A spokesman for the Security Bureau today (July 31) made the following statement:

     The legal representative of the Convenor of the Hong Kong National Party wrote to the Security Bureau last week, requesting an extension of the 21-day deadline for making written representations in accordance with section 8(3) of the Societies Ordinance. Having considered the matter, the Secretary for Security has decided to extend the period for representation to 49 days. The Hong Kong National Party may make representations to the Secretary for Security on or before September 4. The Security Bureau has informed the legal representative of the Convenor of the Hong Kong National Party of the decision.
 

     A woman was fined $4,500 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (July 31) for contravening the Clubs (Safety of Premises) Ordinance.

     The courts heard that in February this year, officers from the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA) of the Home Affairs Department conducted inspections at a club on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East which had been operating with a certificate of compliance (CoC).

     The club was found to have a layout that deviated from the registered drawings and the number of people at the club had exceeded the maximum allowable capacity as stipulated in the CoC. Also, the club's staff failed to show the registered drawings upon the OLA officers' request. Conditions 3, 6 and 17 of the CoC were breached.

     The woman, being the CoC holder of the club, was charged with contravening section 21(2) of the Ordinance.

     A spokesman for the department reminded all CoC holders to comply with the conditions as stipulated therein. Enforcement action will continue to be taken against illegal club operations.

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, today (July 31) visited Sham Shui Po District to keep abreast of development in revitalising historic buildings and providing support for the underprivileged in the district.
      
     Accompanied by the Chairman of the Sham Shui Po District Council(SSPDC), Mr Ambrose Cheung, and the District Officer (Sham Shui Po), Mr Damian Lee, Mr Cheung visited J Life Foundation Limited (Family Service Center) and its facilities. He was pleased to learn that the centre had all along strived to alleviate the poverty situation of needy children and reduce inter-generational poverty through a wide range of support services for the underprivileged in the district such as food assistance, homework guidance and tutorial services.
      
     Mr Cheung also met with families receiving assistance to understand their livelihood challenges and reassure them that the current-term Government would continue to provide appropriate support to the underprivileged through effective use of public resources and initiatives introduced by the Commission on Poverty and the Community Care Fund.
      
     He then proceeded to Mei Ho House to visit the YHA Mei Ho House Youth Hostel and the Heritage of Mei Ho House Museum.

     He said that the revitalised Mei Ho House, comprising a youth hostel and an exhibition under one roof, could help foster cultural exchange, enrich Hong Kong’s tourism resources and provide affordable accommodation to tourists.
      
     He expressed special thanks to the Hong Kong Youth Hostels Association for its efforts in strengthening the inclusiveness of the community, passing on local culture and Hong Kong spirit to future generations through the establishment of alumni networks and inviting former residents of Mei Ho House to be docents of the museum.
         
     Mr Cheung then met SSPDC members and carefully listened  their views on various development issues and matters of concern to the community.

     A man was fined $12,000 at the Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (July 31) for contravening the Hotel and Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance.

     The courts heard that in January this year, officers of the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), the Home Affairs Department, inspected a suspected unlicensed guesthouse on Yiu Wa Street in Causeway Bay. 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 man 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 Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, today (July 31) went to Jiangmen to meet with senior officials of the Jiangmen Municipal Government and visit local enterprises.
      
     The day's programme was part of Mr Chan's tour of cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.

     This morning, Mr Chan called on the Secretary of the CPC Jiangmen Municipal Committee, Mr Lin Yingwu, to exchange views on strengthening co-operation between Hong Kong and Jiangmen and working together in supporting the Bay Area's development. 
      
     Noting that Jiangmen is a crucial link connecting the eastern and western part of the Bay Area, Mr Chan expressed the hope that Hong Kong and Jiangmen can forge closer co-operation in different areas, such as finance and innovation and technology, to seize the numerous opportunities of the Bay Area.

     He also visited a Hong Kong-invested company specialising in the research and production of air-conditioning products and a Mainland enterprise that provides one-stop Internet cloud services to learn about their successful experiences in turning research into commercial products.
      
     After concluding the visit, Mr Chan returned Hong Kong this evening.