Month: July 2025

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that several medical incidents involving the subsequent modification of medical records have previously occurred in public hospitals, sparking controversy (e.g. a medical incident at Queen Mary Hospital in 2020 where a girl was suspected to have gone into a vegetative state due to delayed blood transfusion, which involved doctors modifying the medical records after surgery, and the family considered that the relevant contents had a critical impact on understanding the incident’s circumstances). There are views that under the existing mechanism, there is no effective procedure to ensure the necessity and legitimacy of modifying medical records, which lacks protection for both healthcare personnel and patients. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows, among the complaints received by the Hospital Authority (HA) in the past five years, the respective numbers of complaints involving the procedures for compiling medical records, the accuracy of the contents of records and the subsequent modification of the contents of medical records;
 
(2) whether it knows if HA has currently formulated relevant guidelines on the procedures and conditions for healthcare personnel to compile medical records and modify their contents; if HA has, of the details, and whether it has plans to improve such guidelines;

(3) whether it knows, with respect to modifications made by healthcare personnel to the contents of the complied medical records, if HA currently has a mechanism in place to verify the accuracy of the modified contents; if HA has, of the details; if not, the reasons for that and the difficulties involved;

(4) as there are views pointing out that in the past, a single doctor was responsible for recording medical procedures and confirming all surgical steps in some surgeries, which might affect the accuracy of the records, whether the Government knows if HA will consider amending the relevant procedures to require two or more healthcare personnel to be responsible for recording and confirming, so as to avoid unnecessary disputes; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(5) whether it knows if HA will consider introducing different tools to record surgical procedures (e.g. making audio or video recordings with patients’ consent) to protect both healthcare personnel and patients and reduce disputes; if HA will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:
 
President,

     Having consulted the Hospital Authority (HA), our consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Chan Hoi-yan is as follows:

     Healthcare personnel must comply with the relevant guidelines issued by their respective professional bodies, such as the Code of Professional Conduct issued by the Medical Council of Hong Kong. Besides, for the compilation and amendment of the medical records, healthcare personnel should also follow the requirements set forth in the HA’s Clinical Data Policy Manual and Manual of Good Practices in Medical Records Management. 

     When compiling medical records, healthcare personnel, including doctors, must always uphold their professional ethics and are responsible for maintaining systematic, true, adequate, clear, and contemporaneous medical records. Given that healthcare personnel must prioritise the patient’s clinical condition during treatments like surgeries, detailed real-time documentation may not always be feasible. To ensure the accuracy of medical records, healthcare personnel may from time to time need to compile, amend or supplement medical records subsequently. The HA has also in place mechanism for subsequent amendment of medical records. In cases where relevant medical records should be amended or supplemented with details, the electronic medical record system will automatically log the time and specifics of all updates, while preserving the original records to ensure transparency and traceability of all amendments.

    The HA recognises the importance of accurately documenting surgical procedures to uphold patient safety and ensure transparency in healthcare. Currently, medical records are primarily compiled by the attending doctor based on the actual situation, and should be in line with the HA’s clinical data policies and pertinent specialty guidelines. Subsequently, responsible healthcare personnel would upload these records to the clinical management system following verification and provision of electronic signature.

     In fact, the HA’s practice of requiring the responsible healthcare personnel to compile and verify medical records is consistent with the standard practice in the medical sector (including professionals in the private sector). Comparing to the approach commonly adopted in the sector, the HA’s current arrangements for managing medical records and recording subsequent amendments via the electronic clinical management system ensures a higher level of transparency and traceability.

     The HA is also proactively enhancing healthcare quality by, inter alia, incorporating medical equipment with recording capabilities and upgrading the electronic medical record system to facilitate maintaining medical image records. In instances where it is practically necessary (e.g., for clinical, educational, or research purposes) and practicable, the HA may record surgical procedures for future reference upon obtaining patient consent. Such arrangements must adhere strictly to patient privacy policies and data protection regulations, while ensuring that the recorded materials are utilised solely for specified purposes.

