The Government announced today (August 21) that the Chief Executive has appointed and re-appointed members to the Legal Aid Services Council for a term of two years with effect from September 1, 2020. 
 
     Newly-appointed members are Ms Karen Lam, nominated by the Law Society of Hong Kong, and two lay members, Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan and Ms Rosita Lee Pui-shan. Re-appointed members are Mr Tim Parker and Mr Randy Shek Shu-ming, who are barrister members nominated by the Hong Kong Bar Association; Mr Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung, a solicitor member nominated by the Law Society of Hong Kong; and two lay members, Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau and Ms Iris Wan Lai-sze. 
 
     "We would like to thank the outgoing members, Mr Warren Ganesh, Mr Clarence Leung Wang-ching and Ms Wong Wai-ching for their sterling contributions and dedication to the work of the Council during their term of service," a Government spokesman said.
 
     Established under the Legal Aid Services Council Ordinance (Cap. 489), the Council is responsible for overseeing the administration of the legal aid services provided by the Legal Aid Department and advising the Chief Executive on legal aid policy. The Council comprises a chairman and lay members who are not connected with the practice of law, barrister members and solicitor members nominated by the Hong Kong Bar Association and the Law Society of Hong Kong respectively, and the Director of Legal Aid.

     The membership list with effect from September 1, 2020, is as follows:
 
Chairman
———–
Dr William Leung Wing-cheung
 
Members
———–
Mr Nicholas Chan Hiu-fung
Ms Karen Lam
Mrs Ayesha Macpherson Lau
Ms Serena Lau Sze-wan
Ms Rosita Lee Pui-shan
Mr Tim Parker
Mr Randy Shek Shu-ming
Ms Iris Wan Lai-sze
 
Ex-officio member
———————
Director of Legal Aid

     The 2020 provisional register and the omissions list for the Rural Representative Election (RRE) are available for inspection by eligible organisations/persons during ordinary business hours from today (August 21) to September 9. Members of the public may visit the RRE Voter Registration Information Enquiry System through the Rural Representative Election website (www.had.gov.hk/rre) to check their own registration particulars and whether they are listed on the omissions list. They may also call the RRE hotline on 2152 1521 during ordinary business hours to check the above-mentioned information.
      
     The names and relevant particulars of electors recorded in the Existing Villages register, the Indigenous Villages and Composite Indigenous Villages register and the Market Towns register will be available for inspection. Particulars of persons who are no longer eligible for registration as electors will be shown on the omissions list.
      
     Anyone who considers a registered person not eligible for registration may lodge a notice of objection at the office of the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) or the relevant Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) (the office addresses are set out in the form) during ordinary business hours on or before September 9. Objections must be lodged in person.
      
     Anyone who has made an application for registration but whose name is not recorded in the provisional register, or is included in the omissions list, or who has a claim to make about his or her particulars in the register, may lodge a notice of claim in person during the above-mentioned period.
      
     Those whose principal residential address is not in Hong Kong may submit a notice of claim by post, fax or electronic means (an electronic record authenticated by a digital signature). He or she may also lodge in person, or authorise a person in writing to lodge on his or her behalf, a notice of claim at the office of the ERO or the relevant AERO during ordinary business hours on or before September 9 (Hong Kong time).
      
     The specified forms for notices of objection and notices of claim can be obtained from the ERO office and the AERO offices at the relevant District Offices. They can also be downloaded from the RRE website.
      
     To enhance transparency and assist the persons concerned and members of the public to attend the hearings, information on the hearings of the claims and objections (including the date, time and venue of the hearings, and the names of the claimants/objectors/electors being objected to) will be uploaded to the RRE website before the day of the hearing.
      
     A full copy of the provisional register and the omissions list will be placed at the office of the ERO located at the Home Affairs Department (HAD), 30/F, Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, while a copy of the specific divisions of the provisional register and the omissions list for a rural area that belongs to the rural committees concerned will be placed at the offices of the AEROs in the respective New Territories District Offices (NTDOs). In accordance with the judgment of the judicial review case handed down by the Court of Appeal on May 21, 2020, and the order made at the hearing on May 27, 2020 (Case no. CACV 73/2020), members of the press (for operational considerations, the HAD adopts the list of subscribers of the Government News and Media Information System), political parties (i.e. political bodies/organisations which meet the specified requirements), Heung Yee Kuk, respective Rural Committees for the relevant Rural Areas, indigenous inhabitants of the relevant Indigenous Villages and Composite Indigenous Villages and residents of the relevant Existing Villages or Market Towns for a purpose related to the election, can inspect the aforementioned provisional registers of electors and the relevant omissions list during ordinary business hours from August 21 to September 9.
      
     Eligible organisations/persons may make appointments to inspect the registers of electors by calling the RRE hotline during ordinary business hours starting from today. Upon completion of the initial reservation by phone, the applicant is required to fill in and return an official reservation form to the HAD by a specified deadline to confirm the reservation.
      
     The ordinary business hours of the HAD and NTDOs for inspection of the provisional register and the omissions list are from 9am to 1pm and from 2pm to 6pm, Mondays to Fridays (except public holidays).
      
     For further details, please call the RRE hotline or visit the RRE website.

     â€‹In view of the development of the COVID-19 epidemic, the Labour Department (LD) announced today (August 21) the postponement of the 2020 Working Hours Situation Household Survey. All scheduled survey field visits have been suspended and enumerators of the commissioned research firm will not visit or contact the selected households through any means. The LD will inform the households concerned of the arrangement by notification letters.
      
     The LD will review the situation in due course and make further arrangements as appropriate. For enquiries on the above arrangements, please contact the Working Hours Policy Division of the LD (Tel: 3586 8113).

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health (DH) today (August 21) reminded members of the public, particularly those undertaking outdoor activities, to take heed of necessary measures against heat stroke and sunburn in very hot weather.

     "The public should carry and drink plenty of water to prevent dehydration while engaging in outdoor activities," a spokesman for the CHP said.

     "Those engaged in strenuous outdoor activities should avoid beverages containing caffeine, such as coffee and tea, as well as alcohol, as they speed up water loss through the urinary system," the spokesman explained.

     "The obese, the sick, including those with heart disease or high blood pressure, the old and the young are more vulnerable to heat-related illnesses. They should pay special attention," the spokesman added.

     The public should adopt the following precautions:
 

• Wear loose and light-coloured clothing to reduce heat absorption and facilitate sweat evaporation and heat dissipation;
• Avoid vigorous exercise and prolonged activities like hiking or trekking as heat, sweating and exhaustion can place additional demands on the physique;
• Perform outdoor activities in the morning or late afternoon;
• For indoor activities, open all windows, use a fan or use air-conditioning to maintain good ventilation; and
• Reschedule work to cooler times of the day.

     If working in a hot environment is inevitable, introduce shade in the workplace where practicable. Start work slowly and pick up the pace gradually. Move to a cool area for rest at regular intervals to allow the body to recuperate.

     The public should also note the latest and the forecast Ultraviolet (UV) Index released by the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO). When the UV Index is high (6 or above):
 

• Minimise direct exposure of the skin and the eyes to sunlight;
• Wear long-sleeved and loose-fitting clothes;
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat or use an umbrella;
• Seek a shaded area or put on UV-blocking sunglasses;
• Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen lotion with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or above. Apply liberally and reapply after swimming, sweating or toweling off; and
• While using DEET-containing insect repellents for personal protection against mosquito-borne diseases, apply sunscreen first, then insect repellent.

     If symptoms develop, such as dizziness, headache, nausea, shortness of breath or confusion, rest and seek help immediately, and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

     The public may obtain more information from the DH's Health Education Infoline (2833 0111), heat stroke page and UV radiation page; the HKO's Dial-a-Weather (1878 200), latest weather and forecast, UV Index and weather information for hiking and mountaineering; and press releases of the Labour Department on precautions against heat stroke for outdoor workers and their employers when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force.

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:
 
     Please broadcast the following special announcement immediately, and repeat it at frequent intervals when the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force:
 
     The Labour Department reminds employers that as the Very Hot Weather Warning is in force, they should assess the risk of heat stroke to their employees and adopt effective preventive measures such as providing cool drinking water, setting up temporary sunshade, providing mechanical aids to reduce physical exertion of employees and providing for employees as far as practicable covered space with good ventilation for rest and meals. Employees should drink water regularly and be mindful of their physical condition. If early heat stroke symptoms such as headache and thirst appear, they should rest in a cool or shady place and drink water immediately. They should also inform their supervisors to take appropriate action.