The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, together with the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Mr Chris Sun, and the Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and Co-Director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Professor Eric Chui, today (May 3) held a press conference on the evaluation findings of the Strive and Rise Programme. Following is the transcript of remarks of the press conference:

Reporter: The first question is, would you share with us what are the reasons for the 6.8 per cent students who had not gained any improvements in the eight factors? Have the students, parents and mentors expressed any complaints or concerns during the first round? What are their common concerns and complaints? How did the Government address them? The final question is, how much donation has the Government raised for the second round, as it is expected to cover more students to 4 000?

Professor Eric Chui: The first question is related to why a certain percentage of people are not able to make any changes, right? There is a wide range of matters involved. Number one, we mentioned the level of participation. Maybe that group of students did not participate very well. We got to know that not all the participants would meet their expectations. Usually, for those people who are not able to participate to a very great extent, they may not be able to gain a lot. I think that is part of the reason. Of course, the other reason is that they may not choose the right programme, and that's the reason why they have raised a number of comments.

     I think that relates to your second question, which is about what are the comments that have been given. So far, we have heard quite a wide range of comments that are related to two aspects. The first one, of course, is about the delivery of the programme. As we've mentioned before, they mentioned that the programme they disliked the most is probably the programme that is very much lecture-based, rather than very interactive and experiential learning. I think they want to take actions, to volunteer, to serve, and then they reflect on that. I think the first comment is about the delivery of the programme.

     The second comment is about the arrangement of the programme. They mentioned that some of the interest classes were offered during the weekdays in the evening, which is not ideal for lower secondary school students, because after school, they have dinner, and then of course they have to rest. That's the reason why they just say that: would it be possible to move it to weekends? Also, some of the comments are about the programmes organised around the exam period, because kids of this group are all concerned about the examinations and their academic results, which is very fair and logical.

      I think these are the two major comments that I got from the respondents.

Chief Secretary for Administration: I don't think there is any complaint as you called from a student. Actually, I would better say a very small number of them, less than 1 per cent, dropped out of the programme, because they were too busy in their studies. This is the main reason.

     Regarding donations, for the first phase of this programme, we received about $140 million donations from the public. And we are now still receiving donations; up to now, I think we have received about $30 million so far. I think the amount reflects clearly that the public has great support for this programme.
 
(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

      

     A spokesman for the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) said today (May 3) that, with summer approaching and the ensuing environmental hygiene nuisances caused by dripping air conditioners, the FEHD has stepped up publicity and education work since last Friday (April 26) to remind members of the public to handle the issue of dripping air conditioners properly. The FEHD has launched a pilot enforcement operation codenamed "CLEARSKY" from May to October across various districts to enhance its efforts in tackling irregularities of dripping air conditioners in private buildings. This initiative aims to effectively mitigate the nuisance caused by relevant issues to the public, while also enhancing environmental hygiene and the cityscape.

     Over the past week (April 26 to May 2), FEHD staff has carried out publicity and education work over the territory, such as distributing promotional leaflets with property management agents and local community members, as well as displaying posters and banners. These efforts aim to raise public awareness and foster a sense of responsibility regarding dripping air conditioners, reminding the public to take preventive measures to mitigate the nuisance proactively. During the period, about 14 000 leaflets and posters on dripping air conditioners were distributed, among which 490 buildings and housing estates were involved. The department will continue to utilise various channels and means to disseminate relevant messages to members of the public, such as Announcements in the Public Interest on TV and radio, advertisements on public transport, dissemination of information on online platforms and launch of a thematic webpage.

     The spokesperson said, "Drawing from experience in handling related complaints, the FEHD has formulated a new multi-pronged strategy to tackle the issue of air conditioners dripping. In addition to stepping up publicity and education work, the FEHD will proactively engage property management agents and local community members to foster closer communication and jointly address relevant issues. Meanwhile, the FEHD will also flexibly allocate resources to conduct active inspections and take stringent actions, focusing on tackling locations with more severe dripping problems.”

