Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Lam Wai-kong and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
Question:
Since the beginning of this year, a number of serious traffic incidents have occurred in the Tsing Ma Control Area (TMCA) (including the Tsing Ma Bridge and the connecting approach viaducts/ramps), resulting in casualties among road users and staff members of the control area. There are views that as some roads in TMCA do not have hard shoulders of sufficient width, motorists and staff handling emergencies will lack a buffer space in the event of a traffic accident or vehicle breakdown, thus exposing them to safety risks. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the number of traffic incidents that occurred in TMCA, the locations of the incidents, and the numbers of injuries and deaths in the incidents respectively in the past three years;
(2) as the Government indicated in its reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on June 10 this year that the Transport Department had stipulated service requirements for handling traffic accidents, including specific time frames for operational staff to arrive at the scene, for rescue vehicles to arrive, and for traffic lanes to be reopened, of the respective detailed service standards, response time requirements and relevant indicators stipulated in the contract signed between the Government and the operator; the number of monitoring exercises or inspections conducted by the Government on the operator’s service standards and code of practice in the past three years, and how to assess whether the operator has met the standards;
(3) given the views that the operational staff are not currently provided with adequate standard operating procedures and guidelines by the operator of TMCA in handling vehicle breakdowns/traffic accidents, and they may not be provided with vehicles equipped with collision prevention devices, whether the Government and the operator of TMCA will re-assess the risks of incidents in the control area and develop a safe emergency management system to formulate corresponding standard operating procedures and countermeasures in light of different circumstances, as well as enhance education and training for relevant operational staff; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) given that relevant warning signals are currently displayed on the traffic signs commonly known as gantries in TMCA, whether the Government has plans to require the operator to install more visual warning systems and equipment (e.g. projection devices and flashing lanterns) at different locations of the roads and the tunnel in TMCA, so as to raise motorists’ alertness to vehicle breakdowns and traffic accidents ahead; if so, of the respective types, quantities and installation schedules of the relevant equipment; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) given the views that the recent spate of serious traffic incidents has revealed that members of the public lack situational awareness of vehicle breakdowns or traffic accidents on expressways without hard shoulders, whether the Government will provide more guidelines on the handling of incidents to motorists and members of the public; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government attaches great importance to the traffic safety in Control Areas and the safety of staff of the Control Area Operator (the Operator) while they are on duty. The Transport Department (TD) maintains close communication with the Operator and monitors its implementation of various safety guidelines, while regularly reviewing the relevant guidelines to ensure the safe operation of the Control Area. My response, after consultation with the Hong Kong Police Force (the Police), to the question raised by the Hon Lam Wai-kong is as follows:
(1) The number of traffic accidents and casualties by road sections in the Tsing Ma Control Area in the past three years (i.e. from 2023 to 2025) are tabulated in the Annex.
(2) The TD has stipulated the service requirements for handling traffic incidents in the agreement with the Operator. For the upper deck of the Lantau Link, the Operator’s first operational staff must arrive at the incident scene within five minutes of being notified of the incident. Subsequently, a light recovery vehicle or a medium/heavy recovery vehicle must arrive at the incident scene within six minutes and 12 minutes respectively after the arrival of the first operational staff. As for the time limit for reopening of traffic lane(s), it depends on the type of vehicle to be removed. Private cars and motorcycles must be removed within five minutes of the recovery vehicle’s arrival at the scene; light goods vehicles, medium goods vehicles, light buses and single-deck buses must be removed within eight minutes of the recovery vehicle’s arrival at the scene; and double-deck buses, heavy goods vehicles and articulated vehicles must be removed within 12 minutes of the recovery vehicle’s arrival at the scene.
The TD has established an effective and comprehensive monitoring mechanism for the Operator. The TD regularly deploys staff to the Tsing Ma Control Area for on-site monitoring, to ensure the incident handling procedures strictly comply with the service standards stipulated in the agreement. The TD also closely supervises the service performance of the Operator through on-site inspections, review of detailed traffic incident reports, and audit of monthly reports submitted by the Operator. Over the three-year period from 2023 to 2025, the TD conducted over 700 on-site inspections and reviewed a total of 431 traffic incident reports to verify whether the Operator had handled the traffic incidents in accordance with established procedures and standards. Besides, the TD would also review CCTV footage of traffic incidents to examine the on-site operations, contingency co-ordination and safety awareness of the Operator’s frontline staff, with a view to assessing their actual service performance more comprehensively.
(3) The TD attaches great importance to the operational safety of the Operator’s frontline staff. Currently, the Operator has clear guidelines instructing operating staff on the procedures for handling different traffic incidents. To further enhance the protection of frontline staff, the TD earlier completed a comprehensive review with the Operator and implemented a number of improvement measures. As part of the newly revised standing procedures, once a traffic incident is detected, the Operator will not only immediately dispatch a patrol car to the scene, but also dispatch a safety vehicle equipped with a truck-mounted attenuator (TMA) to provide assistance and a protective barrier for those at the scene. The Operator would also deploy an additional TMA to carry out safety protection measures in conjunction with patrol cars, further enhancing incident response capability.
In terms of internal management and training, the Operator held briefings again in mid-May for all ground staff to reinforce their safety awareness and to ensure their strict compliance with the relevant guidelines. During the pre-shift briefing at the start of each shift, the Operator would repeatedly remind relevant operational staff to comply with the safety guidelines. The Operator has also restructured its routine training programmes and field exercises to emphasise the importance of occupational safety on traffic lanes. Furthermore, apart from reviewing written incident records, the Operator’s management staff would also review CCTV footage to assess staff performance in handling traffic incidents. The TD will continue to supervise the Operator’s implementation of the above internal management and training initiatives and conduct continuous reviews.
