Police today (December 21) laid a holding charge against a 36-year-old woman with one count of murder and a 29-year-old man with one count of doing an act tending and intended to pervert the course of public justice.

     The two persons and a 37-year-old woman were arrested yesterday (December 20) in suspected connection with a murder happened in Yuen Long in the small hours yesterday, in which a 48-year-old man died.

     The case will be mentioned at Tuen Mun Magistrates’ Courts tomorrow (December 22) morning.

     Besides, the 37-year-old woman was released on bail and is required to report back to Police in mid January 2024.

     Active investigation by the District Crime Squad of Yuen Long District is underway.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

The spokesperson for Tuen Mun Hospital (TMH) announced an event regarding COVID-19 vaccination today (December 21):
 
     Staff of the vaccination centre at TMH checked the record of vaccination storage after the close of service yesterday (December 20), and found that there was a discrepancy compared with the vaccination record. The hospital was very concerned about the event and conducted an investigation subsequently.
 
     After the investigation, it was noticed that a total of 6 persons who chose to inject XBB mRNA vaccines had been administered with mRNA bivalent vaccines. The persons concerned comprised three males and three females aged 65 to 74. The mRNA bivalent vaccine, received by the six persons, is effective in preventing severe disease and death, and can provide effective protection against the coronavirus disease 2019 and is effective in providing protection against COVID-19.
 
     TMH attached great importance to the event and contacted the vaccinated persons immediately to offer apologies and explain the event. The hospital will also provide appropriate assistance to them and closely follow up on their conditions.
 
     The event has been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office through the Advance Incident Reporting System. The hospital regrets the inconvenience caused. TMH will look into the event and review the vaccination workflow, and provide recommendations for improvement and for the prevention of reoccurrence of similar incidents. In addition, the hospital will strengthen the training and supervision to relevant staff, to ensure the staff responsible for vaccination strictly comply with all verification procedures.

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

     The delegation of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Development concluded its study visit to Shanghai today (December 21).

     On the last day of the visit, the delegation first met with Vice Mayor of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government, Mr Zhang Xiaohong. As Shanghai is an important economic centre and international financial centre in the Mainland, Members noted the latest development of Shanghai. Both parties exchanged views on ways to strengthen Hong Kong-Shanghai co-operation.

     The delegation then visited the Xuhui Riverside Development Area. Xuhui Riverside is one of the key riverside development projects under the Shanghai 14th Five-year Plan, as well as the current landmark area of Shanghai in cultural, media and digital technology development. The delegation discussed with the relevant bodies coastal and riverside development, planning and management, and visited West Bund AI Tower, West Bund Media Port and the development of West Bund Orbit and Financial Hub.

     Members then visited Zhang Yuan to learn more about its work and outcomes attained regarding heritage conservation and revitalisation, urban renewal, public space and commercial use. Zhang Yuan has a history of more than 100 years as its construction began in 1882. It was revitalised through acquisition and preservation of structures, but not demolition, and relocation of occupants by the local government in 2018, with a view to preserving the view of shikumen, or traditional lane houses of Shanghai. After the renovation, 43 historic buildings were preserved with modern and stylish elements in the western portion of Zhang Yuan, and it was opened to the public in November 2022.

     In summarising the three-day study visit, the delegation leader, Mr Tony Tse, described the visit as rich and intensive, from which Members had gained a lot. Mr Tse said, "Hong Kong is a core city of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area; and Shanghai is a leading city of the Yangtze River Delta Economic City Group, both of which are key cities of the country with special status and functions. Members gained insights into the latest developments in Shanghai, including urban planning and management, new areas development, heritage conservation and revitalisation, emergency response and disaster prevention work, as well as coastal and riverside development". Mr Tse stated that many of these aspects are worth learning for Hong Kong. He added that the interaction and exchange between Members and the Development Bureau's delegation during the visit will also be beneficial to future discussions on the relevant issues between the Panel and the Administration.

     Mr Tse expressed his gratitude to the Shanghai Municipal People's Government and the relevant bodies for the thoughtful arrangements. He also thanked the Development Bureau and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Shanghai for the assistance provided. Their support contributed significantly to the success of the study visit.

     The delegation, consisting of 16 LegCo Members, visited Shanghai from December 19 to 21. The delegation was led by the Chairman of the LegCo Panel on Development, Mr Tony Tse, and Deputy Chairman of the Panel cum deputy leader, Mr Lau Kwok-fan. The Development Bureau's delegation led by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, also joined the study visit.

