Author Archives: hksar gov

     A director of Rightful Mortgage Limited (the Company) was prosecuted by the Companies Registry (CR) under section 750(6) of the Companies Ordinance for knowingly or recklessly giving false or misleading information to the Registrar of Companies in connection with an application for deregistration of the Company. The director, Ken Lee Sai-cheung, pleaded guilty at Eastern Magistrates’ Courts today (October 24) and was fined $15,000 for the charge.

     The case relates to false information provided by the defendant in the application form which was lodged with the CR for deregistration of the Company. Contrary to the certification made by the defendant in the application form that the Company was not a party to any legal proceedings and that it had no outstanding liabilities, the Company was reported to be the defendant in a High Court proceeding and there was an adverse costs order granted against the Company.

     “The ruling helps disseminate a strong message to all companies and their officers that they have the responsibility to ensure that the information given to the Registrar must not be false or misleading. Any provision of false or misleading information to the CR may attract a fine of $300,000 and imprisonment for up to two years,” a spokesman for the CR said. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Cheung Kwok-kwan and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (October 24):
 
Question:
 
　　During its onslaught on Hong Kong last month, super typhoon Mangkhut caused extensive damage, which included damage to the structures on buildings’ external walls, toppling of numerous trees, severe flooding in coastal areas and sports grounds sustaining serious damage.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as the storm surges accompanying Mangkhut caused severe flooding and damage to a number of facilities in Heng Fa Chuen, whether the Government has studied measures for helping Heng Fa Chuen withstand storm surges accompanying super typhoons in future; if so, of the outcome of such studies; if not, whether it will conduct such studies immediately;
 
(2) as a huge amount of marine refuse (e.g. bits of foam plastics) was washed ashore by the storm surges accompanying Mangkhut, whether the Government knows the major sources of such refuse, and what measures it has put in place to reduce such kind of refuse at source;
 
(3) as the number of service orders for clearance of fallen trees received by some arboriculture companies after the typhoon had moved away from Hong Kong was five to 10 times more than usual but such companies did not have sufficient manpower to cope with the service demand, resulting in the handling of some cases, despite their urgent nature, having to be scheduled for next month, whether the Government has approached the arboriculture companies concerned to gain an understanding of the details of such cases; whether it has set a target completion date for the clearance work of fallen trees across the territory; of the government departments currently responsible for handling emergency clearance of fallen trees, and the proportion of outsourcing of such work by each of these departments;
 
(4) given that the Aberdeen Sports Ground was seriously damaged during the onslaught of super typhoon Hato in August last year, of the reasons why the relevant restoration works have not yet commenced so far, and when such works will commence and be completed; the expected completion time for the restoration works for Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground which has been damaged by Mangkhut; and
 
(5) given that after the onslaught of typhoons, government departments often need to rent lorry-mounted cranes from private companies to remove tottering structures (e.g. signboards) high on external walls of buildings and broken branches of trees, whether the Government will purchase such type of vehicle so as to facilitate expeditious commencement of such clearance work after the onslaught of typhoons?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
　　Government departments have been making all-out effort in the post-Mangkhut recovery work without delay.  As the damages caused by Mangkhut were extensive, some repair works are still ongoing. The relevant departments will continue to follow up the situation. 
 
　　I have consulted the relevant bureaux and departments and the consolidated reply to the questions raised by the Hon Cheung Kwok-kwan is as follows:
 
(1) When the super typhoon Mangkhut battered Hong Kong, the storm surge and huge waves caused by the typhoon brought seawater into Heng Fa Chuen and led to flooding.  Based on the experience of handling super typhoon Mangkhut, the Government will review the feasibility of various flood prevention strategies and make various assessments, including practical effectiveness, technical feasibility, land restrictions and cost-effectiveness.
 
　　In respect of the damages caused at Heng Fa Chuen, the Civil Engineering and Development Department, Leisure and Cultural Services Department and Architectural Services Department are examining the possibility and proposals of strengthening the wave prevention facilities in the playgrounds, for instance, to consider the installation of wave protection wall at the coastal planter areas of the playgrounds, with a view to enhancing the resistance to storm surge.  With regard to the issue of flooding, the Civil Engineering and Development Department and Drainage Services Department will provide technical engineering advice to the estate management company of Heng Fa Chuen. 
 
　　Civil Engineering and Development Department will conduct a comprehensive review of the situation of coastal low-lying or unsheltered areas.  Studies on typhoon related storm surge and waves will also be conducted to assess how the extreme weather caused by climate change will affect the concerned areas. Relevant response and resilience measures can be formulated in accordance with the result of the studies, including engineering improvement and management measures.
 
(2) The Government understands that foam boxes and components are widely used in the delivery of goods that require thermal insulation or shock resistance, for instance, most of the refrigerated food products (meats, vegetables, fruits and seafood), packaging of fragile goods (electrical appliances and electronic devices), one-off utensils (meal box) and fisheries related products etc.  We cannot ascertain the source of foams found in Heng Fa Chuen.  The strong destructive power of super typhoon Mangkhut might have brought foams from different sources.  Possible sources of foam fragments include mari-culture rafts, fishponds and some fishing boats as they had suffered varied damages during the typhoon.
 
