The Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery will hold a fun day next Sunday (November 26). A variety of delightful free programmes will be held to enable members of the public to learn about the history of the fireboat Alexander Grantham and sea rescue services in Hong Kong. Jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) and the Fire Services Department (FSD), the fun day is one of the programmes of Muse Fest HK 2023.

     The fun day will be held from 10am to 6pm. Members of the public can visit the fireboat's wheelhouse and take pictures with firefighters. They may also join the "Fireboat Then and Now" guided tour presented by retired firefighters stationed in the fireboat, who will share their stories on the fireboat Alexander Grantham. Other not-to-be-missed programmes include the "Fireboat Water Spray Demonstration" which will take place at 2pm, a fire investigation dog demonstration and the "Making My Own Fireboat Badge" workshop.

     The fireboat Alexander Grantham is the first historical vessel preserved in Hong Kong. The Conservation Office of the LCSD will provide activities at the exhibition gallery for the public to understand the conservation of the fireboat.
        
     The fireboat Alexander Grantham went into service in 1953. Before being decommissioned, it served as the flagship of the FSD's fireboat fleet, responding to fire alarms and conducting rescue operations both in Hong Kong waters and along the shoreline. Located at Quarry Bay Park, the Fireboat Alexander Grantham Exhibition Gallery was opened to the public in 2007. The gallery, with an area of around 1 200 square metres, showcases a number of unique firefighting artefacts. It also offers a wealth of information displayed in multimedia formats to enhance visitors' understanding of the marine rescue work in Hong Kong.
      
     For details of the fun day, please visit hk.history.museum/en/web/mh/about-us/fireboat-alexander-grantham-exhibition-gallery.html, or call 3580 6770 for enquiries.

     â€‹The Wild Animals Protection (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Amendment Bill) was published in the Gazette today (November 17).
      
     The Amendment Bill proposes to expand the scope of the feeding ban to cover feral pigeons, in addition to the current feeding ban on wild animals; increase the maximum penalty for illegal feeding from a fine of $10,000 to a fine of $100,000 and imprisonment for one year; and introduce a fixed penalty system for illegal feeding with the amount set at $5,000. In addition, the Amendment Bill proposes to broaden the scope of enforcement officers of the Government to strengthen enforcement.
      
     "Feeding of wild animals and feral pigeons will affect their ability to forage and survive on their own in the wild, and constitute public hygiene and other issues. The Amendment Bill seeks to enhance the deterrent effect in combating illegal feeding activities, enhance the protection of wild animals, as well as safeguard environmental hygiene," a spokesman for the Environment and Ecology Bureau said.
      
     The Amendment Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first reading on November 29. Subject to their passage, the relevant legislative amendments will take effect on August 1, 2024.

     The Government published in the Gazette today (November 17) the Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill 2023 (the Bill) which facilitates the full implementation of e-government services by bureaux and departments (B/Ds).

     The Bill seeks to amend the Electronic Transactions Ordinance (Cap. 553) (ETO) and its related subsidiary legislation for the service of an electronic record to satisfy the requirement of service of a document by registered post or any other means as stipulated in certain legislation, and for the service of a single electronic copy to satisfy the requirement of service of a document in multiple physical copies.

     A spokesman for the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau said, "In order to meet the target set out in the 2022 Policy Address to turn submission of all government forms and applications (save for those otherwise subject to legal requirements or international conventions/practices) to electronic form by mid-2024, B/Ds have been pressing ahead with the digitalisation of public services mainly through administrative means, improving business processes and system upgrades. At present, nearly 90 per cent of the services provided by B/Ds have already offered the e-submission option."

     The spokesman continued, "To accelerate the pace of introducing e-government services, we propose to amend the ETO to remove the restrictions in relation to the service of a document by specified means and in a specified number of copies of the document in certain legislation. By doing so, we can expedite the full digitalisation of public services of B/Ds by providing an electronic option for more government services, thereby offering greater convenience to members of the public and the business sector using these public services".

     The Bill will be introduced into the Legislative Council for first reading on November 29 this year.

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 (November 17) that due to big waves, red flags have been hoisted at Big Wave Bay Beach in Southern District, Hong Kong Island, and Silverstrand Beach and Clear Water Bay Second Beach in Sai Kung District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at these beaches.

     â€‹The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) announced today (November 17) that stalls at the 2024 Che Kung Festival (CKF) fair will be put up for open auction on November 30 (Thursday).

     A spokesman for the FEHD said the annual CKF fair will be held for 18 consecutive days from February 7 to 24, 2024, at Chui Tin Street Soccer Pitch in Sha Tin. A total of 48 dry goods stalls will be put up for auction, with an upset price of $2,770.

     The auction will be held at the Assembly Hall, 2/F, Lai Chi Kok Government Offices, 19 Lai Wan Road, Lai Chi Kok, Kowloon on November 30 (Thursday), from 9.30am until completion of the auction.

     Bidders for CKF fair stalls must be at least 18 years old and ordinarily reside in Hong Kong. Anyone can bid for more than one stall. A bidder must pay the bid price and register in person with his or her own name as the licensee of the stall immediately after successfully bidding for a stall. The bidder is also required to sign at once a licence agreement with the FEHD, or he/she will forfeit the rights to operate the stall.

     The CKF fair site will be made available to the licensees two days in advance of the fair (February 5 and 6, 2024) for the setting up of stalls. In the event of any unforeseeable incident that will result in shortening of the whole licence period (including the duration for setting up stalls and the business period of the fair), the Government has the right to postpone the commencement date and shorten the duration of the period. The bidding price (licence fee) paid will be refunded to the successful bidder on a pro-rata basis without interest.

     The FEHD reminded licensees that the stalls are solely for the purpose of selling and promoting the sale of the permitted commodities, and no other activities are allowed in the licensed area. If the FEHD considers that any activity conducted by the licensee to publicise, promote, display, show or sell any permitted commodities in the venue is unlawful, contrary to the interest of national security, immoral or incompatible with the object of the CKF fair, the FEHD is entitled to direct the licensee to stop conducting such activity and the licensee must immediately comply with such direction.

     Stall licensees should not destroy, damage or abandon any unsold commodities at or in the vicinity of the stall. They must completely remove the stall structure and all paraphernalia, together with all refuse, debris and unsold commodities (whether damaged or otherwise) from the licensed area before 10pm on February 24, 2024.

     According to the licence agreement, except inside designated stalls, licensees shall not keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licensed area. Whereas licensees of the designated stalls could keep, store or use helium cylinders in the licensed area, the quantity of helium should be such that a licence is not required pursuant to the Dangerous Goods (Application and Exemption) Regulation 2012 (Cap. 295E), i.e. equivalent to 150 litres of helium. Sales of floating LED glowing balloons and aquarium fish by stall licensees are prohibited at the CKF fair.

     Successful bidders shall comply with all the stipulations and provisions as set out in the licence agreement. Otherwise, the FEHD is entitled to terminate the agreement and the licensee shall immediately vacate the stall.

     Details of the 2024 CKF fair such as the public notice, the location and layout of the fair venue, commodities allowed for sale at the fair stalls, open auction arrangements and related rules as well as a sample of the licence agreement are available on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the FEHD's Sha Tin District Environmental Hygiene Office at 2634 0134.