kakase/hk_gov_press_release huggingface dataset:
Transcript of remarks of joint press conference on Super Typhoon Saola (31.8.2023)
31.8.2023

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, held a joint press conference today (August 31) on the Government's work to cope with Super Typhoon Saola. The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Acting Secretary for Security, Mr Michael Cheuk; the Director of Highways, Mr Jimmy Chan; the Director of Home Affairs, Mrs Alice Cheung; the Commissioner for Transport, Ms Angela Lee; the Director of Drainage Services, Ms Alice Pang; the Director of Buildings, Ms Clarice Yu; the Director of Hong Kong Observatory, Dr Chan Pak-wai; the Deputy Director of Fire Services (Operations) , Mr Wong Chun-yip; and the Head of Greening, Landscape and Tree Management Section of Development Bureau, Miss Kathy Ng, also attended. Following is the transcript of remarks of the press conference: Reporter: As the Government has just mentioned that residents may not need to go back to work in case if there are some worst-case scenarios happening. So how would you define the “worst-case scenario” and what are the extreme situations that the Government will consider a work stoppage in the situations? And is there a high chance of issuing a Typhoon Signal No. 10 in the coming few days? The third question is, will there be a need to evacuate the people in the flood-prone areas such as Tai O and Lei Yue Mun, etc? Chief Secretary for Administration: I think evacuation work is now in progress. Our staff has already started work. And then for extreme cases, it means that under the circumstances, members of public are not able to go back to their workplace due to whatever reason – very bad weather condition or very bad traffic condition. And I hope that under such a situation, the employer should be more accommodating to their staff because they need to ensure that their staff – their employees – are safe if they are required to work during the bad weather condition. Director of the Hong Kong Observatory: About the Hurricane Signal no. 10, as I have just mentioned, the tropical cyclone will be closest to Hong Kong later on Friday and early on Saturday. In fact, in our weather forecast, we have already forecasted that hurricane force winds are possible over offshore waters and on high ground. If that really happens, then the issuance of typhoon Signal no. 10 is possible. But then all these still depend on whether the typhoon is really moving according to the forecast track and also its intensity change. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Thursday, August 31, 2023 Issued at HKT 21:55 NNNN
Commission on Children convenes 18th meeting (24.8.2023)
24.8.2023

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (August 24) chaired the 18th meeting of the Commission on Children. At the meeting, representatives of the Health Bureau, together with the project team of the Chinese University of Hong Kong commissioned by the Bureau, briefed members on the results of the psychiatric epidemiologic survey targeting children and adolescents aged 6 to 17 in Hong Kong. The survey covered the major mental health issues, risk factors, cost burden of mental disorders, service utilisation, etc, of local children and adolescents. After the briefing, members expressed their views on the mental health of children and adolescents and related matters. In addition, representatives of the Hong Kong Police Force shared with members the insights from its interviews conducted with children and adolescents in recent years, and briefed them on its activities that sought to nurture positive values in children and adolescents. Members thanked the Police's efforts and expressed their views on related matters. Members took note of the progress of work by the Working Groups under the Commission on Children. In particular, under the "Walk with Kids" thematic campaign, two stakeholder engagement events were successfully held on May 5 and June 22 this year under the themes of "Protection" and "Health" respectively. They aimed to gather the views of children and stakeholders, and encourage parents to strengthen communication with their children and address their physical and mental needs. Members were pleased to learn of the participants' active involvement and willingness to share their opinions in the events. They also agreed that the events had promoted community engagement at large while enabling members to talk to children and stakeholders directly to better understand their thinking. Ends/Thursday, August 24, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:43 NNNN
Hong Kong and Guangdong sign Framework Agreement on Strengthening Education Exchange and Co-operation (24.8.2023)
24.8.2023

