Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Joephy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
 
Question:
 
    Many members of the public have relayed to me that the outdoor temporary footbridge connecting Cheung Hong Commercial Complex No. 1 and Cheung Ching Bus Terminus (the temporary footbridge) has been poorly designed. For instance, the steps are too steep, making it inconvenient for pedestrians to go up and down, and increasing the risk of elderly people losing their footing and tripping. According to my measurement, the width of the treads of the steps and the height of the steps of the temporary footbridge are 250 mm and 170 mm respectively. Although they are in compliance with the standards stipulated in regulation 39 of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F) for the main staircases of buildings, they are not in compliance with the standards stipulated in section 25 of the Third Schedule to the Regulations for external staircases. Moreover, it is learnt that the staircases of many pedestrian walkways in Hong Kong have similar problems. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the numbers of enquiries, complaints and accident reports relating to the design of the temporary footbridge received by the Government since its commissioning; whether the Government will consider conducting an in-depth investigation into and collecting the views of nearby residents on the usage of the temporary footbridge, as well as appointing professional engineers to conduct site inspections to reassess the temporary footbridge’s suitability for use and safety risks, with a view to expeditiously rectifying irregularities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
 
(2) whether it has plans to comprehensively inspect the staircases of all permanent and temporary pedestrian walkways in Hong Kong to ensure that their designs are in compliance with the existing legal standards, and request the relevant government departments and/or contractors to rectify irregularities and/or provide barrier-free access when they are found; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) in view of the ageing population in Hong Kong, whether the authorities will consider reviewing Cap. 123F and the Design Manual: Barrier Free Access 2008 published by the Buildings Department, so as to introduce for staircases used by a relatively large number of elderly people more stringent design standards (e.g.‍ increasing the width of steps and lowering the height of steps), thereby further improving safety and reducing the risks of accidents?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     The Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) has all along accorded priority to caring and safety with a view to fostering inclusive estate environments. In consultation with the Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Development Bureau, our reply to the question raised by the Hon Joephy Chan is as follows:
 
(1) In order to facilitate the public housing development at Ching Hong Road North Phase 3 (Phase 3) and to maintain a pedestrian connection between Cheung Ching Estate and Cheung Hong Estate during the construction period of Phase 3, the HA has constructed a temporary covered footbridge over the slope adjoining Phase 3 to replace the pedestrian passage connecting the Cheung Hong commercial complex and the bus terminus in Cheung Ching Estate, which will be demolished. Since the opening of the temporary covered footbridge on October 13, 2023, the HA has not received any accident reports in relation to the usage of the staircases of the temporary covered footbridge. The HA has however received enquiries and opinions raised by individual Legislative Council Members, individual members of the District Council concerned, and residents of the estates regarding the design of the staircases.
 
     Although HA’s building works and buildings are exempted from the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO), the HA has all along been striving to adhere to the requirements of the BO and its subsidiary regulations, as well as the relevant codes of practices and guidelines promulgated by the Buildings Department (BD) from time to time, including the provisions to facilitate access to and use of barrier-free access facilities in the buildings.
 
     Under the definition of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F), the temporary covered footbridge at Cheung Ching Estate is defined as a temporary building which is exempted from the requirements of the provision of barrier-free access. The width of landing, treads and height of the step risers, and the height and installation of handrails in the temporary covered footbridge are all in compliance with the requirements of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F). Nevertheless, in response to the opinions and suggestions received from the aforementioned stakeholders, the HA has conducted a review on the design and usage of the temporary covered footbridge. Based on the preliminary studies, it was considered that, from technical point of view, there is room for enhancement, including widening the treads and reducing height of the risers. The HA is consolidating the proposed enhancements and will liaise closely with relevant stakeholders on the proposed enhancements, with a view to commencing the works as soon as possible.
 
     In the meantime, the HA is also proactively reviewing the feasibility for early completion of the shuttle lifts located in the commercial centre of Phase 3. Upon the completion of the works at Phase 3, it is more convenient for residents to reach the bus terminus in Cheung Ching Estate from Cheung Hong Estate via this permanent barrier-free access.
 
(2) For public footbridges and subways managed by the Transport Department (TD) and the Highways Department (HyD), staircases of such public pedestrian facilities shall be designed in accordance with the relevant guidelines in the Transport Planning and Design Manual of TD. The guidelines stipulate that new staircases should have a tread width of not less than 280 millimetres (mm), a height of not more than 150 mm, and the flight of steps in each section of the staircase should be no more than 12, unless restricted by space or other factors. Before commissioning, these public pedestrian facilities are required to pass the acceptance procedures of TD and HyD to confirm that they have been properly constructed in accordance with the relevant standards applicable at the time. After the facilities have been opened for public use, HyD will conduct regular inspections and arrange for the necessary repairs and maintenance in a timely manner to ensure that they are maintained in good condition for use by pedestrians.
 
     As for the structures on private land, pursuant to the powers under the BO, the BD supervises the planning, design and construction of buildings and associated works on private land to ensure compliance with safety and health standards. The BO also stipulates building design and construction standards in respect of structural, fire safety and health for this purpose. 
 
     In respect of the aforementioned buildings under the regulation of the BO, section 25 of Division 7 of the Third Schedule (concerning design to facilitate persons with a disability) of section 72 of the Building (Planning) Regulations (Cap. 123F) and paragraph 25 of Division 7 of the Design Manual: Barrier-Free Access 2008 (2021 Edition) (Design Manual) stipulate the obligatory design requirements for the required staircases and the main circulation staircases in common areas of a building (including internal and external staircases), such as the width of treads of staircases, height of risers of staircases, etc. If the building plans do not comply with the relevant requirements, the BD will refuse to issue plan approval. 
 
     Under the Operation Check Walk scheme, the BD selects 15 commercial buildings (mainly shopping arcades) each year to inspect whether barrier-free access and facilities in the buildings are in compliance with and maintain the specifications of the original plans approved by the BD. If irregularities of barrier-free access and facilities are found, the BD will issue statutory orders under the regulations of the BO to require the owners concerned to rectify the irregularities.
 
(3) The BD has all along maintained a technical committee comprising representatives from relevant government bureaux and departments, building professional institutes, the academia and the rehabilitation sector (including persons with disabilities) to continually review the barrier-free design standards for implementation through statutory requirements or administrative means/recommendations by collecting and listening to the views of the building sector, the rehabilitation sector and relevant stakeholders having regard to the practical experience in the use of the Design Manual, advancement in building design, technology and construction methods, and the latest relevant overseas regulatory controls and standards. For example, taking into account the advice of the technical committee, the BD will revise the recommended design requirements for external staircases in the first quarter of next year to increase the width of treads from 280mm to 300mm and to reduce the height of risers from 160mm to 150mm, so as to make it safer and more convenient to use the staircases. 
 
     In face of an ageing population, elderly-friendly building design would be promoted as announced in the Policy Address this year. The Deputy Financial Secretary will co-ordinate with the relevant bureaux to put forward proposals next year for incorporating universal design concepts (i.e. enabling use by the widest range of persons as far as possible) and accessibility (i.e. facilitating mobility) into the Design Manual. The BD will engage a consultant to conduct a comprehensive review of the Design Manual, including its Chapter 6 regarding the design guidelines for the elderly and elderly with frailty, so as to better cater for the needs of the elderly and other people with frailty or impaired mobility. read more

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Elizabeth Quat and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
      
Question:
      
     It has been reported that from July to October this year, there were a total of 22 suicide deaths or suicide attempts among primary, secondary and university students aged 19 or below in Hong Kong, arousing grave concerns in society about the mental health problems of students. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
      
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on (i) the numbers of suicide deaths or suicide attempts among primary, secondary and university students and, among them, the numbers of those with special educational needs (SEN) or a history of mental health problems in each of the past five school years, and (ii) the number of requests for assistance received by schools from students regarding emotional disturbance and mental stress problems, with a breakdown by type of issues pertaining to the requests for assistance;
      
(2) of the number of requests for assistance or complaints received from parents of students regarding their children being unable to cope with study pressure and the follow-up actions taken by the authorities in each of the past three years; whether the Government will consider promoting education reform to alleviate students’ homework load and examination pressure;
      
(3) as there are views that even under the existing arrangement of “one school social worker for each school” or “two school social workers for each school”, it is still difficult for school social workers to take care of each and every student in need, whether the Government will explore increasing the manpower of student guidance personnel; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
      
(4) as there are views pointing out that the existing mental health support measures for students are mainly targeted at primary and secondary students, of the measures the Government has put in place for university students to improve their mental health conditions and provide support for university students in need;
      
(5) as regards education to help students manage their emotions, of the short and long-term measures the Government has taken to (i) ‍strengthen the resilience of primary, secondary and university students and “positive thinking” education, and encourage students to face up to their emotional problems; (ii) assist schools, teachers and parents in dealing more effectively with students’ emotional problems, and enhance the dissemination of information to parents on mental health support for students and parenting; and (iii) support students with SEN or a history of mental health problems; and
      
(6) as there are views that there is a serious shortage of child and adolescent psychiatric doctors in public hospitals, whether the Government knows the actual number of child and adolescent psychiatric doctors employed and the number of vacancies at present; of the measures in place to increase the number of child and adolescent psychiatric doctors, so that students suffering from emotional disturbance can receive early treatment?
      
