The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The Hospital Authority Board today (January 18) endorsed a one-off 10 per cent increase in the rate of the Special Honorarium Scheme (SHS) allowance with effect from January 28 to encourage staff members in different disciplines including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, clerical and supporting staff to augment the manpower resources during the winter surge.
 
     The HA Chief Manager (Cluster Performance), Dr Ian Cheung, said public hospitals have been facing a huge service demand since January began. "In recent weeks, the accident and emergency department (AED) attendances have been consistently over 6,000, while the daily inpatient admissions to medical wards via AEDs are always above 1,000. Over 1,700 inpatient beds have now been added in public hospitals to meet the service demand."
 
     Dr Cheung anticipated that the service demand pressure will increase further, and that public hospitals will be even more congested after the Chinese New Year holiday. He said, "The HA has been actively recruiting more part-time and temporary staff to alleviate the work pressure of frontline staff. We hope that the increase in the SHS allowance will encourage more staff to join hands in meeting the challenge of this winter surge.
 
     "This adjustment of the rate of SHS allowance will take effect for 12 weeks and may be further extended subject to the service situation in public hospitals. I would like to take the opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks again to frontline colleagues for their dedication and commitment in taking care of our patients."

     Five-day statutory paternity leave came into force today (January 18).

     As stipulated in the Employment (Amendment) (No. 3) Ordinance 2018, for male employees with a child born on or after January 18, 2019, their paternity leave entitlement is five days for each confinement of their spouse/partner if they have been employed under a continuous contract and have notified their employers in accordance with the law.

     "If an employee wishes to take paternity leave, he must give proper notice to his employer. If the employee has already notified his employer of his intention to take paternity leave at least three months before the expected date of delivery of the child, he may take paternity leave immediately after informing his employer of the actual dates of leave. But if the employee fails to give the three months' advance notice to the employer, he must notify the employer of his dates of paternity leave at least five days before taking leave," a spokesperson for the Labour Department said.

     "During the transitional period, if an eligible employee has not given three months' advance notice to his employer of his intention to take paternity leave, even if he has notified his employer of his dates of paternity leave at least five days before taking leave before the commencement of the Amendment Ordinance (which in this case refers to the first three days of paternity leave), before taking the fourth and fifth days of the newly increased paternity leave, he would need to give at least five days' advance notice to his employer of the actual dates," the spokesperson added.

     For employers, employees and the public who wish to understand more about this revised statutory benefit, please visit the Labour Department webpage: www.labour.gov.hk/eng/news/EA(3)O2018.htm. For further enquiries, employers and employees may call 2717 1771 (the hotline is handled by 1823) or approach the branch offices of the Labour Relations Division.
 

     The Highways Department (HyD) today (January 18) invited tenders for "Provision of Universal Accessibility Facilities at Footbridges, Elevated Walkways and Subways – Package 3 Contract 1" (Contract No. HY/2018/11).

     The works are expected to commence in June 2019 and will take about 42 months to complete. The works will mainly include:

* construction of 11 lifts for five existing footbridges and one existing subway in six locations in Sha Tin, Tai Po, Tuen Mun and Tsuen Wan districts; and
* associated civil works, geotechnical works, electrical and mechanical works, modification works for existing structures, road and drainage works and landscaping works.

     The HyD has appointed Mannings (Asia) Consultants Limited as the consultant to design and supervise the construction works. Interested contractors can obtain the tender forms and other particulars from the office of Mannings (Asia) Consultants Limited at 5/F, Winning Commercial Building, 46-48 Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong.

     The invitation to tender was gazetted today. Submission of tenders will close at noon on March 1, 2019 (Friday). Tender submissions should be placed in the Government Secretariat Tender Box located at the lobby of the Public Entrance on G/F, East Wing, Central Government Offices, 2 Tim Mei Avenue, Tamar, Hong Kong.

     For enquiries, please call the consultant at 3168 2028.

