Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ6: Regulation of excessive borrowing by foreign domestic helpers
Question:
It has been reported that many foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) incur debts arising from pre-departure training and intermediary fees before coming to Hong Kong, and then borrow excessively after arrival. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) how the authorities will strengthen interdepartmental collaboration (including working alongside the Immigration Department, the Labour Department, the relevant Consulates General in Hong Kong and employment agencies) to step up publicity and education at source, so as to prevent FDHs from falling into traps involving overseas training fees and lending, and to regulate and prevent their excessive borrowing in Hong Kong;
(2) as the industry has reflected that only a small number of licensed money lenders are currently registered to interface with Credit Data Smart (CDS), of the specific measures the authorities have put in place to help small and medium-sized money lenders to overcome the technical barriers to system interfacing; whether an assessment has been made on whether strengthening the regulation of licensed money lenders will drive FDHs to resort to illegal lending; the specific interdepartmental mechanism for the law enforcement departments to combat illegal debt collection activities where FDH employers are harassed due to their FDHs’ borrowing; and
(3) in respect of some licensed money lenders who are unwilling to interface with CDS or whose interfacing progress is lagging behind, of the penalties the authorities will impose on money lenders who fail or refuse to connect to the platform before the implementation of the second-phase measures, for example, whether the authorities will invoke the Money Lenders Ordinance to revoke their licences or impose additional licensing conditions?
Reply:
President,
To ensure the healthy development of the money lending market and safeguard public interest, the Government has over the years adopted a multi-pronged strategy to address the problems arising from borrowing. Last year, we conducted a public consultation on enhancing the regulation of licensed money lenders, and have been implementing the new regulatory measures in phases starting this year.
Having consulted the Labour and Welfare Bureau, the Security Bureau, the Companies Registry (CR), and the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), our reply in response to the questions raised by the Hon Elaine Chik is as follows:
(1) Various policy bureaux and departments collaborate at different levels, each discharging their respective functions to address the issues arising from excessive personal borrowing in society. Following our public consultation, starting from August this year, we have imposed restrictions on unsecured personal loans granted by money lenders to low-income earners, including restrictions of income, debt servicing ratio, total outstanding loan amount and repayment period. We have also prohibited money lenders from requesting borrowers to provide loan referees.
The borrowing activities of individuals from outside Hong Kong, including foreign domestic helpers (FDHs), before coming to Hong Kong are subject to regulation by the respective governments elsewhere. In this regard, the Labour Department (LD) has established a regular liaison mechanism with the Consulates-General (CGs) of countries where the majority of the FDHs in Hong Kong come from. If organisations elsewhere are found to have engaged in malpractices in arranging FDHs to take up employment in Hong Kong (such as improperly coercing FDHs into taking out loans), LD will inform the relevant governments and request follow-up actions. The LD also strictly regulates employment agencies (EAs). The Code of Practice for Employment Agencies (CoP) promulgated by the LD stipulates that EAs should not provide job seekers with information relating to personal loans, and should not advise, arrange, encourage or force job seekers to borrow money from any institutions within or outside Hong Kong. EAs violating the CoP may have their licences revoked or their applications for licence renewal refused.
In addition, the Immigration Department (ImmD) has all along exercised stringent control when vetting employment visa applications from FDHs, by holistically considering multiple factors, including conduct and integrity, records provided by previous employers concerning the FDHs, and reasons for premature termination of employment contracts, etc. Previous FDH employers may provide the ImmD with reasons for premature contract termination, including excessive borrowing, for consideration by the ImmD when processing future applications for employment visas or extensions of stay from the FDHs concerned.
We acknowledge that publicity and education can contain problems at source. LD collaborates with the CGs of countries where the majority of the FDH in Hong Kong come from, and incorporates information on prudent financial management and avoiding excessive borrowing into orientation briefings organised for newly arrived FDHs. LD also distributes leaflets at FDH gathering places during holidays, and organises briefings for FDHs in collaboration with non-governmental organisations to explain common borrowing traps, repayment obligations, and channels for seeking assistance when facing financial difficulties.
