Following is a question by the Dr Hon Fernando Cheung and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (December 5): Question: &nbs… read more
Following is a question by the Hon Leung Yiu-chung and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (December 5):
Question：
Regarding the issuance of Hong Kong identity cards by the Immigration Department, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the respective numbers of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards (HKPICs) and Hong Kong Identity Cards issued in the past decade, with a breakdown by the applicants’ gender and the age group (i.e. aged (i) below 16, (ii) 16 to 24, (iii) 25 to 40, (iv) 41 to 64 and (v) 65 or above) to which they belonged when they applied for the identity cards; and
(2) of a breakdown, by the following circumstances of issuance, of the number of HKPICs issued in the past decade:
(i) permanent residents applying for the first time upon reaching the age of 11;
(ii) permanent residents applying for a replacement card upon reaching the age of 18;
(iii) Chinese citizens, who had met the eligibility criteria for application as they had ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years, applying for the first time;
(iv) non-Chinese citizens, who had met the eligibility criteria for application as they had ordinarily resided in Hong Kong for a continuous period of not less than seven years and had taken Hong Kong as their place of permanent residence, applying for the first time;
(v) children under the age of 11 applying in connection with their applications for a Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Passport;
(vi) cardholders applying for a replacement card because their cards were lost, destroyed, damaged or defaced;
(vii) cardholders applying for a replacement card because they had changed the registered particulars on their cards; and
(viii) applications made in other circumstances, with a breakdown of such number by the 10 most common circumstances?
Reply:
President,
(1) According to the records of the Immigration Department (ImmD), the numbers of Hong Kong Permanent Identity Cards (HKPICs) and Hong Kong Identity Cards (HKICs) issued (Note 1) in the past 10 years are tabulated below:
| Year | HKPICs | HKICs | ||||||
| Persons aged 18 or above | Persons aged 11 to 17 | Persons aged under 11 (Note 2) |
Sub-total | Persons aged 18 or above | Persons aged 11 to 17 | Persons aged under 11 (Note 2) |
Sub-total | |
| 2008 | 269 817 | 88 483 | 53 247 | 411 547 | 148 260 | 16 925 | 0 | 165 185 |
| 2009 | 241 200 | 80 440 | 63 150 | 384 790 | 150 308 | 16 284 | 0 | 166 592 |
| 2010 | 247 064 | 75 910 | 70 974 | 393 948 | 156 466 | 15 932 | 0 | 172 398 |
| 2011 | 238 933 | 74 869 | 74 666 | 388 468 | 164 940 | 15 216 | 0 | 180 156 |
| 2012 | 265 488 | 71 450 | 82 429 | 419 367 | 179 965 | 13 789 | 0 | 193 754 |
| 2013 | 254 858 | 71 428 | 78 014 | 404 300 | 166 719 | 12 647 | 0 | 179 366 |
| 2014 | 233 343 | 66 239 | 77 679 | 377 261 | 168 149 | 12 712 | 0 | 180 861 |
| 2015 | 237 944 | 66 356 | 86 690 | 390 990 | 167 412 | 12 077 | 0 | 179 489 |
| 2016 | 240 585 | 70 062 | 83 896 | 394 543 | 177 651 | 14 849 | 0 | 192 500 |
| 2017 | 231 912 | 76 930 | 78 665 | 387 507 | 177 581 | 14 348 | 0 | 191 929 |
| 2018 (January to October) |
186 182 | 69 262 | 63 134 | 318 578 | 153 005 | 11 476 | 0 | 164 481 |
| Year | HKPICs | ||||
| Persons aged 18 or above (Note 3) |
Persons aged 11 to 17 (Note 3) |
Persons aged under 11 (Note 2 & 3) |
Due to loss, destruction, damage or defacement or changes of registered particulars | Sub-total | |
| 2008 | 151 068 | 74 963 | 51 842 | 133 674 | 411 547 |
| 2009 | 128 091 | 67 244 | 61 512 | 127 943 | 384 790 |
| 2010 | 120 956 | 62 175 | 69 038 | 141 779 | 393 948 |
| 2011 | 120 954 | 63 333 | 72 401 | 131 780 | 388 468 |
| 2012 | 130 276 | 58 741 | 79 990 | 150 360 | 419 367 |
| 2013 | 106 714 | 56 131 | 74 957 | 166 498 | 404 300 |
| 2014 | 99 015 | 54 920 | 74 356 | 148 970 | 377 261 |
| 2015 | 91 165 | 54 568 | 83 118 | 162 139 | 390 990 |
| 2016 | 82 496 | 59 499 | 80 671 | 171 877 | 394 543 |
| 2017 | 76 742 | 66 187 | 75 145 | 169 433 | 387 507 |
| 2018 (January to October) |
60 157 | 60 137 | 59 827 | 138 457 | 318 578 |
Following is the speech by the Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, at the Opening Ceremony of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) SmartBiz Expo and Asian E-tailing Summit this morning (December 5):
Margaret (Executive Director of the HKTDC, Ms Margaret Fong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,
Good morning.
