its own merit.

(3) To celebrate the Tsing Yi Chun Kwan Festival and Tsing Yi Tin Hau Festival, organisations concerned have been organising functions at the Tsing Yi Athletic Association Sportsground for several days in April and May respectively in recent years.Apart from Chinese opera performance, there are cooked food stalls selling various kinds of pre-cooked food obtained from lawful sources.The organisers would obtain the requisite TPPE and TFFL from FEHD.

As abovementioned, the Government keeps an open mind towards proposals for the establishment of open-air bazaars, and considers the district-led approach desirable and should stand a higher chance of successful operation.The Government will render assistance to development proposals as long as they will not jeopardise food safety and environmental hygiene or obstruct public access, and provided that suitable sites can be located by the organisations concerned and that support from local communities and respective DCs is obtained.
]]>LCQ4: Preparedness measures for influenzahttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150542.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150542.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:10:25 +0800
Question:

In April this year, a boy infected with severe influenza was admitted to a public hospital at night, but he was not given a quick testing on influenza nor prescribed Tamiflu right away.The boy died of influenza-induced encephalitis within 24 hours after admission to the hospital.Upon review of the incident, the Hospital Authority (HA) has decided that, starting from this month, the laboratories of two designated public hospitals will provide quick influenza testing services during non-office hours for various public hospitals.Besides, some doctors have pointed out that the immunisation coverage rate of children in Hong Kong is relatively low among the developed regions, and infection preventive measures have yet to be put in place in the medical wards in public hospitals during peak seasons of influenza.Such situations may accelerate the spread of influenza.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows if HA has, upon implementation of the above new arrangements, compiled statistics on the respective average durations from the public hospital doctors deciding on arranging quick testing on influenza for patients at night-time to the samples concerned being delivered to the laboratories, and from the latter to the test reports being delivered to the doctors; how such average durations compare with those in respect of the process for similar tests at daytime;

(2) given that the bed occupancy rate in various public hospitals is extremely high (e.g. the bed occupancy rate of paediatric wards in Tuen Mun Hospital was about 140% early last month or even 300% at its peak, and during the last winter surge of influenza, the average bed occupancy rate of various medical wards was more than 110% and even exceeded 130% in some hospitals), whether it knows if HA has evaluated the probabilities of patients getting infectious diseases through cross-transmission when the wards are fully occupied; whether the Government has long-term measures to improve the situation of the wards in public hospitals being always fully occupied; if it does, of the measures; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that the Government has indicated its intention to cover primary school students under the Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme in the next financial year, of the relevant details and implementation timetable?

Reply:

President,

My reply to the question raised by the Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki relating to influenza is as follows:

(1) The Hospital Authority (HA) conducts routine rapid influenza tests in its seven cluster laboratories.Technical staff will process specimens in batches and test results are normally available within 24 hours.For urgent cases, laboratories will process individual specimens immediately and test results are available within eight to 12 hours.

HA has, starting from June 6, 2016, arranged to conduct urgent influenza tests during night time (i.e. from 5pm every day to 9am of the following day) centrally at the Queen Mary Hospital and the Prince of Wales Hospital.The time required for conducting urgent influenza tests during night time is similar to that for handling urgent cases during day time.In both cases, tests can be completed with results available within eight to 12 hours.

The actual processing time required may vary having regard to the complexity of the case (such as specimen collection process) and other external environmental factors.

(2) During the period from January 1 to May 31, 2016, HA has received a total of four influenza outbreak reports at hospitals.So far, there is no conclusive scientific evidence showing that these four outbreaks are related to the congestion of hospital wards.Nor is there any scientific evidence showing the relationship between the congestion of hospital wards and the probability of cross-transmission among hospitalised patients.

Nevertheless, we agree that congested hospital wards are not an ideal environment to provide healthcare services.As such, the Government and HA have formulated short, medium and long-term plans to increase service capacity to cope with the demand growth due to the ageing population and the prevalence of seasonal influenza.

In this connection, the short and medium-term measures taken by HA include:

(a) Increasing the number of beds, manpower and service capacity

(i) providing 231 additional beds and continuing to recruit healthcare staff in 2016-17.It is projected that the number of full-time equivalent doctors, nurses and allied health professionals for the year will be increased by 145, 411 and 234 respectively as compared to 2015-16;

(ii) providing special honorarium and leave encashment and hiring temporary undergraduate nursing students with the support of the Auxiliary Medical Service, etc. to improve manpower situation;

(iii)expanding the services of general out-patient clinics (GOPCs) during long holidays;

(iv) enhancing the overall healthcare service capacity upon commissioning of the Tin Shui Wai Hospital and the Hong Kong Children's Hospital in phases after the expected completion of their construction this year and the next year respectively;

(b)Managing service demand in the community

(i) enhancing support for residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs) so that simple cases can be handled outside hospitals through community geriatric assessment services, community nursing services and Visiting Medical Officer Scheme;

(ii) increasing the number of visits to the RCHEs and arranging early post-discharge visits for the elderly;

(c) Facilitating early discharge of patients

(i) expediting the transfer of patients in stable condition from acute to convalescent hospitals within cluster; and

(ii) increasing ward rounds by senior clinicians to enhance service capacity during weekends and public holidays.

In the long run, the Government has earmarked a dedicated provision of $200 billion for HA to implement a hospital development plan for the next 10 years to enhance healthcare hardware facilities.Upon completion of the hospital and community health centre projects under the ten-year plan, about 5 000 extra beds, more than 90 additional operating theatres and additional annual capacity of around 410 000 GOPC attendances can be provided.

On the software side, the Government is conducting a strategic review of healthcare manpower planning and professional development in Hong Kong.The review aims to make recommendations that would better enable our society to meet the projected demand for healthcare professionals and to foster healthcare professional development.We expect that the review will be completed in the second half of 2016.The Government will then publish the review report and consult stakeholders on the ways to take forward the recommendations accordingly.HA will adopt appropriate measures to support the implementation of recommendations made in the strategic review.

(3) The 2015-16 winter season just past was predominated by influenza A (H1N1) and influenza B viruses.In general, the two viruses affect mainly the younger age group.The surveillance data of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) showed that children were more affected in this season, including the facts that the influenza-associated hospitalisation rate among children had been staying at a very high level, and most of the notified institutional influenza-like illness outbreaks occurred in primary schools and kindergartens/child care centres.

The Scientific Committee on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (SCVPD) under CHP held a meeting on May 25, 2016 to examine the latest local epidemiology of seasonal influenza in 2016-17, scientific evidence of seasonal influenza vaccines, recommendations of the World Health Organization as well as local vaccine coverage rates with a view to working out the list of priority groups for receiving seasonal influenza vaccination in 2016-17 season.SCVPD has recommended, among others, expanding the priority group of children from "the age of six months to less than six years" to "the age of six months to less than 12 years".

In view of the above, CHP is preparing to expand the Childhood Influenza Vaccination Subsidy Scheme to cover children from the age of six months to less than 12 years.Moreover, CHP is consulting and collecting views from representatives of local and international schools, school sponsoring bodies and medical sector with a view to exploring measures to further encourage children to receive seasonal influenza vaccination.We will announce the arrangements and implementation details of the scheme as soon as possible.
]]>LCQ7: Promotion of organic farminghttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150559.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150559.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:08:36 +0800
Question:

The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department launched the "Organic Farming Conversion Scheme" in December 2000 to encourage conventional farmers to switch to organic farming.As at February 2016, there were 556 organic farms in Hong Kong, including traditional family-operated farms, self-claimed organic farms, enterprise-operated farms, and educational/leisure farms.Last month, the Finance Committee of this Council approved the setting up of a $500 million Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund to provide financial assistance to farmers, so as to enhance the promotion of technological research and manpower training in the agriculture industry, etc.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether there are new policies and measures to increase the number of organic farms; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(2) in the coming three years, how the authorities will effectively promote organic farming and provide assistance to those organisations and bodies (such as schools, commercial organisations) which intend to practise organic farming?

Reply:

President,

Our consolidated reply relating to the Government's work in promoting organic farming is set out below.

In view of increasing public demand for local organic products in recent years, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has been actively supporting farmers engaged in organic farming, as well as encouraging/assisting farmers to adopt organic farming practices away from using chemical pesticides and fertilisers.In December 2000, AFCD launched the Organic Farming Conversion Scheme (later renamed as the Organic Farming Support Service) to facilitate, through the provision of technical support, local farmers engaged in commercial production to switch from traditional farming to organic farming.With the implementation of the Scheme, we have seen a steady increase in the number of commercial farms taking on organic farming.The number of organic farms which participated in the Scheme has grown from 15 farms in two organic production zones in December 2000, to the current total of 282 farms spanning over seven organic production zones in Ng Ka Tsuen, Tai Kong Po, Ping Che, Fanling, Pat Heung, Sheung Shui and Tai Po.

To promote organic farming, AFCD organises various training programmes focused on technical skills, seminars and workshops, and offers on-site technical advice to help farmers overcome technical problems in production, such as those relating to pest and disease control, horticultural skills, soil fertility management, seed saving, etc.Besides, AFCD conducts field trials and technical studies with a view to enhancing farmers' productivity and the quality of their products.AFCD also stands ready to share experience with members of the public in addressing technical issues associated with organic farming.

In the 2016 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced that the Government would implement the New Agriculture Policy (NAP).The NAP is underpinned by a series of support measures that promote the modernisation of local agriculture and its sustainable development, including establishing an Agricultural Park (Agri-Park); exploring the feasibility of designating agricultural priority areas; setting up the Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund (SADF); providing better support and assistance to help farmers move up the value chain in areas such as product marketing and brand building; and developing leisure and educational activities related to agriculture.Among the various measures, the SADF will provide financial assistance to facilitate modernisation of local agriculture and enhance output and productivity.Local organic farms may benefit from the SADF through the subsidy provided to acquire farming equipment and materials.The SADF will also provide funding support to various projects for purposes that include promoting research and development that eases the application of technology to agricultural production, enhancing manpower training, improving agricultural infrastructure, strengthening marketing and branding of local agricultural produce and establishing farmers' markets, etc.In addition, under the NAP the Government will set up an Agri-Park of around 75-80 hectares to help nurture development in agro-technology and agro-business management.There will be a designated zone in the Agri-Park for promoting the development and advancement of organic farming.
]]>LCQ6: Public confidence in and support for the Chief Executive and the government officialshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150530.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150530.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:07:18 +0800
Question:

