Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mr Joshua Law, at a media session after attending a radio programme this morning (October 19):
Reporter: Mr Law, talking about the actual schedule, I know the college is supposed to be completed in 2026. What's going to happen in between? When will the consultation start? When is the redevelopment going to start?
Secretary for the Civil Service: Let me say a few words about the plan. We have selected a site quite close to the MTR station of Kwun Tong for an integrated development. This development will include both community facilities as well a civil service college. It will also include various connectivity like a green platform or a green deck-top connection between the MTR station and other parts of Kwun Tong. We will be going to consult the local community, especially the District Council. This will happen very soon. We will share with them our preliminary plans and see what ideas they have about community needs for that location. Eventually we have to take the project to Legislative Council's Finance Committee for approval, and then the construction (works) will take a few years. In total, we expect that the whole integrated development will be completed in around 2026.
Reporter: And the cost?
Secretary for the Civil Service: The overall cost for the whole integrated development is about $6 to $7 billion.
Reporter: There is a special needs school at the Kwun Tong site right now. What is going to happen to that school?
Secretary for the Civil Service: The relevant policy bureau has got a plan for relocating some of the existing social facilities. As regards that school (the Skills Centre), the plan is that there will be a new training centre to be developed in another place in the urban area and it will commence operation in September 2021. That will be the time we expect the present school to be closed. So there won't be any gap in terms of the provision of training services. In future students receiving vocational training can go to the new place for training.
Reporter: How will the courses offered in the new civil service college be different from the ones currently being offered at the Civil Service Training and Development Institute?
Secretary for the Civil Service: There will be more courses, and will be more in-depth, focusing on technology, smart city, future direction of the community, and also to deepen the understanding of the nation's policies as far as they are connected with our future development. We are also looking at various options in intensifying our collaboration with local and overseas training institutes and universities, so that our trainees can continue (their study) if we have certain certification of credit system for our courses. Then they can embark on another course at their own time if they like.
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)
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