I’m pleased to join you today for the joint opening of the SmartBiz Expo and the Asian E-tailing Summit.
The Expo and the Summit debuted last year. And they’re back again for good reason. They bring companies and professionals together. They create connections. And they help keep you informed of the latest e-tailing and business technology developments. In short, the Expo and the Summit help you, and your business, excel.
So does Hong Kong as well. Last year, Hong Kong ranked 16th in the B2C E-commerce Index, designed by the United Nations Conference on Trade Development to track global e-trade environment.
Our telecommunications infrastructure is among the most advanced in the world, with a household broadband penetration rate of about 93 per cent, and our mobile penetration rate is sky high, at almost 250 per cent.
Our strengths as a regional logistics hub and sophisticated ICT centre are supercharged by Hong Kong’s free flow of capital, goods and information, and by our unparalleled supply-chain management services.
At the SmartBiz Expo you’ll find plenty of examples of innovative Hong Kong technology brought to life by our renowned R&D centres and institutions.
The Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, working with a Swedish organisation, for example, has developed a Biometric Access Control System. It uses a biometric verification device to capture a person’s palm vein and palm print patterns. The fusion technology offers high levels of security for identification and verification in e-tailing.
Then there’s our Logistics and Supply Chain MultiTech R&D Centre, jointly run by three local universities. The Centre is working to connect our logistics industry with the Zhuhai Electronics Port for import and export trade declarations. That will expedite processing time for such declarations, while giving companies a more accurate estimation of tax rates.
At the Government level, last December, we released the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong, underscoring the Government’s commitment to improving quality of life for the people of Hong Kong, while boosting the effectiveness of city management.
We’re going to be a smart city in any number of ways, including the provision of an electronic identity for all Hong Kong residents.
Through electronic identity, citizens will be able to conduct government and commercial transactions online, simply and securely. It will also enable business and consumers to connect, promoting e-commerce, digital trade and online payment.
Our Innovation and Technology Bureau set up TechConnect last year to help Government departments boost their operational efficiency through technology. To date, the programme has supported more than 40 departmental technology projects. They range from enhance customs clearance for cross-boundary vehicles and cargo to strengthening integrated weather monitoring.
We’re also setting up a Smart Government Innovation Lab, inviting industry, including e-tailers, to put forward I&T ideas for various public services. And we’ll arrange trials and technology testing for suitable proposals. This should boost business opportunities for local start-ups and SMEs.
To encourage SMEs to make wider use of technology, we launched the Technology Voucher Programme in 2016 which subsidises SMEs in using technological services and solutions to improve productivity, or upgrade or transform their business processes. The eligibility of the Programme was relaxed earlier this year to benefit start-ups operating for less than one year and remove the restriction on the number of staff employed.
