Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Nicholas W Yang, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (December 1):
 
Reporter: Can you explain about the eID?
 
Secretary for Innovation and Technology: First of all, I think there is a general misunderstanding about eID. eID is like a master key. The master key is linked to your biometric features, for example, your fingerprint, your facial recognition features, your gait or your voiceprint.  Voiceprint doesn’t mean your voice sound but the way you talk, sort of the emphasis you have.  All of these are through a government platform. We will use it to authenticate the eID when it’s used.  eID itself does not contain any personal information, personal data, zero. But in a virtual world it can be used as a very effective secure key to unlock your personal data stored at various databases, only through your own permission.  And this is a technology that widely recognised by countries like Estonia, even Singapore.  This is a very new technology.  It’s a way that you can be able to access data without revealing the personal identity.
 
Reporter: Do you think it will be popular in Hong Kong?
 
Secretary for Innovation and Technology: Our first plan is to use eID for all eGovernment services. That’s our first aim. As for the individual citizen and also for the private sector companies, we give them the option.  Because in Hong Kong, it is very important that we have to give people the option. We expect some of them will use eID, some of them will probably use their own method. But I believe if eID is developed on track, over the time, eID will turn out to be a very effective way to secure the access to personal data.  Thank you.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Mainland Higher Education Expo 2018, jointly organised by the Ministry of Education and the Education Bureau (EDB) of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), is being held today and tomorrow (December 1 and 2) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. The Expo will enable students aspiring to pursue further studies on the Mainland to gain a better understanding of the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions (Admission Scheme) in 2019, and also provides information on the participating institutions and their programmes.

     Speaking at the Expo's opening ceremony this morning, the Permanent Secretary for Education, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said that the Admission Scheme has been well received by Hong Kong students, noting that around 3 200 students had applied under the Admission Scheme in the 2018/19 academic year for studying at Mainland universities. The number of participating institutions will increase to 110 under the 2019 Admission Scheme while the provision of specialised programmes not available in universities in Hong Kong by some of the newly joined institutions will allow students to choose from a wide array of institutions and programmes.

     She said that Hong Kong students, benefiting from the Mainland policies, could enjoy more convenience in education, setting up business, employment and living on the Mainland. In regard to development opportunities, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area will give rise to a platform for Hong Kong students, leveraging the advantages of being innovative, flexible and familiar with the lifestyle on the Mainland, for brighter prospects under the national blueprint for development upon graduation.

     The HKSAR Government launched the Mainland University Study Subsidy Scheme in 2014. It includes two types of subsidies, namely "Means-tested subsidy" and "Non-means-tested subsidy", to support Hong Kong students in need who wish to pursue undergraduate studies on the Mainland under the Admission Scheme, and covers all financially needy Hong Kong students pursuing undergraduate studies at designated Mainland institutions, irrespective of the channels of their admission to the institutions. 

     The Expo is open to the public today from 10am to 7pm and tomorrow (Sunday) from 10am to 6pm at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai. Admission is free.

     A total of 108 Mainland higher education institutions participating in the 2019 Admission Scheme will set up exhibition booths and organise talks to provide information on aspects such as faculties and subjects, admission criteria, the number of places and tuition fees. During the event, there will be talks by the Ministry of Education on details of the application procedures and admission arrangements under the Admission Scheme.

     There are briefing sessions conducted by representatives from the institutions on the characteristics and career prospects of individual programmes. Some Hong Kong graduates from Mainland institutions will talk about their study life on the Mainland at discussion sessions. In addition, representatives from the education and business sectors will give talks on the career prospects of students after their graduation from Mainland higher education institutions.

     The EDB and the Hok Yau Club have jointly compiled the "Handbook on the Scheme for Admission of Hong Kong Students to Mainland Higher Education Institutions". The handbook provides comprehensive information on the scheme and further study on the Mainland, including information on all of the institutions participating in the scheme, the programmes offered, strategies on programme choices, and sharing by graduates of Mainland universities. The handbook will be distributed free of charge at the Expo. The e-version will be posted on the EDB's website after the Expo (www.edb.gov.hk/expo18).

      

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (December 1):

Reporter: Regarding the flu jabs, do you think Hong Kong should inspect the quality of the flu jabs on itself? Regarding the Centre for Food Safety, do you think there is any serious mismanagement and how to improve it?

Secretary for Food and Health: As far as the flu vaccination is concerned, Hong Kong has a drug registration system to ensure that any drugs imported to Hong Kong are safe and effective, and that the quality of the drugs are up to a certain required standard. This mechanism has been going on for a long time, and we have successfully ensured all the drugs coming into Hong Kong are passing through this particular system. As far as surveillance of the drugs is concerned, for this particular incident, because there is public concern about this usual mechanism, we have taken samples to look at whether there are any particles in the vaccines and sent the samples to the laboratory. In the future, we will continue to look at the international standardised practice and see if there will be measures to manage particular incident and see how it goes.

     We reckon that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has published a report in which some of the problems listed involve the work of the Centre for Food Safety. First of all, I have asked the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene and the Controller of the Centre for Food Safety to seriously look into the report to see what measures they should take in order to improve those situation that have listed in the report. Hong Kong always has an effective surveillance system. Every year the Centre for Food Safety has taken 65 000 samples in Hong Kong including imported food, as well as at different levels including import, distribution, retail and so on. So far food safety is actually ensured because 99.9 percent of the food are safe according to the test of the Centre for Food Safety. The Centre for Food Safety has also recently strengthened its manpower and is starting to look into how best to improve data collection and also the traceability of food incidents. A lot of work is actually ongoing, but the PAC report has found these cross-sectional problems, therefore the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene will seriously look into it. If there are issues about the need of more manpower and more resources, we will provide in order to ensure surveillance and control on food safety in Hong Kong is done well.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Government launched a public consultation today (December 1) on proposed adoption of up-to-date safety standards promulgated by the relevant standards institutions for toys and some children's products listed in Schedule 2 (Schedule 2 products) under the Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance (Cap 424).

     The Toys and Children's Products Safety Ordinance stipulates that a person must not manufacture, import or supply a toy or Schedule 2 product unless it complies with all the applicable requirements contained in any one of the safety standards specified in Schedules 1 and 2 respectively to the Ordinance. The standards specified are international standards or standards adopted by major economies. The Government keeps in view updates to the standards so as to apply up-to-date and operative versions to products supplied in Hong Kong. 

     As the safety standards specified for toys and for five classes of Schedule 2 products, namely (i) "child safety barriers for domestic use", (ii) "children's cots for domestic use", (iii) "children's high chairs and multi-purpose high chairs for domestic use", (iv) "children's paints" and (v) "playpens for domestic use", have been updated, the Government proposes to adopt the up-to-date versions of those safety standards. Details of the proposal are set out in a consultation note available on the website of the Commerce, Industry and Tourism Branch of the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau at www.cedb.gov.hk/citb.

     Members of the public are welcome to send their views on the proposal in writing to the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau at 23/F, West Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong, or by email to tcpso_standards_updates@cedb.gov.hk, on or before December 31, 2018.

     Police advise motorists that special traffic arrangements will be implemented in Sha Tin to facilitate the race meeting tomorrow (December 2).

     The arrangements will come into effect two hours before the start of the first race and will last until the crowds have dispersed after the race meeting.

     Appropriate traffic signs will be put up and police will be on hand to guide motorists.

     The Police also appeal to people going to Sha Tin Racecourse for the race meeting and to Happy Valley Racecourse for cross betting to make maximum use of public transport.

     Parking spaces at the two racecourses are available only to holders of appropriate permits issued by Hong Kong Jockey Club and any vehicles illegally parked will be towed away.