The Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, today (May 5) visited Wong Chuk Hang and Ap Lei Chau in Southern District to learn about the progress of the Invigorating Island South (IIS) initiative. 

     Mrs Lam, accompanied by the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, and the Permanent Secretary for Development (Planning and Lands), Ms Bernadette Linn, started the visit at Aberdeen Sports Ground, where she received a briefing from the Head of the Invigorating Island South Office (IISO), Ms Brenda Au, on the various projects under the IIS initiative. One of the projects has been to redevelop and consolidate, under a "single site, multiple use" approach jointly pursued by relevant government bureaux and departments, the facilities in Wong Chuk Hang such as Aberdeen Sports Ground and Wong Chuk Hang Recreation Ground in order to optimise the use of existing land and provide more diverse recreational, sports and community services to the public.

     Afterwards, Mrs Lam visited Staunton Creek Nullah and the neighbouring public space, where she was briefed by Ms Au on the nullah revitalisation project and two place-making projects, namely improvements to the public space next to Tai Wong Ye Temple by repaving the ground and providing benches and mural paintings to create a gathering spot for people to enjoy in a leisurely way and socialise, and the Green Link in Wong Chuk Hang connecting Wong Chuk Hang Station of the MTR with Aberdeen Country Park through attractive sitting-out areas and convenient pedestrian facilities. Mrs Lam said she was pleased to note that the projects would invigorate the urban area while leveraging and accentuating Hong Kong's unique cityscape with the proximity of the bustling city to the tranquil countryside.

     Mrs Lam then proceeded to Ap Lei Chau to walk along the waterfront near the Hung Shing Temple. She learnt that the IISO has been working with different government departments to design various themed zones along the waterfronts on both sides of Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter to enhance the vibrancy, and proactively taking forward quick-win measures such as opening up the enclosed landscaped and grassed area adjoining Ap Lei Chau Park to provide more leisure space for the public.

     "The beautiful natural landscapes, pleasant sea and land scenery, well-known attractions, and rich historical and cultural resources all underline the great development potential of Southern District. Drawing on the successful experience gained from the Energizing Kowloon East initiative, I announced the IIS initiative in my 2020 Policy Address. The Development Bureau subsequently set up the IISO in February 2021 to interact and collaborate with stakeholders within and outside the Government and plan, co-ordinate and implement various projects. Considerable progress has already been made in just over a year," Mrs Lam said.
 
     "I am pleased to note that, under the supervision of Ms Au, formerly the Head of the Energizing Kowloon East Office, the IISO formulated its first conceptual master plan in 2021 and subsequently, having taken into account the views of stakeholders and the public, introduced the IIS Conceptual Master Plan 2.0 in March this year. The aim is to develop Southern District, in particular Wong Chuk Hang, Aberdeen and Ap Lei Chau, into a district full of vibrancy, vigour and velocity for people to work, live, explore new ideas and have fun.
 
     "For both the Energizing Kowloon East and IIS initiatives, I have been encouraging colleagues to take forward co-ordinated regional development with a bold and innovative attitude, a place-making approach and a spirit of community engagement. These success factors have been incorporated into the Northern Metropolis Development Strategy to help build a better living environment for the people of Hong Kong."

          

     The event titled The Launch of the Integrated Mediation Office (West Kowloon) of the Judiciary, co-organised by the Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Judiciary, was successfully held today (May 5). This event is one of the thematic events of Mediation Week 2022.

     The Small Claims Mediation Pilot Scheme commenced operation in the West Kowloon Mediation Centre (WKMC) in November 2018 and has been supervised by the WKMC Supervisory Committee established under the Steering Committee on Mediation chaired by the Secretary for Justice. Since then, suitable cases have been referred by small claims adjudicators to the WKMC to facilitate parties' consideration on the use of mediation to resolve their disputes. The Pilot Scheme was a great success with around 50 per cent of cases settled after mediation. The Pilot Scheme will end on June 30, 2022.

     The Judiciary will take over the premises from early July 2022 to facilitate the greater use of mediation services for dispute settlement instead of resorting to litigation in court. The new centre will be named as Integrated Mediation Office (West Kowloon) (IMO (WK)). This will be an extension of the Judiciary's existing office at the Wanchai Law Court Building for promoting and facilitating mediation services for various levels of court. Adjudicators of the Small Claims Tribunal will continue to identify suitable cases for mediation and such cases can be referred to IMO (WK) for mediation services.

     Speaking at the opening remarks of the event, Permanent Judge of the Court of Final Appeal, Mr Justice Johnson Lam, said, "We believe that mediation can resolve disputes more effectively than litigation in suitable cases. The parties take an adversarial approach in litigation, whereas mediation focuses on facilitating the parties to reach agreement, which may sometimes bring about a more satisfactory solution to the disputes."

     The event was then followed by insightful sharing sessions on small claims mediation by Acting Principal Adjudicator of the Small Claims Tribunal, Mr Lawrence Yip, and Adjudicator of the Small Claims Tribunal, Mr Bryan Lung.

     The event was well received by the audience. It is hoped that this event will give the public and the legal and mediation sectors a better understanding of the services and operation of the new IMO (WK), and that parties to Small Claims Tribunal cases will be more willing to attempt mediation in future.