　　Seafood wholesaling uses foam boxes usually near the coastal areas. We have been in communication with the Fish Marketing Organization, which manages the wholesale fish markets, in order to manage the use of foam boxes.  Foam boxes are generally recycled for carrying fish catches. The Fish Marketing Organization always reminds fishmongers and other fish market users to take appropriate measures, such as tying the foam boxes and placing them away from the shore, preventing the boxes from falling into the sea.
 
　　Various departments have implemented a wide array of measures under their purviews, including enforcement patrols and on-site monitoring, strengthening the clearance of marine refuse, promoting publicity and education activities, providing support measures and facilities to reduce waste from entering the marine environment.  We will continue to communicate with the departments and strengthen the management on the use of foam boxes.
 
(3) The damages of Mangkhut to Hong Kong were extensive and unprecedented, causing collapses of trees which led to road blockages.  The Highways Department accorded high priority to the swift resumption of traffic, and has deployed a large number of manpower from their contractors, including workers and machinery operators, to handle the emergency recovery and repair works in the major thoroughfare, district streets, cycling tracks and roadside slopes.  Of major importance was to clean up the collapsed trees and debris that blocked the road expeditiously, so as to restore normal traffic as soon as possible.  As a result, all major thoroughfare and roads leading to/from bus depots were reopened on September 18.  The remaining roads blocked by fallen trees were also cleaned and re-opened on or before September 22.  The relevant clearance operations were carried out by workers employed by the contractors, but not workers employed directly by the Highways Department.
 
　　For public areas other than the abovementioned major thoroughfare and roads, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and Home Affairs Department have also enhanced their manning, deploying staff and contractors to clean up fallen trees under their purviews in full strength, with priority accorded to blocked carriageways, pedestrian pavements, and potentially dangerous trees to reduce public risks and inconvenience.  The Government has also deployed workers to check the health of trees and arranged measures to alleviate risks, including tree supporting, pruning and cleaning.  The clearance of fallen trees with lower risk and not affecting the public are in progress.
 
(4) Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground was battered by Typhoon Mangkhut.  Major facilities inside the venue including the power supply installation, covers of the spectator stands, field tracks and grass pitches, etc were severely damaged.  In view of public safety, the Sports Ground is now temporarily closed.  Following deliberation with the Architectural Services Department, the enhancement works for the covers of the spectator stands originally scheduled in the first quarter of 2019 will be conducted earlier, together with the reparation works of the grass pitches and enhancement works of the outer perimeter fencing for the purposes of mitigating the damages caused by flooding.  The Sports Ground is expected to be re-opened in mid-2019.  
 
　　Concerning the Aberdeen Sports Ground, some covers of its west spectator stand were destroyed after typhoon Hato in August 2017.  With reinforcement by the works departments, the damaged stand was reopened in November 2017.  However, the stand was damaged again by typhoon Mangkhut and emergency demolition was required.  The demolition work has been generally completed.  Pending inspection by works departments on affected running tracks and upon completion of the recovery work, the sports ground is expected to be re-opened in November 2018.  Works departments are following up the situation and arranging a new cover for the west spectator stand.
 
(5) The government fleet currently consists of crane lorries or grab lorries managed and used by various government departments.  The Government Logistics Department also arranges service contracts for the hiring of grab lorries for the use by various departments.  Departments can put up requests for the purchase of such vehicles or arrange vehicle hiring service on their own to meet their operational needs with reference to the experience drawn from super typhoon Mangkhut.
 
　　Take the Buildings Department as an example.  The contractors employed by the department, as enshrined in the contract, must be able to provide a certain number of crane lorries at any time for emergency works.  Drawing reference from the experience in the handling of super typhoon Mangkhut, the Buildings Department will request the contractors to provide more mobile crane machinery in future contracts, so as to enhance the emergency service efficiency. read more

     The Commissioner of Customs and Excise, Mr Hermes Tang, and the Chief Executive Officer of the Fiji Revenue and Customs Service, Mr Visvanath Das, signed the Customs Co-operative Arrangement (CCA) at the Customs Headquarters Building in Hong Kong today (October 24), with an aim of stepping up mutual co-operation in law enforcement and trade facilitation.

     The CCA reflects both sides’ wishes to strengthen co-operation in intelligence exchanges and law enforcement by means of mutual administrative assistance in battling transnational crimes.

     Apart from co-operation in law enforcement, both sides would also strengthen information sharing to facilitate co-operation in trade facilitation, import/export controls and procedure streamlining with an aim of creating a business-friendly environment for legitimate trade activities.

     Currently, Hong Kong Customs has signed Customs Co-operative Agreements/Arrangements with 25 customs administrations, consisting of the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China and 24 overseas customs administrations.

read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (October 24):
 
Question:
 
     Quite a number of villagers have relayed to me that a number of villages were ravaged by super typhoon Mangkhut when it hit Hong Kong last month.  For example, a number of houses in Kut O Village were devastated by strong winds or destroyed by fallen trees; a number of houses along the coasts of Tung Ping Chau and Sai Lau Kong were smashed to rubble; the nature trail and scenic spot of the white-flowered derris array at Lai Chi Wo were damaged; the water and electricity supply to Tap Mun was cut off for three days; quite a number of fishing boats sank or were destroyed; and large quantities of rubbish and other objects piled up in a number of villages.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it had, in advance, (i) assessed the damage that Mangkhut might cause to remote villages and (ii) formulated recovery plans; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) of the respective numbers of villagers who (i) had been evacuated before Tropical Cyclone (TC) Warning Signals of No. 8 or above in respect of Mangkhut were issued, and (ii) were provided emergency rescue during the time when such signals were in force, by the Government, with a tabular breakdown by village name;
 
(3) whether, after all the TC Warning Signals in respect of Mangkhut had been cancelled, it took the initiative to immediately contact the villagers of remote villages so as to get an understanding of how they had been affected by the typhoon and to render appropriate assistance; if so, set out in a table by village name the details of the assistance requested by the villagers and the assistance (including the dates) provided by the Government; if not, of the reasons for that;
 
(4) of the details of the interruptions of fresh water and electricity supply to villages caused by Mangkhut (set out in the table below);
 

Village Name	District in which the village is located	No. of days for which fresh water supply was interrupted	No. of water tanks/water wagons/water vessels that provided temporary water supply, and total volume of water supplied	No. of days for which electricity supply was interrupted

 
(5) as some remote villages are inaccessible by public transport, and the villagers there are mainly elderly persons who are unable to clear on their own the fallen trees and other objects in their villages after the onslaught of the typhoon, whether the Government has plans to take the initiative, in future after severe typhoons hitting Hong Kong, to organise volunteers and transport them to such villages for assisting the villagers in carrying out clearance work; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(6) whether it knows the number of vessels damaged by Mangkhut; whether it will consider (i) constructing additional typhoon shelters, and (ii) enhancing the facilities of the existing typhoon shelters, so as to bolster their capability to withstand typhoons;
 
(7) as the houses of quite a number of villagers, together with the electrical appliances and furniture in such houses, as well as the fishing boats which were villagers’ means of earning a living, were damaged during the onslaught of Mangkhut, whether the Government has provided emergency financial assistance to the villagers concerned; if so, of the details; and
 
(8) whether, with a view to bolstering villages’ capability to withstand typhoons and facilitating recovery efforts in future, the Government will consider (i) reinforcing villagers’ houses for free, (ii) helping villagers rebuild houses with better capability to withstand strong winds, (iii) constructing additional access roads to remote villages and improving such villages’ infrastructure facilities, (iv) constructing for villages in coastal and low-lying locations breakwaters or other facilities for countering storm surges, and (v) implementing other disaster mitigation measures?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     I have consulted the relevant bureaux and departments and my consolidated reply to the Hon Kenneth Lau’s question is as follows:
 
(1) In order to provide an effective and efficient response to tropical cyclones and other natural disasters, the Government maintains a Contingency Plan for Natural Disaster (CPND) which sets out the Government’s alert system and organisational framework for responding to such emergencies as well as the functions and responsibilities of each government department and organisation.  In addition to CPND, every relevant department has its own detailed operational plans/instructions guiding its decision making and operation.
 
     Based on the assessment from the Hong Kong Observatory that Mangkhut would pose significant threats to the community, Security Bureau commenced co-ordination amongst departments when Mangkhut was still over 800 kilometres away from Hong Kong and no Tropical Cyclone (TC) Warning Signal was yet hoisted.
 
     Two inter-departmental meetings chaired by the Secretary for Security were held on  September 12 and 14, 2018 to review the preparedness of the government departments and agencies for Mangkhut.  Representatives from over 30 bureaux/departments and public utilities attended.  The meetings discussed issues on response plans, monitoring and co-ordination, preventive measures, information flow and early public warnings.  The departments and agencies were urged to enhance the safety factor, prepare for the worst and be prepared to mobilise the maximum amount of resources for emergency response.
 
     All relevant departments had taken prompt precautionary measures.  For example, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and Drainage Services Department (DSD) mobilised additional resources to step up cleansing services to check that roadside gullies, drains and channels are unobstructed and clear of debris, particularly at the flooding blackspots.    DSD also implemented measures at the seven sites identified to be prone to serious inundation, including Luen On San Tsuen, Kar Wo Lei, Sham Tseng San Tsuen, Lei Yue Mun Praya Road, Sai Kung Nam Wai, Tai O and the coastal village areas at the northwest boundary of Yuen Long District.  For examples, in Lei Yue Mun, demountable flood barriers had been installed at 14 designated locations to alleviate flooding before the predetermined alert sea level was reached.  In Tai O, DSD commenced the installation of 350 metres demountable flood barriers on the top of riverwall to raise the protection level to +3.8mPD at Wing On Street and south of Tai Ping Street for advance completion before the approach of Mangkhut.
 
