Following is the speech by the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, at the opening ceremony of the Sports and Arts Building at W F Joseph Lee Primary School today (November 22):
 
Dr Joseph Lee (Supervisor of W F Joseph Lee Primary School), Mr Alan Chow (Principal of W F Joseph Lee Primary School), His Eminence Cardinal John Tong Hon (Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong), distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, principals, parents, students,
 
     Good afternoon. I am delighted to join you all today at the opening ceremony of the Sports and Arts Building of W F Joseph Lee Primary School. First and foremost, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the school and to those who have contributed to the successful completion of this impressive facility.
 
     The Sports and Arts Building marks a significant milestone in the continuous development of the school and the commitment of the WoFoo Foundation to quality education. Since its establishment in 2002, the W F Joseph Lee Primary School has been offering a diversified curriculum and joyful learning environment within and outside classrooms to students for whole-person development.
 
     The current setting of the campus is already well equipped with a dance studio, a library, a STEM room, a computer room, a campus TV studio, music rooms for Chinese and Western musical instruments, an art room, a science room, a band room and a mini-tennis court. The opening of this new building will offer a diverse education experience to students to unleash their potential. These facilities include an art gallery, an all-weather swimming pool, a roof basketball court, and a multi-purpose room for indoor exhibitions, theme-based seminars, gymnastic training and cheerleading team training. 
 
     The vision of the school to develop students to their fullest potential and become responsible and respectable future members of society is consonant with the current-term Government's mission to nurture the future generations into quality citizens who are socially responsible and equipped with a sense of our national identity, a love for Hong Kong and an international perspective.
 
     Government expenditure on education is therefore the most meaningful investment for our future. It has always been the lion's share of recurrent spending of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. In the current financial year, our expenditure on education amounts to approximately HK$113.7 billion, an increase of 28.4 per cent from HK$88.5 billion in the previous financial year. This fully reflects the long-term commitment of the Government to education.
 
     To better prepare our next generations for the challenges ahead, we have allocated considerable resources to promote the whole-person development of students. All along, the Education Bureau has been advocating the adoption of diversified learning inside and outside the classroom to boost students' interest in learning, and instil in them positive values and attitudes. To this end, the Policy Address this year announced the launch of a new recurrent Life-wide Learning Grant with an annual provision of $900 million. The Grant will support public sector schools and schools under the Direct Subsidy Scheme to take forward, on the present foundation, life-wide learning with enhanced efforts through organising more out-of-classroom experiential learning activities in various curriculum areas such as the humanities, STEM education, physical and aesthetic development and moral and civic education.
 
     I share the excitement and exhilaration of the teachers and students of this school over the grand opening of the Sports and Arts Building today. I am confident that building on its strengths and foundation, the school would fully utilise the enhanced facilities and the increased resources from the Government to further promote the whole-person development of students. With the concerted efforts of all the stakeholders, I trust that the school will continue to fulfil its mission of developing students as confident, innovative and resourceful individuals with broad horizons and positive thinking.
 
     Before I close, I would like to pay warm tribute to Joseph for his devotion to serving the community. On this note, I would like to congratulate WoFoo Foundation for another impressive community services project. I wish the school every success in the years ahead and all of you good health and happiness. Thank you.

     The construction sites for the Central-Wan Chai Bypass (CWB) project had illegally carried out construction works during restricted hours seven times and discharged substandard muddy water twice. The main contractors concerned, Chun Wo Construction and Engineering Company Limited and China Railway Group Limited, and subcontractor Wah Keung Metal Engineering Limited and the related workers were convicted and fined $157,500 by Eastern Magistrates' Courts today (November 22) for a total of 16 offences under the Noise Control Ordinance (NCO) and the Water Pollution Control (General) Regulations (WPC(G)R).
      
     The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) received a number of complaints from May last year to January this year about noise nuisance generated by the construction works of the CWB project during Sundays and at night. After investigation, the EPD confirmed that the construction sites for eastern tunnel works of the CWB project (HK/2009/02) and Tunnel (North Point Section) and Island Eastern Corridor Link (HY/2009/19) illegally carried out construction works by using non-permitted powered mechanical equipment or exceeded the permitted number of equipment, and illegally carried out prohibited prescribed construction works a number of times during restricted hours at night and on Sundays.
      
