The Environment Bureau (ENB) and the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (August 10) met with representatives of relevant retail trade associations of home electrical appliances to review the implementation of the Producer Responsibility Scheme on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WPRS). The meeting was chaired by the Under Secretary for the Environment, Mr Tse Chin-wan.
 
     At the meeting, the trade representatives commented that since the implementation of the scheme, the WEEE‧PARK operator had been able to collect the used equipment three working days from the day of sales after receipt of the service request from the sellers and as requested by the customer. Delivery of the new product and removal of the used one could be done on the same day. The EPD also reminded sellers to strengthen training for their frontline staff. They have to explain clearly to the customers the arrangements for statutory removal service and the time required, and should not make any false claims or arrangements that are inconsistent with the law.
 
     The meeting also discussed other aspects of the implementation including how to strengthen the collaboration between different stakeholders. The EPD reminded the trade that providing collection service for used equipment does not require a licence. Sellers can choose and appoint different logistics companies to be the default collector under their removal service plans, and they are not obliged to appoint the WEEE‧PARK operator as their default collector.
 
     An EPD spokesman said, "We appreciate that the logistics service market is mature and many sellers have their own logistics fleet or partnering logistics services companies to handle delivery and collection services. The new scheme is designed to enable sellers to continue their existing practice of using their own fleet or different logistics companies to provide collection service for delivery to qualified treatment facilities for further processing. We welcome the trade to explore with the qualified treatment facilities the feasibility of collaboration in providing the removal service."

     Following commencement of the legislation, the EPD has commenced its enforcement efforts including inspections at shops suspected of non-compliance. As at 4pm today, the EPD has conducted over 340 inspections at relevant points of sales and the overall compliance situation is satisfactory. If members of the public have any questions or complaints on the implementation of the WPRS, they can call the EPD’s dedicated hotline 2310 0223.
 
     Regulated electrical equipment includes air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors. The WPRS covering these products commenced operation on August 1 this year.
 
     Representatives from three trade associations, namely the Hong Kong and Kowloon Electrical Appliances Merchants Association, Radio Association of Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Retail Management Association, attended the meeting today to discuss mainly the implementation of the WPRS at the retail supply level. Representatives of the WEEE‧PARK operator were also present. The ENB and EPD will continue to meet with the relevant trade from time to time to review the implementation of the scheme.

     Exhibition Centre Station of the Shatin to Central Link works project is an underground railway station, the construction of which involves a large amount of excavation works. During the works, monitoring points will be installed around the construction site for assessing the impact due to the excavation works on the adjacent road surfaces, footpaths, underground utilities and structures in order to ensure the safety and assure that the construction works could meet design requirements and statutory requirements.

     According to the monitoring data, it was found that the settlement reading of a number of monitoring points had exceeded the highest level. The Highways Department has required the MTR Corporation Limited to immediately stop the relevant excavation works at Exhibition Centre Station temporarily in the vicinity of areas where the settlement monitoring data had exceeded the highest level.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health is today (August 10) investigating three suspected food poisoning clusters affecting seven persons, and reminded the public to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene to prevent food-borne diseases.

     The first cluster involved one man and one woman, aged 31 to 35, who developed diarrhoea, abdominal pain and vomiting about 14 to 31 hours after consuming food bought from a food premises in Sai Wan Ho in the small hours of August 5.
 
     The second cluster involved two males and one female, aged 11 to 25, who developed similar symptoms about 10 to 13 hours after consuming food at another food premises in Sai Wan Ho at night on August 5.

     The third cluster involved one man and one woman, aged 29 to 32, who developed similar symptoms about 15 to 16 hours after consuming food at the same food premises as the second cluster on the same night.

     Six of the affected persons have sought medical advice. Among them, two required hospitalisation and one has been discharged upon hospitalisation. All patients are in a stable condition.

     "Initial investigation revealed that all those affected had consumed the same dessert. We have alerted the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department to the incident and investigations are ongoing," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     To prevent food-borne diseases, members of the public are reminded to maintain personal, food and environmental hygiene at all times. When dining out:
 

• Patronise only reliable and licensed restaurants;
• Avoid eating raw seafood;
• Be a discerning consumer in choosing cold dishes, including sashimi, sushi and raw oysters, at a buffet;
• Ensure food is thoroughly cooked before eating during a hot pot or barbecue meal;
• Handle raw and cooked foods carefully and separate them completely during the cooking process;
• Use two sets of chopsticks and eating utensils to handle raw and cooked food;
• Do not patronise illegal food hawkers;
• Drink boiled water;
• Do not try to use salt, vinegar, wine and wasabi to kill bacteria as they are not effective; and
• Always wash hands before eating and after going to the toilet.

     The Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Edward Yau, visited Wong Tai Sin District today (August 10) to better understand the district's latest developments. He visited an elderly centre and a social enterprise, and met with members of the Wong Tai Sin District Council (WTSDC).

     Mr Yau first visited Rhythm Garden Lutheran Centre for the Elderly, where he was briefed about the Centre's services and facilities. He chatted with the elderly there to learn about their daily lives. The Centre provides various support and outreach services for the elderly in the community. For instance, different types of cognitive training are provided to the elderly to help prevent them from suffering from dementia. The Centre also organises various community activities and senior volunteer programmes, and encourages the elderly to take part in them actively to contribute to society.

     Mr Yau then visited Splendid Fashion, a social enterprise operated by Lok Kwan Social Service. He toured the garment studio and learned about its operation. The enterprise provides garment manufacturing services for local designers, design students and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It also organises garment manufacturing courses for young designers and design students to enhance their relevant skills. He said he was pleased to know that the enterprise has been providing strong support to young designers and SMEs to launch their own brands, with a view to promoting the development of locally designed and manufactured fashion.

     During his visit, Mr Yau chatted with the service users to learn about the opportunities and challenges faced by the local fashion trade. He said the Government is committed to promoting the development of the fashion industry through various measures, including the launch of the Fashion Incubation Programme in 2017 with CreateSmart Initiative funding to nurture budding fashion talents and brands. Moreover, the Government has started the preparatory work for the design and fashion project in Sham Shui Po, with the aim of turning the area into a local as well as territory-wide design and fashion landmark.

     Before concluding his visit, Mr Yau met with WTSDC members to exchange views on district matters relating to tourism, consumer protection and local economic development.
 

     The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairman of the Youth Development Commission (YDC), Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung; the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Lau Kong-wah; and members of the YDC went to Shenzhen today (August 10) to visit Hong Kong interns there.

     They visited enterprises and organisations providing internship places for Hong Kong youths under the Funding Scheme for Youth Internship in the Mainland launched by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.

     Mr Cheung and a group of YDC members visited Qianhai and toured a company engaging in digital media service and an innovation and technology service company. Meanwhile, Mr Lau visited Nanshan with another group of YDC members and toured an organisation offering entrepreneurship services to small and medium-sized enterprises and a major enterprise providing integrated logistics services. They met with the management, visited the workplaces of the interns and received a briefing by Hong Kong interns on their work.

     After the visit, Mr Cheung, Mr Lau and YDC members had lunch with a number of Hong Kong interns and chatted with them to learn more about their internship experience on the Mainland.

     Mr Cheung said he was pleased to note that Hong Kong youths joined the internship programmes for different provinces on the Mainland through the funding scheme, enabling them to gain hands-on experience of the working environment there, and deepening their understanding of the job market, work culture and career development opportunities on the Mainland.

     Since its inception in 2014-15, the funding scheme has subsidised 466 projects, providing internship places for about 14 000 Hong Kong youths. In 2018-19, the funding scheme is subsidising 135 projects in the Mainland, benefiting about 3600 youths.

     Mr Cheung, Mr Lau and YDC members returned to Hong Kong this afternoon.