Author Archives: hksar gov

     The 18th Cantonese Opera Day will be held on November 29 (Sunday) at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre (HKCC). Free admission tickets will be distributed from 9am on November 23 (Monday) at the enquiry counter of the HKCC on a first-com… read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Charles Mok and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, in the Legislative Council today (November 18):
 
Question:
 
     To help combat the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, the Government launched, on the 16th of this month, a mobile application (app) named “LeaveHomeSafe” for voluntary download and use by members of the public.  Members of the public may use the app to record the venues which they have visited by scanning the QR codes posted at the venues.  When it is subsequently found that the venues concerned have been visited at the relevant time by persons confirmed to be infected, those members of the public will receive notifications through the app.  Although the Government has indicated that the app only stores the visit records of members of the public in encrypted form in their mobile phones and the records will not be divulged, some members of the public are still concerned about the protection of privacy afforded by the app.  In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the types of information collected and the data encryption standard adopted by the app; the measures in place to ensure that users’ personal data will not be stolen during the scanning of the QR codes;
 
(2) of the measures in place to ensure that the management of the venues concerned will not refuse the entry of those members of the public who do not use the app, so as to avoid members of the public being forced to use the app in effect; and
 
(3) whether it has engaged an independent third party to assess the information security risk of the app and if its privacy protection is adequate; if so, of the details, and whether the assessment outcome will be made public?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     On November 11, 2020, the Government announced the launching of the “LeaveHomeSafe” exposure notification mobile app. Using technology to combat the epidemic, the app aims to encourage the public to make a habit to record their whereabouts, thereby minimising the risk of further transmission of the virus and protect Hong Kong together. The “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app is available to the public for free download from November 16.
 
     Characterised by voluntary participation and recording visits at users’ discretion, the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app serves as a digital tool to facilitate the public to record more accurately the date and time of checking into and leaving different venues. The app is simple and easy to use. After downloading the mobile app, users can check into participating venues by scanning the venue’s QR code to log their arrival time and clicking the “Leave” button in the app during departure. Relevant record will then be kept in the app inside the user’s mobile phone.
 
     So far, there are currently over 10 000 public and private venues that have participated in the scheme to post “LeaveHomeSafe” venue QR code. Passengers can also directly use the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app in over 18 000 taxis to record journeys.
 
     Our replies to the three parts of the question are as follows:
 
(1) After downloading, the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app can be used immediately without the need for registration of any information. On entering a venue, members of the public can use the app to record the visit themselves by scanning the venue’s QR code. The data will be encrypted and stored in the user’s own mobile phone, and will not be stored in any government or other systems. Such data will be automatically erased after 31 days. The app will not use the GPS function or other data in the mobile phone. The “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app adopts the AES-256 encryption standard to protect the travel records saved in users’ mobile phones.
 
(2) Over the past few weeks, we have been actively engaging different business sectors to appeal for more venue and business operators to join the scheme and display “LeaveHomeSafe” QR codes at their venues. Under the new normal, we need concerted efforts from various sectors to fight the virus so that people will feel comfortable going out and the economy can regain its momentum. We believe that relevant business operators will encourage and help their customers use the “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app, but whether to use it or not is the choice of venue operators and members of the public.
 
(3) The “LeaveHomeSafe” mobile app has undergone the security risk assessment and audit as well as a privacy impact assessment conducted by independent third parties to ensure its compliance with the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. read more

     Following is the speech by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at the Greater Bay Area Conference – GBA: The Way Forward today (November 18):
 
The Honourable C Y Leung (Vice-Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference), Deputy Director Tan Tieniu (Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region), Mr Joseph Chan (Chairman of the Silk Road Economic Development Research Center), Mr Zhou Li (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of China Daily Group and the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of China Daily Asia Pacific), ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good morning. It gives me great pleasure to be here today at this Greater Bay Area Conference co-organised by China Daily and Silk Road Economic Development Research Center. Themed “GBA: The Way Forward”, the Conference has brought together a group of distinguished people to speak on aspects of healthcare, technology and emerging opportunities. The speakers are not only highly qualified in their respective fields, but they all share one thing in common, and that is they all agree that the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) is of great potential and will offer abundant development opportunities for Hong Kong.
 