There have been comments that Hong Kong is facing intensified social dissension and an unprecedentedly poor relationship between the executive authorities and the legislature. The Chief Executive (CE) stated earlier that the existing problems would remain unresolved even with the replacement of the CE. When the CE was asked by a reporter why he did not honour the promise he had made upon assumption of office (i.e. he will continue to go to the people with his governing team to listen to the people's views, bringing with him a stool, a notepad and a pen), the CE replied that if there was any occasion which did not need a massive deployment of two to three hundred police officers outside the meeting venue to cordon off the area and stop people from running onto carriageways or hurling objects, and if at the meeting venue the attendees could have communications on supporting or opposing views, he would be very willing to visit districts to listen to public views. He also said that he had been creating opportunities for communications with the pan-democratic Members of this Council, but he was snubbed by some of them. Yet, when the CE earlier issued invitations to a farewell banquet to be held for Members of this Council, some pan-democratic Members were not invited. On the other hand, according to the survey findings released earlier by the Public Opinion Programme of The University of Hong Kong, the popularity rating of the CE is 36.2, which is an all-time low in his term of office and a net popularity of negative 46 percentage points, which is a new record low since he delivered the Policy Address in January this year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has assessed why it is the case that whenever the incumbent CE visited districts, there were a large group of people trying to surround and charge at him, as well as hurling abuses at, insulting and making personal attacks on him using vulgar languages, necessitating the authorities' massive deployment of two to three hundred police officers for maintaining order; if it has assessed, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it has sought to understand from the CE whether he has no intention to visit districts again during his remaining term of office as long as the aforesaid situation has not improved;

(2) whether it has assessed the reasons why pan-democratic Members have snubbed the CE by declining his invitations to the banquet, and whether it has sought to understand from the CE the reasons why individual pan-democratic Members were not invited to the farewell banquet and if he has given up communicating with the pan-democratic Members; if it has assessed and sought to understand, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it has assessed if the long-standing low popularity ratings of the CE and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region are attributable to the political accountability team being disunited, incapable, failing to do real work for Hong Kong, and unable to gain support and trust from the public; if it has assessed and obtained the findings, of the details, and how the authorities will make improvements; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

Acting President,

Our consolidated reply to Dr the Hon Lam's question, after consulting the relevant offices and departments, is as follows:

The Chief Executive (CE) always reaches out to different sectors of the community through a variety of means.These include attending activities organised by different organisations, meeting with relevant people on social issues and having exchanges with members of different sectors through various means such as inviting them to banquets.As to local personalities, the CE hosted two banquets at Government House this year to exchange views on district issues with representatives of District Councils.The CE also attended different district activities at invitation to interact with local personalities.

As regards the Legislative Council (LegCo), the CE also always maintains close communication with LegCo Members through a variety of means.These include meeting with different political parties and the independents to listen to their views when preparing the Policy Address each year, attending the CE's Question and Answer Sessions of the LegCo to answer Members' questions direct, meeting with various political parties and the independents to exchange views on individual issues, attending LegCo's banquets or receptions at invitation, and hosting banquets for LegCo Members at Government House.On the basis of rational communication and respecting Members' wishes, the CE will continue to make earnest efforts to communicate with different political parties and the independents in the LegCo.

The CE and the current-term Government strive to serve the community and work for the overall interests and long term development of Hong Kong under the key themes of "developing the economy and improving the livelihood".Over the past few years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has made certain progress and achievements in increasing land and housing supply, helping the poor and the disadvantaged, caring for the elderly, responding to an ageing population, promoting education and youth development, improving the environment and enhancing conservation.Hong Kong is a pluralistic and open society, the HKSAR Government understands that there are often differing views on public affairs and social issues among different stakeholders.However, the HKSAR Government always acts in the overall and long-term interest of the Hong Kong community in formulating policies and will continue to enhance communication with the public so as to gain their trust and support.
]]>LCQ15: Traffic distribution among RHCshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140804.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140804.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:04:05 +0800
Question:

The Eastern Harbour Crossing Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2015 passed by this Council on the 19th of last month provides the legal basis for Government's takeover of the Eastern Harbour Crossing (EHC) when EHC's franchise expires on August 7 of this year.EHC's prevailing toll levels will not be affected when the Government takes over it.On the other hand, the Secretary for Transport and Housing has stated on several occasions that upon taking over EHC, the Government will immediately commence a study on the rationalisation of the traffic distribution among EHC, Cross Harbour Tunnel (CHT) and Western Harbour Crossing (WHC), collectively referred to as the three road harbour crossings (RHCs).The study will be completed in 2017-2018 and the toll adjustment proposals will be submitted to the Panel on Transport of this Council for discussion.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the specific plans for and work schedule of the aforesaid study;

(2) whether the Government has formulated any new plans and measures, to be implemented before the implementation of the toll adjustment proposals, to alleviate the traffic congestion problem in Central and its adjacent areas; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) given that in respect of daily throughput, CHT is currently running over its design capacity and EHC's capacity is near saturation, while WHC has only reached about half of its design capacity, of the authorities' specific measures to improve the traffic distribution among the three RHCs prior to the implementation of the toll adjustment proposals; and

(4) whether the Government will consider afresh buying back WHC so as to facilitate its integrated adjustment of the traffic distribution of the three RHCs; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

My reply to the various parts of the Hon Frankie Yick's question is as follows:

(1) As I have stated clearly on various occasions, upon taking over the Eastern Harbour Crossing (EHC) in August this year, the Government will immediately commence a study on the overall strategy and feasible options for the rationalisation of traffic distribution among the three road harbour crossings (RHCs).When delivering the speech on resumption of Second Reading debate of the Eastern Harbour Crossing Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2015, I undertook that the Government would complete the study and submit toll adjustment proposals covering the three RHCs to the Legislative Council Panel on Transport for discussion within the 2017-18 legislative year.In this connection, the Transport Department (TD) has commenced preparatory work for the engagement of a consultant, and will conduct the relevant tendering exercise as soon as practicable.

(2) The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged approach in tackling road traffic congestion.In March 2014, the Government invited the Transport Advisory Committee (TAC) to conduct a study on the causes of, and solutions to, road traffic congestion in Hong Kong.In end 2014, TAC submitted to the Government a report on its study.The Government accepted the report, and will implement in phases a series of short, medium and long-term measures recommended by TAC (see the Annex for details), having regard to stakeholders' views, feasibility of available options and overseas experiences, etc.

As regards the traffic congestion situation in Central and its adjacent areas, we believe that the traffic on the existing trunk road connecting the eastern and western parts of Central (i.e. Connaught Road Central) will be improved upon the commissioning of the Central-Wan Chai Bypass.Regarding traffic congestion within Central, one of the main causes of the problem is rampant illegal parking, picking up/setting down of passengers, and loading/unloading of goods; and combating such illegal activities is one of the Police's key enforcement priorities for this year.In order to alleviate traffic congestion in Central and its adjacent areas in the long run, we commenced a three-month public engagement exercise on the Electronic Road Pricing Pilot Scheme in Central and its adjacent areas at the end of last year.We will appoint a consultant to conduct an in-depth feasibility study and formulate detailed options for public discussion.

To maintain smooth traffic, TD has been putting in place feasible traffic management measures for Central and its adjacent areas having regard to specific local circumstances.Examples of such measures include designating restricted zones to prohibit kerbside activities (picking up/setting-down, and loading/unloading) of all or specific vehicles at peak hours; imposing yellow boxes at busy road junctions to avoid blockages which cause traffic congestion; and modifying traffic signals at signalised junctions to maximise vehicular flow thereat and minimise traffic delays.TD will continue to keep in view the traffic conditions, review the effectiveness of the traffic management measures concerned, and implement suitable traffic management measures to alleviate traffic congestion where appropriate.

(3) Of the three RHCs, the daily traffic volume of the Cross-Harbour Tunnel has already exceeded its design capacity by nearly 50 per cent, while that of EHC is also close to saturation.The traffic flow of the Western Harbour Crossing (WHC) is, though currently running below its design capacity, constrained by the traffic conditions at its connecting roads.As such, in formulating proposals for rationalising traffic distribution among the three RHCs, the Government must take into account the toll levels of all three RHCs (including different options of toll adjustment) in a holistic manner, in order to develop strategies which rationalise traffic distribution effectively.

TD has been closely monitoring the traffic conditions at the RHCs and their adjacent areas.Various appropriate measures have been put in place, including the Journey Time Indication System which provides the estimated journey time for different cross harbour routes so that motorists could make informed route choices with reference to the most updated traffic conditions.

(4) The Government's ownership of WHC is not the prerequisite for the implementation of a toll adjustment scheme to rationalise traffic distribution among the three RHCs.There are other possible ways for the Government to achieve the rationalisation of cross-harbour traffic distribution, for example, to consider effecting toll adjustment of WHC through reimbursement arrangements when necessary.WHC will be vested in the Government in 2023, and the Government currently does not have any plan to buy back the WHC.
]]>Public forum to be held on proposed guidelines for Chief Executive Electionhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150340.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150340.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 15:01:24 +0800
The Electoral Affairs Commission will hold a public forum tomorrow (June 16) on the proposed guidelines on election-related activities in respect of the Chief Executive Election.

"Members of the public are invited to express their views at the public forum," a Commission spokesman said today (June 15).

The forum will be held from 7.30pm to 9pm at Quarry Bay Community Hall, 1 Greig Road, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.

The proposed guidelines were released on June 13 for public consultation until June 26.

Written representations can be submitted to the Commission's Secretariat by post at 10/F, Harbour Centre, 25 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, by fax (2511 1682) or by email (eacenq@reo.gov.hk) by June 26. Late submissions will not be considered.

The proposed guidelines can be downloaded from the Commission website (www.eac.gov.hk). They are also available at the Registration and Electoral Office and the Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of District Offices.

For enquiries, please call 2891 1001.
]]>LCQ11: Strengthening works for paving block footpathshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150308.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150308.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 14:39:41 +0800
Question:

It has been reported that several days before the visit by a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee cum Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (the Chairman) came to Hong Kong last month for inspection, contractors engaged by the Highways Department applied glue to seal the joints of the slabs on the pavements along Tim Mei Avenue in Admiralty and Harbour Road in Wan Chai (joint sealing works). It is learnt that as the joints of the slabs had been sealed with glue, puddles of water appeared on the surfaces of the slabs when it rained (including the period during which the Red Rainstorm Warning Signal was issued last month), increasing the chances for pedestrians to slip and fall. In addition, large quantities of white powder on the surfaces of such slabs, allegedly originating from the glue, drifted with the wind from time to time, thereby causing inconvenience to pedestrians. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) regarding the joint sealing works, of the area of pavements and expenses involved, the number of workers deployed, as well as the composition and quantity of various types of materials used;

(2) of the objective and effectiveness of the joint sealing works carried out by the authorities;

(3) prior to carrying out the joint sealing works, whether the authorities have taken into account the fact that the drainage capability of the surfaces of the slabs will be reduced by the use of glue; if they have, of the details; whether the authorities have reviewed the effectiveness of such type of glue following the rainstorm last month; if they have, of the details; whether such type of glue has been used in similar works by the authorities;

(4) as there are views that the joint sealing works were related to the security arrangements for the Chairman's visit to Hong Kong, and that the carrying out of such works reflected that the authorities blew up the visit and were too anxious about it, whether the authorities have responded to such views; if they have, of the details;

(5) of the policy bureaux and government departments that participated in making the decision to carry out the joint sealing works; whether the decision was related to the security arrangements for the Chairman's visit to Hong Kong; and

(6) regarding the various joint sealing works carried out by the authorities in each of the past three years, of the respective streets and roads involved, works implementation methods, expenses incurred, numbers of workers deployed, types of materials used and reasons for carrying out such works (set out in a table)?

