Following is a question by the Hon Paul Tse and a written reply by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, in the Legislative Council today (April 29):
 
Question:
 
     The Joint Office (JO), set up by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Buildings Department, is dedicated to handling reports on water seepage in buildings. In August 2013, JO applied infrared thermography and microwave tomography (new testing technologies) on a pilot basis for identifying the sources of water seepage. Since June 2018, JO has officially applied the new testing technologies to suitable cases in three districts, and it extended the application of the new testing technologies to five other districts in September 2019.  Regarding the work of JO, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the number of water seepage reports handled by JO in the 2019/2020 financial year; among them, the respective numbers of cases in which (i) the sources of water seepage were successfully identified, (ii) investigation was underway, and (iii) the sources of water seepage had not been identified but investigation was terminated; the longest and shortest handling time for concluded cases;

(2) of the respective relevant figures of the three districts of Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin and Wan Chai in respect of the items mentioned in (1);

(3) among the water seepage reports handled by JO in the 2019/2020 financial year, of the respective numbers and percentages of cases in which the new testing technologies and conventional testing methods were applied for identifying the sources of water seepage; how such figures compare with those in the preceding three financial years;

(4) of the success rate of the new testing technologies in identifying the sources of water seepage;

(5) whether the success rates in identifying the sources of water seepage in the aforesaid eight districts are generally higher than those in other districts; if so, whether the Government will expeditiously apply the new testing technologies to all cases in various districts across the territory (especially districts such as Kwun Tong and Wong Tai Sin where old buildings abound with a large number of water seepage cases); if so, of the details and timetable; if not, the reasons for that; and

(6) given that as compared with the new testing technologies, conventional testing methods are more time consuming and less effective in identifying the sources of water seepage, whether members of the public may, when they seek assistance from JO, request JO to apply the new testing technologies for identifying the sources of water seepage, so as to shorten the time required for handling the cases?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Proper management, maintenance and repair of buildings, including resolving water seepage problems in buildings, are the responsibilities of building owners and occupiers. To thoroughly solve water seepage problems requires the co-operation of the building owners and occupiers concerned. In general, if water seepage occurs in private buildings, the owners should first arrange their own investigation into the cause and, as appropriate, co-ordinate with other owners and occupiers concerned for repair works. 
 
     Nevertheless, the Government recognised that owners do encounter difficulties in dealing with water seepage problems. In view of this, the Government has set up the Joint Office (JO) under the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) and the Buildings Department (BD). Through inter-departmental coordination, the statutory power given under the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance (Chapter 132), the expertise of the relevant departments, as well as the co-operation of the building owners and occupiers concerned, the JO attempts to identify the source of water seepage through systematic testing methods so that the concerned owners would carry out the repair works to mitigate the health nuisance caused by seepage.
 
     Generally speaking, JO's investigation of water seepage cases is carried out in three stages. JO staff are responsible for the investigation at Stage I (confirmation of water seepage condition) and Stage II (initial investigation includes colour water test of drainage pipes or reversible pressure test for water supply pipes). If the source of seepage could not be identified during Stage II investigation, Stage III investigation (professional investigation) would be pursued. At Stage III, the JO will engage outsourced consultants to assist in carrying out detailed investigation including moisture monitoring at seepage locations, ponding test for floor slabs, water spray test on walls as well as reversible pressure test for water supply pipes to identify the source of water seepage. For more complicated cases and also suitable cases in pilot districts, new testing technologies including infrared thermography (IT) and microwave tomography (MT) will be used. If the source of seepage can be identified in any stage of investigation, the JO will issue "nuisance notice" in accordance with the Public Health and Municipal Services Ordinance to the responsible party demanding abatement of the nuisance within a specified period.
 
     In consultation with the Food and Health Bureau, the FEHD and the BD, the Development Bureau provides a consolidated reply to the six parts of the question as follows:

(1) and (2) Statistics on handling of water seepage reports by the JO in 2019 with breakdown for Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin and Wan Chai districts are tabulated below.
 

Note 1: The relevant number of reports does not necessarily correspond to the number of reports received in the same year.

Note 2: These include unjustified cases not meeting the 35 per cent moisture content criterion and withdrawn cases etc. where no investigation was conducted by the JO.
 
     The time spent on investigating a water seepage cases varies due to a number of factors, including the nature and complexity of the case and whether cooperation from relevant owners or occupiers are obtained as JO staff have to enter the premises concerned for carrying out non-destructive tests to identify the source of seepage. With the co-operation of the concerned owners/occupiers, generally speaking, the JO could normally complete the investigation and inform the informant of the outcome within 90 working days. If the investigation could not be completed within 90 working days, the JO will notify in writing the informant of the investigation progress. The JO does not compile statistics on the time for investigating water seepage cases.

