The Development Bureau (DEVB) published the Extension of Government Leases Bill (the Bill) today (December 7), with a view to providing a standing mechanism for extension of leases in a streamlined and orderly manner by operation of law. Leases will be extended in batches by virtue of the Government's regular publication of notices in the Gazette, obviating the need for all the owners and the Government to undergo cumbersome procedures of execution of a new lease.

     A spokesperson for the DEVB said, "The Government has all along been handling extension of leases in accordance with the land policy promulgated in July 1997 (the 1997 Land Policy). According to this policy, general purpose leases as covered in the Bill (which refer to residential, commercial or industrial leases not being special purpose leases) will generally be allowed extension by the Government for a term of 50 years without payment of an additional premium, but an annual rent equivalent to three per cent of the rateable value of the property shall be charged."

     The spokesperson continued, "The Bill maintains and operates under the 1997 Land Policy, and what is changed by the legislative exercise is only the means through which leases will be extended – extension will be effected by publication of notices in the Gazette, instead of execution of individual new leases by the Government with the owners. This ensures that the considerable number of upcoming expiring leases could be handled in an efficient and orderly manner, which will provide certainty on extension of leases and enhance the confidence of the owners and investors towards the arrangements for extending leases."

     The Bill provides that the Director of Lands must publish an "Extension Notice" and a "Non-extension List" in the Gazette no less than six years (Note 1) before expiry of each batch of leases to declare that the leases covered by the "Extension Notice" will be extended, unless a lease is being listed on the "Non-extension List" (Note 2). Existing provisions in the leases will be retained upon extension, with additional conditions in accordance with the 1997 Land Policy that the lease will be extended for a term of 50 years, without payment of any additional premium for the extension itself, but subject to payment of annual rent annually adjusted and assessed according to the rateable value of the property, as well as essential conditions for safeguarding the Government's enforcement powers. All interests, encumbrances and rights under the original lease will be carried forward.

     Moreover, at the instruction of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (OCMFA), the Bill also expressly provides that the properties owned by consular missions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) and the representative offices of international organisations enjoying privileges and immunities in the HKSAR, and used as chancelleries or residences of heads of missions and mission staff, will continue to be subject to OCMFA's requirement put in place in June 2022 in respect of the acquisition and disposal of such properties (including lease extension), this being a matter of foreign affairs. The extension of such leases is subject to OCMFA's prior approval being obtained before expiry of the lease, as well as the Government's approval for extending the lease. If the property concerned is an individual unit in a multi-storey building, the aforesaid requirement will only apply to the relevant property unit, without affecting the other property units in the same building.

     The DEVB briefed the Legislative Council (LegCo) Panel on Development on the legislative proposal in May this year, and thereafter engaged relevant professional bodies and stakeholders. The DEVB is pleased to note that the legislative proposal has received wide support, and has refined the operational details having regard to the views received, including doubling the lead time for publishing the "Extension Notice" from no less than three years to no less than six years before lease expiry. This has positively responded to stakeholders' concern for earlier certainty on extension of leases, while striking an appropriate balance with the need for the Government to consider whether to allow extension for a lease closer to the time of lease expiry.

     The spokesperson said, "Land leases underpin the daily life and business operations of the general public. The new mechanism for extension of leases will bring about significant facilitation for both the public and businesses. The Government will fully support the LegCo's examination of the Bill, with the hope that the Bill could be passed and implemented as soon as possible."

     The Bill will be gazetted tomorrow (December 8) and introduced into the LegCo for first reading on December 13. For details, please refer to the LegCo Brief issued today.

Note 1: As an illustration, for leases expiring in 2031, the "Extension Notice" and "Non-extension List" should be published no later than December 31, 2024. For leases expiring in less than six years' time (according to record, the earliest batch of upcoming expiring general purpose leases will expire in 2025), the "Extension Notice" and "Non-extension List" should be published on the date the legislation comes into operation.

Note 2: According to the established policy, if a particular lease should not be extended on public interest consideration (such as serious lease breach that remains unpurged despite repeated warnings), the Lands Department may refuse to extend the lease concerned. For the 25 leases which expired since July 1997, no general purpose lease has been refused extension on public interest considerations.

     With only three days to go before the District Council (DC) election, the Secretary for the Civil Service (SCS), Mrs Ingrid Yeung, today (December 7) visited the offices of the Official Languages Division and the General Grades Office of the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) at Queensway Government Offices (QGO) and Rumsey Street Multi-storey Carpark Building in Sheung Wan respectively to distribute promotion leaflets on the DC election to colleagues to appeal to them to vote on December 10 so as to choose their ideal candidates for a better community.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, "The DC election is an important step towards an improved district governance structure and of great significance since it relates to community building and the well-being of the public. The reform of DCs is an important policy initiative of the Government. Civil servants have a responsibility to give support to it and also a civic responsibility to vote. They should set a good example and cast their votes in this DC election to discharge their 'dual responsibilities'.
 
     "Having those who are most capable in assisting the Government to better keep tabs on the districts and serve the public wholeheartedly be returned as DC members can make the governance and the work of civil servants smoother. Colleagues, no matter in the capacity of civil servants or members of the public, should support it."
 
     As the polling day is approaching, Mrs Yeung called on colleagues to learn more about the candidates of the geographical constituencies they belong to and their election platforms so as to elect the ideal candidates to serve the community.
 
     The CSB has been working in a concerted manner since early November and has spared no effort in the publicity and promotion of the DC election. The Chief Secretary for Administration and the SCS earlier met with representatives from the four civil service central consultative councils and the four major service-wide staff unions to appeal to them to support the DC election. They also jointly appear in a video and went to multiple floors of the QGO to disseminate to colleagues the important message of supporting the DC election and voting together.
 
     Moreover, the CSB Volunteer Team distributed leaflets for promoting the DC election to colleagues at various government buildings during lunch breaks and when they get off work. The team also went into the community and encouraged members of the public to cast their votes in the DC election.
 
     In addition to visiting the two offices today, Mrs Yeung had earlier visited the Joint Secretariat for the Advisory Bodies on Civil Service and Judicial Salaries and Conditions of Service and the Public Service Commission, as well as the CSB's workplaces on various floors of the Central Government Offices to appeal to colleagues to vote as early as possible on the polling day.
 
     The CSB also introduced various promotional items for the DC election, including a campaign to gather civil servants' united support for the DC election, as well as a screen saver and a set of stickers for messaging apps, to spread the message of supporting the DC election and voting together to more colleagues through online and offline channels, and encourage them to take part in the promotion of DC election with one heart.
 
     Mrs Yeung said, "All these arrangements are meant to raise the awareness of civil servants and the general public about the DC election, and to encourage them to pay an effort to facilitate the development of district affairs and people's livelihood through 'each casting one vote on one candidate' to elect those who do practical work as DC members."
 
     The DC geographical constituencies, information on candidates, voting arrangements, etc, for the 2023 DC election are available on the thematic website (www.elections.gov.hk). The polling hours of DC geographical constituency ordinary polling stations on the polling day will be from 8.30am to 10.30pm.

      

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, visited SKH St Andrew's Primary School in Sham Shui Po this afternoon (December 7) to learn more about the implementation of the School-based After School Care Service Scheme. The Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the Acting Secretary for Education, Mr Sze Chun-fai, also joined the visit.

     Mr Chan first received a briefing by the Principal of the school, Mr Tam Hsien-ming, on the needs of students participating in the Scheme, including those with special educational needs and those from single-parent families, followed by an introduction by the Chief Executive Officer of the operator, St James' Settlement, Ms Josephine Lee, on the services provided so far in the current school year. Mr Chan took a close look at students doing homework and revisions in the classroom under the guidance of instructors. He also chatted with students and parents, and was glad to note that some of the parents had rejoined the labour market in two months. Mr Chan and other officials then played with students in group games in the hall and encouraged them to enhance their social skills and relieve academic stress through the activities.

     Mr Chan said, "The current-term Government has adopted the strategy of targeted poverty alleviation by directing resources to those most in need. The Government, in co-operation with the Commission on Poverty chaired by me, has identified single-parent households as one of the target groups upon review. The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address sets out the launch of the School-based After School Care Service Scheme in the 2023/24 school year to provide targeted support for underprivileged families, especially single-parent families.

     "I am happy to see that students enrolled in the Scheme can finish homework and revision, as well as engage in games and extra-curricular activities with classmates at school to improve their physical and mental health, and that parents can alleviate their stress of looking after their children so that they can find full-time jobs or part-time ones of a longer duration to improve their living. The Scheme can also help attract more women to rejoin the labour force to further boost productivity in society."

     The Scheme is implemented in primary schools from those districts with more targeted students, including Kowloon City, Yau Tsim Mong, Sham Shui Po, Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long, and is expected to benefit 3 000 students. Under the Scheme, venues are provided by schools with funding from the Community Care Fund while NGOs operate the service. The service is run after school until 6pm from Monday to Friday and may be extended to 7pm if school situations permit. A total of six hours of service per day should be provided on Saturday and Sunday. In case of school holidays and class suspensions where the campus cannot be opened, NGOs should provide their service in service units in the same district as far as practicable.

        

     Following is the speech by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at the closing ceremony of the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control 2023 today (December 7):
 
Vice-minister Yu Xuejun (Vice-minister of the National Health Commission (NHC)), Professor Judith Mackay (Special Advisor of the Global Centre for Good Governance in Tobacco Control, Director of the Asian Consultancy on Tobacco Control and Senior Policy Advisor of the World Health Organization (WHO)), ladies and gentlemen,
 
     Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to speak to you today at the closing ceremony of the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control organised by the Department of Health of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government. May I first extend a warm greeting to all of you, especially experts and friends coming from the Mainland and overseas. We are most honoured to have Vice-minister Yu and his colleagues from the NHC joining us today. 
 
