Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question bye the Hon Chan Hak-kan and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, in the Legislative Council today (February 27):
 
Question:
 
     According to the 2016 Hong Kong Air Pollutant Emission Inventory Report published by the Environmental Protection Department, among the emission sources of the various types of pollutants, navigation emitted the largest quantities of pollutants in terms of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, respirable suspended particulates and fine suspended particulates, etc. Regarding the reduction of air pollutants emitted by navigation, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the emissions of various types of air pollutants in each of the past two years, with a breakdown by emission source;
 
(2) of the respective (i) numbers, (ii) average ages and (iii) types of the marine propulsion systems of the vessels of various licensed ferry operators in each of the past three years;
 
(3) of the respective (i) numbers, (ii) average ages and (iii) types of marine propulsion systems of the vessels of various government departments in each of the past three years;
 
(4) as the Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels) Regulation (Cap 311AB) provides that from January 1 this year, all vessels (except for vessels of specified types) are required to use low sulphur marine fuel within Hong Kong waters, whether it has assessed the effect of the implementation of such a requirement on improving the air quality in Hong Kong;
 
(5) given that the Government has injected $300 million to set up the Pilot Green Transport Fund (the Fund) to subsidise the testing of green innovative technologies applicable to the public transport sector and goods vehicles, of the number of cases in which the Fund provided subsidies in the past three years for innovative technologies used by ferries and the amounts involved, as well as the respective percentages of such figures in the relevant totals;
 
(6) as some members of the transport trade have relayed that the parts and components of water transport carriers are generally more expensive than those of road transport carriers, whether the Government will raise the Fund’s subsidy caps for the innovative technologies used by ferries; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(7) given that the Government has implemented a subsidy programme in recent years to assist the transport trade in phasing out pre-Euro IV diesel commercial vehicles, whether the Government has any plan to introduce a similar programme in respect of navigation to phase out vessels with high pollutant emissions; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, whether it will introduce the relevant measures;
 
(8) given that the retirement age for franchised buses is 18 years, whether the Government will stipulate a retirement age for licensed ferries; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(9) whether it will take the proportion of green vessels in the total number of vessels of a ferry operator as one of the considerations when vetting and approving applications for service licence for ferry routes; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(10) as some licensed ferry operators have indicated that the existing power supply facilities at piers fail to meet their needs on switching to the use of electric ferries, whether the Government will consider providing subsidies for operators to upgrade such facilities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the questions raised by the Hon Chan Hak-kan is as follows:
 
(1) The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) compiles the Hong Kong Air Pollutant Emission Inventory every year to analyse the distribution and trends of major air pollution sources in Hong Kong. While the emission inventories for 2017 and 2018 are still under preparation, those for 2015 and 2016 setting out the emissions of major air pollutants with a breakdown by emission sources are at Annex 1.
 
(2) According to the information provided by the Transport Department (TD), there are currently 13 licensed ferry operators providing regular passenger ferry services and dangerous goods vehicular ferry services. The number of vessels of various ferry operators, the average ages and types of propulsion system of their vessels during 2016 to 2018 are set out at Annex 2.
 
(3) According to the information provided by the Marine Department (MD), the number of vessels of various government departments, the average ages and types of propulsion systems of their vessels during 2016 to 2018 are set out at Annex 3.
 
(4) The Air Pollution Control (Fuel for Vessels) Regulation (Cap 311 sub leg AB) (the Regulation) has entered into force on January 1, 2019. Vessels are required to use compliant fuel, including low sulphur marine fuel with sulphur content not exceeding 0.5 per cent, liquefied natural gas or any other fuel approved by the Director of Environmental Protection, irrespective of whether they are sailing or berthing in Hong Kong waters. It is anticipated that the implementation of the Regulation will reduce about 6 300 tonnes of sulphur dioxide (SO2) and 710 tonnes of respirable suspended particulates (RSP) from marine vessels in 2020, compared with 2015 emission levels.
 
(5) From 2016 to 2018, the Pilot Green Transport Fund (the Fund) approved two trials for testing out diesel-electric propulsion system (note) for ferry at a total amount of $6 million, accounting for around 3 per cent of the total number of trials approved and about 10 per cent of the funding approved during the said period.
 
(6) According to the current rules of the Fund, the amount of subsidy for conducting engine retrofit or testing alternative-fuel engines at ferries is capped at $3 million per device/engine, which is higher than the cap of $1.5 million per device/engine for retrofitting or converting in-use vehicles with after-treatment emission reduction devices or fuel saving devices. It is stated in the 2018 Policy Address that the Government will review the scope of the Fund with a view to facilitating the transport sector’s wider use of green innovative transport technologies. To this end, EPD is conducting the review along the following directions:
 
(i) while the current conditions for approving subsidy for the trials (i.e. trials of technologies that stand a good chance of coping with local operational requirements and can be adopted by relevant transport sectors for wider use upon successful trials) should be retained, we would review if improvements could be made in various areas including the scope of the subsidy, eligibility for application, subsidy levels, limits on applications and terms for subsidy; and
 
(ii) for technologies proven upon trials to be mature enough for local application, ways should be explored to encourage their wider use by the transport sectors (for instance, whether the sectors should be subsidised to procure and not just try out such products). Specifications and operational parameters for these technologies should also be set.
 
(7) The marine transport industry encompasses different types of vessels with different designs, operation modes as well as business models. The service life of vessels may differ greatly and therefore, it is not appropriate to phase out old vessels to reduce emissions of pollutants by adopting a similar programme for phasing out aged diesel commercial vehicles.
 
     Regarding measures to reduce marine emissions, the Government has mandated ocean going vessels, which account for 95 per cent and 68 per cent of the emissions of SO2 and RSP respectively from the marine sector, to use low sulphur fuel while at berth at Hong Kong waters since July 1, 2015, making Hong Kong the first port in Asia to mandate the fuel switch requirement. On January 1, 2019, we implemented a new regulation requiring all vessels to use compliant fuel within Hong Kong waters, in order to further reduce their emissions (see reply (4)). In controlling emissions from local vessels, a statuary cap of the sulphur content of locally supplied marine light diesel at 0.05 per cent had been imposed since April 1, 2014, which was a 90 per cent reduction as compared with the sulphur content of previously supplied marine light diesel. This measure can reduce about 3 000 tonnes of SO2 and 230 tonnes of RSP each year.
 
     The Government will continue to closely monitor the global development of technologies and measures to reduce marine emissions and their feasibility of implementation in Hong Kong.
 
(8) to (10) As for ferry services, operators are required to provide proper maintenance and repairs for their fleets. Services can only be provided after the vessels concerned have passed MD’s inspections, certifying that all necessary safety standards have been complied with. Currently, operations of ferry services (such as types of services, journey time and service levels) vary among one another. The design of the ferries running on the services are also different in terms of carrying capacities, speeds and propulsion systems, etc. From the perspective of monitoring ferry services, the Government has at this stage no plan to set a maximum serviceable year for ferries. That said, the Government has all along been encouraging ferry operators to, with regards to their financial positions, consider upgrading their fleets. Eligible ferry operators may also apply to the EPD for subsidy under the Fund to put projects that might enhance the green performance of their fleets on trial.
 
     When formulating the requirements of tender for ferry services, the TD will, in consultation with the relevant departments such as the MD, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and the EPD, set out the vessel requirements having regard to the operational circumstances of each ferry route including passenger demand, service level, actual pier conditions, etc. The vessel requirements will be one of the assessment items in the tender exercise. In future tender exercises for ferry services, the TD will incorporate green elements, encouraging operators, subject to financial viability of their ferry services, to use green vessels or equipment which have been tested and proven to be suitable for local application.
 
     The Government will explore the launch of a pilot scheme to adopt green technologies in local ferries such as electric propulsion system and hybrid propulsion system, etc., for exploring the full implementation of such technologies in the future to reduce the emissions of air pollutants.
 
     Regarding ferry piers leased to ferry operators, major infrastructures therein including power supply facilities are all provided and maintained by the Government. Yet due to constraints in pier space and structure, not every pier can be retrofitted to increase the power supply. If any ferry operator plans to switch to electric ferries, the Government may consider offering assistance on a case-by-case basis.
 
note: A trial for testing out a diesel-electric propulsion system for ferry was also approved under the Fund in October 2014; the amount approved for the trial was $3 million. The trial was completed on December 31, 2017. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, in the Legislative Council today (February 27):
      
Question:
 