     The Leisure and Cultural Services Department will present a new chapter of its lecture demonstration series, to be hosted by acclaimed local jazz guitarist Mark Leung in February and March.
 
     In the three-lecture series entitled "First Experience of Jazz", Leung will play various jazz masters' records and analyse their playing styles. With live demonstrations by Leung, bassist Barry Lam and drummer Felix Leung as well as guest demonstrators Moon Wong (guitar) and Billy Yeung (Piano), participants can also bring their own instruments as there may be an opportunity to jam with the musicians. All lectures (to be conducted in Cantonese) will be held at 7.30pm at CR2, 7/F, Concert Hall Backstage, Hong Kong Cultural Centre. Details are as follows:
 
February 26 (Tuesday)
Topic: "Definitive Guide to Jazz Songs"
 
March 5 (Tuesday)
Topic: "Concert and Jam Session Guide for Dummies"
 
March 12 (Tuesday)
Topic: "Jazz FAQ"
 
     Mark Leung is an active jazz guitarist in Hong Kong and Macao and has worked as an instructor on the Introduction to Popular Music course under the Associate Degree programme at the Hong Kong Institute of Technology. He is a member of the Composers and Authors Society of Hong Kong.
 
     Tickets priced at $80 (for each lecture) are now available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk). For telephone credit card bookings, please call 2111 5999. For programme enquiries and concessionary schemes, please call 2268 7321 or visit www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/CulturalService/Programme/en/music/programs_717.html.

     The Government today (January 18) announced the appointment of five new non-official members and re-appointment of two incumbent non-official members to the Construction Industry Council (CIC) for a two-year term from February 1, 2019 to January 31, 2021. The appointments were made by the Secretary for Development.

     The five new non-official members are Ms Ada Fung Yin-suen, Mr Eddie Lam Kin-wing, Ms Lee Sau-king, Professor Lo Hong-kam and Mr Ken Wong Kin-wai. The two re-appointed non-official members are Dr Derrick Pang Yat-bond and Mr Ringo Yu Shek-man.

     "We welcome the new members and look forward to working closely with the members for the healthy and continuous development of the construction industry. We would also like to express our gratitude to the four outgoing members, Mr Allan Chan Sau-kit, Mr Lai Chi-wah, Mr Robert Lam Ping-hong and Professor Wong Sze-chun, for their contributions to the CIC in the past six years," a spokesman for the Development Bureau said.

     The CIC was established in February 2007 as a statutory body with the mission to forge consensus on long-term strategic issues concerning the construction industry, convey the needs and aspirations of the industry to the Government, and provide a channel for the Government to solicit advice on all construction-related matters. Since its establishment, the CIC has embarked on a range of initiatives to elevate the quality of construction and to uphold the professionalism of the construction industry in Hong Kong.

     The appointments were published in the Government Gazette today.

     Membership of the CIC as from February 1, 2019 will be as follows:
 
Chairperson
————-
Mr Chan Ka-kui
 
Members
———-
Mr Chan Chi-chiu
Mr Chan Kim-kwong
Mr Chan Pat-kan
Mr Chow Luen-kiu
Professor Chung Kwok-fai
Mr Ivan Fu Chin-shing
Ms Ada Fung Yin-suen
Mr Alex Kwan King-fai
Mr Stephen Lai Yuk-fai
Mr Eddie Lam Kin-wing
Ms Lee Sau-king
Professor Lo Hong-kam
Mr Kenneth Mo Kon-fei
Mr Pan Shujie
Dr Derrick Pang Yat-bond
Mr Rocky Poon Lock-kee
Mr Simon Wong Hin-wing
Mr Ken Wong Kin-wai
Ms Eliza Wong Yeuk-lan
Mr Yu Sai-yen
Mr Ringo Yu Shek-man
Permanent Secretary for Development (Works)
Permanent Secretary for Transport and Housing (Housing)
Director of Buildings