Following the plan to implement regulations for private healthcare facilities (PHFs) in phases, the Government announced today (May 21) that commencement notices have been made under the Private Healthcare Facilities Ordinance (Cap. 633) (the Ordinance) to implement the regulatory regime for clinics and small practice clinics (SPCs).

     The aforesaid commencement notices will be gazetted this Friday (May 23) and tabled at the Legislative Council meeting for negative vetting on May 28. The Department of Health (DH) will step up the promotion to the healthcare sector in parallel, and begin to accept applications for clinic licences and requests for letters of exemption for SPCs from October 13 onwards.

     The Ordinance regulates premises where registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists practise. It stipulates that a licence is required for operating a clinic, and licensees must at all times comply with the Ordinance, licence conditions and codes of practice (CoP) issued by the Director of Health (DoH). Pursuant to the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee for Regulatory Standards for Private Healthcare Facilities, the DH has formulated the standards in respect of accommodation, staffing and equipment etc for operating a clinic. The DoH will issue the CoP for Clinics by gazettal on May 23, specifying October 13 as the day on which the CoP comes into effect to tie in with the arrangements for licence applications.

Application details

     Clinics already in operation on or before November 30, 2018 (i.e. the gazettal date for the enactment of the Ordinance), may require substantial alterations (e.g. modifying the accommodation layout) in order to meet the licensing requirements. As a transitional arrangement, operators of such clinics may apply for a licence between October 13, 2025, and April 13, 2026. After considering the circumstances, the DH may issue a provisional licence which allows these clinics to continue their operation before a full licence is issued.

     The provisional licence will expire on a date specified by the Secretary for Health for the expiry of provisions pertaining to such licences; when a full licence is issued to the licensee; or when the application for a full licence is withdrawn or rejected to give operators more time to make alterations.

     As for clinics which commenced operation after November 30, 2018 (including those which started businesses or moved to new premises), operators can directly apply for a full licence from October 13 onwards.

     For SPCs (i.e. clinics having not more than five registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists that meet specific conditions under the Ordinance), operators must ask the DoH for a letter of exemption from obtaining a licence from October 13 onwards for their continued operation.

     The above arrangements aim to focus on regulating clinics under the management of incorporated bodies. SPCs are exclusively operated by registered medical practitioners and/or registered dentists whose professional practice is already governed by the existing legislation with relevant safeguards. The Ordinance also empowers the DoH to revoke exemptions on specific grounds (e.g. an SPC has been operated in a way contrary to the public interest) to better uphold public interests.

Supporting arrangements

     To ensure that the industry has a full understanding of the regulations, the DH has launched a publicity campaign on the website since the first quarter of this year and will progressively step up the relevant work, including disseminating information through various platforms such as professional organisations, press releases, television and radio announcements. The DH will also arrange multiple briefing sessions for the healthcare sector. Please refer to the website of the Office for Regulation of Private Healthcare Facilities (www.orphf.gov.hk) for details.

     To address public concern about the use of titles or descriptions by illegal practitioners which may mislead the public into believing that medical services are provided therein, the Government plans to further implement section 92 of the Ordinance after the clinic licences and letters of exemption for SPCs have come into force to prohibit premises other than a permitted facility (i.e. neither a licensed hospital/day procedure centre/clinic, nor an SPC holding a letter of exemption) from bearing a specified title or description in order to enhance regulation.

     Since its enactment in 2018, the primary objective of the Ordinance is to ensure that premises providing medical services shall comply with stipulated facility and safety standards, and oversee the quality and price transparency of medical services as appropriate. As for commercial practices of PHFs (including commercial marketing or prepayment mode of consumption), the Government will continue to exercise comprehensive regulation through other existing laws to safeguard the rights and interests of the public.

     Following is a question by the Hon Chan Chun-ying and a reply by the Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, Miss Rosanna Law, in the Legislative Council today (May 21):

Question:

     It is learnt that due to the prevalence of digitisation and changes in the reading habits of members of the public, the number of visits to public libraries and the number of materials on loan have both dropped significantly in recent years, and quite a number of overseas libraries have gradually transformed themselves from conventional institutions for collecting and lending books into diversified spaces functioning as community centres with intelligent services. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) of the following information about public libraries for the past two years: (i) the numbers of circulations of physical books, e-books and multimedia items and their year-on-year rates of change, (ii) the expenditure on purchasing such items and its percentage in the overall library expenditure, (iii) the number of visits, (iv) the number of newly registered users, and (v) the number of readers borrowing physical materials;

(2) whether it has reviewed the functions and services of public libraries to ensure that the allocation of resources can meet the needs of the community; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(3) whether it has drawn on the library models of other cities to push forward the modernisation and transformation of Hong Kong's public libraries in terms of innovative design, application of intelligent technology, community services and so on, as well as to expand their functions and services; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     My consolidated reply to various parts of the question raised by the Hon Chan Chun-ying is as follows:

     Under the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD), there are 71 static libraries, 12 mobile libraries and 3 self-service library stations that offer round-the-clock services, providing free and comprehensive library services for the public.

     In the past 2 years, the number of visits to the libraries increased from 21.49 million in 2023 to 23.83 million in 2024. The number of loans of physical books increased from 28.75 million items to 28.97 million items, while that of multimedia materials increased slightly from 616 000 items to 617 000 items. On the other hand, as more people visited the libraries and borrowed physical books, the number of loans of e-books decreased from 2.56 million items to 2.32 million items. In 2023 and 2024, the number of newly registered readers was 43 000 and 38 000 respectively, while the number of readers who borrowed physical materials was 620 000 and 600 000 respectively.

     The expenditure on the acquisition of library materials maintained at about $100 million in the financial years of 2023-24 and 2024-25, accounting for about 7 per cent of the overall expenditure of the libraries in the respective financial years.

     Libraries in different regions have been facing the challenge of declining patronage due to the availability of more free information online. To facilitate the sustainable development of the libraries, the LCSD has implemented the strategic plan of libraries from 2020 to 2025 to enhance existing facilities and library networks; raise public awareness of the physical collection and electronic resources; launch large-scale reading promotion activities to promote reading interests and expand readership; and enhance library services through the application of information technology. The libraries also conduct opinion surveys through annual Reader Liaison Group gatherings to better understand the reading habits and needs of readers.

     At present, the LCSD enhances its library services on various aspects, including planning, library collections, services and application of technology, etc. When planning new library facilities, the LCSD will make reference to the experience of Mainland and overseas libraries, with a view to making a library into a community gathering place. The demographics and needs of different communities will be taken into account when planning the functions, design, services and facilities of libraries to ensure that library services will meet the needs of residents of different age groups in the community. Taking Sham Shui Po Public Library commissioned in 2023 as an example, considering the greater number of young families in the district, a parent-child reading corner and a game wall are specifically provided in its children's library where the facilities are tailor-made for paired reading by young readers and families. A leisure reading area is also set up in the adult library to provide a comfortable reading environment for patrons, and a create • info zone equipped with more multimedia digital service facilities is provided for the youth. Besides, the library also caters for the needs of the elderly in the district by providing desktop video magnifiers in the newspapers and periodicals section to bring convenience to them when reading newspapers and magazines.

     On library collections, the LCSD keeps gathering and analysing usage data of its library collections, including both physical and e-books, for understanding changes in reading habits and demands of readers as well as introducing new library materials that meet the needs of the public. With the ever-increasing popularity of e-reading, the libraries continue to enhance its acquisition of e-books, bringing an increase of over 60 per cent in the e-book collection from 330 000 items in 2019 to about 540 000 items currently. The usage of e-books also rose sharply from 960 000 in 2019 to 2.32 million in 2024.

     Apart from the provision of book lending services in libraries, the LCSD libraries also offer outreaching services from time to time, such as block loan of library materials in the community to assist individual community organisations and housing estates with such demand in establishing community libraries for providing book services to their members or residents. Currently, 197 community libraries have been set up across the territory, including two located inside the Community Living Rooms in Sham Shui Po.

     In addition, the libraries launch large-scale territory-wide reading activities and hold other activities such as book exhibitions, talks, workshops and pop-up libraries during major events organised by the LCSD to promote library collections and e-reading, with a view to extending the reach to readers.

     Like public libraries in other advanced cities, the LCSD strives to enhance library services through the application of new technology, and is developing a new Smart Library System. As an integrated library system, the new system supports the daily operation of all public libraries, including collection management, borrowing and return of library materials and online electronic resources, etc, thereby providing greater convenience to the public in using library services. Thank you, President.

     The Education Bureau (EDB) announced today (May 21) the arrangements for the change in result reporting systems of Category C Other Languages (OL) subjects with effect from the 2025 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) Examination. The results attaining specific examination grades/language proficiency levels of the OL subjects will continue to be accepted as meeting the entry requirements of relevant civil service grades.

     According to the new arrangements for Category C OL subjects (French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish) announced by the Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority (HKEAA) in 2022 for the 2025 HKDSE Examination and onwards, candidates should take the stipulated language examinations administered by the respective official organisations in Hong Kong. Their results obtained at the stipulated examination grades/language proficiency levels or above will be included in the HKDSE Examination Category C results and reported on the HKDSE certificates. For details, please refer to the HKEAA website (www.hkeaa.edu.hk/en/HKDSE/assessment/subject_information/category_c_subjects/). 

     In response to the change in the result reporting systems of the OL subjects, the Civil Service Bureau (CSB) accepts, from the 2025 HKDSE Examination results release day (i.e. July 16) onwards, the specific examination grades/language proficiency levels attained in the OL examinations (Note) as meeting the requirements of "Level 2/Level 3 in one of the five subjects in the HKDSE Examination" for civil service non-degree grade appointment purpose. Regarding the OL results obtained in the 2024 HKDSE Examination or before, the existing acceptance arrangement will remain unchanged. For information about the recruitment of civil service jobs, please visit the CSB website (www.csb.gov.hk/english/recruit/7.html).

     An EDB spokesman said the Government has long been offering the OL subjects as elective subjects at the senior secondary level to enable students to fully develop their potential and nurture a new generation with global vision and multilingual abilities, thereby further strengthening Hong Kong's distinctive advantage of having strong support from the motherland and maintaining close connections to the world.  

     Note: 
     Specific examination grades/language proficiency levels of HKDSE Category C OL subjects refer to: 
     – A2 or above (i.e. A2, B1, B2, C1 & C2 (highest)) in French/German/Spanish;
     – N3 or above (i.e. N3, N2 & N1 (highest)) in Japanese; and
     – TOPIK II Grade 3 or above (i.e. TOPIK II Grade 3, 4, 5 & 6 (highest)) in Korean.  

     The Transport Department (TD) today (May 21) said that the next online auction of vehicle registration marks (VRMs) will be held from noon on June 5 (Thursday) to noon on June 9 (Monday) through the auction platform E-Auction (e-auction.td.gov.hk). Interested bidders can participate in the online auction only after they have successfully registered as E-Auction users.
 
     A spokesman for the TD said, "A total of 150 Ordinary VRMs will be available at this online public auction. The list of VRMs (see Annex) has been uploaded to the E-Auction website. Applicants who have paid a $1,000 deposit to reserve the Ordinary VRM for auction should also register as an E-Auction user in advance in order to participate in the online bidding, including placing the first bid at the opening price of $1,000. Otherwise, the VRMs reserved by them may be bid on by other interested bidders at or above the opening price. Auctions for VRMs with HK or 'XX' as a prefix, special VRMs and personalised VRMs will continue to be carried out through physical auctions by bidding paddles, and their announcement arrangements remain unchanged."
 
     Members of the public participating in the online bidding should take note of the following important points:
 
(1) Bidders should register in advance as an E-Auction user by "iAM Smart+" equipped with the digital signing function; or by using a valid digital certificate and an email address upon completion of identity verification. Registered "iAM Smart" users should provide their Hong Kong identity card number, while non-Hong Kong residents who are not "iAM Smart" users should provide the number of their passport or other identification documents when registering as E-Auction users.
 
(2) Bidders are required to provide a digital signature to confirm the submission and amount of the bid by using "iAM Smart+" or a valid digital certificate at the time of the first bid of each online bidding session (including setting automatic bids before the auction begins) to comply with the requirements of the Electronic Transactions Ordinance.
 
(3) If a bid is made in respect of a VRM within the last 10 minutes before the end of the auction, the auction end time for that particular VRM will be automatically extended by another 10 minutes, up to a maximum of 24 hours.
 
(4) Successful bidders must follow the instructions in the notification email issued by the TD to log in to the E-Auction within 48 hours from the issuance of email and complete the follow-up procedures, including:
 

• completing the Purchaser Information for the issuance of the Memorandum of Sale of Registration Mark (Memorandum of Sale); and
• making the auction payment online by credit card, Faster Payment System (FPS) or Payment by Phone Service (PPS). Cheque or cash payment is not accepted in the E-Auction.

(5) A VRM can only be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser. Relevant information on the Certificate of Incorporation must be provided by the successful bidder in the Purchaser Information of the Memorandum of Sale if the VRM purchased is to be registered under the name of a body corporate.
 
(6) Successful bidders will receive a notification email around seven working days after payment has been confirmed and can download the Memorandum of Sale from the E-Auction. The purchaser must apply for the VRM to be assigned to a motor vehicle registered in the name of the purchaser within 12 months from the date of issue of the Memorandum of Sale. If the purchaser fails to do so within the 12-month period, in accordance with the statutory provision, the allocation of the VRM will be cancelled and a new allocation will be arranged by the TD without prior notice to the purchaser.
 
     The TD has informed all applicants who have reserved the Ordinary VRMs for this round of auction of the E-Auction arrangements in detail by post. Members of the public may refer to the E-Auction website or watch the tutorial videos for more information. Please call the E-Auction hotline (3583 3980) or email (e-auction-enquiry@td.gov.hk) for enquiries. 