     For more information about this event and other events of Mediation Week 2022, please visit the dedicated website.

     The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has all along been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat, and in a blitz operation today (May 5) raided a licensed fresh provision shop (FPS) in Sha Tin District suspected of selling frozen meat as fresh meat.
  
​     During the operation, FEHD officers raided a licensed FPS in Freshall (Sha Kok Market), and marked and sealed over 730 kilograms of suspected fresh meat and frozen meat for further investigation. A beef sample was collected for testing for preservatives and prosecution will be taken out if sufficient evidence is collected. The licensee of the FPS is suspected of breaching the licensing condition for the display and sale of frozen meat as fresh meat, and the FEHD is proceeding with the cancellation of the FPS's licence.
   
​     FEHD officers also initiated two prosecutions against the operator of the FPS for dirtiness at the premises and placing a beef carcass on the floor without means of protection against the risk of contamination. In addition, verbal warnings were also given to the operator of the FPS for non-compliance with relevant licensing conditions by being unable to provide delivery notes for inspection and improper storage temperature for frozen beef.
 
​     An FEHD spokesman said, "Selling of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat breaches the licensing condition and causes food safety problems. Also, the operation of these profiteers is unfair to other shops that comply with the requirements."

​     The spokesman added, "Anyone selling chilled meat or frozen meat without permission commits an offence and is liable to a maximum fine of $50,000 and six months' imprisonment on conviction. The department will continue to conduct regular inspections at licensed FPSs and market meat stalls, and will actively handle the complaints received. In detecting any irregularities, the FEHD will carry out immediate investigation and take appropriate enforcement action. In addition, the FEHD also proactively investigates suspected violations from time to time and conducts surprise inspections and enforcement action as necessary. If there is sufficient evidence, prosecutions will be initiated and follow-up action will be taken on the breach of licensing conditions or tenancy agreements. The licences of fresh provision shops breaching the licensing conditions may be cancelled, while the tenancies of market meat stalls breaching the tenancy agreements may be terminated."
 
​     The spokesman stressed that the FEHD is very concerned and has been committed to combating the sale of chilled or frozen meat disguised as fresh meat by taking stringent enforcement action against the violations.

  

     The Government announced today (May 5) the extension of the term of the Commission on Children for seven months from June 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022.
 
     The Commission on Children was established on June 1, 2018, and its major functions are to develop policies, set strategies and priorities related to the development and advancement of children, and oversee the implementation of relevant policies and services, as well as promote children's rights and fund public educational projects.
 
     A spokesman for the Labour and Welfare Bureau said that an extension of the term of the Commission on Children for seven months would allow sufficient time for the new-term Government to consider the future mode of operation and membership composition of the Commission. In the past four years, the Commission and its four Working Groups have fully collaborated with the current-term Government on the pro-child principle and policy objective. The Government expressed gratitude to members for their efforts and fully acknowledged their accomplishments.
 
     The membership list of the Commission with effect from June 1, 2022, is as follows:
 
Chairperson
————–
Chief Secretary for Administration

Vice-chairperson
——————–
Secretary for Labour and Welfare

Non-official Members
—————————
Mr Peter Au Yeung Wai-hong
Miss Bakar Fariha Salma Deiya
Miss Kelly Cheng Hui-kiu
Ms Janus Cheng
Mr Chow Wai-chung
Ms Kathy Chung Lai-kam
Mr Dennis Ho Chi-kuen
Dr Patrick Ip
Dr Sanly Kam Shau-wan
Mrs Priscilla Lui Tsang Sun-kai
Ms Shalini Mahtani
Mr Kenny Ng Kwan-lim
Ms Michelle Tam Chi-yun
Dr Sandra Tsang Kit-man
Mr Gary Wong Chi-him
Dr Lilian Wong Hiu-lei
Ms Kathy Wong Kin-ho
Dr Wong Kwai-yau
 
Ex-officio Members
————————
Secretary for Education
Secretary for Food and Health
Secretary for Home Affairs
Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs
Director of Social Welfare
Director of Health
Director of Home Affairs
Chairperson of Family Council
Chairperson of Women's Commission

     The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (May 5) announced that malachite green was found in an eel sample. Follow-up is in progress.

     A CFS spokesman said, "The CFS collected the above-mentioned eel sample from a fresh provision shop in Tung Chung for testing under its routine Food Surveillance Programme. The test result showed that the sample contained malachite green at a level of 1.35 parts per billion."

     The spokesman said that the CFS has informed the vendor concerned of the irregularity and instructed the vendor to stop sale of the affected product. The CFS is also tracing the source and distribution of the product concerned.

     Malachite green is a type of industrial dye and has been used for treating infections in fish. Currently, malachite green has been prohibited for use in food-producing animals in many countries. According to the Harmful Substances in Food Regulations (Cap. 132AF), no food sold in Hong Kong is allowed to contain malachite green. Offenders will be prosecuted and will be liable to a fine of $50,000 and to imprisonment for six months upon conviction.

     The CFS will continue to follow up on the incident and take appropriate action. Investigation is ongoing.