(4) Currently, the variable message sign system and lane control signals in the Tsing Ma Control Area can automatically adjust their brightness according to changes in ambient light, using the highest brightness on sunny days to ensure drivers can see the information more clearly. The installation of warning lights and variable message signs also allow drivers sufficient time to notice relevant traffic accident information.
To enhance drivers’ awareness of sudden road incidents, the TD has expanded the activation area of warning signal lights. Under the new arrangement, the activation range will be extended one gantry further forward as compared with the current arrangement, and will also cover the lights ahead of the adjacent lanes to the incident, so as to provide earlier warning. In addition, under the new arrangement, when an incident occurs on the Lantau Link, the variable message signs will clearly indicate the affected traffic lane.
Apart from visual warnings, the Cheung Tsing Tunnel will broadcast continuous tunnel announcements during emergencies. Furthermore, the TD and the Operator are also progressively installing warning lights or additional flashing lights on safety vehicles and patrol cars to enhance warning for vehicles approaching from behind, so as to safeguard the safety of frontline staff and road users through multiple measures.
(5) To enhance road users’ awareness and vigilance in the event of a traffic accident, the Road Users’ Code provides drivers with instructions on handling breakdowns and emergencies on the road. In general, motorists should prioritise their own safety and immediately switch on the hazard warning lights to warn other motorists. If possible, the broken-down vehicle should be moved off the roadway, unless it is certain that both motorists and passengers can safely leave the roadway and await assistance in a safe location. Otherwise, motorists and passengers should not leave the broken-down vehicle and should continue to wear the seatbelt. Once coming out of the broken-down vehicle, the motorist and passenger should not remain on the roadway or stand in front of or behind it, and must stay alert of passing vehicles.
In addition, the TD has been working with the Road Safety Council and the Police to conduct various publicity and education activities, such as social media campaigns and seminars, to promote the handling manner of incidents on the road to drivers and enhance road users’ safety awareness.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ20: Ticketing system operated under LCSD Question:
Despite the decline in the annual number of tickets sold on the Urban Ticketing System (URBTIX) under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) from about 5 million in 2012 to about 3.28 million last year, the expenditure on its system management has risen instead of falling. In addition, some groups from the performing arts and culture sectors have indicated that URBTIX, unlike some private ticketing systems, does not provide value-added services such as publicity, promotion and audience data analysis, and its function are limited and outdated. This hinders performing groups from attracting more audiences and increasing revenue, and fails to align with the Government’s policy objective of promoting the introduction of a market-based business model into the LCSD venues. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(Based on the events completed in the respective year)(3) The relevant figures of events held at non-LCSD performance venues (including the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, the Hong Kong Arts Centre, the West Kowloon Cultural District, the Youth Square, the Kai Tak Sports Park, cinemas, specific sites and spaces, venues at tertiary institutions etc.) with tickets sold on or issued by URBTIX from 2023 to 2025 are tabulated as follows:
(Based on the events completed in the respective year)(4) The total number of tickets issued by URBTIX is affected by various factors, including the hiring situation of performance venues, scale of events, programming and promotion strategies of event organisers, and market demand. At the same time, different event organisers may also collaborate with other commercial ticketing platforms in the market to promote the programmes and sell tickets through multiple channels based on their business considerations.
URBTIX operates under a public-private partnership approach, and achieved a cost recovery of over 110 per cent and over 95 per cent in 2023-24 and 2024-25 respectively. The LCSD will continue to review the operation of URBTIX, work with the system contractor to enhance the relevant functions and services taking into account market conditions, and actively respond to the needs of event organisers, with a view to providing ticketing solutions and value-added services that better cater to their events.Issued at HKT 11:55
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Christine Fong and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
Question: (4) whether a review has been made of the operational models of Tuen Mun Road Bus-Bus Interchange and Aberdeen Tunnel Bus-Bus Interchange to spread their operational experience to other interchanges with suitable spatial conditions, so as to enhance the public’s interchange options and travel efficiency; and (2) to (4) Currently, there are a total of 12 BBIs located at road tunnels and on highways across the territory. These BBIs provide pick-up/drop-off bays for cross-district franchised bus routes, facilitating passengers taking franchised buses from different starting points to travel between franchised bus routes for various destinations. Franchised bus operators generally offer interchange discounts to passengers, which optimises existing franchised bus and road resources, improves the efficiency of public transport operation, and helps alleviate road traffic congestion.
Franchised bus is a high-capacity road-based mass transport mode, with greater carrying capacity and route coverage as compared with other public transport services. Therefore, the Transport Department (TD) accords priority to franchised buses in the planning of BBIs at road tunnels and on highways, with a view to enhancing the operational efficiency of these interchanges. Meanwhile, the TD also comprehensively reviews the overall transport demand at relevant interchanges, available road space, traffic flow and capacity of the trunk roads concerned, so as to avoid causing traffic congestion or bottlenecks. In the case of opening up existing BBIs at road tunnels and on highways for use by other vehicles, the TD will need to conduct comprehensive assessments for individual road sections to avoid interrupting the current operation of franchised bus routes and BBIs, as well as to reserve space and allow flexibility for introducing new franchised bus routes in the future.
For the franchised bus and public light bus stops near Wong Chuk Hang Road and the Aberdeen Tunnel entrance, as well as another franchised bus stop near the Lion Rock Tunnel entrance, they currently serve as en-route stops for franchised buses and public light buses. For the stops near Wong Chuk Hang Road and the Aberdeen Tunnel entrance, the TD will continuously review the functionalities of relevant facilities for improvement, including the potential to introduce the function of bus interchange. As for Tuen Mun Road BBI, we will also continue to optimise it and increase its efficiency as one of the key BBIs.
(5) As regards future planning of transport infrastructure, in the Transport Strategy Blueprint announced in February of this year, we outline plans for the construction of a new generation of Transport Interchange Hubs. With the aim to facilitate efficient interchange between various public transport services, and enhance local and cross-boundary connectivity, the Transport Interchange Hubs will integrate various types of services (such as railways, franchised buses, public light buses, taxis, and cross-boundary coaches) along with park-and-ride facilities. The Transport Interchange Hubs will also improve first/last-mile connections by connecting to cycling networks and all-weather pedestrian corridors. Through providing barrier-free facilities and comfortable waiting areas, the Transport Interchange Hubs will enhance interchange efficiency and comfort, foster a passenger-centric travel environment, and contribute to the continuous effort to build a diversified and efficient public transport system in Hong Kong.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Steven Ho and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
Question:
The Government has been actively promoting the application of innovation and technology in recent years, yet there are views pointing out that there is a significant gap between Hong Kong and the Mainland in terms of the level of application of unmanned cleansing technologies. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the use of innovative cleansing technologies by the Government in the past five years; with a breakdown by: (i) date of introduction, (ii) duration of testing, (iii) scope of application, (iv) expenditure involved, and (v) manpower and expenditure saved following the use of such technologies;
(2) some members of the sector have relayed that automated cleaning equipment, such as unmanned sweepers, may require supporting infrastructure such as charging facilities and network base stations which involve lengthy interdepartmental vetting and approval processes, whereas the duration of most existing government outsourcing contracts is just three years, making it difficult to recover the costs; whether the Government will consider extending the contract duration or directly providing the infrastructure, and setting up an interdepartmental coordination task force to establish a one-stop green lane for vetting and approving recognized new technologies; and
(3) as it is learnt that currently, street cleansing service tenders are subject to minimum staffing requirements, and some members of the sector have relayed that this will lead to high manpower costs, which will in effect discourage bidders from introducing technologies; whether the Government will consider adopting an output-based or performance-based model for tender evaluations, and suitably relaxing or abolishing the minimum staffing requirements for such service tenders?
Reply:
President,
Various government departments have applied innovative cleansing technologies. In respect of public cleansing services, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has actively introduced innovative technologies, including unmanned cleansing technologies, to enhance the efficiency and quality of street cleansing work and to safeguard the occupational safety and health protection for staff. In response to the question raised by the Hon Steven Ho, the reply is as follows:
(1) Over the past five years, the FEHD has introduced or applied the following cleansing technologies:
Pressure washer surface cleaners
Since 2018, the FEHD has tested mini street washing vehicles equipped with high pressure hot water cleaners and pressure washer surface cleaners. The pressure washer surface cleaners can quickly remove stubborn stains, streamline manual scrubbing work, save time and energy, and reduce disturbances to pedestrians. The FEHD has now deployed the mini street washing vehicles across the territory, in areas of high footfall and frequent activities and are easily fouled. As the use of pressure washer surface cleaners has been incorporated into street cleansing service contracts and is provided by contractors, the associated procurement and operating costs are subsumed under the overall contract value, and the FEHD does not maintain separate expenditure figures.
Autonomous street cleaning robots
Since last year, the FEHD has been testing the use of autonomous street cleaning robots for street cleansing, at a cost of about HK$580,000. These robots integrate multiple functions, including automated sweeping, refuse disposal, charging, and intelligent obstacle avoidance, making them particularly suited to broad, flat pavements and waterfront areas. As the initial trial results were satisfactory, the FEHD has commissioned the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) to procure two additional robots, with the next phase of trials expected by the end of this year.
Industrial grade robot dogs
Since last year, the FEHD has been testing the use of industrial grade robot dogs to assist in transporting refuse at remote and rural locations (such as hillside paths, slopes, and stairways), at a cost of about HK$670,000. The robot dogs can navigate slopes and autonomously traverse rugged terrain, improving the efficiency of refuse transport and reducing the risk of injury to workers from heavy lifting. The FEHD is actively exploring the addition of functions such as automatic navigation and full automation, so that the robot dogs can better meet practical operational needs.
Electrically-assisted trolleys
To reduce the physical burden on frontline workers when transporting refuse and other heavy loads, the FEHD has been testing the use of electrically-assisted trolleys since last year, at a cost of about HK$220,000. The trolleys are foldable and suitable for use on pavements. The FEHD has further optimised the functions of the trolleys and is conducting field trials, strengthening the occupational safety and health protection for staff.
Except for the pressure washer surface cleaners, the above three technologies remain at the trial stage, and the FEHD is not yet able to estimate the resources that may be saved. Any manpower and resources saved in future will be flexibly redeployed on a priority basis to other environmental hygiene duties. First, the FEHD has been proactively collaborating with the EMSD and other departments to conduct market research and arrange field trials for suitable projects to assess their operating conditions and effectiveness. Taking autonomous street cleaning robots as an example, the FEHD also assessed the supporting infrastructure and operational requirements required, such as charging stations, etc, during the trial phase. Should the FEHD decides to incorporate the use of such robots into future street cleansing service contracts, it will first assess whether the supporting infrastructure is sufficient and how much additional resources contractors would need to invest, to ensure that the contract duration and terms are reasonable and practicable and the services are cost‑effective.
On the other hand, in line with the government procurement principles to support innovation, the FEHD encourages tenderers to propose feasible innovative solutions beyond the basic requirements stipulated in contracts. In the assessment of street cleansing service tenders, marks will be awarded under that criterion if tenderers provide innovative suggestions for adopting technology or other means that help enhance service efficiency, effectiveness or productivity, thereby incentivising tenderers to introduce innovative technologies. Where a contractor submits an innovative proposal in its tender and is successfully awarded the contract, the FEHD will require the contractor to implement the proposal. If the innovative proposal is proven feasible and effective, the FEHD will incorporate such technologies or equipment into future contract requirements to promote wider adoption. Vehicles equipped with automatic on-board refuse bin cleaner, which are widely used by the the FEHD’s contractors at present, were introduced and put into application through this approach.
In determining contract duration, a range of factors must be carefully balanced, including the need to maintain market competition, service stability, and the upfront capital investment required of contractors. In accordance with prevailing government procurement guidelines, for services like street cleansing which involve the employment of a large number of non-skilled workers, the FEHD generally sets a contract term of three years. For certain contracts where contractors require a longer period to recoup their investment, such as those involving a substantial number of specialised vehicles, the contract term would be set at five years.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
Question:
There are views pointing out that the transformation of the energy structure is the foundation for Hong Kong’s economic transformation and industrial upgrading, helps nurture new economic growth points, and that enhancing regional co-operation is an integral part of this process. Moreover, Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050 proposes increasing the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix for electricity generation to around 60 per cent to 70 per cent before 2035, and the Government has indicated that it will try out the use of new energy and enhance co-operation with neighbouring regions. Regarding the enhancement of regional co-operation to promote the transformation of the energy structure, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as it is learnt that, to meet Hong Kong’s future demand for zero-carbon energy, the Government keeps planning ahead for the construction of electricity facilities to receive and process increased electricity transmitted to Hong Kong from other regions, whether the Government has engaged in regional co-operation with relevant energy departments in the Mainland and with other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area on matters such as zero-carbon energy, cross-boundary power exchange, and the use of the country’s Green Electricity Certificates;
(2) whether it has established a collaboration mechanism with neighbouring regions for the authentication of the origin of zero-carbon energy supply, carbon emission audits, infrastructure co-ordination and regulatory standards; if so, of the details and the progress; and
(3) whether it has established a mechanism to facilitate Mainland low-carbon energy and hydrogen enterprises to invest in Hong Kong, supply products or participate in local projects, such as by enhancing regulatory information sharing between the Mainland and Hong Kong and, where risks are controllable, streamlining the approval procedures?
Reply:
President,
Based on the four energy policy objectives of safety, reliability, affordability and environmental performance, the Government progressively promotes the transition of the energy mix and reduces carbon emissions, so as to achieve the medium- and long-term goals of “net-zero electricity generation” as set out in Hong Kong’s Climate Action Plan 2050, i.e. to increase the share of zero-carbon energy to about 60-70 per cent by 2035, and achieve “net-zero electricity generation” and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Through gradually replacing coal with natural gas as fuel in electricity generation and importing more nuclear energy, carbon emissions in Hong Kong peaked in 2014, and reduced by more than a quarter in 2024 compared to the peak level. Currently, Hong Kong’s overall fuel mix of electricity generation comprises less than 20 per cent of coal, about 28 per cent of zero-carbon energy (including nuclear energy and renewable energy), and over 50 per cent of natural gas.
In response to the question raised by Dr the Hon Hoey Simon Lee, our reply is as follows:
(1) and (2) Hong Kong is a mountainous and small city, which limits the development of nuclear, hydro, solar and wind energy. Nevertheless, Hong Kong has brought the share of nuclear energy in the fuel mix to the current level of nearly 30 per cent by importation of energy. Increasing the importation of zero-carbon energy will help stabilise electricity prices, enhance the resilience and stability of the electricity system, and facilitate the sustainable and high-quality development of the industries.
To further increase the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix of electricity generation, the Government will focus on strengthening regional energy co-operation for importing more zero-carbon energy from the Chinese Mainland in an orderly manner.
Currently, CLP Power Hong Kong Limited imports zero-carbon energy through its Clean Energy Transmission System (CETS) connected to the Daya Bay Nuclear Power Station and the power network of the China Southern Power Grid. With the enhancement of the CETS completed in March 2026, Hong Kong will be able to gradually raise the share of zero-carbon energy in the fuel mix of electricity generation to about 35 per cent.
Meanwhile, the Government is making forward-looking plans to deepen regional energy co-operation and to actively align with our country’s efforts to accelerate the development of a new type of energy system, with a view to achieving the long-term goals of “net-zero electricity generation” and carbon neutrality. The major work includes:
Aligning with the national policy by importation of diversified zero-carbon energy: The 15th Five-Year Plan clearly states the requirement of accelerating the comprehensive green transition for the economy and the society, and upholding the development of multiple energy sources such as wind, solar, hydro and nuclear energy. The First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (2026-2030) Public Consultation Document also puts forward the objectives of green and low-carbon transition, as well as ceasing the use of coal for daily electricity generation progressively. The Government will endeavour to implement the abovementioned strategy to import diversified zero-carbon energy from the Chinese Mainland, with a view to enhancing the resilience of local electricity supply while stabilising electricity prices.
Continuously planning infrastructure and facilities for transmitting electricity to Hong Kong: To further enhance the capacity for receiving zero-carbon energy, the Government has reserved land in Tseung Kwan O Area 132 for the construction of strategic electricity facilities. Relevant government departments and the two power companies are discussing the plan to implement the relevant project.
Establishing collaboration mechanism with relevant Chinese Mainland counterparts: We are liaising closely with the relevant Chinese Mainland counterparts to discuss a collaboration mechanism for promoting regional energy co-operation, and to jointly explore options of transmitting electricity to Hong Kong that best serve its overall interests. Since the electricity transmission proposal is still under discussion, the Government will make an announcement at an appropriate juncture.
Furthermore, the country has made considerable progress in terms of the source certification of renewable energy supply and carbon emissions accounting. China’s Green Electricity Certificates (GECs), issued by the National Energy Administration (NEA), are the valid proof of the renewable energy attributes (such as solar, hydro and wind energy). Each GEC unit corresponds to 1 000 kilowatt hours of electricity generated by renewable energy and is valid for two years. To ensure that GECs would not be double-counted, the NEA updates relevant information in real time and simultaneously with various trading platforms through the National GEC Issuing and Trading System in order to record and store data related to the issuance, trading, and write-off of GECs.
As for carbon emissions accounting, it is a mechanism for calculating greenhouse gas emissions in a uniform manner. The country’s 15th Five-Year Plan also sets out work such as formulating the rules and standards for carbon footprint accounting of products, and promoting international mutual recognition of the rules and standards on carbon footprint.
Hong Kong is also actively exploring relevant initiatives to promote the GEC development within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Looking ahead, the Government will examine the ways to support national energy-related enterprises and the GEC market to expand application scenarios in the international market, thereby putting green energy transition into practice on multiple fronts.
(3) The Government set up the Inter-departmental Working Group on Using Hydrogen as Fuel in 2022 to co-ordinate preparation works of bureaux and departments for using hydrogen as fuel locally, with a view to encouraging local application of hydrogen energy. The Working Group reviews applications of trial projects on hydrogen as fuel, advises on aspects such as safety and planning, and facilitates hydrogen energy enterprises to commence their hydrogen energy trials. The Working Group has given an agreement-in-principle to a total of 40 applications of hydrogen energy trial projects, a number of which have adopted the products and technologies from the Chinese Mainland.
Besides, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) signed the Cooperation Arrangement on Quality and Safety Management in December 2024 to formally establish a co-operation framework that covers five domains, namely, standard metering and conformity assessment, gas-related special equipment, machinery such as hydrogen-powered pressure vessels, household products, and energy efficiency labelling. There has been substantive progress, including:
facilitating the application of a number of national standards in Hong Kong, thus laying the foundation for the recognition of Chinese Mainland’s technical guidelines on hydrogen energy and related products in Hong Kong;
designating hydrogen energy as a pilot area for deepened co-operation, with joint efforts on formulating national and international standards;
promoting the application in Hong Kong of safety monitoring platforms for hydrogen energy equipment independently developed in the Chinese Mainland, with a view to enhancing the safety regulatory standards of hydrogen-powered facilities in both Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland; and
exploring data sharing and mutual recognition of hydrogen pressure vessel approvals between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in order to streamline the cross-boundary approval process, provided that the risks are manageable.
The SAMR indicated clearly, at the International Hydrogen Development Symposium 2026 held in Hong Kong in May 2026, that further deepening of co-operation between the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong (i.e. from “joining hands in pilot projects” to “joint system development”) would be promoted in the next stage of collaboration.
The Government will continue to deepen co-operation with the Chinese Mainland in the areas of low-carbon energy and hydrogen, and by leveraging the unique advantage of connectivity with the Chinese Mainland and the world, provide relevant enterprises with financing support and services for the alignment with international standards, thus enabling their technology and products to go global.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Government will introduce the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026 (Bill) into the Legislative Council (LegCo) to make miscellaneous amendments to various enactments. The opportunity is also taken to make straightforward adaptation or amendment of provisions of, or references in, various enactments that are inconsistent with the constitutional status of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and to repeal obsolete provisions or references in various enactments.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice (DoJ) said today (June 24) that the Law Reform Commission Secretariat spearheaded the Systematic Review of Statutory Laws of Hong Kong in 2022 to handle, with priority, the adaptation of laws, while also attending to the consolidation of laws and repeal of obsolete laws. The DoJ already introduced two omnibus bills, one in 2024 and the other in 2025, on behalf of different policy bureaux, to deal with adaptation of laws amendments collectively. With the DoJ introducing legislative proposals under the present Bill, alongside any other bill or amendment to subsidiary legislation taken forward in a timely manner by the relevant bureaux, it is promising that the target of completing the adaptation of laws exercise by the end of this term of Government can be met.
The proposed amendments in the present Bill are largely minor, technical and non-controversial but are useful for the purpose of updating or improving the relevant enactments. The proposed amendments can be broadly categorised into two groups, namely those arising from the Systematic Review of Statutory Laws of Hong Kong, and those not so related. The Bill amends references such as “Crown”, “Governor”, “Her Majesty”, “Secretary of State”, “Government of the United Kingdom”, “foreign” or “overseas”, and also those to “Commonwealth” and legislation of the United Kingdom, among others, in various enactments. It also updates or amends certain texts, references or terminology in specific ordinances or subsidiary legislation. Furthermore, the Bill repeals a number of enactments or certain provisions or references therein, which have become obsolete, and makes minor or technical miscellaneous amendments to some enactments.
The DoJ issued an information paper to the LegCo Panel on Administration of Justice and Legal Services last month, briefing members of the Panel on the major legislative proposals to be included in the Bill. The relevant policy bureaux and independent organisations have consulted the relevant stakeholders and no objection to the proposed amendments was received.
The Bill will be gazetted on June 26 and will be introduced into the LegCo on July 8.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ3: Assisting victims of telecommunications and online fraud cases in claiming compensation Question:
There are views pointing out that telecommunications and online fraud cases have been rampant in Hong Kong in recent years, with fraudulent SMS messages and bogus advertisements on social media platforms proliferating over a long period of time, and the modus operandi of fraudsters are ever-changing, many members of the public have suffered substantial financial losses as a result, and often faced costly and complicated civil proceedings when pursuing the relevant compensation, making it difficult for them to be successful in their claims. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it will study the formulation of a unified and streamlined civil asset recovery procedure for telecommunications and online fraud cases, so as to reduce the costs for victims in pursuing compensation;
(2) whether it will, by drawing on the experience of other jurisdictions, enact legislation to stipulate the legal obligations of telecommunications operators and social media platforms in telecommunications and online fraud cases (such as screening suspicious SMS messages and suspending the services of users involved in fraud), as well as the compensation liabilities to be borne; and
(3) whether it will make it mandatory for local telecommunications operators to use artificial intelligence and big data technologies to instantly intercept fraudulent bulk SMS messages and suspicious calls at the network source, and stipulate that victims of the relevant fraud cases may claim losses from telecommunications operators that have not complied with these requirements?
Reply:
President,
Given the prevalence of telecommunications services and online communications (including social media and instant messaging applications), it has become a global trend where fraudsters conduct fraudulent activities through telephone and online communications. Given Hong Kong’s status as a regional communications hub, the Government attaches great importance to the integrity and effectiveness of Hong Kong’s telecommunications system. Drawing on the experience of other jurisdictions and taking into account the local circumstances in Hong Kong, the Government adopts a multipronged approach to combat fraudulent activities through interdepartmental efforts. According to the figures provided by the Hong Kong Police Force (Police), although around 43 000 fraud cases were recorded in 2025, this represents a slight decrease of about 3 per cent as compared to the number of 2024. This marked the first decline since the number of fraud cases had been rising year on year since 2019, whilst the financial losses fell from approximately $9.2 billion to approximately $8.1 billion, a decrease of about 11 per cent, demonstrating the effectiveness of the anti-fraud efforts made by various government departments. Regarding the regulation of telecommunications service providers (TSPs), the Communications Authority (CA) is empowered under the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106) (TO) to regulate TSPs. In addition to the regulatory requirements stipulated under the TO, the CA also reviews and updates the licence conditions and codes of practice from time to time in light of market developments and the latest fraud trends provided by the Police, ensuring that the regulatory regime of TSPs can keep pace with the times. TSPs are required to comply with the relevant statutory requirements, licence conditions, and codes of practice. The CA may impose penalties pursuant to the TO in the event of any breach of licence conditions by TSPs.
In response to the question raised by the Hon Chong Ho-fung, and in consultation with the Security Bureau, the Police, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) and the Judiciary, the consolidated reply is as follows:
Firstly, regarding blocking suspicious calls and websites at source, the CA pursuant to the TO added provisions to the licences of TSPs in 2022 to clearly require that TSPs must promptly block or suspend telephone services and websites suspected of being involved in fraudulent activities in accordance with requests from law enforcement agencies. In this regard, the Police and TSPs have also established a mechanism, and as of end-May this year, TSPs have blocked or suspended more than 110 000 websites and more than 14 000 phone numbers based on information provided by the Police.
Secondly, regarding the detection of suspicious calling or SMS-sending patterns, the CA promulgated a code of practice in April 2023 to require TSPs to monitor calls and SMS messages originated from their networks and systems. Once a TSP has detected that the telephone number has made a large number of calls or sent a large number of SMS messages within a short period of time, the TSP must suspend the services of the relevant local telephone number. Currently, TSPs are deploying various technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data for monitoring. As of end-May this year, the services of around 1.59 million local telephone numbers have been suspended accordingly.
Thirdly, to minimise the losses incurred by victims, the Police, together with the Hong Kong Monetary Authority and the banking industry, have launched a number of joint anti-fraud measures, including the “Upstream Scam Intervention” scheme in May 2023 to proactively identify targeted scam victims and persuade them to stop transferring money to scammers. From the implementation of the scheme to March 2026, the Police successfully prevented 7 987 fraud cases, averting losses of over $780 million. The Police also launched new features for Scameter+ in October 2025, including automatic user database updates and expanded reporting categories covering SMS and instant messaging applications. New AI technology was also introduced to analyse suspicious website links and webpage screenshots reported by the public to detect the impersonation of banks, couriers, investment platforms, etc. Once confirmed as malicious, these websites are instantly added to the database of Scameter+ to block access for all users.
Regarding civil proceedings to recover the loss (including those arising from telephone and online scams), depending on the amount involved, citizens may bring the case before the Small Claims Tribunal (SCT), the District Court or the Court of First Instance of the High Court. The SCT adopts a generally less formal approach to proceedings, providing a relatively quick and inexpensive avenue for litigants-in-person (without legal representatives) to resolve civil disputes involving lower claim amounts. The Judiciary has always been proactive in expediting court proceedings and most civil proceedings at various court level have been meeting the respective target of waiting time over the past few years. The arrangement of requiring commercial entities (such as TSPs and banks), in their capacity as service providers, to compensate fraud victims (i.e. shared liability compensation) is not common in other jurisdictions. Such arrangement involves various complex issues, including how to determine liability for losses arising from the fraud, whether it would reduce public vigilance against fraud, and whether it would hinder normal business operations. The compensation process may also be lengthy, and the eligibility criteria for compensation are not straightforward. For example, compensation claims must undergo thorough investigation, and if a TSP can demonstrate that it has fulfilled its customer due diligence obligations, it would not be required to compensate the fraud victim. Moreover, there are currently no concrete figures demonstrating the effectiveness of such shared liability compensation arrangement. In fact, as reflected in the statistics I have just shared, we consider that the concerted efforts of various government departments and TSPs, to combat fraud through the collaboration among the Government, business sector and the public have been effective to a certain extent. The Government will continue to closely monitor fraud trends and tactics, draw on experience of other jurisdictions, and strengthen measures to combat telephone and online scams, with a view to safeguarding public interests. Issued at HKT 12:58
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ15: Promoting student mental health(i) The EDB has all along been requiring primary and secondary schools to report fatal suspected student suicide cases in order to provide appropriate professional support to the schools concerned. The numbers of fatal suspected student suicide cases of primary and secondary students in Hong Kong reported in the past three years (2023 to 2025) are tabulated below. Of the total number of cases reported, about 90 per cent were cases involving secondary students, while those involving primary students accounted for about 10 per cent. Cases involving male students accounted for about 59 per cent of the total number of cases reported, while about 41 per cent were those involving female students.
Year As indicated in relevant international and local studies, suicide (including attempted suicide) is a complicated issue influenced by the interplay of multiple factors, mainly related to interpersonal relationships (including family, social or relationship problems) and personal issues (such as learning and school adjustment, depressed mood and mental illness). Each case has its unique underlying causes.
(ii) To early identify and timely support students at higher suicidal risk, the Government has implemented, through cross-departmental collaboration among the EDB, the HHB and the SWD, the Three-tier School-based Emergency Mechanism (the Mechanism) in all secondary schools in Hong Kong since December 2023. In the 2025/26 school year, the Mechanism is regularised in all secondary schools across the territory and extended on a trial basis to Primary Four to Six. The number of cases referred by schools/ the EDB under the second-tier mechanism to the off-campus support network teams engaged by the SWD as of end-March 2026, broken down by school year, are tabulated below:
School year(since December 2023)(as of end-March 2026) Under the third-tier mechanism, school principals can directly refer students at high suicidal risk to psychiatric specialist out-patient clinics of the Hospital Authority (HA) for assessment and treatment. HA’s specialist out-patient clinics adopt a triage system to ensure that patients with urgent medical conditions requiring early intervention are given priority for follow-up and treatment.
The numbers of cases referred by school principals to HA’s psychiatric services, the percentages of such cases triaged as Priority 1 (urgent) and Priority 2 (semi-urgent), as well as the numbers of enquiry calls received through the dedicated telephone consultation hotline for school principals as of end-March 2026 are tabulated below:
School year(since December 2023)(as of end-March 2026)Note 1: Among the referral cases, the cases other than those triaged as Priority 1 (urgent) and Priority 2 (semi-urgent) were under Routine (stable) category or were already being followed up by the HA’s psychiatric services.
Note 2: The numbers of cases referred by school principals under the third-tier mechanism and the numbers of enquiry calls received through the dedicated telephone consultation hotline for school principals are provided by the psychiatric services under the HA’s hospital clusters (figures as at June 11, 2026).Issued at HKT 14:15
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ7: Recycling of construction waste Question:
According to the report “Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong – Waste Statistics for 2024” published by the Environmental Protection Department at the end of 2025, the overall quantity of construction waste generated in 2024 increased by about 4 945 tonnes per day compared to 2023, reaching an average of 50 505 tonnes per day. In papers submitted to the Public Works Subcommittee of the Legislative Council, the Government states that it encourages contractors to maximise the use of recycled or recyclable construction waste on site as far as possible, and requires them to submit a plan setting out the waste management measures and how such waste will be reused and recycled. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has collected basic data on the recycling of construction waste in Hong Kong, including the total weight (in tonnes), the types of recycled products (such as concrete and aggregates) and their respective weights, as well as the main recycling channels; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) of the existing standard procedures and specific measures for managing the recycling of construction waste, including the government departments involved and their detailed division of responsibilities, the number and locations of storage facilities for such waste and the means of transport; whether it has quantified and assessed the effectiveness of such measures; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; Reply: Most of the construction waste generated locally is inert construction waste, commonly known as public fill which includes rock, rubble, sand, concrete, asphalt, brick, tile, etc, and is non-decomposable materials that can be reused as construction materials. Non-inert construction waste (such as bamboo and wood pieces) accounts for a smaller portion of the overall construction waste. The Government has been managing construction waste through reducing generation, proper reuse and recycling, including direct reuse of public fill through matching between projects, or storage of public fill in the two fill banks for future reuse. As local projects cannot absorb all the public fill generated in Hong Kong in recent years, coupled with the limited capacities of the fill banks, surplus public fill has to be delivered to the Chinese Mainland for reuse. Non-inert construction waste that is not suitable for reuse as construction materials will be disposed of at landfills.
In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, the reply to the question raised by the Hon Tommy Chung is as follows:
(1) The Government compiles statistics on construction waste in Hong Kong regularly, including the disposal and reuse quantities of overall construction waste. According to the latest report “Monitoring of Solid Waste in Hong Kong – Waste Statistics for 2024” published by the Environmental Protection Department at the end of 2025, in 2024, an average of 45 810 tonnes per day of public fill was received by the fill banks for future reuse (including local reuse and delivery to the Chinese Mainland for reuse) and delivered to works projects for direct reuse (i.e. a total of approximately 16.8 million tonnes in the year). An average of 4 695 tonnes per day of construction waste was disposed of at landfills (i.e. a yearly quantity of about 1.7 million tonnes). The major recycled products or reuse means and the respective quantities are tabulated as follows:
Recycled products or reuse means (2) At present, the recovery rate of overall reusable and recyclable construction waste has reached about 90 per cent. The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged strategy to ensure the proper management of construction waste, primarily driven by three directions: reduction at source, beneficial reuse and recycling, with a view to making the best use of resources, reducing waste and alleviating the pressure on the environment. This work, implemented by the Public Fill Committee established by the Government, includes the vetting of public works projects to minimise the generation of construction and demolition material and maximise the use of public fill .
On the aspect of reduction, we request public works projects to enhance the planning, design and management of various engineering projects, striving to achieve on-site cut-and-fill balance as far as practicable to minimise the generation of public fill at source, thereby alleviating the pressure on existing public fill reception facilities.
Regarding proper reuse, suitable public fill is either directly reused in earth filling, reclamation projects, or transported to the two local fill banks for temporary storage for future reuse in suitable projects, thereby enabling the resources circulation. The remaining portion that cannot be absorbed locally will be transported to the Chinese Mainland for reuse.
With respect to recycling, we actively promote the reprocessing of suitable materials into usable construction materials, which not only enhances resource utilisation efficiency but also helps drive the industry towards sustainable development.
There are currently four public fill reception facilities operated by the Civil Engineering and Development Department, including the two fill banks located at Tuen Mun and Tseung Kwan O with recycling facilities, and the two public fill transfer facilities located at Chai Wan and Mui Wo (which mainly serve to receive part of the public fill generated in Hong Kong Island and Lantau Island respectively, and to transfer the material to the two local fill banks). The facilities receive public fill from the local industry that cannot be directly reused on site and temporarily store it in the fill banks, pending future reuse.
(3) The Government has been increasing land supply through reclamation, site formation or earth filling projects, etc, which serve as the main outlets for absorbing a large amount of reusable and recyclable construction waste as construction materials. Looking ahead to the coming years, the Government is progressively implementing various projects, including the site formation works for the San Tin Technopole that commenced in December 2024, the reclamation works at Area 132 in Tseung Kwan O for which funding approval will be sought from the Legislative Council later in 2026, as well as the proposed reclamation works at Area 137 in Tseung Kwan O and Lung Kwu Tan, to absorb substantial quantities of reusable and recyclable construction waste. In alignment with the implementation schedules of various projects, we will supply public fill to reclamation, site formation or earthworks projects for reuse. Meanwhile, we will continuously explore recycling public fill into useful construction materials.
(4) In the past five years, the average cost and total expenditure of handling and managing the reusable and recyclable public fill by the Government annually are as follows:
Financial year Note 3: As many of Hong Kong’s large-scale reclamation projects have largely been completed, several upcoming large-scale reclamation projects are yet to commence, the capacity of existing fill banks is nearly saturated, coupled with the gradual release of land from the fill bank at Area 137 in Tseung Kwan O for long-term development, it has become necessary to increase the quantity of surplus public fill transported to the Chinese Mainland for reuse, resulting in a corresponding increase in the expenditure.
(5) The Government will continue to create land in a resolute and persistent manner, so that a steady and continuous land supply for Hong Kong can be maintained to meet future economic and social development needs. In alignment with the implementation schedules of various projects, the Government will strive to use public fill in reclamation, site formation and earth filling projects. However, as the implementation programmes and construction arrangements of various projects will be continuously optimised as they progress, the demand for public fill will be adjusted subject to design and construction progress. It is therefore difficult to provide precise schedules at this stage.
In addition, the Government has been supporting innovative development, continuously collaborating with local universities on multiple research and development projects to recycle public fill into useful construction materials. These initiatives include sorting and recycling suitable hard materials from public fill into manufactured sand for reclamation, studying the use of public fill as final cover for landfills, and implementing a pilot scheme to produce eco-bricks using public fill. We will continue to monitor advancements in frontier technology, maintain close communication with university research teams, and continuously explore other feasible options for recycling public fill. Issued at HKT 17:23
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Lam Chun-sing and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (June 24):
Question:
The Construction Industry Security of Payment Ordinance (the Ordinance) aims to improve the problem of payment delays in the construction industry and provide protection for various stakeholders to receive their entitled payment on time, thereby helping reduce the occurrence of wage arrears of workers. Regarding the implementation of the Ordinance since its commencement, will the Government inform this Council: