The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) wishes to alert members of the public to a press release issued by The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited on phishing email, which has been reported to the HKMA. Hyperlink to the press release is available on the HKMA website for ease of reference by members of the public.

     Anyone who has provided his or her personal information to the email concerned or has conducted any financial transactions through the email should contact the bank concerned using the contact information provided in the press release, and report to the Police or contact the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force at 2860 5012.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The spokesperson for Princess Margaret Hospital made the following announcement today (July 5):
 
     During a monthly routine screening, six babies (three male and three female, aged 19 to 51 days) in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit were confirmed to be carriers of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus since July 3, but all without clinical symptoms. Due to their own underlying diseases, all six babies are still being hospitalised under medical surveillance and isolation. Four of them are in stable condition while the other two are in serious condition.
 
     Infection control measures in the ward have already been stepped up according to the prevailing guidelines. All other infants in the ward are under close medical surveillance.
 
     The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the Centre for Health Protection for necessary follow-up.
 

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 5) announced that a prepackaged cucumber sample was found to have pesticide residue at a level exceeding the legal limit. The CFS is following up on the case.

     Details of the product are as follows:

Product: British Cucumber
Place of origin: United Kingdom
Distributor: Marks and Spencer (Asia Pacific) Limited
Best-before date: June 17, 2018

     A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the cucumber sample from a supermarket in Tsing Yi for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained pymetrozine at a level of 0.5 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the maximum residue limit (MRL) of 0.1ppm.

     "The CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and is tracing the source of the affected product.

     "Based on the level of pesticide residue detected in the sample, adverse health effects would not be caused under usual consumption."

     Generally speaking, to reduce pesticide residues in vegetables, members of the public can rinse vegetables thoroughly under clean running water, and scrub produce with hard surfaces with a clean brush to remove dirt and substances including pesticides and contaminants from the surface and the crevices, when appropriate.

     Any person who imports, manufactures or sells any food not in compliance with the requirements of the Pesticide Residues in Food Regulation (Cap 132CM) concerning pesticide residues commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     Since the regulation came into effect on August 1, 2014, the CFS has taken over 147 800 samples at import, wholesale and retail levels for testing for pesticide residues. Together with the unsatisfactory sample announced today, a total of 226 food samples (including 218 vegetable and fruit samples) have been detected as having excessive pesticide residues. The overall unsatisfactory rate is less than 0.2 per cent.

     The spokesman added that excessive pesticide residues in food may arise from the trade not observing Good Agricultural Practice, e.g. using excessive pesticides and/or not allowing sufficient time for pesticides to decompose before harvesting. The MRLs of pesticide residues in food set in the Regulation are not safety indicators. They are the maximum concentrations of pesticide residues to be permitted in a food commodity under Good Agricultural Practice when applying pesticides. In this connection, consumption of food with pesticide residues higher than the MRLs will not necessarily lead to any adverse health effects.

     The CFS will alert the trade to the incident and continue to follow up. Investigation is ongoing.

     The Development Bureau announced today (July 5) that four projects proposed by non-profit-making organisations (NPOs) have been selected to revitalise Roberts Block of the Old Victoria Barracks in Central, Luen Wo Market in Fanling, the Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station in Yuen Long and Watervale House of the Former Gordon Hard Camp in Tuen Mun under Batch V of the Revitalising Historic Buildings Through Partnership Scheme (Revitalisation Scheme).
 
     Roberts Block of the Old Victoria Barracks (a Grade 1 historic building) will be converted into the Roberts Block Open HeArts Centre by Christian Oi Hip Fellowship Limited together with Art Hub Asia Company Limited. The Centre will organise a series of creative arts workshops and therapy programmes to promote psychological and emotional wellness, and provide useful skills for people in need to reduce stress. Guided tours will also be arranged for the public to learn more about the history and architectural features of the building.
 
     Luen Wo Market (a Grade 3 historic building) will be turned into Luen Wo Market – House of Urban and Rural Living by Hong Kong Lutheran Social Service, LC-HKS. The project will revive traditional market operations with stalls and shops selling local vegetables, farm products and daily necessities. Through a variety of guided tours, workshops and activities, the project will show visitors the history and changes of Luen Wo Market and its surrounding rural area, thereby enhancing their understanding of rural lives.
 
     The Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station (a Grade 3 historic building) will be revitalised into Former Lau Fau Shan Police Station – Hong Kong Guide Dogs Academy by Hong Kong Guide Dogs Association Limited. Guide dogs will be bred and trained at the site to provide service to the visually impaired. Some dogs will be trained to provide therapy for people in need, such as children who suffer from autism and communicative problems. The Academy will also display the history and architectural merit of the police station building as well as the development of oyster farming and the fisheries industry in the Lau Fau Shan area through organising different displays and guided tours.
 
     Watervale House of the Former Gordon Hard Camp (a Grade 2 historic building) will be revitalised by the Tuen Mun Soul Oasis Foundation Limited into the Tuen Mun Soul Oasis, promoting a positive lifestyle through workshops, talks and courses on positive thinking and spiritual development. Themed guided tours and workshops will be arranged to introduce the history and heritage of the military site and the Tuen Mun area. There will be a featured restaurant with a menu including Gurkha food to promote Gurkha food culture.
 
     The Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, said at the press conference, "The Development Bureau launched the Revitalisation Scheme in 2008. Through collaboration with NPOs, historic buildings are preserved, revitalised and put into good use. Under the scheme, historic buildings are given a new lease of life and the public has the opportunity to visit and appreciate these old buildings with heritage value. It is also expected that, through the revitalisation projects, old communities are rebuilt, employment opportunities are created, the local economy is stimulated, and niche social services are provided. 
 
     "The Scheme has been in place for 10 years. Including the four projects announced today, there are a total of 19 projects. Nine of them are already in operation and had received about 4.6 million visitors by the end of May this year. Among them, five scooped up United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. This proves that our adaptive re-use of historic buildings has won international recognition and the results are truly heartening."
 
     Mr Wong thanked members of the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation for their professionalism and dedication in selecting the best adaptive re-use for the historic buildings under Batch V of the Revitalisation Scheme.
 
     The Government will earmark funding of about $365 million to renovate the four historic buildings and a further $18 million for subsidising the initial operation of the projects. The projects in this batch are expected to be completed and come into operation from 2022 to 2023, and will create over 120 full-time or part-time jobs.
 
     The Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation assessed 34 applications received under Batch V of the Revitalisation Scheme in accordance with the following five criteria:
 
* reflection of historical value and significance;
* technical aspects;
* social value and social enterprise operation;
* financial viability; and
* management capability and other considerations.
 
     For Fong Yuen Study Hall (a Grade 3 historic building) in Ma Wan under the same batch of the Revitalisation Scheme, the Committee did not recommend any proposal.
 
     The Chairman of the Committee, Professor Lau Chi-pang, said, "The Committee has concluded after in-depth deliberation that the proposals had failed to meet the selection threshold in all five assessment aspects."
 
     Fong Yuen Study Hall will continue to be managed by the Government and open to the public for the time being. The Government will examine the site's long-term use, including a relaunch of the building in the next batch of the Revitalisation Scheme for applications from NPOs.
 
     Details of the selected projects can be found at the heritage conservation website at www.heritage.gov.hk.
 
     The Government launched the Revitalisation Scheme in 2008 to invite proposals from NPOs to revitalise selected government-owned historic buildings in the form of social enterprises. Where justified, the Government will provide financial support to the selected organisations, including one-off grants to cover the cost of major renovation of the buildings, in part or in full; nominal rental for the buildings; and one-off grants to meet the starting costs and operating deficits of the social enterprises for a maximum of the first two years of operation at a ceiling of $5 million per project, on the prerequisite that the selected proposal is projected to become self-sustainable after this initial period.

    

     The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced today (July 5) that the Government will seek Executive Council (ExCo) approval for an in-situ land exchange for waterfront development in place of the industrial building (IB) under development on two private lots at Hoi Yu Street in Quarry Bay (IL 8590 RP and IL 8723 RP), subject to the development proposal obtaining endorsement by the Town Planning Board (TPB).

     A spokesman for the DEVB said, "The community has been expressing the wish that the IB should not proceed at the harbourfront and instead be replaced by a development that is more compatible with the surrounding environment. We are pleased that the lot owner has responded positively with an alternative proposal involving a waterfront leisure, tourism and commercial development providing retail, hotel and office facilities, to be developed on a strip of land straddling a portion of the private lots and extending into adjoining government land at the prominent waterfront location. That strip of land is zoned 'Other Specified Uses' annotated 'Cultural and/or Commercial, Leisure and Tourism Related Uses' on the Quarry Bay Outline Zoning Plan No. S/H21/28, with the stipulation that any proposal for development on it has to be submitted to the TPB for approval.

     "Having worked with the lot owner closely to explore the idea in the past few months and in the interest of upholding transparency, the Government considers now is the opportune time to share the latest progress with the public."

     The development proposal is subject to planning approval and land administration procedures. To take things forward, the lot owner has engaged consultants to undertake detailed design and technical studies for the proposed development in preparation for a consultation with the Eastern District Council (EDC) and the Harbourfront Commission (HC), as well as the submission to be made to the TPB later this year.

     The lot owner's latest proposal comprises several tower blocks, the height of which will take into account the building height requirement for the area, hence representing a significant reduction from the 25 storeys for the original IB. The total gross floor area of the proposed development will be 37 155 square metres (which is comparable to the original permitted gross floor area of 37 161 sq m for the IB) and will be mainly for retail, hotel, leisure and office uses. Taking advantage of the harbourfront setting, the facilities will help turn the area into a leisure and tourism node. A 10-metre-wide promenade will also be maintained along the Hoi Yu Street waterfront for public enjoyment, and pedestrian access will be provided to enhance the connectivity to and vibrancy of the waterfront. The lot owner's consultants are preparing further details of the development scheme for submission to the EDC sub-committee and the HC in the near future.

     Taking into account the gross floor area of the proposed development and the current height restriction of the area, the development will need to take up additional government land in addition to the land owned by the lot owner. This will be effected by an in-situ land exchange subject to payment of full market premium that requires the ExCo's approval following the TPB's endorsement. According to the initial estimate, the lot owner will surrender the two private lots with total area of 2 477 sq m in return for a re-grant of 8 532 sq m of land from the Government.

     By way of background, the two private lots are permitted for industrial and/or godown purposes and a set of building plans for an IB development was approved in 2001. It was not until April 2003 that the lots and adjacent government land were rezoned to "Other Specified Uses" annotated "Cultural and/or Commercial, Leisure and Tourism Related Uses" and "Open Space". The proposed IB development on the private lots is not in contravention of any planning and building regulations or lease conditions. Construction of the IB commenced around mid-2017. The DEVB and the lot owner have since been working closely to explore the idea of an alternative proposal that can better address the local aspirations and achieve the planning intent of the "Other Specified Uses" zone.