     Over the past five years, the number of complaints received by public hospitals concerning the issuance or content of medical records/reports/medical certificates is tabulated as follows:
 

Year 2020-21	Year 2021-22	Year 2022-23	Year 2023-24	Year 2024-25
27	37	79	41	41

     The HA does not maintain breakdown of complaints related to the medical record compilation procedures, the accuracy of record content, or subsequent amendments to medical records.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

​Following is a question by the Hon Chan Yung and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

     The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs pointed out during a media interview last month that the District Councils, “the three district committees” (i.e. the Area Committees, the District Fight Crime Committees and the District Fire Safety Committees) and the District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) are the troika of district governance, with clear divisions of work and high levels of collaboration. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) how it will continue to strengthen co-operation among the aforesaid three parties;

(2) given that the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs mentioned in the aforesaid interview that the scope of work of the Care Teams is under review, of the current progress of the relevant work; and

(3) whether it will, by drawing on the district governance experiences of the Mainland and Singapore, continue to enhance support in terms of systems, policies and resources, so as to provide more care services for the communities and residents (such as establishing government centres in districts with single-window services from various government departments)?

Reply:

President,

     With regards to the member’s question, our reply is as follows:

(1) Under the improved district governance system, the District Councils (DCs) play the role of complementing and supporting the Government, assisting the Government to gauge public opinions and local sentiments, implement policies and measures, and respond to public aspirations, as well as promoting community involvement activities. The “three district committees” (i.e. the Area Committees, the District Fight Crime Committees and the District Fire Safety Committees) offer advice to the Government according to their respective purviews (e.g. fire prevention, combat crime, etc), and help organise community activities. The District Services and Community Care Teams (Care Teams) are Government-led service teams working in sub-districts to provide people with a wide range of caring and support services, and assist in handling incidents and emergencies. District Officers, as DC Chairmen and Commanders of Care Teams, are responsible for leading the “troika” to collaborate with each other, achieve synergy and provide services to people in need.

The “troika” are highly integrated. Since April 2024, the Government appointed all incumbent DC members to be members of the “three district committees” with a view to strengthening the connection and collaboration between both sides. DC members also often work with Care Teams to organise various district activities to strengthen community cohesion and allow caring services to reach the community. Each District Office has also established a mechanism to swiftly mobilise and co-ordinate members of the “troika” to assist in handling incidents and emergencies within the district. For example, for the recent drinking water incidents at Queens’ Hill Estate and Shan Lai Court, members of the North DC, members of the “three district committees” and Care Teams conducted over 1 500 home visits over a weekend, set up street booths at each key location to provide residents with the latest water information, and register residents’ requests for assistance and make referrals.

The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, the Home Affairs Department and District Offices will continue to enhance co-ordination of the DCs, the “three district committees”, Care Teams and other district organisations and groups to collaborate with the Government. We will also keep under review the actual operational experiences and listen to the views of different sectors to continuously improve the collaboration mechanism, so as to enhance the efficacy of district governance.

(2) and (3) Since the full launch of 452 Care Teams in 18 districts in the third quarter of 2023, Care Teams have been actively engaging and serving residents in the sub-districts. In addition to the swift mobilisation for incidents and emergency responses as mentioned above and caring for the needs of affected individuals, Care Teams also provide caring services to residents in the districts, including visiting or contacting elderly households and other households in need (e.g. households in subdivided flats and chronic patients, etc), establishing connections with them and providing relevant service information, assisting them in applying and setting up appointments for public services. Care Teams also offer home or other support services to those in need (e.g. basic home repairs and cleansing). As at end June 2025, Care Teams have visited about 530 000 elderly households and other households in need, provided about 76 000 times of basic home or other support services, and organised about 38 000 district-level activities, such as free Chinese medicine consultations, vaccination services, mental well-being support programmes, national security and civic education activities. In terms of promoting government policies, Care Teams have been proactively assisting the Government in promoting various policies, such as distributing promotional leaflets for the Department of Health to disseminate messages about disease prevention to the public, collaborating with district Police Community Relations Office to disseminate messages relating to fraud prevention. Besides, Care Teams in 18 districts also participate in the Social Welfare Department’s District Services and Community Care Teams – Scheme on Supporting Elderly and Carers. Through visits or contact with singleton/doubleton elderly households, and carers of elderly persons and persons with disabilities, Care Teams would help identify needy cases and refer them to relevant social welfare units for follow up. They will also assist in referring eligible elderly persons and persons with disabilities to install and use emergency alarm systems.