President,

My reply to the various parts of the Hon Chan Chi-chuen's question is as follows:

Footpaths in Hong Kong are mainly classified into two types: footpaths paved with concrete and footpaths paved with paving blocks (paving block footpaths), as well as some footpaths paved with other materials (such as bitumen).The Highways Department (HyD) is responsible for the maintenance of footpaths under its purview.The HyD will conduct routine inspections and arrange appropriate maintenance work for footpaths to maintain them in good condition, hence ensuring the safety of users.

As regards paving block footpaths, one of the maintenance works conducted by the HyD is to consider whether to conduct paving block strengthening works in light of the actual conditions of the paving block footpaths.

The structure of paving block footpaths consists of four layers: the bottommost layer is soil; on top of soil is a layer of granular sub-base; a layer of sand bedding is laid on the layer of granular sub-base; and paving blocks are laid at the topmost layer.The gaps between paving blocks are filled by sand.In considering whether to conduct paving block strengthening works, the HyD will consider the conditions of paving block footpaths at different locations, including:pedestrian flow, whether underground soil is likely to subject to uneven settlement, whether illegal parking is frequent which increases the chance of settlement and damages, and whether they require frequent use of high-pressure water jets for cleansing (for example, paving block footpaths that are hygienic black spots), causing the loss of sand in the layer of sand bedding and between gaps, whether there are frequent growth of moss and grasses in the gaps between paving blocks due to environmental factors, and whether they are located in crowded areas which may be subject to risk of artificial damages, etc.

In general, the HyD will adopt the following two methods in conducting paving block strengthening works:

(i) The use of joint stabilising sealant (JSS) to seal up the gaps between paving blocks.This is the "joint sealing works" stated in the Hon Chan's question where glue was applied to seal the joints of the slabs on paving block footpaths.The JSS will be filled in the gaps between paving blocks, through which the blocks will be adhered together, thus reducing the loss of sand in the gaps between paving blocks, and thereby strengthening the stability of the paving block footpaths and reducing the chance of settlement.

The major component of JSS is a non-water-based epoxy, which is a chemical commonly found in the commonly-known "superglues".JSS is a light brown viscous liquid which is commonly known as glue.When compared with the glue for everyday use, the JSS has a higher viscosity.When using JSS in strengthening paving blocks, it is not necessary to excavate the existing paving block footpath.JSS is first filled in the gaps between paving blocks, and is left until the JSS is completely dried and hardened, during which the filled JSS needs to be appropriately protected.For instance, by temporarily covering it up using a curing material in the form of white powder called quartz sand for relatively large scale works, and by temporarily fencing off or temporarily covering it up by wooden or plastic plates for relatively small scale works, in order to avoid damages to JSS from the outside (e.g. being stepped on by pedestrians) before it is fully dried and hardened.Once the JSS is completely dried and hardened, it will fully fill the original gaps between paving blocks, and adhere the blocks together.The HyD will then clear up or remove the temporary protective measures.

(ii) The use of sand mixed with cement to construct the layer of sand bedding under paving blocks: this method aims to increase the strength of the layer of sand bedding under paving blocks, thus increasing the stability of paving block footpaths and reducing the chance of settlement.When carrying out the works, the existing paving block footpaths will first be excavated (including the sand bedding layer).The sand bedding layer will be constructed using sand mixed with cement, and the gaps between paving blocks will also be filled with sand mixed with cement to assist in stabilising the paving blocks.When compared with the use of JSS, this method involves more procedures and takes longer time to complete.Therefore, this method is usually adopted for relatively large scale reconstruction of paving block footpaths.However, in terms of sealing up the gaps between paving blocks and adhering paving blocks together, this method performs less effectively than the use of JSS.

Both of the above two methods in strengthening paving blocks do not affect the drainage function of footpaths.

Over the past three years (from April 2013 to April 2016), the HyD has conducted joint sealing works in 16 districts in Hong Kong (including Central and Western District, Wan Chai District, Kowloon City District, Kwun Tong District, Wong Tai Sin District, Yau Tsim Mong District, Sham Shui Po District, Islands District, Kwai Tsing District, North District, Sai Kung District, Sha Tin District, Tai Po District, Tsuen Wan District, Tuen Mun District and Yuen Long District).The works involve a total of 167 sections of paving block footpaths (details at Annex), with a total cost of works of about $13 million.Since these joint sealing works are mostly of relatively small scale and the number of works involved is large, the HyD is unable to provide information related to cost, manpower, etc. of individual joint sealing works.

As regards the joint sealing works conducted by the HyD in certain paving block footpaths in Admiralty and Wan Chai in early May this year, in order to meet the security requirements of the Police, the HyD conducted joint sealing works at six sections of paving block footpaths in the aforementioned locations.As the works area was relatively large, the HyD used quartz sand as curing material.

The aforementioned joint sealing works conducted by the HyD involved footpaths of a total area of about 12,000 square meters.The contractor deployed about 40 workers to conduct the works on the aforementioned footpath sections, and used about nine cubic meters of JSS.The HyD is still finalising the cost of works.The works were completed in mid-May this year, and the paving blocks of the footpaths concerned have been strengthened properly.

On May 10 this year (the day when the Red Rainstorm Sign was hoisted), after the HyD learnt from the internet and the media the situation of the sites concerned of the aforementioned joint sealing works, the HyD conducted a site visit to the concerned sites in the morning of the same day, and confirmed that the white materials flushed by rain was quartz sand.The HyD then conducted another site visit in the afternoon when it was less rainy, and confirmed that there was no ponding water on the concerned paving block footpaths.The HyD cleared up the quartz sand on the same day.
]]>LCQ21: Vertical greening workshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150335.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150335.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 14:33:33 +0800
Question:

On the 20th of last month, the entire greened roof of the Chan Tai Ho Multi-purpose Hall at the City University of Hong Kong collapsed abruptly, and it has been reported that this accident is attributable to the greening works on the roof of the building. Some members of the public have pointed out that, apart from roof greening works, vertical greening works on the external walls of buildings may also pose safety hazards to the public. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it knows the current number of buildings in Hong Kong on which vertical greening works have been carried out; and how the authorities regulate such works;

(2) of the measures to ensure the structural safety of buildings on which vertical greening facilities/installations have been retrofitted; whether the authorities inspect on a regular basis the safety of the relevant works and facilities/installations; if they do, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether the authorities will comprehensively review the current regulatory arrangements for vertical greening facilities/installations; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Greening of buildings can bring many benefits in terms of improving the environment and the ecology, saving energy, as well as enhancing people's quality of living. Vertical greening, being one form of greening of buildings, usually refers to planting of climbing or weeping plants along the edges of buildings, or planting on stacks of modular planters or panels and aims at creating greenery on the vertical surface of associated structures. Vertical greening can enhance a building's energy efficiency by serving as its thermal insulation, mitigate urban heat island effect by moderating temperatures and humidity, as well as filter dust pollutants and reduce noise. In view of all these benefits, the Government has been striving to promote greening of buildings, including vertical greening.

The reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:

(1) With the paramount objective of ensuring building safety, the Government has in place different levels of regulatory control over the greening of private buildings, including vertical greening. If the greening is of a substantial scale, the relevant owner should then consult authorised building professionals on matters such as loading of the building. The building professionals authorised by the Buildings Department possess professional expertise. They should advise the owners, where the greening involves building works, on the need for seeking the consent of the Buildings Department for the works taking into account their location, scope and scale. For works requiring its prior approval, the department will assess the works proposed in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance and will only give consent for its commencement upon being satisfied of the safety of the works. As regards statistics, the Buildings Department does not have the number of private buildings in Hong Kong on which vertical greening works have been carried out.

(2) and (3) Owners of private buildings are responsible for the timely inspection and maintenance of their properties, including any of their greening facility, to ensure their safety. They should consult professional advice if in doubt. Relevant departments have formulated guidelines on the pertinent matters to assist the owners in fulfilling their responsibilities. In particular, the Development Bureau has been formulating standards and guidelines on various types of greening since the establishment of its Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section in 2010. In view of the collapse incident of the greened roof at the City University of Hong Kong last month, the Buildings Department has issued a circular to the building industry, setting out and reminding practitioners of the existing provisions under the Buildings Ordinance applicable to roof greening. These provisions equally apply to vertical greening. The circular particularly reminds the relevant professionals and contractors of their duties to inform building owners of the actions to be taken during the design and construction of the greening facilities, the impact of greening on the structure of the subject building, and how to safely operate and properly maintain the relevant facilities after commissioning. To enhance public knowledge of the relevant subject, the Buildings Department is drawing up a guide for property owners and the general public on the common greening works of buildings in Hong Kong.

The Buildings Department has not carried out inspections of the vertical greening of buildings specifically. In its day-to-day handling of public reports on unauthorised building works and other matters, as well as in conducting large-scale operation, the Buildings Department will take appropriate follow-up actions if any greening facilities which are unauthorised building works come to its attention.

Generally speaking, just as other forms of greening, vertical greening of buildings should pose no risk to safety, as long as it was suitably designed and constructed, and there are proper repairs and maintenance. As such, we have no plan at present to comprehensively review the relevant regulatory arrangements.
]]>LCQ12: Non-refoulement claimshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150411.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150411.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 14:28:23 +0800
Question:

It is learnt that the number of people who lodged torture claims/non-refoulement claims under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment immediately upon entry into Hong Kong unlawfully has been on the rise recently.Some members of the public have relayed to me that some of the claimants are actually "bogus refugees" who have abused the mechanism for making such claims in order to stay in Hong Kong to engage in illegal activities that endanger the personal safety of members of the public and undermine the law and order, such as taking up illegal employment, stealing and trafficking drugs.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective average, shortest and longest time taken by the authorities to handle the aforesaid claims in each of the past three years;

(2) of the respective numbers of cases in which the aforesaid claimants were prosecuted and convicted, in each of the past three years, for allegedly having committed crimes;

(3) given that the authorities are conducting a study on setting up a closed camp for detaining claimants to reduce their incentives to come to Hong Kong, of the progress of the study;

(4) whether it will consider introducing legislative amendments to empower the authorities to repatriate claimants to their countries of origin immediately upon conviction; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) given that the claimants are mainly from South Asian countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh, whether the authorities will implement measures to encourage and help local ethnic minorities to apply for vacancies of police officers with a view to handling crimes involving claimants more effectively; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President:

Foreigners who smuggled themselves into Hong Kong, and visitors who overstayed their limit of stay allowed by the Immigration Department (ImmD) or who were refused entry by ImmD upon arrival in Hong Kong (collectively "illegal immigrants") are liable to be removed from Hong Kong in accordance with the Immigration Ordinance, Cap.115 (the Ordinance).To safeguard immigration control and for public interest, they should be removed as soon as practicable.

However, pursuant to multiple court rulings since 2004, if a foreigner claims to face a risk of being subjected to such risks as torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (CIDTP), or persecution, etc., upon being removed to his country of origin, ImmD cannot remove him there unless his claim is determined to be unsubstantiated under procedures which meet high standards of fairness.