The Education Bureau of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region today (August 24) signed with the Department of Education of Guangdong Province the Framework Agreement on Strengthening Education Exchange and Co-operation between Guangdong and Hong Kong to strengthen education collaboration between the two places, and support high-quality development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and Hong Kong's alignment with national development strategies. Witnessed by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, the agreement was signed by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, and the Director-General of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Dr Zhu Kongjun. The Permanent Secretary for Education, Ms Michelle Li, also attended the signing ceremony. Mr Chan said that the signing of the agreement represents a key step forward in the course of Guangdong and Hong Kong pressing ahead at full steam to promote high-level co-operation and pursue high-quality development. Complementing the national development strategies, including the 14th Five-Year Plan and the GBA development, the agreement aims to facilitate further education collaboration and exchanges between Guangdong and Hong Kong, nurture talent to meet the needs of the social and economic development of the GBA, and make greater contributions to the high-quality development of the country. The agreement provides a framework to strengthen education exchanges and collaboration between Guangdong and Hong Kong. It covers initiatives including continuously encouraging collaboration among higher education institutions in Guangdong and Hong Kong on joint provision of education services, joint talent cultivation, and technological exchanges and co-operation; enhancing co-operation on vocational education and further strengthening Qualifications Framework collaboration between the two places; promoting the pairing of sister schools in Guangdong and Hong Kong, facilitating various exchange activities and enhancing the quality of exchanges; and continuously supporting collaboration, training and exchanges among teachers in the two places. In addition, witnessed by Mr Chan, Dr Choi, and Dr Zhu Kongjun, the Chairman of the Vocational Training Council (VTC), Mr Tony Tai, and the First-level Inspector of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province, Dr Zhu Chaohua, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on behalf of the VTC and the Department of Education of Guangdong Province respectively. The MoU supports Mainland vocational institutions and the VTC to launch different collaborative projects, and supports the VTC to proactively participate in the development of the GBA Vocational Education Park, with a view to strengthening vocational education exchanges between Guangdong and Hong Kong, and jointly cultivating skilled talent for the GBA. Ends/Thursday, August 24, 2023 Issued at HKT 13:05 NNNN
Opening Ceremony of JPC Summer Camp 2023 held today (17.8.2023)
17.8.2023

The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Security cum Junior Police Call (JPC) Honorary Chief President, Mr Tang Ping-keung; the Commissioner of Police cum JPC Honorary Deputy Chief President, Mr Siu Chak-yee; and the Assistant Commissioner of Police (Public Relations) cum Chairperson of JPC Central Advisory Board, Mr Chan Sze-tat, officiated at the Opening Ceremony of JPC Summer Camp 2023 at the JPC Permanent Activity Centre in Pat Heung today (August 17). Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Tang said that the JPC will celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. He added that the JPC has evolved over the past 40 years or so, from promoting awareness of law abidance, fighting and preventing crimes at the beginning stage, progressively to focusing on leadership training and understanding of the nation’s development. Mr Tang also quoted President Xi Jinping's reply letter to students of Pui Kiu Middle School, encouraging young people to combine reading and travelling so as to gain a deeper understanding of global trends and delve into the history and culture of the country and national affairs, so that they can shoulder great responsibilities and make contributions to building a better Hong Kong and advancing national rejuvenation. Mr Chan Sze-tat expressed gratitude to the members of the JPC Central Advisory Board and people from various sectors for their unfailing support to the JPC, as well as their tireless effort in promoting youth development, thereby achieving the goal of nurturing more youth leaders and promoting fight crime messages. The JPC Summer Camp aims to encourage young people to step out of their comfort zones through diversified training, so as to enhance their resilience, team spirit and leadership skills, and build up their self-confidence and positive values. At the same time, it also promotes fight crime messages among the participants. This year, the JPC Summer Camp will offer several day camps and two-day overnight camps to more than 300 JPC members. They will take part in a variety of activities which promote crime prevention and enhance national awareness, including the escape-room game “Code Busters”, dodgeball competition, and Chinese-style flag raising and foot drill training. Ends/Thursday, August 17, 2023 Issued at HKT 19:41 NNNN
2023 youthfest@HK programme officially kicks off (26.7.2023)
26.7.2023

The Acting Chief Executive, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, today (July 26) officiated at the 2023 youthfest@HK (festival) Kick-off Ceremony to unveil a series of exciting and diversified youth activities. Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan remarked that since the current-term Government took office, it has attached great importance to youth development, and released the first edition of the Youth Development Blueprint (Blueprint) last year. One of the key projects of the Blueprint is the festival. Bringing together the strength of the Government and different sectors of the community, the festival engages young people to enhance their knowledge, realise their potential, share experience and enrich their lives through various activities. The theme of the festival is "Positive Thinking", and the slogan is "Ignite Youth Power". Mr Chan said that young people are the future, hope and pillars of Hong Kong, and they are also the engine that drives the long-term development of society and the economy. Cultivating positive thinking from an early age is very important for their growth and success. While ups and downs are inevitable in the long road of life, it is important to face them positively and optimistically. Only by strengthening their confidence to face difficulties can young people ride the wind and waves and set sail. Mr Chan added that under the tripartite collaboration among the Government, the business sector and the community, the festival is organising more than 100 all-encompassing activities to promote positive thinking among young people on all fronts. He encouraged young people to participate in the various festival activities and appealed to all sectors of the community to support and take part in the festival. Partner events organised by community groups and organisations in support of the festival will be included in the official event calendar upon approval of their applications, which will be uploaded to the dedicated webpage for wider publicity. Special appreciation goes to to the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust for its generous donation in sponsoring a number of events under the festival. Also officiating at the Kick-off Ceremony were the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; the Permanent Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Ms Shirley Lam; the Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Mr Clarence Leung; the Commissioner for Youth, Mr Wallace Lau; the Vice-Chairman of the Youth Development Commission, Mr Kenneth Leung; the Convenor of the Action Group on Youth Festival, Youth Development Commission, Mr Andy Kwok; and Steward of the Hong Kong Jockey Club Mr Lester Huang. Representatives from various participating organisations also attended the event. For the latest updates of the events under the festival programme, please visit the thematic webpage, www.youthfest.hk . Ends/Wednesday, July 26, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:05 NNNN
Young astronauts to depart for training in Beijing (25.7.2023)
25.7.2023

A send-off ceremony for the Young Astronaut Training Camp 2023 was held at the Hong Kong Space Museum today (July 25). Thirty selected local secondary students will set off for Beijing on July 29 for an eight-day training programme. Addressing the send-off ceremony, the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, said that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is fully committed to implementing the strategy of invigorating the country through science and education. More internship and training opportunities are provided to help build a solid foundation of knowledge for the youth to participate in the field of innovation and technology, and unleash their potential to make contributions to Hong Kong as well as to the nation. Launched in 2009, the Young Astronaut Training Camp has been held for 12 years and a total of 330 students participated in the programme. This year's training camp is the first one since the pandemic started in 2019. Recruitment of the training camp started in May and has received overwhelming responses. After three rounds of selection, which included a quiz on astronomy and space science, a three-day pre-camp training and an interview, 30 students of Secondary 2 to Secondary 6 were selected as Young Astronauts out of more than 160 applicants from around 100 local secondary schools. The training camp will run from July 29 to August 5. In addition to visiting key science research and education facilities as well as understanding more about the development and achievements of China's exploration of the Moon and planet Mars, students of the training camp will meet aerospace experts to learn of the development of China's aerospace programmes and appreciate the indomitable spirit of Chinese astronauts. The camp aims to broaden the knowledge of the students about the latest technological development of the country and nurture the future research and development talent for Hong Kong. Other officiating guests today included the Acting Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Raistlin Lau; the Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce, Dr Jonathan Choi; the Director of Leisure and Cultural Services, Mr Vincent Liu; the President of the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, Mr Hsu Hoi-shan; Vice-Chairman of the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce Mr Ricky Tsang; and the Museum Director of the Hong Kong Science Museum, Mr Lawrence Lee. The training camp is jointly presented by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department and the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce in association with the Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. The training camp is implemented by the Hong Kong Space Museum and sponsored by the Chinese General Chamber of Commerce. For details of the training camp, please visit the website of the Hong Kong Space Museum at hk.space.museum/en/web/spm/activities/yatc.html or call 2734 2765. Ends/Tuesday, July 25, 2023 Issued at HKT 18:35 NNNN
CS commends legal professionals for providing pro bono legal services to community (12.7.2023)
12.7.2023