(2) and (3) The Credit Data Smart (CDS) was established with the support of the HKMA as a platform for providing consumer credit information. After consulting the public, the Government will, starting from June 2027, introduce new licensing conditions to money lender’s licence that require all money lenders engaging in unsecured personal loan business to provide, on a regular basis, personal credit information of their unsecured personal loan borrowers to the CDS. In addition, money lenders with total amounts of unsecured personal loans reaching $50 million or above, and money lenders with unsecured personal loans to borrowers whose monthly incomes are below $12,000, must join the CDS to obtain borrowers’ personal credit information, thereby enhancing the affordability assessment. If a licensed money lender fails to comply with this requirement, CR will take regulatory actions depending on individual circumstances, including applying to the Licensing Court to revoke the licence or refuse the licence renewal application, etc. Carrying on business in breach of licensing conditions is an offence under the Money Lenders Ordinance (Cap. 163), which carries criminal sanctions.
The Government acknowledges that individual money lenders may not immediately have the capability to meet the technical requirements for joining the CDS. In view of this, with the support from the Government, the CDS platform operator has successfully launched a simplified version for money lenders. Service agencies under the CDS will handle the relevant vetting and due diligence work, and the fees are lower than those for other CDS members. The service support agent of the CDS has also set up a technical hotline and will organise seminars for the sector, to introduce the onboarding procedures for connecting to the CDS and address queries.
From the launch of the public consultation on enhancing the regulation of licensed money lenders in June 2025 to the implementation of the requirement to join the CDS in June 2027, there is a period of nearly two years for the industry to make preparations. I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to money lenders that have not yet applied to join the CDS to submit their applications as soon as possible, so as to prepare early for complying with the licensing conditions and avoid a last-minute rush of applications.
Currently, there is no evidence suggesting that enhancing the regulation of licensed money lenders has led to low-income earners (including FDHs) generally turning to illegal loans. Indeed, the enhancement in regulatory measures would not prohibit any personal borrowing by FDHs, as long as such borrowings comply with the laws and regulations, and the licensed money lenders comply with the licensing conditions before granting loans. As for loan-sharking syndicates and illegal debt collection activities, they have all along been criminal offences in Hong Kong. The Police have attached great importance to combating such crimes, and will actively conduct cyber patrols and carry out intelligence-led enforcement actions. In the first three quarters of this year, the Police carried out a total of nine large-scale arrest operations to combat such activities. CR and the Police have also established a mechanism to maintain close communication and exchange intelligence in respect of money lender regulatory matters, in order to enhance enforcement effectiveness.
Thank you, President.
Issued at HKT 15:20
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LCQ9: Relocation of Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (October 21):
Question:
Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) has commenced services in phases this month, and the clinical services of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) will be gradually transferred to KTH. In the 2026 Policy Address, the Government proposed that the Hospital Authority would develop Hong Kong’s first integrated ambulatory care hospital at QEH’s King’s Park site. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the commencement and target completion dates for the transfer of each type of clinical service and specialist outpatient service at QEH (set out in a table); the transitional arrangements for patient services during the relocation period;
(2) as there are views relaying that KTH is inconveniently located and lacks adequate supporting public transport services, whether the authorities will further enhance its public transport arrangements;
(3) given that in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on April 2 last year, the Government indicated that the authorities would explore the feasibility of the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak passing through KTH, of the outcome of the authorities’ latest assessment;
(4) of the specific planning details and works schedule for the conversion of QEH into an integrated ambulatory care hospital, including the areas to be demolished and those to be retained, and whether there is a need to construct a new building, etc.;
(5) whether the integrated ambulatory care hospital will further provide endoscopy examination services, ambulatory cancer drug treatment and other ambulatory surgical services in the future; whether the authorities will consider optimising the use of healthcare manpower resources across the territory by engaging private medical practitioners to practise at the integrated ambulatory care hospital and provide public healthcare services;
(6) of the support services that will be provided by the integrated ambulatory care hospital for discharged patients; and whether an appropriate number of overnight beds will be provided to offer extended care services to patients who are unable to be discharged as scheduled; and
(7) given that ambulatory healthcare services require patients and their family members to make a same-day return trip, whether the Administration will enhance the supporting public transport services for the integrated ambulatory care hospital and increase the number of private car parking spaces, so as to facilitate family members in picking up and dropping off patients?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Hospital Authority (HA), the reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon David Lam is as follows:
Kai Tak Hospital (KTH) has commenced services progressively in phases starting from October 5, 2026, gradually taking over most of the clinical services from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH). With a total gross floor area of 500 000 square metres, KTH will provide 2 400 beds upon full commissioning, making it the largest public hospital in Hong Kong and the flagship hospital of the Kowloon Central Cluster (KCC). Serving a population of 1.8 million covering Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City, Wong Tai Sin and Kwun Tong districts, KTH assumes the role of public healthcare hub in Kowloon. KTH will leverage its strengths to enhance collaboration with other hospitals within the KCC, while supporting other Kowloon clusters to further enhance the quality of public healthcare services in the region.
