Tag Archives: China

     Following is a question by Dr Hon Helena Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Security, Mr John Lee, in the Legislative Council today (March 18):

Question:

     The Government stated on February 1 this year that before the occurrence of the novel coronavirus epidemic, the Correctional Services Department (CSD) had supplied face masks produced by it to certain non-governmental organisations (NGOs). In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of the quantity of face masks produced by CSD last year; among them, the quantity of those supplied to NGOs, with a breakdown by name of NGO; and
 
(2) whether NGOs are required to pay for the face masks supplied; if so, of the criteria for determining the charges; if not, whether the Government has established a mechanism for monitoring the use of such face masks to prevent such face masks from being sold for profits or transferred to non-specified users; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Filter masks produced by the Correctional Services Department (CSD) are mainly supplied to the Government Logistics Department (GLD) for allocation to government departments. My reply to Dr Hon Helena Wong’s question is as follows:
 
(1) In 2019, CSD produced about 1.1 million filter masks per month on average, which were mainly supplied to GLD. Moreover, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as social welfare organisations and schools procured a total of about 120 000 masks during the year from CSD, amounting to less than 1 per cent of the total production. CSD is unable to disclose details of the NGOs which procured masks from it as third party information is involved.  
 
     In the light of the development of COVID-19 infection, there is a rapid increase in demand for filter masks from government departments. As such, CSD has ceased to take orders other than from GLD since January 2020. Moreover, the mask production facilities in Lo Wu Correctional Institution gradually increased the production and has reached 24-hour operation. CSD has also recruited over 1 200 off-duty or retired CSD officers as volunteers to participate in the production of masks, increasing the production to about 2.5 million masks per month. Among them, 1.8 million masks are supplied to GLD, whereas the remaining 700 000 masks are set aside for distribution to cleansing workers engaged by outsourced cleaning service contractors through relevant departments (including the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Housing Department, Government Property Agency, Marine Department, Customs and Excise Department (in respect of the Shenzhen Bay Port Hong Kong Port Area)).

(2) The price of the masks sold to NGOs is determined by cost, which is about $0.13 each. The handling of the masks after-sales rests upon the NGOs which procured them. read more

     Following is a question by the Hon Shiu Ka-chun and a written reply by the Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury, Mr James Lau, in the Legislative Council today (March 18):
 
Question:
 
     Regarding the face masks produced by the Correctional Services Department (CSD), will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) of (i) the quantity of face masks produced by the CSD, and (ii) the respective quantities of such face masks supplied to the various government departments and non-governmental organisations, in each month of the past three years;
 
(2) of the respective quantities of face masks currently kept in the stock of the various government departments, and whether, to avoid hoarding, such departments have set a limit on the quantity of face masks kept in the stock;
 
(3) of the mechanism adopted by the Government for determining the quantities of face masks to be allocated to various government departments, and how such departments handle those face masks which will not be used before the expiry dates; and
 
(4) as the Chief Executive has indicated that the 700 000 face masks per month made available by the CSD’s increased production will be given to cleansing service contractors for use by the cleaning workers hired by them, of the relevant details?
 
Reply:
 
President,
 
     Having consulted the Correctional Services Department (CSD), the Policy Innovation and Co-ordination Office (PICO) and the Government Logistics Department (GLD), our consolidated reply to the four parts of the question raised by Hon Shiu Ka-chun is as follows:
 
(1) Filter masks produced by the CSD are mainly supplied to the GLD for allocation to government departments. From 2017 to 2019, the CSD supplied about 1.1 million filter masks per month on average to the GLD; the GLD supplied roughly the same quantity to government departments.
 
     Moreover, non-governmental organisations such as social welfare agencies and schools procured about 150 000 masks per year on average from the CSD from 2017 to 2019. In the light of the developments of COVID-19, there has been a rapid increase in the demand for filter masks from government departments. As such, the CSD has ceased to take orders from parties other than the GLD since January 2020.

(2) and (3) Based on the broad estimates, the current stock of masks at the GLD is sufficient for operational use by government departments for more than two months. In light of the developments concerning the disease, all government departments have worked very hard to reduce their demands for masks. The GLD will comply strictly with the Government’s internal guidelines and accord priority to front-line staff participating in quarantine-related work, execution of quarantine orders (including medical and port health staff of the Department of Health) and maintenance of essential public services. The GLD will review the demand for and stock of masks from time to time.
 
     Moreover, when departments manage stores items with a shelf-life (including masks), they should conduct regular monitoring to ensure that the stores will be consumed before the expiry dates. If departments are unlikely to consume the stores before expiry, they should consult other departments through the GLD to transfer the stores, where appropriate.

(4) The Government understands that outsourced cleansing service contractors have encountered difficulties in procuring masks. To protect the health of cleansing workers and maintain environmental hygiene, the Chief Executive announced on February 8 that the CSD would increase the production of an additional 700 000 masks, which would be set aside for distributing to cleansing workers engaged by outsourced cleansing service contractors as a temporary measure to relieve the imminent need.
 
     The PICO co-ordinates the aforementioned measure of mask distribution. Starting from February 17, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Housing Department have started distributing masks to cleansing workers. Priority was given to those front-line cleansing workers who are responsible for cleaning streets, public toilets, refuse collection points, public markets and public housing estates. Each worker receives one mask per day before work. Some of the masks have also been provided to front-line cleansing workers through the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, the control points at the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and Shenzhen Bay and the Marine Department.
 
     The aforementioned measure is expected to benefit over 21 000 front-line cleansing workers of government contractors. read more

     Following is a question by Professor the Hon Joseph Lee and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Professor Sophia Chan, in the Legislative Council today (March 18):   Question:      &nbs… read more

Attention duty announcers, radio and TV stations:      Please broadcast the following as soon as possible and repeat it at suitable intervals:      The Marine Department today (March 18) reminded … read more

     As the rainstorm warning has been issued by the Hong Kong Observatory, the Labour Department (LD) reminds employers and contractors that they should adopt necessary work arrangements and take suitable safety measures to pr… read more