     Before the onset of the typhoon, District Offices reminded villagers of the matters that required attention and preventive measures through rural committees and village representatives.  Villagers of remote areas (particularly the underprivileged groups such as the elderly) were advised to seek refuge in a safe place before Mangkhut hit Hong Kong.  Apart from opening temporary shelters, District Offices, having regard to their district needs, also assisted those people in need (such as the elderly) to evacuate when the strong wind signal no. 3 was issued.
 
(2) When super typhoon Mangkhut hit Hong Kong, the Police and the Fire Services Department evacuated or rescued residents in the villages, which are set out in the following table:
 

Location	Number of residents evacuated or rescued
Pok Fu Lam Village, Hong Kong	3
Tsang Tai Uk Village, Sha Tin	103
Luen On San Tsuen, Castle Peak	3
Fu Yung Shan Tsuen, Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen, Sham Tseng Village in Tsuen Wan	46
So Kwun Wat Tsuen, Castle Peak	10
Lei Yue Mun	28
Tai O	129

 
(3) After the cancellation of all TC Warning Signals, the District Social Welfare Offices under the Social Welfare Department (SWD) liaised with the District Offices to, as far as practicable, mobilise staff members and volunteers to visit and render appropriate assistance to remote and hard-hit villages.  Details are as follows:
 

