A woman was fined $12,000 at the Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts today (September 26) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.
      
     The courts heard that in March this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Arthur Street in Yau Ma Tei. 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 premise 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".

The following is issued on behalf of the Environmental Campaign Committee:

     The Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) today (September 26) held a presentation ceremony for winning schools under the 16th Hong Kong Green School Award (HKGSA) to recognise their efforts in promoting environmental education and practising the habit of "use less, waste less". This year, 59 schools received the Green School Award while 25 schools won the Green Lunch School Award (see Annex for the list of awardees).

     Speaking at the award presentation ceremony, the Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said that waste reduction at source is the key to tackling environmental problems. He called on the public to take proactive action to achieve the aim of "dump less, save more" and live a low-carbon lifestyle. He also encouraged schools to maintain their efforts in promoting the message of "use less, waste less".

     The Chairman of the ECC, Mr Lam Chiu-ying, commended the winning schools for their unfailing efforts in enhancing environmental awareness among students. He said that in addition to incorporating different environmental elements into their curriculum, the schools had also organised various environmental activities to nurture students' interest in exploring nature, with the aim of developing a caring attitude towards nature and natural resources. 

     For the primary and secondary school categories of the HKGSA, the schools underwent assessments according to four criteria, namely Environmental Policy and Campus Environment, Environmental Management Measures, Environmental Education Plan and Implementation, and Environmental Education Effectiveness. After verification of the scores, schools meeting the benchmark scores in the relevant assessment criteria were presented with the Green School Gold, Silver or Bronze Award. Among a total of 181 entries this year, seven primary schools and nine secondary schools received the Gold Award, six primary schools and five secondary schools received the Silver Award, and 14 primary schools and eight secondary schools received the Bronze Award. Schools receiving the title Hong Kong Green School were invited to compete in the schools sector of the 2018 Hong Kong Awards for Environmental Excellence.

     In the pre-school category, assessment was made according to four criteria, namely Environmental Infrastructure, Environmental Management, Environmental Education, and Parents' Participation in Environmental Activities. This year, 10 award-winning pre-schools out of 48 entries were presented with cash prizes ranging from $5,000 to $10,000.

     Launched in 2000, the HKGSA has since attracted the participation of more than 860 schools. The scheme, sponsored by the Environment and Conservation Fund, aims to encourage schools to formulate an environmental policy and implement an environmental management plan. The scheme also aims to enhance environmental awareness, help develop an environment-friendly attitude and promote green practices among school managers, teachers, non-teaching staff, students and their families. 

     For details about the HKGSA, please visit the ECC's Schools Go Green website at school.ecc.org.hk.

     The 16th HKGSA presentation ceremony was held at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre today. In addition to Mr Wong and Mr Lam, other officiating guests were Deputy Secretary for Education, Mrs Hong Chan Tsui-wah, and the Convenor of the ECC Education Working Group, Ms Sylvia Chan. Representatives from the co-organisers, namely the Education University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Productivity Council and the Vocational Training Council, also attended the event.

     The Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Patrick Nip, visited Southern District this morning (September 26), touring a special school and a community service centre and meeting with members of the Southern District Council (SDC).
 
     Mr Nip started by visiting a government-aided special school in the district. He toured the school's facilities, including the occupational therapy room and the speech therapy room, and exchanged views with teachers and students to learn about the teaching situation in the school. The school renders comprehensive education, rehabilitation and hostel service to children aged 6 or above who have physical disabilities and are suffering from learning disabilities. In addition to offering mainstream Primary One to senior secondary curricula, the school also customises curricula and teaching materials for students with severe learning disorders.

     Mr Nip said he was pleased to learn that students in the school had overcome their physical impairment with perseverance and participated in a number of sports and art competitions. He encouraged them to keep up with the efforts and stay positive in coping with the challenges in life.

     He was also concerned about the impact of Super Typhoon Mangkhut on the school campus, and said he was glad to learn that the school had resumed classes smoothly, thanks to the timely precautionary measures taken and prompt recovery work carried out after the typhoon.