     It has been reported that recently, quite a number of members of the public were dissatisfied with the Government’s implementation of policies. For instances, the raising of the eligible age for elderly Comprehensive Social Security Assistance to 65 has caused a great furore; the arrangements for giving out up to $4,000 under the Caring and Sharing Scheme have caused nuisance to the public and are time-consuming; the toll adjustment proposal for the rationalisation of traffic distribution among the three road harbour crossings has been temporarily withdrawn as the proposal was ill-considered; and healthcare personnel have staged demonstrations to protest against the Government’s failure to squarely address the long-standing overload situation and manpower shortage of the public healthcare system. On the other hand, as revealed by the findings of a global survey, Hong Kong was ranked the seventh among the top ten unhappiest places in the world. The findings of another survey revealed that only 50 per cent of Hong Kong people claimed that they were leading a happy life; most respondents were dissatisfied with the Government’s implementation of policies; and the satisfaction level of members of the public with the public healthcare services dropped to a record low in three years. The findings of these two surveys reflect the ineffectiveness of the Government’s implementation of policies and its failure to enable members of the public to lead a happy life. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government has put in place a mechanism for gauging, before the introduction of any policy, the public’s overall reaction to and acceptance of the policy concerned;
 
(2) whether it has assessed if the fact that quite a number of government policies have recently been criticised for causing nuisance to the public as well as being divorced from reality and ill-considered has aggravated the public’s sense of alienation from and dissatisfaction with the Government; and
 
(3) given that the Government of Bhutan, which was once ranked the world’s happiest country, has formulated a Gross National Happiness Index, set up a relevant commission and required that before any bill is submitted to the Cabinet, consideration must be given to whether the bill can boost the Index, whether the Government will consider, by drawing reference from this practice, formulating a gross happiness index for Hong Kong residents that comprises elements such as building a just society, promoting economic development, enhancing cultural conservation and environmental protection, and fostering good governance, as well as giving, when formulating policies in the future, consideration to the impacts of such policies on this index?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The current-term Government endeavours to “care”, “listen” and “act” while being “innovative”, “interactive” and “collaborative” in implementing our policies and measures to serve the people of Hong Kong. The recent concern over some livelihood policies and measures has led us to reflect on and rethink our work. We agree that we could have been more prudent in handling the implementation of the relevant policies and measures and clearer in explaining the policy objectives and implementation details to the public, in addition to the introduction of suitable complementary measures.
 
     My consolidated reply to the three parts of the question raised by Hon Tse is set out below.
      
     In formulating policies and measures, the Government has all along adhered to the principles of openness, transparency and public accountability. Having regard to the nature and needs of individual policy areas, we will assess the implications of our policy proposals on various aspects, including environment, sustainable development, family, economy, finance, manpower, etc. We will also gauge and assess public views and responses by conducting consultation through various channels.
      
     In light of our recent experience in introducing new policies and measures, we will further enhance our work in relation to the implementation of policies and measures. In this regard, the Policy Committee, chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration, in discussing major items relating to people’s livelihood in future, will not only carefully consider and formulate policy direction and content, but also carefully examine their concrete implementation details. Before formally launching any initiative, the relevant bureaux and/or departments will conduct a “reality check” to review the implementation details from the perspective of a member of the public and a user, with a view to ensuring that the proposal will be implemented in a people-oriented, pragmatic and effective manner. Should there be any cross-bureau and cross-department issues, the Policy Committee will also iron out and resolve the issues right away.
      
     In fact, regarding the four cases mentioned in the question, the Government has, having listened to the views of various sectors and individuals of the community, introduced various measures to actively address their demands.
      
     Regarding the formulation of a “gross happiness index for Hong Kong residents” as mentioned in the question, we have no plan to do so at present. Nevertheless, the Government will continue to gauge the views of and engage the public in the course of policy formulation in a humble, receptive and conscientious manner. From policy formulation to implementation, we will carefully examine the details of our proposals and consider their implications and assess the responses from the public. We will also strengthen collaboration among policy bureaux and departments with a view to bringing benefits and convenience to the public. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Dennis Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, in the Legislative Council today (February 27):
 
Question:
 
     The Chief Executive has made separate regulations under section 3 of the United Nations Sanctions Ordinance (Cap. 537) to implement the respective sanctions decided by the Security Council of the United Nations against (i) Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (i.e. North Korea), (ii) Iran and (iii) Yemen. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of the respective numbers and details of the law enforcement actions taken in each of the past five years by the law enforcement agencies under those regulations, and the respective numbers of prosecutions and convictions arising from such actions?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     According to the Charter of the United Nations (UN), Member States of the UN (including the People’s Republic of China (PRC)) should apply measures decided by the UN Security Council (UNSC) to maintain or restore international peace and security. As part of the PRC, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) implements UNSC sanctions pursuant to the instructions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to fulfil our international obligation.
 