     In order for the people of Hong Kong to grasp those opportunities, they need to have a good understanding of the GBA and its latest development. To this end, I have to thank China Daily for producing those highly informative reports entitled “GBA Focus” on a regular basis. I have the habit of keeping copies of those reports in a folder for easy reference and may take the initiative to connect the Government with people and institutions mentioned in those reports. For example, having read the “GBA Focus” edition on healthcare which appeared in China Daily on October 23, I told the Secretary for Food and Health that we should have a chat with Mr Carl Wu of the New Frontier Group, which is planning to invest more in the healthcare services in the GBA.
 
     I spoke at this Conference three years ago when I mentioned the far-reaching promise of the GBA. Today, I am even more convinced that the GBA will not only provide a huge market for Hong Kong’s professional services, but will be our best conduit to integrate into the latest “dual circulation” in the Mainland’s development blueprint. 

     Much has happened with the GBA development since that exposition three years ago. Let me just recap the key milestones:
 

• In August 2018, a GBA Leading Group chaired by Vice Premier Han Zheng was set up and for the first time the Chief Executives of the Hong Kong SAR and the Macao SAR are made members of this important institution of the Central Authorities;
   
• In February 2019, the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was officially promulgated by the State Council;
   
• In March and November 2019, two plenary meetings of the GBA Leading Group were held with a total of 24 specific measures to support the GBA development announced. By now, half of these have been fully implemented, providing facilitation in terms of income tax, Hong Kong people buying residential properties, R&D funding to Hong Kong tertiary institutions, etc. I realise that amongst the outstanding measures are a couple of health-related measures and I have my medical friends on the panel and in the audience. I want to tell you, good news is on the horizon;
   
• In September and October 2019 and August 2020, three important pieces of cross-boundary infrastructure, namely the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the cargo clearance facilities at the Liantang Port/Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Control Point, were respectively commissioned, moving towards the goal of a one-hour travelling zone;
   
• Up to this month, at least 10 Central Government ministries and commissions have published frameworks, opinions or arrangements to support the GBA, covering a wide range of subjects such as finance, technology, aviation, trade, meteorological development, infrastructure connectivity planning as well as construction services;
   
• In June 2018 and April 2019, the three governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao organised overseas promotion of the GBA in Paris and Tokyo respectively; and
   
• To date, several universities in Hong Kong have embarked on campus projects in the GBA, notably that of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology at Nansha, Guangzhou, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s medical school at Shenzhen.

​     With President Xi Jinping reiterating the historic importance of the GBA as a major national development strategy in his keynote speech made at Shenzhen on the occasion of celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, and Vice Premier Han Zheng’s extremely positive remarks made in meeting with me and my delegation in Beijing earlier this month, I think we could expect more favourable policies and support measures for Hong Kong to take part in the GBA.

     As a matter of fact, with the COVID-19 pandemic plaguing the global economy and Hong Kong suffering from a severe recession, our economic recovery lies in co-operating more fully with the Mainland, which has regained its economic momentum thanks to the nation’s rigorous epidemic control and prevention measures. The benefits to Hong Kong are obvious, as evidenced in our improved third-quarter economic data released last week. Real GDP registered a year-on-year decline of 3.5 per cent, which is visibly narrower than the 9 per cent contraction in the second quarter. On a seasonally adjusted quarter-to-quarter comparison, real GDP actually rebounded by 2.8 per cent in the third quarter, arresting the declines in the preceding five quarters. It underscores the importance for Hong Kong to better integrate into the nation’s overall development, and there is no better way to achieve this than vigorously participating in the development of the GBA. However, to do that we have to first restore normal cross-boundary flow of people, and let me assure you that the Hong Kong SAR Government is doing its utmost in fighting the virus.

     Apart from discussion on the resumption of travel, I suppose some of you are keen to know what are those support measures that I have obtained from the Central Government during my recent trip to Beijing, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. While I shall have to beg for your patience until the 2020 Policy Address to be delivered on November 25, I wish to share with you what I consider to be important principles in guiding Hong Kong’s participation in the GBA.

