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.

                

     A forum themed "Gateway to the Opportunities in the GBA" (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area), co-organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, and the Office of the Secretary for Administration and Justice of Macao, was successfully held today (November 9). It attracted over 1 000 registrations from Hong Kong, Mainland and overseas for participation in a hybrid mode, including about 200 representatives from the legal sectors of the Mainland and Macao coming to Hong Kong to attend in person, to discuss the promotion of "soft connectivity" in the legal and dispute resolution practices of the three places.

     As one of the highlights of the Hong Kong Legal Week 2023, the forum under the theme "Gateway to the Opportunities in the GBA" was officiated by the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan; the Director-General of the Department of Justice of Guangdong Province, Mr Chen Xudong; and the Director of the Legal Affairs Bureau of Macao, Ms Leong Weng In. The Director of the Bureau of Lawyers' Work of the Ministry of Justice, Mr Tian Xin, delivered a keynote speech, introducing the extension of the pilot scheme for Hong Kong and Macao legal practitioners to practise in the GBA, recently authorised by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, the current situation and the next step in taking forward the relevant work.

     At the forum, legal practitioners and scholars from the three places gathered together to explore from various perspectives on various issues, such as strengthening legal co-operation and the interface of legal systems, better nurturing legal talents, enhancing the depth and breadth of participation by Hong Kong and Macao legal sectors in Mainland legal proceedings, so as to join hands in promoting the rule of law development in the GBA and high-level opening up of the GBA. Also featured unprecedentedly in this forum was a GBA mock court session on a case involving a cross-border trading of goods and loan agreement, with a view to illustrating the similarities and differences in substantive laws and procedures relevant to the handling of cross-border commercial disputes among the three places and exploring ways to strengthen collaboration of the legal professionals in the GBA in order to  build a rule-based business environment together.

     Also set up for the first time are exhibition booths dedicated to promotion of  legal services, where representatives from Hong Kong, Macao and the nine Mainland cities in the GBA introduced to forum participants the new developments and opportunities of the legal services in the GBA, and answered enquiries in person. eBRAM International Online Dispute Resolution Centre also featured an exhibition booth at the venue to showcase to the participants its newly launched deal-making portal as well as the features and strengths of its online dispute resolution services.

     In his opening remarks, Mr Cheung stressed that given the paramount importance of the GBA to the overall modernisation of the country, it is therefore necessary to continue to promote the interface of the rules and mechanisms of the three places in the GBA to achieve "soft connectivity".

     He hoped that all parties could work together in turning the "differences" among systems into "benefits", thereby facilitating the exchanges and interactions between people and businesses.

     He said that the DoJ is also actively implementing various measures to facilitate the public and the businesses to resolve cross-boundary disputes, such as enhancing the mechanism for mutual legal assistance in civil and commercial matters between Hong Kong and the Mainland, promoting the extension of the measures of "allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to adopt Hong Kong law" and "allowing Hong Kong-invested enterprises to choose for arbitration to be seated in Hong Kong", and taking forward the setting up of a standard online mediation platform for the GBA to support the synergistic development of the legal sector of the three places.

     He also mentioned that legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao are important contributors to enhancing the rule of law in the GBA. He hoped that this forum could provide more innovative ideas to facilitate the concerted efforts of all parties in making quality legal service a brand name for the GBA.

     This afternoon, the DoJ and the Law Society of Hong Kong co-organised a GBA Young Lawyers Forum under the theme of "Building a Future Together under GBA Opportunities". Representatives from the legal, political and business sectors discussed the roles of the legal professionals in the rule of law development in the GBA. Young legal practitioners from the three places then shared their experiences in practising in the GBA through an interactive session in understanding the three jurisdictions, and explored how the young lawyers could contribute to the country's high-quality development with their expertise.

     Interested parties are welcome to visit the dedicated website at www.legalweek.hk or webcast.info.gov.hk for broadcast.

                      

     Regarding the incident announced on November 7 where samples of pigs from a local pig farm were detected with African Swine Fever (ASF) virus, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD) has collected samples from 37 pigs in the concerned farm for further testing yesterday (November 8). Results showed that samples from six pigs tested positive for ASF virus. The AFCD has launched a disposal operation at around 7am today (November 9) on the farm concerned.

     An AFCD spokesman said, "According to the contingency plan on ASF, the AFCD sent around 30 staff to dispose pigs on the licensed farm in Lau Fau Shan, Yuen Long this morning. All pigs, totalling around 5 600 were to be disposed. The disposed pigs would be sent to New Territories West landfills for dumping according to established procedures."

     The spokesman further said, "The AFCD will arrange cleaning and disinfection of the farm. The AFCD has notified the World Organisation for Animal Health of this incident and is investigating and tracing the source of the virus in collaboration with international experts. Regarding the three pig farms within three kilometres of the index farm, all the pig samples collected by the AFCD on November 7 tested negative for ASF virus. No reports of abnormalities have been received from these three pig farms so far. For the sake of prudence, the AFCD will still suspend transport of any pigs from the three pig farms within three kilometres of the index farm until further notice. "

     The AFCD will continue to keep local pig farms under close surveillance and conduct tests if necessary. The AFCD has also notified all farmers to alert the Department immediately if abnormal health condition is observed in pigs.

     The spokesman stressed that ASF is not a zoonotic disease and will not infect humans, hence does not cause any food safety risk. Pork cooked thoroughly is safe for consumption. Members of the public do not need to be concerned. The incident does not affect the operation of local slaughterhouses nor the overall supply of live pigs.

     As disposal operations take time, the AFCD will release updated operation information every day on the departmental web page, www.afcd.gov.hk for the public.