Reply:
      
President,
      
     The Government attaches great importance to the mental health of young people. We have been assisting schools in adopting the Whole School Approach at three levels, namely “Universal”, “Selective” and “Indicated”, to promote mental health among students and enhance support for those with mental health needs. Regarding the question raised by the Hon Elizabeth Quat, after consulting the Health Bureau (HHB) and the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the comprehensive reply is as follows:
      
(1) The Education Bureau (EDB) has been requiring primary and secondary schools to report suspected student suicide cases so that appropriate professional support to the schools concerned can be provided. In the past five years (i.e., 2018 to 2022), the numbers of suspected fatal student suicide cases reported by all primary and secondary schools in the territory were 14, 23, 21, 25 and 25 respectively, while the number as of November 2023 is 31. It is believed that the upward trend may be affected by the epidemic and the greater challenges students faced after the resumption to normalcy. The EDB does not collect from schools or keep data on attempted student suicide cases or statistics of student with emotional and mental problems seeking assistance. The EDB does not collect from the schools or families concerned on the medical history of the suspected fatal student suicide cases. As for universities, the EDB and the University Grants Committee (UGC) Secretariat do not have relevant figures.
      
(2) According to EDB’s records, in the past three school years (i.e. 2020/21 to 2022/23 school years), there were a total of three complaint cases from parents that are related to academic pressure. Upon receipt of the complaints, the EDB took follow-up actions in accordance with the established complaint handling mechanism. These complaints were about the school-based professional arrangements (such as homework as well as promotion and repetition). In the contact with the schools concerned, the EDB requested the schools to conduct investigation, in order to obtain more details about the school-based measures including communication with the stakeholders and arrangement for learning support. The EDB would provide professional advice and support to the schools to facilitate their continuous improvement and development.
      
     Regarding the number of cases for which parents sought assistance in relation to their children’s difficulty in handling academic pressure, the school stakeholders (including parents) would contact EDB officers through different channels from time to time to enquire about various issues or seek assistance, EDB officers would render appropriate support to the enquirers based on the nature and circumstances of each case. The EDB does not collect relevant information on such cases.
      
     The purpose of the implementation of whole-day primary schooling is to enable schools to have more time to arrange tutorial or homework guidance sessions to provide individual guidance for students or to allow them to complete part of their homework at school. Students also have more time and opportunities to interact with teachers and participate in extra-curricular activities. In the meantime, the EDB has all along been concerned about schools’ assignment arrangements. We issued clear guidelines, including the Primary Education Curriculum Guide (PECG) (Pilot Version) (2022), the Secondary Education Curriculum Guide (2017) (Booklet 4: Assessment Literacy and School Assessment Policy), EDB Circular No. 18/2015 “Guidelines on Homework and Tests in Schools – No Drilling, Effective Learning”, and reiterated that the quality of homework is more important than the quantity through various channels, such as the PECG video series, theme-based articles and comics for parents. Schools should continuously review their school-based assessment and assignment policies, to avoid excessive, meaningless and mechanical drilling and copying tasks, review the quantity and frequency of assessments and assignments, explore other means to replace traditional written assessments, reduce the frequency of dictations, tests and examinations, or cancel term examinations at certain levels. This will enable students to have sufficient time for rest, play, entertainment and personal growth, develop their personal interests and build up healthy lifestyles.
      
      
(3) Regarding guidance and support for students, the EDB provides comprehensive student guidance and support services in primary and secondary schools through the Whole School Approach (WSA) and multi-disciplinary collaboration. This includes early identification and support of students with mental health needs through collaboration among teachers and professionals from different disciplines in schools, such as guidance personnel, school social workers and school-based educational psychologists. The Government continues to allocate resources to enhance guidance services in schools. The EDB has been implementing the policy of “one school social worker for each school” in primary schools. A school may, having regard to its own circumstances, employ at least one school-based registered graduate social worker with professional qualifications. Moreover, the EDB also provides additional resources to subsidise schools to procure consultation service, supervisory or other support services to school social workers. As for secondary schools, the SWD has implemented the measure of “two school social workers for each school”, and enhanced the supervisory and administrative support.
      
     Under the WSA, student guidance work is not only the responsibility of individual teachers, school social workers or student guidance personnel, all school personnel should work collaboratively, with the joint efforts of the professionals from different disciplines, to provide students with comprehensive guidance services. The need of guidance and social work services of individual schools varies, schools should, according to students’ needs, flexibly deploy grants provided by the Government or pool together other school resources to employ student guidance personnel or procure related services from organisations to strengthen the support for students.
      
(4) to (5) For the UGC-funded universities, they can flexibly deploy the recurrent grants which are disbursed in the form of block grants to support students in need. Moreover, the UGC has been supporting the universities to promote mental health and positive education. During the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that some university students were affected by increased stress and anxiety due to difficulties in their academic studies and job searches as well as reduced social activities, the UGC allocated a total of $100 million in two tranches to further support the UGC-funded universities in strengthening various student support services, including psychological counselling and mental health support. In addition, in 2021, the UGC presented the Teams award of the annual UGC Teaching Award to the Joint University Mental-Wellness Project led by the City University of Hong Kong to propagate the concept of positive education. The aforementioned project benefitted over 1 100 staff members and professionals, around 4 000 university students and around 1 500 community individuals during its implementation. Apart from recognising outstanding teaching staff, the award is also conducive to the promotion of positive education at inter-institutional level. With the pandemic gradually subsiding, the UGC also additionally allocated $30 million to establish the Whole-person Development Fund at the beginning of this year to support each UGC-funded university to arrange projects to enrich the learning experience of students outside the classroom, thereby promoting whole-person development among the younger generation. The promotion of positive education and psychological well-being is one of the four key areas. Apart from deploying the allocation to conduct different activities and peer support programmes, the universities have also made use of the funding to strengthen the manpower for psychological counselling to meet the additional service demands from students returning to the campus. This initiative will continue to be implemented until June 2025.
      
     As for assisting students with special educational needs (SEN), the UGC has further allocated additional resources to the UGC-funded universities in the 2022-25 triennium by granting a special allocation of $67.5 million so as to facilitate the universities in improving the learning experience of students with SEN, strengthening the training of faculty and staff, and promoting campus integration, thereby benefitting all students with SEN.
      
     For primary and secondary schools, the EDB has been organising diversified programmes on student growth, adventure-based, team building and problem-solving training, with a view to enhancing students’ resilience and developing students’ optimistic and proactive attitude in facing challenges with courage. From the 2023/24 school year onwards, the EDB will launch the “Mental Health Literacy” resource packages for students at different learning stages by phases, so as to facilitate the promotion of mental health literacy in class by school personnel, strengthening students’ awareness of mental health. Furthermore, the EDB has commissioned an NGO to launch the “Peer Power–Student Gatekeeper Training Programme” which aims to enhance students’ understanding of mental health and skills in coping with their stress and emotions, equip them to identify and help their peers in need, and promote positive coping and help-seeking culture in schools. The number of participating schools has increased to 50 in the 2023/24 school year.
      
     On teacher training, the EDB provides teachers with a 60-hour thematic training course targeting students with mental illness, thereby enhancing their ability to early identify and support students with suicide warning signs. Up to the 2023/24 school year, the number of training places has increased to 760. Basic “gatekeeper” training is also provided for newly-joined teachers. In addition, the EDB will provide a series of workshops for teachers, social workers and school guidance personnel in the 2023/24 school year, with the focus on enhancing their related professional knowledge and skills. The EDB provides teachers and student guidance personnel with professional training on an on-going basis, including certificate courses on student guidance and discipline, related seminars and sharing, to facilitate the implementation of guidance work at schools and encourage exchange among the schools.
      
     For parents, apart from organising activities and seminars for parents in collaboration with the Committee on Home-School Co-operation every year, the EDB has been running the territory-wide Positive Parent Campaign, with a view to fostering positive thinking among parents to help children grow up happily. Besides, the EDB organises “Parent Workshop on Gatekeeper Training” and thematic “gatekeeper” online workshops every year and produces videos, factsheets and pamphlets for parents, and has uploaded them onto the “Mental Health@School” website and “Smart Parent Net” website, providing parents with information related to mental illness and prevention of youth suicide. Besides, the EDB launched the Curriculum Framework on Parent Education (Kindergarten) and the Curriculum Framework on Parent Education (Primary School) in 2021 and 2022 respectively. One of the core strands of the curriculum frameworks is the promotion of healthy, happy and balanced development of children (including whole-person development and mental health). The EDB has started to develop the curriculum framework for parents of secondary school students.
      
