In response to the Japanese Government's plan to discharge nuclear-contaminated water at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Station, the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene issued a Food Safety Order which prohibits all aquatic products, sea salt and seaweeds originating from the 10 metropolis/prefectures, namely Tokyo, Fukushima, Ibaraki, Miyagi, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Niigata, Nagano and Saitama, from being imported into and supplied in Hong Kong.
 
     For other Japanese aquatic products, sea salt, and seaweeds that are not prohibited from being imported into Hong Kong, the Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department will conduct comprehensive radiological tests to verify that the radiation levels of these products do not exceed the guideline levels before they are allowed to be supplied in the market.
 
     As the discharge of nuclear-contaminated water is unprecedented and will continue for 30 years or more, the Government will closely monitor and step up the testing arrangements. Should anomalies be detected, the Government does not preclude further tightening the scope of the import ban.
 
     From noon on December 18 to noon today (December 19), the CFS conducted tests on the radiological levels of 187 food samples imported from Japan, which were of the "aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt" category. No sample was found to have exceeded the safety limit. Details can be found on the CFS's thematic website titled "Control Measures on Foods Imported from Japan" (www.cfs.gov.hk/english/programme/programme_rafs/programme_rafs_fc_01_30_Nuclear_Event_and_Food_Safety.html).
 
     In parallel, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has also tested 50 samples of local catch for radiological levels. All the samples passed the tests. Details can be found on the AFCD's website (www.afcd.gov.hk/english/fisheries/Radiological_testing/Radiological_Test.html).
 
     The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) has also enhanced the environmental monitoring of the local waters. No anomaly has been detected so far. For details, please refer to the HKO's website
(www.hko.gov.hk/en/radiation/monitoring/seawater.html).
 
     From August 24 to noon today, the CFS and the AFCD have conducted tests on the radiological levels of 20 887 samples of food imported from Japan (including 13 908 samples of aquatic and related products, seaweeds and sea salt) and 5 814 samples of local catch respectively. All the samples passed the tests.

     Members of the public are invited to visit an exhibition on the Employment Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance organised by the Labour Department in Ho Man Tin on December 20 and 21 (Wednesday and Thursday).
      
     The exhibition will feature the main provisions of the Employment Ordinance and the Minimum Wage Ordinance, good human resource management measures, as well as employment rights and benefits for foreign domestic helpers. Related publications and souvenirs will be distributed, and promotional videos will be shown.
      
     The exhibition will be held at Sales Venue D, 1/F, Homantin Plaza, 80 Fat Kwong Street, Ho Man Tin, Kowloon, from 11am to 6pm. Admission is free.
 

     Hong Kong Customs on December 17 detected a drug trafficking case involving baggage concealment at Hong Kong International Airport. About 22 kilograms of suspected liquid cocaine and about 25kg of suspected ketamine with an estimated market value of about $36 million were seized.
      
     One 20-year-old female passenger and one 21-year-old male passenger arrived in Hong Kong from Milan, Italy, via Helsinki, Finland, on that day. During Customs clearance, the batch of suspected liquid cocaine and suspected ketamine was found in 22 cans of canned food, 17 food packaging boxes and two gift boxes inside their check-in suitcases. The duo were subsequently arrested.
      
     The arrested persons each have been charged with one count of trafficking in a dangerous drug. The case will be brought up at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts tomorrow (December 20).
      
     Following the resumption of normal travel and exchanges with the Mainland and other parts of the world, the number of visitors to Hong Kong has also been increasing steadily. Customs will continue to apply a risk assessment approach and focus on selecting passengers from high-risk regions for clearance to combat transnational drug trafficking activities.
      
     Under the Dangerous Drugs Ordinance, trafficking in a dangerous drug is a serious offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and life imprisonment.
      
     Members of the public may report any suspected drug trafficking activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

  

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     Members of the public are invited to attend the Hospital Authority (HA) Board Meeting to be held on December 21 (Thursday) at 3.45pm. 
 
     The HA Board Meeting has been open to members of the public since 1998 to demonstrate the continuous effort of the Authority to enhance its transparency and public accountability. The HA Board holds meetings at regular intervals to discuss major health policy issues that have impacts on the public. Through these open meetings, the community is able to understand more about the role and functions of the HA Board as well as the operation and services of the HA and its hospitals.
 
     The HA Board will discuss the following agenda items in the coming meeting:
 

• Progress Report on Strategic Priorities; and
• Cluster Presentation Programme – Kowloon East Cluster – Status Review of the Service Development of Dentistry and Oral Maxillofacial Surgery and Future Development.

 
     The meeting agenda and papers will be made available to the public at the meeting. Members of the public are reminded that they can attend the Board Meeting only as observers and will not be participating in the meeting discussions.
 
     Members of the public who are interested in attending the coming Board Meeting have to make an advance booking by contacting the Secretariat of the HA Board at 2300 6797 during office hours. To facilitate booking arrangements, members of the public are advised to provide their names and contact telephone numbers. In view of the limited seating available in the public gallery of the meeting venue, seating will be reserved on a first-come, first-served basis.

     The Government announced today (December 19) that the Chief Executive has appointed Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har as a non-official member of the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.

     The Chief Executive has also reappointed Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong, Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, Mr Chan Kin-por, Mr Stanley Ng Chau-pei, Mr Tam Yiu-chung, Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung, and Mr Chow Chung-kong as non-official members of the Selection Committee.

     "All members will serve for a one-year term, from January 1 to December 31, 2024," a Government spokesman said.

     Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, a serving member of the Selection Committee, will retire on December 31, 2023.

     "We wish to express our gratitude to Mr Chan for his invaluable advice rendered to the Selection Committee during his term of office," the spokesman said.

     The Selection Committee is tasked to consider nominations for various honours as well as for the appointment of Non-official Justices of the Peace (JPs) and make recommendations to the Chief Executive.

     Honours and awards are awarded to individuals in recognition of their significant contribution to Hong Kong or dedicated public and community service. The appointment of JPs is governed by the Justices of the Peace Ordinance (Cap. 510). JPs are required to perform certain functions, including visiting custodial institutions or detention centres, to ensure that such facilities are effectively managed and that no inmate is unfairly treated or deprived of his or her rights.

     The annual Honours List and the list of new JP appointments are normally published in the Government Gazette on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1).

     The Selection Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Other official members include the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission, and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office.

     The Selection Committee's full membership for the new term is as follows:

Chairman
———-
Chief Secretary for Administration

Non-official Members
————————
Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee
Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong
Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi
Mr Chan Kin-por
Dr Eliza Chan Ching-har
Mr Stanley Ng Chau-pei
Mr Tam Yiu-chung
Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung
Mr Chow Chung-kong

Official Members
——————-
Financial Secretary
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs
Chairman, Public Service Commission
Director, Chief Executive's Office