     During the period from May to October, the FEHD will kick-start the "CLEARSKY" operation in the Eastern, Central and Western, Yau Tsim, Sham Shui Po, Tsuen Wan and Yuen Long Districts. Proactive inspections will target the black spots with significant occurrences of dripping air-conditioners in the districts. This targeted enforcement approach aims to enhance effectiveness in addressing the issue.

     The spokesman remarked, "We believe that this series of measures can swiftly and effectively tackle irregularities related to dripping air-conditioners, safeguarding public health and environmental hygiene."

     In accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Cap. 132), a person shall be guilty of an offence if he allows his air-conditioner to discharge water in such a manner as to be a hygiene nuisance to others. If nuisance is proven, the FEHD will issue a Nuisance Notice to require the owner or occupier of the relevant premise to abate the nuisance within a specified period. A person who fails to comply may be prosecuted, and upon conviction, is liable to a maximum penalty of a fine of $10,000, as well as a daily fine of $200 as long as the nuisance continues. 

     The spokesman calls on members of the public to check their air-conditioners regularly. If water dripping is detected, they should expeditiously resolve the problem and avoid causing nuisance to others. For more information, please refer to the leaflet on the FEHD website (www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/library/aircon/CheckMaintainAC.pdf).

    

     The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (May 3) chaired the second meeting of the second-term Partners' Board under the Strive and Rise Programme and the sixth meeting of the fifth-term Commission on Poverty respectively to discuss the evaluation findings of the first round of the Strive and Rise Programme.
 
     The Government earlier commissioned a research team led by the Head of the Department of Applied Social Sciences and Co-Director of the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Professor Eric Chui, to evaluate the first round of the Strive and Rise Programme. The research team invited mentees to conduct self-assessments, and collected feedback from mentors and parents, regarding the mentees’ performances before and after the Programme. The evaluation was based on eight selected indicators, namely abilities in goal setting, abilities in financial planning, interpersonal skills and social network building, resilience, self-confidence, self-esteem, a sense of responsibility and empathy, and a sense of belonging to the community.
 
     At their respective meetings, the Partners' Board and the Commission on Poverty were delighted to learn that, overall, mentees considered that they had achieved improvements across all indicators, and their mentors and parents agreed that the mentees had shown improvements likewise. Mentees' self-assessments show that they believe they have attained marked improvements in financial planning, self-confidence, interpersonal skills and social network building, and a sense of belonging to the community. Parents considered that mentees had made significant enhancements to their financial planning abilities, interpersonal skills and social network building, a sense of belonging to the community, and resilience; and mentors considered that the performance of mentees had improved noticeably across all eight indicators. 
 
     Furthermore, members were pleased to note that the enhancements for the second round of the Programme, introduced last year, dovetail with the evaluation findings and recommendations of the research team. Such enhancements include increasing the number of mentees to 4 000 with Secondary One to Four students covered; enriching the variety of group activities such as arranging more Mainland study and exchange tours; introducing mentorship groups; and establishing an Alumni Club to provide diversified social activities and internship opportunities for mentees who have successfully completed the one-year Programme. The operational details about the second round of the Programme have also been fine-tuned. Such fine-tuning includes enhancing the matching mechanism of mentors and mentees, and strengthening co-ordination between service operators and supporting organisations to enhance flexibility in arranging activities.
 
     Mr Chan said, "The successful implementation of the first round of the Programme was attributed to the support and concerted effort of all sectors of society, including the Partners' Board and the Commission on Poverty. We thank the PolyU research team for its evaluation and professional analysis over the past year or so to affirm the positive impact brought about by the Programme to mentees in various aspects, as well as for its various recommendations to ensure the effective implementation of the Programme over time."
      
     "I have every confidence that the Government will continue to forge ahead with the Partners' Board, the Commission on Poverty and society at large. With the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, the Programme will help more grassroots youngsters broaden their horizons, reinforce their self-confidence and strive for upward mobility," he added.

    

     The Companies Registry (CR) said today (May 3) that urgent maintenance of its e-Services Portal to block any risk of further leakage of personal data had been completed. The CR had also completed the relevant investigation.

     As revealed by the findings of the investigation, apart from the related information for the respective searches, the contractor's system design had resulted in the transmission of additional personal data to the client's computer. Although such additional personal data would not be displayed on the search result pages, it could be obtained using a web developer tool (Note 1) on the said pages. Some personal data could also be obtained if a searcher conducted searches by a robotic search (Note 2).

     According to the CR's investigation, the same problem was also found in the electronic submission of notices relating to third parties appointed by licensed money lenders.   

     Investigation results showed that about 110 000 data subjects have been affected. The personal data involved includes names, full passport numbers, full identity card numbers, usual residential addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses.  The CR has started notifying data subjects affected by the incident in batches with explanations and apologies.  

     The CR is very concerned about the risk of personal data leakage. It is consulting the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data and the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, with a view to conducting a comprehensive review of the incident and taking further enhancement measures for personal data protection to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

     For enquiries, a relevant data subject may contact the CR's Help Desk Support Service Team at 8201 8273 or email to helpdesk@e-services.cr.gov.hk.

Note 1: A web developer tool is a test tool built into the browser for use by web developers. For example, for general users using the Google Chrome browser, pressing the F12 key will open the developer tools interface.

Note 2: A robotic search refers to a search request issued by a computer programme.

     â€‹The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) announced today (May 3) the launch of the Pilot Scheme on Subsidy to Grassroots Youth for Participating in Exchange Activities Outside Hong Kong (Pilot Scheme), providing further support to grassroots youth to participate in exchange activities outside Hong Kong under the Funding Scheme for Youth Exchange in the Mainland (FSYEM) and the Funding Scheme for International Youth Exchange (FSIYE) in 2024-25.
      
     The HYAB and the Youth Development Commission (YDC) earlier launched the FSYEM and FSIYE targeting young people aged between 12 and 35. The FSYEM provides funding for eligible non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to organise youth exchange projects to the Mainland, with a view to promoting Hong Kong youth's awareness and understanding of the home country, strengthening exchanges with Mainland people and enhancing their sense of national identity. The FSIYE provides funding for eligible NGOs to organise international exchange projects for Hong Kong youth for them to widen their global exposure and understand the history, culture and development situations of different places in the world. 
      
     In 2024-25, the FSYEM (first round) will sponsor over 480 youth exchange projects with around 30 800 places in total, covering different provinces and municipalities on the Mainland. The FSIYE will sponsor 96 youth exchange projects with around 2 500 places in total, covering 44 overseas countries.
      
     Depending on the location, duration, content and other different factors of the exchange projects, some of the funded NGOs may still need to charge participation fees. In order to further support young people of different backgrounds to participate in these funded exchange projects under the FSYEM and the FSIYE, the HYAB launches the Pilot Scheme to provide additional subsidies to grassroots youth with financial needs. The beneficiaries include eligible youths receiving (i) Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA); and (ii) a full grant under the School Textbook Assistance Scheme or a full grant of tuition fees under one of the means-tested schemes by the Working Family and Student Financial Assistance Agency.
      
     Under the Pilot Scheme, the fees to be borne by eligible participants will be capped at $500 for Mainland exchange projects and $3,000 for international exchange projects, while the remainder of the fees will be fully subsidised by the Government. The organisers will be required to bear in advance the fees exceeding the aforementioned caps (excluding refundable deposits) for eligible participants. The Government will reimburse the relevant subsidies to the organisers after receiving the complete exchange project report.
      
     The lists of funded exchange projects under the FSYEM and FSIYE have been uploaded to the YDC website. Eligible youth can contact the organisers direct for the application and detailed information about the Pilot Scheme when they apply for the exchange projects.