Transcript of remarks by SHYA at media session

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, at a media session after attending a radio programme today (November 5):
 
Reporter: Miss Mak, can you recap in English how is Care Teams' (District Services and Community Care Teams) function affected as some of its members are going to join the District Council election?
 
Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs: So far around 460 Care Team members declared that they will involve in the election-related activities, either they are candidates running in the election, or they are the election agents of those candidates. And they have already acted according to our guidelines and declaration mechanism, so they have already declared to the District Officers. Their services will suspend for a period of time during this election.
 
     This reflected that we have a very effective declaration mechanism to ensure that all Care Team members observed our mechanism, so that the election can be carried out in a fair and proper manner. During this period, we still have more than 4 000 Care Team members providing services in our districts. Our Care Team services will not be affected by the temporary suspension of certain members, that is less than 10 per cent of total number of our Care Team members.
 
     And also the mobilisation ability of Care Teams is the main concern. When organisations applied for being a Care Team, they need to show their capabilities in local and cross district mobilisation. This is reflected during the rainstorm in September. We can see that the Care Team in Shek O could not discharge their duties because of the temporary suspension of the land transport. So Care Teams from other districts went to help them. This is the proof of the mobilisation capability of the Care Teams, ensuring that the service of the Cares Teams will not be affected just because of the temporary suspension of certain members.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)