Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Ngan Man-yu and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, in the Legislative Council today (May 28):
Question: The WFSFAA reviews and streamlines the application and vetting procedures of the WFA Scheme and the School Textbook Assistance Scheme (STAS) from time to time. With respect to the WFA Scheme, the WFSFAA provides households which got approved WFA previously with application forms prefilled with basic household information, and requires less documentary proof in their subsequent applications. The WFSFAA provides reference materials for applicants such as guidance notes, checklist of documents required for the application and sample application forms. The WFSFAA sets up mobile information booths at various locations (including PHEs), and provides service counters (Note 2) and a 24-hour telephone enquiry hotline to answer public enquiries and offer assistance in filling out application forms.
In addition, the WFSFAA adopts a household-based application form to facilitate the submission of a consolidated application by families concerned for all eligible children attending primary or secondary schools or kindergartens / child care centres for applicable student financial assistance (including the STAS). Apart from providing enquiry hotlines and counter services, the WFSFAA also maintains close contact with schools with a view to offering assistance to applicants in need. Since the introduction of the WFA Scheme in April 2018, the Government has reviewed the WFA Scheme at various times and implemented a number of enhancement measures, including relaxing the eligibility criteria by extending the Scheme to singleton households and allowing household members to aggregate their working hours to apply for WFA. In addition, the Government has increased the rates of allowance under the WFA Scheme thrice to further alleviate the burden of grassroots working families (including those living in PHEs). The Government has launched the Strive and Rise Programme since 2022 which focuses on lifting secondary school students from underprivileged families (including those in PHEs) out of intergenerational poverty. Through tripartite collaboration of the Government, the business sector and the community, the Scheme broadens student participants’ horizons, reinforce their self-confidence, develop a positive life attitude, set goals for their future and strive for upward mobility. Note 2: The service counters are located at the HA customer service centre in Lok Fu and the WFSFAA office in Kwun Tong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon So Cheung-wing and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (May 28):
Question: (1) As at March 31, 2025, the numbers of vacancies for the grades of rank and file, inspectorate officers and gazetted officers (i.e. Superintendents and above) in the HKPF were 5 500, 236 and 29 respectively. The overall number of vacancies was 5 765, representing a vacancy rate of about 17.4 per cent, which is similar to the figures over the past three years. (i) The HKPF has implemented the “SmartView”, under which closed circuit televisions are installed in phases at various locations across the territory where crime rate and pedestrian flow are higher. This initiative makes use of technologies to enhance the effectiveness in preventing and fighting crime. As at end-April 2025, “SmartView” has assisted the HKPF in detecting 282 criminal cases and arresting 513 persons. The HKPF utilised the “Crowd Size Analysis System” for the first time during the 2024 Halloween events in Lan Kwai Fong. The system used AI and video analytic functions to perform real-time crowd density assessments. Thank you, President.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Dominic Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 28):
Question: There are views that while Hong Kong has successfully hosted international mega events such as Art Basel Hong Kong in recent years, Singapore has introduced many large-scale events (e.g. concerts by world-renowned singers) through cross-departmental collaboration and dedicated mechanisms, also with notably significant results. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ13: Public housing estates with supply of centralised liquefied petroleum gas Question:
It is learnt that there are 15 public housing estates (PHEs) under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) that are installed with centralised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply. The previous arrangements for renewal of LPG suppliers were such that existing suppliers with satisfactory performance would be eligible for renewal. Subsequently, with reference to the experience in private housing developments, and taking into account public views and the Competition Commission’s recommendations, the HA decided in August 2017 that tenders should be invited for awarding new contracts for the supply of centralised LPG to PHEs upon expiry of the existing contracts. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
PHE(2) whether it has compiled statistics on the total annual supply of domestic piped LPG to the PHEs and shared HOS estates mentioned in (1) over the past five years, as well as the annual average price of LPG in such PHEs and HOS estates; of the comparison between such average LPG prices and the corresponding town gas prices during the same period; and
(3) whether the owners’ committees or residents of the PHEs mentioned in (1) have requested the HA to replace the gas supply system (e.g. natural gas)? Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hok-fung is as follows:
(1) At present, 15 public rental housing (PRH) estates under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) are equipped with centralised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply systems. According to the past policy, prior to 2017, on the premise of ensuring that residents of the estates could enjoy safe and stable centralised LPG supply services, the HA would renew the contract with the existing supplier upon expiry of the contract if the supplier’s performance had been satisfactory during the contract period. In the light of public views and the Competition Commission’s advice of 2016, the Commercial Properties Committee of the HA approved in 2017 that new contracts would be awarded by tender instead for centralised LPG supply upon expiry of the existing contracts. Accordingly, the HA arranged bundled tendering for the LPG supply contracts for two PRH estates (i.e. Wah Fu (II) Estate and Nga Ning Court) as a trial in 2018. The new contracts were successfully awarded and the handover work was completed smoothly. Since 2019, the new supplier has commenced the supply of LPG for the two estates for a contract term of 10 years.