      

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Housing Authority:

     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA)'s Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) today (December 21) endorsed the proposal to initiate a redevelopment study for Choi Hung Estate in Wong Tai Sin. 

     In response to the invitation under "The Chief Executive's 2022 Policy Address", the HA has selected one more public housing estate to initiate redevelopment study on top of the 10 redevelopment projects that are currently being undertaken.

     Completed in 1962 to 1964, Choi Hung Estate, with an estate area of about 7.9 hectares, comprises about 7 400 public rental housing (PRH) units. "Having considered the building age, the availability of suitable rehousing resources in the vicinity for the first phase, i.e. new Mei Tung Estate and that redevelopment can increase the number of flats and provide opportunities to improve the traffic conditions in the neighbourhood, etc, a redevelopment study for Choi Hung Estate will be initiated," said the Secretary for Housing and Chairman of the HA, Ms Winnie Ho.

     The nearby new Mei Tung Estate can provide the required rehousing flats for the first phase of the redevelopment. Meanwhile, the HA's SPC has also approved at the meeting to convert the PRH development at Wang Chiu Road Phase 2 in Kowloon Bay to a Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme (GSH) project for sale, which will provide 1 467 flats.

     "Subject to the approval of the rehousing arrangements for the clearance of Choi Hung Estate and the sales arrangements for the relevant sale exercises by the Subsidised Housing Committee in future, Choi Hung Estate tenants who are affected by HA's announced PRH clearance programmes will be accorded priority to purchase the GSH flats at Wang Chiu Road Phase 2, or other Home Ownership Scheme/GSH flats in relevant sale exercises to be launched before the target clearance date, if they prefer to purchase subsidised sale flats in lieu of rehousing," Ms Ho said.

     The redevelopment of Choi Hung Estate will provide an opportunity for the Government to improve the traffic and pedestrian network at the adjoining Choi Hung Interchange and its locality. It may enhance the social welfare, community and school facilities in the area, and may create a new Choi Hung community. 

     "The study will further explore the potential of making good use of the build-back potential upon redevelopment of Choi Hung Estate. An implementation plan will be further worked out. Initially, our estimate is that about 9 200 flats could be provided upon redevelopment, representing a net gain of about 1 800 flats (about 24 per cent). We will liaise with the government departments/bureaux concerned on the traffic improvement measures and school arrangements, and engage local residents, affected schools, welfare facilities, NGOs, etc, in the process. Upon completion of the study, we will announce the rehousing and related arrangements accordingly." Ms Ho said. 

     For the other aged PRH estates, the HA will continue to consider the actual circumstances in a prudent manner in accordance with its policies and the four basic principles, namely structural conditions of buildings, cost-effectiveness of repair works, availability of suitable rehousing resources in the vicinity of the estates to be redeveloped, and build-back potential upon redevelopment, when deciding whether to redevelop individual aged PRH estates.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Housing and the Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, Ms Winnie Ho, at a media session after attending the Hong Kong Housing Authority Strategic Planning Committee meeting this afternoon (December 21):
 
Reporter: (About plan for the businesses in Choi Hung Estate, number of flats for affected residents of Choi Hung Estate to buy and rent didn't add up to 7 500 units, and plans to preserve the characteristics of Choi Hung Estate) 

Secretary for Housing: All the relocation projects (sites), including the public rental housing proposed in Mei Tung Estate and the GSH (Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme) estate in Wang Chiu Road, are within the same Wong Tai Sin District. For the numbers, we are talking about three phases, there are total (about) 7 400 units (in Choi Hung Estate). If we divide them into three phases, that means there are around 2 500 in each phase. So there is relocation possibility for the first phase. As you can see in Mei Tung Estate, we have (about) 2 860 units. So there should be more than enough for the first phase. Wang Chiu Road GSH, which they (affected residents of Choi Hung Estate) can buy as subsidised sales flats, and there are 1 467 units. There are much more than enough for the first phase.

     After the first phase has been relocated, there are spaces to redevelop within the Choi Hung Estate area. The redeveloped first phase area can absorb residents of the second phase. And then the area of the second phase, after redeveloping, can absorb the residents of the third phase. So that's the concept how we carry out redevelopment project. There are enough relocation sites outside Choi Hung for us to kick-start this redevelopment project.

     For the businesses, they have the priority to bid for (the shops in) other shopping arcades in newly developed public housing estates in other areas.

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