Village Name	Assistance requested by villagers	Details of assistance provided by the Government
Kat O	Resuming water and electricity supply as soon as possible;   Clearing fallen trees; and   Clearing debris and refuse caused by the typhoon.	North District Office co-ordinated with the electricity providers and Water Supplies Department to repair damaged electricity and water supply systems expeditiously.  There was no suspension of electricity service as back up electricity system had been established in Kat O.  Water Supplies Department provided temporary fresh water supply service when the water supply system was under repair.  Electricity and water supply resumed normal on September 20 and September 29 respectively.   Social Welfare Department and North District Office arranged volunteers to visit the victims in Kat O on September 20 and 21, distributing aids (including dried ration and daily necessities etc.) and helping victims to apply for emergency relief fund.   On September 20, 21, 24, 28, and October 4, North District Office deployed workers from contractor to Kat O to clean up the fallen trees and debris in obstructed roads.  Food and Environmental Hygiene Department employed additional contractors to clear the rubbish and debris in the island.  Marine Department re-deployed their ships for North District Office on September 28 and October 4, conveying waste electronic appliances from the island to the contractors of Environmental Protection Department for recycling.  Civil Aid Service deployed manpower to Kat O for clearance works on October 6, 7, and 14.  Clearance works have been largely completed.
Ap Chau, Sai Lau Kong and Lai Chi Wo	Clearance of fallen trees and removal of dangerous trees;   Clearance of debris that blocked pedestrian ways;   Clearance of refuse in the sea and the coast;   Repair of roads, village roads and public facilities;   Resumption of water and electricity supply as soon as possible.	After the cancellation of TC Warning Signals in respect of Mangkhut, the North District Office took the initiative to contact representatives of remote villages, to understand the post-disaster situation of these villages and the needs of villagers on September 17.
Tap Mun and Tap Mun Fishermen’s Village	Resumption of water and electricity supply, and clearance of fallen trees and refuse along the coastline.	Tai Po District Office contacted relevant departments and CLP to follow up residents’ requests.  Tai Po District Office visited Tap Mun on September 19 to enquire the needs of villagers and distribute application forms of General Chinese Charities Fund to the victims.  Later on September 23, Tai Po District Office and Heung Yee Kuk visited Tap Mun again, ordering contractors to assist the clearance of fallen trees, debris and repairing of damaged roads etc.   Before the resumption of water supply on September 23, Tai Po District Office had made six deliveries of distilled water (1 120 bottles with a capacity of 4.5 litres each) to residents for consumption.   Before the resumption of electricity supply on September 21, Tai Po District Office had been maintaining close contact with CLP, requesting for the resumption of electricity supply and provide adequate temporary electricity generators for residents.
Tung Ping Chau	Clearance of fallen trees and re-opening of roads.	Tai Po District Office contacted relevant departments to follow up residents’ requests.  On September 19, Tai Po District Office visited Tung Ping Chau on September 19 to enquire the needs of villagers and distribute application forms of General Chinese Charities Fund to the victims.  Later on September 23, Tai Po District Office and Heung Yee Kuk visited Tung Ping Chau again, ordering contractors to assist the clearance of fallen trees, debris and repairing of damaged roads etc.   On September 21, Tai Po District Office re-opened 2 village roads from the Tung Ping Chau Pier to Sha Tau Village and Chau Tou Village and delivered mineral water to residents for consumption.  Maintenance works of the village roads concerned commenced on October 2.
Sai Wan and Tai Long Tsuen	Some pedestrian ways were devastated.  Water and electricity supplies in the village were cut off.   Village lights collapsed along the access to Sai Wan.	The issues of interrupted water and electricity supply had been referred to CLP and the Water Supplies Department for follow-up.  The water and electricity supplies were gradually resumed on September 19.    Sai Kung District Office, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, Sai Kung District Community Centre and Sai Wan Tsuen representatives conducted on-site visit on September 26 and enquired on the needs of villagers.  Sai Kung District Office commenced repair works of pedestrian roads in early October, scheduled to be completed in late October.  Highways Department cleaned up the collapsed village lights in early October, pending further reconstruction after the completion of the abovementioned repair works.   Sai Kung District Office have been in communication with the village representatives of Tai Long Tsuen.  Sai Kung District Office will commence the repairing works of pedestrian pavements in mid-December, scheduled to be completed in late February 2019.
Tung A, Pak A, and Yim Tin Tsai	Some pedestrian ways were damaged after the typhoon.	Sai Kung District Office have been in communication with the village representatives of Tung A, Pak A, and Yim Tin Tsai to enquire on the needs of villagers. Sai Kung District Office will commence the repairing works of pedestrian pavements in Yim Tin Tsai in mid-November, scheduled to be completed in late December.  Repair works of pedestrian pavements in Tung A and Pak A will be started in mid-December, scheduled to be completed in late February 2019.
Nam Wai	Pedestrian ways and a breakwater were devastated by sea waves and sea water flooded some houses. Requests for repair were made.   The Kowloon-bound minibuses and buses did not stop at the mini-bus stops/bus stops off Nam Wai public toilet after the typhoon.   A large amount of refuse piled up at refuse collection points.  Requests for clearing were made.	Sai Kung District Office referred the fallen trees near mini bus and bus stops to the Transport Department upon acknowledging the case from the village representatives on September 20.  Transport Department arranged clearance operations which was completed on September 22, traffic resumed normal since then.   Sai Kung District Office conducted several on-site visits for road repair and debris clearance. Repair works on pedestrian pavement will be started in mid-November, scheduled to be completed in late December.    Sai Kung District Office has contacted FEHD for enhancement in clearance of pavements and debris collection and clearance.  The situation has improved since early October.
Ma Nam Wat	Metal frames and a large amount of refuse were found on the sea and the coast respectively.  Requests for clearance were made.   Pedestrian ways along the coast and a breakwater were damaged. Requests for repair were made.	Sai Kung District Office has been in close contact with the village representatives to understand the needs of the villagers, and referred to the Marine Department (MD) and FEHD for followed up actions MD will, in late October, arrange manpower to clear the marine refuse.  FEHD had already removed the accumulated rubbish near the coast by phases, and will continue to arrange manpower to clean up the remaining large-sized debris.    Sai Kung District Office will commence the repair works on the damaged pedestrian ways in mid-December.  It is expected to be completed in late February 2019.
Tai O and Ma Wan Chung Village, Tung Chung	Houses were damaged by collapsed trees;   Clearance of fallen trees and debris;   Assistance in removal of furniture and electrical appliances;   Replacement of electrical appliances damaged in flood; and   Cleansing of houses.	Through co-ordination of SWD, two non-government organisations (NGOs) took the initiative to contact villagers of Tai O and Ma Wan Chung Village in Tung Chung after the typhoon, and provided the following assistance:   – Arranging for the residents in need to move to temporary shelters; – Arranging for volunteers to assist in clearing debris, removal of furniture and electrical appliances as well as cleansing houses; and – Assisting residents to replace damaged electrical appliances by applying for charitable funding or donations.
Tui Min Hoi Chuen, Woo Mei Village, Po Lo Che Tsuen and Tseng Lan Shue Village	Hit by floods and strong wind, some families suffered damage to the interior of their homes, furniture and electrical appliances;   Houses were seriously damaged and no longer inhabitable; and   Fallen tress blocked access roads to homes or damaged houses.	Social workers from SWD visited the affected families and assessed their situations.  Grants under charitable funds were made in four cases for home repairs and replacement of furniture and electrical appliances.   SWD also made payment from charitable funds for those cases with badly damaged homes to help them cover the urgent living expenditure arising from temporary accommodation elsewhere.  Meanwhile, SWD will keep in contact with the Lands Department to follow up the long-term housing arrangement for cases of destroyed homes, and both departments will jointly follow up the grants under the Emergency Relief Fund/ charitable funds, so as to help families whose houses were damaged repair the rooftops destroyed by strong wind, make good their homes and replace furniture.   With the assistance of social workers from SWD, some families were evacuated to stay in private residential care homes for the elderly temporarily prior to the typhoon.  Thereafter, through liaison by SWD, volunteers helped with speedy clearance of fallen trees, and the families concerned moved back to their homes.  Besides, SWD co-ordinated with District Offices to make payment to them from charitable funds to cover the accommodation fee for their stay in such elderly homes.
To Tau Wan Village and Tsang Tai Uk Village	Financial assistance for repairing damaged homes or/and replacing damaged electrical appliances/furniture.	Social workers from SWD and the Integrated Family Service Centres operated by NGOs visited some affected residents to understand their plights and help those in need apply for financial assistance under charitable funds for home repairs.
Kat O, Tap Mun, Sai Lau Kong and Tung Ping Chau	Application for emergency financial assistance;   Replacement of electrical appliances damaged in floods; and   Removal of debris and clearance of pedestrian ways after the disastrous typhoon.	SWD proactively liaised with the District Offices and NGOs to provide the following assistance to villagers in Kat O, Tap Mun, Sai Lau Kong and Tung Ping Chau after the typhoon:   – Distributing emergency supplies packs to the affected villagers; – Assisting the affected villagers to apply for emergency financial assistance for home repair or replacement of damaged furniture and electrical appliances, so as to help them rebuild their homes; – Arranging for volunteers to help the affected villagers remove debris and clear the pedestrian ways; and – Distributing rice cookers and fridges donated by institutions to some of the affected villagers.
Mai Po, Shek Wu Wai, Fung Kat Heung and Ko Po Tsuen	Financial assistance for replacing damaged electrical appliances and furniture.	After the typhoon, SWD proactively liaised with five village offices in Yuen Long to understand the post-typhoon situation in various villages, and help residents in need replace damaged electrical appliances and furniture through application for grants under charitable funds or referral to NGOs.

 
(4) Interruptions of fresh water and electricity supply to villages caused by Mangkhut are tabulated as follows:
 

Village name	District where the village is located	Number of days affected by power interruption (Notes 1,2,3)
Kai Kuk Shue Ha	North District, NT	4
Lai Chi Wo	North District, NT	4
Sam A Tsuen	North District, NT	4
Kuk Po	North District, NT	4
Fung Hang	North District, NT	4
Kat O	North District, NT (Islands)	4
Tap Mun and Tap Mun Fishermen’s Village	Tai Po	4
Chau Tau	Yuen Long	3
Tung Shing Lei	Yuen Long	3
Hadden Hill	Yuen Long	3
Pak Sha Tsuen	Yuen Long	3
Wong Nai Tun	Yuen Long	3
Shek Tong Tsuen	Yuen Long	3
Yeung Uk Tsuen	Yuen Long	3
Tin Fu Tsai	Tuen Mun	6
Tseng Tau Village	Tuen Mun	3
Lung Ha Wan	Tuen Mun	3
Wong Chuk Yeung	Tuen Mun	3
Ko Lau Wan	Tuen Mun	3
Mau Tso Ngam	Kowloon Peak	3
Fu Yung Pit	Kowloon Peak	3

Note 1: CLP service teams commenced power supply restoration work for customers while Mangkhut gradually moved away from Hong Kong.  Power supply was resumed for most affected customers within 3 days.  However, for areas more severely damaged and with blocked roads, or remote areas where service teams and equipment could only be transported thereto by sea, as well as for those cases in which the customers’ equipment was damaged, it took more time to restore their power supply.
Note 2: As power can be supplied to the villages from multiple electricity supply sources, for some customers with access to alternate sources, power supply was restored in a time shorter than those tabulated above.
Note 3: The above date was manually compiled on the basis of the data of CLP’s outage management system.  Some customers might experience a longer power supply interruption due to network client problems.
 

Village name	District in which the village is located	No. of days for which fresh water supply was interrupted	Temporary water supply
			No. of water tanks	No. of water wagons	No. of water vessels	No. of public stand- pipes	Total volume of water supplied (in cubic metre)
Scenic Garden#	Cheung Chau	1	0	0	0	1	5
Tap Mun*#, Ko Lau Wan *# and Sai Wan *#	Sai Kung	6	0	0	1	0	About 100
Kat O# and Sai Lau Kong #	North District	6	9	0	1	0	About 200
Ap Chau#	North District	10	2	0	0	0	5
Along Route Twisk * (including Kwong Pan Tin Tsuen, Route Twisk Villa, Sun Hoi Tin Village, Chuen Lun, etc.)	Tsuen Wan	3-4	14	1	0	0	20
Sheung Tsuen (part)*	Yuen Long	3	6	1	0	0	155
Ta Shek Wu (part)*	Yuen Long	4	1	0	0	0	48
Ki Lun Shan Village (part)*	Yuen Long	3	2	0	0	0	13
Wo Shang Wai#	Yuen Long	1	1	0	0	0	6

 
* Water supply suspension caused by the suspension of electricity supply.
# Water pipes were damaged by fallen trees and strong waves, some of the damaged pipes are located in remote areas, longer time is needed to ascertain the location of the concerned pipes for repair works.
 
(5) When the typhoon was over, the Government mobilised considerable manpower to carry out clearance operations each day and invited a number of contractors to provide temporary manpower and equipment for speedy clearance of fallen trees and their removal from road surface so that road traffic could resume normal.  Community organisations and volunteer groups from different districts helped clear debris and tree branches on roads and beaches.  In the aftermath of the typhoon, the Civil Aid Service has been assisting other government departments in recovery and restoration work, including clearing obstruction caused by fallen trees.  Such operations are still on-going.
 
