Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Smart Traffic Fund approves three projects(2) The development of an autonomous driving perception model capable of recognising road works and temporary traffic arrangements in Hong Kong by applying “vision-language-action” technologies; and
(3) The study of large-scale deployment of regional dynamic traffic signal systems in Hong Kong by leveraging microscopic simulation models and real-time traffic signal control technologies.Issued at HKT 16:44
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LCQ5: Driving on Lantau Island Scheme
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):
The Government launched the Driving on Lantau Island Scheme in 2016 to allow members of the public to drive private cars via the closed roads on Lantau Island to recreational spots such as Ngong Ping, Tai O, Cheung Sha and Mui Wo on weekdays. The second phase of the Scheme was launched in 2022, with the daily quota increased from 25 to 50. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
LCQ1: Planning for Northern Metropolis University Town
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Augustine Wong and a reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):
Questions:
In order to plan for the Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT), a delegation of the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (Working Group) recently visited the Xiasha Higher Education Park in Hangzhou, the Sejong Common Campus in Korea, the Bildungscampus Heilbronn in Germany, as well as the University of Basel and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich in Switzerland, to study these successful models of higher education development. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the specific outcomes of the Working Group’s study visits; whether it has concluded any models applicable to NMUT; if so, of the details;
(2) whether the planned student mix for NMUT will primarily consist of postgraduates, so as to maximise the benefits of synergistic development between education and industries; if so, whether the Government will consider dismantling the current model of independent operations and campus segregation among universities, and encouraging the universities to strengthen collaboration, exchanges and the sharing of support facilities such as libraries and sports facilities; if the student mix for NMUT will not primarily consist of postgraduates, how support facilities will be planned; and
(3) apart from the planning of teaching facilities, whether the Government will draw reference from the planning of university towns in places such as Boston in the United States, Oxford and Cambridge in the United Kingdom, and Grenoble in France to promote NMUT’s integration with the community and make full use of support facilities in the market; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The development of the Northern Metropolis (NM) is a core component of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government in formulating the first Five-Year Plan to align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan. The Northern Metropolis University Town (NMUT) is one of the key projects and is at the heart of the strategic plan for developing Hong Kong into an international education hub and a cradle for future talent. The NM not only creates the conditions for Hong Kong’s post-secondary education sector to expand the capacity and enhance the quality, but also plays a significant role in promoting Hong Kong’s integration into and service for the overall national development.
To expedite the development of NM, the Government established the Working Group on Planning and Construction of the University Town (WG) last year, which is led by the Chief Secretary for Administration, to study the development mode for NMUT, conduct field trips on the successful models of university towns elsewhere and seek views widely. The WG also explores the possible way forward to deeply integrate industry development with the academic sectors where Hong Kong has an edge, as well as the strategies for attracting leading universities and research institutes in the Chinese Mainland and overseas to establish a base in Hong Kong.
Our reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Augustine Wong is as follows:
(1) Between March and May this year, the WG visited various university town areas as well as science and technology parks in the Chinese Mainland (Zhejiang, Beijing and Hebei), Korea, Germany and Switzerland, where they observed and learnt from the development experiences and innovative models of the Chinese Mainland and international university towns.
From the findings of the field trips, the planning and operational modes of different university towns have their own distinctive features and advantages, especially on the fronts of campus-city integration, internationalised and smart operation, strategic industry-academia collaboration, and deep integration of the industry, academia and research sectors, etc, which have provided valuable guidance for the WG in devising a suitable development mode and direction for NMUT. Nevertheless, we have noted at the same time that university town areas and science and technology parks in different places have their own unique developmental background, conditions, environment and challenges to face; the overall policy directions, land systems and industrial ecosystems, etc. of various governments vary from place to place as well. Therefore, when referencing experiences from other places, we must take into account Hong Kong’s own strengths and unique characteristics. We will adapt the lessons learnt flexibly to suit the local conditions, then prudently and pragmatically integrate the insights gained from the field trips with Hong Kong’s actual circumstances into the planning of NMUT, so as to develop a modern university town that possesses distinctive Hong Kong characteristics while integrating into and serving the nation.
(2) To optimise the use of precious land resources, the planning of NMUT must maintain a certain degree of flexibility, and even incorporate appropriate strategic vacancy, so as to respond effectively to the rapid changes brought about by social and technological developments. At present, the Government has respectively reserved development sites in the Hung Shui Kiu/Ha Tsuen New Development Area (HSK), Ngau Tam Mei New Development Area (NTM) and the New Territories North (NTN) New Town for NMUT. In line with the development strategy of “infrastructure-driven, step by step”, we will plan and construct different town areas in phases. Amongst others, sites for post-secondary education use will be launched in 2026, 2028 and 2030 respectively.
To better align with the National 15th Five-Year Plan, contribute to the development of building a leading country in education, provide strong talent support for both Hong Kong and the nation, and strengthen Hong Kong’s position as an international post-secondary education hub, each of the three university town areas has its own different development positioning and objectives. The HSK University Town Area is positioned as a cultivation centre for applied higher education and internationalised talent, and will integrate with nearby high-end professional services and training of talent for joint development. The NTM University Town Area is situated adjacent to the San Tin Technopole and the Loop with the construction of the third medical school, hence it will provide a vital platform for the innovative development of advanced industries such as life sciences and health technology, artificial intelligence, robotics and microelectronics. As regards the NTN University Town Area, it will support the construction of the second campus of the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and serve as an integrated arts cum industry campus area.
At present, universities in Hong Kong largely adopt the mode of scattered independent campuses and manage their respective resources, whereas university towns from other places mostly adopt the shared use of facilities and spaces among multiple institutions, including academic buildings, laboratories, libraries, sports grounds, hostels and ancillary facilities, to form a closely-knit university ecosystem. Having considered that land is a valuable resource in Hong Kong, the concept of sharing facilities is set to become a dominant trend. In planning for NMUT, the WG will explore more deeply on how these ideas can be integrated into the framework and design of the project.
In short, the planning of NMUT is a highly dynamic and interactive process. By maintaining close communication with institutions and relevant stakeholders, we are committed to developing NMUT into an internationally competitive platform for teaching, research and innovation, one that integrates industrial development and serves the overall objectives of Hong Kong and the nation. We aim to establish a joining framework that offers maximum flexibility, enabling institutions to devise innovative proposals that break with tradition and adapt to changing circumstances.
(3) Looking at university town areas across the Chinese Mainland and overseas, campus-city integration has become a common development mode. We will conduct in-depth studies on various campus-city integration modes around the world, and in the development blueprint of NMUT, adopt a similar holistic planning approach, combining government leadership with market forces to enhance resource efficiency and create an open, shared and campus-city integrated innovative community.
According to the latest planning, the three university town areas of HSK, NTM and NTN will all provide community living and residential supporting facilities, as well as different industrial positioning. The core teaching and research facilities of the university town areas can be integrated with the adjacent industry sites and residential communities to promote the integration and co-ordinated development of education, technology, talent, industries and urban functions, thereby creating a pattern of campus-city integration.
Thank you, President.
LCQ21: Promoting artificial intelligence training for all
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Professor the Hon William Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):
Question:
The 2026-2027 Budget has proposed to promote artificial intelligence (AI) training for all to popularise the understanding and use of AI by all levels of society. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as the Budget has announced an allocation of $50 million to invite public organisations to organise, in collaboration with technology enterprises and tertiary institutions, AI application courses, seminars and competitions targeting students, young people and members of the public for enhancing their AI awareness and application skills, of the current progress of such an initiative, including the expected timing for issuing the invitations and announcing the details;
(2) in the course of promoting AI training for all in Hong Kong, (i) whether it will draw on the experience of various countries, such as the United Kingdom’s “TechFirst Programme”, to establish diverse training and funding programmes tailored to the needs of different audience groups (e.g. secondary school and university students, scientific researchers, women and small and medium enterprises); and (ii) whether it will provide AI-related job matching for those who have completed the training, so as to facilitate matching between enterprises and job seekers, thereby accelerating the digital intelligence transformation of society;
(3) whether it will study the establishment of an “AI competency standard framework” (e.g. covering various perspectives such as awareness, application, innovation and ethics) and link it with the Qualifications Framework, as well as provide an “AI-specific” funding under the Continuing Education Fund to encourage continuous learning for all;
(4) whether it will encourage local universities and various vocational and professional education and training providers to collaborate with various trade associations to develop “AI+Industry” micro-credential courses tailored to industry needs, so as to assist practitioners in their professional transformation and upgrading; and
(5) as there are views that with the development of agentic AI technology, the threshold for starting businesses using AI will be further lowered, whether the authorities will, when planning future university and vocational training programmes, strengthen the design of entrepreneurship courses centred on AI tools and provide guidance to help students and members of the public to master ways of using AI technology to engage in sidelines or start businesses, thereby expanding diverse employment models?
Reply:
President,
The 2026-27 Budget (the Budget) proposes the “AI for All” strategy, covering students, young people and members of the public, as well as digital education in primary and secondary schools, post-secondary education programmes and vocational skills training. In consultation with the Education Bureau and the Labour and Welfare Bureau, our reply to the five parts of the question is as follows.
LCQ14: Safeguarding spinal health of students
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Vincent Cheng and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Cecilia Fan, in the Legislative Council today (June 10):
Question:
There are views pointing out that there has been an upward trend of Hong Kong students suffering from varying degree of spinal problems (e.g. round upper back, forward head posture and scoliosis) in recent years and such patients have become increasingly younger. Earlier on, departments such as the National Health Commission have issued the “‘Five Health’ Promotion Action Plan for Children and Adolescents (2026-2030)”, which calls for increased attention to the health problems of children and adolescents, including their bone health. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has analysed the reasons for the year-on-year increase in the proportion of students required further spinal assessment after receiving scoliosis screening at the Student Health Service Centres (SHSCs) of the Department of Health (DH) over the past three school years; of the respective annual numbers of students referred by DH to specialists for following up on their spinal problems over the past three school years, as well as the average waiting time of such cases;
(2) given that spinal assessment is not currently included in the annual assessment provided by SHSCs, and that SHSCs will only provide spinal assessment for Secondary Four to Six students as and when necessary, whether the authorities will consider providing regular spinal assessment services to students from all grades so as to achieve the effects of “early detection, early identification and early support”;
(3) as there are views that overweight school bag is one of the major causes leading to students developing round upper back and spinal compression, whether the authorities have considered allocating additional resources to subsidise the comprehensive provision of additional lockers in schools, so that students can make good use of storage facilities and alleviate the problems arising from overweight school bags;
(4) whether the authorities will promote multilateral co-operation among professional bodies, healthcare professionals, families and schools by regularly organising spinal health seminars and workshops, so as to enhance the awareness and understanding of primary and secondary school teachers across the territory as well as parents regarding students’ improper sitting postures and early signs of scoliosis; and
(5) whether it will explore incorporating contents such as spine care and core muscle training into the curriculum of regular physical education lessons of primary and secondary schools or formulating school programmes relating to spine protection, so as to assist students in building the habit of maintaining good posture?
Reply:
President,
The Student Health Service (SHS) under the Department of Health (DH) provides health promotion and preventive healthcare programmes for primary and secondary school students according to their needs at various stages of development. It aims to safeguard the physical and psychological health of school children, and enable them to gain the maximum benefit from the education system and to develop their potentials.
To attain this objective, the DH’s SHS provides free annual health assessment services for primary and secondary school students, which include growth monitoring, vision and hearing screening, health assessment questionnaires. If health or behavioural problems are identified, healthcare professionals of the DH will provide health counselling and relevant information, and refer the students to the Special Assessment Service under the SHS, specialist clinics under the Hospital Authority, or other appropriate institutions for further suitable assessment and treatment.
