The Government published the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2018 in the Gazette today (June 15).

     "The Bill seeks to increase statutory paternity leave from the existing three days to five days under the Employment Ordinance (Cap. 57), while other features of the PL regime would remain unchanged," said a spokesperson for the Labour Department (LD).

     "The proposed Bill is based on the outcome of a review of the implementation of statutory paternity leave and has been supported by the Labour Advisory Board and the Legislative Council Panel on Manpower. It would help male employees better discharge their family responsibilities around the time of their children's birth."

     The spokesperson added that the Government had, in formulating the legislative proposal, taken into account the views of employees, the affordability of employers including small and medium enterprises, and the operation of paternity leave since 2015. If the Bill can be passed quickly by the Legislative Council, parents-to-be will be able to enjoy the improvement at an earlier time.

     The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council on June 20.

     The Government announced today (June 15) an in-situ land exchange with the Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers (the Mission) for the redevelopment of the Mariners' Club at Tsim Sha Tsui to enable the continued provision of welfare services to seafarers.
 
     The current site of the Mariners' Club at 11 Middle Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, was acquired by the Mission through land exchange on full market value in 1965. Over the years, the Mariners' Club has been providing, at its own cost, affordable accommodation and a range of other welfare services to transiting seafarers and their family members. With time, the facilities at the Mariners' Club have deteriorated and become outdated, making it difficult for the Mission to sustain its services to seafarers. 
 
     With the approved in-situ land exchange, the Mission, upon settlement of the premium, can identify a development partner to redevelop the site into a composite building with a new Mariners' Club on the lower levels and a commercial hotel on the upper levels. The redevelopment will allow the Mission to modernise the facilities of the Mariners' Club for the continued provision of affordable welfare services to seafarers.
 
     A spokesman for the Transport and Housing Bureau said, "The redevelopment will support Hong Kong's maritime industry and tourism development by providing the much needed welfare facilities for seafarers as well as bolstering the supply of hotel rooms in a key tourism district. The redevelopment can maximise the potential of the site and uphold Hong Kong's status as a major international port and tourist destination."
 
     It is an international common practice for major ports to provide seafarers, who are away from home for prolonged periods at sea, with social and welfare services and onshore facilities that typically include affordable accommodation of reasonable standard and other leisure facilities. In Hong Kong, such support services are provided by the Mission, which is a non-profit organisation incorporated in 1930 under the Sailors Home and Mission to Seafarers Incorporation Ordinance (Cap. 1042).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority (HA) spokesperson today (June 15) said that 12 of its general out-patient clinics (see table below) will provide services in the coming Tuen Ng Festival holiday on Monday (June 18). Members of the public are reminded to make advance booking through the telephone system as usual for an appointment.

      The spokesperson further remarked that the Accident & Emergency (A&E) Departments in public hospitals will also operate as usual during the holiday to serve the patients with urgent medical needs. The established triage system will ensure priority treatment for critical and emergency patients according to their clinical conditions.

     "The queuing time is expected to be longer for semi-urgent and non-urgent patients as there may be more patients attending A&E departments during the holiday," the spokesperson appeals to the public for understanding and cooperation while waiting for consultations. Non-urgent patients are advised to consider seeking consultations at general out-patient clinics, private doctors or the 24-hour clinics of private hospitals.

     To help find the appropriate family medicine doctor and related clinic service of their choice, members of the public are welcome to call the HA Infoline (2882 4866) for information on holiday general out-patient clinic service, or to browse the Primary Care Directory of Department of Health at www.pcdirectory.gov.hk, or download the mobile App of "Primary Care Directory".
 
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Public Holiday Clinics
 

 
Consultation Hours:
9am to 1pm and 2pm to 5pm

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 15) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island; Silverstrand Beach, Clear Water Bay First Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beach-goers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     The Government started the recruitment under the Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth today (June 15).  The application period will close on July 16.
 
     Chief Secretary for Administration cum Chairman of the Youth Development Commission Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said, "This term of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government strives to do our best in youth development work by addressing their concerns about education, career pursuit and home ownership, and encouraging their participation in politics as well as public policy discussion and debate. These include giving young people more opportunities to participate in public affairs so that the Government can better understand their views and suggestions and take them into account.
 
     Since last year, we have started to appoint young people to become members of specified boards and committees by self-recommendation through the Pilot Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth.  The target is to increase the overall ratio of youth members (i.e. persons who are aged between 18 and 35) on government boards and committees from the current 8.6 per cent to 15 per cent within the duration of the current-term Government."
 
     A spokesman for the Home Affairs Bureau said, "in the light of the overwhelming response to the Pilot Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth launched last October, the Government will regularise the scheme and rename it as Member Self-recommendation Scheme for Youth (MSSY).  The scheme will be extended to more boards and committees which cover a wide spectrum of policy areas.  It will be rolled out twice every year to provide more opportunities for young people to participate in policy discussion."
      
     The first phase of MSSY opened for application today. The following ten committees will each offer two seats under MSSY –

1. Lantau Development Advisory Committee;
2. Council for Sustainable Development;
3. Advisory Committee on Enhancing Self-Reliance Through District Partnership Programme;
4. Transport Advisory Committee;
5. Community Investment and Inclusion Fund Committee;
6. Committee on Community Support for Rehabilitated Offenders;
7. Community Sports Committee;
8. Joint Committee on Student Finance;
9. Food Wise Hong Kong Steering Committee; and
10. Advisory Committee of the Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged.

     "Young people aged between 18 and 35 on July 16, 2018, i.e. the close of application, are invited to self-nominate to become members of the ten specified committees,” the spokesman continued.

     A Recruitment Committee (RC) has been set up for overseeing the implementation of the MSSY.  The RC comprises the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission, non-official chairpersons or members of the afore-mentioned ten committees and representatives of the bureaux/departments concerned.  Under the RC, ten Assessment Panels (APs) will be formed to take care of the applications concerning the ten committees respectively.  AP members include the non-official chairperson and/or members of the committee concerned and representatives of the bureau/department concerned. 

     The spokesman said, "the APs will consider whether the applicant has strong commitment to serve the community, good understanding of the policy area concerned, as well as good analytical and communication skills.  The APs will conduct interviews with applicants to facilitate the assessment."  Following the principle of meritocracy, the Government aims to, through the MSSY, recruit young people who have the commitment to serve the community and the ability to contribute to the committees concerned for recommending to the relevant bureaux/departments for consideration of appointment.  Subject to the actual number of applications received, the recruitment exercise is expected to be completed in the last quarter of this year.
      
     The application form and other details of the MSSY are available on the website of the Home Affairs Bureau (www.hab.gov.hk).  In completing the application form, the applicant needs to write no more than 600 words or provide a video / audio clip of no longer than three minutes to explain, in either Chinese or English, his/her suitability of being appointed to be a member of the relevant committee.  Applications may be submitted through the online application system, by post or by hand.