The Administration Wing of the Chief Secretary for Administration's Office announced the results of the 2020-22 Recognition Scheme for Provision of Pro Bono Legal Services (the Recognition Scheme) today (July 12) to commend legal professionals, law firms and barristers' chambers for providing pro bono legal services to the community from July 1, 2020, to December 31, 2022. There were 106 legal professionals presented with the Special Award under the Individual Category for having provided pro bono legal services of not less than 50 hours within the recognition period. Moreover, 298 legal professionals were presented with the Individual Award for having provided pro bono legal services of not less than 30 hours within the recognition period. At the same time, 10 law firms and barristers' chambers were presented with the Company Award. They demonstrated significant efforts in providing pro bono legal services, and their legal professionals have provided the required aggregate hours of pro bono legal services during the recognition period. The Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki, thanked the winning legal professionals, law firms and barristers' chambers for their contributions to voluntary service, and encouraged more legal professionals to volunteer in pro bono services. He stressed that, with the rule of law being the cornerstone and core value of Hong Kong's success, the Government is committed to promoting pro bono legal services to enhance access to justice by members of the public. To this end, the Government has provided subvention for the Duty Lawyer Service to run the Free Legal Advice Scheme (FLAS) at nine district offices of the Home Affairs Department on weekday evenings to engage volunteer lawyers to provide free legal advice. Over 1 300 pro bono lawyers participate in the FLAS at present, with about 6 000 cases handled in 2022. The Chief Secretary for Administration's Office has implemented the Legal Advice Scheme for Unrepresented Litigants on Civil Procedures (Procedural Advice Scheme). Resident lawyers and volunteer lawyers will provide free legal advice on legal procedures. The Procedural Advice Scheme covers litigants who are parties to or going to commence civil legal proceedings in the Lands Tribunal, Family Court, District Court or courts at levels above. Furthermore, the Free Legal Advice Service on Building Management run by the Home Affairs Department in collaboration with the Law Society of Hong Kong, the Bar Free Legal Service Scheme implemented by the Hong Kong Bar Association, the Free Legal Helpline run by the Law Society of Hong Kong, etc are also pro bono legal services recognised by the Recognition Scheme. Three awardees of the Recognition Scheme have been invited to be featured in the Announcements in the Public Interest (APIs) to share their takeaways from the scheme. For more details of the Recognition Scheme, the list of awardees and the APIs, please visit www.admwing.gov.hk/eng/public_service/probonolegalservices.html . Ends/Wednesday, July 12, 2023 Issued at HKT 16:00 NNNN
Deputy Secretaries of Departments celebrate July 1 by supporting special offers by catering sector (1.7.2023)
1.7.2023

The Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Cheuk Wing-hing; the Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong; and the Deputy Secretary for Justice, Mr Cheung Kwok-kwan, enjoyed July 1 dining discounts at a North Point restaurant and celebrated Hong Kong's return to the motherland with members of the public today (July 1), after attending the flag-raising ceremony and reception for the 26th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR). Accompanied by the Legislative Council Member (Catering), Mr Tommy Cheung, the three Deputy Secretaries sampled Chinese morning tea and chatted with members of the public at the restaurant in North Point. Enjoying the festive atmosphere, they learned that members of the public welcome the special offers provided by different quarters of the community as led by the Government. To celebrate the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland today, the HKSAR Government has taken the lead to roll out a series of special offers with support from various sectors. The catering sector initiated the offering of the July 1 dining discounts, as nearly 1 500 restaurants are offering 29 per cent discounts or other incentives for the public to share the joy of this special occasion. Members of the public are welcome to visit the dedicated website www.hksar26.gov.hk for the latest information about the celebratory events of the 26th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to the motherland. Ends/Saturday, July 1, 2023 Issued at HKT 12:49 NNNN
Transcript of remarks by S for Health after Ante Chamber exchange session (28.6.2023)
28.6.2023

Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, at a media session after attending the Ante Chamber exchange session this morning (June 28): Reporter: Are there any new thoughts on making good use of the medical resources and the Mainland after the Ante Chamber meeting, for example, the Health Care Voucher and also the psychological centre which helps in the primary healthcare, how is that? The second question is about the non-locally trained pathway, how is that in solving the labour crunches so far? Secretary for Health: We had a very good discussion with the Legislative Councillors regarding the collaboration with the Mainland in the development of healthcare services across the boundary. For the Elderly Health Care Voucher, we heard a lot of good suggestions from our legislators, regarding the extension of the use to more hospitals on the Mainland, particularly those managed by institutions with experience in the healthcare services and the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme in Hong Kong. We are now developing the criteria for approving these additional Elderly Health Care Voucher utilisation hospitals, we will soon be accepting applications. The intention is to make sure that these spots for the use of the Elderly Health Care Voucher can be linked with our future spots for the residential care homes for the elderly in order to facilitate the provision of healthcare services to these elderly people across the boundary. So there were lot of discussions, especially about whether we can extend the Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme to Fujian. Fujian is a province with quite a number of elderly retiring there. Regarding the admission of non-locally trained healthcare workers, we are glad that the Special Registration Committee under the Medical Council (The Medical Council of Hong Kong) and the leadership of the chairperson, Professor Grace Tang, has come up with the fourth batch of approved curriculums - medical curriculums in the scheme, an additional 25 medical curriculums, including five medical schools on the Mainland with seven different curriculums. I am quite confident that this addition will be able to facilitate more non-locally trained doctors to return to Hong Kong and come to Hong Kong to support our healthcare services, and to create a positive cycle for more healthcare workers to work in the Hospital Authority and our public healthcare service in order to improve the care for our people, for the citizens of Hong Kong. Thank you. (Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.) Ends/Wednesday, June 28, 2023 Issued at HKT 13:51 NNNN