     Following is a question by the Hon Kingsley Wong and a written reply by the Acting Secretary for Health, Dr Libby Lee, in the Legislative Council today (May 21):

Question:

     There are views that the content of the Licensing Examination (LE) administered by the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) is too difficult and its syllabus far exceeds clinical needs, resulting in low pass rates. However, there are also views pointing out that despite its high level of difficulty, LE can ensure that passing candidates are capable of coping with the medical environment in Hong Kong. In addition, a member of the public has relayed to me that he had requested past LE examination papers and the relevant examination information from the Department of Health (DH), but DH pointed out that such information was in the possession of MCHK, which refused to disclose it. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:

(1) whether it has studied if the authorities have the power to access or require MCHK to submit and disclose information, including the examination papers and marking criteria of LE; whether DH has reviewed the LE examination papers and kept full records of the relevant examination materials; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(2) as there have been criticisms that the inclusion of a large number of questions on specialties and rare diseases in LE is a deliberate attempt to create difficulties for overseas candidates, how the authorities ensure that the difficulty of LE examination papers is at a reasonable level while respecting the professional autonomy of MCHK; whether the Director of Health or his/her representative, as an ex officio member of MCHK, has participated in the design of LE examination papers, including giving opinions on the scope and questions of the examination; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;

(3) as there are views that MCHK's non-disclosure of past LE examination papers undermines candidates' learning and makes it difficult for the community to fairly assess the difficulty of the examination papers, whether the authorities and MCHK will explore the disclosure or restricted disclosure of past LE examination papers; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and

(4) as there are views pointing out that the "Useful Resources" on MCHK's current website are too simplistic and the number of "Sample Questions" available is insufficient, whether it knows if MCHK will enhance its website and introduce measures to further facilitate overseas candidates in preparing for LE?

Reply:

President,

     In response to the questions raised by the Hon Kingsley Wong, after consulting the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK), the consolidated reply is set out below. 

     The registration and examination of healthcare professionals are matters pertaining to the professional standard and conduct of the sector. Their regulation is administered by the statutory boards or councils of the professions. The regulatory authorities must be accountable to the public when discharging their duties, ensuring Hong Kong's medical professional standard while protecting the health of citizens and safeguarding the overall interest of society. The Government's role is to ensure, through effective administrative arrangements, that the boards and councils of the respective professions perform their regulatory duties in accordance with their statutory functions and powers.

     The MCHK is an independent statutory body established under the Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO) (Cap. 161) empowered to handle registration and disciplinary regulation of medical practitioners in Hong Kong. Section 7 of the MRO provides that the MCHK shall set a Licensing Examination (LE), the passing of which shows the achievement of a standard acceptable for registration as a medical practitioner. The conduct of LE by the MCHK aims to ensure that those who wish to register as medical practitioners in Hong Kong after having received medical training elsewhere have attained a professional standard comparable to that of the local medical graduates, thereby safeguarding the quality of healthcare services and public health. The MCHK will regularly review the contents of the LE, and provides information to enable non-locally trained doctors who intend to sit for the LE to understand the format and contents of the LE.

     The LE consists of three parts: namely Part I Examination in Professional Knowledge, Part II Proficiency Test in Medical English and Part III Clinical Examination. The MCHK adopts a number of measures in organising the LE to ensure that its level and assessment standards are comparable to those of the medical examinations of the two universities in Hong Kong. Among them, the MCHK has set up different sub-committees responsible for matters related to the LE, including organising the LE, approving examination questions and maintaining a database of examination questions, considering and deciding on the eligibility of applicants to sit for the LE, and processing candidates' applications for review. To ensure representativeness, the sub-committees include representatives from public and private healthcare institutions, the medical schools and the Department of Health. In addition, the two medical schools in Hong Kong will appoint local and non-local medical experts with profound knowledge in relevant disciplines as examiners for each part of the LE to ensure that the quality and level of the examination meet the requirements. These experts will also offer recommendations to further refine the examination contents and arrangements. For Part I Examination in Professional Knowledge, the questions are chosen from the database of examination questions at comparable level as the medical examination of the two medical schools, hence not suitable for publication.

     To enhance the transparency of the LE and to increase candidates' understanding of the LE, the MCHK set up an information portal on the LE in October 2018 (leip.mchk.org.hk). Relevant information of the LE, such as examination formats, sample questions, list of suggested readings, videos of the Clinical Examination and general information about the LE, is available in the LE Information Portal for reference by the public and non-locally trained doctors who intend to seek registration as medical practitioners in Hong Kong. The MCHK reviews and enhances the online portal from time to time, including increasing the number of sample questions, to facilitate candidates in preparing for the LE.