(3) to (6) As mentioned above, JO staff use conventional testing methods for carrying out Stage II initial investigation of the source of seepage, such as colour water test for drainage pipes and reversible pressure test for water supply pipes. In cases where the source of seepage cannot be identified by Stage II initial investigation, JO staff will carry out Stage III professional investigation with the assistance of outsourced consultants.  Stage III professional investigation includes conventional testing methods, such as ponding test for floor slabs, water spray test on walls, reversible pressure test for water supply pipes, etc. For more complicated cases and suitable cases in pilot districts, new testing methods, such as IT and MT, will be used.
 
     Since the second half of June 2018, the JO has fully applied new testing methods at Stage III professional investigation in three pilot districts (i.e. Kowloon City, Wan Chai and Central and Western), where applicable.  With experience gained and data obtained through pilot application of the new testing methods, the JO has since September 2019 extended the new testing methods to another five pilot districts (i.e. Sham Shui Po, Kwai Tsing, Tuen Mun, Tai Po and North District). The JO is refining the technical guidelines and procedures relating to the use of the new testing methods and is planning to gradually extending such technologies to other districts. 
 
     Statistics on water seepage reports concluded and cases involving the use of new testing methods in the past three years are tabulated below.
 

     As at December 31, 2019, the success rate (Note 3) of cases using the new testing methods is some 80 per cent, which is higher than the success rate of around 60 per cent for cases using the conventional methods. The aforesaid success rates compare the effectiveness of the two types of testing methods irrespective of district. While IT and MT could be effective in investigating seepage through concrete slabs, they could not be effectively applied under some circumstances such as cases involving ceilings with concrete spalling, ceilings with tile finishes and blockage by pipes/building services. Where IT and MT could not be effectively applied, the JO has to resort to conventional testing methods.

Note 3：

     The Planning Department (PlanD) announced today (April 29) that, in view of the latest situation of COVID-19, the City Gallery will be partially re-opened on May 6 (Wednesday). Touch-based interactive exhibits, public programmes, educational activities and docent services will continue to be temporarily suspended until further notice.
 
     To minimise the risk of infection, special arrangements and precautionary measures will be implemented. Visitors are advised to wear their own masks and will be subject to temperature checks before admission. Crowd control measures may be implemented when necessary. Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. In addition, enhanced measures including cleansing and disinfection will be conducted.
 
     The City Gallery will continue to monitor the situation closely and review the arrangements in a timely manner.
 
     For enquiries, please call the City Gallery on 3102 1242 during office hours or visit the City Gallery's website (www.citygallery.gov.hk/en).

     Following is a question by the Hon Alvin Yeung and a written reply by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, in the Legislative Council today (April 29):

Question:

     In recent months, my office has received a number of cases of assistance being sought which were related to domestic violence. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) Of the respective numbers of cases of assistance being sought and reports which were related to domestic violence, received by the Government in each month since January 2015, with a breakdown by District Council (DC) district;

(2) Of the respective numbers of cases in which the batterers of domestic violence were prosecuted and convicted in each of the past five years, with a breakdown by DC district; and

(3) Of the immediate measures put in place to prevent the problem of domestic violence from worsening during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 epidemic?

Reply:

President,

     In consultation with the Security Bureau, my reply to Member's question is as follows:

(1) The breakdowns of domestic violence cases (including spouse/cohabitant battering cases and child protection cases) received by respective districts of the Family and Child Protective Services Units (FCPSUs) of the Social Welfare Department (SWD) between 2015-16 and 2019-20 are set out at Annex 1. SWD does not have breakdowns of domestic violence cases and reports by District Council (DC) districts. The breakdowns of domestic violence cases handled by the Police by police districts between 2015 and March 2020 are set out at Annex 2. The Police does not have breakdowns of domestic violence cases and reports by DC districts.

(2) The breakdowns of prosecution, conviction and sentence of “Domestic Violence (Crime)” cases between 2015 and 2019 are set out at Annex 3. The Government does not have breakdowns of such cases by DC districts.

(3) The Refuge Centres for Women, Family Crisis Support Centre and Multi-purpose Crisis Intervention and Support Centre operated by SWD-subvented non-governmental organisations (NGOs) provide 24-hour temporary accommodation and support services for individuals and families (including victims of domestic violence). At the same time, the Victim Support Programme for Victims of Family Violence provides urgent support services to victims of domestic violence.  The public may also report or refer cases in crisis through SWD's 24-hour hotline service (2343 2255). Social workers will provide immediate counselling, support and advice as well as arranging appropriate follow-up service for individuals/families in need. In case of domestic violence or children suspected of being harmed/maltreated, social workers will provide immediate outreaching and follow-up service. Furthermore, the Integrated Family Service Centres /Integrated Service Centres operated by SWD or NGOs, as well as the FCPSUs and Clinical Psychological Services of SWD provide urgent and essential services. These include, for instance, proactive contact by social workers of service units with service users by telephone to ensure that their welfare needs are properly addressed. In addition, SWD will strengthen messages of positive thinking and harmony at home through media channels such as television, radio and the internet, and step up publicity and public education efforts through different means with a view to encouraging people in need to seek help.