In consultation with the Education Bureau (EDB) and the DH, the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Vincent Cheng is as follows:
(1) According to data of the DH, the percentage of students requiring further spinal assessment and the annual number of students referred by the DH to specialists for further spinal assessment across the ten school years from 2015/16 to 2024/25 are tabulated below:
| School year | 2015/16 | 2016/17 | 2017/18 | 2018/19 | 2019/20 | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2022/23 | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| Number of students referred by the DH to specialists for further spinal assessment | 3 044 | 2 721 | 2 677 | 2 684 | 1 447 | 1 079 | 1 885 | 3 350 | 4 191 | 2 665 |
| Percentage of students requiring further spinal assessment | 17.2% | 16.5% | 15.2% | 15.2% | 15.6% | 20.8% | 16.3% | 13.7% | 16.5% | 17.4% |
Regarding the past three school years mentioned in the question, the percentage of students requiring further spinal assessment ranged from 13.7 per cent to 17.4 per cent. This is consistent with the variations observed within the data range of the past ten years (13.7 per cent to 20.8 per cent), within the normal range, and not representing a year-on-year increase. Although the annual number of students referred by the DH to specialists over the past ten years fluctuated from year to year, it still remained relatively stable. The increases in the number of students during the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years were mainly due to a decrease in the number of students receiving assessments during the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in an increase in both the number of students receiving assessments and requiring referrals during the two school years following the return to normalcy (i.e. the 2022/23 and 2023/24 school years). The figure has already declined substantially in the 2024/25 school year. Depending on actual circumstances such as the appointment time chosen by the students, students undergoing further spinal assessment by the DH can generally receive an assessment appointment within a few weeks.
(2) When considering disease screening, the DH takes into account several medical principles for an overall assessment. For example, a concerned disease must have an identifiable incubation period or early symptomatic period, effective treatments with medical evidence, and significant demonstrated improvement in treatment outcome through early intervention. Moreover, a screening test must be accurate, simple, safe, and acceptable to the target population. The cost of the screening program must be balanced with the overall need of medical resources.
According to clinical evidence, the peak incidence of scoliosis in adolescents mainly occurs in the age group of 10 and 14 (i.e. Primary 5 level to Secondary 3 level) during the puberty development period. Screening during this period is the most effective way to identify at-risk cases early before skeletal maturity of students, which enables timely referrals and treatment. In view of the aforementioned medical principles, the DH’s SHS pays special attention to the skeletal growth of students aged 10 to 14 when providing free annual health assessment services, and arranges examinations to be conducted by healthcare professionals either annually or on alternate years depending on the circumstances.
When students reach the stage of Secondary 4 to Secondary 6 (i.e. aged 15 or above), their skeletal growth has gradually matured and stabilised. The clinical risk of rapid deterioration of scoliosis decreases significantly. Therefore, the current mechanism, which arranges spinal assessments for Secondary 4 to Secondary 6 students based on clinical needs, aligns with the aforementioned medical principles and the practice to balance the cost-effectiveness of public resource utilisation.
(3) The EDB attaches great importance to students’ health and reminds schools to provide a learning environment that promotes students’ physical and mental health. The EDB has all along advised schools to adopt feasible measures to reduce the weight of students’ school bags through various channels, such as circulars, guidelines, letters to school heads, featured articles, online promotional resources, and the annually distributed parent leaflets. The EDB Circular No. 17/2015 on “Guidelines on Reducing the Weight of School Bags” clearly spells out a range of measures recommended for schools to reduce the weight of school bags. For example, schools should, according to their financial budget and available space, provide storage facilities for students as far as possible, and help students develop the habit of making good use of storage facilities. Student lockers have been the standard provision of new schools for the last 20 years, and schools may make flexible use of the recurrent subvention provided by the EDB to procure storage facilities for students having regard to school-based circumstances and students’ needs.
(4) and (5) The DH has been collaborating with schools and community organisations to jointly promote relevant health messages. The DH will distribute leaflets on good posture, core muscle exercises and scoliosis to students at Primary 5 level and above participating in the service and their parents. The objective is to deepen their awareness and understanding of poor sitting posture and early signs of scoliosis. The EDB will also co-ordinate with the DH in disseminating relevant materials to schools for further publicity and education.
Content related to spinal care has been incorporated into relevant school subjects, including Primary Humanities, Primary Science, Biology (Secondary 4 – 6). These curricula cover learning contents on spinal protection, helping students learn the proper standing and sitting postures, and the proper postures when reading, carrying school bags and using electronic devices. The curricula also help students develop good habits of protecting their spines. Meanwhile, the emphasis for Physical Education is on cultivating a healthy lifestyle for students.
LCQ8: Promoting national defence education
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ8: Promoting national defence education
Question:
The country revised, adopted and implemented in September 2024 the National Defence Education Law of the People’s Republic of China, which stipulates that national defence education is the foundation for building and consolidating national defence and an important way to enhance national cohesion and improve the overall quality of the citizens. There are views that national defence education, being a core component of patriotic education and national security education, is crucial for strengthening the sense of national identity, the sense of national pride and the awareness of national defence among Hong Kong people, particularly young people. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of local youth national defence and military experience activities funded or co-organised by the SAR Government, as well as the respective number of participants, their age distribution and the amount of government funding allocated, in each year from 2023 to 2025;
(2) whether the Working Group on Patriotic Education (Working Group) has established more indicative strategies for promoting national defence education in local primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions under its work plans for 2026 and 2027; whether the Working Group has future plans to collaborate with the Hong Kong Garrison and/or Mainland institutions to increase the number of places for local or Mainland military experience camps, so as to meet the demands of more schools and youth groups; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether the SAR Government has future plans to step up communication and collaboration with the Hong Kong Garrison or relevant Mainland authorities to secure the visit to Hong Kong of more advanced national military equipment for exhibition or public viewing on major festive occasions such as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Day or National Defence Education Day, so as to enhance Hong Kong people’s understanding and awareness of national defence; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) of the exchange programmes participated by tertiary institutions and primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong to the Mainland for thematic studies on national defence, military affairs or aerospace technologies under the Education Bureau’s programme of Mainland study tours of the Citizenship and Social Development Subject or other government-funded projects, as well as the numbers of participants therein, in the past three years; how the Government assesses the actual educational effectiveness of these study tours; and
(5) in the era of big data and digitalisation, whether the Government has plans to increase resource investment in frontier technology (such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality and metaverse technology), as well as to collaborate with scientific research institutes to develop simulation systems suitable for classroom national defence education, with a view to enhancing young people’s interest in national defence technology and the effectiveness of national defence education through immersive and interactive methods; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
The Government has been making relentless efforts to build mainstream values characterised by patriotism with affection for our country and Hong Kong and in conformity with the principle of “one country, two systems”. It has also been actively organising a diverse range of public and school education activities to promote patriotic education and national security education, with a view to enhancing citizens’ and students’ sense of national identity, national pride, and awareness of safeguarding national security. Among these, national defence education constitutes an important component of patriotic education and national security education.
In response to the question raised by the Hon Wu Ying-peng, the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB), the Security Bureau and the Education Bureau (EDB) provide a consolidated reply as follows:
(1) to (5)
Collaboration with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison
In celebration of Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Hong Kong Garrison organises barracks open days around July 1, with a view to further enhancing communication and exchanges with different sectors of the local community. In 2021, the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center was set up at Ngong Shuen Chau Barracks. An exhibition themed “Dreams of the East” is staged in its three thematic exhibition halls, namely “the Chinese Dream”, “the Dream of a Strong Military” and “the PRC HK Garrison”, along with a weaponry and equipment area displaying historical photos, antiques and models of the PLA’s military equipment. Through the visits, members of the public can deepen their understanding of the remarkable achievements of the country, the nation’s military history and the work of the Hong Kong Garrison.
As one of the highlight events of the Youth Festival, the HYAB has organised visits to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center for local youth (including leaders and members of youth uniformed groups/non-governmental organisations, youth hostel tenants and Youth Link members) since 2023. This initiative, benefiting over 700 participants in total, aims to enhance young people’s understanding of our country’s military history and the work of the Hong Kong Garrison, strengthening affection for and sense of belonging to the country. The visits are organised by the HYAB mainly through its existing resources, thus the expenditure involved cannot be singled out. Over the past three years, the District Offices (DOs) under the Home Affairs Department have organised a total of four visits to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center, drawing nearly 200 participants, the majority of whom were young people aged 12 to 35. These visits were arranged by the respective DOs using their existing resources and manpower, and no additional funding was involved.
The EDB has also issued circular memorandums to primary and secondary schools, encouraging schools to arrange visits to the PLA Hong Kong Garrison Exhibition Center so as to enhance primary and secondary students’ sense of national identity, national pride and national defence awareness, and to enable them to deeply appreciate the importance of safeguarding national security. At the same time, the EDB jointly organises the “Military Summer Camp for Hong Kong Youth” with the Hong Kong Garrison and the Concerted Efforts Resource Centre for secondary students each year. The numbers of students joining the “Military Summer Camp for Hong Kong Youth” from the 2023/24 to 2025/26 school years are set out as follows: