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     Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 30) that Sha Tin Jockey Club Swimming Pool in Sha Tin District, closed earlier on due to power failure, reopened at 3pm.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (June 30) released the findings of its food safety report for last month. The results of about 12 200 food samples tested were satisfactory except for five samples that were announced earlier. The overall satisfactory rate was 99.9 per cent.
 
     A CFS spokesman said about 1 300 food samples were collected for microbiological tests, some 2 900 samples were taken for chemical tests and the remaining about 8 000 (including about 7 600 taken from food imported from Japan) were collected to test radiation levels.
 
     The microbiological tests covered pathogens and hygiene indicators, while the chemical tests included pesticides, preservatives, metallic contaminants, colouring matters, veterinary drug residues and others.
 
     The samples comprised about 3 000 samples of vegetables and fruit and their products; about 600 samples of cereals, grains and their products; about 500 samples of meat and poultry and their products; about 900 samples of milk, milk products and frozen confections; about 1 200 samples of aquatic and related products; and about 6 000 samples of other food commodities (including beverages, bakery products and snacks).
 
     The five unsatisfactory samples comprised two samples of bottled fruit juice drink contaminated with patulin, a frozen confection sample detected with excessive counts of hygiene indicator organisms, a grass carp sample found to contain traces of malachite green and a prepackaged fruit juice sample found to contain sulphur dioxide not declared on its food label.
 
     The CFS has taken follow-up action on the unsatisfactory samples including informing the vendors concerned of the test results, instructing them to stop selling the affected food items and tracing the sources of the food items in question.
 
     The spokesman reminded the food trade to ensure that food for sale is fit for human consumption and meets legal requirements. Consumers should patronise reliable shops when buying food and maintain a balanced diet to minimise food risks.

     The Government received a total of 1 964 requests for information under the Code on Access to Information in the fourth quarter of 2019, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said today (June 30).
 
     The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of December 2019 has amounted to 77 851. Of these, 4 508 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors and 3 865 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information or cannot confirm or deny the existence of information. As at December 31, 2019, 334 requests were still being processed by bureaux/departments.

     Among the 69 144 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and which the bureaux/departments had responded to, 66 963 requests (96.8 per cent) were met, either in full (65 193 requests) or in part (1 770 requests), and 2 181 requests (3.2 per cent) were refused.

     Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the response of a bureau/department under the Code may request that the matter be reviewed. He or she may also lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman.

     In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Ombudsman received 37 complaints relating to requests for information. In this quarter, the Ombudsman concluded 12 complaints, among which five were substantiated, two were partially substantiated, three were settled after inquiries by the Ombudsman, and two were not pursued by the Ombudsman or were outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. As at December 31, 2019, the Ombudsman's investigations on 47 complaints were ongoing.

     "The Code has provided an effective framework for the public to seek access to information held by the Government," the spokesman said.

The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:
 
     The Community Care Fund (CCF) rolled out the Assistance Programme to Improve the Living Environment of Low-income Subdivided Unit Households today (June 30). It aims at improving the living environment of low-income households living in subdivided units (SDUs), and strengthening their connection with community services/resources. This two-year programme is administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD). To this end, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) has been entrusted as the approved service provider to co-ordinate the implementation of the programme and partner with non-governmental organisations as approved agents to implement the programme.
 
     Eligible households will be entitled to a one-off subsidy in kind according to the number of their household members. The ceiling of the subsidy in kind is set at $8,500 for one-person households, $10,000 for two-person households, $11,500 for three-person households and $13,000 for four-or-more-person households respectively. The subsidy in kind can be used to cover three groups of items for (1) carrying out minor improvement/repair works; (2) purchasing furniture and household goods; and/or (3) pest control services. The households may, based on their practical situations and needs, choose one or more of the above groups. The programme is expected to benefit about 24 000 SDU households.
 
     Beneficiary households shall meet the following criteria:
(i) living in SDUs;
(ii) meeting the income requirement; and
(iii) having at least one household member as a Hong Kong resident.

     As for income limits, households in receipt of any one of the following schemes are deemed to have met the requirement of the programme as they have already met the corresponding means tests under such schemes:
(i) Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme;
(ii) Normal Old Age Living Allowance and Higher Old Age Living Allowance under the Social Security Allowance Scheme;
(iii) Working Family Allowance Scheme;
(iv) Individual-based Work Incentive Transport Subsidy Scheme;
(v) School Textbook Assistance Scheme; or
(vi) Kindergarten and Child Care Centre Fee Remission Scheme.

     The programme also covers low-income SDU households currently not receiving assistance from the Government under the six existing schemes as aforementioned. The relevant income limits are set at 75 per cent of the relevant median monthly domestic household incomes of economically active households. There were no asset limits imposed for the programme.
 
     Applicants may obtain the programme brief and application form through the approved agents in the course of the programme, and submit the completed application form together with all necessary documents by post or by hand to the respective approved agents for vetting. The approved agents will process the applications with the information submitted by the eligible SDU households, and will also conduct home visits to assess applicants' home environment in order to affirm the applicants' eligibility. The subsidy in kind can be used within the six-month effective period, starting from the submission of the completed application form with all necessary documents. The staff of the approved agents will discuss with and assist the eligible households to select and place orders for the goods and services required with reference to the diversified and flexible "prescribed checklist of improvement items".
 
     The approved agents will also introduce various poverty alleviation measures as well as community services and resources to SDU households, helping connect or refer needy SDU households to relevant organisations or units for assistance and support. SDU households interested in joining the programme may approach the respective approved agents for enquiries.
 
     Members of the public may obtain further details of the above programme at the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk), the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk) or the HKCSS website (www.hkcss.org.hk). They may also reach the HKCSS on 2876 2461 or the CCF Team of the SWD on 3422 3090 for enquiries during office hours.

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     US Dollar Liquidity Facility Tender Result