     Individual District Offices took consideration of the actual situation and needs, and collaborated with NGOs and district bodies to organise volunteers for assisting villagers with necessary clear-ups in remote villages.
 
(6) As on October 14, MD received 555 reports of vessel accidents in relation to Mangkhut, and handled 125 stranded, listed and capsized vessels.  MD conducts periodic assessment of the demand and supply of sheltered space in Hong Kong to ensure sufficient supply of sheltered space for local vessels.  According to MD, there is adequate sheltered space in Hong Kong waters for local vessels to take refuge during typhoons or inclement weather to safeguard vessels and their crew members.
 
(7) The Government provides cash assistance programmes, including the General Chinese Charities Fund and special aid fund which make grants under the administration of the Home Affairs Department, to help people facing economic difficulties caused by Mangkhut.  Under the existing mechanism, applications for cash assistance from both funds must be submitted to District Offices for approval by the respective District Officers.
 
     The Emergency Relief Fund (ERF) aims to provide prompt assistance for persons who are in need of urgent relief as a result of fire, flooding, tempest, landslide, typhoon or other natural disasters.  Grants from ERF are intended for relief rather than compensation.  According to the Emergency Relief Fund Ordinance (Cap. 1103), ERF is vested in the Director of Social Welfare Incorporated as Trustee.  The responsibility for approving grants and making payments is vested in the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD), MD, SWD and LandsD.
 
(8) In respect of construction of breakwaters or other facilities at villages in low-lying areas to counter storm surges, the Government will make assessment with regard to the situation of different villages and implement measures, taking into account their practical effectiveness, technical feasibility, site restrictions, and cost effectiveness.  For instance, in Tai O, the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) completed a series of works to tackle tidal back flow during improvement works in Tai O (Phase 1) in 2013, including the construction of a river wall about 220 metres long, a floodwater pumping station, and a demountable flood barrier some 350 metres in length, to reduce the impact of tidal back flow.  To reinforce certain coastal areas in Tai O against wave impact, the CEDD completed the restoration of the old pier at Shek Tsai Po near Tai O Heritage Hotel in Tai O. On the other hand, DSD is raising the flood discharge capacity of the Tai O Wing On Street Stormwater Pumping Station. The project is expected to be completed by 2019/20.
 
     Furthermore, CEDD will thoroughly examine the situation of coastal and low-lying areas or exposed places, and conduct studies on storm surge, and wind and wave to evaluate the effects of inclement weather on those locations arising from climatic changes.  Based on the findings of studies, it will formulate measures, including improvement works and management measures, to cope with and withstand such weather.
 
     The Home Affairs Department has always been undergoing projects within the scope of minor works for improving access to remote villages and rural infrastructure (such as installation of drainage facilities on both sides of village access roads).  It will also carry out works for necessary follow-ups in the wake of typhoons.
 
     The review of the mechanism of emergency response and recovery in respect of the super typhoon co-ordinated by Security Bureau has commenced.  The Government will take into account the Mangkhut experience in conducting the review, including considering ways to bolster the capability of rural and low-lying areas to withstand and recover from typhoons. read more

     Following is a question by Dr Hon Elizabeth Quat and a reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (October 24):

Question:

     Last month, super typhoon Mangkhut caused serious damage to Hong Kong. However, the majority of members of the public had to go to work at a time when the storm had not completely subsided and the transport services had not resumed normal, resulting in chaos. Regarding the follow-up work after the onslaught of the typhoon, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as some members of the public have relayed that the factors contributing to the damage of many vessels in Sai Kung during the onslaught of the typhoon include: insufficient berthing spaces at typhoon shelters, typhoon shelters being remotely located making vessel owners unwilling to berth their vessels there, inadequacies of the breakwaters and wind protection facilities, and the disorderly berthing of vessels, of the Government’s measures to solve these problems;

(2) whether it will improve the resilience of the areas near Tseung Kwan O seafront against typhoons, such as by reinforcing the seawalls, constructing breakwaters, replacing the pavement slabs and seats of the waterfront promenade with more sturdy ones, and installing additional flood prevention facilities for the housing estates concerned; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it will set up a mechanism whereby the Government may declare a certain period after a natural disaster to be “a period of special circumstances”, within which the work arrangements for employees should be in line with those during the time when the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 8 or above is in force; if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Mangkhut was the most powerful super typhoon affecting Hong Kong over the past few decades. It reached a peak sustained wind speed of 250 kilometres per hour. While Mangkhut hit Hong Kong, it brought severe storm surge to the territory, which led to inundation in low-lying areas and caused widespread damage to Hong Kong. Over 54 000 reports of fallen trees and 500 reports of broken windows were received by government departments. The recovery work of Mangkhut requires more time and resources than did previous typhoons, and needs prioritisation.

