Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by the Hon Lillian Kwok and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):

Question:

     It is learnt that recent years have seen a trend of vapers getting younger, and there are even primary pupils among them, which is worrying. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of cases reported by schools to the Government in each month of the past three years regarding students vaping or smoking at school;

(2) of the numbers of enforcement actions and prosecutions initiated by the Government in each month of the past three years against the illegal sale of tobacco products by shop operators to persons under 18 years of age;

(3) whether the Government will ramp up efforts in education and publicity about smoking bans, including educational efforts targeting such e-cigarette oils as “space oil” which contain illegal harmful substances; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) whether the Government will allocate additional resources for smoking cessation counselling services to assist smokers in smoking cessation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     Having consulted the Security Bureau (SB) and the Education Bureau (EDB), the consolidated reply to the various parts of the Hon Lillian Kwok’s question is as follows:

     The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged and progressive approach, including legislation, taxation, publicity, education, enforcement and promotion of smoking cessation services, in a bid to reduce the hazards caused by smoking products to the public and the society. Currently, the EDB does not require schools to report figures relating to the number of students who smoke e-cigarettes or cigarettes. The Census and Statistics Department conducts Thematic Household Surveys (THS) regularly to keep track of the local smoking situation. The THS results in 2023 showed that the percentage of daily conventional cigarette smokers among all persons aged 15 and above has dropped steadily from 11.1 per cent in 2010 to 9.1 per cent in 2023. The percentage of daily conventional cigarette smokers among teenagers aged 15 to 19 decreased continuously from 2.5 per cent in 2010 to 1.0 per cent in 2017. In the survey conducted in 2019, 2021 and 2023, the sample count for smokers aged 15 to 19 was too small to produce a representative prevalence estimate. Regarding e-cigarette use, in 2023, about 11 600 persons aged 15 and above reported daily use of e-cigarettes, accounting for 0.2 per cent of the population. The relevant sample count was also too small to produce a representative estimate of the proportion of such persons aged 15 to 19. The proportion of daily smokers from 2010 to 2023 is at Annex I. Separately, the Health Bureau (HHB) has commissioned the School of Public Health of the University of Hong Kong to conduct school-based surveys on smoking among students (school-based survey) since 2010, and the results of the last school-based survey conducted in 2023 showed that the smoking prevalence among primary and secondary school students (see Annex II) maintained at a low level.

     However, over the years, tobacco companies have been using a myriad of tactics to lure young people to smoke so as to sustain their long-term profitability. Considering the harm brought about by tobacco products to the society, especially young people, there is a need for the Government to implement more effective and targeted tobacco control measures to combat smoking hazard and to prevent smoking prevalence from rebounding. Therefore, the Government announced in June last year the introduction of 10 tobacco control measures to safeguard the health of the community.

     First, the findings of the THS showed that the younger the age group, the higher the rate of smoking flavoured cigarettes. For instance, among the conventional cigarette smokers aged from 20 to 29, over 70 per cent of them currently smoke flavoured cigarettes, while nearly 70 per cent smoked flavoured cigarettes when they first smoked. Besides, over 70 per cent of female smokers of conventional cigarettes currently smoke flavoured cigarettes; and over 60 per cent of current female smokers of conventional cigarettes smoked flavoured cigarettes when they first smoked (see Annex III). Scientific evidence shows that flavoured cigarettes, such as menthol or fruit-flavoured cigarettes, reduce the awareness of the hazard of tobacco and in turn increase the chances of non-smokers (especially teenagers) to start smoking. They also make consumers more vulnerable to getting into and continuing with the smoking habit. Flavoured cigarettes are indeed “sugar-coated poison”. Tobacco companies add flavours to conventional cigarettes to cover up the harshness of tobacco smoke, so as to lure members of the public, especially young people, to smoke and become addicted to smoking. The situation is worrying. The Government therefore proposes to prohibit adding flavours in conventional smoking products to counteract the intention of tobacco companies to use flavouring agents to disguise the toxicity of tobacco products and attract young people to smoke.

     Secondly, alternative smoking products (ASPs) have rapidly gained popularity around the world in recent years. The Government resolutely banned the import, promotion, manufacture, sale or possession for commercial purposes of ASP on April 30, 2022, so as to reduce the chance for tobacco companies to use ASPs as another means to lure the public, especially the younger generation, to become addicted to smoking.

     Recently, e-cigarette devices have even been used for drug abuse. E-liquid, mixed with drugs such as etomidate (commonly known as “space oil drugs”), a psychoactive substance, can be inserted into e-cigarette devices and heated to generate aerosol for smoking. By their appearance, “poisonous capsules” (or “zombie capsules”) containing “space oil drugs” or other regulated drugs or narcotics are no different from regular e-cigarettes capsules, and it is difficult to distinguish the ingredients by bare eye, thus largely increasing the possibilities of smokers to abuse drugs through ASPs anytime, anywhere and in a more covert manner. Young people may become addicted to drugs by smoking e-cigarettes containing “poisonous capsules” without realising it.