The first term of the service agreements for Care Teams in 18 districts will be concluding in September to October this year. With a view to improving the effectiveness of Care Teams’ work in the next term, we are reviewing various aspects of Care Teams. The Government adheres to the principle of “people-oriented and local circumstances suited” when planning and promoting work in districts. Hong Kong has a highly dense population and a diverse community structure. Each district has different demographics, geographical environments, social facilities and residents’ needs. Therefore, while we may draw reference from the governance experience of Mainland China and Singapore, we shall fully take into account the uniqueness of each district in Hong Kong and flexibly adapt the service models in accordance with local conditions and needs.

As announced in 2024 Policy Address, the Government will regularise Care Teams, and increase funding amount by 50 per cent in the next term of service in support of their work. Building on the established district networks and the foundation of the caring works, Care Teams will continue to strengthen and further extend their services at the district level through the effective use of the additional resources in the next term of service. Looking ahead, we will continue to strengthen the collaboration mechanism among the DCs, the “three district committees” and Care Teams – the “troika” – to comprehensively enhance service effectiveness and continuously improve people’s sense of well-being and fulfilment.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

The results of the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination were released today (July 16). Young persons in custody (PICs) obtained satisfactory results in the examination this year.

A total of 20 young PICs from Sha Tsui Correctional Institution (STCI), Pik Uk Correctional Institution and Lai King Correctional Institution (LKCI) enrolled in the HKDSE Examination this year. They took a total of 100 examination papers and obtained level 2/”Attained” or above in 92 papers, or 92 per cent of all papers taken. Four of them met the general entrance requirements for local universities, among whom one candidate at STCI scored the highest 20 marks in the best five subjects and obtained an “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development, with level 5* in Chinese Language and 5 in Mathematics respectively. Two candidates at LKCI and STCI also attained remarkable results of 5** and 5* in Mathematics and the extended part of Mathematics (M1) respectively.

The examinations sat included the four core subjects of Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Citizenship and Social Development, as well as two electives of Economics and Tourism and Hospitality Studies etc.

The Superintendent of STCI, Mr Poon Ho-lam, said, “The Correctional Services Department (CSD) is committed to providing diversified rehabilitation programmes and encouraging young PICs to sit for public examinations and obtain recognised academic qualifications to enhance their further education or employment prospects, preparing them for reintegration into society after release.”
 
Mr Poon said that although the young PICs had encountered many difficulties in the course of their preparation for the HKDSE Examination, they had not given up their academic pursuits. With unwavering perseverance and diligence, and family support as well as assistance from correctional officers and dedicated guidance from teachers, the young PICs continuously made strides and strived for good results, which was truly commendable. He called on the public to give rehabilitated persons fair opportunities and accept and support their reintegration into society.
 
