Author Archives: hksar gov

     Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-kin and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (April 28):
 
Question:
 
     Under the Housing Ordinance (Cap. 283), an owner of subsidised sale housing flat must pay a premium to the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) for the removal of the assignment restrictions before he/she may sell, let or otherwise assign his/her flat in the open market. Subsidised sale housing flats put up for sale by the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) are subject to similar assignment restrictions. Regarding the premium payment for such housing flats, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of (i) the number of flats for which applications for premium assessment were received by the HA, and (ii) the average amount of premium payable for each flat, in each of the past five years; whether it knows the relevant figures of the HKHS flats; 

(2) of a breakdown of the cases mentioned in (1) by the saleable area of the flats (i.e. (i) below 21 square metres, (ii) 21 to 39.9 square metres, (iii) 40 to 59.9 square metres, and (iv) 60 square metres or above) (set out in Table 1); whether it knows the relevant figures of the HKHS flats; 

Table 1

Year	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	(iv)	Total
2016
…
2020

 
(3) in respect of each of the housing courts put up for sale by the HA, of the District Council district to which it belongs, the year in which it was put up for sale, and the numbers of premium-paid flats at present and in each of the past five years (set out by subsidised sale housing schemes (namely (i) the Buy or Rent Option Scheme, (ii) the Home Ownership Scheme, (iii) the Private Sector Participation Scheme, (iv) the Middle Income Housing Scheme, and (v) the Mortgage Subsidy Scheme) respectively in tables of the same format as Table 2); 

Table 2 Housing scheme

District Council district	Name of housing court	Year of sale	Number of flats with premiums paid
			Present	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020

 
(4) whether it knows, in respect of each of the housing courts put up for sale by the HKHS, the District Council district to which it belongs, the year in which it was put up for sale, and the numbers of premium-paid flats currently and in each of the past five years (set out by subsidised sale housing schemes (namely (i) the Flat-for-Sale Scheme, (ii) the Subsidised Sale Flat Projects, and (iii) the Sandwich Class Housing Scheme) respectively in tables of the same format as Table 2); 

(5) as the Hong Kong Mortgage Corporation Limited has launched the Premium Loan Guarantee Scheme and the Premium Loan Insurance Scheme to assist the relevant owners in paying premiums, of the respective (i) numbers of applications received and (ii) total amounts of the loans granted, in respect of the two Schemes in each of the past five years; and 

(6) as there are views that the Government should consider (i) allowing owners of flats with premiums unpaid to pay the premiums by instalments, i.e. to determine the time and payment rate according to the market situation and their own financial means, and (ii) introducing a mechanism under which an owner may choose to adopt either the market value of his/her flat at the time when his/her relevant application is processed or that during the various instalment periods for the calculation of the premium amount for his/her flat, whether the Government has studied such proposals in depth; if so, of the details; if not, the measures in place to enhance the premium payment arrangements? 
 
Reply:
 
President,

     My reply to the question raised by the Hon Wong Kwok-kin is as follows:
 
(1) Information on premium payment of subsidised sale flats (SSFs) under the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HA) and the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS) in the past five years (i.e. from 2016 to 2020) is set out at Annex 1. 

(2) The HA has not kept statistics on the premium paid by saleable areas of flats. Relevant information in relation to the subsidised sale projects under the HKHS in the past five years (i.e. from 2016 to 2020) is set out at Annex 2. 

(3) The number of the HA’s SSFs with premium paid in the past five years (i.e. from 2016 to 2020) by district (Note1) is at Annex 3. As at March 2021, there were about 61 320 HA’s SSFs with premium paid, including about 58 950 Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) Flats (Note 2) and about 2 370 flats sold under the Tenants Purchase Scheme. 

(4) Information in relation to the premium payment of subsidised sale projects under the HKHS in the past five years (i.e. from 2016 to 2020) by District Council district is set out at Annex 4. 

(5) No application was received under the Premium Loan Guarantee Scheme between its launch in 2010 and termination in 2018. As regards the Premium Loan Insurance Scheme (PLIS) which was introduced in 2015 and ended in 2019, there were 12 applications involving a total amount of $10.5 million. Many PLIS applicants intended to settle the land premium in order to apply for the Reverse Mortgage Programme (RMP). As the RMP has been extended to cover subsidised sale flats since October 2016 and the borrowers are allowed to withdraw a lump-sum payout to settle the land premium, the market did not have keen demand for the PLIS. The PLIS was therefore terminated in 2019. 