Ladies and gentlemen, I know you will enjoy today’s Asian E-tailing Summit. And with this year’s SmartBiz Expo running for three days, you’ve got good time to check out the Expo’s 500-plus exhibitors in different smart thematic zones such as the Techtopia, which is packed with the latest technology; the Boosters, offering SMEs one-stop shopping for business services; and the Hatchery, where tech start-ups can showcase their golden eggs to potential partners.
It’s all designed to help you, and your business, connect and excel.
For that, I’m grateful to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, organiser of the Summit and the Expo.
Ladies and gentlemen, I wish you smart business and a rewarding New Year.
Thank you.
Following is a question by the Hon Jeremy Tam and a written reply by the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, in the Legislative Council today (December 5):
Question:
On September 21 this year, the Environmental Protection Department set up a temporary wood waste collection area (the collection area) in the Kai Tak Development Area for collecting and temporary storing the huge quantity of tree waste generated due to the onslaught of super typhoon Mangkhut in Hong Kong. The collection area stopped receiving tree waste on the 10th of last month. Besides, it is learnt that quite a large quantity of yard waste is generated in Hong Kong each year. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the quantity in tonnes of tree waste collected in the collection area during the period of its operation; a breakdown of that quantity of waste by disposal method, as at the 30th of last month;
(2) of the respective quantities of yard waste (i) collected and (ii) discarded at landfills, by the various government departments in each year from January 2014 to the 30th of last month;
(3) whether it has studied those yard waste disposal methods which are, as compared with disposal at landfills, more environmentally friendly feasible and effective; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(4) of the latest implementation progress of the various measures to reduce yard waste at source, which were put forward in A Food Waste and Yard Waste Plan for Hong Kong 2014-2022, and the effectiveness of such measures?
Reply:
President,
(1) Super typhoon Mangkhut caused extensive and severe damage to Hong Kong, resulting in a huge amount of broken or fallen trees and hence a surge in the volume of tree waste. The Government had to respond swiftly with a view to clearing up the tree waste as quickly as possible. To facilitate and expedite the clearance work conducted across the territory, the Government set up a temporary collection area (the collection area) in the Kai Tak Development Area for temporary stockpiling of fallen trees and branches collected and delivered by the public. From September 21 to November 10, the collection area received a total of around 8 200 truckloads of tree waste. The Government was well aware beforehand that such waste would require prompt treatment or else might cause environmental hygiene nuisance including mosquito breeding. The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) thus started to collaborate with the departments concerned from September 28 in delivering tree waste at the collection area to appropriate facilities for treatment or disposal. The delivery exercise was completed on November 27, with about 20 480 tonnes of tree waste delivered to the West New Territories Landfill for disposal.
To encourage waste reduction and reuse as well as recycling of resources, the collection area was open to the public between September 22 and October 31 for free collection of logs from the tree waste. A total of 435 logs were collected by 85 groups or members of the public. The EPD also selected some 450 logs suitable for reuse from the tree waste in the collection area and delivered them to the Community Green Stations (CGSs) in the Eastern District, Kwun Tong, Sham Shui Po, Sha Tin, Yuen Long, Tuen Mun and Kwai Tsing, with the aim of encouraging interested parties or members of the public to reuse or recycle the logs. Members of the public may visit these CGSs by December 31 to obtain the logs for free, and may call the CGSs to enquire about necessary arrangements and make appointments in advance. As of November 27, a total of 225 logs were collected from these CGSs by interested parties/individuals.
In addition, to speed up the handling of the large amount of tree waste generated during the attack of super typhoon Mangkhut and facilitate onward recycling, the EPD has procured an industrial grade wood shredder, which is placed on the government land near the T·PARK in Tuen Mun. Some 2 300 tonnes of the tree waste temporarily stored at the collection area have been delivered to the above land area, where the contractor engaged is conducting installation and testing of the machinery concerned. Separation of other types of waste from the mixed tree waste is also underway to prepare for shredding and recycling of the tree waste.