The CSD has provided education to help young PICs below 21 years of age to gain accredited qualifications and develop positive values, hoping that they can further their studies, take up employment and reintegrate into society after release.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Cheng and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):
 
Question:
 
It has been reported that a No. 3 alarm fire broke out at New Lucky House in Jordan in April last year, resulting in five deaths and 40 injuries of members of the public. This Council subsequently passed the Fire Safety (Buildings) (Amendment) Bill 2024 (the Bill) in December last year to enable the Government to carry out fire safety improvement works for target building owners who fail to comply with the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance, and to increase the penalties imposed on persons who fail to comply with Fire Safety Directions, etc., so as to enhance the fire safety standards of old buildings. However, it is learnt that at present, there are still cases with, among others, public passageways obstructed by miscellaneous articles and smoke stop doors not closed in individual composite buildings and factory buildings. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that the Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD) indicated in January this year that the authorities had inspected about 1 000 old buildings with higher risk and issued more than 8 600 Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs), of the percentage of “three-nil buildings” among such buildings, the number of persons prosecuted and convicted, and the reasons why they were prosecuted, with a breakdown by the 18 districts across the territory;
 
(2) given that the authorities issued FHANs to or took enforcement actions against the non-compliant buildings during the inspections of the buildings mentioned in (1), of the compliance rate of the buildings concerned so far; whether the authorities will further inspect the buildings concerned on a regular basis; if so, of the details;
 
(3) of the number of old buildings which the authorities will proactively inspect in the coming year;
 
(4) given that according to the paper submitted by the Government to the Panel on Security of this Council in December last year, the FSD will select 10 to 20 old buildings at the initial stage after the passage of the Bill for the Government to carry out defaulted works, of the number of buildings finally selected by the authorities, as well as their names, and the number of three-nil buildings among such buildings; the progress and estimated costs of the relevant works;
 
(5) whether the authorities will consider increasing the number of buildings for which defaulted works will be carried out; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) as it is learnt that although the FSD is inviting some owners of old buildings to participate in the Pilot Scheme on the Internet of Things (IoT) fire detection system (the Scheme) which aims to make use of IoT technology by installing sensors inside flats or in the public areas of buildings, so that in the event of a fire, the sensors will transmit the relevant information directly to the FSD, thereby speeding up the efficiency of the authorities in carrying out fire-fighting operations, only a small number of buildings in each district are invited to participate in the Scheme, of the details of the Scheme and the criteria adopted by the authorities for inviting building owners to participate in the Scheme?

Reply:

President,

Fire safety of buildings is a matter of great concern to the Government. A multi-pronged approach has been taken to improve the fire safety standards of old buildings.

With regard to law enforcement, the Fire Services Department (FSD) handles fire hazards in buildings (including old buildings) in accordance with the Fire Services Ordinance (Cap. 95). Generally speaking, during the inspections of buildings in respect of fire safety or complaints, if it is discovered that the means of escape are obstructed or locked, the smoke stop doors are left open or defective, the fire service installations or equipment (FSIs) are not in efficient working order or have not undergone annual inspection, etc., the FSD will issue a Fire Hazard Abatement Notice (FHAN) or instigate prosecution against the relevant parties.
 
Moreover, in respect of legislation, to enhance the fire safety standard of old buildings, the Government enacted the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572) (the Ordinance) which stipulates that composite and domestic buildings constructed in or before 1987 (target buildings) must be enhanced to meet modern fire protection requirements. Being the enforcement authorities (EAs), the FSD and the Buildings Department (BD) conduct joint inspections of target buildings across the territory in a systematic manner, and in light of the actual condition of the buildings and in accordance with the requirements of the Ordinance, issue Fire Safety Directions (Directions) to the owners or occupiers, specifying the required fire safety improvement works. There are about 14 000 target buildings regulated under the Ordinance. As of end-May 2025, about 11 430 target buildings have been inspected and over 400 000 Directions have been issued. Among those issued Directions, about 40 per cent of them have been complied with or discharged, with the remaining some 60 per cent are being followed-up on. Most of these target buildings are making positive progress in taking forward fire safety improvement works and some are in the early stages showing initial progress in complying with the requirements of the Ordinance. Some other buildings face genuine difficulties in co-ordinating efforts, e.g. some building owners being missing or untraceable, making it impossible to co-ordinate relevant works. For cases lacking progress without reasonable excuse, the EAs will progressively instigate prosecutions against relevant buildings.