(6) SSFs, such as HOS Flats, are sold to eligible persons at a price lower than the market value to assist low-to-middle income families to achieve home ownership. Based on the principles of effective and rational use of public housing resources and equity, if an SSF owner no longer wishes to reside in the flat, the owner must first pay the premium in full in order to alienate the flat in the open market. For the HA’s SSFs, rules regarding the amount of premium to be paid are prescribed in the Schedule to the Housing Ordinance or the relevant land leases. 

     Allowing owners to pay the premium by instalments is not in line with the principles of effective and rational use of public housing resources and equity, and may also indirectly stimulate speculative activities. If SSF owners are in need of financial assistance when they pay the premium, they may consider making financial arrangements through financial institutions, or choose to sell their flats in the HOS Secondary Market with premium unpaid.
 
Note 1: The HA does not maintain statistics on SSFs with premium paid by District Council districts, different sale schemes or individual SSF projects.

Note 2: HOS Flats means flats sold under the Home Ownership Scheme, the Private Sector Participation Scheme, the Buy or Rent Option Scheme, the Mortgage Subsidy Scheme, the Middle Income Housing Scheme and the Green Form Subsidised Home Ownership Scheme. read more

     Following is a question by Hon Cheung Kwok-kwan and a written reply by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Mr Frank Chan Fan, in the Legislative Council today (April 28):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that Hong Kong people purchasing properties outside Hong Kong (in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and Thailand) has become a common phenomenon in recent years. Last year, the Estate Agents Authority received 66 complaints about the sale of properties outside Hong Kong, which is a tenfold surge from the six complaints received in the year before last. On protecting Hong Kong people who purchase properties outside Hong Kong, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the number of complaints, received by the authorities in each of the past five years, about uncompleted properties which had become default property developments in the end, and the total amount of losses involved, with a breakdown by the country/region in which such properties were located;
 
(2) whether it will consider afresh enacting legislation to regulate the practices of selling in Hong Kong properties outside Hong Kong (including the contents of advertisements), and to prohibit persons who are neither licensed estate agents nor licensed salespersons from engaging in estate agency work for properties outside Hong Kong;
 
(3) as there has been an upward trend of complaints about purchases of properties outside Hong Kong in recent years, whether the authorities will consider establishing communication and co-operation mechanisms with the relevant regulatory authorities in those countries/regions in which the properties are hot commodities for Hong Kong people, so as to protect the rights and interests of Hong Kong people who have purchased properties therein; and
 
(4) whether the authorities will step up publicity efforts to remind members of the public about matters requiring attention and common traps to avoid when they purchase properties outside Hong Kong, so as to avoid falling prey to frauds?

Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau, the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau (CMAB), the Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, the Security Bureau and the Estate Agents Authority (EAA), the consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Cheung Kwok-kwan is set out below:

(1) For complaints received by Government departments/organisations which involved properties outside Hong Kong, there is no classification on whether the properties concerned were not completed on schedule (or referred to as “default property developments”). As regards the number of complaints received by departments/organisations which involved uncompleted properties outside Hong Kong in the past five years, the breakdown by year is shown at Annex. Since the complainants could lodge complaints to different departments/organisations and the departments/organisations could refer individual case(s) to another department/organisation, the complaints or cases received by different departments/organisations may involve the same cases.

(2) Regarding the engagement in estate agency work involving properties situated outside Hong Kong, pursuant to the Estate Agents (Exemption from Licensing) Order (Cap. 511B), a person shall be exempted from the requirement for obtaining an estate agent’s licence if he/she handles exclusively properties outside Hong Kong; and states in all his/her documents (including pamphlets and brochures, etc.) and advertisement that he/she is not licensed to deal with any property situated in Hong Kong. However, if the company or individual concerned performs estate agency work for properties both within Hong Kong and outside Hong Kong, that company/individual is required to obtain a licence issued by the EAA and be regulated by the EAA. If a licensed estate agent/salesperson is suspected of breaching the Code of Ethics and practice circulars issued by the EAA in the course of the sale of properties, regardless of whether the properties concerned are Hong Kong properties or not, the EAA will investigate the matter.

     In December 2017, the EAA issued a practice circular to provide guidelines on the appropriate practices and measures to be adopted in handling the sale of uncompleted properties situated outside Hong Kong for estate agent licensees to comply with. These practices and measures include, amongst others, due diligence measures and requirement on providing important sales documents. The guidelines have taken effect since April 1, 2018. Licensees who breach the guidelines may be subject to disciplinary actions from the EAA.
 