     When handling domestic conflict reports, the Police will refer cases in need to SWD for follow-up actions once consent is sought from the parties concerned. SWD may arrange persons in need for admission to refuge centres or request immediate intervention by outreaching social workers, etc. For persons who refuse to accept referral services, the Police will provide a “Family Support Service Information Card”, which was produced jointly by the Police and SWD, to facilitate the persons concerned to contact service agencies for assistance. To address the needs of ethnic minorities, the Police have translated the “Family Support Service Information Card” into 16 languages and uploaded them to the website of the Police Force. If a case is assessed as high risk, the Police will take the initiative to refer the case to SWD for follow-up actions.

     The services mentioned above, including 24-hour/emergency services, have maintained normal operation during the epidemic.

     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) today (April 29) released the latest grading of water quality for 38 gazetted beaches (see Note 1) and one non-gazetted beach (i.e. Discovery Bay, see Note 2).

     Twenty-four beaches were rated as Good (Grade 1) and 15 as Fair (Grade 2).

Grade 1 beaches are:           

 
Grade 2 beaches are:

 
     Under the present grading system, beaches are classified into four grades, namely Good (Grade 1), Fair (Grade 2), Poor (Grade 3) and Very Poor (Grade 4), according to the level of E. coli in the water. Grades are calculated on the basis of the geometric mean of the E. coli counts on the five most recent sampling occasions.

     A summary of beach grades is published weekly before the weekend. The latest beach grades based on the most current data may be obtained from the EPD's website on Beach Water Quality (www.epd.gov.hk/epd/beach) or the beach hotline, 2511 6666.

Note 1: To tie in with the response level under the Preparedness and Response Plan for Novel Infectious Disease of Public Health Significance having been raised to the Emergency Response Level and to encourage people to avoid gathering, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department has announced that all beaches will continue to be temporarily closed until further notice.
 
Note 2: Discovery Bay is a non-gazetted beach without lifeguard service.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health has announced that as of 4pm today (April 29), no new local confirmed cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been recorded, and that the number of cases in Hong Kong remains at 1 038 so far (comprising 1 037 confirmed cases and one probable case).
 
　　Meanwhile, the CHP is investigating an overseas confirmed case. The case involves a 32-year-old male patient confirmed positive with COVID-19 in the UK, who took flight CX252 (Economy class) by Cathay Pacific from London arriving in Hong Kong on April 28. He was transferred directly from Hong Kong International Airport to Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital for management immediately upon arrival. His respiratory sample had tested positive for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. He is in a stable condition.
 
     The CHP again urged members of the public to maintain an appropriate social distance with other people as far as possible in their daily lives to minimise the risk of infection. In particular, they should go out less and avoid social activities such as meal gatherings or other gatherings to reduce the chance of contacting infected persons who may not present any symptoms, and minimise the risk of outbreak clusters emerging in the community.
      
     A spokesman for the CHP said, "Given that the situation of the COVID-19 infection remains severe and that there is a continuous increase in the number of cases reported around the world, members of the public are strongly urged to avoid all non-essential travel outside Hong Kong.
 
     "The CHP also strongly urges the public to maintain at all times strict personal and environmental hygiene, which is key to personal protection against infection and prevention of the spread of the disease in the community. On a personal level, members of the public should wear a surgical mask when having respiratory symptoms, taking public transport or staying in crowded places. They should also perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes.
 
     "As for household environmental hygiene, members of the public are advised to maintain drainage pipes properly, regularly pour water into drain outlets (U-traps) and cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use. After using the toilet, they should put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs."
 
     The CHP has set up hotlines (2125 1111 and 2125 1122), which operate from 8am to midnight daily, for public enquiries. As at 3pm today, a total of 100 800 calls had been received.
 
     Moreover, the Government has launched the website "COVID-19 Thematic Website" (www.coronavirus.gov.hk) for announcing the latest updates on various news on COVID-19 infection and health advice to help the public understand the latest updates.
 
     To prevent pneumonia and respiratory tract infection, members of the public should always maintain good personal and environmental hygiene. They are advised to:
 
• Wear a surgical mask when taking public transport or staying in crowded places. It is important to wear a mask properly, including performing hand hygiene before wearing and after removing a mask;
• Perform hand hygiene frequently, especially before touching the mouth, nose or eyes, after touching public installations such as handrails or door knobs, or when hands are contaminated by respiratory secretions after coughing or sneezing;
• Maintain drainage pipes properly and regularly (about once a week) pour about half a litre of water into each drain outlet (U-trap) to ensure environmental hygiene;
• Cover all floor drain outlets when they are not in use;
• After using the toilet, put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs;
• Wash hands with liquid soap and water, and rub for at least 20 seconds. Then rinse with water and dry with a disposable paper towel. If hand washing facilities are not available, or when hands are not visibly soiled, performing hand hygiene with 70 to 80 per cent alcohol-based handrub is an effective alternative;
• Cover your mouth and nose with tissue paper when sneezing or coughing. Dispose of soiled tissues into a lidded rubbish bin, then wash hands thoroughly; and
• When having respiratory symptoms, wear a surgical mask, refrain from work or attending class at school, avoid going to crowded places and seek medical advice promptly.