     Currently, the UNSC imposes sanctions or restrictions against 14 places (Note 1) (including the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Iran and Yemen) and two organisations (Note 2). The HKSAR Government has fully implemented sanctions or restrictions imposed by the UNSC against the 14 places and two organisations through the United Nations Sanctions Ordinance (Cap. 537) (the Ordinance) and the regulations made under the Ordinance by the Chief Executive. Relevant law enforcement agencies have been acting in accordance with the law, without fear or favour, to follow up on suspected violations of the Ordinance.
 
     The Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) and the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) are the law enforcement agencies of the Ordinance. The breakdowns by year of suspected cases of sanctions violations investigated by the HKPF and the C&ED in the past five years are as follows:
 

Year	Number of cases
2014	13
2015	5
2016	14
2017	86
2018	182
Total	300

Note: A suspected case involving different sanction measures will be followed up and investigated by the two departments separately. The above figures represent the aggregate of the number of cases handled by the two departments. To ensure confidentiality of investigation work, we will not disclose details of the cases (including the place or organisation involved in the cases).
 
     Hong Kong has a robust system to implement sanctions imposed by the UNSC. Coupled with the investigation efforts of our law enforcement agencies which are vigilant and with deterrent effect, a number of alleged Hong Kong-registered companies have been struck off, and suspicious vessels have been denied entry into Hong Kong waters. All these are conducive to preventing attempts to make use of Hong Kong as a base to violate UNSC sanctions, and hence safeguarding the international reputation of Hong Kong.
 
     There are currently no prosecution or conviction cases under the Ordinance. Hong Kong will continue to maintain a stringent system of implementing UNSC sanctions in accordance with the law. Exercising their statutory authorities, the law enforcement agencies will continue to follow up on all suspected violations of UNSC sanctions, and will institute prosecution when there is sufficient evidence.
 
Note 1: These 14 places are Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, DPRK, Guinea-Bissau, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Yemen.
 
Note 2: The two organisations are Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and Al-Qaida. read more

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

Question:
 
     Mind sports, such as bridge, go, chess, draughts, Chinese chess and “Scrabble” (an English words creating game), refer to sports in which the contests between participants are mainly on intellectual ability. In recent years, mind sports have been in the ascendant around the world and some of those sports have been included as medal sports in the Asian Games. It is reported that Hong Kong players have attained great achievements in mind sports competitions in recent years. For instance, a Hong Kong player was crowned as the Blitz game World Champion at the World Amateur Chess Championship 2017; two Hong Kong players were among the world’s top 10 finishers in the World Youth Championship of Scrabble last year, one of whom was even awarded the third place in the Under 16 Group. Regarding the promotion of mind sports, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) given that more and more young people have participated in various kinds of mind sports in recent years, and some of them who participated in international mind sports competitions on a self-financing basis achieved good results, whether the Government will:
 
(a) promote the popularisation of mind sports in primary and secondary schools, so as to boost students’ intellectual ability and logical thinking,
 
(b) provide free of charge (i) training venues and (ii) venues for holding territory-wide and international competitions, and
 
(c) by making reference to the way it supports the Hong Kong Inter-City Bridge Championships which is held annually, offer subsidies to (i) organisers of international mind sports competitions in Hong Kong and (ii) local players participating in such competitions;
 
     if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(2) whether it has studied if the act of awarding cash awards or prizes to winners of international mind sports competitions held in Hong Kong is in breach of the law; if it has studied and the outcome is in the affirmative, of the details, and whether it will amend the legislation to relieve the criminal liabilities of such an act?

 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     There are many types of activities and competitions that are based on intellectual ability. Some of them have a long history, such as bridge, chess, go and Chinese chess, for which relevant organisations have been set up in Hong Kong many years ago to promote the respective activities and secured membership in local or international sports organisations, for instance, the Sports Federation and Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China (SF&OC), the International Olympic Committee (IOC) or the relevant International Federation (IF).
 
