A company was fined $4,500 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (May 14) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in October last year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted an inspection at a club on Shelley Street in Mid-levels which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).
      
     The OLA officers posed as customers and patronised the club for food and drinks without being asked to show their membership status or being invited to join the club as members. The staff of the club also failed to post the CoC in a conspicuous part of the club. Conditions 2 and 19 of the CoC were breached.  
      
     The company, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.
      
     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action would continue to be taken against illegal club operations.

     Victory Global Holdings Limited, which failed to collect clinical waste by licensed clinical waste collectors at the place where it was produced or deliver the clinical waste via healthcare professionals directly to the licensed Chemical Waste Treatment Centre in Tsing Yi for disposal in accordance with the legislation, was convicted and fined a total of $94,000 at Fanling Magistrates' Courts today (May 14) for contravening the Waste Disposal (Clinical Waste) (General) Regulation.

     Staff of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) conducted blitz operations at premises and found that Victory Global Holdings Limited had illegally transported a total of 126kg of clinical waste produced from vaccinations from various locations where outreach vaccination activities were held to the company's office in Tuen Mun for temporary storage, contravening the requirements of the above regulation. The department prosecuted the company under the Waste Disposal (Clinical Waste) (General) Regulation after investigations and gathering evidence.

     A spokesman for the EPD said that the department was very concerned about the illegal transport of clinical waste by individual medical institutions, and would continuously carry out blitz inspections at different medical institutions and premises where vaccinations would be given so as to combat the illegal transport of clinical waste. The spokesman added that some clinical waste, such as needles or other sharp instruments, might carry infectious substances. Such objects pose dangers to members of the public and cause environmental pollution if they are handled improperly during the process of transport.

     According to the Waste Disposal (Clinical Waste) (General) Regulation, clinical waste must be delivered by licensed clinical waste collectors or healthcare professionals from its place of production to the licensed Chemical Waste Treatment Centre for disposal. Otherwise, it is an offence. Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000. The EPD reminded all responsible people and staff of medical institutions that they must properly arrange for authorised persons to collect, deliver and dispose of clinical waste in accordance with the law. The department will continue to promote to health workers and medical institutions the ways and importance of properly handling clinical waste through seminars and workshops with the Hospital Authority, the Department of Health, tertiary institutions and medical professional bodies as well as thematic pamphlets and website. Members of the public and property management offices may report any suspected illegal collection, transport or disposal of clinical waste to the EPD at 2835 1055.

     The Statistics Advisory Board held a meeting today (May 14) to discuss official statistics work and its recent developments.

     Members noted that the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) is going to launch a new round of survey in the second half of 2019 to collect updated information on persons with disabilities and chronic diseases. The survey will comprise a special topic enquiry of target respondents via the General Household Survey and an enumeration of inmates residing in institutions, such as elderly homes and long-stay care hospitals. The fieldwork of the survey will last for about one year. In the meeting, members discussed the major concerns of stakeholders and the measures that the C&SD would implement to address them. 

     Members also noted the availability of a new set of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimates (called advance estimates) at a time lag of around one month as from the first quarter of 2019 and the relevant dissemination arrangement.

     The Commissioner for Census and Statistics and Chairman of the Statistics Advisory Board, Mr Leslie Tang, said, "The advancement of the first release of GDP estimates is achieved through enhancement of estimation methods and streamlining of workflow on data processing and analysis. The earlier availability of the GDP estimates can facilitate an early assessment of the latest economic performance and the sources of growth."

     The Statistics Advisory Board is a non-statutory advisory body which advises the Commissioner for Census and Statistics on matters pertaining to government statistical work. Its membership consists of professionals from the business sector, the academia and the community, which provides for a wide representation to assist the Commissioner in integrating views of data users, data suppliers and statisticians. The terms of reference and composition of the Board can be found on the C&SD website (www.censtatd.gov.hk/about_us/our_advisory_board/index.jsp).

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
 
     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (May 15) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, Members will continue to consider the amendments to the Appropriation Bill 2019. Ms Claudia Mo, Dr Cheng Chung-tai, Mr Jeremy Tam, Mr Chan Chi-chuen, Mr Gary Fan, Dr Kwok Ka-ki, Mr Lam Cheuk-ting, Mr James To, Mr Wu Chi-wai, Mr Hui Chi-fung, Dr Helena Wong, Mr Kwong Chun-yu, Mr Alvin Yeung, Mr Ip Kin-yuen, Mr Au Nok-hin and Mr Chu Hoi-dick will move a total of 56 amendments.
 
     During the meeting, the Chief Secretary for Administration will present "The Government Minute in response to the Report of the Public Accounts Committee No. 71 of February 2019" and address the Council.
 
     On Members' motions, Mr Ma Fung-kwok will move a proposed resolution under section 34(4) of the Interpretation and General Clauses Ordinance to extend the period for amending the Entertainment Special Effects (Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2019 laid on the table of the Council on April 17, 2019 to the meeting of June 5, 2019.
 
     Ms Starry Lee will move a motion under Rule 49E(2) of the Rules of Procedure. The motion states: "That this Council takes note of Report No. 15/18-19 of the House Committee laid on the Table of the Council on April 17, 2019 in relation to the Rating (Exemption) Order 2019".
 
     Dr Elizabeth Quat will move a motion on the report of the Subcommittee to Follow Up Issues Relating to the Unified Screening Mechanism for Non-refoulement Claims. The motion states: "That this Council notes the Report of the Subcommittee to Follow Up Issues Relating to the Unified Screening Mechanism for Non-refoulement Claims."
 
     Dr Priscilla Leung will move a motion on keeping up with technological development and enhancing the protection of people's privacy. The motion states: "That serious incidents relating to large-scale leakage of personal privacy and data have occurred many times in Hong Kong, for example the uncovering of the resale of the data of 2.4 million customers by the Octopus Card Limited to other companies for marketing use in 2009, the Registration and Electoral Office's loss of a notebook computer containing the personal data of 3.78 million Geographical Constituencies electors across the territory in 2017, and the leakage of the personal data of 9.4 million passengers by the Cathay Pacific Airways in 2018; the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance came into force in 1996 and the Government only amended the Ordinance once in 2012, and given that the rapid technological development of the Internet, social media, big data, artificial intelligence, etc. has created privacy risks and that the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of the European Union (EU) has come into force, the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance has appeared to be even more lagging behind and its personal data privacy protection is apparently inadequate; in this connection, this Council urges the Government to keep up with technological development and comprehensively review the policy on personal data privacy protection, so as to enhance the protection of people's privacy; the relevant proposals include:

(1) by drawing reference from EU's GDPR and the relevant laws of other jurisdictions, amending the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance expeditiously and comprehensively, including requiring data users to notify the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data (PCPD) and data subjects of any data leakage incidents within a specified timeframe and raising the penalty to enhance the deterrent effect;

(2) conferring on PCPD the power to exercise administrative penalties (such as fines);

(3) requiring all government departments and public and private organisations to review their policies on processing personal data and security precautions, so as to avoid the recurrence of infringement of people's personal data privacy; and

(4) enhancing public promotion to raise the understanding and awareness of the people as well as of public and private organisations on protecting and respecting personal data privacy."

     Mr Alvin Yeung, Mr Charles Peter Mok and Dr Elizabeth Quat will move separate amendments to Dr Priscilla Leung's motion.
 
     Meanwhile, Mr Tommy Cheung will move a motion for the adjournment of the Council under Rule 16(4) of the Rules of Procedure. The motion states: "That this Council do now adjourn for the purpose of debating the following issue: the relaxation of the internship requirement of the non-locally trained specialist doctors by the Medical Council of Hong Kong."
 
     During the meeting, Members will also ask the Government 16 questions on various policy areas, all of which require written replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and the latest information about the agenda could be found on the LegCo Website.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to observe the proceedings of the meeting from the public galleries of the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. They may reserve seats by calling 3919 3399 during office hours. Members of the public can also watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (May 14) the key analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund at the end of April 2019.
      
     Foreign assets, representing the external assets of the Exchange Fund, decreased during the month by HK$10.5 billion to HK$3,592.8 billion.
      
     The Monetary Base, comprising Certificates of Indebtedness, Government‑issued currency notes and coins in circulation, the balance of the banking system and Exchange Fund Bills and Notes issued, amounted to HK$1,630.0 billion.
      
     Claims on the private sector in Hong Kong amounted to HK$276.1 billion.
      
     The analytical accounts of the Exchange Fund are released in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS) and are referred to as the Analytical Accounts of the Central Bank under SDDS (Annex).
 
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     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month.  Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS).  The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency.  For the month of May 2019, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows: