Author Archives: hksar gov

     â€‹Following is a question by the Hon Leung Man-kwong and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
 
Question:
 
     It has been reported that the High Court ruled in 2022 that ordinary claw machine venues do not fall within the definition of “entertainment” under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172), and are therefore not required to apply for a places of public entertainment licence. Some members of the public are concerned that at present, there is no legislation in Hong Kong regulating the operation of claw machine venues (including the probability of drawing prizes from claw machines, the contents of the products and the fees charged for the games, etc), and while there has been an upward trend of consumer complaints relating to claw machine games in recent years, it is rather difficult to deal with such complaints in the absence of relevant legislation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the respective numbers of reports involving claw machine games received by various law enforcement agencies in each of the past three years, the legislation involved in such cases, as well as the respective numbers of cases in which prosecutions were instituted and convictions were handed down;
 
(2) whether the Police had, in the past three years, taken the initiative to investigate if any claw machine games involved illegal gambling; if they had taken the initiative to investigate and the outcome was in the affirmative, of the number of venues and claw machines involved, as well as the number of prosecutions instituted; if they had not taken the initiative to investigate, the reasons for that;
 
(3) as it has been reported that some claw machine venues offer games solely relying on luck, for example, by rolling the dice, and even offer cash or expensive prizes to solicit business, and that both the Mainland and overseas countries regulate claw machine games by, amongst others, limiting the value of the products and stipulating that gambling should not be promoted and cash rewards not be offered, whether the authorities have plans to follow similar practices; if not, of the reasons for that; and
 
(4) whether the authorities have plans to review and amend the existing legislation, or put in place legislation and a licensing system targeting at claw machine-related games, etc, so as to strengthen the regulation; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:

President,
 
     In consultation with the relevant policy bureaux, I give the consolidated reply to the Hon Leung Man-kwong’s question on behalf of the Government as follows:

(1) Among the reports concerning claw machines received by the Office of the Licensing Authority of the Home Affairs Department in the past three years (from 2022 to 2024), there were two, six and five cases involving suspected unlawful gambling elements respectively. The relevant cases have been referred to the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) for follow up. The HKPF does not maintain other statistics on claw machines venues suspected of involvement in unlawful gambling.
 
     In the past three years, the number of reports received and enforcement actions taken by the Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) related to claw machines regarding suspected contravention of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance (Cap. 362) are listed by year as follows:
 

Case category	2022	2023	2024
Reported cases	16	86	158
Prosecution cases*	0	1	2
Convicted cases*	0	1	2

* The cases are mainly associated with the offence of possession for sale or for any purpose of trade or manufacture goods to which a forged trade mark was applied under section 9(2) of the Trade Descriptions Ordinance.

(2) The HKPF has all along tackled illegal gambling in a proactive manner and closely monitored the relevant trend in a bid to combat such activities timely through intelligence-led enforcement actions.
 
     In November 2024, the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau of the HKPF mounted a “Sharpteam” operation against unlawful gambling activities and, for the first time, smashed a suspected unlawful gambling establishment operating claw machines for winnings in money in Mong Kok. During the operation, the Police arrested a total of 17 people, including the responsible persons of the establishment, its staff and the gamblers, who were suspected to have operated or managed an unlawful gambling establishment, assisted in the operation or management of an unlawful gambling establishment and gambled in a gambling establishment. Fourteen claw machines suspected to be gambling game machines in disguise were seized. Police investigation is underway, and the 17 arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation. The HKPF would seek advice from the Department of Justice when necessary.

     The HKPF will continue its efforts in taking intelligence-led enforcement actions and in enhancing publicity and education, which include the production of promotional video clips, and dissemination of messages about combating unlawful gambling on conventional and social media platforms, in order to crack down on different kinds of unlawful gambling activities.
 
(3) and (4) According to the Gambling Ordinance (Cap. 148), in order to obtain an Amusements with Prizes Licence (AWPL), one must first obtain a Places of Public Entertainment Licence (PPEL) under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance (Cap. 172). As mentioned in the Member’s question, since the Court has ruled that typical claw machine venues where people clamp items in the machines upon payment are no longer required to obtain a PPEL under the Places of Public Entertainment Ordinance, the Government will continue to keep in view the operation of claw machine venues in the society and consider the regulatory issues concerned. In the meantime, claw machine venues are not required to obtain relevant licences, including the AWPL under the Gambling Ordinance.

     However, the HKPF will continue to take appropriate enforcement actions against illegal gambling activities conducted under the camouflage of claw machines based on the evidence collected and in accordance with the Gambling Ordinance.

     On the other hand, if the operation of claw machines venues involves the use of counterfeit goods for the purpose of trade or other unfair trade practices, the C&ED will take appropriate enforcement actions pursuant to the Trade Descriptions Ordinance. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Lau and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
 
Question:
 
     The 15th National Games (NG), the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities (NGD) and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (NSOG) to be co-hosted by Guangdong Province, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao Special Administrative Region for the first time will be held from November 9 to 21 and from December 8 to 15 this year respectively. Hong Kong will host eight competition events and one mass participation event for the 15th NG, as well as four competition events and one mass participation event for the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the following information on the events to be hosted in Hong Kong: (i) the arrangements for event management and competition schedules, (ii) the number of participating athletes, (iii) the expected number of spectators, (iv) the details of the publicity and promotional activities, and (v) the ticketing arrangements;
 
(2) of the specific measures put in place by the authorities to enhance the ancillary transport facilities and capacity of the main stadiums and venues of the events to be hosted in Hong Kong (including Kai Tak Sports Park, Hong Kong Coliseum, Hong Kong Velodrome, Hong Kong Golf Club – Fanling Golf Course, Victoria Park, and Central Harbourfront Event Space and Victoria Harbour) during the events;
 
(3) as it is learnt that the recruitment of volunteers for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG was conducted from July to November last year, of (i) the number of applications received, (ii) the number of volunteers finally selected and (iii) their age distribution;
 
(4) as it is learnt that the selected volunteers mentioned in (3) will mainly be responsible for tasks such as reception services upon arrival and departure, spectator services, guest reception, crowd control, transport and logistics, catering management and presentation ceremony support, and will receive training, of the details of the manpower establishment and training of volunteers for the aforesaid tasks; and
 
(5) whether it has assessed if the number of selected volunteers mentioned in (3) can meet the relevant manpower demand, and whether it will consider recruiting more volunteers or mobilising civil servants to participate in the support work for the 15th NG, the 12th NGD and the 9th NSOG; if it will, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao, the 15th National Games (15th NG), and the 12th National Games for Persons with Disabilities and the 9th National Special Olympic Games (12th NGD and 9th NSOG) will be held from November 9 to 21 and from December 8 to 15, 2025, respectively. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government has been maintaining close liaison with the General Administration of Sport of China (GASC), the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF), the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government. In addition, the HKSAR Government has been working with the concerned National Sports Associations and other related organisations in Hong Kong to press ahead with the preparatory work. Bringing success to the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG is a significant mission of the HKSAR Government this year, and they are also mega events. We will continue to dedicate the fullest efforts to taking forward the related work with a view to co‑hosting a “simple, safe and wonderful” 15th NG as well as 12th NGD and 9th NSOG in collaboration with Guangdong and Macao, and thereby deepening the exchanges and collaborations in sports between Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area cities, and also their overall integrated development.
      
     Our reply to the question raised by the Hon Kenneth Lau is as follows:
 
 (1)(i) The 15th NG will have competition events for 34 sports and mass participation events for 23 sports. Hong Kong will host eight competition events (namely basketball (men U22), track cycling, fencing, golf, handball (men), rugby sevens, triathlon and beach volleyball) and one mass participation event (namely bowling). In addition, Hong Kong will assist Zhuhai and Shenzhen respectively in organising two cross-boundary events, namely road cycling and marathon.
 
     The 12th NGD and 9th NSOG will have competition events for 35 sports and mass participation events for 11 sports. Hong Kong will host four competition events (namely boccia, wheelchair fencing and table tennis (TT11) for NGD, and table tennis for NSOG) and one mass participation event (namely para dance sport).
      
     In view of the numerous events in the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG, the Governments of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao are co-ordinating the overall schedules of the Games for submission to the GASC and the CDPF for approval. We will continue to liaise closely with the GASC, the CDPF as well as the Governments of Guangdong and Macao with a view to finalising the schedules of the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG as soon as possible. The details will be announced in due course.
 
(ii) Based on the competition prospectuses and guidelines promulgated by the GASC and the CDPF, it is estimated that about 1 800 and 700 athletes will participate respectively in the 15th NG events and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG events in Hong Kong. In addition, it is estimated that about 1 000 delegation officials (including coaches, team physicians), 800 technical officials (including referees), and 750 members of the media will visit Hong Kong during the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG.
 
(iii) It is estimated that the events in Hong Kong will attract more than 100 000 spectators from Hong Kong, the Mainland and other regions.
 
(iv) The Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) is working with relevant government departments and organisations to launch territory-wide publicity and promotion campaigns through various online and offline channels, with a view to enhancing the awareness and interest in the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG among different sectors of the community. The initiatives include conducting multi-channel publicity through traditional media, social media, city dress-up and roving exhibitions; organising community and school promotion programmes in co-operation with local organisations and schools; hosting feature events such as exchanges with athletes and sports experiential activities in collaboration with sports organisations; and launching a dedicated website and applications for digital marketing.
 
     The first stage of the publicity and promotion campaigns was launched during November to December last year to tie in with the one-year countdown to the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG, which included rolling out a series of cityscape enhancement, roving exhibitions, publicity videos, thematic website (www.2025nationalgames.gov.hk) and social media pages (www.facebook.com/2025nationalgames.hk, www.instagram.com/2025nationalgames.hk) of Hong Kong for the Games. The second stage commenced in January this year, with initiatives including city dress-up and photo-taking spots featuring the mascots of the Games, enhancing the design of the thematic website, enriching social media content, etc. The third stage, covering the 100-day countdown, torch relay, etc, will begin in August 2025. We will do our utmost to foster a welcoming atmosphere and enhance the popularity and participation of the Games in Hong Kong, whilst encouraging Hong Kong people and tourists to watch the Games and cheer for the athletes.
 
(v) Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao are discussing the ticketing plans and sales arrangements for the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG. The three places will adopt the same sales platform. 
 
(2) The competition venues for the events in Hong Kong, including the soon‑to-open Kai Tak Sports Park, have hosted various large-scale events and competitions previously, or undergone different drills and stress tests. The CSTB is, in collaboration with the relevant departments including the Hong Kong Police Force, the Transport Department, conducting a detailed assessment on the traffic and transport arrangements to and from the venues having regard to the transport facilities and capacity of the venues, their past experiences in staging competitions, and the number of participating athletes and spectators for each event.  We will formulate specific transport measures and special transport arrangements having regard to the assessment, and discuss with the various public transport operators on strengthening the public transport service as appropriate.
 
(3) (i) to (iii) The recruitment of volunteers for the Hong Kong Volunteer Programme of the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG was conducted from July to November last year. We received a total of over 30 000 applications for volunteer leaders or volunteers. In addition, about 2 000 young people aged between 15 and 17 have applied as youth volunteers. The selection interviews for volunteer leaders and volunteers were completed in January this year, and we plan to invite about 15 000 applicants to attend training. Individuals completing all the required training sessions will be appointed as the Games’ volunteers in Hong Kong. The final number of volunteers and their age distribution will only be available after completion of the whole recruitment exercise.
 
(4) We are formulating the detailed volunteer deployment plan. We will take into account the nature and arrangements of individual events as well as the numbers of participating athletes and spectators, and thereby assessing the requirements for supporting services and the types of volunteer positions. We will also estimate the manpower requirement for different volunteer positions having regard to factors such as the skills required, the service hours and the place of work of the positions involved.
 
     All volunteers are required to attend basic training and position-related training. The basic training, lasting for about two days, will cover various areas including the background of the 15th NG and the 12th NGD and 9th NSOG and a brief introduction of the events in Hong Kong; the principles, code of practice and etiquette of volunteer work; communication, response and problem-solving skills; the ways of assisting people with disabilities and basic first-aid knowledge. Volunteer leaders are required to receive additional advanced training of about two days, covering the roles of volunteer leaders, the ways of handling unexpected situations, expectation management, mental health management, media handling skills, operation of volunteer management system, skills in leading and bonding volunteers. We will start the training for volunteer leaders in February this year and that for volunteers in general in March.
 
(5) The response to the Hong Kong Volunteer Programme has been satisfactory, with the number of applicants succeeding in the selection far exceeding the original recruitment target of 10 000 volunteers. The volunteer applicants have already included members of civil service volunteer teams. At present, we have no plan to recruit additional volunteers. read more

     In relation to the cancellation of a number of flights in February and March by Greater Bay Airlines (GBA), the Government received the report and supplementary information submitted by GBA to the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) on January 29 and February 7 respectively, as requested by the Government.

     The report revealed that the main causes of the failure in flight scheduling were a lack of internal communication and a lack of co-operation from customer service operations. GBA indicated that it has conducted an in-depth review and taken necessary measures to contact all of the some-5 000 affected passengers and properly provide them with alternatives, including ticket refunds and transfers to alternative flights. In addition, GBA reassured that it is committed to providing passengers with stable and reliable services, and ensuring that similar incidents would not occur again in future.

     The report proposed a number of improvement measures, including strengthening internal management procedures for flight scheduling arrangements, enhancing internal communication on changes to flight schedules and destinations, ensuring fleet and manpower stability and reliability, and enhancing customer service’s ability to cope with unforeseen incidents.

     The Transport and Logistics Bureau and the CAD will closely follow up on the implementation progress of the various improvement measures proposed in the GBA report and supplementary information, with a view to preventing the recurrence of similar incidents. The Government will also continue to maintain close communication with GBA on its aviation network development, fleet and manpower situation, ensuring steady and orderly growth of local airlines while optimising the use of civil aviation resources.

     A summary of the report submitted by GBA on January 29 is at the Annex. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Andrew Lam and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr Christopher Hui, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that as at end-September last year, a total of 43 funds have been set up by various government bureaux and departments (B/Ds), which are segregated from the government accounts and administered by the relevant B/Ds. Some members of the public are concerned that while quite a number of funds have been set up for years with mechanisms being put in place by the relevant B/Ds to monitor the operation of such funds, there are still areas for improvements. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) as it is learnt that no expenditure was recorded for some funds such as the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation (SDTFR) – Sports Aid for the Disabled Fund and SDTFR – Sports Aid Foundation Fund in the past nine financial years, whether the Government has reviewed the effectiveness of the relevant monitoring mechanisms; if so, of the details; and
 
(2) whether the Government has regularly reviewed the utilisation and effectiveness of various funds, and introduced improvement measures (including considerations of merging funds with similar functions) to enhance the efficiency of fund management; if so, of the details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Our consolidated reply to the question raised by the Hon Andrew Lam is as follows:
 
     Under section 12(2) of the Public Finance Ordinance (Cap. 2), Controlling Officers shall be responsible and accountable for all expenditure from any head or subhead for which they are the Controlling Officer, and for all public moneys and Government property in respect of the department or service for which they are responsible. The relevant internal administrative guidelines of the Government further provides that, in managing purpose-specific funds, Controlling Officers should observe the need to strive to achieve maximum value for money and exercise prudence in the disbursement of government fund.
 
     As the Education Development Fund has already ceased operations after the 2018/19 school year, there are currently a total of 42 funds which are segregated from the government accounts. Although these funds were set up for different purposes and in different mode, the Controlling Officers managing these funds have put in place an appropriate monitoring mechanism for each of these funds to ensure effective use of public financial resources. For instance, steering, management or advisory committees comprising representatives from relevant government bureaux/departments (B/Ds), relevant stakeholders and independent members were set up to oversee the funds’ operation, handle matters related to the funds and give advice. For funds established by law or in the form of a trust, the Controlling Officers should also ensure their operation complies with the relevant requirements of the law and provisions in the trust deed, including the submission of statements of the accounts and/or progress reports of the funds to the Director of Audit and the Legislative Council as required.
 
     Controlling Officers will formulate and update strategic plans for achieving the purposes of the funds and develop appropriate performance measures for the funds under their purview. Controlling Officers will also conduct regular reviews on the use and effectiveness of the funds, and contemplate appropriate financial arrangements (such as considering whether to merge/retain the funds or implement relevant policy initiatives by other means, etc.) having regard to the policy objectives behind, the financial situation of the funds, views of stakeholders, etc., thereby ensuring effective and flexible use of public financial resources. In cases where there is no need to retain a fund as the policy objectives have been achieved (e.g. the Education Development Fund), the balance of the fund will be brought back to the government accounts.
 
     There are some funds with no expenditure recorded in recent years (such as the J.E. Joseph Trust Fund and the Kadoorie Agricultural Aid Loan Fund), as these funds are loan funds in nature. Therefore, even though these funds are still in normal operation and loans are being granted in the accordance with the purposes of the funds, expenditure will only be recorded in the year when there are bad debts written off. As for the other funds (including the Sports Aid for the Disabled Fund and the Sports Aid Foundation Fund established under the Sir David Trench Fund for Recreation), the B/Ds concerned are reviewing their financial position and will examine whether there is the need to retain them. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Kenneth Fok and a written reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (February 12):
 
Question:
 
     It is learnt that the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has installed artificial intelligence (AI) drowning detection systems developed by the University of Hong Kong and France at the Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and the Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool respectively to help strengthen lifesaving services at public swimming pools. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether the Government has examined the manpower and financial expenditure (including acquisition costs, installation costs and system maintenance fees) involved since the commissioning of the aforesaid two AI systems and reviewed their effectiveness; if so, of the details; if not, whether it will expeditiously commence the relevant work before the summer swimming season;
 
(2) whether the Government has assessed and compared the actual operation of the aforesaid two systems, including their effectiveness, accuracy, ease of operation and interface with lifeguards and lifesaving mechanisms at swimming pools, with a view to providing a reference point for the retrofitting of such systems at more public swimming pools in the future; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
 
(3) given that according to a report released by the Office of The Ombudsman in March last year on its direct investigation into the regulation of licensed swimming pools by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), the FEHD has not put in place an accident notification mechanism for licensed swimming pools, whether the Government will consider mandating private swimming pools to install AI drowning detection systems and establish a real-time notification mechanism to ensure that the FEHD and the relevant government departments can be expeditiously informed of drowning incidents, thereby enhancing regulatory efforts on private swimming pools; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted relevant government departments, my reply to the questions raised by the Hon Kenneth Fok is as follows:
 
(1) The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) has all along prioritised the safety of swimmers in both the facilities as well as the operation of its venues. Apart from providing sufficient lifeguards, the LCSD has put on trial two different sets of artificial intelligence (AI) drowning detection systems at Kwun Tong Swimming Pool and Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool respectively to assist lifeguards in monitoring the real-time condition of swimmers and locating drowning victims promptly with a view to further strengthening life-saving services.
 
     The AI drowning detection system developed by the University of Hong Kong Sport AI Laboratory has been on trial at the outdoor secondary pool of Kwun Tong Swimming Pool since August 2023. Through AI detection technology, the system analyses the videos and images captured by cameras installed underwater and calculates the drowning probability of swimmers. If suspected drowning is detected, the system will alert the lifeguards to carry out a rescue. The system was developed with a grant of around $900,000 by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau. The LCSD has subsequently installed additional sets of underwater detection devices and upgraded the existing sets of underwater cameras in the secondary pool. The project cost was around $700,000, with an estimated annual expenditure on system maintenance of around $130,000.
      
     The AI drowning detection system developed by a French company was installed at the indoor main pool and training pool of Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park Swimming Pool in September 2024. The system uses cameras installed above the pools to capture images and performs comprehensive tracking and analysis of swimmers’ motions. If a swimmer is found to remain stationary for over 10 seconds, the system will consider it a case of suspected drowning, trigger the alarm and display the drowning location for lifeguards to carry out a rescue. Relevant installation cost of the system was about $7.9 million, with an annual maintenance cost of approximately $1.1 million. In addition, equipment and devices of the system require a comprehensive inspection every three years to ensure its stability and safety. The estimated cost of such inspection is around $500,000.
 
(2) At present, the two detection systems mentioned above are still in trial phase. The LCSD needs to adjust the systems from time to time based on the actual environment and usage, and observe the operation of the systems in different seasons so as to ensure the stability and reliability of the data collected. Hence, a comprehensive set of data for assessment has yet to be available. Upon completion of tests and data analyses in different seasons, the LCSD will review and compare the cost-effectiveness of the two systems before deciding whether to extend the application of the systems to other public swimming pools.
 
(3) To strengthen the regulation of licensed swimming pools, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has, in response to the recommendations of the Office of the Ombudsman, established a notification mechanism for fatal drowning cases in licensed swimming pools. In May 2024, the FEHD issued a letter to swimming pool licensees imposing new licensing conditions which require the reporting of cases involving casualties within a prescribed period. The FEHD officers will conduct site inspections for fatal drowning cases to ascertain whether the swimming pools concerned have provided sufficient life-saving attendants and appropriate life-saving equipment as required by the law and the licensing conditions. The FEHD will also examine the relevant cases and require the licensed swimming pools to take additional measures to further protect the safety of swimmers as necessary.
 
     The FEHD and the LCSD share experience and exchange information from time to time on the regulation and management of swimming pools, including the application of technology to enhance swimmers’ safety. As the AI drowning detection system is still in the trial stage, the FEHD will maintain contact with the LCSD to understand the application of the system. read more