     Moreover, we urge schools to launch “Spread the Love, Care and Shine” Campaign in November 2023, advising schools to free up more time and space to care for students. In order to support schools to promote mental health effectively and flexibly, the EDB will be providing the “One-off Grant for Mental Health at School” and “One-off Grant for Mental Health of Parent and Students” to all publicly-funded primary and secondary schools and their Parent-Teacher Association, so as to help them organise related programmes or procure related services or materials for supporting students’ mental health.
      
     The promotion of students’ mental health requires joint efforts of the education, medical and social welfare sectors. The HHB, in collaboration with the EDB, the Hospital Authority and the SWD, has launched the Student Mental Health Support Scheme. A multi-disciplinary team is formed in each participating school to provide multi-disciplinary support services to students with mental health needs in the schools. In the 2022/23 school year, the number of participating schools has increased to 210. Moreover, in view of recent student suicide cases, the Government has implemented the Three-Tier School-based Emergency Mechanism (Note) through cross-departmental collaboration of the HHB, the EDB and the SWD from December this year to January next year in all secondary schools in Hong Kong, working together with schools, parents and other stakeholders in society to early identify and support students at higher risk.
      
     As for helping schools cater for students with SENs, on top of regular subvention for all ordinary schools, the EDB has also been providing public sector schools with additional resources, including the Learning Support Grant (LSG). Starting from the 2017/18 school year, the LSG covers students with mental illness (MI) so that schools can enhance their support to cater for these students’ learning, social, emotional and behavioural needs. Schools may make use of the LSG to employ additional staff to assist teachers in designing learning activities and materials and supporting students in classroom learning activities, or to procure professional support or guidance services, thereby providing behavioural or emotional intervention, social skills training, or to implement school-based teacher training, parent education, etc, to help students with MI adapt to school life. Schools can also make use of the LSG to promote home-school collaboration in taking care of students’ growth.
      
(6) The Hospital Authority (HA) delivers mental health services using an integrated and multi-disciplinary approach with a multi-disciplinary team involving psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists, medical social workers and occupational therapists, so as to allow flexible deployment of manpower to cope with service needs and operational requirements. As healthcare professionals of the HA would usually need to provide support for a variety of psychiatric services, the manpower for supporting individual psychiatric services cannot be separately quantified. In 2022-23 (as at 31 March 2023), there are 381 psychiatrists in the HA.
      
     The HA attaches great importance to the manpower situation in public hospitals and has proactively launched a series of measures to attract and retain manpower. The HA also makes use of different channels to actively recruit non-locally trained doctors, including promotion events in various countries and regions, recruiting more eligible non-locally trained doctors through special registration or limited registration to join the public healthcare system of Hong Kong to meet the growing service demand.
      
     To further increase the manpower of local doctors, the Government has further increased the number of medical student places to 590 in the 2022/23 to 2024/25 UGC triennium. Compared with the 320 medical student places in the 2009/10 to 2011/12 triennium, the number has significantly increased by more than 84 per cent. Earlier, the Legislative Council also endorsed the Medical Registration (Amendment) Ordinance 2021 to create new pathways for non-locally trained doctors to practice in Hong Kong. Since the Ordinance came into effect, more than 130 non-locally trained doctors have been recruited by the HA, including psychiatrists.
      
     At the same time, to manage the waiting time of psychiatric specialist outpatient (SOP) clinics, the HA has since mid-2022 introduced the Co-care Service Model in the General Outpatient Clinic Public-Private Partnership Programme, which provides the alternative of receiving private medical services in the community to HA psychiatric SOP patients clinically diagnosed to have stable conditions and suitable to receive primary healthcare services in the community.
      
Note: The first-tier mechanism is to assist schools early identify students with higher suicide risk or mental health needs, with a view to giving priority to provide timely and appropriate intervention to them. The second-tier mechanism is to organise an “off-campus support network” through cross-departmental, cross-professional and cross-sectoral co-operation to enhance “external support” for schools that have difficulty in deploying manpower to meet the needs of students. For the third-tier mechanism, school principals can refer students with severe mental health needs to the psychiatric specialist services of HA and HA will give priority to those students. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Frankie Yick and a reply by the Acting Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mr Liu Chun-san, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
 
Question:

     The Government plans to publish by the end of this year the Hong Kong Major Transport Infrastructure Development Blueprint, which will include proposals to construct a number of railways. Some non-rail public transport operators have relayed that with the continuous expansion of the railway network, their room for survival has been shrinking incessantly, even to the extent that they can hardly survive, and they are worried about the future. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has assessed the impact of various new railway projects on non-rail public transport modes, and made advance planning in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) given that with the continuous expansion of the railway network, other public transport modes may have a surplus of vehicles, whether the authorities have devised solutions for such surplus vehicles; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) given that while the Government is promoting the green transformation of non-rail public transport modes, it is learnt that as non-rail public transport operators can hardly make ends meet, the relevant work of the Government has been progressing slowly, whether the Government will consider, by drawing reference from the approach adopted under the Vessel Subsidy Scheme, procuring green vehicles with government funding and then entrusting their management to non-rail public transport operators; if so, of the details; if not, the Government’s new measures in place to motivate the sector to expedite green transformation?

Reply:

President,

     Hong Kong is a small and densely-populated city with high development intensity. To ensure sustainable development and effective utilisation of limited road resources, the Government has adhered to a public transport oriented policy. Each type of public transport services plays a distinctive role. Emission-free and high capacity railway acts as the backbone of the public transport system; franchised buses serve as the major road-based public transport; public light buses (PLBs) provide supplementary feeder services in areas with relatively lower passenger demand or where the use of high-capacity transport modes is not suitable; taxis provide personalised and point-to-point transport services; and all other public transport modes also serve important supplementary roles.

     Hong Kong’s diversified public transport system enjoys an international reputation for providing highly efficient and convenient services across the territory, meeting the travelling needs of the majority of citizens. In the 2022 Urban Mobility Readiness Index jointly published by the Oliver Wyman Forum and the University of California, Berkeley, which compared the public transport systems of 60 cities across the globe taking account of such factors as the distance to stations, public transport operating hours and reliability, and passenger affordability, ranked Hong Kong’s public transport system as the top of the list. Having regard to the importance of maintaining the diversity of the public transport system as well as the balance among various services, the Government will continue to facilitate the complementarity of strengths among various public transport services, so that members of the public can enjoy efficient services with reasonable choices, while the various public transport services could remain sustainable.

     In consultation with the Environment and Ecology Bureau, I provide my reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Frankie Yick as follows: 

(1) When taking forward a new railway project, the Government will make comprehensive assessments and planning of the public transport services along the alignment, including assessing the degree of impact, devising contingency plans, and examining the provision of additional ancillary facilities such as public transport interchanges. Prior to the commissioning of the new railway, the Transport Department (TD) will take into account the anticipated changes in demand for other road-based public transport services brought by the railway project, and formulate public transport service adjustment proposals, including arranging feeder services to connect the new railway with adjacent areas, as well as adjusting the existing services that overlap with the new railway service.

     Given that actual changes in travel patterns of passengers may only be ascertained after the new railway is put into service, the TD and relevant operators will closely monitor the changes in the demand for public transport services after the new railway is in operation, and consider further rationalisation of routes or frequency adjustments having regard to the actual situation.  Resources so saved can be deployed to strengthen the routes in keen demand, or to introduce new routes, for example, express services. This can better cater for the travelling needs and patterns of passengers and, at the same time, enhance the cost-effectiveness of operators and thus the sustainability and competitiveness of their services.

(2) The Government has been adopting the “infrastructure-led” and “capacity-creating” planning principles in taking forward transport infrastructure projects. Extending the railway network is part of Hong Kong’s overall development process. As new railway projects are taking forward progressively, they would actually stimulate the development of nearby areas, generating new transport demand which benefit both railway and non-railway public transport operators. It may not necessarily result in surplus of non-railway public transport vehicles.

     In response to development of property and infrastructure projects as well as the changes in economic activities and lifestyles over time, the TD will keep in view the changes in transport demand and make adjustments to public transport services as and when appropriate. With gradual completion of large new development areas in the New Territories and population intake of new residential estates, it is expected that passenger demand for various modes of public transport would increase. The Northern Metropolis and Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands will even require planning of new public transport networks to meet the new demand. In addition, the increasingly frequent cross-boundary activities also present new growth opportunities for public transport services. Since the full resumption of social activities and cross-boundary travels early this year, franchised buses and green minibuses serving boundary control points have recorded satisfactory patronage. These new transport demand will require new or deployment of existing bus and PLB vehicles.

(3) It is the Government’s established policy that public transport services should basically be run by the private sector in accordance with commercial principles, so as to ensure that the services are the most efficient and can respond to market conditions promptly and flexibly, without relying on public monies. The Government will provide public transport operators with the necessary policy support and facilitation, but there is currently no plan to procure green vehicles and entrust their operation and management to operators.

     Having said the above, to encourage green transformation of the transport sector, the Government has been promoting electrification of commercial vehicles under a multi-pronged approach, including subsidising trials of different electric commercial vehicles through the New Energy Transport Fund (NET Fund), and setting up various dedicated funding schemes to promote the wider application of green and innovative transport technologies by the trades.

     Since the promulgation of the Hong Kong Roadmap on Popularisation of Electric Vehicles in 2021, certain franchised bus operators have announced their target timeframe of attaining a full zero-emission fleet, and have introduced new generation single- and double-deck electric buses (e-buses) for daily services. As at end-September 2023, there were a total of 59 registered electric franchised buses. The Government understands that the transition to e-buses involve substantial costs for the franchised bus operators. To alleviate the operating and fare increase pressure of operators, we will discuss with them the overall financial arrangements on electrification of their vehicle fleets, where the possibility of providing assistance through subsidies or other means will not be ruled out.

     As for PLBs, the Government has commenced the Pilot Scheme for Electric PLBs for which $80 million has been earmarked. The Scheme would provide subsidy for trial of about 30 electric PLBs (e-PLBs) on various routes for about 12 months. Different models of e PLBs and quick charging facilities will be tested to evaluate their performances. The Environmental Protection Department will offer successful applicants a subsidy of 80 per cent of the price of each e PLB on trial under the pilot scheme.

     To further promote green transformation of the taxi trade, the Government has earlier launched the Dedicated 100% Loan Guarantee Scheme for Battery Electric Taxis to encourage transition to electric taxis (e-taxis). Meanwhile, the Government is extending the e-taxis charging network, including setting up dedicated e taxi quick charging facilities and mobile quick charging systems, as well as identifying suitable locations across the city, such as petrol filling stations, government premises and short-term tenancy sites, for installing dedicated e-taxi quick chargers. The NET Fund has also newly included trial projects on e-taxi charging mode to support the trade to set up dedicated e-taxi quick charging facilities. In addition, $50 million has been earmarked under the NET Fund to subsidise the trade in purchasing wheelchair accessible e-taxis.

     The Government is pleased to see that public buses has embarked on the green transformation journey. Next year, the Government will formulate a citywide green transformation roadmap and timetable for public buses and taxis to set out further policy measures and directions for phasing out diesel buses and liquefied petroleum gas taxis. read more

     The 2023 District Council Ordinary Election will be held on December 10 (Sunday). Registration for voting at Near Boundary Polling Stations (NBPSs) began at 9am on November 20 and ended at 6pm yesterday (December 5). Durin… read more

     Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (December 6):
     
Question:

     Earlier on, an insufflation device, which is mainly used for laparoscopic or endoscopic surgeries, was linked to a number of accidents in the United States causing 1 death and 10 serious injuries. After learning the incident, the Hospital Authority immediately suspended the use of 142 insufflation devices of the same model under its management. However, it is learnt that due to the absence of a specific legislation to regulate medical devices at present, the Government has no way to mandatorily require private hospitals to suspend the use of the relevant insufflation devices. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that while the Medical Device Division (formerly known as the Medical Device Control Office) was established by the Department of Health in 2004 to be responsible for implementing the voluntary Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS) and developing a long-term statutory regulatory framework for medical devices, the voluntary MDACS has yet to achieve transition to a mandatory statutory control regime after almost 20 years of implementation, whether the Government has conducted a review in this regard; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) given that while the Government indicated in January 2017 its plan to introduce a new bill setting up the regulatory framework on specific medical devices into this Council in the latter half of the 2016-2017 legislative session, it is learnt that no such action has been taken so far, whether the Government has set a specific timetable for the legislative amendment exercise; if not, of the reasons for that; if so, the details, and whether it will undertake to include the relevant bill in the 2024 Legislative Programme; and

(3) whether it will enact legislation to provide that medical devices (especially high-power or potentially hazardous devices) must only be operated by healthcare personnel?

Reply:

President,

     The consolidated reply to the question raised by Dr the Hon David Lam is as follows:

     While there is not yet specific legislation to regulate medical devices in Hong Kong, some products are already regulated by existing pieces of legislation, such as the Pharmacy and Poisons Ordinance (Cap. 138), the Radiation Ordinance (Cap. 303), the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362), the Consumer Goods Safety Ordinance (Cap. 456) and the Electrical Products (Safety) Regulation (Cap. 406G), depending on the characteristics and features of the products concerned.

     Making reference to the recommendation of the Global Harmonization Task Force (GHTF, now known as the International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF)) (Note), the Department of Health (DH) has introduced a voluntary Medical Device Administrative Control System (MDACS) since 2004, under which a listing system for medical devices and traders as well as a post-market monitoring system are in place to ensure that medical devices supplied in Hong Kong can meet the requirements on safety, quality and performance. The DH has fully implemented a strategy of priority procurement of listed medical devices since June 2023, and set up a working group with the Health Bureau (HHB) and the Hospital Authority (HA) to promote the early implementation of similar procurement arrangements by public healthcare facilities under the HA in phases, which will encourage and incentivise traders of medical devices to apply for listing under the MDACS.

     Moreover, under an established mechanism, the DH has been closely monitoring safety alerts of medical devices issued by relevant regulatory authorities, including the local ones and those in other regions, as well as the World Health Organization, and taking appropriate actions according to actual circumstances. These include contacting local suppliers to follow up on necessary arrangements, notifying relevant stakeholders (e.g. the HA, private hospitals and professional healthcare institutions) through different means, and publishing safety alert summaries and special alerts on its website.

     Taking the incident mentioned in the question involving insufflation devices as an example, the DH has, upon noting the relevant overseas safety alert, promptly made an announcement on its website and taken the initiative to inform stakeholders including the HA and relevant private healthcare facilities (e.g. private hospitals). As a preventive measure, all public and private healthcare facilities have temporarily suspended the use of the devices in question to safeguard patient safety.

     For private hospitals, pursuant to the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633), the DH has promulgated the Code of Practice for Private Hospitals (the Code) which sets out various requirements on the use of medical devices by hospitals. This includes, each hospital must keep a register in respect of all medical equipment; all equipment must be appropriately procured, and properly installed, operated, maintained, and calibrated according to the manufacturer’s recommendation; all equipment must conform to health and safety requirements; there must be procedures for cleaning, disinfection, packaging, sterilisation, transportation and storage of reusable medical equipment; and staff using medical equipment must have completed training. Compliance with the Code is a condition for issuance and renewal of licence to a private hospital. The Director of Health will take appropriate regulatory actions for non-compliance with the Code (including requirements related to the use of medical devices).

     As stated in the 2023 Policy Address, the Government will set up a preparatory office next year to study the potential restructuring and strengthening of the current regulatory and approval regimes for medicine, medical devices and medical technology. The office will put forward proposals and steps for the establishment of the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation (CMPR) which will be a step towards the transition to the “primary evaluation” approach in approving applications for registration of pharmaceutical products, and explore the upgrading of the CMPR as a standalone statutory body in the long run.  This will help accelerate the launching of new drugs and medical devices to the market, and foster the development of research and development and testing of medical products and related industries. Looking ahead, the regulation of medical devices will fall within the scope of the CMPR’s work. The Government will consider the legislative timetable for regulating medical devices in tandem with the progress of establishing the CMPR, thereby further enhancing the overall regulatory regime for medical products in Hong Kong.
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     To prepare for these related tasks, the HHB and the DH are now conducting a comprehensive review of the proposed legislative framework having regard to the latest international trends in regulation of medical devices in recent years, and will study various aspects of the regulation of high-risk medical devices, including traceability, maintenance and operation procedures, such that the legislative proposal may be introduced in due course. The DH will continue to promote and enhance understanding of the public, users and the industry on the MDACS, with a view to having more medical devices listed under the system and making better preparations for the transition to a statutory regulatory regime in future.

Note: The GHTF was established in 1992 by regulatory authorities and trade representatives of the United States of America, Canada, Australia, Japan and the European Union to harmonise the standards and principles for the regulation of medical devices. It was disbanded in 2011, and a new IMDRF was formed to build on the work of the GHTF. The IMDRF aims to accelerate international medical device regulatory harmonisation and convergence, and its current members include China, Australia, Brazil, Canada, the European Union, Japan, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.  read more