     The Government has been committed to promoting the development of different types of sports through the Sports Subvention Scheme (the Scheme) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), which provides subvention to eligible “national sports associations” (NSAs) and sports organisations to organise various sports activities. Since 2011-12, subvented NSAs or organisations under the Scheme must fulfil six criteria, including that the organisation must be a member of the SF&OC and concurrently be affiliated to the relevant IF (Note 1). However, 26 organisations had long been subvented under the relevant subsidy scheme of the two former municipal councils in the past, and were therefore transitioned into the current Scheme.
 
     At present, there are four organisations in Hong Kong promoting activities based on intellectual ability that are subvented under the Scheme. Details are as follows:
 
(i) Bridge: the Hong Kong Contract Bridge Association is a member of the SF&OC and is affiliated to the relevant IOC-recognised IF, therefore fulfilling the criteria to apply for subvention under the Scheme;
 
(ii) Chess: the Hong Kong Chess Federation is not a member of the SF&OC but had long been subvented under the relevant subsidy scheme of the two former municipal councils in the past, and was hence transitioned into the current Scheme and would continue to be subvented;
 
(iii) and (iv) Go and Chinese chess: the Hong Kong Go Association and the Hong Kong Chinese Chess Association are members of the SF&OC, but there are no IOC-recognised IFs on go and Chinese chess. Given that the two associations had long been subvented under the relevant subsidy scheme of the two former municipal councils in the past, they were transitioned into the current Scheme and would continue to be subvented.
 
     At present, there are 84 NSAs and organisations subvented under the Scheme. The total subvented amount in 2018-2019 is around $320 million. New applications by organisations for the Scheme must fulfil the six criteria as stated above in Note 1.
 
     My reply to the enquiries on activities based on intellectual ability is as follows:
 
(1) The Hong Kong Contract Bridge Association, the Hong Kong Chess Federation, the Hong Kong Go Association and the Hong Kong Chinese Chess Association may apply for subvention under the Scheme to organise various activities, including promotional activities in schools, training and local events. They may also reserve venues for activities subvented under the Scheme and enjoy rental subsidy in accordance with the LCSD’s booking procedures for recreational and sports facilities, and apply for funding support from the Arts and Sport Development Fund (Sports Portion) to organise international events in Hong Kong.
 
(2) Generally speaking, awarding cash awards or prizes to winners in an international event organised by the abovementioned four NSAs or federation would not constitute an illegal act. However, whether or not the relevant act is in breach of the laws of Hong Kong depends on the specific circumstances of each case.

Note 1: Since 2011-12, the LCSD has required that sports organisations applying for the Scheme must fulfil all of the following criteria –
 
(1) it is a member of the SF&OC;
(2) it is affiliated to the IF of the respective sports;
(3) it is registered under the Companies Ordinance and has Articles of Association;
(4) it is a non-profit-making sports organisation;
(5) it has been in operation and has organised sports programmes for at least three years; and
(6) the kind of sports it promotes is one of the sports/potential sports of the following major games: Asian Games, Asian Winter Games, Asian Youth Games, Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, Asian Beach Games, Asian Para Games, Asian Youth Para Games, Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games, Youth Olympic Games, Winter Youth Olympic Games, World Games, Paralympic Games and Paralympic Winter Games. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Wilson Or and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (February 27):
 
Question:
 
     In August 2012, the Government introduced the Universal Accessibility Programme (the Programme) to retrofit barrier-free access facilities to public walkways, and expanded its scope in 2016. In October last year, the Government announced that it would commence a feasibility study in the first half of this year on proposals to retrofit lifts to the remaining some 120 walkways under the Programme.  On retrofitting barrier-free access facilities to walkways, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the (i) names, (ii) (anticipated) works commencement dates, (iii) anticipated works completion dates and (iv) anticipated commissioning dates, of those projects under the Programme at present which are underway or have yet to commence works;
 
(2) of the (i) implementation timetable and (ii) latest progress of the aforesaid feasibility study;
 
(3) whether the Government invoked the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Cap 124) in the past decade to resume private lands for carrying out lift retrofitting projects not under the Programme; if so, of the details; and
 
(4) given that the Government has all along been refusing to include in the Programme those walkways which are within the areas of the Tenants Purchase Scheme estates and private housing estates on grounds that such walkways are privately owned, whether the Government will consider bearing the costs of retrofitting barrier-free access facilities to such walkways; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     My reply to the various parts of the question raised by Hon Wilson Or is as follows:
 
     The Government has been installing barrier-free access facilities at public walkways (i.e. public footbridges, elevated walkways and subways maintained by the Highways Department (HyD)) (referred to as the Original Programme). Currently, 95 of the 145 items under the Original Programme have been completed. The HyD is undertaking construction works for 41 items (most of them are anticipated to be completed for commissioning in the next one to two years) and carrying out investigation or design work for the remaining nine items (works schedules to be confirmed upon the completion of design work and public consultation). The relevant information is set out in Annex I.
 