     The Government will strengthen the control of etomidate, which is the main active ingredient of “space oil drugs”, and planned to gazette to list etomidate as a dangerous drug (i.e. narcotic) on February 14, 2025, so as to increase deterrence and enable law enforcement agencies to effectively respond to the relevant situation.

     On publicity and education on the harmful effects of smoking and ASPs, the Department of Health (DH) and the Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH) will strengthen their collaboration with the EDB to publicise the harmful effects of smoking and ASPs to students through seminars, dramas and mentorship programmes. The EDB has also been organising seminars and professional development programmes continuously for teachers to enhance their understanding and awareness of tobacco products, especially ASPs. On school curriculum, health education (including resistance to harmful substances) is a key component of values education. The Values Education Curriculum Framework (Pilot Version) issued in 2021 has further strengthened values education in related areas (including resistance to harmful substances including drugs, traditional tobacco products and ASPs) and outlined the expected learning outcomes for students across various key learning stages. The Whole School Health Programme launched by the DH will also step up publicity and education on tobacco hazards.

     On the other hand, the Narcotics Division (ND) of the SB has been collaborating with various government departments, the COSH and non-governmental organisations to explain the harmful effects of “space oil drug” to the public through different channels, raise self-awareness on drug prevention among the public, and seek more ways to reach out to hidden drug abusers. To target drug traffickers selling “space oil drugs”, the Government is stepping up efforts to educate students on their harmful effects. The ND and the EDB will jointly launch an “anti-space oil drug” week in schools, during which a series of activities will be held, including talks, anti-drug video broadcast, anti-drug drama shows, with a view to preventing the spread of “space oil drugs” among the younger cohort and to tie in with the legislative work. 

     The relevant ban on ASPs has been in force for nearly three years. At present, there are no legal channels to import or purchase ASPs, and ASPs purchased for personal use before the ban came into effect should have been largely consumed after a certain period of time. Yet the findings of the aforementioned school-based survey indicated that the ratio of primary and secondary school students who smoke e-cigarettes to those who smoke conventional cigarettes is nearly one to one, suggesting that e-cigarettes, among other tobacco products, are particularly popular amongst the younger generation. It is worrying that young people are still exposed to ASPs despite the implementation of the ban on their import and sale. Prevailing legislation does not prohibit the possession of ASPs for non-commercial use. To suppress the continued circulation of ASPs, which are hazardous novel tobacco products, in Hong Kong and to tackle the problem of “poisonous capsules” at its root, the HHB will further strengthen the regulation of ASPs, including banning the possession of relevant products, so as to curb the emergence of ASPs as an alternative drug abuse product. Details will be announced later.

     Thirdly, to prevent young people from smoking and suppress the harm posed by tobacco on them, the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) stipulates that no person shall sell any conventional smoking product to any person under the age of 18. The number of complaints/referrals received, the number of inspections conducted and the number of summonses issued by the DH in relation to the restrictions on the sale or giving of conventional smoking products under the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance (Cap. 371) from 2022 to 2024 are set out in Annex IV. For the comprehensive protection of the underaged, the Government proposes to further prohibit giving tobacco products to persons under the age of 18 such that the provider is to be held liable.

     Fourthly, the Government has been actively conducting public education programmes on multiple fronts to promote a smoke-free environment. The DH collaborates with the COSH, non-governmental organisations and healthcare professionals to promote the harms of smoking and smoking cessation, including joining with district service organisations to disseminate smoke-free messages through promotional activities, smoking cessation competitions, smoking cessation counselling, targeting at young people, women, elderly groups, etc. Promoting smoking cessation is also an important pillar under the tobacco control strategy. Since 2021, the DH has launched the Quit in June campaign to promote smoking cessation services and one-week nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) trial packs have been distributed for free at more than 250 designated community pharmacies, smoking cessation clinics and District Health Centres (DHC)/DHC Expresses with a view to encouraging smokers to attempt quitting. Last year, the DH introduced a trial programme on the use of Chinese medicine ear-point patches for smoking cessation. So far, more than 3 500 NRT trial packs and more than 300 Chinese Medicine Ear-point Patch trial packs have been distributed, and most of the smokers who have tried the ear-point patches have found them helpful in alleviating the symptoms of addiction and the response has been very positive.

     Besides, the DH has subvented two more service providers (increased from two to four) since last year to operate smoking cessation clinics focusing on counselling and pharmacotherapy, and is planning on subventing three more Chinese medicine smoking cessation service providers (increased from one to four) in the second half of this year to operate smoking cessation clinics focusing on counselling and acupuncture. It is expected that the number of service users can be increased by about 40 per cent and doubled respectively.

     The Government will continue to step up the work on smoking cessation and explore various tobacco control measures in the medium and long term in order to eliminate the hazards posed by tobacco products on the society in all aspects and protect the health of the community under a progressive and multi-pronged approach. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kwok Wai-keung and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
     
Question:

     Some members of the public have relayed that even through complaints about water seepage problems in building units have been lodged with the Joint Office for Investigation of Water Seepage Complaints (JO) formed by the Buildings Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, the problems remain unresolved because the occupants of the units suspected of causing water leakage cannot be found, or water seepage has recurred after JO’s intervention and handling of the cases. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the following statistics on cases of water seepage in buildings handled by JO in each of the past three years: the respective numbers of reports (i) received and (ii) handled, (iii) cases with consultants engaged to conduct investigation, (iv) cases with the source of water seepage successfully identified and investigation completed, (v) cases with the source of water seepage not identified but investigation terminated, (vi) cases referred to other government departments, (vii) cases with Nuisance Notices issued, cases with (viii) Warrants to Effect Entry into Premises and (ix) Nuisance Orders issued by the court, and cases with (x) prosecutions instituted and (xi) convictions secured, and set out in the table below a breakdown by District Council district and nature of cases (i.e. (a) cases handled for the first time and (b) recurring cases (i.e. those with water seepage reportedly occurring at the same address as a case previously handled));

District Council district:       
                                                      

Case category	2022		2023		2024
	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)	(a)	(b)
(i)
…
(xi)

(2) of the respective average costs incurred by the JO in handling cases mentioned in (1)(iii) and (iv) in the past three years;

(3) given that according to the information of the JO, for simple and straightforward cases with the co-operation of the owners/occupants concerned, the investigation and tests can normally be completed within 90 working days, whereas for cases in which the investigation cannot be completed within 90 working days, the complainants will be notified of the investigation progress in writing, (i) whether the JO has broken down the 90 working days for handling cases into work stages and drawn up performance pledges for each of them; (ii) whether the JO will inform the complainants in writing of the relevant investigation and test results; if not, of the reasons for that; and (iii) among the cases mentioned in (1)(ii) in the past three years, of the number and proportion of those in which the investigation could not be completed within 90 working days;

(4) given that in the reply to a question raised by a Member of this Council on January 10 last year, the authorities indicated that most of the cases in which the JO could not complete the investigation within 90 working days were more complicated (e.g. involving more than one source of water seepage, repeated or intermittent water seepage, requiring multiple tests to identify the source, and failure of owners or occupants to co-operate with the investigation), whether the authorities have kept a breakdown of such cases by the reasons for not being able to complete the investigation within 90 working days; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(5) whether the authorities have compiled statistics on, among the cases referred to other government departments as mentioned in (1)(vi) in the past three years, (i) the number of cases in which the handling has been completed as well as the average time taken to handle them, and (ii) the number of cases in which the handling has yet to be completed; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(6) as it is learnt that at present, the JO is conducting on a trial basis Stage II initial investigation and Stage III professional investigation in parallel under the General Procedures for Investigating Water Seepage in six “pilot districts” (i.e. Wong Tai Sin, North, Yuen Long, Islands, Tai Po and Kwai Tsing Districts), and has introduced new testing technologies such as infrared thermography and microwave tomography at Stage III in most districts, whether the authorities will consider standardising the relevant procedures, extending such new testing technologies across the territory, and conducting the Stage II and Stage III investigation procedures in parallel in all districts, so as to enhance investigation efficiency; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(7) as there are views that water seepage or leakage caused by defective fresh water mains, gutters or waterproofing membranes at rooftops of buildings cannot be dealt with under the existing section 12(1)(b) of the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), resulting in JO having no alternative but to refer relevant complaints received to other government departments, and thus prolonging the time during which members of the public are subjected to nuisances, whether the authorities will consider amending the legislation to bring the aforesaid situation under the regulation of Cap. 132 or expanding the JO’s functions, so as to save the time required for referral of cases among government departments; if so, of the timetable; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     If water seepage occurs in private buildings, the owners concerned may first co-operate among themselves to engage professionals/consultancy firms for carrying out water seepage investigation to identify the source of seepage and conducting necessary repair works to fulfill owners’ responsibilities of proper management, maintenance and repair of buildings. Consultancy firms or professionals are also available in the market to provide services for investigating and resolving water seepage problems. A list of consultancy firms and experts providing professional advice and services on water seepage problems has also been uploaded onto the websites of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Buildings Department (BD) for public reference. When the water seepage condition concerned has caused health nuisance, risk to structural safety of the building or water waste, the Government will intervene to handle the case in accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132) (PHMSO), the Buildings Ordinance (Cap. 123) (BO) and the Waterworks Ordinance (Cap. 102) respectively.

     If owners are unable to resolve water seepage problems in consultation with their neighbours, they can seek assistance from the Joint Office (JO) jointly set up by the FEHD and the BD. Through inter-departmental co-ordination, the JO seeks to identify the source of water seepage using one-stop and systematic testing methods and require the owners concerned to carry out repair works by exercising the powers conferred by the law, leveraging the expertise of relevant departments and with co-operation of the owners or occupants concerned.

     Having consulted the Environment and Ecology Bureau and the FEHD, the replies to the various parts of the question are as follows:

(1) The investigation of water seepage cases in buildings by the JO can be divided into the following stages (Note):

     Stage I: Identify the water seepage situation;
     Stage II: Conduct initial investigation; and
     Stage III: Conduct professional investigation.

     The statistics of water seepage cases in buildings and repeated reports handled by the JO in each of the past three years are set out at Annex.  

(2) The manpower and expenses involved in handling each water seepage case by the JO vary, depending on factors such as the complexity (e.g. water seepage involving multiple sources of seepage or intermittent seepage), the investigations required for each case (e.g. not all cases will undergo Stage II or III investigations). The need to engage consultancy firms to assist in professional investigations also requires appropriate arrangements to be made in light of the actual circumstances (e.g. internal renovations of the premises affected by the water seepage), and the cost of each case also varies. Although the JO does not compile statistics of the relevant average cost, the annual cost of engaging consultancy firms for Stage III investigation is about $40 million.

(3) For cases that are simple and easy to handle (i.e. officers can access the premises for investigation, there is no difficulty in tracing the source of water seepage, multiple sources or multiple tests are not involved, and there is no need to confirm the test results of the source of water seepage with government laboratories) and where the owners/occupants concerned are willing to co-operate in the investigation, the performance indicator of the JO is to complete the investigation within 90 working days from the receipt of the report and to notify the informant of the investigation results in writing.

     Although the JO has not set specific performance pledges for each of the stages mentioned above, for such simple cases, investigation can generally be completed within 90 working days: the processing time for Stage I was six working days, 32 working days for Stage II, and 52 working days for Stage III.

     Based on statistics of reported cases received, including those simple and easy to handle as well as those relatively complicated cases, the percentage of cases in which investigation could be completed within 90 working days from the receipt of the report and the informant could be notified of the investigation result was 70 per cent, 68.5 per cent and 65.4 per cent in 2021, 2022 and 2023 respectively. The corresponding figures for cases that could not be completed or for which the informant could not be notified of the results within 90 working days were 30 per cent, 31.5 per cent and 34.6 per cent respectively. 

     In addition to the performance indicator mentioned above, the existing performance pledges of the JO include contacting the informant within six working days upon receipt of a case about water seepage to arrange for investigation at the premises concerned; and issuing a Nuisance Notice within seven working days upon verification of the investigation results on the source of the water seepage nuisance.

(4) The progress of investigation depends on multiple factors, including the complexity of cases. For example, a case may involve more than one source of water seepage, repeated or intermittent water seepage requiring multiple tests to identify the source, and co-operation of owners or occupiers with the JO’s investigation. Moreover, each case may involve more than one factor. The JO does not compile statistics on the reasons affecting the progress of investigation.

     Nevertheless, the JO will continue to optimise the workflow for handling water seepage cases to expedite investigation. In terms of regulations, the Government is working on amending the relevant legislation on environmental hygiene, which include proposals to extend the time for entering premises suspected of causing public health nuisance (including water seepage in buildings) to the evening, as well as making non-compliance with the Notice of Intended Entry issued by government officers illegal, so as to enable government officers to promptly enter the relevant premises for investigation.

     In terms of the handling process, the current procedure involves conducting Stage I and Stage II investigations first, and only proceeding to Stage III professional investigation if the water seepage source cannot be identified. The JO has implemented a pilot to carry out in parallel Stage II and Stage III investigations in six pilot districts, namely Wong Tai Sin, North District, Yuen Long, Islands, Tai Po, and Kwai Tsing. Under this arrangement, Stage III professional investigation can be carried out earlier without waiting for the results of Stage II investigation, which aims to reduce the investigation time required for most of the applicable cases by approximately 30 per cent from 90 working days to about 64 working days.  

(5) Cases are referred to the relevant departments for appropriate follow-up and enforcement actions in accordance with their respective purview. For example, cases involving building structural issues, defective exposed drain pipes in buildings, or where suspected water seepage source involves “actionable” unauthorised building works will be referred to the BD; and cases involving defective water supply pipes will be referred to the Water Supplies Department (WSD). Therefore, the JO does not compile breakdown statistics of the number of cases completed by the relevant departments or their average processing time. The JO would explore the feasibility of periodically requesting the relevant departments to provide updates on the status of case processing.