The Government has been proactively providing various kinds of support (including support on financial aspects, co-ordination among owners and technical aspects) to owners of old buildings, assisting them in carrying out fire safety improvement works. To further enhance the fire safety standards of target buildings, amendments were made to the Ordinance, with the relevant Amendment Ordinance came into effect on December 13, 2024, empowering the FSD and the BD to carry out fire safety improvement works for owners who have failed to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance ( defaulted works), and to recover the relevant fees from them upon completion of the works. In addition, the above-mentioned Amendment Ordinance has also introduced different measures with a view to driving owners’ compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance on their own initiative. The FSD and the BD, as the EAs, are proactively implementing the relevant targeted measures.
 
My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Cheng is as follows:

(1) In response to the tragic fire at New Lucky House occurred in April 2024, the FSD proactively conducted, under a risk-based principle, about 8 200 inspections against some 1 000 old composite buildings with relatively higher fire risk. A total of 8 661 FHANs were issued during the inspections. The number of FHANs issued to “three-nil buildings”, and the number of successful prosecutions and convictions, are tabulated by District Council districts distribution below –
 

Districts	Of the total of 8 661 FHANs issued by FSD
	The number of FHANs issued to “three-nil buildings”	The number of successful prosecutions and convictions
Islands	0	0
Central & Western	71	6
Wan Chai	23	21
Eastern	101	1
Southern	16	0
Kowloon City	169	54
Kwun Tong	98	14
Wong Tai Sin	28	2
Yau Tsim Mong	416	179
Sham Shui Po	1 074	40
Tsuen Wan	21	0
Kwai Tsing	0	0
Tuen Mun	0	0
Sha Tin	0	0
Sai Kung	0	0
Tai Po	14	2
North	0	0
Yuen Long	81	5
Total	2 112	324

In respect of the reasons for instigating prosecution, a majority number of cases involved smoke stop door-related irregularities (involving 259 cases), followed by obstruction to means of escape (involving 42 cases) and FSI-related irregularities (involving 23 cases).

(2) & (3) With respect to the proactive inspections mentioned in (1) above, a total of 8 661 FHANs were issued by the FSD. As of end-June 2025, over 90 per cent of them had been complied with.

To further step up law enforcement actions against fire hazards in target buildings, the FSD has established the Building Improvement Special Duty Team (known as the Divisional Public Safety Team) in March 2025 in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and New Territories regions respectively to enhance district-based risk management efforts. In the coming year, the FSD will proactively carry out inspections of 1 800 old buildings, strengthening law enforcement and enhancing fire safety education.

(4) As far as the implementation of the defaulted works mechanism is concerned, we have established a clear, objective and transparent mechanism to set a threshold and to prioritise defaulted works. During the initial stage of the defaulted works mechanism, a pilot scheme will be implemented by the EAs, under which 10 target buildings have been selected for the Government to carry out defaulted works, among which, more than half of them are “three-nil buildings”. The EAs plan to award works consultancy and contractor contracts in the third quarter of 2025, and it is expected that contractors may commence the works in the fourth quarter of 2025 and the defaulted works for the first building will be completed by mid-2026.  
 
The EAs are in the procurement process for engaging works consultants and contractors. Therefore, cost of works is yet to be available. Following the completion of investigation and assessment on the defaulted works by the works consultants appointed by the EAs, the EAs may make available to the building owners concerned the initial proposal and preliminary total cost estimate for the defaulted works.
 