(2) The quantities of yard waste collected and disposed of by various Government departments in the past few years are detailed at the Annex.
(3) The EPD has been exploring different proposals to utilise yard waste resource effectively as far as practicable, with various feasible treatment trials in progress. As mentioned in the response to item (1), the EPD has procured an industrial grade wood shredder. Tree waste is just being shredded, and trials are being started to turn the shredded wood into wooden chips for various uses, such as solid fuel for appropriate facilities, bulking agent in the composting process at the Organic Resources Recovery Centre, mulch for planting purposes, and soil cover at landfills, etc. Moreover, the shredded wood is available to interested parties or members of the public free of charge for suitable recycling uses. In the long run, the EPD will introduce more diverse proposals for treating yard waste. Subject to the outcome of the above trials, the EPD will consider incorporating these proposals in our long-term strategies on yard waste management.
(4) In February 2014, the Environment Bureau (ENB) promulgated A Food Waste and Yard Waste Plan for Hong Kong 2014-2022 (the Plan), which sets out the Government’s strategies on dealing with organic waste. The strategies cover collecting data, promoting waste reduction at source, encouraging waste separation and collection as well as exploring the most suitable means to treat the unavoidable waste. An interdepartmental working group led by the ENB also convened meetings to co-ordinate the work of various Government departments in implementing the Plan, including enhancing data collection and promoting best practices.
Various government bureaux and departments have rendered support to the Plan. For example, the Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section of the Development Bureau published the Guidelines on Yard Waste Reduction and Treatment in July 2014 for general reference by Government departments regarding measures on yard waste reduction at various stages from landscape design to maintenance. The Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department treats yard waste on site as far as possible, including stockpiling on site to provide niches for wildlife and release nutrients to the nature as the waste decomposes. Suitable tree logs are reused for making furniture or decorative items for the recreational facilities in country parks, such as animated features, waymarks and benches, etc. Yard waste from the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) is delivered to the Animal Waste Composting Plant in Ngau Tam Mei for composting. Since 2014, the LCSD has started to produce compost on-site from yard waste using garden composters at suitable venues. The LCSD is also replacing the planting of annuals by shrubs or perennials with colourful foliage, with a view to reducing yard waste at source. In the longer term, the LCSD will specify in the Schedule of Accommodation of suitable new venues the requirement for installation of on-site composting facilities. The Civil Engineering and Development Department’s greening works relating to infrastructural development, geotechnical works and greening master plan will focus on planting of perennials suitable for local environment, with the right vegetation in the right place and choose native perennials to encourage local ecological growth and reduce plant replacement in order to reduce yard waste. The Government will continue to implement the Plan in full to reduce yard waste on multiple fronts, including reducing the use of decorative plants during festive events, replanting, promoting better landscape design, etc. read more
​The Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, will today (December 5) lead a delegation to Macao to attend the 17th Joint Meeting of Senior Health Officials of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao organised by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, to be held on December 6.
The meeting provides a platform for senior medical and health officials and experts of the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao to share experiences and exchange views on medical and public health issues.
Professor Chan will deliver a speech at the opening ceremony of the meeting tomorrow. Participants will discuss issues relating to co-operation on health in the Bay Area, healthcare technology and innovation, medical assistance programmes, and drug management. During the meeting, a co-operation agreement on emergency response in relation to public health issues will be signed by the Mainland, Hong Kong and Macao. The Food and Health Bureau and the National Health Commission will also sign an agreement on medical and health co-operation.
Members of the Hong Kong delegation will include the Director of Health, Dr Constance Chan; the Chairman of the Hospital Authority (HA), Professor John Leong; and the Chief Executive of the HA, Dr Leung Pak-yin.
Professor Chan will return to Hong Kong on December 6. The Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, will be the Acting Secretary for Food and Health during Professor Chan’s absence. read more