On the other hand, as promulgated in the Chief Executive’s 2026 Policy Address, with the progressive relocation of QEH services to Kai Tak, the HA will develop Hong Kong’s first integrated ambulatory care hospital at King’s Park. The first phase will include a high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre, a high-capacity ambulatory radiology centre and an ambulatory radiotherapy centre, scheduled to commence services in 2027-28. With the commissioning of the high-capacity cataract surgery centre, annual service capacity will increase by about 5 500. With annotation and triage at the high-capacity radiology centre to be carried out with AI, the annual service capacity for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will increase by about 40 per cent compared to general facilities. The increase in service capacity at the radiotherapy centre will also accelerate treatment procedures for cancer patients. These services will be rolled out progressively in phases, giving due consideration to the relocation timetable of QEH services to KTH, the preparation progress of relevant facilities and the time required for alteration works, etc.
(1) Upon completion of the Specialist Out-patient Block and the Oncology Block of KTH, the Family Medicine Integrated Centre (FMIC), specialist out-patient services, allied health services, examinations by the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, day services for Obstetrics and Gynaecology, the Department of Pharmacy, specimen collection by the Department of Pathology and the Patient Resource Centre are set to commence services in the first phase.
The FMIC, the Department of Pharmacy, and the Patient Resource Centre commenced services on October 5, 2026, providing a series of family medicine out-patient primary healthcare services. Patients suffering from episodic diseases can schedule appointments in the next 24 hours via the “Book FMC” function on HA Go, the HA’s one-stop mobile application, or through the telephone booking system.
In addition, the HA is adopting a phased approach to progressively arrange for patients to transfer from QEH to KTH for services. The detailed arrangements are as follows:
(i) Allied health services, including the Departments of Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Dietetic, Podiatry, and Prosthetic and Orthotic, have been progressively commenced services since October 6, 2026;
(ii) Specialist out-patient services of the Departments of Surgery, Neurosurgery and Clinical Oncology, as well as specimen collection services by the Department of Pathology, will progressively commence services in late October 2026;
As a transitional arrangement, the HA staff will call all patients who need to be transferred from QEH to KTH for attending follow-up consultations, ensuring that the patients are informed of the latest consultation arrangements. Meanwhile, the HA also reminds relevant patients via mail, SMS messages and HA Go.
In addition, during the transition period, if any patients who should go to KTH inadvertently go to QEH for consultation, QEH will make special one-off arrangements to provide services for the patients at QEH. The patients need not travel to KTH for consultation.
The HA will continue to actively brief relevant stakeholders and members of the public on the detailed arrangements for the commissioning of KTH through various channels, including promotional talks, seminars and carnivals. The HA has also added information regarding the “Kai Tak Hospital: Service Transfer Arrangements” to HA Go.
(2) To support the commissioning of KTH, the Transport Department (TD) has installed appropriate traffic signs along the roads in the vicinity of the hospital to guide motorists and pedestrians to the hospital. While dedicated Franchised Bus (FB) lay-bys have been provided outside KTH, Green Minibus (GMB) stops and a taxi stand have also been provided within the hospital premises to facilitate passenger access to and from the hospital.
Regarding public transport arrangements, the TD had maintained close liaison with the HA, relevant government departments, District Councils and local stakeholders prior to the commissioning of KTH. Having regard to various data including the geographical distribution of patients, the TD assessed the overall public transport demand of KTH and undertook advance planning to meet the travelling needs of passengers.
Currently, multiple MTR stations (including Kai Tak Station, Kowloon Bay Station, Ngau Tau Kok Station, Kwun Tong Station, Yau Tong Station, Sung Wong Toi Station, To Kwa Wan Station and Wong Tai Sin Station), as well as a total of 11 FB and GMB routes in various districts in Kowloon provide direct services to KTH. In response to local stakeholders’ feedback, the FB operators have additionally arranged five FB routes or special departure services to serve KTH since late September and early October this year. These include the introduction of special departures of KMB Routes 11A and 17A to facilitate residents of the Chuk Yuen and Ho Man Tin areas to travel to KTH following the commissioning of the hospital. At present, a total of 16 public transport routes provide direct services to the hospital.
Meanwhile, to facilitate persons with disabilities, the Rehabus operator has arranged a shuttle bus service connecting KTH with MTR Kai Tak Station and Lok Fu Station to cater for passengers in need.