(6) The JO is implementing the pilot to carry out Stage II and Stage III investigations in parallel in the six pilot districts as mentioned in Part (4) above. The JO will review the effectiveness of the new investigation mode in the pilot districts, continuously optimise relevant workflow and technical guidelines, and assess resources, manpower arrangement, and the availability of consultancy service providers with a view to considering gradual extension of the parallel investigation mode to more districts.

     Infrared thermography and microwave tomography (advanced testing technologies) used during Stage III professional investigation are mainly for detecting the location and extent of the water seepage area and whether waterproofing facilities of floor slabs are defective. Up to December 2024, the JO has extended the use of advanced testing technologies as a preferred investigation tool in the stage of professional investigation for applicable cases in 16 districts and the relatively complicated cases in the remaining two districts. The JO will review the supply of relevant service providers in the market and extend the application of advanced testing technologies to applicable cases in the remaining two districts progressively. Nevertheless, under special circumstances where the advanced technologies cannot be applied effectively due to site conditions, such as spalling of ceiling concrete affected by water seepage, uneven surfaces or tile finishes, blockage by pipes or other facilities on the ceiling, the JO has to continue to employ the conventional testing methods (such as colour water test for drains or ponding test for floor slabs) in order to identify the source of water seepage.

(7) Upon receiving a report regarding water seepage in a building, the JO will send officers to the concerned premises to conduct inspections and tests. After confirming the source of the water seepage, if the source is a water nuisance specified in section 12 of the PHMSO, the JO would issue a Nuisance Notice to the owner(s) of the premises causing the water seepage problem. Other cases not involving nuisances under the PHMSO, including water seepage caused by water supply pipes, exposed drain pipes or rooftop issues, there is already a mechanism for referring the cases expediently in order to handle them effectively under the relevant regulations.

     For example, in respect of water seepage cases caused by water supply pipes, the JO will immediately refer relevant cases involving continuous dripping or visible seepage of water supply pipes discovered during investigation to the WSD for follow-up in parallel. The WSD will investigate whether the cases has caused water wastage due to seepage in the water supply system. If so, the WSD will issue a repair notice to the registered user concerned in accordance with the Waterworks Ordinance and require them to repair the defective pipes within a specified period. If the user fails to comply with the requirements of the repair notice and complete the repair, the WSD will consider arranging disconnection of water supply.

     In cases of water seepage caused by damaged waterproofing layers on building rooftops or rainwater pipes, if building structural safety hazards (such as spalling concrete from ceiling and rusty reinforcement) or problems with improper or defective exposed drain pipes (such as rainwater pipes or foul water pipes) are identified during the water seepage investigation, the JO will immediately refer the case to the BD for follow-up under the BO, including issuing advisory letters and/or building repair orders, investigation orders or drainage repair orders under the BO to the owners concerned. For defective buildings or drainage systems, any person who fails to comply with the statutory orders served on him under the BO for remedial works shall be liable to prosecution.

Note: Generally speaking, the JO carries out investigation on water seepage cases in three stages. Stage I investigation ascertains whether the moisture content of the water seepage areas reaches 35 per cent or above. The JO will not investigate reports of water seepage with moisture content below 35 per cent. If the moisture content reaches 35 per cent or above, Stage II investigation will be arranged. Stage I (confirmation of water seepage) and Stage II (initial investigation, including monitoring of moisture content at the water seepage areas, dye tests for drain pipes, and reversible pressure tests for water supply pipes) are carried out by JO officers. If the source of water seepage cannot be identified, Stage III professional investigation will be conducted. In Stage III, the JO will engage contract consultancy firms to assist in carrying out investigation, including monitoring of moisture content at the water seepage areas, ponding tests for floor slabs, water spray test on walls, and reversible pressure tests for water supply pipes. New testing technologies such as microwave tomography and infrared thermography will be employed for suitable cases. read more

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) said today (February 12) that it is investigating a confirmed Mpox (also known as Monkeypox) case, and urged the public to heighten vigilance and avoid close physical contact with persons suspected of contracting Mpox. Meanwhile, high-risk target groups are advised to receive Mpox vaccinations.

     The case involves a 30-year-old male patient with good past health. He developed rashes and vesicles since February 6. He attended the Yau Ma Tei Male Social Hygiene Clinic of the DH on February 10. He is in stable condition and is being isolated at Princess Margaret Hospital.

     An initial investigation revealed that he had a history of high-risk exposure in Hong Kong during the incubation period, but no epidemiological linkages between this case and other confirmed cases recorded in Hong Kong earlier could be identified so far. The CHP is continuing its epidemiological investigations of the case and will report the case to the World Health Organization.
     
     High-risk target groups are advised to receive Mpox vaccinations with a view to lowering the risk of infection or the possibility of having more severe symptoms after infection. In addition, persons who experience Mpox symptoms (including rashes, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, exhaustion, muscle pain, and severe headaches) or suspect themselves of being infected are advised to seek medical attention and receive treatment at once, and they should not engage in activities with others during which other people may have contact with their skin rash or body fluids. Members of the public should maintain good personal and hand hygiene to prevent virus transmission or infection through contact. They should also avoid close physical contact with persons or animals suspected of infection.

