In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on November 6 to noon today (November 7), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 174 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).

     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24, 2023, to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 98 795 samples of food imported from Japan (including 63 007 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 21 960 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (November 7) that 96 market stalls in 22 public markets which were not taken at open auctions held earlier would be available to the public for renting at their upset prices from November 14 to 18 (except Saturday and Sunday), on a trial first-come, first-served basis.

     The rent of the 96 stalls will be set at the upset price of the most recent open auction. In open auctions, the upset prices for the stalls will be initially fixed at 80 per cent of the open market rent (OMR) if the stalls have been vacant for over six months, and at 60 per cent of the OMR if the vacancy has been over eight months.

     The retail commodities allowed for sale in these stalls cover frozen meat, fresh meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, ready-to-eat food, food-related dry goods and wet goods, non-food related dry goods and wet goods, etc. The tenancy agreement is a three-year fixed term starting from January 1, 2025, with no right of renewal upon expiry. The monthly rent of the stalls varies depending on their sizes, locations, vacancy periods and the reduced upset prices from the last open auction of the individual stalls. Relevant information is available on the FEHD website.

     Members of the public who are interested in renting a market stall should approach the following FEHD offices, as appropriate, to apply in person from 9.30am to 12.30pm or 2.30pm to 4.30pm during the abovementioned renting period:

     A spokesman for the FEHD said, "Applicants for the market stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. To allow more people to select the stalls and increase customer choices by enhancing the diversity in terms of the variety of stalls, there will be a restriction on the number of stalls that can be rented in the same market by a single tenant. Any person who is currently a stall tenant is allowed to select one stall in the same market. The existing tenants under the new three-year fixed term tenancy scheme (i.e. those persons who became stall tenants through the market open auctions after August 2022) are allowed to select a stall in the same market, but must vacate and return the current stall to the FEHD before the effective date of commencement of the new tenancy agreement. The terms and conditions of renting market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis have been uploaded to the FEHD website, detailing qualifications of the applicants."

     â€‹Details of renting public market stalls on a first-come, first-served basis have been uploaded to the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/tidy_market/FCFS/index.html). Interested applicants may visit the department website or contact the respective District Environmental Hygiene Office.

The following is issued on behalf of the University Grants Committee:
 
     The Quality Assurance Council (QAC) under the University Grants Committee (UGC) today (November 7) published the report on the quality audit of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in the third audit cycle.
      
     PolyU was the sixth university audited in the third audit cycle, which places an emphasis on how individual universities review and enhance their framework on academic standards and academic quality, academic programme development, teaching and learning, student learning assessment and support for students, as well as the collection, analysis and usage of data to inform such quality assurance processes.

     The audit report presents the findings of the audit panel appointed by the QAC based on the self-evaluation report prepared by PolyU and a series of audit meetings with staff, students and external stakeholders (such as employers) of the university held in April 2024. The audit report was endorsed by the UGC after being considered by the QAC.
      
     The report identified a number of features of good practice and recommended actions with a view to encouraging PolyU and the higher education sector as a whole to strive for continuous enhancement of their quality assurance regimes. The full audit report with the formal response from PolyU is available on the QAC website (www.ugc.edu.hk/eng/qac/about/term/publications/report.html) for public access.
      
     The QAC quality audits ascertain whether the arrangements for quality assurance adopted by universities are fit for purpose and comparable with international best practices. The QAC third audit cycle covers all programmes at the levels of sub-degree, first degree and above, however funded, leading to a qualification wholly or partly awarded by the UGC-funded universities.
          
     The QAC expressed gratitude to PolyU and all stakeholders for their support for the quality audit.      

     The Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, continued his visit to Canada on November 6 (Toronto time).

     Professor Sun visited the University of Waterloo and met with the University's President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Vivek Goel; the Dean of Arts, Professor Alexie Tcheuyap; the Dean of Engineering, Professor Mary Wells; the Dean of Faculty of Health, Professor Lili Liu; the Dean of Mathematics, Professor Mark Giesbrecht; the Dean of Science, Professor Chris Houser; and Associate Vice-President Professor Bernard Duncker. The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive and research-intensive university. It ranked 21st in computer science and information systems and 40th in engineering and technology in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2024.

     Professor Sun was briefed on the University's work in transforming research outcomes. He noted that Hong Kong attaches great importance to the co-ordinated development among upstream, midstream and downstream in innovation and technology development. An array of measures have specifically been launched in recent years to provide support to start-ups, including the I&T Accelerator Pilot Scheme, which provides subsidies to attract professional start-up service providers with proven track records in and beyond Hong Kong to set up accelerator bases in Hong Kong.

     The University of Waterloo is one of the top quantum computing universities in the world. Professor Sun visited the Institute for Quantum Computing to learn more about the frontier technology developed by this cross-disciplinary Institute in the field of quantum computing, which consolidates Canada's leading position in the quantum research area through promoting research and innovation. The Institute also serves as a strategic partner for the emerging quantum industry and nurtures talent in the research area.

     Professor Sun said that to further enhance research on frontier technology in Hong Kong, HK$3 billion has been allocated in the 2023-24 Budget to launch a scheme in support of the relevant development of frontier technology fields such as artificial intelligence and quantum technology, with a view to better realising basic technology research capabilities for making breakthroughs out of the blue.

     Moreover, Professor Sun toured the University's School of Optometry and Vision Science and was briefed on the latest developments, research projects and advanced research equipment of the School by Professor of the School of Optometry and Vision Science and CEO and Scientific Director of the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) under InnoHK Clusters, Professor Ben Thompson. The University of Waterloo is one of the non-local partners of InnoHK Clusters. It established the CEVR with the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to promote vision health by making use of clinical, basic and applied research.

     Professor Sun noted that InnoHK is committed to fostering global research and development collaboration, while the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strongly encourages strengthening academic exchanges to advance translational research and innovative applications, pooling together outstanding researchers from around the globe for the benefit of innovation and technology development in Hong Kong and worldwide.

     Professor Sun concluded his visit to Canada in the evening and will return to Hong Kong in the morning on November 8 (Hong Kong time).

                

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) today (November 7) announced that the department tested 73 water samples collected from cooling towers in 48 buildings in its routine inspections in October 2024. None of them were detected to have a total legionella count at or above the upper threshold, which is 1 000 colony-forming units per millilitre. The latest statistics are set out in Annex 1.

     The EMSD also announced the locations of buildings which were served with nuisance notices during the preceding three-month period as the total legionella count was found in the fresh water cooling towers to be equal to or above the upper threshold. Details can be found in Annex 2.

     The EMSD publishes the latest statistics of the above information on a half-monthly basis on its website
(www.emsd.gov.hk/en/other_regulatory_services/cooling_towers/water_sampling/index.html).

     The EMSD reminds the owners of fresh water cooling towers that they have the responsibility to design, operate and maintain cooling towers properly. They should arrange regular inspections, timely maintenance and periodic testing of the water quality in their cooling towers in accordance with the Code of Practice for Fresh Water Cooling Towers issued by the department to prevent the proliferation of legionella.