　　As mentioned above, in addition to the introduction of defaulted works, we also introduced different measures in the legislative amendment exercise on the Ordinance, with a view to driving owners’ compliance with the requirements of the Ordinance on their own initiative. One of those measures introduced is on publishing information of Directions, etc. on the EAs’ websites, providing members of the public and prospective buyers with information about the compliance status of target buildings with the Ordinance, further driving owners to carry out fire safety improvement works. To this end, the FSD and the BD have respectively published on their websites (Note) information about Directions or Fire Safety Compliance Orders (FSCOs), etc. (i.e. the address of the building or part to which the Direction/FSCO relates, the serial number, date of issue and compliance status of the Direction and FSCO). This will allow members of the public (including the prospective buyers/tenants of target buildings units) to have better knowledge of the outstanding legal liabilities of the target buildings, thereby encouraging owners to comply with the requirements of the Ordinance.

(5) When implementing the pilot scheme, the EAs will closely monitor the implementation and execution of the defaulted works mechanism, and maintain close co-ordination with relevant government departments, in order to ensure its effective operation in a sustainable manner. The EAs will decide on the number and schedule of defaulted works per annum after consolidating the experience, taking into account factors such as the industry’s capacity to undertake such works, and formulate long-term and holistic strategies for the mechanism, with a view to assisting owners with genuine difficulties in enhancing the fire protection of old buildings. The EAs expect that defaulted works can be carried out for around 20 to 60 target buildings each year.

(6) The FSD has long moved with the times and made good use of innovative technologies to enhance operational efficiency and bring convenience and benefits to the public. Looking ahead, the FSD will explore the collaboration with telecommunication service providers to promote smart firefighting, accelerate digital transformation, and explore innovative application of technologies, such as 5G, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence in rescue, fire prevention and emergency management. This includes exploring the use of IoT technology to transmit data from fire detectors directly to the FSD’s system for early fire detection, etc., the purpose of which is to enhance the fire safety standard of buildings while holistically improving the level of intelligentisation and informatisation in firefighting. The FSD is currently undertaking preliminary preparatory work for implementing the relevant scheme (including considering a basket of factors, such as building age, number of building storeys, and whether it is a “three-nil building”, etc., in order to select suitable buildings for the pilot scheme). As in the cases of implementing other new measures, after exploring the application of the aforesaid technologies for the implementation of the pilot scheme, the FSD will consolidate relevant experience and review the effectiveness for considering the way forward of the relevant initiative.

Note:
FSD’s relevant website is at fsdns.hkfsd.gov.hk/en
BD’s relevant website is at www.bd.gov.hk/en/resources/online-tools/search/index.html

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

Following is a question by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

It has been reported that the number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong in April this year grew by 13 per cent year-on-year. In response to my question in January last year, the Government indicated that it would maintain close liaison with Mainland authorities regarding the extension of operating hours at boundary control points (BCPs) during major festive periods. Subsequently, the Government also indicated that it would further review whether immigration clearance hours at certain BCPs on weekdays would be extended. On managing passenger flow at land BCPs, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that several large-scale concerts have been held on the same day in recent months, resulting in large crowds of visitors crossing the border via the Lok Ma Chau Control Point after the events, with the flow of people continuing into the early hours, whether the Government will consider extending immigration clearance hours at the Lo Wu Control Point until 2am the following day on days when large-scale concerts take place, and correspondingly extending the service hours of the MTR East Rail Line, so as to enhance the travel experience for visitors coming to Hong Kong to attend concerts;

(2) whether it will expeditiously discuss with Mainland authorities the extension of immigration clearance hours at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point and the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point; and

(3) given that the passenger flow at the Heung Yuen Wai Control Point has exceeded its design capacity by more than double on both weekdays and holidays, whether the Government has considered introducing long-term measures to manage passenger flow, such as installing additional Automated Immigration Clearance (e-Channel) services, so as to increase their number to a level comparable with that of the Mainland counterpart?