     The CHP had earlier set up an Mpox telephone hotline (2125 2373). The hotline operates from Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays) from 9am to 5pm, which enables those who suspect or are concerned they have had high-risk contact with confirmed patients, in particular men who have sex with men or those who have sexual practices with strangers, to make enquiries and receive relevant health advice.

     The DH provides vaccination services for high-risk groups of Mpox. The following high-risk target groups can receive Mpox vaccinations on a voluntary basis:
 

1. Individuals with high-risk sexual practices, e.g. having multiple sexual partners, sex workers, or having a history of sexually transmitted infection within the past 12 months;
2. Healthcare workers responsible for caring for patients with confirmed Mpox;
3. Laboratory personnel working with zoonotic pox viruses; and
4. Animal care personnel with high risk of exposure in case of Mpox occurrences in animals in Hong Kong.

     High-risk target groups can receive Mpox walk-in vaccinations at all of the DH’s Social Hygiene Service Clinics (SocHS) (namely Chai Wan SocHS, Wan Chai Male SocHS, Wan Chai Female SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Male SocHS, Yau Ma Tei Female SocHS, Yung Fung Shee SocHS, Fanling SocHS and Tuen Mun SocHS) and the DH’s Yau Ma Tei Integrated Treatment Centre.
 
     Meanwhile, the DH’s Kowloon Bay Integrated Treatment Centre and the Hospital Authority’s Special Medical Clinics at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Princess Margaret Hospital will also provide Mpox vaccination services for their clients.
      
     For more details, please visit the CHP’s page on Mpox and Mpox Vaccination Programme. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Edmund Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Ms Bernadette Linn, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that according to the estimation of a surveyor firm, the vacancy rate of Grade A private offices in Central has exceeded 13 per cent as at the end of December 2024, and the rents in the district are projected to further drop by 5 per cent in 2025. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the average per-square-foot selling prices and monthly rents, as well as the vacancy rates, for various grades of private offices in Hong Kong in the past three years, together with a quarterly breakdown of such figures; 

(2) whether it has projected the supply and demand situations of various grades of private offices in various districts in the next five years; and
 
(3) of the specific strategies to achieve a balance between the supply and demand of private offices in various districts so as to mitigate the problem of worsening vacancy rates; whether it will introduce a flexible mechanism for zoning sites in new development areas (e.g. ‍the Northern Metropolis) for commercial uses; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     In consultation with the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the reply to various parts of the question is as follows:
      
(1) The Rating and Valuation Department (RVD) obtains property transaction and rental information from a variety of sources for compiling and periodically publishing the average prices and average rents of private premises. For private offices, it has been the RVD’s established practice to conduct detailed analysis of the seven main private office districts. According to the Hong Kong Property Review 2024 published by the RVD last April, the total stock of private offices in Hong Kong at the end of 2023 amounted to around 13 100 000 square metres (sq m), comprising 66 per cent Grade A, 23 per cent Grade B and 11 per cent Grade C offices. Their quarterly average prices and average rents by grade in main sub-districts in the past three years (i.e. from 2022 to 2024) as published by the RVD are set out at Appendix 1 and Appendix 2 respectively. 

     In addition, the RVD also conducts year-end vacancy surveys on private premises every year to provide relevant data of their vacancy position in the Hong Kong Property Review. The year-end vacancy rates for private offices in Hong Kong by grade from 2021 to 2023 are tabulated below:
 

Year	Grade A	Grade B	Grade C	Overall
2021	12.5%	13.1%	9.3%	12.3%
2022	15.1%	15.1%	8.8%	14.4%
2023	16.0%	14.9%	9.0%	14.9%

Remarks: The vacancy rates for 2024 are still being collated, and will be released in the Hong Kong Property Review 2025 to be published later this year.
 
(2) The Government does not estimate the demand for private offices in the short to medium term. As for supply of private offices, the RVD publishes in the Hong Kong Property Review each year the estimated completions of all grades of private offices in the coming two years. According to the Hong Kong Property Review 2024 published by the RVD last April, the estimated total completion of private offices in 2025 is around 136 000 sq m, constituting a slight fall as compared to 156 000 sq m in 2024. The estimated completions of private offices by grade in 2024 and 2025 are tabulated below:
 

Year	Grade A (sq m)	Grade B (sq m)	Grade C (sq m)
2024	146 000	9 300	1 000
2025	126 400	9 400	300

(3) The Government has been proactively taking various measures to promote the healthy development of the commercial property market, including:      

(i) The Government will assess the situation pragmatically and roll out land in a prudent and paced manner. Taking into account the current economic environment, the office vacancy rates and the upcoming supply expected, the Government has not put up any commercial site for sale since the financial year 2023-24, the last piece of commercial site sold in recent years being the site at Sai Yee Street in Mong Kok in March 2023. 

(ii) The Government is proactively implementing industrial policies and competing for talents and enterprises, with a view to raising both the capacity and quality of the economy. By stepping up efforts in attracting enterprises and investment and promoting Hong Kong’s unique advantages, Hong Kong will continue to draw more Mainland and overseas enterprises and investment to set up or expand their operations here, including establishing new companies or upgrading existing business in Hong Kong to regional headquarters, thereby boosting demand for shops and office space. According to the results of the latest annual survey by Invest Hong Kong and the Census and Statistics Department, the number of companies in Hong Kong with overseas or Mainland parent companies rose to 9 960 in 2024, representing an annual growth of 10per cent and reaching a record high. The number of regional headquarters, regional offices and local offices of these companies also increased by more than 5 per cent, 4 per cent and 13 per cent respectively. In addition, by end 2024, the Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises has successfully attracted nearly 70 strategic enterprises. The majority of these enterprises plan to establish their global or regional headquarters in Hong Kong, which will drive the demand for office space. 

(iii) In terms of land use planning, traditional office premises are mainly zoned “Commercial” (the “C” zone) on the statutory plans. Apart from office, the “C” zone generally accommodates various other always-permitted uses including hotel, eating place, shop and services, educational institution, exhibition or conference hall, place of recreation, sports or culture, place of entertainment, and information technology and telecommunications industries (such as data centres, data processing/computer centres). In other words, the current planning regime provides flexibility for developers to pursue other non-office commercial uses within the “C” zone, taking into account market conditions and business considerations. In addition, the recently amended planning guidelines for the Hung Shui Kiu / Ha Tsuen New Development Area in the Northern Metropolis no longer specify the allocation of floor space of commercial sites to office and retail uses. This is to reserve sufficient flexibility in planning to enable timely response to market changes.

(iv) When planning the new development areas in the Northern Metropolis, we will suitably propose individual sites for a wider range of uses to cater for the changing market needs. For example, sites near the proposed Northern Link Railway Station are zoned “Other Specified Uses” annotated “Mixed Use” on the San Tin Technopole Outline Zoning Plan. This is to endow the area with flexibility in development, allowing various uses including commercial, residential, educational, cultural, recreational and entertainment uses, either vertically within a building or horizontally over a spatial area.   

(v) For certain sizable development projects that involve larger investment, the Development Bureau (DEVB) will maintain close communication with the market and relevant industries, gauging the views of the stakeholders on the development direction of the project and the tender conditions. For example, the DEVB invited the market last December to submit expression of interest for the three pilot areas of large-scale land disposal in the Northern Metropolis, hoping to collect market views and suggestions in order to finalise the open tender details and conditions later. 

(vi) The Northern Metropolis is a development project spanning across a number of years. We are mindful of the need for flexibility in planning to timely meet the needs of the society and industry development. Even if the relevant statutory plans have designated the permitted land uses for sites within the Northern Metropolis, the current planning regime caters for adjustment by allowing applications for planning permission and amendment of plans. The Town Planning Board will holistically consider these applications in light of prevailing circumstances.  read more

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Elizabeth Quat and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):

Question:

     Low-altitude economy (LAE), with its long industrial chain, extensive application scenarios and huge development potential, is a model for fostering new quality productive forces. In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive has announced the work direction for promoting the development of LAE, with a view to pressing ahead with the promotion of LAE as one of the growth engines of new quality productive forces. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) given that the Government accepted applications for the first batch of LAE Regulatory Sandbox pilot projects at the end of last year, of the progress of processing the applications and when successful applications will commence their projects; of the details of the second batch applications;

(2) given that the aforesaid Policy Address proposes to explore with the Mainland the joint establishment of low-altitude cross-boundary air routes, immigration and customs clearance arrangements and supporting infrastructure, etc, of the details and progress of the relevant work plan; and

(3) given that the Government has previously remarked in its reply to my question that various government departments have applied small unmanned aircraft in different scenarios, and have integrated such applications with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to perform certain tasks, so as to enhance the efficiency of urban management and public services, yet there is no mention on whether it would explore the establishment of an “AI-integrated unmanned aircraft urban management system” for use by and sharing of data and information among different government departments, whether the Government will, by drawing on the experience of the relevant Mainland departments in sharing and collaboration, promote institutional innovation to reform urban management?

Reply: 

President,

     In the 2024 Policy Address, the Chief Executive announced the work direction for promoting the development of low-altitude economy (LAE), which includes designating specific application sites to implement pilot projects. We will adopt a “top-level planning” approach as the core, starting from the perspective of overall infrastructure planning. Leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages of “one country, two systems”, connection with both the Mainland and the world, as well as a diverse talent pool, we will harness Hong Kong’s strengths in the area of LAE to contribute to the nation’s development of new quality productive forces.