     First, adherence to the “One Country, Two Systems” policy. As it has been stated explicitly in the GBA Outline Development Plan, the GBA should leverage on this unique arrangement of one country, two systems, three customs jurisdictions, three legal systems, etc. Hong Kong should continue to offer the GBA our traditional advantages of an established international business environment, world-class financial and professional services, a low and simple tax regime, free flow of capital, the rule of law and judicial independence. It is therefore erroneous to say that Hong Kong will be marginalised by the GBA or become just another Mainland city. On the contrary, the successful development of the GBA will enrich the implementation of “One Country, Two Systems” by bringing even more long-term prosperity and stability to the Hong Kong SAR.
 
     Second, mutual co-operation and win-win arrangement. The nine Mainland cities and Macao all have their respective strengths and contributions to make towards building a prosperous, innovative and global bay area economy. Unhelpful competition should be minimised while synergy should be created. Our mindset should be that of “one plus one is bigger than two”.
 
     Third, innovation and technology should be put at the top of our agenda. This calls for out-of-the-box thinking in our co-operation with the Mainland cities, particularly with our neighbour, Shenzhen. With the recent reform measures and the first batch of delegated authorities given to Shenzhen, Hong Kong should play a more proactive role in identifying new opportunities for joint actions. This is one area that I have accorded personal attention to given my close involvement in Hong Kong-Shenzhen matters for over a decade.
 
     Fourth, greater emphasis should be placed on supporting young people and nurturing talents. After all, the GBA is a long-term venture and its growth has to be propelled by a new generation who will share our passion. 
 
     Ladies and gentlemen, the Central Government has given and will continue to give the Hong Kong SAR unwavering support in developing our economy and improving people’s livelihood. What we have to do is to operate within the framework of “One Country, Two Systems”, uphold the Constitution of the People’s Republic of China and the Basic Law, and safeguard national security. It is up to us to turn those support measures into opportunities, and such opportunities are so abundantly available in the GBA. Rest assured, I and my governing team are doing all we can to grasp these opportunities. This is for the future of Hong Kong, our businesses, our community and our young people. I am sure we will have your support on this.
 
     I wish you all a very rewarding conference and the best of business and health in the year 2021. Thank you very much. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Wu Chi-wai and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Mr Kevin Yeung, in the Legislative Council today (November 18):

Question:

     To cope with the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic, schools suspended classes and implemented online teaching and learning on a number of occasions in recent months. While classes have now been resumed in schools, quite a number of schools still use online teaching and learning on a supplementary basis. Some parents from grass-roots families have relayed that this mode of learning is more demanding on the Internet devices at home, which has increased their financial burden. However, they are ineligible to apply for the “Provision of Subsidy to Needy Primary and Secondary Students for Purchasing Mobile Computer Devices to Facilitate the Practice of e-Learning” under the Community Care Fund (the subsidy scheme) because the schools in which their children study have not participated in the programme. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) as the Education Bureau (EDB) has, in view of the epidemic, flexibly handled applications under the subsidy scheme submitted by schools for their eligible students, whether it has assessed if this arrangement has resulted in an increase in the numbers of schools participating in the programme and students benefitting from the programme; if so, of the details;

(2) of the respective current numbers of (i) schools participating in the subsidy scheme and (ii) schools which are eligible but have not participated in the programme; respective tabulated breakdowns of such numbers by schools’ (a) type (i.e. secondary school, primary school and special school) and (b) funding mode (i.e. government, aided, caput, and Direct Subsidy Scheme); if such figures are not available, whether it will compile the statistics;

(3) given that the EDB indicated last month that it expected around 100 000 students from some 800 schools would benefit from the subsidy scheme in the following school year, of a breakdown of such number of schools by type and funding mode (as above); the basis on which such projected numbers were derived; and

(4) whether it will examine relaxing the eligibility criteria and streamlining the vetting and approval procedure of the subsidy scheme, so as to encourage schools to participate in the programme and enable more students from grass-roots families to benefit from the programme?

