The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:
 
     This press release summarises the decisions of the Communications Authority (CA) following its 135th meeting held in June 2024.

Renewal of non-domestic television programme service (non-domestic TV) licence of One TV Media Global Limited (One TV)
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     The CA approved the application by One TV for renewal of its non-domestic TV licence for 12 years, from February 6, 2025, to February 5, 2037 (both dates inclusive). Currently, there are nine non-domestic TV licensees providing around 150 satellite television programme channels for the Asia Pacific region.

Broadcast complaint
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     The CA considered a complaint case about the television programme "Scoop" broadcast on November 25, 2023, on the Jade Channel of Television Broadcasts Limited (TVB). The CA decided that TVB should be warned to observe more closely the relevant provisions of the Generic Code of Practice on Television Programme Standards. Details of the case are at the Appendix.
 

     Correctional officers stopped a remand person in custody committing self-harm in Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre today (June 17).

     At 11.03am, a 77-year-old male remand person in custody was found emotionally unstable and banging his head against the wall inside a hospital ward. Officers at the scene immediately stopped him and called for reinforcement. The person in custody was found conscious. After receiving an examination and treatment by an institution medical officer, he was referred to a public hospital for further treatment.

     A clinical psychologist of the department will follow up on the case.

     A spokesman for the Correctional Services Department said, "The department uses all possible measures to prevent persons in custody from attempting suicide or self-harm. These measures include administrative arrangements, improvement of institutional facilities, staff training and first aid services."

     The person in custody was remanded for the offence of wounding with intent in April 2024.

     The Prosecutions Division of the Department of Justice (DoJ) today (June 17) released its annual report, "Prosecutions Hong Kong 2023" (www.doj.gov.hk/en/publications/yrreviewpd2023.html), which reviews the DoJ's prosecution work for the year 2023.
 
     All prosecutorial decisions made by the DoJ are based on the law, the evidence and the Prosecution Code. Prosecutors do not consider, and would not be influenced by, irrelevant considerations such as political or individual interests, possible media or public reaction and personal feelings or beliefs of the prosecutors.
 
     In the Director's Overview, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Maggie Yang, also stressed the importance of prosecutorial independence and pointed out that Article 63 of the Basic Law stipulates that the DoJ shall control criminal prosecutions free from any interference. She said that the Prosecutions Division's prosecutors will continue to deliver justice with integrity and discharge their entrenched duty with humility and dignity.
 
     Apart from setting out the important achievements made by the Prosecutions Division in 2023, which include the establishment of a dedicated subdivision specialising in handling technology crime cases, this latest review also gives a detailed account of the key cases handled by each subdivision of the Prosecutions Division.

     The Water Supplies Department (WSD) announced today (June 17) the establishment of the Digital Water Office (the Office), merging the divisions within the WSD responsible for efficiency enhancement, digital modelling, and information systems. The Office will be dedicated to driving the digitalisation of water supply services.

     The Office is planning a series of short, medium and long-term initiatives. Through the establishment and implementation of an integrated data processing system, the Office aims to optimise existing waterworks infrastructure and customer services, providing higher quality and more environmentally friendly water supply services.

     In the short term, the Office will integrate application data to streamline the water supply application process in order to progressively facilitate business operations of high-water-consumption trades (including the catering sector), and launch a new mobile app to provide citizens with a convenient one-stop shop for water account and information services.

     In the medium term, the Office will promote the use of smart devices, digital twin technology, and artificial intelligence to gradually achieve full automation of operations in waterworks installations, making water supply services more efficient, stable and secure. The Office will also actively explore a wider use of remote sensors and robots to enhance emergency response capabilities and site safety.

     In the long run, the Office will formulate a digital water roadmap for implementing smart water infrastructure, including establishing a system of data management standards, the WSD Central Operations Management Centre, and an Internet of Things platform for the WSD, to achieve comprehensive online monitoring of the water supply system. A WSD cloud data centre will also be set up to safeguard data security.

     In addition, the WSD has established a joint working group with the Water Authority of the Shenzhen Municipality to deliberate on the development and application of digital water services in the two cities. The Office will continue to strengthen co-operation and exchanges with relevant authorities in Greater Bay Area cities on various aspects of digital water services, with the goal of building a "Digital Water Greater Bay Area" and promoting high-quality development.

     "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" proposed a change in the use of a site at Sandy Ridge in North District for innovation and technology (I&T) and related purposes. The Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau (ITIB) and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) invite expressions of interest (EOI) for the development at Sandy Ridge for I&T and related purposes today (June 17).

     Sandy Ridge is located in the Northern Metropolis, near Lo Wu. Taking into account the location of the site, infrastructure planning, commercial, transport and community facilities in the vicinity, as well as the industry's keen demand for digital infrastructure facilities, the Government is of the initial view that it is worth exploring the feasibility of developing this "spade-ready site" (and its nearby land with development potential) into a data park for data centres and related industries.

     The deadline for submission of the EOI is noon on July 31, 2024 (Wednesday). The ITIB and the OGCIO together with the Northern Metropolis Co-ordination Office of the Development Bureau as well as the Civil Engineering and Development Department will hold a briefing session on the invitation for EOI on June 27, 2024 (Thursday). Interested companies and industry bodies are welcome to register for the session. Details have been uploaded to the relevant webpage (www.ogcio.gov.hk/en/our_work/business/data_centre/).