The Government reiterates that the United Nations Refugee Convention has never been applied to Hong Kong; non-refoulement claimants in Hong Kong are not to be treated as "refugees".Their illegal immigration status will not change and they may not settle in Hong Kong, regardless of the result of their claim.They will be removed to their country of origin when their claim is rejected or when the risk they face ceases to exist.

Since 2014, there has been a continuous and worsening influx of illegal immigrants lodging non-refoulement claims to resist removal from Hong Kong.The public expenditure and the social and public order implications arising from illegal immigration, their abuse of our screening system and the worsening crime situation have caused considerable public concern.Injecting further resources to enhance screening output alone is unable to contain and reverse the situation.The Chief Executive has announced, in the 2016 Policy Address, that the Government will launch a comprehensive review on the strategy of handling non-refoulement claims from four major dimensions including (1) pre-arrival control, (2) screening procedures, (3) detention, and (4) enforcement and removal to address fragilities in our present system.

My reply to the various parts of the Hon Chan's question is as follows:

(1) The Government commenced the unified screening mechanism (USM) in March 2014.As at the end of May 2016, ImmD has decided on 4 211 claims.The average time taken to arrive at a decision from the time when the screening procedure commences is 28 weeks.The time required to screen each claim may vary depending on the complexity of the case.According to record, the shortest time required to decide on a case was two weeks whereas the longest required 49 months.(According to record, the claimant in that case returned his claim form four months after screening commenced.In the 29 months that followed, the claimant failed to attend his screening interview repeatedly for various reasons, including his poor psychiatric condition (but without medical proof), request for psychiatric examination, feeling physically unwell, his legal representative was unable to attend, etc.When the USM commenced, the claimant was given a further 28 days to provide supplementary information, but he did not provide such information until three months later.In the 12 months that followed, the claimant again refused to attend his screening interview repeatedly.In summary, the screening interview was completed 48 months after the screening procedure commenced, and was decided within one month thereafter.)During the comprehensive review, we will consider how to minimise such room for abuse.

(2) According to the Police's record, since 2013, the number of non-ethnic Chinese (NEC) persons on recognisance (mostly non-refoulement claimants) arrested for criminal offences are at Annex.

Separately, section 38AA of the Ordinance prohibits illegal immigrants or persons who are subject to removal or deportation orders from taking any employment or establishing/joining in any business.According to ImmD's records, since 2013, the number of NEC persons on recognisance arrested for breach of section 38AA is tabulated below:

YearNumber of persons arrested
------------------------------
2013165
2014166
2015232
2016 (as at the end of133
May)

The Government does not maintain figures relating to prosecution and conviction.

(3) The Government notes that recently, there are suggestions that we should draw reference to the experience of handling the Vietnamese boat people crisis in the 1980s and re-introduce closed camps in Hong Kong.

The power vested in the Government under the Ordinance to detain Vietnamese boat people is applicable only to those Vietnamese boat people who arrived Hong Kong in or before January 1998.Since the 1980-90s, the Court has made a number of rulings in relation to the detention of illegal immigrants.In particular, the Court of Final Appeal (CFA) ruled in 2014 in Ghulam Rbani vs the Director of Immigration [2014] HKCFA 21 that, although Article 5 of the Hong Kong Bill of Rights (HKBOR) (not subjected to arbitrary detention) does not affect ImmDˇ¦s statutory power to detain illegal immigrants, such power is subject to the common law Hardial Singh principle, i.e., if ImmD cannot complete the removal procedures (including the screening procedure for non-refoulement claim) within a reasonable time, then the illegal immigrant cannot continue to be detained.The suggestion also gives rise to other challenges from land and manpower resources perspectives.

That being said, during the comprehensive review of the strategy for handling non-refoulement claims, we will research into proposals to empower ImmD to detain more claimants that would conform to legal and operational requirements, so as to deter them from coming to Hong Kong and delaying the removal/screening procedures.

(4) The Government commenced the USM to meet with the rulings of the Court.In particular, in December 2012, the CFA ruled in Ubamaka Edward Wilson vs the Secretary for Security [2013] HKCFA 60 that the right not to be subjected to CIDTP under Article 3 of the HKBOR is absolute and non-derogable.Therefore, no matter how undesirable or dangerous the conduct of an individual is, the Government may not remove him to another country where he has a real and substantial risk of being subjected to CIDTP.

Pursuant to the Court's ruling, if an illegal immigrant claims that he has a risk of being subjected to torture, CIDTP, etc., at another country, even if he has committed a crime in Hong Kong, ImmD cannot remove him there in contravention of Article 3 of the HKBOR unless his claim is determined by ImmD to be unsubstantiated under procedures which meet high standards of fairness.

(5) Adhering to the principle of equal opportunities all along, the Police are committed to the recruitment of suitable candidates into the Police.Candidates who meet the appointment requirements, possess the competences required of a police officer, share the same values of the Police, and endeavour to become a professional police officer to serve the community are welcome to apply to join the Police, irrespective of their races.

From May 2011, candidates with Level two (i.e. grade E before 2007) or above in five subjects in the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination (including English), or equivalent, may apply for the post of Police Constable (PC), even without relevant certifications in Chinese language proficiency.Such candidates will, however, be referred to sit for the Government Standard Examination conducted by the Civil Service Examinations Unit.A pass in the examination is considered equivalent to meeting the Chinese language proficiency requirement.

Candidates for the post of PC with foreign language skills, such as Hindi, Urdu, Nepali, Tagalog, French, German, Korean or Japanese, will be awarded additional scores upon passing an assessment.

Furthermore, ethnic minorities (EM) are engaged by the Police as Police Community Liaison Assistants (PCLA) to enhance liaison with EM communities.To date, there are 15 PCLA posts in 14 Police Districts.
]]>LCQ1: Promoting development of tourism industryhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150426.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150426.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 14:16:23 +0800
Question:

It is learnt that one of the reasons why many Hong Kong people like travelling abroad during holidays is that there are quite a number of tourist attractions overseas.On the other hand, some members of the tourism industry have relayed to me that Hong Kong's tourism industry has entered a harsh winter and is now facing acute competition from such places as Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, etc.As such, Hong Kong should develop more tourist attractions to, on the one hand, provide Hong Kong people with more leisure places to spend their holidays, thereby encouraging them to stay and spend in Hong Kong and, on the other, to attract more tourists to visit Hong Kong.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the "LED Rose Garden Display" at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, Korea has been very well-received and the "Light Rose Garden - Hong Kong" held locally in February this year also attracted tens of thousands of people viewing the exhibition, whether the authorities will consider collaborating with local artists or arts organisations to produce LED lighting or art installations in other media forms and display them permanently at locations such as the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal, the West Kowloon Cultural District, etc., which will not only provide more room for the development of local creative arts but also attract tourists to visit Hong Kong; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as quite a number of overseas cities have used murals to beautify their cityscapes in recent years (e.g. the artistic murals in Penang, Malaysia, the Ihwa-dong Mural Village in Seoul, Korea and the Rainbow Military Dependents' Village in Taiwan), which are well-received by tourists, whether the authorities will consider transforming local street murals and mural villages currently found in districts such as Stanley, Sheung Wan, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Ping Che, etc. into new attractions, with a view to developing mural art, adding charm to old districts and promoting local culture; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) as "flower viewing" and "flower photo-taking" have become popular in Hong Kong in recent years, with quite a number of members of the public visiting various places in the territory to appreciate and take pictures of flowers (e.g. the Bougainvillea Alley at Un Chau Estate, Cheung Sha Wan as well as the tabebuia chrysantha in Sha Tin Park and Nam Cheong Park) during the blooming season, whether the authorities have plans to plant various types of special flowers, complemented by designs of flower or tree galleries, in various parks and on roadsides for appreciation by the general public and tourists; if they do, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

Tourism is a pillar industry of Hong Kong.The Government attaches great importance to the tourism industry in Hong Kong and has devoted substantial resources to support its development.Starting from last year, the tourism industry in Hong Kong has been facing fierce competition due to the slowdown of global economy as well as depreciated currencies and relaxed visa requirements for Mainland visitors in neighbouring countries.

In view of the competition and challenges faced by the tourism industry, the Government allocated in the last year an additional funding of $80 million to the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) for stepping up overseas promotion efforts.Subsequently, another $10 million was allocated for setting up a one-off matching fund to encourage local tourist attractions for launching distinctive tourism products in collaboration with hotels, travel agencies, retail merchants, etc.The Financial Secretary further rolled out a series of initiatives in the 2016-17 Budget including an additional funding of $240 million for the HKTB and the trade to promote the development of the tourism industry and to support the travel trade.Through the efforts of the Government and the trade, the number of non-Mainland visitors visiting Hong Kong has bounced back in recent months and recorded a year-on-year increase of 4.9 per cent for the first four months of this year.

My reply to the three parts of the question, after consulting the Home Affairs Bureau, is as follows:

(1) We subscribe to the idea that the hosting of different types of large-scale activities and mega events in Hong Kong can help boost our international image and appeal as a tourist destination.The events will not only attract more visitors but also entice them to extend their stay here.The Government has all along been supporting the organisation of these events in Hong Kong in various ways, including through the Mega Events Fund.Any organisation that is interested in holding events at venues managed by the Government (including those of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) or the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal) and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority may apply to the departments/authorities concerned.The departments/authorities would consider providing appropriate facilitation having regard to the management and arrangement of individual venues.In fact, the display of "Light Rose Garden-Hong Kong", an art installation, at Tamar Park in February this year was organised with the approval of the LCSD.The Government will be pleased to consider any specific proposal from any organisation regarding the display of art installations at venues such as the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal and the West Kowloon Cultural District.

On the other hand, the Art Promotion Office of the LCSD is committed to promoting the development of public arts in Hong Kong.Over the years, it has rolled out public arts projects of different scales and commissioned local artists to create artworks in different media to beautify public spaces.The projects have helped enhance the public's appreciation of and interests in arts, enriched the artistic ambience of our public spaces as well as helped attract more visitors to Hong Kong.

(2) We note that an art group has, since 2014, been organising annual street art festivals named "HKwalls" in Hong Kong which included displaying murals.This art group has organised such events at Sheung Wan, Stanley and Sham Shui Po in the past.The HKTB has promoted the "HKwalls" festival as one of the highlight activities of Hong Kong at the time.Separately, the LCSD has strived to bring public arts to all sectors of the community under a variety of programmes.For instance, the "New Look for Public Places: Shanghai Street Public Art Project" and "Urban Art Project at the Back Alley in Kwun Tong" in old neighbourhoods such as those in Kwun Tong and Yau Ma Tei, have transformed the appearance of public buildings and alleys with murals and enhanced the artistic ambience of the community.The HKTB will also consider highlighting murals in promoting the attractions of individual districts.

(3) The Government is committed to promoting greening, landscape and tree management.In view of the growing interests of the public and visitors in flower appreciation in recent years, the Government has endeavoured to identify more appropriate locations for suitable planting wherever possible.

The LCSD has adopted thematic planting designs for new parks and roadside planting areas.For existing parks with landscape plants due for replacement, special flowering plants would be introduced.For instance, the introduction of camel's foot trees in Hong Kong Velodrome Park, Yellow Pui in Nam Cheung Park and water lilies in Shing Mun Valley Park, has drawn flocks of the public to these parks during their flowering seasons every year.Moreover, the Agricultural, Fisheries and Conservation Department also introduces appropriate ornamental trees into country parks, such as sweet gum trees for Tai Tong at Tai Lam Country Park and cherry trees for the Rotary Park at Tai Mo Shan Country Park for appreciation by visitors.

Following the completion of greening works under the Greening Master Plans (the Plans) for the urban areas in 2011, the Civil Engineering and Development Department is currently implementing the greening works under the Plans at Sha Tin, Sai Kung, Tuen Mun and Yuen Long, involving mainly the existing pavements or roadsides to enhance the cityscape.

The Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section of the Development Bureau has developed a mobile application, "Tree and Landscape Map", to facilitate the public's appreciation of flowering plants.The mobile application features search functions for "thematic planting", the particular plant species in flower in different months (depending on the weather) and the locations of the relevant parks.By providing information on the plants that flower in different seasons in different districts of Hong Kong, it guides the general public and visitors to visit these attractions for flower appreciation.
]]>Red flag hoisted at Tong Fuk Beachhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150535.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150535.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 14:15:09 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 15) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Tong Fuk Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
]]>LCQ9: Private recreational leaseshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150339.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150339.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 13:29:03 +0800
Question:

The Government has leased certain lands at nil or nominal premium to private sports clubs (clubs) to develop sports and recreational facilities for use by their members, and such leases for sports and recreational purposes are commonly known as private recreational leases (PRLs).I have repeatedly received complaints from members of the public that some lessees used club facilities for profit-making purposes, thus allegedly breaching the conditions of PRLs.On the other hand, the Home Affairs Bureau set up an inter-departmental working group in June 2014 to review the policy on PRLs.It is expected that the working group will complete the review in this year.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the information of the lands that are currently granted under PRLs, including (i) the names of lessees, (ii) the addresses of the clubs, (iii) the uses specified in the PRLs, (iv) the site areas, and (v) the expiry dates of the PRLs;

(2) of the respective numbers of the following, in each of the past five years, (i) the complaints received by the authorities about lessees allegedly breaching the restrictions on uses specified in PRLs (lease-breaching) by conducting commercial activities or subletting club facilities, (ii) the suspected lease-breaching cases uncovered by the authorities during proactive inspections of these clubs, and (iii) substantiated lease-breaching cases;

(3) of the details of and the procedure for the authorities' following up substantiated lease-breaching cases; whether the existing PRLs generally contain any provision empowering the Government to penalise lease-breaching lessees, such as charging land premiums and resuming the land; and

(4) whether it has assessed if the aforesaid working group can complete the review on schedule, and whether the authorities will consult the public on the recommendations of the review report?

Reply:

President,

The practice of leasing lands to non-profit-making bodies by the Government under private recreational leases (PRLs) at nil or nominal premium for the development of sports and recreational facilities and relevant services has a long history.Currently, there are a total of 69 PRLs, of which the lessees include private sports clubs, uniformed groups, social and welfare organisations, "national sports associations", district sports associations and civil service organisations.

In order to encourage the lessees to better serve the Government's key policy objectives for sports development (namely promoting sport in the community, promoting elite sports development, and promoting Hong Kong as a centre for international sports events), we have required the lessees to further open up their sports facilities on PRL sites to outside bodies (including schools, non-governmental organisations, "national sports associations" and uniformed groups).At present, we monitor the usage of sports facilities on PRL sites through quarterly returns from the lessees and annual site inspections.We have also enhanced publicity by such means as providing detailed information about the opening-up schemes of sports facilities on PRL sites on the website of the Home Affairs Bureau, and placing advertisements in the newspapers at least once a year to publicise the availability of sports facilities on these sites for use by outside bodies.

Having consolidated the inputs from the Lands Department (LandsD), my reply to the four parts of the question is as follows:

(1) Information on lands granted under PRLs, including names of the lessees, their addresses, site areas and expiry dates of PRLs, is at Annex.As for specified uses, PRLs contain lease conditions requiring that PRL sites shall only be used for approved recreational and designated purposes and not for other purposes (such as commercial activities or subletting).Members of the public may search such information of PRLs through the Land Registry.

(2) In the past five years, the LandsD identified 51 cases of alleged breaches of user restriction (involving 28 PRLs) when handling complaints or via proactive inspections.As at May 2016, 12 cases were confirmed upon investigation as not having breached the lease conditions, 26 cases involved breaches already rectified by the lessees, two cases involved breaches being rectified by the lessees and one case involved a PRL not renewed, with the remaining 10 cases under investigation.

(3) Land leases are private leases signed between the Government and the landowners, under which the landowners are required to ensure that their lands are used in compliance with related lease conditions.During investigation, the LandsD will, as necessary, seek legal advice and/or consult relevant bureaux.If any breach of the lease conditions is confirmed, the LandsD will take appropriate lease enforcement actions, including issuance of a warning letter to the landowner concerned to require rectification of the breach.Failure of rectification within a specified period will result in further lease enforcement actions, including re-entry of the land concerned where appropriate, taken by the LandsD as necessary.

(4) The Government's inter-departmental working group, comprising representatives from the Development Bureau, the LandsD and other relevant bureaux and departments, is conducting a comprehensive policy review on PRLs.Based on the current progress, we expect to complete the review in 2016.We will brief the Legislative Council Panel on Home Affairs thereafter and conduct consultation with the public and stakeholders on the findings of the review.
]]>Red flag hoisted at Turtle Cove Beachhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150481.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150481.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 13:23:24 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 15) that due to big waves, red flag has been hoisted at Turtle Cove Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island.Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
]]>LCQ17: Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force's pay and bountyhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150415.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150415.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 13:08:03 +0800
Question:

Some members of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (auxiliary police officers) have relayed to me that they are required to receive Statutory Efficiency Training each year, and those who have completed such training will be eligible for a bounty award.However, these auxiliary police officers consider that as the amount of the bounty award, which has remained unchanged for more than 20 years, is too small, coupled with the incessant increase of volume and hazard of work in recent years, the current amount of bounty award is not conducive to encouraging their active participation in the work of auxiliary police force.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the existing size of the staff establishment of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force, and its percentage in the size of the overall staff establishment of the Police Force (i.e. auxiliary and regular police officers);

(2) of the minimum and maximum working hours, pay rates and overtime allowances (if any) of auxiliary police officers at present, set out on a monthly average basis;

(3) of the initial purpose and background of providing the aforesaid bounty award; the current amount and the eligibility criteria of the bounty award; and

(4) as some auxiliary police officers have indicated that their work has become increasingly complicated and dangerous in recent years, whether the authorities will consider adjusting, on a regular basis, the pay rates of auxiliary police officers and the amount of the aforesaid bounty award so as to reasonably reflect the contribution of auxiliary police officers; if they will, of the specific details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

My consolidated reply to the Hon Regina Ip's question is as follows:

As at April 30, 2016, the establishment of the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force (HKAPF) stood at 4 500, representing 13 per cent of the Police's overall establishment (i.e. including both the regular and auxiliary forces).There is no ceiling on the number of monthly working hours for auxiliary police officers, and their salaries are calculated on the basis of their respective ranks and the number of working hours in the month.There is no overtime allowance.

Under Section 15 of the Auxiliary Forces Pay and Allowances Ordinance (Cap 254), an auxiliary member with satisfactory service shall be eligible to be paid, in addition to his appropriate pay, a bounty.As far as the auxiliary police are concerned, any officer who, in each year of service, complies with the requirements as to efficiency under the Hong Kong Auxiliary Police Force Regulations (Cap 233A) (the present requirement being the completion of 208 hours of related training in each year) shall be paid an annual bounty, the prevailing level of which is $900.The Government shall review the amount of such bounty in a timely manner.
]]>LCQ16: Provision of spaces to facilitate shop operators to do businesseshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150403.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150403.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:48:11 +0800
Question:

Currently, law enforcement officers may institute prosecutions, by way of summons under section 4A of the Summary Offences Ordinance (Cap 228), against those persons who cause obstruction of public places (street obstruction).When the relevant amendments to the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 (Ordinance No. 4 of 2016) come into operation on September 24, this year, law enforcement officers may also issue fixed penalty notices to the aforesaid offenders.Some members of the public are concerned that if the authorities take law enforcement actions vigorously, quite a number of shop operators may have difficulties in doing businesses and even close down their businesses, which may result in the districts concerned losing their distinctiveness.Hence, they consider that the Government should improve the planning of such districts, and strike a balance between addressing the problem of street obstruction caused by shop operators and maintaining spaces for operators of small shops to do businesses.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it will consider consulting various stakeholders, as soon as possible and before the commencement of the aforesaid legislative amendments, on the following proposals: on specified days (e.g. Valentine's Day and Lunar Year End) and on the premise of not causing danger to road users, to grant discretionary permission for operators of flower retail shops at the flower market in Mong Kok (Flower Market) to use their shop-front areas for placing flowers, and to prohibit access of vehicles to that area for temporary designation of that area as pedestrian precinct and flower distribution area, so as to maintain and enhance the distinctiveness of that area; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as the Government indicated in March this year that the law enforcement departments concerned had embarked on formulating law enforcement guidelines in respect of the implementation of the aforesaid legislative amendments with a view to avoiding unnecessary confrontations between law enforcement officers and shop operators, and that it would carry out publicity work on such amendments before they came into operation, of the relevant details and work progress;

(3) as flowers grown locally accounted for about 27 per cent of the fresh flowers consumed in the territory in 2015, whether the Government will consider setting up a wholesale market for local flowers near the Flower Market or in other locations, so as to provide sufficient spaces for conducting flowers wholesaling activities and creating new and unique tourist attractions; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(4) whether the authorities will consider allocating idle spaces (e.g. those underneath flyovers or at street corners) with good pedestrian flows to operators of small and unique businesses (such as cobblers, watch repairers, knife sharpening service providers and locksmiths) who cannot afford high rents to enable them to set up shops; if the authorities will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) as the shop operators from the Flower Market and other similar areas have relayed to me that business spaces of their shops had shrunk as a result of street widening works carried out by the authorities in such areas years ago, and they are forced to place flowers and goods in their shop fronts, thus causing street obstruction, whether the authorities will conduct replanning for such areas in order to strike a balance between the needs of shop operators and road users?

Reply:

President,

With a view to enhancing measures to tackle shop front extensions (SFEs), the Government conducted a four-month public consultation exercise in 2014 to solicit public views.Among the total of about 1 100 submissions received, most of the respondents supported that a fixed penalty system should be introduced as an additional enforcement tool against SFEs.Subsequently, the Fixed Penalty (Public Cleanliness Offences) (Amendment) Ordinance 2016 (the Ordinance) was gazetted on March 24, 2016.To allow time for the industry and other stakeholders to make necessary preparations, the Government has stated in the Ordinance that the fixed penalty system will come into operation on the expiry of six months beginning on the day on which it is published in the Gazette, i.e. from September 24, 2016.My answers to the respective parts of the question are as follows:

(1) and (3) In general, cases where business activities are conducted beyond the confines of shops that constitute a distinct characteristic and contribute to the vibrancy of the district without causing any danger to pedestrians and other road users may be designated as a "tolerated area", subject to the due consideration of relevant government departments, District Councils (DCs) and/or District Management Committees, and on the condition that the shop operators can exercise self-discipline by adhering to a level of extension agreed.