     There are likely substantial differences between the sale of properties situated outside Hong Kong and those in Hong Kong from the perspectives of market operation and conduct regulation. Moreover, the sale of properties situated outside Hong Kong involves laws and regulations as well as tax regimes of different jurisdictions, and also various stakeholders (e.g. non-local developers, intermediaries and agents). Furthermore, vendors of non-local properties can easily conduct sales and promotion activities through the internet, which is very difficult to regulate. It has been a more effective approach for the EAA to educate the consumers through various channels and continue to enhance public education by reminding consumers the issues that they should pay attention to before deciding to purchase non-local properties.
 
     Regarding the regulation of practices (including advertising content) for the sale of non-local properties in Hong Kong, according to the relevant codes of practice on advertising standards issued by the Communications Authority, all advertisements on television and radio are required to be legal, clean, honest and truthful. For advertisements of real properties outside Hong Kong, the codes of practice require the broadcasting licensees to seek certain substantiation information from the advertisers, unless the advertiser is an estate agent licensed under the Estate Agents Ordinance (Cap. 511). The codes of practice further require such advertisements to carry an advisory message reminding the audience to obtain and review all relevant information relating to the real properties before making any purchase decisions and seek professional advice if in doubt.
 
(3) & (4) The EAA has from time to time reminded investors and the public the risks and points-to-note before deciding to purchase properties situated outside Hong Kong (especially those uncompleted ones) through articles in newspapers and other media, educational booklets and public seminars, etc. The EAA also set up a designated section about purchasing properties located outside Hong Kong under its consumer education website and published a new educational booklet entitled “Purchasing Non-local Properties Be SMART” in early 2020, reminding consumers about the risks of purchasing properties situated outside Hong Kong. The EAA also rolled out its online promotion campaign to attract the public to visit its consumer education website and read the booklet.
 
     Apart from organising two large-scale public seminars on purchasing non-local properties, the EAA also held two online seminars in 2020 and 2021 respectively, which generated over 80 000 views of the online seminar video. Besides, the practice circular issued to licensees as mentioned in Part (2) of this reply is not only binding on the licensed estate agents, but also provides a reference for consumers to assess whether the sales arrangements adopted by individual persons (including the exempted persons) are appropriate.
 
     Moreover, the Consumer Council has from time to time published articles in its publications to remind the public of the risks involved in the purchase of properties outside Hong Kong, for example, by extracting actual complaint cases relating to the purchase of properties outside Hong Kong in the “CHOICE” magazine.
 
     Besides, the Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) updated in 2016 its FAQs in relation to the Securities and Futures Ordinance to provide guidance on collective investment schemes involving real estate interests. Furthermore, the SFC and its subsidiary, the Investor and Financial Education Council (IFEC), have issued educational materials on overseas property investment and reminded the public of the potential risks involved through various channels (e.g. IFEC’s educational website “The Chin family”, social media, newspaper and seminars) from time to time. The SFC and the IFEC will continue to enhance investor education on this front.
 
     Apart from the above, one of the main functions of the five Mainland Offices of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government (namely the Beijing Office and the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Offices in Guangdong, Chengdu, Shanghai and Wuhan) is to provide assistance to Hong Kong residents in distress in the Mainland. If the Hong Kong residents seeking assistance wish to make complaints or appeals to the Mainland authorities as regards properties in the Mainland, the Mainland Offices will refer their cases to the relevant Mainland authorities on request. Besides, the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong has commissioned an organisation to provide free legal advisory service to Hong Kong residents in need through a telephone hotline or by arranging Mainland duty lawyers to meet the assistance seekers to provide preliminary advice on Mainland related legal matters.
 
     To enhance the public’s understanding of matters related to property purchase in the Mainland, the Mainland Offices published the Practical Guide for Hong Kong Residents Living in the Mainland, a booklet on living in the Mainland covering practical information about property purchase such as points to note for entering contracts on sale and purchase. A link to the webpage of the EAA containing practical information on the purchase of property outside Hong Kong has been provided on the websites of the Mainland Offices to facilitate access by citizens. The CMAB has also published an article in the “CHOICE” magazine of the Consumer Council in February 2021 to remind citizens of the points to note when purchasing property in the Mainland. The web link of the article has been added to the websites of the Mainland Offices. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Han-pan and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (April 28):   Question:        An expert … read more

The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:      As at 9am today (April 28), 13 COVID-19 confirmed patients were discharged from hospital in the last 24 hours. So far, a total of 11 392 patients with confirmed or… read more

     Following is the 2020 Annual Review issued by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) today (April 28):
 
     The violent incidents arising from the opposition to the Fugitive Offenders and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Legislation (Amendment) Bill 2019 (the Amendment) and the COVID-19 epidemic have had significant impacts on and posed unprecedented challenges to Hong Kong’s society. Despite the difficult times, staff of the CSD held fast to their duties and took resolute enforcement action to ensure institutional safety and stability. Various measures were also implemented to prevent the spread of the virus to correctional institutions.
 