In addition, more than 40 FB and GMB routes serving the adjacent Kowloon Bay Business Area have en-route stops along Kai Fuk Road or near the Zero Carbon Park. Members of the public can reach KTH within a few minutes on foot via the covered footbridge near GREEN@KWUN TONG.
On the part of the HA, to facilitate the public in obtaining information through various channels, the hospital has produced a “Kai Tak Hospital Transportation Guide” and filmed videos introducing how to access the hospital via various public transport modes, which are disseminated through the hospital’s platforms and local stakeholders.
Furthermore, signage has been set up inside KTH to guide the public in taking public transport such as buses, minibuses and taxis. During the initial phase of KTH’s service commencement, the hospital also deploys volunteer teams at the ground floor lobbies across all blocks of KTH to answer enquiries and provide assistance to the public.
The HA and the TD will continue to maintain close liaison and closely monitor the overall development progress of the KTH project. As various services at KTH are progressively rolled out, the HA and the TD will work with public transport operators to enhance and adjust relevant public transport services in light of actual passenger travel patterns and demand, and continue to optimise the existing network to meet the travelling needs of the public commuting to and from KTH.
(3) The Government invited tenders for the Smart and Green Mass Transit System in Kai Tak based on the current alignment connecting MTR Kai Tak Station and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal in October last year. Tenderers were required to make provisions in their designs for extending the system to KTH and were encouraged to submit feasible extension proposals as specified in the tender documents. The tender closed in August this year and relative bureaux are currently evaluating the tender submissions received, with the target of awarding the contract this year. The Government will immediately discuss with the successful franchisee the feasibility of extending the system to KTH after award of the contract.
(4) to (7) The King’s Park site is located in Central Kowloon with comprehensive transport infrastructure, enabling convenient access for patients from across Hong Kong. The King’s Park site will fulfill two major strategic roles within the HA healthcare system, which include serving as an integrated ambulatory care hospital providing high-capacity, non-emergency services to alleviate hospital capacity constraints and provide greater accessibility for patients; and establishing the HA Technology Convergence Hub (HA-TCH) on a demand-driven basis to accelerate the adoption of innovative medical technologies through interactions between real-world scenarios and clinical applications. Through collaboration with stakeholders, the HA-TCH will set up a medical technology demonstration base across multiple HA facilities to introduce innovative drugs and medical equipment, while establishing a demand-side feedback loop to relay clinical practical needs to pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises in a timely manner. By implementing the initiatives in phases, the King’s Park site will enhance healthcare service efficiency while promoting advancements in healthcare and technology, strengthening Hong Kong’s position as a healthcare innovation hub.
The first integrated ambulatory care hospital in Hong Kong to be developed at King’s Park will feature a high-capacity ambulatory cataract surgery centre, a high-capacity ambulatory radiology centre and an ambulatory radiotherapy centre, scheduled to commence services in 2027-28. In response to service demands in Kowloon and other regions, and following the progressive relocation of QEH clinical services to KTH, the HA will further expand the scope of ambulatory care services to cover services including various types of day diagnostic and therapeutic services in a timely manner.
The services to be provided by the new ambulatory care hospital will focus on handling standardised and low-risk procedures among stable cases based on standard clinical protocols and clear patient selection criteria. The HA will also strengthen the service network of the new ambulatory care hospital with other HA hospitals, including referral arrangements and post-discharge support, to arrange necessary follow-up services for patients after discharge. In addition, the new ambulatory care hospital will be equipped with in-patient beds for patients who cannot be discharged as planned, providing continuing care according to their conditions.
The Health Bureau and the HA are currently carrying out planning based on the condition of existing facilities and buildings within QEH, and the supply and demand for the proposed services, etc., so as to continue to make good use of the existing hospital buildings where feasible. These services will be rolled out in phases, giving due consideration to the relocation timetable of QEH services to KTH, the preparation progress of relevant facilities and the time required for the alteration works, etc. The HA will announce the details of the works project in due course.
Regarding public transport facilities, patients and their families may continue to use the public transport services currently serving QEH, including multiple FB and GMB routes, the MTR, taxis and Rehabus services, to travel to and from the new ambulatory care hospital. The HA will closely monitor the development progress of the new ambulatory care hospital, and maintain close liaison with the TD to continuously optimise the existing network to meet the public’s commuting needs to and from the hospital.
Generally speaking, the number of parking spaces within hospitals is formulated in accordance with the Planning Department’s Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and the HA’s internal operation guidelines. Parking spaces within hospitals are primarily designated for hospital operations. The HA understands hospital visitors’ demand for parking spaces and will make appropriate deployment and arrangements during planning and operation, taking into consideration factors such as the hospital’s physical constraints, geographical location, visitor flow and local public transport facilities. The new ambulatory care hospital is currently at the planning stage, and services are expected to be commissioned in phases. The HA will determine the number of parking spaces after considering the aforementioned factors to tie in with the operational needs of the hospital.
Regarding manpower deployment, the HA will achieve the long-term sustainable development of services through forward-looking manpower planning and training. The HA will flexibly consider adopting models such as part-time, locum, contract employment or outsourcing, based on actual operational needs to ensure the stability of human resources.
Regarding the suggestion of engaging private medical practitioners to provide public healthcare services, the Strategic Purchasing Office (SPO) will, in alignment with the Government’s healthcare policies and strategic purchasing principles, collaborate with relevant departments and stakeholders to explore and consider various factors, including service demand, patient preference and affordability, potential clinical risks and service quality, private sector capacity and readiness, as well as the potential impact on exacerbating public healthcare brain drain and driving medical fee inflation in the private market. Based on actual needs, the SPO will assess the feasibility and necessity of delivering services through public-private partnership models at an appropriate juncture.
LCQ13: Operation and services of Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ13: Operation and services of Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong
Question:
The Chinese Medicine Hospital of Hong Kong (CMHHK) is a flagship project for the development of Chinese medicine (CM) in Hong Kong, commencing phased operations and service provision at the end of last year. CMHHK adopts a public-private partnership model with its construction fully funded by the Government. The Administration has pointed out that the public-private partnership model enables the provision of market-oriented CM services, which can both attract alternative sources of revenue and foster positive interaction between CMHHK and the market. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it knows the number of attendances at CMHHK since its commissioning, including the number of attendances under subsidised outpatient services, market-oriented outpatient services and day inpatient services, and the respective proportions of such attendances;
(1) Within the first year after service commencement, CMHHK primarily provides outpatient and day-patient services. Through the co-operation between multidisciplinary clinical teams, CMHHK aims to develop a mature collaborative model, laying the groundwork for the full-scale launching of various services. From the commencement on December 11, 2025 to September 30, 2026, the service attendances for CMHHK’s outpatient (non-inpatient) services are tabulated below:
| Outpatient (Non-inpatient) services (Note) To facilitate multilateral collaboration, CMHHK is actively exploring collaboration opportunities with CM and Western medicine (WM) healthcare institutions in both the public and private sectors, including expansion of ICWM services, so as to gradually develop a “Hong Kong model” of ICWM services with CM playing the predominant role. As an “open hospital”, CMHHK welcomes the industry to participate in hospital work in different ways, with a view to promoting patient flow, talent flow and knowledge flow, and thereby promoting the overall development of CM in Hong Kong.Issued at HKT 15:30 NNNN Crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements for Hong Kong OpenSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region Crowd safety management measures and special traffic arrangements for Hong Kong Open Police vehicles, emergency vehicles, franchised buses, green minibuses, taxis, dedicated vehicles arranged by the organiser and vehicles permitted by police on site will not be affected by the above temporary traffic arrangements. NNNN LCQ4: Promoting development of convention and exhibition industry in Northern MetropolisSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region LCQ4: Promoting development of convention and exhibition industry in Northern Metropolis NNNN LCQ20: Fire drills and contingency response mechanismSource: Hong Kong Government special administrative region LCQ20: Fire drills and contingency response mechanism (1) The FSD launched the “Home Fire Safety Visit Pilot Scheme” in April 2024. Under the scheme, the FSD conducted door-to-door assessments of fire risks in the homes of elderly persons, explained fire prevention knowledge, provided escape advice having regard to the layout of individual units and the physical condition of the occupants, and distributed disaster and emergency preparedness kits. As the pilot scheme was well received, the FSD regularised the scheme in April 2025 and renamed it the “Old Friends” Home Visit Scheme. In collaboration with District Fire Safety Committees, District Care Teams and other district organisations, the FSD conducts home visits under the scheme. The scope of service has also been extended from covering elderly households in public rental housing (public housing) in Kowloon during the pilot period to elderly households in public housing estates and other buildings across Hong Kong. From April 2024 to August 31, 2026, the FSD conducted a total of 1 610 home visits. The breakdown by year is as follows:
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