     Tobacco consumption constitutes the single most important preventable risk factor for death and chronic diseases including cancers and cardiovascular diseases. Hong Kong, like many advanced economies, has a healthcare system that is facing an enormous challenge associated with an ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic disease. Second-hand smoke generated by smoking is equally harmful in leading to various chronic diseases, and has serious negative impacts on the public and society. Tobacco consumption is estimated to be responsible for about 7 000 deaths in Hong Kong and over 8 million deaths worldwide each year.
 
     The HKSAR Government seeks to safeguard public health with tobacco control policy that discourages smoking and minimises the impact of passive smoking on the public. We adopt a multipronged approach, comprising legislation, taxation, designation of non-smoking areas, enforcement, publicity, education, and smoking cessation. Hong Kong has been a champion for tobacco control and spared no effort in continuously enhancing our regulatory regime. Over the last 40 years or so, our smoking prevalence rate has decreased from over 20 per cent in the early 1980s down to 9.5 per cent in 2021, making Hong Kong one of the economies with the lowest smoking prevalence rate globally.
 
     That said, there is no room for complacency when it comes to tobacco control. We have to stay vigilant on new developments. In recent years, the emergence of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and other new smoking products such as heat-not-burn has posed new health risks and challenges. These products are often packaged as less harmful substitutes with promotion tactics targeted at youngsters and non-smokers, and will ultimately open a gateway to the eventual consumption of conventional cigarettes. Despite the sugar coating, all these new smoking products are equally harmful to health and produce second-hand smoke.
 
     As such, we enacted legislation to prohibit any person from importing, promoting, manufacturing, selling or possessing for commercial purposes alternative smoking products, including all electronic smoking products, heated tobacco products and herbal cigarettes since April last year. It is a milestone for Hong Kong's mission in tobacco control.
 
     In addition, we raised our tobacco duty earlier this year by over 30 per cent, making the increased tobacco duty about 64 per cent of the retail price of cigarettes. Taking the tobacco duty proportion of 75 per cent as recommended by the WHO as target, we will continue to review the overall effectiveness of tobacco control measures and the pace of future duty level adjustments. 
 
     With our target set on further lowering our smoking prevalence rate to 7.8 per cent by 2025, the HKSAR Government launched a public consultation on the tobacco control strategies earlier this year for collecting the public's views on the next phase of tobacco control. In the consultation document, we set out four main strategies for underpinning the next phase of tobacco control, viz, (1) to regulate supply, suppress demand; (2) to ban promotion and reduce attractiveness; (3) to expand non-smoking areas to mitigate harm; and (4) to enhance education and support smoking cessation. We are in the process of analysing the consultation outcome and will map out the way forward very soon. 
 
     Tobacco control is a longstanding battle all around the world. It is important that different countries and regions join hands together to contain the proliferation of tobacco use and create a tobacco-free society for our next generation. The HKSAR has been designated by the World Health Organization as the Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence since April 2012. We serve as a regional hub to support smoking cessation trainings and programme evaluation, in particular in the Western Pacific Region.
 
     I am delighted to see that over the years, the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control has trained more than 100 healthcare personnel from Hong Kong, Macao, Mainland China, the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam. This year, participants from six countries/areas attend physically in Hong Kong. I trust the experiences shared over the past few days will be of great value to our policymakers and enforcement agencies.
 
     Last but not least, I hope our guests have the time to enjoy the vibrancy and dynamics of our city Hong Kong and I look forward to welcoming you all again. Thank you.

    

     The Tobacco and Alcohol Control Office (TACO) of the Department of Health (DH) organised the Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control 2023 from December 4 to December 8, and the closing ceremony was held today (December 7).  
      
     In April 2012, the DH was designated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to set up the Collaborating Centre for Smoking Cessation and Treatment of Tobacco Dependence in Hong Kong to serve as a regional hub supporting smoking cessation training and providing assistance to other member states/regions within the Western Pacific region. The Annual Training Programme on Tobacco Control (the Programme) is structured according to the tobacco control measures introduced by the WHO with participants from countries/areas including Mainland China, Macao, China, Malaysia, Republic of Palau, Papua New Guinea, etc participating in the training. Through sharing of valuable experiences in tobacco control by 10 overseas and local experts, participants were able to master tobacco control techniques and strategies in areas such as legislation, law enforcement, publicity and promotion, as well as the development of smoking cessation services and assessments to a further extent. Moreover, through visiting community-based smoking cessation clinics, participants could learn more about smoking cessation services in Hong Kong.
      
     The closing ceremony was officiated by Vice-minister of the National Health Commission Mr Yu Xuejun. Mr Yu hailed the Programme as a great success, and praised the DH for its positive contribution to promoting tobacco control policies and implementing relevant measures. He also expressed the Chinese Government's wishes to collaborate on the efforts with the WHO and other countries and areas within the Western Pacific region through enhanced co-operation in the area of tobacco control, especially on academic exchanges and research.
      
     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, and the Director of the Division of Healthy Environments and Populations of the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Dr Hiromasa Okayasu, also praised the success of the Programme in their closing remarks.