Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on the judgment of a case of neglect of a child handed down by the Court of First Instance of the High Court this afternoon (June 29) after attending the "Unleashing Rehabilitated Offenders' Potential" Employment Symposium of the Correctional Services Department:

Reporter: How would the Government improve the current mechanism to avoid these incidents from happening again?

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: From the education and also from the welfare perspective, we do consider that there are things we can improve. In particular, because most of the vulnerable children are very young, it is very important to improve the services that we are providing both at the primary school and also the kindergarten level.

     Starting from next year, we will be providing school social work service to the kindergartens in Hong Kong (Pilot Scheme on Social Work Service for Pre-primary Institutions). Although it is a pilot, it will take probably three years for us to fully provide the whole service to all the close to 1 000 kindergartens (child care centres, kindergartens and kindergarten-cum-child care centres) in Hong Kong, we have to start. It is important for us to ensure that the service at the end will be provided to all those children.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Government today (June 29) announced the appointment of the Commission on Poverty (CoP) and its two Task Forces, namely the Community Care Fund Task Force and the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund Task Force, for a term of two years from July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2020.
      
     The Chief Secretary for Administration and Chairperson of the CoP, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, paid warm tribute to all members of the current-term CoP for their dedication, active participation and sterling support. 
      
     "They have offered wise counsel and invaluable input on how best the Commission should pursue its poverty alleviation efforts," he said. 
      
     He also welcomed members of the new term of the CoP, and said he looked forward to working with them closely on poverty alleviation.
      
     "The Commission on Poverty is instrumental not only in tackling poverty but also in building a caring, compassionate and cohesive community," he stressed.
      
     The membership of the CoP for the new term is as follows:
 
Chairperson
—————-
Chief Secretary for Administration

Non-official Members (21 persons)
——————–
Mr Chan Cho-biu
Mr Chau Pui-por
Professor Stephen Chiu Wing-kai
Ms Vivian Chung Wing-yan
Mr Kwong Chun-yu
Dr Kevin Lau Chung-hang
Ms Lau Oi-sze
Dr Jane Lee Ching-yee (Chairperson of the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund Task Force)
Ms Christina Maisenne Lee
Mr Clarence Leung Wang-ching
Professor Francis Lui Ting-ming
Ms Ansah Majeed Malik
Mr Albert Su Yau-on
Miss Sze Lai-Shan
Mr Tang Ka-piu
Ms Eva Wong Ching-hung
Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung
Mrs Carrie Yau Tsang Ka-lai
Mr Yip Man-pan
Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun
Ms Eunice Yung Hoi-yan

Ex-officio Members
——————
Secretary for Home Affairs
Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Chairperson of the Community Care Fund Task Force)
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Food and Health

     The membership of the two Task Forces is as follows:
      
(1) Community Care Fund Task Force
 
Secretary for Labour and Welfare (Chairperson)
Mr Chua Hoi-wai (Vice-chairperson)

Members of CoP
—————–
Mr Chan Cho-biu
Mr Chau Pui-por
Dr Kevin Lau Chung-hang
Ms Lau Oi-sze
Mr Clarence Leung Wang-ching
Ms Ansah Majeed Malik
Mr Albert Su Yau-on
Ms Sze Lai-shan
Mr Tang Ka-piu
Ms Eva Wong Ching-hung
Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung
Mr Yip Man-pan
Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun
 
Co-opted Members
———————
Mr Patrick Chan Ngai-yu
Mr Cheung Kwok-che
Mr Cheung Leong
Mr Langton Cheung Yung-pong
Miss Catherina Choy Mei-wa
Mr Stanton Chu Wai-ki
Dr Tony Ko Pat-sing
Professor Wallace Lau Chak-sing
Mr Lau Kwok-leung
Ms Lillian Law Suk-kwan
Ms Josephine Lee Yuk-chi
Dr Pamela Leung Pui-yu
Dr Haston Liu Wai-ming
Mr Ng Ka-him
Mr Daryl Ng Win-kong
Mr Tso Tat-ming
Ms Yeung Yee-ching
 
Ex-officio Members
————————–
Permanent Secretary for Education (or representative)
Permanent Secretary for Food and Health (Health) (or representative)
Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs (or representative)
Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare (or representative)
Director of Home Affairs (or representative)
Director of Social Welfare (or representative)

(2) Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Fund Task Force
 
Dr Jane Lee Ching-yee (Chairperson)
Mr Alvin Miu (Vice-chairperson)
 
Members of CoP
——————-
Mr Chan Cho-biu
Mr Chau Pui-por
Dr Kevin Lau Chung-hang
Ms Lau Oi-sze
Ms Christina Maisenne Lee
Ms Ansah Majeed Malik
Mr Tang Ka-piu
Ms Eva Wong Ching-hung
Mr Yip Man-pan
Ms Grace Yu Ho-wun
 
Co-opted Members
——————–
Professor Au Yuk-fai
Mr Patrick Cheung Sui-lam
Mr Alan Cheung Yick-lun
Mr Alan Chow Ping-kay
Mr Chu Tsz-wing
Mr Chua Hoi-wai
Ms Cecilia Ho Chung-chee  
Dr Kee Chi-hing
Ms Irene Leung Shuk-yee
Mr Timothy Ma Kam-wah
Mr Kevin Orr Ka-yeung
Professor Siu Wai-sum
Mr Tang Yiu-sing
Mr Wong Siu-lung
Mr Michael Wong Yick-kam
Mr Stephen Wong Yuen-shan   
 
Ex-officio Members
————————–
Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs (or representative)
Permanent Secretary for Labour and Welfare (or representative)
Director of Social Welfare (or representative)
 
     The terms of reference of the CoP and the two Task Forces are available at the CoP website (www.povertyrelief.gov.hk).

     The Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) today (June 29) announced that in response to requests from interested tenderers, the tender period for the contract for Cross Bay Link, Tseung Kwan O – road D9 and associated works has been extended to noon on July 20.
 
     The CEDD invited tenders for the contract on April 27. The original tender period was scheduled to expire at noon on July 6.
 
     The extension of the tender period was gazetted today. Details of the tender notice are available at the CEDD's website
(www.cedd.gov.hk/eng/tender/contract/tender/index.html#NE/2017/08).

     The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health today (June 29) reported that the suspected case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) pending results yesterday (June 28), upon preliminary testing, tested negative for MERS Coronavirus. 
 

     An order to remove and dispose of human remains buried in 2011 in six public cemeteries was gazetted today (June 29).

     The order was made under section 119A of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Chapter 132), which empowers the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene (DFEH) to direct the removal and disposal of human remains buried in public cemeteries for a period of not less than six years.

     The six cemeteries are the coffin sections of Wo Hop Shek Cemetery, Cheung Chau Cemetery, Tai O Cemetery and Lai Chi Yuen Cemetery on Lantau; the "T" Section of Sandy Ridge Cemetery; and the Government Urn Section of Sandy Ridge Urn Cemetery in Lo Wu.

     People who wish to arrange for private exhumation and disposal of the human remains subject to removal should apply to the department's Cemeteries and Crematoria Office on the Upper Ground Floor, 6 Cheong Hang Road, Hung Hom, Kowloon, on or before July 13 this year. Enquiries can be made on 2364 5399.

     Any remains buried in the six cemeteries not exhumed as required will be cremated at a government crematorium. The ashes will be buried at Sandy Ridge Urn Cemetery or other cemeteries as may be decided by the DFEH.