Author: MIL-OSI Publisher

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Deputy Secretary for Justice Cheung Kwok-kwan today said the Department of Justice is studying a Court of Final Appeal (CFA) judgment with a view to finding ways to further improve the enforcement mechanism of national security in Hong Kong.

Mr Cheung made the remarks after attending a radio programme this morning, where he addressed media questions about the CFA judgment concerning a case involving three former members of a disbanded group who did not comply with Police’s request for information.

“We are carefully studying the judgment handed down by the Court of Final Appeal. We will see how the judgment can further improve the law enforcement mechanism of national security in Hong Kong, but I will say that the judgment and the case law will contribute significantly to the development of jurisprudence of the national security related law in Hong Kong.”

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Civil Aid Service (CAS) today expressed deep sorrow over the passing of a 57-year-old member who fell unconscious after completing a fitness assessment at the CAS headquarters in Yau Ma Tei last night and later died in hospital.

The man joined the CAS in 1986 and was a Grade III member.

The CAS extended its deepest condolences to his family and will provide appropriate assistance to them.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Security Bureau today said the last of six Hong Kong residents lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work and rescued following Secretary for Security Tang Ping-keung’s participation in the operation in Thailand, arrived in Hong Kong this morning.

Mr Tang departed for Thailand earlier to participate in the co-ordination and rescue operation of Hong Kong detainees in Myanmar. Six people were rescued and five of them returned home yesterday.

The final rescued citizen stayed in Thailand yesterday to assist in the Thai Police investigation as a witness for the case of people being lured to Myanmar to engage in illegal work.

A member of the bureau’s dedicated task force also stayed in Thailand to accompany and assist the rescued Hong Kong resident. They returned home in the small hours of today.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) today said it expects about five to eight tropical cyclones will likely hit Hong Kong during the year, which is in the normal to above normal range.

Presenting the city’s weather outlook at a press briefing, HKO Director Chan Pak-wai said the tropical cyclone season is expected to start in June or earlier and cease in October or later.

The annual mean temperature in Hong Kong is expected to be above normal this year, while the annual rainfall is expected to be near normal, ranging from 2,100mm to 2,700mm. However, Mr Chan stressed that Hong Kong may still be affected by heavy rain and advised the public to be prepared for the rain and tropical cyclone seasons.

Mr Chan also highlighted the ongoing improvements to the HKO’s various services, noting that with the rainy season approaching, the HKO will enhance its radar and satellite imagery services to allow the public to better grasp the rainfall situation in the lower atmosphere.

The department also plans to add graphical rainfall information for various districts in the next couple of months.

From the second half of this year, the HKO will, on a trial basis, attach videos featuring its forecasters explaining future weather changes on camera, to some of its Weather Notes articles.

There are also plans to add more computer model forecast products, including the forecasting of chances of thunderstorms, onto the “Earth Weather” webpage this year, to provide people with a comprehensive understanding of weather changes.

Separately, the HKO will hold open days on March 22 and 23 to showcase its work. Apart from joining the event in person with a valid ticket, members of the public can take a virtual tour on a dedicated webpage due to be launched on March 22.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Buildings Energy Efficiency (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be published in the Gazette on Friday, seeking to enhance Hong Kong’s buildings energy efficiency management regime and lessen the financial burden on the public.

The Environment & Ecology Bureau noted that the proposed amendments aim to achieve a win-win scenario of saving electricity costs for buildings, reducing carbon emissions and boosting the development of a green economy.

The amendment bill contains five parts – regulating the energy efficiency standards of building services installations for all data centres in Hong Kong; requiring more types of buildings to conduct regular energy audits; shortening the intervals of energy audits; disclosing certain technical information in energy audit reports; and including more qualifications eligible for registration as Registered Energy Assessors.

The bureau said if the amendment bill is passed by the Legislative Council and implemented in full, it is estimated that an additional 500 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of about 150,000 three-person households, could be saved in 2035.

The amendment bill will be introduced into LegCo for first reading and the commencement of second reading debate on March 26.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Six projects have been approved in the new application round of the Countryside Conservation Funding Scheme, involving a total grant of around $51 million, the Government announced today.

The newly approved projects cover diversified ecological and cultural conservation work in remote countryside areas such as Lai Chi Wo, Mui Tsz Lam, Kap Tong, Kuk Po, Kat O and Deep Bay wetlands.

They involve the adoption of ecologically friendly means to conduct farming and fishpond habitat management to revitalise farmland and fish ponds, and increase their ecological value.

The approved projects also include the revitalisation of traditional Hakka culture, showcasing unique and precious cultural assets in the countryside, enhancing travellers’ ecotour experience, as well as increasing public awareness of conserving natural ecology and cultural and historic assets.

So far, a total of 56 projects involving a subsidy of more than $325 million have been approved under the 10 application rounds.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Environmental Protection Department said today that no restrictions have been imposed with regard to operating hours for events held at the Kai Tak Arena, and emphasised that there are no limitations on activities extending beyond midnight.

 

In response to media enquiries about noise control, the department said all events held at the arena – including sports events and music performances – are conducted indoors and involve central air conditioning. It explained that the relevant Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report had therefore concluded that noise levels would not exceed limits.

 

The department added that it had also taken noise measurements near the venue during rehearsal concerts. It said the results showed that noise reduction apparatus installed at the venue is effective and meets the expectations required by the EIA report, with noise levels being in compliance with legal standards.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung called on the Environmental Protection Department today to learn more about its environmental quality monitoring work and its application of innovative technologies.

 

To begin her visit, Mrs Yeung met Director of Environmental Protection Samuel Chui and directorate staff and was briefed on developments in various area of the department’s work.

 

In recent years, it has introduced or developed a variety of innovative technological devices in its operations. One of these is the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Environmental Air Nuisance Investigation Robot Dog, known as “AI Dog”.

 

Unlike traditional methods that rely on the experience and sense of smell of investigators, the AI Dog enhances accuracy and efficiency through continuous machine learning. Now on trial in various district, it identifies and locates sources of pollution by using Internet of Things technology to search data on the Hong Kong Air Pollutant Emission Inventory.

 

The department’s Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR), meanwhile, enables it to track leakage in underground sewage pipes without digging up roads.

 

The department’s staff gave Mrs Yeung demonstrations of both the AI Dog and GPR in operation.

 

At the department’s Smart Command and Control Centre, Mrs Yeung received a briefing on the use of an Unmanned Submarine instead of divers to conduct monitoring and sampling in the Shing Mun River via remote control and real-time images.

 

Staff also introduced her to the Mesh Network Sampling Robot Squad, which conducts quality sampling and investigations in remote or dangerous areas in a more efficient manner.

 

Mrs Yeung said the department’s AI Dog and AI Unmanned Submarine can be viewed as AI civil servants as they improve work efficiency and enable better follow-up solutions to pollution problems that were difficult to handle in the past. She said that resolving problems in a shorter time gives the public a greater sense of satisfaction.

 

The civil service chief highlighted that the 2025-26 Budget reinforced the Government’s fiscal consolidation programme. Bureaus and departments are required to further review their resource allocations and work priorities, and provide public services in a more cost-effective manner through streamlining procedures.

 

She encouraged all departments to step up their efforts to apply technology in their work to enhance efficiency and manpower utilisation.

 

Before concluding her visit, Mrs Yeung met staff representatives of various grades in the department.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Health Bureau today announced that the Chronic Disease Co-Care (CDCC) Pilot Scheme will be expanded to provide blood lipid testing starting from March 28.

The scope of screening under the CDCC Pilot Scheme will be expanded to include blood lipid testing in addition to diabetes mellitus and hypertension screening, thereby achieving full coverage of the “three highs”. A plan to expand the pilot scheme was outlined in the Chief Executive’s 2024 Policy Address.

The eligibility criteria for the scheme remain unchanged: eligible individuals are Hong Kong residents aged 45 or above with no known medical history of diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

Government subsidies for consultations, and a co-payment amount to be paid by participants, will remain at the current level.

If participants are diagnosed with hyperlipidaemia, they are entitled to a maximum of four subsidised consultations in the first year, and a maximum of two annually from the second year onwards.

The Primary Healthcare Commission will expand the scheme to designated General Out-patient Clinics under the Hospital Authority in three phases, in order to provide preventive screening for underprivileged patients. Blood lipid testing will be covered.

Additionally, podiatry services provided by dedicated nurse clinics and allied health services under the pilot scheme will be enhanced starting from April 15.

Separately, starting from April 15, more than 20 additional service points will be introduced across the city to provide dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services to eligible District Health Centre/Express (DHC/DHCE) members who have not participated in the CDCC Pilot Scheme.

The dedicated nurse clinics will provide initial assessments relating to osteoarthritis in the knees and back, muscle and joint function, basic self-management, and diet. They will also provide checks on common women’s health issues.

The allied health services will be provided by occupational therapists, Chinese medicine practitioners, physiotherapists, speech therapists and dietitians.

The co-payment model will be adopted for DHC/DHCE members receiving dedicated nurse clinic and allied health services.

The pilot scheme has received a positive response since its launch, with over 100,000 participants having joined the programme to date. As of March 12, about 62,700 participants had completed screenings. Around 24,200 of those were diagnosed with prediabetes, diabetes mellitus or hypertension and have entered treatment.

Source: Assainir, relancer et développer ensemble : les orientations du 18e gouvernement

The Health Bureau today said at the present stage, the Government has no plan to use the King’s Park site for purposes other than for healthcare after the relocation of services at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) due to start from early 2026.

It added that the Government will consider the site’s future healthcare use and development plan in the course of reviewing the Second Hospital Development Plan (HDP).

In response to media enquiries on the QEH service relocation and the future use of the King’s Park site, the bureau said to dovetail with the implementation of the First HDP of the Hospital Authority (HA), the QEH services will be relocated to New Acute Hospital (NAH) at Kai Tak Development Area gradually from early 2026.

By then, most of QEH’s clinical services, including the accident and emergency services, will be relocated to NAH; while the QEH Ambulatory Care Centre (Extension) will remain at the King’s Park site.

Located in Central Kowloon, NAH will form a service network with a number of hospitals and the Ambulatory Care Centre (Extension) at QEH to provide comprehensive healthcare services to the residents in the community.

The other hospitals involved in the new service network are: Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital, Hong Kong Buddhist Hospital and Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Wong Tai Sin Hospital in Kowloon City District, and Kwong Wah Hospital, Kowloon Hospital and other hospitals in the Kowloon Central Cluster.

The bureau noted that the HA has been maintaining close liaison with the Transport Department and other relevant departments about the various support to be provided for NAH.

On public transport services, the TD will plan in advance the provision of appropriate public transport services taking into consideration the NAH project’s progress and anticipated completion date.

The TD will also continue to closely monitor the area’s development, and adjust or strengthen the local public transport services based on actual circumstances, in order to further enhance the road traffic network in the NAH’s vicinity to meet passenger needs.

Furthermore, the bureau is reviewing the Second HDP together with the HA, and there will be room for healthcare service development at the King’s Park site after the relocation of clinical services from QEH to NAH.

Given the convenient geographical location, it will be a feasible option to consider the expansion of the ambulatory care services at the King’s Park site based on the demand of the population in Kowloon, it added.