Custodial Work
—————–
 
Number of Admissions and Penal Population
 
     In the first half of 2020, court hearings were affected by the raging COVID-19 epidemic in Hong Kong, which indirectly resulted in a reduction in the annual number of admissions (including remands and convicted persons) in 2020, from 14 224 in 2019 to 11 967 in 2020, representing a decrease of 16 per cent. The average daily penal population at correctional facilities also decreased by 11 per cent from 7 737 persons in 2019 to 6 902 persons in 2020. The average daily occupancy rate was 62 per cent.
      
     Among the 6 902 persons in custody mentioned above:

(i) 72 per cent were sentenced persons and 28 per cent were remands;
(ii) 81 per cent were males and 19 per cent were females;
(iii) 96 per cent were aged 21 or above and 4 per cent were aged under 21; and
(iv) 71 per cent were locals, 10 per cent were from the Mainland, Taiwan or Macao, and the remaining 19 per cent were from other countries.
      
     It should be noted that as the legal proceedings of the cases in relation to the social disturbances were in progress, there was an increase in the number of remands. The average daily number of remands hit a decade high last year, from 1 436 in 2011 to 1 962 in 2020, representing an increase of 37 per cent. The highest single-day number of remands in 2020 stood at 2 195, representing an increase of 613 persons (39 per cent) when compared with the corresponding figure (1 582 persons) in 2011. The department expects that the relevant figures will remain high and have a further upward trend this year.
      
     Further analysis showed that the average daily number of male remands aged 21 or above registered the highest rise, from 1 023 in 2011 to 1 521 in 2020, representing an increase of 49 per cent, which is followed by female remands aged 21 or above, from 234 in 2011 to 281 in 2020, representing an increase of 20 per cent. The substantial increase in the number of remands aged 21 or above imposed a heavy burden on Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre and Tai Lam Centre for Women, resulting in the penal population frequently exceeding the admission capacity of both institutions. The department responded immediately and arranged for some remands to transfer in batches to Stanley Prison and Lo Wu Correctional Institution in an orderly manner. The CSD will closely monitor the changes in the penal population and deploy resources flexibly to relieve the burdens of individual reception centres.
      
     In 2020, the number of admissions to correctional institutions for being involved in violent or unlawful acts arising from the opposition to the Amendment stood high at 422, with 181 of them being sentenced persons and the remaining 241 being remands. Among these 422 admissions:
      
(i) 269 persons (64 per cent) were aged 21 or above, including 135 sentenced persons and 134 remands; and
(ii) 153 persons (36 per cent) were aged under 21, including 46 sentenced persons and 107 remands.
      
     Analysed by gender, 92 per cent (388 persons) of the admissions were males while only 8 per cent (34 persons) were female. They were involved in offences such as unlawful assembly, possession of an offensive weapon, arson and taking part in a riot.
      
     Last year, 134 persons with a high security risk (i.e. Category A persons in custody) were admitted, with 55 of them being remands, an increase of 12 persons (28 per cent) as compared with 43 persons in 2019. Among these persons with a high security risk, two sentenced persons and 12 remands awaiting trial were involved in unlawful acts arising from the opposition to the Amendment.
 
Safe Custody
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     There has been no successful escape case in Hong Kong for 13 years in a row, from 2008 to 2020. Notwithstanding that there was a decline in the penal population in 2020 as compared with the 2019 figure, no reduction was observed in the number of disciplinary charges against persons in custody. 
      
     There were 10 cases of concerted acts of indiscipline in correctional institutions in 2020, representing an increase of three cases over 2019’s figure. These acts of indiscipline mainly involved fighting among persons in custody and collective actions against the management measures of correctional institutions. The number of participants involved reached 125 in 2020, representing an increase of 32 per cent over the corresponding figure (95 participants) in 2019. Further analysis revealed that about 70 per cent of persons in custody involved in concerted acts of indiscipline in 2020 had triad backgrounds. 
      
     Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre recorded the highest number of cases of concerted acts of indiscipline in 2020, with six cases involving 60 persons in custody. Four of the cases involved fighting among persons in custody or collective actions against the management measures of the institution, while the other two cases were misconduct of remand persons in custody after drinking alcoholic beverages. 
      
     Furthermore, the number of disciplinary charges against persons in custody was 4 332, representing an increase of 11 per cent over 3 905 in 2019. The top three charges were “offending good order and discipline”, “possession of any unauthorised article” and “disobeying the orders of correctional officers”, which accounted for 30 per cent, 28 per cent and 15 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges respectively. In 2020, there were 2 488 persons in custody subject to disciplinary charges, representing an increase of 85 persons as compared with 2 403 persons in 2019. Among the 2 488 persons in custody subject to disciplinary charges, 412 committed three or more disciplinary offences, involving 1 790 disciplinary charges, which accounted for 41 per cent of the total number of disciplinary charges. One of them was even subject to 22 disciplinary charges.
            
     A total of 423 cases involving violent acts were recorded in 2020, representing an increase of 21 cases (5 per cent) as compared with 402 cases in 2019. These cases mainly involved fighting among persons in custody and assaulting others.
            
     Among the 423 cases, 24 cases of a more serious nature were referred to the Police for follow-up, representing a decrease of seven cases from the 2019 figure. The number of correctional officers who were injured while stopping violent acts was reduced to 11, representing a decrease of nine officers from the number in 2019.
      
     A total of 65 self-harm cases committed by persons in custody were recorded in 2020, representing a substantial increase of 48 per cent (21 cases) as compared with 44 cases in 2019. The increase in the above cases was mainly attributed to cases involving remands, which rose by 14 cases (58 per cent) from 24 cases in 2019 to 38 cases in 2020. Self-harm cases committed by female remands saw the greatest increase, from nine cases in 2019 doubling to 18 cases in 2020. Regarding these 18 cases, three persons in custody had engaged in self-harm behaviours two or more times, constituting nine cases in total. While the vast majority of the above cases were discovered in time and the persons in custody concerned were successfully rescued by correctional officers, two persons in custody died despite rescue efforts in 2020. The cases have been referred to the Police for investigation and subsequent death inquests will be conducted.
 
Expanding the Establishment of Regional Response Teams (RRTs) and Strengthening Equipment
 
     To enhance the readiness for emergencies, the department has been maintaining high vigilance, expanding the establishment and scale of the RRTs, and building up their capability to combat riots with a view to maintaining order and security of correctional institutions. The coverage of the RRTs has been expanded from the existing three regions, namely Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and Lantau Island, to include Hei Ling Chau and individual large-scale correctional institutions such as Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre, Stanley Prison, Shek Pik Prison and Lo Wu Correctional Institution.
      
     Being forceful and assertive, the RRTs are able to arrive at the scenes swiftly to quell disturbances and prevent any incidents from deteriorating. In 2020, the RRTs were deployed to take part in 33 cases involving providing support for maintaining institutional security, and 302 cases involving high-risk escort duties. 
 
Stepping Up Law Enforcement in Institutions
 
     The CSD has redeployed resources and strengthened its intelligence network to ensure a safe and secure custodial environment. In 2020, the CSD conducted a total of 9 662 joint search/special search/night raid operations in institutions, covering 16 094 locations, representing increases of 11 per cent and 13 per cent respectively as compared with the corresponding figures in 2019.
      
     The CSD is committed to stopping the smuggling of drugs into correctional institutions. In 2020, there were 14 cases of seized drugs, including seven cases of body-cavity concealment of drugs. The majority of the seized drugs was heroin and the cases mainly involved newly admitted persons in custody.
       
Escorting Persons in Custody
 
     Despite the reduction in the average daily penal population in 2020, the demand for medical and healthcare treatment from persons in custody and the number of regular follow-up appointments arranged for them at public hospitals have remained high owing to various factors including the ageing population, the prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, and a large number of persons in custody with a history of drug abuse. In 2020, the figure in this regard stood at 40 000 man days, similar to that of 2019.
      
     Apart from performing medical escort duties, correctional officers are also required to escort persons in custody to courts for hearings. In 2020, about 32 744 court escorts were performed by correctional officers, and the highest single-day number of court escort cases reached 273, representing a substantial increase of 62 per cent as compared with the highest single-day number of 169 cases in 2019. The increase in the number of escort cases put a great strain on manpower resources and significantly increased the security risk.
      
United as One to Stop the Violence and Fight the Virus
 
     Hong Kong saw incessant riots in 2019. Apart from staying committed to maintaining prison order, the department also deployed correctional officers to take up appointment as Special Constables, so that they could contribute to society by assisting the Government in stopping violence and curbing disorder.
      
     In early 2020, the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic presented another formidable challenge to the CSD. The special physical settings in prisons make it easier for infectious diseases to be transmitted quickly within institutions, which could lead to grim consequences. Since mid-January 2020, the department has strengthened the cleansing and disinfection work at full scale, and activated the Three-tier Medical Response System to detect, isolate and handle high-risk cases. Innovative technologies have also been introduced to the cleansing and disinfection work in order to enhance personal and environmental hygiene, thereby minimising the risk of spreading the disease inside institutions and cutting the virus transmission chain as soon as possible. In 2020, although some sporadic confirmed cases were recorded in correctional institutions, the further spreading of the virus within the institutions was prevented with front-line staff acting in unison and making swift responses in accordance with the response system.  
 
     At the onset of the epidemic, there was a dire shortage of filter masks. Operating the only production line of filter masks in Hong Kong at the time, the department immediately extended its production to round-the-clock production. As correctional staff were keen on supporting the community’s fight against the virus, over 2 500 off-duty and retired officers were recruited within a short period of time to work in shifts on a voluntary basis in Lo Wu Correctional Institution for mask production. With the concerted effort of various community stakeholders, mask production was significantly ramped up, which contributed greatly to the Government’s battle against the epidemic. Currently, to support the anti-epidemic work of other government departments, the CSD has not only set up additional production lines of filter masks, but also consolidated its existing resources to establish production lines in Lo Wu Correctional Institution and Tai Lam Correctional Institution for manufacturing personal protective equipment (PPE) like disposable isolation gowns, disposable caps and protective face shields. Persons in custody are given the opportunity to contribute to society by participating in the production of PPE.
      
     Moreover, in the first quarter of 2021, the department deployed staff members as required to assist residents within the specified “restricted areas” to undergo compulsory testing. It is hoped that the general public would stand united to help Hong Kong win the battle against the pandemic as soon as possible, thereby bringing lives back to normal.
 
Rehabilitation
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Psychological Services
 
     With a concerted effort of the department’s clinical psychologists, breakthroughs were made in various areas of psychological counselling last year. 
      
     Following the establishment of the Psy Gym in Lo Wu Correctional Institution for female persons in custody, the department also set up the Life Gym, the positive living centre for male persons in custody, in Stanley Prison, which marked a new milestone in the department’s development of gender-specific psychological treatment. The Life Gym offers the first psychological treatment programme in Asia tailored to meet the characteristics of male persons in custody. Participants include persons in custody who committed violent offences. Through intensive psychological treatments, the participants are able to relieve their anger and resolve disputes through rational communication, which will help them desist from re-offending and develop a positive lifestyle.
      
     Given the social situation in recent years, a large number of young people who were involved in violent or unlawful acts arising from the opposition to the Amendment have been admitted to correctional institutions. Apart from the existing counselling programme named the Offending Behaviour Programme, the CSD is actively planning to establish a Youth Lab to provide a spiritual space for young persons in custody to undergo psychological rehabilitation and rebuilding, adjust their mode of thinking and enhance their law-abiding awareness. The initiative will be put into a trial run in Pik Uk Correctional Institution, and subject to its effectiveness, it will be progressively extended to other correctional institutions.
      
     For adult persons in custody, clinical psychologists have also designed the Violence Prevention Programme for voluntary participation by persons in custody who committed serious violent offences. Through systematic psychological assessment, the programme enables participants to understand the risk of re-offending and learn the skills of anger management, rational communication and conflict resolution. Moreover, clinical psychologists are proactively developing a family psychological treatment programme aiming to rebuild family relationships to help persons in custody cultivate positive living attitudes and reduce their violent thinking. At the same time, to address the youth violence problem arising from the social events in recent years, the CSD and the Hong Kong Police Force have jointly launched the Walk with YOUth Programme, under which the City University of Hong Kong has been commissioned to conduct a study entitled “Understanding the social cognitive processes in incarcerated youths” with a view to designing more effective rehabilitation programmes for young offenders.
 
     After bringing mindfulness into drug addiction treatment in Nei Kwu Correctional Institution, the department launched the first mindfulness-based psychological drug addiction treatment centre for male persons in custody at Hei Ling Chau Drug Addiction Treatment Centre – Mindfulness Place. Incorporated with the elements of mindfulness, the treatment programme aims to assist persons in custody in early identification of negative emotions and craving, and in enhancing self-control so as to prevent relapses.
      
Multi-purpose Family and Rehabilitation Service Centre
 
     The CSD is currently operating a counselling centre in Mong Kok to provide psychological and counselling services to discharged persons under supervision, and offer a limited video visit service. To enhance psychological and counselling services and to extend the video visit service of correctional institutions, the department started planning last year for the establishment of four multi-purpose family and rehabilitation service centres on Hong Kong Island and in New Territories North, New Territories West and New Territories East. These centres are expected to start operation by the end of this year. A community-based Change Lab tailored for young people will also be set up in one of these centres. The Change Lab, which will be under the charge of clinical psychologists, will provide specialised psychological counselling service for young people serving a binding-over order to enhance their resilience, and liaise with their parents and families to help them build positive family relationships under family support, with a view to guiding them to lead a positive life throughout their life journey.
 
Education
      
     The department has launched an educational initiative entitled Understanding History is the Beginning of Knowledge to assist young persons in custody to learn history, enhance their sense of national identity, help them reflect on the meaning of life and guide them back on the right track. Through diversified educational activities including scholar talks, virtual reality history learning activities, learning history through e-sports activities, and history and culture workshops on topics such as Cantonese opera, diabolo tricks and papermaking, young persons in custody can learn about the long history and rich culture of China in an interesting way, so as to arouse their interest in learning history.
      
     With the Education Officers of the Education Unit of the department making their utmost effort to overcome the obstacles, classes for young persons in custody in correctional institutions continued despite the epidemic. In 2020, the overall passing rate of persons in custody in public examinations was 57 per cent and nine adult persons in custody were awarded a bachelor’s degree. 
 
Industrial Production
 
     With regard to the work arrangement for persons in custody, the CSD has proactively introduced high-end computerised production facilities to enhance the quality of products, raise production efficiency, and enable persons in custody to acquire up-to-date production skills and common knowledge. In the past year, the department introduced the 3D body scanner and printer to Pak Sha Wan Correctional Institution, the Automatic Robotic Welding and Inspection System to Tai Lam Correctional Institution, and the first vacuum lifter and crane system to Pik Uk Prison. The introduction of these facilities not only enables persons in custody to receive market-oriented training, but also enhances production efficiency and product quality, promotes operational automation and raises the level of occupational safety and health. Currently, the department is actively planning to convert the Carpentry Workshop in Pik Uk Prison into an intelligent automated production line to produce government office furniture.
 
Vocational Training
 
     In respect of vocational training, about 40 market-oriented courses with a total of over 1 400 training places are currently provided for adult persons in custody in various correctional facilities. Last year, the CSD collaborated with local training bodies to organise courses on 3D designing and printing skills, and specialty cake making. Virtual reality elements are incorporated into various training courses which include the virtual reality forklift truck operation training offered by the Logistics Management Course, the Course on Virtual Reality Visual Merchandising and Retail Management, and the Course on Virtual Reality Welding. Persons in custody can enrol in these courses on a voluntary basis to acquire up-to-date skills and knowledge, thereby enhancing their employability and facilitating their reintegration into society after release.
      
     The CSD will, in collaboration with various training bodies, continue to regularly review and introduce diversified and market-oriented vocational training courses having regard to the overall situation of the local employment market and labour demand. In addition, the department will proactively introduce innovation and technology courses, such as a course on Virtual Reality Interior Design to be introduced this year. The vocational training courses aim to help rehabilitated persons find jobs and enrol in bridging or progressive courses in future. 
 
Community Education
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     The CSD expanded the establishment of the uniformed group Rehabilitation Pioneer Leaders (RPL) in 2020 by increasing the number of districts from two (Hong Kong Island, and Kowloon and the New Territories) to three (Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories), with the number of target participants being raised from about 100 to about 150. However, the implementation of the project was postponed to 2021 due to the epidemic situation and school suspension.   
      
     Although the implementation of community education activities by the CSD was seriously hindered by the COVID-19 epidemic, an innovative initiative, “RPL chit-chat”, was launched during school suspension. Crime prevention talks and interviews on life planning were held several times through online platforms and a number of videos were broadcast to enable youngsters to obtain crime prevention and rehabilitation information at home, with a view to keeping up the momentum of community education.
      
     In addition, the department and the Care of Rehabilitated Offenders Association has co-organised a brand-new adventure-based educational programme named “Mission in Prison”. Through the active participation of students in the novel experiential activities on correctional work, the messages of “leading a law-abiding and drug-free life as well as supporting offender rehabilitation” can be disseminated to them, and the public understanding of correctional work can be enhanced.
 
Recidivism Rate
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     The recidivism rate (i.e. the percentage of re-admission of local sentenced persons to correctional institutions following conviction for a new offence within two years after discharge) decreased from 24.8 per cent in the discharge year of 2017 to 22.5 per cent in 2018, which was the lowest on record. The department will continue to unite all sectors of the community to create a harmonious social environment conducive to rehabilitated persons’ re-integration into society.
 
Human Resources
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     In 2019-20, a total of 54 Officers and 309 Assistant Officers II were recruited. It is expected that in 2020-21, around 50 Officers will be recruited, and the year-round recruitment for the post of Assistant Officer II will continue to fill the existing vacancies.
      
     Furthermore, established in August 2019, the Ethnic Minorities Relation Team is committed to implementing Project NOVA, under which life planning workshops, visits to the CSD’s Staff Training Institute, physical fitness training classes and career interview workshops have been organised. The project has attracted over 100 non-ethnic Chinese youngsters to apply for CSD vacancies, and four of them (three males and one female) were granted the offer of appointment as Assistant Officer II. They all reported for duty at correctional institutions in the middle and the second half of 2020.
 
Development of Smart Prison Protocol
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     The department has been actively developing the Smart Prison protocol since 2018. Various technology projects have been rolled out in several correctional institutions under four major system categories for strategic development, namely “Security and Monitoring System”, “Operation and Management System”, “Person in Custody Self-management System” and “Staff Capacity Enhancement System”, with a view to raising management efficiency, the level of security of correctional institutions and the effectiveness of rehabilitation programmes.
      
     With reference to the experience gained from the trial runs of technology projects over the past two years, the CSD has been making modifications, introducing new elements and conducting system integration so as to convert Tai Tam Gap Correctional Institution into a first-generation smart prison that is expected to come into operation again in mid-2021. 
      
     To facilitate the long-term development of the Smart Prison protocol, the department has been actively enhancing the quality of staff training, which includes establishing the e-Staff Training Institute. Through the introduction of the element of technology, a different mode of teaching and training is adopted under which correctional staff can obtain authentic learning experiences in various simulated institutional settings so as to strengthen colleagues’ capability in law enforcement and enhance their self-confidence, as well as encourage trainees to participate actively in the future development of smart prisons.
 
Correctional Services Department Headquarters Building
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     The CSD obtained the funding approval from the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council on December 16, 2020, for the construction of the Correctional Services Department Headquarters Building at Shing Tai Road, Chai Wan, to enhance its operational efficiency and facilitate future development. The project has already commenced in the first quarter of 2021 and will be completed in the fourth quarter of 2024.
 
Redevelopment of Correctional Institutions and Facilities Improvement Works
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     As the number of adult male remands has been on the increase, Lai Chi Kok Reception Centre with its existing facilities is under tremendous strain and hence overcrowding is prevalent in the centre. The CSD has proposed the in-situ partial redevelopment of the institution to increase its capacity by 410 places and improve its existing correctional facilities. The project has been approved by the Town Planning Board, and the department will seek funding support according to the existing mechanism.
      
     In addition, non-emergency works in correctional institutions were temporarily suspended due to the grim epidemic situation last year, but the overall works progress was unaffected.
 
100th Anniversary of the CSD
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     December 31, 2020, marked 100 years since the CSD formally became independent from the Police Force. In 2020, the department joined hands with various sectors of the community to organise a series of celebration and publicity events under the theme of “A Century of Corrections Connecting a Smart Future”. Apart from the Kick-off Ceremony of Celebration Events cum Carnival for 100th Anniversary of CSD, the CSD published a series of thematic stories about the department in a magazine to introduce to the public its way forward. Furthermore, the department also held the 100th Anniversary Hundred Kilometer Team Challenge and co-organised blood donation activities with the Hong Kong Red Cross, and more. However, as affected by the COVID-19 epidemic, most of the other activities had to be postponed.
      
     In addition, the CSD and the Hong Kong Police Force have jointly launched the Walk with YOUth Programme to disseminate law-abiding messages to young persons in custody and instil positive values in them. The programme includes a series of activities to be held inside correctional institutions with the assistance of volunteers from both departments.
 
Conclusion
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     The correctional system in Hong Kong has been evolving to keep pace with the development of society. The department would like to extend its heartfelt gratitude to all correctional officers, community stakeholders and various organisations for their unfailing support over the years. The CSD also calls on the public to continue to support its correctional work and accept rehabilitated persons, thus helping them return to the right track. read more