As regards the case of Mong Kok Flower Market (Flower Market), being a major flower wholesale and retail distribution centre, a sightseeing location and a prime leisure spot in Hong Kong, it has already become one of the current "tolerated areas".Over the years, the Government has continued to liaise with the shop owners of the Flower Market and their trade associations, with a view to facilitating business while minimising nuisance caused to nearby residents.In this regard, the Government is grateful for the cooperation of the shop operators, and look forward to their continued self-discipline according to the tolerated area arrangements, so as to maintain the uniqueness of the Flower Market and a better road access.

In addition, the Government has also been promoting street markets to tourists, including the Flower Market, through the Hong Kong Tourism Board's (HKTB) website, mobile applications, visitors' guidebooks, visitor information centres and hotline.If in future there is any flower wholesale market which can be developed into a tourist hotspot, the HKTB will work with trade partners and related organisations to include those markets in its promotion.

(2) To prepare for the implementation of the fixed penalty system, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has prepared enforcement guidelines and commenced training for frontline staff to assist them in determining on the spot the most appropriate legal tools (including Fixed Penalty Notice) to be used, taking into consideration the actual ground situation.FEHD will collaborate with the Home Affairs Department (HAD) in launching public education and publicity at the district level like distributing leaflets, etc.

The Police is currently working on preparing the enforcement guideline as well.Briefing sessions will be conducted to the frontline officers to ensure their understanding of the new fixed penalty system when providing the necessary support to other departments in pre-planned inter-departmental operations.

To allow time for the industry and other stakeholders to make necessary preparations, and to publicise the new fixed penalty system, the Government is carrying out relevant publicity and public education work during the period between the gazettal of the Ordinance and the commencement of the fixed penalty system.In particular, the HAD has launched a new round of publicity campaign with the use of Announcements in the Public Interest and posters.District Offices will, in collaboration with DCs, carry out publicity at the district level, including distributing leaflets, pamphlets and advisory letters etc.

(4) FEHD is following up on the issue of licences to surveyed unlicensed street tradesmen with characteristics reminiscent of our local culture and heritage.Examples include cobblers, watch repairers, locksmiths, knife sharpeners, Chinese facial cosmeticians, letter writers, etc.After obtaining DCs' support and clearance of other government departments, licensing in-situ or at another suitable site as fixed pitches will be considered, and the surveyed tradesmen may apply for Fixed Pitch (Tradesman) Hawker licences, so that if issued with the licence, they can continue to conduct business at suitable sites legally.FEHD will submit cases to relevant DCs for their views shortly.

(5) The Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines (HKPSG) stipulates general guidelines for determining the scale, location and site requirements of various land uses, community facilities and infrastructures according to the population and other factors.The compilation of HKPSG is coordinated by the Planning Department, where relevant bureaux and departments will formulate and review planning standards under their purview in a timely manner, in accordance with their policies on relevant services and the development needs.
]]>LCQ8: Liquefied petroleum gas filling stationshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150396.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150396.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:41:49 +0800
Question:

The Government has provided sites for dedicated liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) filling stations (dedicated filling stations) at nil land premium in order to support the launch of the LPG Taxi Scheme.Under the relevant contracts signed between the operators of dedicated filling stations and the Government, LPG pump prices (pump prices) at dedicated filling stations are required to be capped by a Pricing Formula whereas non-dedicated filling stations are free to adjust their pump prices.There are currently 12 dedicated filling stations and 67 non-dedicated filling stations in Hong Kong.Quite a number of drivers of taxis and pubic light buses (PLBs) have relayed to me that LPG filling stations are highly insufficient and their geographical distribution is extremely uneven at present.As a result, quite a number of drivers often have to wait for a long time for refilling services, especially during peak hours.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the respective current numbers of (i) LPG PLBs, (ii) LPG taxis and (iii) diesel PLBs; the respective current numbers of dedicated and non-dedicated filling stations in each District Council district;

(2) whether it has regularly monitored the pump price gaps between dedicated and non-dedicated filling stations; if it has, of the details;

(3) given that some taxi drivers have relayed that refilling services at some LPG filling stations are frequently suspended due to regular inspections, whether the authorities have grasped the situation concerned; if they have, of the details;

(4) whether the authorities will coordinate the schedules for various LPG filling stations to undergo regular inspections, in order to avoid concurrent suspension of refilling services due to inspections at a number of LPG filling stations in the same district, thereby reducing the inconvenience caused to the drivers concerned; and

(5) given that some Lantau taxi drivers have complained to me that as there is no dedicated filling station on Lantau Island, they can only go to non-dedicated filling stations where pump prices are higher to have their taxis refilled, whether the Government has plans to set up dedicated filling stations on Lantau Island; if it does, of the details and implementation timetable?

Reply:

President,

To improve roadside air quality and protect public health, the Government launched in 2000 the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Vehicle Scheme to allow the taxi and public light bus trades to replace their diesel vehicles with LPG ones.To complement the Scheme, the Government had planned in parallel the setting up of dedicated LPG filling stations (dedicated stations) so as to form a LPG filling network the soonest possible and offered land without premium at strategic locations in the urban areas (i.e. in proximity to the operating areas of the majority of the taxis) for setting up 12 dedicated stations.The LPG price at the dedicated stations is regulated by operation contracts.

To enhance the coverage of the LPG filling network, the Government has also encouraged oil companies to set up non-dedicated LPG filling stations (non-dedicated stations) operating on commercial principles (including capable of setting their own LPG price) for supplying petrol, diesel and LPG to motor vehicles.To further expand the LPG filling network, the Government has since 2011 been requiring operators, vide land sale tender for petrol filling station use, to provide LPG filling nozzles at a number of not less than 25 per cent of the total number of petrol, diesel and LPG nozzles at the station, subject to safety requirements being met.There are now 458 LPG filling nozzles throughout Hong Kong, including those installed in dedicated and non-dedicated stations, with 90 nozzles installed on Hong Kong Island and 368 in Kowloon and the New Territories, of which 20 are installed in the non-dedicated stations in Lantau.

My specific responses to the questions raised by the Hon Michael Tien are as follows:

(1) According to the vehicle registration records of the Transport Department as at April 30, 2016, there were 18 126 LPG taxis, 3 037 LPG public light buses (PLB) and 1 305 diesel PLBs in Hong Kong.There are a total of 66 LPG filling stations, comprising of 12 dedicated stations and 54 non-dedicated stations, providing LPG filling services to LPG taxis and PLBs.The geographical distribution of the dedicated and non-dedicated stations (by District Council districts) is detailed in Annex.The public can also find the locations of LPG filling stations on the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) website www.emsd.gov.hk/en/gas_safety/lpg_vehicle_scheme/publications/general/location_of_lpg_filling_station/index.html.

(2) The LPG ceiling prices of the dedicated stations are set in accordance with the established formula stipulated in the operation contracts and are regulated by the EMSD.The pricing formula makes reference to two key elements, namely the LPG international price and LPG operating price.The LPG international price refers to the LPG international price of the preceding month while the LPG operating price is adjusted on the first day of February every year based on the change in the Composite Consumer Price Index of the previous year.The dedicated stations follow this mechanism to set the LPG ceiling prices on a monthly basis.To ensure transparency of the price adjustment mechanism, the EMSD has been announcing the LPG international prices and the LPG ceiling prices of the dedicated stations via issuing press releases and posting them on its website for the reference of the public and the trades.

For non-dedicated stations, their operators are awarded land grants via open tender and oil companies will set their own retail price for motor vehicle fuels, including LPG, on a commercial basis.Thus, the Government does not conduct regular monitoring on the LPG price gap between the dedicated and non-dedicated stations.

(3) and (4) To minimise the impacts on LPG filling services at the dedicated stations during maintenance and repair, the EMSD has regularly reminded and requested operators to schedule checking and routine maintenance of LPG nozzles during the non-peak hours as far as possible.Operators of dedicated stations will also follow the established notification mechanism to inform drivers, a few days in advance, of any regular or planned maintenance and repair, and post notices at the stations for them to plan early.In case of emergency, such as emergency maintenance which affects operation of the bulk of the LPG nozzles, the operators will inform drivers immediately through taxi radio service stations and PLB fleet operators.The EMSD will continue to monitor the operation of dedicated stations and have regular meetings with their operators and LPG vehicle trades to review the LPG filling services, including the management and maintenance of dedicated stations so as to enhance the operational arrangements.

Similarly for non-dedicated stations, the operators would also inform drivers, prior to carrying out major replacement or maintenance works so as to allow them to get prepared early.

(5) The current LPG filling network has a comprehensive coverage throughout Hong Kong and is sufficient in meeting the LPG filling demand of LPG taxis and PLBs.The Government has no plan to establish new dedicated station but will continue to further expand the LPG filling network by requiring petrol filling stations, via conditions in land grant, to install LPG filling nozzles, subject to safety requirements being met, to facilitate drivers to refill their LPG vehicles.

There are now four non-dedicated stations in Lantau, of which three are in Tung Chung and one at Chek Lap Kok, providing a total of 20 LPG filling nozzles.They are sufficient in meeting the demand of refilling services of LPG vehicles (i.e. 57 Lantau taxis) operating in that area.According to LPG filling station operators, as Lantau is farther away from the LPG depots, the transportation cost is higher and there are also fewer LPG vehicles refilling in the area.Thus, the stations' operating costs are quite different from those in other areas and it is difficult to make a direct comparison in price.
]]>Special traffic arrangements for race meeting in Happy Valleyhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150449.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150449.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:40:47 +0800
A. Traffic arrangements before the commencement of the first race

1. Road closure

A section of southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up ramp outside Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) will be closed except for vehicles to Aberdeen Tunnel.

2. Traffic diversion

(a) A section of southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the up ramp outside HKJC will be re-routed one way northbound;

(b) Vehicles from eastbound Queen's Road East heading for Wan Chai and Happy Valley will be diverted to turn left to Morrison Hill Road;

(c) Vehicular traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;

(d) Vehicular traffic on Queen's Road East will be banned from turning right to Wong Nai Chung Road except for access to Aberdeen Tunnel;

(e) Vehicular traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Queen's Road East will be diverted via the down ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Morrison Hill Road to turn right at the junction of Wong Nai Chung Road and Queen's Road East; and

(f) Vehicular traffic from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley or Racecourse will be diverted via the down ramp leading from southbound Canal Road flyover to Canal Road East, southbound Morrison Hill Road, Sports Road and Wong Nai Chung Road.

B. Traffic arrangements during the race meeting

1. Road closure

The following roads will be closed from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

(a) The up ramp on Wong Nai Chung Road outside HKJC leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;

(b) A section of southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Queen's Road East and the up ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel;

(c) A section of southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between Village Road and the Public Stands of HKJC;

(d) A section of westbound Leighton Road between Wong Nai Chung Road and Canal Road East; and

(e) A section of southbound Morrison Hill Road between Leighton Road and Queen's Road East.

In addition, a section of southbound Wong Nai Chung Road between the up ramp leading to Aberdeen Tunnel and the Public Stands of HKJC will be closed to all vehicular traffic from about 10 minutes before the start of the last race.

2. Traffic diversion

The following traffic arrangements will be implemented from 35 minutes before the start of the last race:

(a) Eastbound Queen's Road East at its junction with Morrison Hill Road will be reduced to one traffic lane heading for northbound Canal Road flyover;

(b) Vehicular traffic on southbound Canal Road flyover from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Wan Chai will be diverted via the down ramp leading to Canal Road East to U-turn beneath Canal Road flyover onto Canal Road West towards Hennessy Road;

(c) Vehicular traffic on southbound Canal Road flyover from Cross Harbour Tunnel heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via the down ramp leading to Canal Road East, eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road;

(d) Vehicular traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road will be diverted to turn left to eastbound Leighton Road;

(e) Vehicular traffic on southbound Morrison Hill Road heading for Happy Valley will be diverted via eastbound Leighton Road and Wong Nai Chung Road; and

(f) Vehicular traffic on westbound Leighton Road will be diverted to Wong Nai Chung Road.

C. Suspension of parking spaces

Parking spaces on Wong Nai Chung Road will be suspended from 11am to 7pm during day racing, from 4.30pm to 11.59pm during evening racing, and from 5pm to 11.59pm during night racing.

D. Learner drivers prohibition

Learner drivers will be prohibited to turn left from Caroline Hill Road to Leighton Road between one and a half hours before the start of the first race and one hour after the last race. In addition, learner drivers will be prohibited from accessing the following roads within the above period of time:

(a) A section of Shan Kwong Road between Yik Yam Street and Wong Nai Chung Road;

(b) A section of Village Road between its upper and lower junctions with Shan Kwong Road;

(c) A section of Percival Street between Hennessy Road and Leighton Road;

(d) Canal Road East; and

(e) The service road leading from Gloucester Road to Canal Road flyover.

Any vehicles found illegally parked within the precincts of the above affected areas will be towed away without prior notice.

Actual implementation of road closure and traffic diversion will be made by the Police at the time depending on traffic conditions in the areas. Motorists should exercise tolerance and patience, and follow the instructions of Police on site.
]]>LCQ10: Total loans of Hong Kong's banking sectorhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150376.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150376.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:30:47 +0800
Question:

Credit data released by the Hong Kong Monetary Authority shows that the total domestic loans from banks in Hong Kong in March 2016 dropped year-on-year by 1.5% for the first time since September 2009. Total trade finance registered negative growth since the fourth quarter of 2014, while total loans to three major sectors (namely trade financing, manufacturing, as well as wholesale and retail trade) all reported declines in the first quarter of this year as compared to the last quarter, and only the total property lending maintained a steady growth. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has explored the main causes for the recent decline in total domestic loans; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) whether it has projected the movements in total domestic loans in the medium and short term; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it has assessed the impact of the decline in total domestic loans on Hong Kong's overall economic performance this year; if it has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

(1) and (2) According to the statistics from the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the total loans of Hong Kong's banking sector decreased by 0.2% in end-March 2016 as compared with end-2015. The loan size rebounded to HK$7,543.7 billion in end-April 2016, up by 0.1% as compared with end-2015. Trade finance and loans for use in Hong Kong increased by 0.9% and 0.7% respectively, while loans for use outside Hong Kong decreased by 1.3%, mainly due to a reduction in loans for use on the Mainland.

The HKMA understands from banks that the slowdown of loan growth this year, as compared with the same period last year, was mainly attributable to the uncertainties over the global and Hong Kong's economic outlook (e.g. a slower growth in local retail sales and the sluggish international trade flows), coupled with a slower economic growth on the Mainland. Corporates have become more conservative in borrowing, thus weakening the loan demand. Although the banking sector generally expects the loan demand to remain on the weak side in the near future, it has not changed its risk appetite and tightened the underwriting standards.

(3) Hong Kong's overall economic performance is mainly constrained by external developments. With the unsteady external economic environment, global economic growth has recently been the slowest since 2009. As a result, economic growth in Hong Kong has slowed down since mid-2015. In the first quarter of 2016, the economy grew by 0.8% year-on-year in real terms. The slowdown of economic growth contributed to the weakening demand for loans to a large extent. In the near term, global economic growth is likely to remain modest and subject to uncertainties. In mid-May, the Government forecasted that economic growth in Hong Kong would be at 1 to 2% in 2016.
]]>LCQ19: Monitoring of residential care homes for the elderlyhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150351.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150351.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:23:45 +0800
Question:

It was uncovered last year that the staff of a private residential care home for the elderly (RCHE) frequently gathered female residents who lacked self-care skills on an outdoor podium and took off all their clothes for bathing them one by one. Subsequently, the RCHE failed to have its licence renewed by the Social Welfare Department. It has been reported that a new operator intends to operate an RCHE afresh at the premises concerned in July this year but the old and new operators are alleged to have a close relationship. Some members of the public have relayed to me that the predecessor of the RCHE had a record of non-compliance, so the authorities should strengthen their inspection and monitoring of the RCHE, in order to safeguard the rights and interests of the residents and ensure that they are taken care of properly. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether the authorities, in vetting and approving applications for RCHE licences at present, will consider the past performance in operating RCHEs and non-compliance records of the operators and related persons;

(2) regarding those RCHEs whose licences were not renewed on the ground of non-compliance, how the authorities ensure that non-compliance will not recur in such RCHEs upon takeover by new operators;

(3) of the number of non-compliant cases uncovered by the staff of the Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly during their inspections of RCHEs in each of the past three years and the follow-up actions taken; and

(4) whether the authorities have plans to formulate measures which are more effective so as to strengthen the monitoring of the service quality of RCHEs; if they do, of the details of such measures and the implementation timetable?

Reply:

President,

My reply to the question raised by Hon Leung Che-cheung is as follows:

(1) and (2) Under the current mechanism, before the Licensing Office of Residential Care Homes for the Elderly (LORCHE) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) issues a licence in respect of a residential care home for the elderly (RCHE), it will consider a series of factors, including the past performance in operating RCHEs and records of non-compliance with licensing requirements of the operators and related persons. Its four professional inspectorate teams will also conduct surprise inspections at the RCHE concerned to ensure the home's compliance with the licensing requirements on building safety, fire safety, healthcare and hygiene, as well as management respectively. To strengthen monitoring, the validity period of new licences issued to private RCHEs will not be longer than 12 months. If the licence of an RCHE is not renewed on grounds of non-compliance with the required licensing requirements, the RCHE concerned must cease operation and arrange proper relocation for the residents. If a new operator applies for operating a new RCHE at the same premises, LORCHE will process the licence application of the new operator in accordance with the above mechanism.

If a RCHE holds a valid licence for operation and only a change of operators is involved, LORCHE, when processing the application for change of operators, will consider various factors mentioned in the above vetting process as well as the past performance and records of non-compliance of that RCHE. If the RCHE has non-compliance records in the last licence period, LORCHE, in accordance with the risk-based principle, will strengthen inspections of the home so as to protect the welfare of the elderly residents.

(3) Over the past three years (i.e. 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16), LORCHE conducted 5 254, 5 445 and 5 260 inspections respectively. LORCHE conducts on average about seven surprise inspections at each private RCHE per year, and adjusts the frequency of inspections in accordance with the risk-based principle to enhance the monitoring of non-compliant RCHEs and ensure timely rectification of irregularities. Over the past three years, LORCHE issued 3 204, 3 028 and 2 674 advisory letters to RCHEs respectively, and issued 364, 320 and 361 warning letters respectively. In addition, over the past three years, LORCHE took 15 successful prosecutions against RCHEs committing offences under the Residential Care Homes (Elderly Persons) Ordinance and its subsidiary legislation.

(4) The Chief Executive announced, in the 2016 Policy Address, that the Government would comprehensively strengthen the monitoring of RCHEs and residential care homes for persons with disabilities. This would be achieved through measures including enhancing inspection and supervision, improving the regulatory mechanism and promoting staff training, etc. In order to take forward the initiatives, SWD will establish a new Licensing and Regulation Branch in 2016-17 to implement the work on enhancing monitoring of homes and improving their service quality. Concrete measures including strengthening the inspection strategy and stepping up audit inspections; setting up a dedicated team to handle complaints against RCHEs; reviewing the Code of Practice for RCHEs and formulating care-related guidelines; enhancing training and planning for a quality improvement project; as well as developing a dedicated website on long-term care services for the elderly to offer one-stop service information of over 700 RCHEs in the whole territory for better transparency. The new website is expected to be launched by end 2016. In addition, SWD will extend in 2016-17 the Service Quality Group Scheme on RCHEs to the whole territory with all types of RCHEs covered, joining force with the collaborative efforts of the community to monitor RCHEs through wider participation of community stakeholders in the scheme.
]]>LCQ22: Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fundhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150370.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150370.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 12:04:09 +0800
Question:

Section 31G of the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57) stipulates the formula for calculating severance payments but, pursuant to section 31I, the amount calculated according to the formula has to be reduced by the accrued benefits derived from the employer's contributions made to Mandatory Provident Fund schemes in respect of the employee concerned (offsetting) in order to arrive at the net amount of severance payment due to the employee.On the other hand, the employee may apply for ex gratia payments from the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund (PWIF) to cover the outstanding wages, severance payment, etc. that the employer fails to pay.Limit on the amount of an ex gratia payment payable to an employee in relation to severance payment in arrears is calculable by applying the formula set out in section 16(2)(f)(i) of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance (Cap. 380).Over the years, the authorities have taken the amount calculated under section 31G as an applicant's "entitlement to severance payment" in section 16(2)(f)(i) and, by applying the formula set out therein, computed the limit of such entitlement, and then made the offsetting to arrive at the amount of ex gratia payment payable to an employee in relation to severance payment in arrears.Last month, the Court of Final Appeal held that the calculation approach adopted by the authorities was wrong and the amount of "entitlement to severance payment" in section 16(2)(f)(i) should be the actual amount of severance payment, and therefore the offsetting should first be made before arriving at a net amount, which will then be put into the formula to calculate the ex gratia payment payable to an employee.In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of applications for ex gratia payments received by PWIF and the amounts involved, in each of the past five years;

(2) of the number of people who made applications to PWIF in the past five years in relation to severance payment in arrears but were not granted ex gratia payments after the offsetting was made;

(3) whether it has assessed, among the applications made to PWIF in relation to severance payment in arrears in the past five years, the number of those in which the amounts of ex gratia payments calculated according to the approach set out by the Court of Final Appeal in the aforesaid judgment are higher than those calculated under the original approach, and the total amount of the relevant shortfalls; whether the authorities have plans to repay the shortfalls to the applicants concerned; if they do, of the details; and

(4) whether the authorities will, in the light of the aforesaid judgment, conduct a comprehensive review of the relevant regulations in the existing Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance; if they will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

My reply to the question raised by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung is as follows:

(1) A breakdown of the applications for ex gratia payment received by the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund (PWIF) in the past five years and the amounts applied for are provided below:

No. ofAmount of ex gratia payment
applicationsapplied for ($ million)
---------------------------------------
20153 486206.5
20142 236187.3
20132 081132.4
20122 976176.0
20113 729196.0

(2) Verification of the information and documents in respect of each application for ex gratia payment from PWIF is conducted by the Labour Department (LD) when processing the applications.Depending on individual circumstances of each case, applications for ex gratia payment in respect of severance payment (SP) may be refused for reasons which include ineligibility of an applicant for SP as revealed by LD's verification (for example where the applicant has not been employed under a continuous contract for at least two years), or the fact that the applicant's accrued benefits attributable to an employer's contributions being held in a mandatory provident fund scheme or occupational retirement scheme have exceeded the employee's SP calculated under the Employment Ordinance, or that the employer has paid SP and/or completion-of-contract gratuity or gratuity based on the length of service to the employee etc.LD does not keep statistics on applications for ex gratia payment in respect of SP that have been refused because the accrued benefits attributable to an employer's contributions being held in a mandatory provident fund scheme had exceeded the amount of ex gratia payment in respect of SP computed (based on the approach adopted by LD before the handing down of judgment by the Court of Final Appeal (CFA)).

(3) LD does not keep relevant statistics for assessing the number of applications and additional amounts which would be involved if the approach held by CFA for calculating ex gratia payment in respect of SP were to be adopted.

The CFA judgment of May 17, 2016 was a ruling on the relief sought by the applicant in his application for judicial review.As regards the implication of CFA's judgment on applications for ex gratia payment in respect of SP that have already been processed, LD is currently studying with the Department of Justice how these applications are to be handled.The views of the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Fund Board will also be sought.

(4) The Government respects the judgment of CFA and will follow the court's approach in determining the amount of ex gratia payment of PWIF in respect of SP.

CFA has provided the interpretation on the approach in calculating ex gratia payment in respect of SP under the Protection of Wages on Insolvency Ordinance (PWIO).The Government does not consider it necessary to review the relevant provisions under the PWIO regarding the calculation of ex gratia payment in respect of SP.
]]>Red flag hoisted at Pui O Beachhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150360.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150360.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 11:18:33 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 15) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Pui O Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.
]]>British e-commerce consultancy sets up regional office in Hong Konghttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140299.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140299.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 11:00:03 +0800
The Hong Kong office will offer clients holistic packages through various online channels such as strategic consulting, business internationalisation, data and customer relationship management, business analytics, digital marketing, conversion rate optimisation, wireframing, design and more, according to Practicology's Country Manager, Greater China, Mr Arthur Cheung.

He said, "We have seen an increasing demand for practical e-commerce and multichannel consulting services among Mainland companies. As many global and Mainland retailers already have presence in Hong Kong, it is important for us to follow their footprint to expand our client base here so that we can provide them better services."

"Hong Kong is at the doorstep of Mainland China, which is a unique locational advantage. Its workforce is also well versed with international and Mainland business practices and perspectives. The city is an ideal hub for establishing our team to oversee Greater China business as well as the region in general. We are also planning to establish our presence in Shanghai, and later in India, to strengthen our regional service team."

Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion, Dr Jimmy Chiang, said, "Hong Kong has the world-class telecommunications infrastructure and connectivity that attracts e-commerce and e-marketing businesses. While the retail industry is seeing a gradual shift to the use of e-commerce channels, I see great opportunities for leading consultants like Practicology to ride on this growing trend in Hong Kong and the region."

About Practicology
Founded in the UK in 2009, Practicology is a strategic multichannel and e-commerce consultancy with offices in London, Sydney, Melbourne and Hong Kong. It has more than 50 consultants around the world offering an end-to-end portfolio of business-to-business and business-to-consumer consultancy and agency services, helping clients face multichannel challenges. For more information, please visit: www.practicology.com.

About InvestHK
Invest Hong Kong (InvestHK) is the department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government established in July 2000 to attract foreign direct investment and support overseas and Mainland businesses to set up or expand in Hong Kong. It provides free advice and customised services to help businesses succeed in Hong Kongˇ¦s vibrant economy. As of December 2015, InvestHK had assisted over 3 820 companies which have created more than 41 200 new jobs in the first year of operation or expansion and over HK$101 billion of investment. For more information, please visit: www.investhk.gov.hk.
]]>Speech by SCED at opening ceremony of Knowledge of Design Week 2016 (English only)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150275.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150275.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 10:18:28 +0800
Eric (Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Design Centre, Mr Eric Yim), Victor (Director of Hong Kong Design Centre, Mr Victor Lo), distinguished speakers, ladies and gentlemen,

Good morning! I am most delighted to be here today at the Opening Ceremony of the Knowledge of Design Week, or KODW. A very warm welcome to you all, especially those who have travelled a long distance to be here with us today.

Benjamin Franklin once said, "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest." I cannot agree more to this saying. KODW has annually gathered distinguished members of the design communities worldwide here in Hong Kong to talk about the latest trends and the biggest debates in design. It is a perfect platform for knowledge exchange and business collaboration, and it neatly fits our Government policy to support the development of creative industries through nurturing creative talents and start-ups.

The theme for this year, "Design. Cities. Health in the New Economy" is a particularly fitting theme as elderly population in Hong Kong continues to climb. In fact, the proportion of elderly persons aged 65 and over is projected to rise from 15 per cent in 2014 to 36 per cent in 2064. Meanwhile, the proportion of the population aged under 15 is projected to decrease gradually from 12 per cent in 2014 to 9 per cent in 2064.

An ageing population means a smaller workforce for business and public sectors. There will also be greater pressure on healthcare, social services and infrastructure as a result of a rise in life expectancy. Older customers with different preferences and habits will necessitate new perspectives and researches from businesses to service their needs. The substantial change in population demographics, compounded by other challenges such as changing attitudes and shifting lifestyles, poses serious questions to both the businesses and the Government.

While Hong Kong boasts time-tested advantages and remarkable resilience in challenging times, in order to tackle a challenge of this magnitude, it requires us to do things in a smarter manner. That is where design comes in. The power of design lies in putting a human touch into technology and science, as well as reconfiguring the way tasks are performed. Businesses turn to design for new mindset and viewpoint. The Government turns to design for a holistic solution to remake the city and its infrastructure.

Today is an excellent occasion to have a cross-disciplinary conversation on how a healthy city can be built or transformed. We are now in an exciting age full of not only challenges, but also immense potential and abundant opportunities. Digital transformation and the information age are changing the way we live and conduct businesses. Design will certainly have a significant role to play in the future. As China embarks on a visionary programme, the Belt and Road Initiative, we foresee soaring investments in infrastructural facilities, deepening financial integration, expanding trade and the building of people-to-people bonds on a global scale. Designers will have much to gain from not only more business opportunities but also a more connected world.

I am glad that KODW 2016 lets us have an integrated perspective in the value of design. It is instrumental in promoting design thinking in our society. The workshops and forums will no doubt be very thought-provoking for the participants, who are leaders and key decision-makers from public and private sectors.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Hong Kong Design Centre for organising this marvelous event to impart invaluable insights to its participants. And I want to wish you all a very fruitful KODW. Thank you very much.
]]>Red flags hoisted at some beacheshttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150256.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606150256.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 09:29:53 +0800
Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 15) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Hung Shing Yeh Beach, Lo So Shing Beach and Lower Cheung Sha Beach in Islands District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.
]]>UK secondary school students win places at university summer schools in Hong Kong (with photos)http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140955.htmhttp://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/201606/15/P201606140955.htmWed, 15 Jun 2016 00:45:55 +0800
The five winners will be sponsored to study at one of the summer courses at a Hong Kong university to experience a taste of the city's world-class university life, as well as Hong Kong's cosmopolitan lifestyle and unique culture.

With a theme "Hong Kong: A Smart City in the World!", the competition invited students to come up with a proposed project for Hong Kong to further integrate technology to improve the quality of life of its people by drawing reference from the UK example. Entries received were in many different forms including essays, websites, Instagram pages, blogs and YouTube videos, and were judged based on content, creativity and presentation skills.

At a prize presentation ceremony for the winning students at the House of Lords on June 13, the Director-General of London ETO, Ms Priscilla To, said she was impressed by the quality of all the entries to this year's competition, which demonstrated immense creativity. Ms To said: "Hong Kong and the UK have close and strong ties. And this competition was designed to further deepen our relationship with the UK in education, youth and cultural exchange."

At the same event, one of the judges, Lord Wei of Shoreditch, who is also the Chair of Hong Kong Sub-Committee of All Party Parliamentary China Group, said, "I am delighted to be part of this great initiative by the Hong Kong Government and to be working closely with their representatives in London.Hong Kong, like London, is one of the world's centres for commerce, trade and culture, and this initiative allows for our youth to exchange ideas and learn from one another about their cities and practices. I hope this initiative continues for years to come."

Through the competition, UK students are encouraged to pursue their higher education studies or other exchange programmes in Hong Kong in the future.Hong Kong's tertiary institutions are recognised as leaders on various international league tables. Four universities in Hong Kong were ranked among the top 60 in the world by the QS World University Rankings 2015/16.

The competition, now in its fifth year, is organised by London ETO.Cathay Pacific Airways is the sponsor which provides free return air tickets for the winning students. The event is also supported by the British Council, the Hong Kong Society, as well as three universities in Hong Kong.

The panel of judges comprised Chair of Hong Kong Sub-Committee of All Party Parliamentary China Group, Lord Wei; Director-General of London ETO, Ms Priscilla To; Chairperson, Hong Kong Society, Karen Luard; Accident & Emergency Preparedness Manager, Cathay Pacific Airways, Keri Jones; and Deputy Regional Director UK, British Council, Lena Milosevic.

The five winning entrants came from all around the UK. They are:

Alexander White
Highlands School, Enfield
His entry is a website, which can be found at:
www.hksmartcity.wordpress.com
He will study at the Chinese University of Hong Kong this summer.

Aliya Beck
Chelsea Academy, London
Her entry is a blog, which can be found at: www.aliyasmartcityproposal.tumblr.com
She will study at the University of Hong Kong this summer.

Andrew Pilkington
Wirral Grammar School for Boys, Birkenhead
His entry is a blog, which can be found at: www.andrewpilkington.wordpress.com/
He will study at the University of Hong Kong this summer.

Lakshmi Amulya Sannapureddy
Kendrick School, Reading
Her entry is an Instagram page and video which can be found at: www.instagram.com/hongkong_asmartcity/
and: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m-vqII1X6g
She will join the summer course at the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

Nizam Miah
Bow School, London
His entry is a video, which can be viewed at:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyhEfkRMDDU
He will take part in a summer school at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.
Photo Photo Photo
]]>