In accordance with section 10B of the District Councils Ordinance (Cap. 547), the District Council Eligibility Review Committee (DCERC) is responsible for reviewing and confirming the eligibility of any person proposed to be appointed as a DC member, registered as an ex-officio member, or nominated as a candidate for DC elections. The DCERC will decide whether the person concerned can meet the legal requirements and conditions of upholding the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and bearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC.
 
     The nomination period for the 2023 District Council Ordinary Election, which began on October 17, ended on October 30. The Returning Officers for the 18 District Committees constituencies (DCCs) and 44 District Council geographical constituencies (DCGCs) received a total of 399 nomination forms during the nomination period (excluding one nominee who withdrew from the election). The DCERC has finished reviewing the nominations of 399 candidates. The DCERC considered that all candidates meet the legal requirements and conditions for upholding the Basic Law and bearing allegiance to the HKSAR of the PRC, and determined their nominations as valid.

     The DCERC published a notice in the Gazette today (November 10), with names, addresses and candidate numbers of 399 candidates who were determined to be validly nominated in fulfilment of the legal requirement.

      The Director of the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in New York, Ms Maisie Ho, paid a duty visit to Atlanta, Georgia, on November 8 and 9 (Atlanta time) to strengthen ties with the local government and business interlocutors.
 
      Ms Ho also attended the AAPI Business Forum on opportunities in Asia, co-organised by the Hong Kong Association of Atlanta and Metro Atlanta Chamber this morning (November 9, Atlanta time), during which she highlighted Hong Kong's unique advantages and the abundant opportunities for multinational companies.
 
      Addressing executives from the business, finance and legal sectors, Ms Ho said that Hong Kong continues to be a leading international finance centre and prime investment hub.
 
       "With our strategic location, supreme connectivity, robust legal and financial systems, and business-friendly policies as backed up by the 'one country, two systems' principle, Hong Kong is one of the world's top four international financial centres, and is a dominant gateway to Mainland China and other Asian markets," she said.
 
      Ms Ho also pointed out that Hong Kong, well known for its resilience and agility, continues to find its growth drivers despite the macro challenges, including being Asia's biggest international listing venue for new economy and biotech companies, and a leader in green and sustainable finance, accounting for one-third of green and sustainable bonds issued in Asia.
 
      During her stay in Atlanta, Ms Ho met with local business and government officials to discuss areas of mutual interest. The officials included the Vice President, Global Commerce at the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Mr John Woodward; the Deputy Commissioner for International Trade of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, Ms Mary Waters; and the Executive Director of the Mayor's Office of International Affairs, Ms Vanessa Ibarra.

          

     â€‹In response to media enquiries on the redevelopment of the Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre (LCKRC), a spokesman for the Security Bureau issued the following reply today (November 9):

     The Correctional Services Department (CSD) is committed to providing a secure, safe, humane, decent and healthy custodial environment for persons in custody (PICs). To solve the problem of aging facilities and overcrowding of the custodial environment in the LCKRC, the CSD proposed an in-situ redevelopment of the Annex of the LCKRC.

     In fact, PICs on remand in the LCKRC are mainly unconvicted persons awaiting court trials. The aging facilities and insufficient support infrastructure in the LCKRC not only affects the custodial environment but also the rehabilitation of PICs. The various facilities proposed in the redevelopment project are thus based on the aforementioned situations and the actual operational needs.

     The medical facilities in the correctional institutions (including the dental treatment room) not only ensure the PICs who are unwell to receive timely treatment, but also significantly reduce the security risks posed to the community associated with transferring PICs to and from public hospitals or clinics. Dental treatment within the institution is different from that provided in the public dental clinics in the community. The treatment in the institutionis provided by dentists from the Department of Health who visit periodically for consultations (typically one to two times per month). PICs are processed and scheduled for treatments on a prioritised basis as with the general public. The proposed dental treatment room in the redevelopment project is intended to replace the existing one. Moreover, PICs from other institutions can also be arranged to receive dental treatments in the LCKRC.

     The provision of religious services in correctional institutions aims to support PICs from the moral and spiritual perspectives. The proposed multi-purpose religious service room is designed to enable members from various religious organisations to provide religious services to PICs with a view to support their rehabilitation.

     The design principles of "fitness for purpose and no frills" have been adopted in the redevelopment project, and the concepts of standardisation and simplification in the design and construction arrangements of the project have been applied as far as possible to formulate the design requirements that meet the operational needs, thereby enhancing the construction efficiency and quality of the project, as well as the cost-effectiveness at the same time.

     Regarding the construction cost of the redevelopment of the LKCRC, it is approximately comparable to the construction cost of the redevelopment of the Tai Lam Centre for Women in 2011 when excluding the unique factors of the two projects and adjusting for the price index changes over a period of over ten years. The unit price calculated based on the gross floor area is roughly the same for both projects.