     Mr Nip then visited a community centre dedicated to serving residents in Southern District. During exchanges with the representatives and members of the centre, he was briefed on the activities organised by the centre and its development plan. The centre provides diversified social welfare services and community facilities to children, youths and the elderly in the district. It also promotes community participation by residents and local organisations with a view to forging a spirit of mutual support.

     Together with the elderly members of the centre, Mr Nip took part in a micro-movie filming activity and shot some footage with the elderly. He said he was impressed by the elderly people's tireless efforts and passion in learning. He encouraged them to keep up with their energetic spirit, maintain their curiosity and stay positive with a view to enhancing their physical and mental health.

     Accompanied by the District Officer (Southern), Mrs Dorothy Ma, Mr Nip met with the Chairman of the SDC, Mr Chu Ching-hong, and members of the SDC to exchange views on district and community affairs.

          

     The Central Platform on Building Management will be launched to assist owners in building management and large-scale maintenance projects, the Home Affairs Department (HAD) announced today (September 26).
      
     Under the Central Platform, the HAD will organise regular briefings for owners on building management and maintenance. At each briefing, representatives from relevant government departments and organisations, including the Buildings Department (BD), the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Hong Kong Police Force, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Urban Renewal Authority and the Competition Commission, will provide information and introduce their relevant services and schemes on building management and maintenance. 
      
     "The main targets of the new initiative are owners, owners' corporations, owners' committees and Mutual Aid Committees of buildings which have received pre-notification letters on the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme, repair orders from the BD, and fire safety directions from the BD and the FSD. We also welcome interested parties who want to know more about building management and maintenance," the HAD spokesman said.
      
     Taking into account the distribution of the main targets of the Central Platform, the HAD has initially lined up briefings in seven districts, and has written to the relevant owners, owners' corporations, owners' committees and Mutual Aid Committees to promote and encourage them to attend the Central Platform briefings. The first briefing will be held at 7.30pm tomorrow (September 27) at Kennedy Town Community Complex, Kennedy Town. 
      
     "We hope that these one-stop Central Platform briefings will provide a more convenient way for owners, particularly those who are about to embark on maintenance work, to learn more about the related services and schemes, their application methods and contact information for further enquiries," the HAD spokesman added.
      
     For details of the briefings, please visit the HAD's dedicated website on building management or contact the District Building Management Liaison Teams of the respective District Offices.

     The Tourism Commission (TC) announced today (September 26) that after evaluating the operation of the Food Truck Pilot Scheme, the Government has decided to extend the Scheme for two more years to February 2, 2021.
 
     "The Scheme has been operating for about 20 months so far. We observed that the gross revenue of the 15 food trucks varied. Some performed quite well and even opened brick-and-mortar shops. Although the performance of some was just average, the overall situation reflected that there was some room for business for food trucks. Hence, we have decided to extend the Scheme for two more years," a spokesman for the TC said.
 
     In respect of the operating venues, except for AsiaWorld-Expo which will not participate further in the Scheme in light of its development plan, the TC has sought the agreement in principle from the management of all of the other 11 existing operating venues to continue accommodating the 15 food trucks to operate in their venues. Furthermore, the TC will continue to arrange for food trucks to operate at designated mega events organised by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. 
 
     The spokesman said that since the launch of the Scheme, the TC has rolled out a number of refinement measures with a view to improving the business environment and expanding the operational flexibility of the food trucks. These include introducing new operating venues; providing a more flexible shift arrangement; allowing food trucks to participate in self-identified events; allowing operators to opt whether to operate at the scheduled designated venues; and allowing operators to identify new operating venues for consideration and follow-up by the Government. During the extension period of the Scheme, the TC will continue to look for other new operating venues and explore further refinement measures where practicable. 
 
     The two-year Scheme was launched on February 3 last year with an objective of adding fun and vibrancy to Hong Kong's tourist attractions.