     In addition, during the EPD's inspections in June and August last year, it was found that the construction sites of the CWB Tunnel (North Point Section) and Island Eastern Corridor Link had discharged wastewater without proper treatment into storm drains twice. The wastewater samples showed that the concentrations of suspended solids exceeded the discharge standards stated in the licence by 172 times and 32 times respectively.
      
     After investigation and evidence gathering, the EPD prosecuted the contractors, the sub-contractor and the related workers for seven cases of noise nuisance and two cases of illegal wastewater discharge. The EPD has contacted the Civil Engineering and Development Department and the Highways Department and requested them to step up their supervision on contractors and to follow up the cases.
      
     The spokesman stressed that construction contractors must abide by the law and comply with environmental legislation and requirements. According to the NCO, first-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $100,000. A maximum fine of $200,000 may be imposed on second or subsequent convictions.
      
     The spokesman also reminded all construction site contractors to install appropriate wastewater treatment facilities and properly collect and treat wastewater to ensure that the discharge complies with the license requirements under the Water Pollution Control Ordinance. It is an offence for any person to discharge wastewater that does not comply with the license requirements. First-time offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $200,000 and six months' imprisonment.

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (November 22) that in view of a notification from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs about outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N6 sub-type avian influenza in Tengchong City, Baoshan and Luquan County, Kunming in Yunnan Province, it has followed the existing approach for control of highly pathogenic avian influenza and taken recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health into account to suspend the import of poultry and poultry products, including poultry eggs, from an area within a radius of 3 kilometres from the said places for a period of 90 days, and from an area within a radius of 13km for 21 days, with immediate effect for the protection of public health in Hong Kong.
      
     A spokesman for the CFS said that according to information from the General Administration of Customs, the outbreaks do not affect any registered Mainland poultry farms that export to Hong Kong. No registered poultry meat or poultry egg processing plants are currently situated within the import restriction zones concerned.
      
     The CFS will closely monitor the latest developments of the avian influenza case in the province and take appropriate follow-up action as necessary.

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

     The meeting of the Legislative Council (LegCo) Finance Committee (FC) originally scheduled at 3pm tomorrow (November 23) in Conference Room 1 of the LegCo Complex will start at 3.30pm (or an earlier time between 3.15pm and 3.30pm). If the preceding House Committee (HC) meeting ends before 3.15pm, the FC meeting will start at 3.15 pm; if the preceding HC meeting ends between 3.15 pm and 3.30 pm, the FC meeting will start immediately after the HC meeting.

     Hong Kong Customs mounted an anti-illicit cigarette operation from November 20 to 21 and seized a total of about 1.9 million suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $5.2 million and a duty potential of about $3.7 million at Man Kam To Control Point and Chek Lap Kok.

     On November 20, Customs officers intercepted an incoming lorry declared as containing assorted goods at Man Kam To Control Point. About 300 000 suspected illicit cigarettes were found in 26 carton boxes mix-loaded with other goods on the vehicle. The 59-year-old male driver was arrested. After follow-up investigation, Customs officers further seized about 100 000 suspected illicit cigarettes at a logistics site in Chek Lap Kok on the same day.

     Then, on November 21, Customs officers intercepted an incoming lorry declared as containing furniture at Man Kam To Control Point. About 1.5 million suspected illicit cigarettes were found concealed in 62 mattresses mix-loaded with other goods on the vehicle. The 67-year-old male driver was arrested.

     The two lorries involved in the cases were also detained for investigation. Investigations are ongoing.

     Smuggling is a serious offence. Under the Import and Export Ordinance, any person found guilty of importing or exporting unmanifested cargo is liable to a maximum fine of $2 million and imprisonment for seven years.

     Under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance, anyone involved in dealing with, possession of, selling or buying illicit cigarettes commits an offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $1 million and imprisonment for two years.

     Members of the public may report any suspected illicit cigarette activities to the Customs 24-hour hotline 2545 6182, or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk).