Following is a question by the Dr Hon Pierre Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, in the Legislative Council today (March 27):

Question:
 
     Regarding the soccer pitches under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective current numbers of the four types of soccer pitches, namely (i) 11-a-side soccer pitches (natural turf), (ii) 11-a-side soccer pitches (artificial turf), (iii) 7-a-side soccer pitches (natural turf) and (iv) 7-a-side soccer pitches (artificial turf); set out, for each type of soccer pitches in a table of the same format as the table below, the following of each pitch: the District Council district in which it is located, name, dimensions (length and width), construction cost and usage rate in 2018;
 
Type of pitches:
 

 
(2) of the method for calculating the usage rates of soccer pitches;
 
(3) whether it has regularly reviewed the usage of soccer pitches; of the circumstances under which the Government will propose the construction of soccer pitches, and the relevant planning criteria; and
 
(4) whether it consulted, in the past three years, members of the football sector and the public on the planning of soccer pitches; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the Dr Hon Pierre Chan's question is as follows –
 
(1) The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) manages 42 natural turf soccer pitches and 40 artificial turf soccer pitches.  As most turf soccer pitches only form part of the recreation and sports facilities concerned, and the construction cost of a soccer pitch also forms part of the total estimated construction cost of a facility, the LCSD does not have separate figures on the construction costs for turf soccer pitches.  The information in respect of the size and usage rate of turf pitches is set out at Annex.
 
(2) The usage rate of turf pitches is calculated on the basis of the number of hours of hire.  If there is more than one pitch in a venue, the number of hours hired for all the pitches will be aggregated.  The calculation is as follows:

Overall usage rate of turf pitch (%) = Total hours hired during the year/ Total hours available during the year x 100%

(3) and (4) The LCSD reviews from time to time the usage rate of soccer pitches so as to provide members of the public with appropriate facilities.  When planning for new sports facilities (including soccer pitch), the Government will make reference to the Hong Kong Planning Standards and Guidelines and take account of other relevant factors, including policy objectives for sports development, existing provision of sports facilities in various districts, usage rates of existing facilities, demographic changes, views of District Councils, availability of land sites and technical feasibility.  The LCSD will consult related national sports associations where necessary.  The LCSD's soccer pitches are designed in accordance with the relevant standards (Note 1).  The sizes of the vast majority of turf pitches meet the relevant standards, except those with venue constraints.
           
Note 1: The 7-a-side and 11-a-side soccer pitches managed by the LCSD are designed in accordance with the Hong Kong Planning Standard and Guidelines and the standard set by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association respectively.

     A Pakistani illegal worker holding a recognisance form was jailed by Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (March 26).

     Immigration Department (ImmD) investigators received a referral from the Hong Kong Police Force to further investigate an illegal employment case in January. Enforcement officers arrested one male Pakistani worker, aged 31, selling blankets in Central. Upon identity checking, he was found to be a holder of a recognisance form issued by ImmD, which prohibits him from taking employment, and further investigation revealed that he was a non-refoulement claimant.  

     The illegal worker was charged at Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday with taking employment after landing in Hong Kong unlawfully and remaining in Hong Kong without the authority of the Director of Immigration or while being a person in respect of whom a removal order or deportation order was in force. He pleaded guilty to the charge and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment.
 
     The ImmD spokesman warned that, as stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, illegal immigrants or people who are the subject of a removal order or a deportation order are prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining in any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment. The Court of Appeal has issued a guideline ruling that a sentence of 15 months' imprisonment should be applied in such cases.
      
     The spokesman reiterated that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. The maximum penalty is imprisonment for three years and a fine of $350,000. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence. According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. The maximum penalty for failing to inspect such a document is imprisonment for one year and a fine of $150,000.
      
     Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) victims. When any TIP indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP elements, such as threat and coercion in the recruitment phase, and the nature of exploitation. Identified TIP victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent interference, medical services, counselling, shelter, temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP victims to report crimes to the relevant departments.

     The Government will gazette on Friday (March 29) the Insurance (Prescribed Fees) (Amendment) Regulation 2019 (Amendment Regulation) to enable the Insurance Authority (IA) to collect new user fees to recover the cost of providing specific services. 
 
     As an independent regulatory body, the IA is financially and operationally independent of the Government. The IA is empowered to collect, among other things, user fees on specific services provided. The first batch of 11 more frequently used service items came into effect on June 26, 2017.
 
     "The Amendment Regulation seeks to introduce the second batch of 12 user fee items. The items cover mainly fees in relation to transfer of businesses and various modifications to the accounting requirements under different sections of the Insurance Ordinance (Cap. 41) and apply primarily to insurance companies or their auditors. In determining the fee levels, the methodology is largely in line with the approach used by the Government," a spokesman for the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau said today (March 27).
 
     The Amendment Regulation will be tabled before the Legislative Council for negative vetting on April 3, 2019. The provisions in the Amendment Regulation will come into operation on May 27, 2019, except section 4(2) which will come into effect upon the commencement of the new licensing regime for insurance intermediaries, tentatively in the second half of 2019.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present the "City Hall Virtuosi Series: Canzone Trio" in May.
 
     The trio, formed by Tam Ka-kit (piano), Fan Ting (violin) and Ray Wang (cello), will perform, among others, Tchaikovsky's "The Seasons" Op. 37b, arranged for piano trio by Alexander Goedicke (Hong Kong Premiere); Pärt's Mozart-Adagio for violin, cello and piano; and DvoÅ™ák's Piano Trio No. 4 in E minor, Op. 90, "Dumky".
 
     Established in 1987 by three distinguished Hong Kong artists, Canzone Trio have inspired audiences with their masterful skills. Their concert appearances have led them across the Mainland, Canada and the United States, and they have performed in festivals such as the Hong Kong Arts Festival, the Music in the Summer Air Festival in Shanghai and more.
 
     In addition to performing traditional repertoire, Canzone Trio are also avid interpreters of contemporary music. Supporting the development of modern classical works, they collaborated with the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong to commission renowned Hong Kong composers Chan Wing-wah and Richard Tsang respectively for "Continuity" in 1989 and "Emergence" for their Carnegie Hall debut in 1993.
 
     Beyond their success on stage, the trio are also devoted teachers who have worked with students at the Royal Northern College of Music in the United Kingdom, the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Australia, the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music in Singapore, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and major music conservatories throughout the Mainland.
 
     To mark Canzone Trio's 30th anniversary, a "Reunion Concert Series" was launched in 2018 to celebrate their youthful encounter, accomplished musicianship and lifelong friendship. The coming concert is part of the series.
 
      "City Hall Virtuosi Series: Canzone Trio" will be held at 8pm on May 11 (Saturday) at the Concert Hall of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $150 and $200 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_754.html.
 

     Talented young guzheng artist Chan Tin-chi will demonstrate her superb skills by playing a variety of compositions in "Guzheng Concert by Chan Tin-chi" in July.
 
     The concert is presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) as part of its "Our Music Talents" Series.
 
     The programme will include "In the Deep of the Night", "As the Wild Geese Fly South" (live five mode), "Mooring by the Maple Bridge at Night", "Blue Heaven Overture", "Journey through the Desert" and "As the Peacock Flies to the Southeast".
 
     Chan Tin-chi graduated from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts with a Bachelor's degree (with First Class Honours) and a Master of Music degree (with Distinction), majoring in guzheng under the supervision of National Class One Performer Xu Lingzi. Chan furthered her skills under the tutelage of many famous guzheng players. She also trained in Chaozhou music under Wang Peiyu, Lin Yingpin and Lin Jiheng; the butterfly zheng under Ning Lingjuan; konghou under Wu Lin; guqin (as minor) under Teo Kheng-chong; and piano under Cheung Tak-ming.

     Chan has won numerous awards in international competitions, including the Young Professional Group C Bronze Award at the 3rd "Dunhuang Cup" Chinese Guzheng Artistic Elite Show, the Gold Award in Young Professional Group at the 4th International Guzheng Competition and the National Gold Award at the 4th China Youth Arts Festival Guzheng Competition.
 
     Chan teaches at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and is one of the founders of the ensemble Gaudeamus Dunhuang. Chan has collaborated and performed with various organisations, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong City Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong YWCA Chinese Orchestra and the Hong Kong Professional Zheng Artistic Ensemble. In 2015, Chan was selected as one of the Young Music Makers by Radio Television Hong Kong.
 
      "Our Music Talents Series: Guzheng Concert by Chan Tin-chi" will be staged at 8pm on July 6 (Saturday) at the Theatre of Hong Kong City Hall. Tickets priced at $120 and $160 are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_786.html.

     Presented by the LCSD, the "Our Music Talents" Series nurtures and support local emerging artists and groups as well as provides them with performing opportunities, thus facilitating their development in performing arts.