The Government today (November 1) announced the appointment of Dr Lam Chi-yan as a member of the Family Council with immediate effect until March 31, 2019, to fill a vacancy arising from the resignation of Miss Phoebe Tang.

     Dr Lam is a researcher in the Hong Kong Policy Research Institute and her research experience will help advance the work of the Council. 
 
     Since its establishment in 2007, the Council has been serving as a cross-sector and cross-bureau platform for examining family-related policies and promoting a culture of loving families in the community.

     The membership list and terms of reference of the Family Council are available at the webpage of the Family Council (www.familycouncil.gov.hk/english/home/home_intro.htm).

Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately and repeat it at suitable intervals:

     Here is an Education Bureau special announcemnet concerning schools:

     â€‹As the Hong Kong Observatory will consider issuing the Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal no. 3 between noon and 2 p.m., classes of kindergartens, schools for children with physical disability and schools for children with intellectual disability are suspended today. These schools, however, should keep their premises open and implement contingency measures to look after arriving students. They should ensure that conditions are safe before allowing students to return home. Parents need not pick up their children from schools immediately.

Attention TV/radio announcers:

Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (November 1) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Silverstrand Beach in Sai Kung District.  Beach-goers are advised not to swim at the beach.

     The Lands Department (LandsD) announced today (November 1) the launch of the Squatter Occupants Voluntary Registration Scheme, which is open for applications from eligible occupants of squatter structures until October 31, 2019.

     The Squatter Occupants Voluntary Registration Scheme is a one-off exercise that will last for one year to complement the Government initiative announced on May 10, 2018 to provide revised ex-gratia compensation and rehousing arrangements for domestic households in squatter structures affected by the Government's development clearance exercises. The revised arrangements include suitably extending the arrangements on non-means tested rehousing and ex-gratia compensation for domestic households in squatter structures to eligible domestic occupants residing in licenced non-domestic structures or in squatter structures recorded for non-domestic uses in the 1982 Squatter Control Survey (SCS).

     A spokesperson for the LandsD said that to be eligible under the Scheme, domestic occupants should have been residing in licenced non-domestic structures or in squatter structures recorded for non-domestic uses in the 1982 SCS on May 10, 2016 or earlier.

     The spokesperson added, "Domestic occupants residing in licenced non-domestic structures or in squatter structures recorded for non-domestic uses in the 1982 SCS are advised to apply for the Scheme as soon as possible. Only those occupants who have applied for the Scheme and satisfied its registration criteria will be considered eligible for the compensation and rehousing arrangements in Government's future development clearance exercises.

     "Occupants who have applied for the Scheme and satisfied its registration criteria must still adhere to the requirements governing surveyed squatter structures under the prevailing squatter control policy, such as the requirement that prohibits any extension, addition or unauthorised alteration with materials not in compliance with the SCS record. Notwithstanding this, a change to the use of the squatter structures for residential purposes by the occupants who have applied for the Scheme and satisfied its registration criteria will not constitute a breach leading to cancellation of survey records of their squatter structures or demolition of these squatter structures as enforcement actions."

     Guidance notes on the Scheme and application forms are obtainable at District Lands Offices, Clearance Offices and Squatter Control Offices of the LandsD, and at Home Affairs Enquiry Centres of the Home Affairs Department, or downloadable from the LandsD's website (www.landsd.gov.hk/en/vrs/vrs.htm). For enquiry, please call 2231 3392 or email to vrs-cu@landsd.gov.hk.

     Correctional officers stopped a person in custody from assaulting another person in custody at Tong Fuk Correctional Institution today (Oct 31).

     At 5.45pm, a 34-year-old male person in custody suddenly attacked another 31-year-old male person in custody inside the exercise yard. Officers at the scene immediately stopped the assailant and called for reinforcements.

     The victim sustained arm injury during the incident. After examination and treatment by the medical officer of the institution hospital, he was transferred to a public hospital for further treatment.

     The case has been reported to the Police for investigation.

     The assailant was sentenced to imprisonment for the offence of trafficking in a dangerous drug.