Reply:

President,

     Through the Community Care Fund (CCF), the Education Bureau (EDB) has been implementing since the 2018/19 school year a three-year assistance programme on provision of subsidy to needy primary and secondary students for purchasing mobile computer devices (Assistance Programme), so as to relieve the financial burden on students from low-income families caused by the development of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy on campus. The target beneficiaries are students receiving subsidies under the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme or the School Textbook Assistance Scheme in public sector schools (including government, aided, caput and Direct Subsidy Scheme (DSS) primary and secondary schools) that implement the BYOD policy.

     Face-to-face classes in schools were once suspended due to the COVID-19 epidemic. As many students need to use mobile computer devices for e-learning at home during the period, the EDB flexibly handles applications for the Assistance Programme and accepts those from all public sector primary and secondary schools implementing e-learning for their eligible students before the full resumption of classes. The EDB has also explained to schools such flexible arrangements and encouraged them to submit applications for needy students through various channels, including a letter dated March 23, 2020 and a circular memorandum dated May 28, 2020.

      Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Wu Chi-wai is as follows:

(1) to (3) Application period for the 2020/21 school year is from May 2020 to end of January 2021. The EDB issued a letter on August 3 this year to remind schools of the relevant flexible arrangements again and requested them to provide information relating to supporting students’ e-learning at home. The response from schools was positive, with more than 75% indicating that they would participate in the Assistance Programme this school year and the rest replying that they have put in place school-based measures to support needy students, such as lending mobile computer devices to students for use at home, or applying for other assistance programmes for them. In addition, the schools have provided the initial estimated number of student beneficiaries for the EDB’s reference when submitting their applications. As at early November this year, about 800 schools have submitted applications, which is a substantial increase as compared with the previous two school years. The estimated number of student beneficiaries in the 2020/21 school year is about 100 000, which triples the total number of student beneficiaries in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 school years. The actual number of student beneficiaries will only be known after schools have submitted a report to the EDB upon completion of the procurement procedures. The relevant statistics are set out below:
 

Type of schools	2018/19 school year		2019/20 school year		2020/21 school year (Note 2)
	Government schools	Aided schools (Note 1)	Government schools	Aided schools (Note 1)	Government schools	Aided schools (Note 1)
Primary schools	1	88	2	138	31	375
Secondary schools	3	85	5	121	24	332
Special schools	Not applicable	11	Not applicable	15	Not applicable	39
Total	4	184	7	274	55	746

Note 1: The figures include local schools under DSS and caput schools.
Note 2: As at early November 2020.

     All public sector primary and secondary schools implementing e-learning can apply for the Assistance Programme for their eligible students. Schools may formulate their own learning support strategies during class suspension according to students’ needs and the school context including whether e-learning is suitable for young pupils in junior primary classes or students with special educational needs. The Assistance Programme is only one of the options to support financially needy students. Other options include lending schools’ mobile computer devices to students for use, or assisting students in applying for or receiving mobile computer devices donated by charitable organisations. Meanwhile, if schools do not have any eligible student beneficiaries, they do not need to participate in the Assistance Programme. In sum, schools should take into consideration the needs of their students and the school context, the direction of implementing e-learning and other support measures in deciding whether to apply for the Assistance Programme. The EDB has been actively promoting the Assistance Programme to schools and providing relevant professional training for teachers and technical support, and will also keep in view the support needs of schools in respect of e-learning.

(4) The EDB has streamlined the administrative arrangements for schools to participate in the Assistance Programme. At present, schools are only required to submit an application form in order to purchase suitable mobile computer devices for eligible students in accordance with their procurement procedures. After completing the procurement procedures, schools need to submit a report to the EDB for working out the subsidy required. The EDB is closely monitoring the implementation of the Programme, and will review its operation and effectiveness and consolidate the relevant experience with a view to enhancing the measures in support of e-learning. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-fai and a written reply by the Secretary for Innovation and Technology, Mr Alfred Sit, in the Legislative Council today (November 18):   Question:     … read more