A woman was fined $10,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (January 18) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in August 2017, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Chatham Road South in Tsim Sha Tsui. During the inspection, the OLA officers posed as lodgers and successfully rented a room in the guesthouse on a daily basis.
      
     According to the OLA's records, the guesthouse did not possess a licence under the Ordinance on the day of inspection. The woman responsible for managing the premises was charged with contravening section 5(1) of the Ordinance.
      
     A department spokesman stressed that operating or managing an unlicensed guesthouse is a criminal offence and will lead to a criminal record. Upon conviction, the offender is liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and two years' imprisonment.
           
     The spokesman appealed to anyone with information about suspected unlicensed guesthouses to report it to the OLA through the hotline (Tel: 2881 7498), by email (hadlaenq@had.gov.hk), by fax (2504 5805) using the report form downloaded from the OLA website (www.hadla.gov.hk), or through the mobile application "Hong Kong Licensed Hotels and Guesthouses".

     An organisation which sold a dog without a one-off permit was convicted at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts today (January 18) for violating the Public Health (Animals and Birds) Ordinance (Cap 139).

     A spokesman of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) said that AFCD staff had received a complaint about suspected illegal trading of dogs advertised on the Internet in April last year. The organisation provided a pure-breed puppy to the complainant, in the name of "adoption", at an industrial building in Tuen Mun on April 12, 2018. The organisation charged the complainant $6,600 purportedly for the medical costs of the dog and $1,500 as a deposit to ensure that the dog would be neutered within a year.

     Subsequent to follow-up investigations by the AFCD, the organisation was charged for selling a dog without a one-off permit. The organisation was convicted today and fined $5,500.

     According to the Public Health (Animals and Birds) (Trading and Breeding) Regulations (Regulations) (Cap. 139B), any person or organisation who sells a dog must obtain a suitable type of licence or permit. "Selling" is defined as any exchange or transfer of an animal in return for a consideration, which includes charging an "adoption" fee. 

     There are three types of licence and one type of permit under the Regulations, namely the Animal Trader Licence and Dog Breeder Licence Category A and Category B, and a one-off permit for dog owners. Those who sell animals or birds without a proper licence or permit are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000, whereas the maximum penalty for contravention of a condition attached to a licence or permit is a fine of $50,000. Persons conducting genuine rehoming activities for animal welfare purposes on a non-profit-making basis may submit an application for exemption from the requirement to obtain an Animal Trader Licence, subject to meeting relevant criteria.

     Since the amended Regulations came into effect, 42 cases of selling of animals (40 cases involving dogs and two cases involving other animals) without a licence or permit have been successfully prosecuted. Offenders were fined between $1,500 and $10,000. A further 20 cases are currently under investigation.

     The spokesperson reminded the public that since the amended Regulations came into force, all animal traders and dog breeders and those who sell their own dogs should obtain a suitable type of licence or permit, and follow the licence conditions and codes of practice to ensure the welfare of animals. Failure to do so may lead to prosecution. For more details of the regulations and the application procedure for a licence or permit, please visit www.pets.gov.hk or call the AFCD at 1823.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) and its Committees will hold 16 open meetings and a public hearing during the week from January 21 to 25 in the LegCo Complex.  Details of the meetings are available in the meeting schedule attached.
 
     The information in the meeting schedule is subject to change.  Please refer to the "LegCo Calendar" on the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk) for the latest details of meetings.
 
     Members of the public are welcome to observe open meetings of LegCo and its Committees.  Interested individuals and groups are advised to make advance booking of seats by calling the LegCo Secretariat at 3919 3399 during office hours.  Members of the public can also listen to or watch all open meetings via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website.

     The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, and the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah, officiated at the opening ceremony of Tsuen Wan Sports Centre today (January 18). Mrs Lam also officiated at a basketball invitation match staged later at the venue.

     Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Lau said that Tsuen Wan Sports Centre is the fifth sports centre in the district and the 100th sports centre of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), marking an important milestone in the Government's promotion of sports development. Well-equipped and conveniently located, Tsuen Wan Sports Centre not only provides a wide range of leisure and sports facilities for members of the public, but is also suitable for hosting local, regional and international sports events, giving a boost to Hong Kong's image as a sports events capital in Asia.

     Mr Lau attributed the successful completion of Tsuen Wan Sports Centre to the concerted efforts of the Tsuen Wan District Council (TWDC), local organisations, the private developer for the project and government departments. He also expressed gratitude for the staunch support of all parties concerned during the planning and development of the project.

     Other officiating guests at the opening ceremony included the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Ms Michelle Li; the Chairman of the TWDC, Mr Chung Wai-ping; the District Officer (Tsuen Wan), Miss Jenny Yip; and the Chairman of the TWDC's District Facilities Management Committee, Mr Wong Wai-kit.

     After officiating at the ceremony, Mrs Lam was then briefed on the Energy Bikes newly installed on the ground floor lobby of the sports centre, which allow users to charge their electronic devices while riding on the bikes. With a view to encouraging the public to do more exercise and promoting the use of renewable energy, the LCSD will set up more Energy Bikes at selected leisure venues under a pilot scheme for the public to enjoy free of charge later this year. Tsuen Wan Sports Centre is the first LCSD venue to provide such facilities. The selected venues will include Kowloon Park Sports Centre, Po Kong Village Road Sports Centre, the Hong Kong Velodrome, Yuen Long Sports Centre and Lai Chi Kok Park.

     Located at 53 Wing Shun Street, Tsuen Wan Sports Centre has four storeys and occupies a total area of about 12 000 square metres. It was commissioned in October last year. On its second floor is the multi-purpose main arena, with seating capacity for about 1 900 persons. The arena can be used as a basketball court or a volleyball court or four badminton courts. A secondary hall with seating capacity for nearly 200 persons located on the ground floor can also serve as a warming-up area. Ancillary facilities, such as a doping control room, are also available to facilitate the hosting of major local, regional and international sports events. The sports centre also provides the first children's play room and the first outdoor climbing wall in the district. Other facilities include a table-tennis room, multi-purpose activity rooms, dance rooms and a fitness room with a full sea view.

     Members of the public can visit the LCSD website for information on the sports centre. For enquiries, please contact the venue staff at 2392 9570.

          

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (January 18) that a site, Lot No. 738 in Demarcation District No. 332 at South Lantau Road, Cheung Sha, Lantau Island, New Territories, in the 2018-19 Land Sale Programme will be disposed of by public tender. The tender invitation for the lot will commence on January 25 and close on February 22.

     Lot No. 738 in Demarcation District No. 332 has a site area of about 20,600 square metres and is designated for private residential purposes. The minimum gross floor area is 4,944 sq m and the maximum gross floor area that may be attained is 8,240 sq m.

     Land sale documents including the Form of Tender, the Tender Notice, the Conditions of Sale and the sale plan of the lot will be available for downloading from the LandsD website (www.landsd.gov.hk), and the sale plan will be available for distribution and inspection by the public from January 25, when the particulars of the tender will also be gazetted.