     In consultation with the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau and the Civil Aviation Department (CAD), the reply to the Hon Elizabeth Quat’s question is as follows:
     
(1) The first batch of Regulatory Sandbox (Sandbox) pilot projects was open for application in November 2024, with the application period closing at the end of last year. The Working Group on Developing LAE (the Working Group) is reviewing the projects submitted by a total of 72 applicants. It is expected that the results will be announced in the first quarter of this year and the project work will commence thereafter. Subject to the implementation of the first batch of pilot projects, we will announce the application details of the second batch of Sandbox pilot projects in due course.

     At the same time, the Government is reviewing the existing civil aviation legislation and regulatory regimes, with the target to submit the first phase of legislative amendment proposals to the Legislative Council (LegCo) within the second quarter of this year. The proposal is to expand the regulatory scope of the existing Small Unmanned Aircraft Order (Cap. 448G) to cover unmanned aircraft weighing between 25 and 150 kilogrammes. We also plan to take this opportunity to simultaneously introduce provisions in the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C) to empower the Director-General of Civil Aviation to permit trial flights of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) under specified conditions, provided that aviation safety requirements are met. I hope the legislative amendment proposals will be able to expedite the implementation of the Sandbox pilot projects in the future and, in particular, meet the expectation of the market, the industry and from Members of the LegCo during our previous discussions that Hong Kong should conduct trials of projects involving heavier loading and carriage of passengers. In the long term, we are studying the introduction of a new, dedicated legislation for various AAM weighing over 150 kg. These legislative amendment work will not only align with future technological and application developments, but will also lay a foundation for low-altitude passenger-carrying flying activities in the future and position Hong Kong to play a significant role in advancing LAE regulatory certification.
     
(2) In addition to promoting local applications, the Government is actively exploring the feasibility of cross-boundary delivery of goods and carriage of passengers. At the same time, cross-boundary helicopter services can enhance the convenience and efficiency of travel between different cities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), further integrating Hong Kong’s diverse economy with other cities in the region and giving full play to Hong Kong’s unique advantage as a hub for connecting with both the Mainland and the world. To this end, the Government is actively promoting interface with relevant Mainland authorities to discuss the joint development of low-altitude cross-boundary air routes, immigration and customs arrangements, and supporting infrastructure, etc.

     In November last year, led by the Deputy Financial Secretary, representatives from the Transport and Logistics Bureau, the Security Bureau, the CAD, the Immigration Department and the Hong Kong Customs visited Shenzhen to exchange views with the relevant authorities on cross-boundary flying activities. During the visit, the responsible lead units were identified, and both sides agreed to continue communication on the development of LAE. Looking ahead, the Working Group will maintain contact with the relevant authorities, with the aim to facilitate co-operation as soon as possible to create favourable conditions for establishing the GBA low-altitude cross-boundary corridor.
     
(3) For LAE to take off, infrastructure is indispensable. Currently, a number of government departments are already utilising drone and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in various application scenarios to enhance services. Relevant departments are also leveraging various types of data from the Common Spatial Data Infrastructure and Open Data Portal (such as maps, aerial photographs, three-dimensional geospatial data, traffic data, and weather data) to facilitate innovative applications of unmanned aircraft and the open up and sharing of related city data. Additionally, the Digital Policy Office has launched several central platform services to further support various policy bureaux and departments (B/Ds) in making good use of digital technology to optimise public services and city management. The Hon Elizabeth Quat, with the rapid technological advancement, the Government will consider the needs of different departments for innovation of public services and city management, as well as draw on domestic and international experiences to build a low-altitude smart network and explore various digital solutions that promote data interoperability, sharing and analytical applications.

     At the same time, among the Sandbox pilot projects applications we have received, there are various urban management application projects, some of which include proposals combining technologies such as AI analysis, automatic identification systems, algorithms, and high-precision positioning. We will actively take forward the first batch of Sandbox pilot projects with an aim to drive the local technology industry towards greater professionalism and standardisation, enabling LAE to “fly steadily and far,” while positioning Hong Kong as an incubation hub for LAE innovative industries.
     
     Additionally, the Government is conducting technical research on low-altitude infrastructure, including the feasibility of low-altitude surveillance and management systems, low-altitude data sharing, and the application of Geographic Information System technology and three-dimensional geospatial data. We will continue to actively take forward these issues under the leadership of the Working Group.
     
     To conclude, President, the Government will continue to promote the development of LAE in Hong Kong through various measures, including the implementation of Sandbox pilot projects, strengthening cross-boundary co-operation, and enhancing infrastructure and technical support. These efforts aim to establish an innovative, efficient, and secure LAE ecosystem for Hong Kong.

     Thank you. read more