     The Government launched the Universal Accessibility (UA) Programme in August 2012 to expand the programme to retrofit barrier-free access facilities at public walkways with a view to facilitating the access to public walkways by the public. When the Programme was announced, the Government invited members of the public to propose locations at public walkways where they considered lift retrofitting necessary. Response from the public was overwhelming and numerous proposals were suggested. Upon the invitation of the Government, the 18 District Councils (DCs) selected a total of 57 items (Note 1) for priority implementation (referred to as the Expanded Programme). Currently, 22 items under the Expanded Programme have been completed. The HyD is undertaking construction works for 33 items (most of them are anticipated to be completed for commissioning in the next one to two years) and carrying out investigation or design work for the remaining two items (works schedules to be confirmed upon the completion of design work and public consultation). The relevant information is set out in Annex II.
 
     In response to public demand, the Government announced in the 2016 Policy Address that the ambit of the UA Programme would be further expanded to cover walkways meeting certain criteria (Note 2) and no longer be confined to public walkways. Among the public suggestions which fall within the expanded ambit of the Programme, the DCs further selected 47 items (Note 3) for implementation (referred to as the Second Phase). At present, the HyD is carrying out investigation or design work for these items with a view to commencing the construction works progressively starting from the first half of this year. The relevant information is set out in Annex III.
 
     As the UA Programme has been widely supported by the community, the Government announced in the 2018 Policy Address that the Government would commence a feasibility study on lift retrofitting proposals at the remaining some 120 walkways across various districts under the current ambit of the Programme with a view to taking forward the feasible items expeditiously so as to benefit the elderly and people in need (referred to as the Third Phase). The HyD has been undertaking the relevant preparation work with a view to engaging consultants in the first half of 2019 to carry out investigation and design work for the lift retrofitting items under the Third Phase. If the lift retrofitting items are confirmed to be technically feasible, the HyD will subsequently commence their design work and conduct public consultation. Subject to the support of the respective DCs, the relevant constructions works are anticipated to commence progressively from 2021.
 
     Having consulted the Lands Department, the Government did not invoke the Lands Resumption Ordinance (Cap 124) to resume private land for carrying out any lift retrofitting project in the past decade.
 
     To ensure the proper use of public funds and to avoid the Government taking over the responsibilities of private owners, walkways within the areas of Tenants Purchase Scheme estates and private housing estates are currently not covered under the UA Programme. Subsequent to the Government’s announcement in the 2018 Policy Address, the Government is conducting a review to explore whether there is any scope for further expansion of the UA Programme. The Government will consider the relevant suggestions when reviewing the ambit of the Programme.
 
Note 1: Each DC selected three public walkways (locations) for priority implementation, viz. a total of 54 public walkways (locations). Among them, some public walkways (locations) involve more than one structure number (item), resulting in a total of 57 priority items.
 
Note 2: The following criteria have to be met and no land resumption should be involved for the walkways:
(i) the walkways span across public roads repaired and maintained by the HyD;
(ii) the walkways are open for public access from public roads at all times;
(iii) the walkways are not privately owned; and
(iv) the parties responsible for the management and maintenance of the walkways agree to such lift retrofitting proposals and are willing to co-operate with the Government during the implementation of the retrofitting works for the said lifts as well as the subsequent management and maintenance works of the lifts.
 
Note 3: Upon the Government’s invitation, each DC has further selected not more than three existing walkways for implementation under the Second Phase and a total of 45 walkways (locations) have been selected. Among them, one of the walkway (location) involves three structure numbers (items), resulting in a total of 47 items. However, two items have been confirmed to be technically infeasible after investigation. The HyD has reported the relevant findings to the respective DCs. Therefore, investigation or design work for a total of 45 items are being carried out currently. read more