PRH estatesHong Kong IslandHong Kong LimitedCheung ChauHong Kong LimitedTai PoTai PoHong Kong LimitedTuen MunHong Kong LimitedTuen MunHong Kong LimitedNorth DistrictHong Kong LimitedTuen MunHong Kong LimitedTuen MunHong Kong LimitedLantau IslandHong Kong LimitedKowloonPeng ChauLantau IslandTuen MunHong Kong LimitedYuen Long(2) and (3) As for the amount of supply of domestic centralised LPG to the PRH estates and HOS estates with shared LPG storage tanks, the concerned LPG suppliers indicated that the relevant information was commercially confidential and therefore could not be disclosed. Moreover, the LPG consumption varies depending on a number of factors such as the number of occupants in the household, seasons, the living style of the residents and the efficiency of the gas appliances. The estimated average LPG consumption for a 3-person household is around seven cubic metre per month.
To protect the interests of the centralised LPG consumers in the PRH estates and HOS estates with shared LPG storage tanks, the HA has stipulated in the centralised LPG supply contracts that the LPG prices charged by the suppliers shall not be higher than the market rate. For the benefit of residents, the HA will also require in the tender documents for LPG supply that LPG suppliers must provide free annual inspection of gas appliances and waive the minimum charge and the monthly fee for the maintenance service plan provided to domestic tenants/occupiers using the LPG supply service. We have meetings with LPG suppliers every six months and will review the relevant LPG prices by making reference to the domestic centralised LPG prices published by local LPG suppliers to ensure compliance with the relevant requirements. In April 2025, the latest average price of domestic centralised LPG published by LPG suppliers in April 2025 was $47.34 per cubic metre.
As for the town gas price for household customers for the same period, with effect from August 1, 2024, the charge ranges from 27.60 cents to 28.55 cents per megajoule, plus a fuel cost adjustment. In addition, the minimum basic charge for each household customer is $20 and the monthly maintenance charge is $10. Town gas is charged based on the energy unit of megajoule, while LPG is generally charged per cubic metre for consumption. As the unit of measurements, basis of calculation and charging scheme of these two gas types are different; the heat efficiency of LPG and town gas appliances are different; and these two gas types vary in aspects such as calorific value, it is not possible to make a direct comparison of their prices.
So far, there is no request for the replacement of LPG supply systems from the tenants of PRH estates or IO’s committees of the HOS estates. Issued at HKT 12:25
Under the Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374), the driver of a vehicle shall stop if an accident involving that vehicle occurs whereby damage is caused to animals not in the vehicle, and the Government included cats and dogs in the definition of “animal” under the Ordinance in 2021. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the following information in respect of traffic accidents involving vehicles hitting animals in each of the past five years: (i) the number of animals being hit (set out in the table below a breakdown by the type of animals (i.e. (a) horses, (b) cattle, (c) ass, (d) mules, (e) sheep, (f) pigs, (g) goats, (h) cats and (i) dogs)), (ii) the number of reports received by the Government on such accidents, and (iii) among these accidents, the number and percentage of cases involving hit-and-run drivers, (iv) the number of such accidents investigated by the Government under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169), and (v) among them, the number of prosecutions instituted;
Year(2) of the current handling procedures adopted by the government departments concerned upon receipt of cases of animals being hit by vehicles; the number of such cases in which animal carcasses were handled directly by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department in each of the past five years, and their percentage in the total number of cases involving animals being hit by vehicles;
(3) as there are views that the deterrent effect of the existing legislation on accidents involving vehicles hitting animals is inadequate, whether the authorities will introduce fixed penalty or incorporate a demerit point system; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether the Government will allocate additional resources to assist in rescuing animals hit and injured by vehicles; and
(5) whether the Government will review the legislation to include more local wild animals (including but not limited to monkeys and wild pigs) in the definition of “animal” under Cap. 374; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Road Traffic Ordinance (Cap. 374) (the Ordinance) provides that the driver of a vehicle shall stop if an accident involving that vehicle occurs whereby damage is caused to specified animals not in the vehicle. Drivers are also required to provide particulars, including name and address, to any police officer or any person having reasonable grounds for requiring the information. Otherwise, the driver must report the accident to the Police as soon as possible and in any case no later than 24 hours after the accident. The Government amended the definition of specified animals under the Ordinance on November 7, 2021 to include cats and dogs. Currently, specified animals include horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat, cat and dog.
Having consulted the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the reply to the question from the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
(1) In the past five years, the HKPF has received a total of 933 reports of vehicle hitting the specified animals (details set out at the Table below), 147 of them involved driver failing to stop after hitting the animals. The HKPF does not maintain breakdown of statistics by the type of animals, cases investigated under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169), and the prosecution number.
Year(as at April 30) For the drivers involved, if such person did not stop after the accident, or provide particulars to police officers or report to the Police in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance, the HKPF will investigate and follow up according to the established mechanism; and will instigate prosecution if there is sufficient evidence.
As regards the disposal of animal carcasses, upon receipt of referrals from departments or reports from the public, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) will arrange for contractors to collect animal carcasses at the scene and deliver them to the landfills of the Environmental Protection Department for disposal. The FEHD does not maintain a breakdown of animal carcasses collected in traffic accidents.
(3) Under the Ordinance, a driver failing to stop upon a relevant accident is liable to a fine at level 3 ($10,000) and imprisonment for 12 months, whereas failing to provide particulars and report to the Police according to the requirements of the Ordinance is liable to a fine at level 4 ($25,000) and imprisonment for six months. In general, enforcement by fixed penalty notices is targeted at cases which are simple, straightforward, clear-cut and capable of being easily established, but whether a driver has complied with the Ordinance requires further investigation of the Police, hence it is more appropriate to prosecute by issuing summonses. As regards demerit point system, considering the existing penalties have a certain deterrent effect, we do not intend to include the above offences in demerit point system at this stage, but will timely review them as necessary.
(5) The Ordinance requires drivers to stop if they hit a specified animal, with the intent of facilitating livestock owners to seek compensation from the drivers concerned for the loss incurred. The Government’s inclusion of cats and dogs as specified animals under the Ordinance in 2021 aimed to enable cats and dogs injured in traffic accidents to receive timely treatment. As regards whether other wild animals will be included, making reference to the legislation in some overseas jurisdictions, similar stopping and reporting requirements generally only cover animals that are commonly kept by people but not wild animals. In fact, a number of stakeholders raised at the public consultation for amending the Ordinance in 2021 that if monkeys and wild pigs are to be included as specified animals, the drivers may suddenly stop their vehicles and lead to road traffic safety problems. The Government will closely monitor the implementation of the Ordinance and strive to strike a balance between safeguarding animal welfare and the safety of road users, and will timely review whether there is room to further enhance the Ordinance. Issued at HKT 11:45
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ21: Arts and cultural activities and mega events
(by event date)($) (the fair)
829 633 (other side programmes) ** Actual grant amount to be finalised upon the submission of audited report by the grantee after the event
The six events attracted a total attendance of around 1.5 million and were well received, allowing a large number of public and tourists to understand and learn the profound traditional Chinese culture through the events. Issued at HKT 11:36
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ1: Protection for food delivery workers of digital platforms Question:
There are views that food delivery workers on Hong Kong’s digital platforms (platforms) are not covered by various forms of labour protection. This situation lags behind that in both the Mainland and the West. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as the Government indicated in November last year that it would propose a direction to strengthen the protection of platform workers, which “may include proposals that can only be implemented by legislation”, of the scope of the protection and legislative details being considered by the authorities, and when the legislative proposals are expected to be introduced into this Council;
(2) given that the Supreme People’s Court issued guiding cases last year, pointing out that the key to determining whether there is a labour relationship between enterprises and workers is to establish whether there are “facts surrounding the employment”, which constitute dominant labour management, whether the authorities have drawn reference from such cases to formulate the relevant safeguarding direction; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(3) as it has been reported that some Mainland enterprises have paid the “five insurances and one housing fund” for platform delivery workers so that they are protected by law in the event of old age, illness, work-related injury, unemployment, maternity and so on, whether the authorities have encouraged Hong Kong platform enterprises to follow suit, such as making Mandatory Provident Fund contributions for platform delivery workers?
Reply:
President,
The Government is concerned about the protection for digital platform workers (platform workers) and has established a Liaison Group comprising representatives from the Government, platform companies, and labour organisations to explore suitable proposals to enhance the protection for platform workers. In response to the Member’s question, the reply is provided below:
(1) The Labour Department (LD) completed statistical surveys and conducted consultations last year, including the Thematic Household Survey, an opinion survey for platform workers, as well as focus group meetings to collect data on the working conditions of platform workers and their views on protection matters. The results of the above surveys revealed that platform workers were most concerned about work injury compensation. In addition, the LD organised a retreat in November last year to facilitate representatives from the Government, platform companies, labour sector, academics and the insurance industry to express and exchange views on how to protect platform workers, including issues of work injury compensation.
Having regard to the data and views collected from the above surveys and through various channels, the Government will introduce a proposal for further enhancing the rights and benefits of platform workers within this year, and will consider reinforcing the protection for platform workers through legislative means. In collaboration with platform companies and other stakeholders through the Liaison Group, the Government will continue to take forward the work on protection for platform workers. In Hong Kong, the court has also established a series of factors to distinguish whether an individual is classified as a self-employed person, an independent contractor or an employee. Relevant factors include whether the purported employer exercises control over the purported self-employed person’s work; and whether the purported self-employed individual can hire helpers to assist with the work, whether he provides his own equipment or tools, and whether he bears the financial risk over his/her business. If in essence there exists an employer-employee relationship, even if an employer claims that an employee is a self-employed person or a contractor, the employer must fulfill the responsibilities under labour legislation in respect of that employee, including bearing the criminal liability for violating provisions of employment rights.
We will continue to monitor the policies and measures in the Mainland and other places on the protection for platform workers, and contemplate how to formulate appropriate policies to strengthen the protection for platform workers with regard to the local circumstances. In accordance with the Mandatory Provident Fund Schemes Ordinance, employees and self-employed persons aged 18 to 64 (save for exempt persons) are required to join the Mandatory Provident Fund (MPF) Scheme. If a platform worker is an employee as defined in the Employment Ordinance, the platform company as the employer is obliged to enrol these employees in an MPF scheme and arrange employer and employee mandatory contributions. If a platform worker is a self-employed person, he is required to arrange his own enrolment in an MPF scheme and make mandatory contributions.
The Government will continue to encourage platform companies to adopt suitable measures to improve the welfare of platform workers through the Liaison Group. Issued at HKT 11:20
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
DH organises International Medical Device Regulatory Forum to promote advancement of health through research and technology Addressing the opening ceremony, the Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, said, “Given the rapid development of AI technology, the DH is committed to developing a regulatory framework in Hong Kong to help healthcare workers and members of the public choose safe and reliable medical devices. The DH has issued guidance on cybersecurity and AI medical devices in 2023 and 2024 to help manufacturers navigate and follow the voluntary Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS), which was introduced by the DH. To date, 22 AI medical devices have been listed in the MDACS, including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrocardiography (ECG) systems.
“The HKSAR Government is committed to developing Hong Kong as a hub for health and medical innovation. The soon-to-be-established Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation will conduct independent evaluations on the safety, quality, and efficacy of medical products based on clinical data. In addition, with the development of the Hetao Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Co-operation Zone, Hong Kong will leverage its unique advantages under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle and serve as a ‘super connector’, linking Mainland China and the global market. This will create opportunities for entrepreneurs to thrive while supporting our country in enhancing its new quality productive forces in the health field,” said Dr Lam.
“The emergence of innovative medical devices is bringing revolutionary changes to the healthcare industry. Multinational and cross-border collaborations are required to enable the development of a regulatory system that aligns with the rapid advancement in medical technology. The CUHK is delighted to partner with the DH in hosting the first forum to strengthen co-operation in medical innovation. The goal is to enhance health and medical industry standards by engaging leaders and pioneers in the field,” said the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the CUHK, Professor Philip Chiu.
Today’s forum featured keynote speeches by representatives of medical device regulatory authorities from Hong Kong, the Mainland, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia, as well as local and Hungarian academia. The forum focused on trends in the medical device industry, international regulatory co-ordination mechanisms and breakthroughs in AI technology in the healthcare sector. Participants proactively engaged in discussions, sharing their insights and experiences.
The DH will continue to promote exchanges between governments, industry, and academia through various means to strengthen international collaboration networks, and lay a solid foundation for Hong Kong to develop into an international medical innovation hub. Issued at HKT 18:50
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
The Transport Department (TD) today (May 28) reminded members of the public that the following special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in Southern District and Tai Po during the Tuen Ng Festival holidays (May 30 to 31) to facilitate the holding of dragon boat races.
Southern District (i) Road closures B. Public transport arrangements (i) Road closures
Dai King Street, Dai Hei Street and the section of Dai Kwai Street south of Dai Cheong Street will be temporarily closed to all vehicular traffic, except for taxis, emergency vehicles and those vehicles authorised by the police officers on site, from 6pm on May 30 to 5pm on May 31.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ17: Coping with extreme weather Question:
There are views pointing out that in recent years, Hong Kong has been affected time and again by localised rainstorms, super typhoons and even very hot weather, thereby exposing the safety as well as lives and properties of members of the public to a greater risk. On coping with extreme weather, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of weather warnings and signals issued by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) in each of the past five years (set out by type of weather warnings and signals);
(2) in order to cope with extreme weather (including super typhoons and severe rainstorms) that may occur in Hong Kong, of the details of the interdepartmental drills conducted and contingency plans drawn up by various government departments so far this year (including the number of government departments and personnel involved); whether various government departments have put in place a comprehensive contingency mechanism for coping with extreme weather to assist members of the public and disseminate the relevant information in a timely manner;
(3) given that in the past, flooding and landslides frequently occurred in some districts (including Chai Wan, Wong Tai Sin, Wan Chai, Yuen Long and Tsim Sha Tsui) during rainstorm, whether the authorities have increased the supporting staff for flood and disaster prevention work specifically for those districts; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether the authorities will formulate a mechanism to require the relevant government departments to take corresponding measures in the districts concerned simultaneously when the Localised Heavy Rain Advisory was issued by the HKO, e.g. strengthening local flood monitoring and deploying manpower to clear the drains, with a view to preventing the occurrence of localised large-scale flooding;
(5) given that the 2023 Policy Address indicated that the Drainage Services Department would complete the “Strategic Planning Study on Flood Management against Sea Level Rise and Extreme Rainfall” and develop a forward-looking strategy, of the progress of the relevant work and the findings of the Study; whether the Government has set aside resources for the implementation of the recommendations of the Study and the construction of the relevant infrastructure facilities; and
(6) whether it has further stepped up public education on disaster preparedness, e.g. regularly arranging for members of the public and students to participate in disaster prevention exercise, and teaching members of the public the corresponding measures to take when extreme weather and even natural disasters occur; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will strengthen such efforts in the future?
Reply:
President,
The responses to the various parts of the question are as follows:
(1) Based on the information provided by the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the Hong Kong Observatory, the number of various warnings and signals issued by the Observatory in the past five years is set out below:
(i) Number of Tropical Cyclone Warning Signals issued
Year (ii) Number of Thunderstorm Warning, Special Announcement on Flooding in the northern New Territories, Rainstorm Warning Signal and Landslip Warning issued
Year(iii) Number of other warning and signal issued
Year(2) After consultation with the Security Bureau and the Home Affairs Department, our reply is as follows:
The Government has implemented the following measures in relation to emergency response mechanisms, interdepartmental drills, and the provision of timely assistance and dissemination of relevant information:
To address extreme weather events, the Security Bureau has formulated the Contingency Plan for Natural Disasters, which sets out the Government’s strategies, organisational framework, and alerting system for dealing with natural disasters, as well as the functions and responsibilities of Government bureaux/departments, public utility companies, and non-governmental organisations in the events of natural disasters. When major natural disasters happen, the Security Bureau will immediately activate the Emergency Monitoring and Support Centre to co-ordinate a comprehensive response and collaborate the actions of relevant departments and organisations (including their emergency control centres) to ensure the incidents are handled swiftly and effectively.
In the event of super typhoons or other large-scale natural disasters, the Chief Secretary for Administration will convene an interdepartmental Steering Committee meeting for provisioning high-level co-ordination and supervision in the various stages of preparedness, contingency and recovery as well as setting priorities for various tasks, thereby enabling the normal daily living of the community to resume as quickly as practicable. If a natural disaster has caused extreme and widespread impacts, such as widespread flooding, severe landslides, or severe disruption to public transportation services, the Steering Committee will consider making an “extreme conditions” announcement to advise members of the public to remain in their original safe locations.
The Security Bureau has been organising interdepartmental drills to enhance communication and collaboration among various government departments under different extreme weather conditions. Through the drills with various testing scenarios, the departments’ emergency plans will be refined. As at May 18 this year, the Security Bureau and relevant departments had conducted a total of 10 drills related to extreme weather, involving 33 policy bureaux and departments, with a total of 960 participants. For areas vulnerable to flooding or seawater inundation, the respective District Offices will also conduct interdepartmental drills before the typhoon season to strengthen co-ordination among departments, enhance response capabilities and raise residents’ understanding of response arrangements.
The Government will also, as appropriate, disseminate to the public the latest weather forecasts, natural disaster alerts, and related information including flooding, landslides, and traffic arrangements for affected roads through the Information Services Department, the media and social media platforms.
(3) The Drainage Services Department (DSD) is currently taking forward 15 major drainage improvement works and it is anticipated that these projects will be completed progressively by 2030. These projects include works in the abovementioned areas of concern, namely Chai Wan, Wong Tai Sin, Yuen Long, and Tsim Sha Tsui (Note). In recent years, the DSD has also completed a number of minor works in these districts, including improvement works to the drainage systems near Chai Wan Road roundabout and in Wong Tai Sin.
The DSD has identified around 240 locations prone to blockage in Hong Kong. Whenever the Hong Kong Observatory forecasts severe rainstorm, the DSD will arrange and deploy resources to step up their inspections and, where necessary, carry out immediate clearance of blocked drains to ensure proper functioning of the drainage system.
In relation to landslides, apart from conducting regular inspections of slopes under their maintenance responsibilities, relevant government departments need to additionally carry out special inspections for government man-made slopes adjacent to sole accesses to community or important livelihood facilities before each wet season. This helps minimise the potential impact on people’s lives due to incidents on these slopes. The relevant inspections were completed before the wet season this year. On the other hand, the Geotechnical Engineering Office will remind private owners to complete all regular slope inspections and the necessary slope maintenance before the onset of wet season through letters, social media posts, television promotional videos, radio broadcasts and media briefings, etc.
(4) The DSD has been working closely with the Hong Kong Observatory and has implemented the “Just-in-time Clearance” arrangement since 2020. Under this arrangement, when the Observatory forecasts severe rainstorms, the DSD will immediately deploy manpower to inspect locations prone to blockage and clear any blocked drains, thereby reducing the risk of flooding during heavy rainstorms. Since 2022, the DSD has taken proactive measures to further enhance its preparatory measures following the Hong Kong Observatory’s issuance of the Localised Heavy Rain Advisory. During periods of heavy rainstorms, the DSD, depending on the rainfall severity, will increase the number of emergency response teams to 180 teams. These teams are deployed to various districts to promptly handle flooding incidents so as to minimise the impact of flooding on the public.
The DSD also adopts innovative technologies, including the deployment of powerful pumping robots, piloting artificial intelligence-based flood monitoring systems, and the use of new flood monitoring devices, such as Flood Monitoring Devices, and dissemination of real-time water level information.