The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:
 
     This press release summarises the decisions of the Communications Authority (CA) following its 138th meeting held in November 2024.
 
Renewal of non-domestic television programme service (non-domestic TV) licence of Sun Television Cybernetworks Enterprise Limited (Sun TV)
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     The CA approved the application by Sun TV for renewal of its non-domestic TV licence for 12 years, from November 8, 2025, to November 7, 2037 (both dates inclusive). Currently, there are nine non-domestic TV licensees providing around 150 satellite television programme channels for the Asia Pacific region.
 
Broadcast complaint
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     The CA considered a complaint case about the television programme promotions for "You Are Not Alone" broadcast on April 9 and 10, 2024, on the Jade and the then J2 Channels of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). The CA decided that TVB should be advised to observe more closely the relevant provisions of the Generic Code of Practice on Television Programme Standards. Details of the case are at the Appendix.

The following is issued on behalf of the Judiciary:

     The Judiciary today (December 2) announced the appointment of Mr Lee Siu-ho as a District Judge. The appointment will take effect from December 3, 2024.

     The appointment is made by the Chief Executive on the recommendation of the Judicial Officers Recommendation Commission. 

     The biographical notes of Mr Lee is as follows:

     Mr Lee was born in Hong Kong in 1968. He obtained his LL.B. and P.C.LL. from the University of Hong Kong in 1991 and 1992 respectively. He obtained a Master of Laws Degree from the University of London in the United Kingdom in 1996. He further acquired a Second Bachelor Degree in Chinese Law from Tsinghua University and the University of Hong Kong School of Professional and Continuing Education in 2006 and a Master of Arts Degree from the Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2012. He became a Mediator accredited by the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution in 2011. He was called to the Bar in Hong Kong in 1992. He was in private practice from 1993 until he was appointed as Permanent Magistrate in 2014.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting on Wednesday (December 4) at 11 am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Courts (Remote Hearing) Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.
 
     The Public Health and Municipal Services (Amendment) Bill 2024 and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2024 will also be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debates on the Bills will be adjourned.
 
     On Members' motions, Mr Kenneth Fok will move a motion on exploring the reform of mechanisms on all fronts to strengthen the role of events capital. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Ms Chan Yuet-ming, Mr Yiu Pak-leung, Dr Hoey Simon Lee, Mr Vincent Cheng and Mr Michael Tien will move separate amendments to Mr Fok's motion.
 
     Ms Carmen Kan will move a motion on strengthening the governance systems and further reinforcing the closely intertwined relations between the "three centres". The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Dr So Cheung-wing will move an amendment to Ms Kan's motion.
 
     Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.
 
     The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the "Webcast" system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

     The Transport Department (TD) will hold the Best Customer Service Awards 2024/25 election between December 9 and 13. Members of the public are invited to vote for the best frontline staff for the awards.

     A spokesman for the TD said today (December 2), "By holding this election, the TD would like to encourage our frontline staff to embrace the belief of 'Putting Our Hearts Into It' when providing public services, and to continue upholding and improving our service standard."

     A total of 58 awards will be voted on. Around 680 frontline staff of the TD's Vehicle Safety and Standards Division, the Bus Technology Division, the Driving Services Section, the Licensing Section and the Public Vehicles and Prosecutions Section (including the Vehicle Safety Enforcement Section 1st Unit and 2nd Unit, the Operation Unit of Vehicle Examination Complex, the Driving Test Centres, the Driving Test Appointment Office, the Licensing Unit, the Vehicle Inspection and Records Unit, the Cross Boundary Unit, the Public Vehicles Unit and the Driving-Offence Points Office) are eligible for voting by the public.

     Members of the public who plan to visit the aforesaid offices for public services from December 9 to 13 are welcome to vote for the best frontline staff for the awards. Online voting will also be opened from 9am on December 9 to 8pm on December 13. They can cast their vote by scanning the QR codes printed on the posters and nomination forms distributed at the above offices, or through the following links:
 
Best Licensing Service Awards: eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/td0030/
Best Driving Service Awards: eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/td0029/
Best Vehicle Examination Service Awards: eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/td0031/

     The Government launched today (December 2) a stakeholder consultation of about two months on the proposed regulatory regime for Basic Housing Units (BHU regulatory regime). 

     "The current-term Government has introduced a number of measures to substantially increase the public housing supply to meet the long-term demand by enhancing speed, quantity, quality and efficiency. Along with Light Public Housing and transitional housing, which help plug the short-term supply gap, eligible citizens can be housed in public housing more quickly. All these have enabled us to gradually handle the 'long-standing, big and difficult' issue of substandard subdivided units (SDUs).
 
      "The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address to put in place, through legislation, a system on the renting of SDUs in residential buildings. SDUs meeting the required standards will be named BHUs. The BHU regulatory regime represents a significant milestone in eradicating substandard SDUs. Under appropriate regulation, the market demand will be satisfied by rental units providing more reasonable and safe environments," a spokesman for the Housing Bureau (HB) said.
 
     The Government proposes that SDUs must comply with a set of minimum standards before they are allowed to be rented out in the future. There would be criminal liability on the part of landlords to rent out a substandard unit, while the tenants concerned will not be held liable. To put forward the BHU regulatory regime in an orderly manner, the Government plans to set up a registration system for pre-existing SDUs under rental, with a grace period to allow landlords of registered SDUs to carry out necessary alteration works within a reasonable period of time and apply for recognition as BHUs. New SDUs entering the market will only be allowed to be rented out after applying for and being recognised as BHUs that comply with the required standards.
     
     The consultation document setting out the specific proposals and details has been uploaded to the website of the HB (www.hb.gov.hk/eng/bhu). Stakeholders may submit their views by email (bhu_consultation@hb.gov.hk), fax (2129 3829) or post (Dedicated Team on Subdivided Units, Housing Bureau, Housing Authority Headquarters, 33 Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon) on or before February 10, 2025.