The following is issued on behalf of the Women's Commission:
      
     The Women's Commission (WoC) welcomes the initiatives on promoting women's development in "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" delivered by the Chief Executive, Mr John Lee, today (October 25).

     The Chief Executive announced in the Policy Address that the Government will set up a dedicated Women Affairs Team under the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau (HYAB) and designate the post of Commissioner for Women Affairs to focus on work related to women affairs.  Key initiatives for the coming year include launching a one-stop family and women information portal, organising the first Family and Women Development Summit, and introducing a maintenance mediation pilot scheme through the Community Care Fund.
      
     The Chairman of the WoC, Ms Chan Yuen-han, said, "I am very delighted to learn that the Government has attached great importance to women’s development and that it has taken into account suggestions from the women sector to set up the post of Commissioner for Women Affairs, so as to better facilitate the promotion of women’s development. I am also pleased to know that the Government will introduce a maintenance mediation pilot scheme to assist parties concerned to resolve disputes through mediation. The new initiatives mentioned in the Policy Address would not only facilitate the Government to formulate more focused measures in supporting women’s development and promoting family education, but would also assist women to overcome different challenges that they may encounter in life."
      
     It is also mentioned in the Policy Address that the HYAB will continue to encourage women’s groups and NGOs to utilise the Women Empowerment Fund (WEF) under the WoC to facilitate women to unleash their potential and achieve self-enhancement. In addition, the Greater Bay Area Exchange Programme under WEF will be regularised in 2024-25 and a new dedicated scheme will be introduced to encourage women to participate in community services.
      
     Ms Chan said, "The 2023-24 first-round application of the WEF was very well-received. Over 80 projects were approved with funding to organise activities. Regularising the Greater Bay Area Exchange Programme in 2024-25 will provide more opportunities to broaden women’s horizon, whereas the introduction of a dedicated scheme to encourage women to participate in community services will facilitate relevant organisations to run specific projects that aimed at empowering women and facilitating their contributions to the society."
      
     The WoC was established in 2001. Its mission is to enable women to fully realise their due status, rights and opportunities in all aspects of life. To further promote the well-being and rights of women, it adopts a three-pronged approach that entails the provision of an enabling environment, the offering of training to enhance women's capacity, and the implementation of public education.

     The Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, wrote to civil service colleagues soon after the delivery of "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" today (October 25). She also met with representatives from the four civil service central consultative councils and the four major service-wide staff unions this afternoon to brief them on policy initiatives relating to civil service matters in the Policy Address.

     Entitled "Sustained Efforts to Strengthen Management and Enhance Efficacy", Mrs Yeung's letter to civil service colleagues outlined the policy initiatives of strengthening civil service management and enhancing civil service training.

     She said, "A capable and efficient civil service is the key to success in improving the governance of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. Our colleagues in various departments have always been doing their best to serve the public. Whether it be the super typhoon or the unprecedented rainstorm that hit Hong Kong, concerted efforts were made in response to bring our community back to normal as soon as possible. The dedicated efforts of our colleagues are fully recognised by the Chief Executive in his Policy Address."
 
     The Policy Address has put forward various initiatives to promote Hong Kong's economic development and better living for the members of the public. She added that the Policy Address also continues to strengthen the civil service management system so as to further enhance the efficacy of the civil service and enable colleagues to give full play to their strengths in preparation for challenges ahead. In order to build a vibrant economy, civil servants must always embrace challenges, and approach their work with a bold and innovative mindset and a people-oriented ethos. The civil service must serve the public in a proactive manner with a focus on action, and render full support to the Chief Executive in administering Hong Kong.   

     The Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, led a delegation to attend the 2023 Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Medical Products Administration Conference in Zhuhai today (October 25), and introduced the new initiatives in "The Chief Executive's 2023 Policy Address" of developing Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub.
 
     The Conference was organised by the Guangdong Provincial Medical Products Administration (GDMPA) with the aims of sharing work experience on drug regulation, promoting the implementation of the Work Plan for Regulatory Innovation and Development of Pharmaceutical and Medical Device in the GBA (Work Plan), enhancing the working mechanism for regulatory collaborations on drugs and medical devices in the GBA, and pushing forward the innovation development on regulating drugs and medical devices in the region.
 
     The Conference was chaired by the General Director of the GDMPA, Mr Jiang Xiaodong. Deputy Commissioner of the National Medical Products Administration Mr Zhao Junning also sat in on the Conference. Representatives from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao held in-depth exchanges on various aspects at the Conference, including the current situation of drugs and medical devices regulation, the implementation of the Work Plan, and suggestions on the way forward.
 
     Professor Lo introduced to the representatives of Guangdong and Macao the new initiatives just announced by the Chief Executive in the Policy Address of developing Hong Kong into a health and medical innovation hub, including the setting up of a preparatory office for the Hong Kong Centre for Medical Products Regulation, which will be a step towards the transition to the "primary evaluation" approach in approving applications for registration of new pharmaceutical products, as well as promoting co-operation of the clinical trial networks between Hong Kong and the Mainland, so as to further leverage Hong Kong's medical strength and enhance medical standards. He said, "We expect these new initiatives can attract more local, Mainland and overseas pharmaceutical and medical device enterprises to conduct research and development and clinical trials in Hong Kong, and build up the capacity, recognition and status at different stages to ensure that the eventual approval mechanism of drugs and medical devices of Hong Kong would be widely recognised internationally and by the Mainland.
 
     "Our objective is to protect the health and safety of the public through the establishment of a more active and efficient regulatory and registration system of drugs and medical devices, and to expedite the clinical application of the most advanced drugs and medical devices to patients."
 
     The Director of Health, Dr Ronald Lam, also introduced the latest developments on the regulatory mechanism of drugs, medical devices and Chinese medicine at the Conference. He said, "Hong Kong has all along been endeavouring to enhance the regulatory system on drugs. In the future, we will further improve the arrangements for approving applications for registration of pharmaceutical products with a view to maintaining Hong Kong's drug regulatory system at an advanced international level and further strengthening Hong Kong's world-leading position in drug development."
 
     Separately, a pilot run of the risk communication mechanism on drugs and medical devices in the GBA was also discussed at the Conference. This communication mechanism is one of collaboration items in the Memorandum of Understanding on Drugs and Medical Devices Monitoring and Co-operation in the GBA signed by the governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao early this year.
 
     The Hong Kong delegation will return to Hong Kong this evening. Other members of the delegation include Deputy Secretary for Health Mr Eddie Lee; the Assistant Director of Health (Drug), Mr Frank Chan; the Assistant Director of Health (Health Sciences and Technology), Dr Alice Wong; and the Assistant Director of Health (Chinese Medicine), Dr Edmund Fong.

        

     The Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr Kevin Yeung, today (October 25) congratulated Wu Man-ying on winning a gold medal in Lawn Bowls Women's Single B7 for the Hong Kong, China Delegation at the 4th Asian Para Games Hangzhou.
 
     Mr Yeung said, "Wu was ambitious and fearless when playing against strong opponents. We are so happy to see that her long and tough training finally paid off when she claimed the gold medal. We hope she would reach new heights of sporting glory in the future."

     The Transport Department (TD) today (October 25) announced that auction of personalised vehicle registration marks (PVRMs) will be held on November 12 (Sunday) at Meeting Room N201, L2, New Wing, Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai.
      
     "A total of 240 approved PVRMs will be put up for public auction. A list of the marks has been uploaded to the department's website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/index.html," a department spokesman said.
      
     The reserve price of each of these marks is $5,000. Applicants who have paid a deposit of $5,000 should also participate in the bidding (including the first bid at the reserve price). Otherwise, the PVRM concerned may be sold to another bidder at the reserve price.
      
     People who wish to participate in the bidding at the auction should take note of the following points:
      
(1) Bidders are required to produce the following documents for completion of registration and payment procedures immediately after successful bidding:
      
(i) the identity document of the successful bidder;
(ii) the identity document of the purchaser (if the purchaser and the successful bidder are different persons);
(iii) a copy of the Certificate of Incorporation (if the purchaser is a body corporate); and
(iv) a crossed cheque made payable to "The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region" or "The Government of the HKSAR". For an auctioned mark paid for by cheque, the first three working days after the date of auction will be required for cheque clearance confirmation before processing of the application for mark assignment can be completed. Successful bidders may also pay through the Easy Pay System (EPS), but are reminded to note the maximum transfer amount in the same day of the payment card. Payment by post-dated cheque, cash, credit card or other methods will not be accepted.
      
(2) Purchasers must make payment of the purchase price through EPS or by crossed cheque and complete the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM immediately after the bidding. Subsequent alteration of the particulars in the Memorandum will not be permitted.
      
(3) A PVRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle which is registered in the name of the purchaser. The Certificate of Incorporation must be produced immediately by the purchaser if a vehicle registration mark purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
      
(4) The display of a PVRM on a motor vehicle should be in compliance with the requirements stipulated in Schedule 4 of the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations.
      
(5) Any change to the arrangement of letters, numerals and blank spaces of a PVRM, i.e. single and two rows as auctioned, will not be allowed.
      
(6) The purchaser shall, within 12 months after the date of auction, apply to the Commissioner for Transport for the PVRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. If the purchaser fails to assign the PVRM within 12 months, allocation of the PVRM will be cancelled and arranged for re-allocation in accordance with the statutory provision without prior notice to the purchaser.
      
     "Upon completion of the Memorandum of Sale of PVRM, the purchaser will be issued a receipt and a Certificate of Allocation of Personalised Registration Mark. The Certificate of Allocation will serve to prove the holdership of the PVRM. Potential buyers of vehicles bearing a PVRM should check the Certificate of Allocation with the sellers and pay attention to the details therein. For transfer of vehicle ownership, this certificate together with other required documents should be sent to the TD for processing," the spokesman added.
      
     For other auction details, please refer to the Guidance Notes – Auction of PVRM, which is available at the department's licensing offices or can be downloaded from its website, www.td.gov.hk/en/public_services/vehicle_registration_mark/pvrm_auction/index.html.