Today (April 21) is the second day of phased arrangements for residents of seven blocks of Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po to return to their units. Ten middle-zone floors of Wang Sun House were opened. The access arrangements were carried out in an orderly manner and operated smoothly.
 
     A total of 77 households (271 people) registered to return to their units today through the “one social worker per household” service, while 78 households (275 people) actually turned up (one household reported sick and absent yesterday joined the arrangement today). The average time residents spent entering and leaving the building today was one hour and 48 minutes, with the shortest time being 21 minutes and the longest three hours and 25 minutes. About 13 per cent of the residents stayed in the building for less than one hour. A total of 14 households (34 people) went up and down the building more than once within three hours. Among them, eight households (23 people) made one additional trip, four households (eight people) made two additional trips, while one household (one person) made four additional trips, with the highest record of one person of one household making five additional trips and another making four additional trips.

     The integrated enquiry counter set up by relevant departments today received 11 cases of requesting police assistance and two cases involving residents seeking help due to physical discomfort, as well as two cases seeking psychological counselling services.
 
     The 11 cases of requesting police assistance involved suspected loss of property, including camera, jewellery and gold items. Officers were immediately deployed to assist in searches, and lost property was recovered in four cases. In another four, the units concerned were severely damaged and residents believed after investigation that the property might have been destroyed by fire. For the remaining three cases, there were no signs of ransacking in the units and the residents could not provide details on the concerned property.

     After reviewing the experience from the first day of arrangements, two adjustments have been made on site starting today:
 
(1) expanding the personal protective equipment donning area at Kwong Fuk Community Hall, adding more tables and chairs, and setting up more marquees for rain protection; and
 
(2) adding more tables and chairs in the resident waiting area at Tai Po Baptist Public School, and expanding the on-site storage area to facilitate residents while they wait for transport.
 
     Each day, the Government deploys over 1 000 personnel from various departments, including the Police, the Civil Aid Service, the Fire Services Department, the Auxiliary Medical Service, the Home Affairs Department, the Social Welfare Department, the Housing Department, and the Housing Bureau, and staff mobilised from other departments, as well as District Services and Community Care Teams members to fully support residents returning to their units.

     The Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office (HKMAO) of the State Council, Mr Xia Baolong, met with a delegation of Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government for a national affairs study led by the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, in Beijing this afternoon (April 21).
      
     Mrs Yeung expressed her gratitude to Mr Xia for his full affirmation of the work of the HKSAR civil servants as well as the encouragement and expectation for the Permanent Secretaries and Heads of Departments.
      
     She said, “Civil servants are the backbone of the HKSAR Government. Permanent Secretaries, as the most senior officers in the civil service, along with Heads of Departments, play a crucial role in implementing and executing government policies. We are committed, with our utmost efforts and unity, to fulfilling our duties, rendering full support to the Chief Executive in governance, steadfastly upholding the executive-led system, defending the bottom line of security and development, and delivering tangible benefits for the public, thereby starting a new chapter for the high-quality development of Hong Kong.
      
     “The National 15th Five-Year Plan is the blueprint and action plan for the country’s economic and social development over the next five years, supporting Hong Kong in the consolidation and enhancement of its competitive edge across multiple key areas. Hong Kong is formulating its first five-year plan at full steam, which will serve as a collective action framework for Hong Kong. Under the leadership of the Chief Executive, the civil service, particularly the Permanent Secretaries, will proactively align their work with the National 15th Five-Year Plan and co-ordinate development across various sectors, so as to lay a more solid foundation for Hong Kong’s long-term prosperity and stability and to better integrate into and serve the overall development of the country.”
      
     In addition, the Director of Institute of American Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, Mr Chen Wenxin, gave the participants an analysis of the international landscape and China – United States relations at the National Academy of Governance this morning.
      
     The participants will study at the National Academy of Governance tomorrow (April 22) morning and will depart for a duty visit in Chengdu in the afternoon.