　　In fact, every government department has been sparing no effort in the recovery work of Mangkhut. Given the unprecedented destruction and widespread damages, however, some recovery work is still on-going and the relevant government departments will continue to follow up vigorously.    

　　I have consulted the relevant bureaux and departments and my consolidated reply to the questions raised by Dr Hon Quat’s question is as follows:

(1) As in mid October, the Marine Department (MD) received altogether 220 reports of accidents in relation to Mangkhut in Sai Kung District, and handled 125 stranded, listed or capsized vessels. Over the past weekend, MD obtained consent from the shipyard owners to start clearing the sunken vessels off the shipyards in Pak Sha Wan. Should the owners of those sunken vessels agree to apply for parting with the ownership of the vessels, MD will arrange clearance of the wreckages as soon as possible.

　　As for constructing additional breakwaters and typhoon shelters to increase the sheltered space, MD’s observation is that only 3 among the 14 gazetted typhoon shelters, namely the Rambler Channel, To Kwa Wan and Tuen Mun Typhoon Shelters, reached a 100 per cent occupancy rate during the passage of super typhoon Mangkhut. The remaining 11 typhoon shelters, including the Yim Tin Tsai Typhoon Shelter in Sai Kung, still had sheltered space available, indicating that sufficient sheltered space can be found in Sai Kung district and within the waters of Hong Kong for local vessels to use during typhoon. Regarding the provision of more private mooring buoys, representatives of MD attended a Sai Kung District Council meeting in March this year to brief the councillors on the proposal of designating a new private mooring area in Yim Tin Tsai and expanding the private mooring area in Tso Wo Hang. With the general support from the councillors, MD is now devising a detailed plan in consultation with the local stakeholders.

(2) Based on the experience gained from Mangkhut, the Government will examine the applicability of different flood prevention strategy, together with assessment of the practical effectiveness, technical feasibility, land constraints and cost-effectiveness, etc. of various measures.
 
     In Tseung Kwan O Waterfront Park, strong wind and backflow of seawater caused damage to the facilities. The Leisure and Cultural Services Department, together with the Architectural Services Department and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, carried out on-site assessment and restoration, including connection to temporary power sources for night-time lighting and repaving part of the pedestrian ways. In order to complete the repairs concerned as soon as possible, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department will actively discuss with various government departments on ways to improve the facilities in Tseung Kwan O Waterfront Park, including looking into a change in paving material and park benches, as well as exploring the feasibility of relocating power cubicles with the Architectural Services Department. Relevant departments are now reviewing the overall layouts of the Park to formulate improvement measures with a view to mitigating potential damage to the park facilities under typhoon in future. After the completion of the design plan, departments will consult with the relevant stakeholders as soon as possible.

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department will thoroughly examine the situation of coastal and low-lying areas or exposed places, and conduct studies on storm surge, and wind and wave to evaluate the effects of inclement weather on those locations arising from climatic changes. Based on the findings of studies, it will formulate measures, including improvement works and management measures, to cope with and withstand such weather.
 
     To alleviate the flooding problem in the housing estates along Tseung Kwan O seafront, the Drainage Services Department can render technical support in respect of the affected building facilities like car parks. For example, additional floodgates may be installed at the entrance to stop seawater from flooding into the building which may result in damage to the facilities, and special devices may be added to the drainage system and manhole covers.

(3) The Government attaches great importance to the safety of employees at work, as well as on their journey to and from work, whether during the effective period or upon the cancellation of typhoon or rainstorm warnings. On the other hand, the Government also understands the importance of early resumption of social services and economic activities as soon as possible after typhoons or rainstorms. Taking into account the general interests of employers, employees and the community, the Labour Department has formulated the “Code of Practice in Times of Typhoons and Rainstorms” (the Code) which provides advice and practical guidelines on work arrangements in times of typhoons and rainstorms; resumption of work arrangements after cancellation of typhoon and rainstorm warnings; as well as wage computations and leave arrangements. The Code also advises the employers to take prime consideration of employees’ safety in the workplace and during the journey to and from work. Employers are also advised to be flexible in handling cases of employees facing genuine difficulties. 

     Given the diversity in nature and requirements of different jobs in various trades and industries, it is crucial to maintain different degrees of operation under inclement weather conditions for some essential services, such as public transport, public utilities, medical services, homes for the elderly or persons with disabilities, hotels and security. Moreover, the circumstances of employees commuting from home to workplace in different districts are as varied as the impact of inclement weather on public transport and road systems there. The preliminary view of the Labour and Welfare Bureau is that it is not practical to introduce a piece of legislation to govern the work arrangements of employees under specific circumstances, otherwise the operational needs of different industries and the community as a whole will be overlooked, and the flexibility in the work arrangements between the employers and employees will be affected.

     The Security Bureau is co-ordinating a review on the emergency response and recovery in respect of handling super typhoons. We are also aware of the comments from different Members on post-typhoon work arrangement. We will take account of the Mangkhut experience and examine ways to enhance the plans and systems for response and recovery.

     Thank you President. read more