     The redevelopment project facilitates the modernisation of correctional facilities, thereby enhancing the management efficiency and security level of correctional institutions, as well as the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes implemented therein, which are conducive to meeting the long-term development needs of the CSD. At the same time, with improvement in the working environment of correctional officers, the daily operational efficiency could be enhanced. It also enables detainees to better integrate into society after leaving the institution.

     The Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, continued her visit in Beijing today (November 9).
 
     In the morning, Ms Linn met with the Vice Minister of Culture and Tourism and Administrator of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Mr Li Qun, to exchange views on areas such as research on archaeology and built heritage, conservation, talents training, education and promotion. Under the framework agreement to further promote cultural heritage exchange and collaboration on archaeology and built heritage between the Mainland and Hong Kong signed last year, Hong Kong will continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the National Cultural Heritage Administration to facilitate the development of Hong Kong into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.
 
     Ms Linn then called on the Ministry of Natural Resources and exchanged views with the Head of the Department of Sea Area and Island Management, Mr Gao Zhongwen, on the handling of inert construction and demolition materials of Hong Kong.
 
     In the afternoon, Ms Linn visited the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) and met with the Director General of the Department of Regional Economy of the NDRC, Mr Wu Shulin. Ms Linn briefed him on the latest development of land and infrastructure in Hong Kong, in particular how the two major development projects, the Northern Metropolis and the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands, will expand the scope and capacity of Hong Kong's development, enable a new industry pattern, facilitate Hong Kong's active participation in the high-quality economic cooperation in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and better integration into the national development.
 
     Later, Ms Linn met with Vice Minister of the Ministry of Water Resources Mr Tian Xuebin. They exchanged views on issues including Dongjiang water supply, development of smart waterworks, and enhanced cooperation in water technology, water resources management and combating climate change in the GBA. Ms Linn thanked the Ministry of Water Resources and the Water Resources Department of Guangdong Province for their enormous efforts in safeguarding sufficient water supply and water safety for Hong Kong, providing strong support for Hong Kong's social and economic development in terms of water resources.
 
     Ms Linn will call on the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council tomorrow (November 10) and return to Hong Kong in the afternoon.
 
     The Permanent Secretary for Development (Works), Mr Ricky Lau, and the Director of the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office, Mr Vic Yau, also joined the visit.

          

     â€‹The Government Chief Information Officer, Mr Tony Wong, attended two forums of the 2023 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit in Wuzhen, Zhejiang, today (November 9) and exchanged views with representatives of Government departments, international organisations, enterprises, research institutions and civil societies from all over the world.

     In the morning, Mr Wong delivered a keynote speech in the Cybersecurity Forum for Technology Development and International Cooperation and shared the development and implementation of cybersecurity in Hong Kong. He said that a secure and reliable Internet environment is crucial for promoting the development of digital economy and smart city. It is the shared responsibility of the international community to safeguard cybersecurity in order to allow everyone to reap the benefits brought by Internet development. 

     Mr Wong pointed out that, "Over the years, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has developed a comprehensive information security management framework to ensure the security of the Government's information infrastructure, computer systems and data. Cybersecurity rests with every stakeholder in the community. The HKSAR Government has been promoting information security in the community through a variety of channels and launching different supportive measures, in particular to small and medium-sized enterprises, in order to enhance the awareness and defense capability of enterprises and the public on information security. The HKSAR Government will continue to enhance the capabilities in various aspects to address cybersecurity challenges. We will also foster collaboration with the country, stakeholders and the international communities to develop Hong Kong into a smart city which is safe and efficient."

     In the afternoon, Mr Wong participated in the Data Governance Drives the Development of Global Digital Economy forum and shared with forum participants Hong Kong's strategies in strengthening data governance to drive economic and social development. He gave an account on the open data policy of the HKSAR Government, and the Government's efforts in facilitating data sharing among departments, with a view to driving more people-oriented and enterprise-friendly applications with data.

     Mr Wong expressed gratitude to the Cyberspace Administration of China for its support in signing the Memorandum of Understanding with the HKSAR Government in June this year to promote the cross-boundary data flow in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. With the advantages of "one country, two systems", Hong Kong could converge data resources from different places. By doing so, the edges of the Mainland and Hong Kong in technology research and application development can be combined, thereby allowing Hong Kong to develop into an international innovation and technology (I&T) centre, better integrate into the overall development of the Greater Bay Area and the country, and contribute to the development of I&T and digital economy in the Greater Bay Area and the high-quality development of our country.

     In addition to speaking at two forums of the Summit, Mr Wong accompanied the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong to meet with Deputy Director of the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission and Deputy Director of the Cyberspace Administration of China Mr Wang Song today. Mr Wong attended the opening ceremony and plenary session of the Summit yesterday (November 8). He also conducted a study on the Hangzhou Headquarters of H3C, a subsidiary of Unisplendour Corporation Limited, and the Alibaba Cloud Valley Park with Professor Sun.

     Mr Wong concluded his visit today and returned to Hong Kong in the evening.