Reply:

President,

With the increasing cross-boundary passenger flow between Guangdong and Hong Kong, exchanges at the community level have also intensified. In addition to the popularity of travelling to the Mainland during weekends or long holidays among Hong Kong residents, we are also pleased to observe a sustained increase in the number of Mainland visitors to Hong Kong. In the first half of this year, of the around 23.6 million inbound passenger trips to Hong Kong, Mainland visitors accounted for over 70 per cent, that is around 17.8 million, representing a year-on-year increase of 10 per cent. Many of these visitors came to Hong Kong to attend international entertainment and sports events. In view of the growing demand for clearance services, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has been closely monitoring the operation of the boundary control points (BCPs) and proactively enhancing the clearance capacity to facilitate the two-way flow of people between Hong Kong and the Mainland.   

In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, a reply to the questions raised by Dr the Hon Dennis Lam is as follows:

(1) and (2) To enhance the experience of both residents and visitors attending large-scale concerts, relevant Government departments and organisations will discuss the detailed arrangements for each large-scale concert, including assessment and deployment of manpower resources, formulation and implementation of plans for crowd control, information dissemination, traffic diversion and control point arrangements etc based on factors such as the number of attendees, nature, ending time and ticketing situations of the concerts.

Drawing on past operational experiences, relevant departments will make advance planning for large-scale concerts, including pre-assessing the cross-boundary passenger traffic and making corresponding arrangements with a view to effectively managing the passengers departing through land BCPs following large-scale concerts. For example, the Immigration Department (ImmD) will deploy manpower as appropriate to strengthen services based on the estimated passenger traffic. The Transport Department (TD) will co-ordinate in advance with the MTR Corporation, as well as local and cross-boundary public transport operators, to increase service frequency based on the projected passenger flow. Additionally, co-ordination will be undertaken with concert organisers to disseminate cross-boundary traffic information in advance via social media platforms, as well as inside the venues on the day of the concerts. Relevant departments will also monitor the real-time situations at various BCPs, make flexible deployment of manpower to operate additional clearance counters and channels, and maintain close liaison with relevant Mainland port authorities through the established port hotlines and real-time notification mechanism to ensure smooth operation of the BCPs.

Following the end of large-scale evening concerts, cross-boundary passengers may undergo immigration clearance via the Lo Wu Control Point, Shenzhen Bay Port, Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang (LMC/HG) Port and Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Port. For the LMC/HG Port, it is observed that most cross-boundary passengers begin arriving approximately 45 minutes after the end of large-scale concerts, with the northbound passenger flow generally dispersed within 1.5 hours. According to recent observations, although cross-boundary passenger flow at relevant BCPs has increased following large-scale concerts, operations have remained largely smooth and in order. Overall speaking, the existing services at the BCPs are able to meet with the passenger demand.

The extension of operating hours of clearance services involves the operation of the ports on both Mainland and Hong Kong sides, and careful consideration has to be given to a host of factors, including the actual needs, effective utilisation of resources of both places, manpower arrangements and ancillary transport services. On the basis of the 24-hour passenger clearance services currently provided at the LMC/HG Port and the HZMB Hong Kong Port, we will continue to closely monitor the demand for passenger clearance services and, having regard to actual needs, liaise with the relevant Mainland authorities on extending the operating hours of the passenger clearance services at respective BCPs when necessary.

(3) As the first control point adopting the design of “direct access to people and vehicles”, the Heung Yuen Wai (HYW) BCP has been well received by the public since the commissioning of passenger clearance services in February 2023. As at June this year, the daily average cross-boundary passenger traffic at the HYW BCP was about 78 000 passenger trips, and during weekends and holidays, the daily average exceeded 91 000 passenger trips, which was three times of its design flow.

Relevant departments have been taking various measures, including flexible deployment of manpower, optimisation of workflow and effective use of information technology, to enhance the handling capacity and efficiency of the HYW BCP. In June last year, the ImmD converted some of the traditional counters in the passenger arrival hall of the HYW BCP, thereby increasing the number of e-Channels from 14 to 18 and expanding the number of traditional counters from 9 to 12.

In response to the continued growth in passenger traffic, the ImmD is now carrying out enhancement works at the passenger departure hall of the HYW BCP. Upon completion, the number of e-Channels will be increased from 14 to 18. During the construction period, four temporary counters have been set up in the passenger departure hall to minimise the impact of the works.  We are also exploring the possibility of further increasing the number of e-Channels and traditional counters.

Lastly, I appeal to both visitors and residents to pay attention to the information released by the Government on various platforms. They are suggested to check in advance the relevant websites, mobile applications and mini programmes of the ImmD and the TD, as well as those of the Shenzhen and Zhuhai authorities, so as to understand the clearance situations at various BCPs and to avoid making their journeys during peak hours to save waiting time. We will also work with relevant departments to explore further enhancements to the online dissemination of information of BCPs, with a view to facilitating early journey planning by the public.

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung will visit Jiangsu Province tomorrow to lead 75 members of the Security Bureau Youth Uniformed Group Leaders Forum, and members of Shenzhen University and youth groups of the public security forces of Macau to continue a study tour there for a better understanding of the country’s history and culture, as well as its modern development.

The six-day study tour, which started on July 15, took place in Nanjing and will proceed to Wuxi. Under Secretary for Security Michael Cheuk joined the visit on July 15 and 16.

Mr Tang will return to Hong Kong on July 20. During his absence, Mr Cheuk will be Acting Secretary.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

     Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (July 16):

Question:

Source: Hong Kong Information Services

Four young inmates have met the general entrance requirements for local universities in this year’s Diploma of Secondary Education, the Correctional Services Department announced today.

 

They are among 20 young inmates, from Sha Tsui Correctional Institution (STCI), Pik Uk Correctional Institution, and Lai King Correctional Institution (LKCI), who received their exam results today. They took a total of 100 examination papers and obtained level 2 or above in 92 of them, or 92% of the papers taken.

 

One candidate at STCI scored the highest 20 marks in five subjects, including level 5* in Chinese Language and 5 in Mathematics as well as obtained an “Attained” in Citizenship & Social Development.

 

Two candidates at LKCI and STCI also attained remarkable results of 5** and 5* in Mathematics and the extended part of Mathematics (M1) respectively.

 

The examinations sat included the four core subjects of Chinese Language, English Language, Mathematics and Citizenship & Social Development, as well as two electives of Economics and Tourism & Hospitality Studies.

 

STCI Superintendent Poon Ho-lam highlighted that with unwavering perseverance and diligence, and family support as well as assistance from correctional officers and dedicated guidance from teachers, the young inmates continuously made strides and strived for good results in the exams, which was truly commendable.

 

Mr Poon called on the public to give rehabilitated people fair opportunities and accept and support their reintegration into society.

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (July 15) detected a smuggling case involving a passenger at the Shenzhen Bay Control Point and seized four live turtles of a scheduled endangered species with an estimated market value of about $40,000. The passenger concerned was convicted and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment at the Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts today (July 16) for contravening the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance (Cap. 169).

Customs officers intercepted a 43-year-old female passenger yesterday at the Departure Hall of the Shenzhen Bay Control Point for Customs clearance. Upon examination, four live turtles were found wrapped around the woman’s thighs and covered underneath her long skirt. Officers of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) attended the scene for inspection and confirmed that the batch of live turtles was of an endangered species listed in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and regulated under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance (Cap. 586) in Hong Kong. The case was handed over to the AFCD for follow-up investigation and prosecution. 

Customs reminds the public not to carry controlled items into and out of Hong Kong.

According to the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, any person importing, exporting or possessing specimens of endangered species not in accordance with the Ordinance commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $10 million and imprisonment for 10 years upon conviction with the specimens forfeited.

Also, according to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance, any person who, by wantonly or unreasonably doing or omitting to do any act, causes any unnecessary suffering to any animal commits an offence and will be liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and imprisonment for three years upon conviction.

Members of the public may report any suspected smuggling activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region