The following is issued on behalf of the Community Care Fund Secretariat:

     The Community Care Fund (CCF) has extended the assistance programme Subsidy for Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Recipients Living in Rented Private Housing. The six-month programme is administered by the Social Welfare Department (SWD).
      
     The programme, rolled out in October 2011, was launched annually in September 2013 to 2016. It was relaunched for two years in November 2017, and extended for six months in November 2019 and in May 2020 respectively. It aims at providing a one-off subsidy to Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) households living in rented private housing and paying rent that exceeds the maximum rent allowance (MRA) under the CSSA Scheme, so as to relieve their financial burden arising from the periodic increase of rent. The SWD has now extended the programme for six months to the end of April 2021. 
      
     Beneficiaries should be, as at July 31, 2020, tenants of private housing receiving CSSA with monthly rental payment exceeding the MRA under the CSSA Scheme. The CSSA recipients concerned are not required to submit applications as the SWD will identify eligible CSSA households based on information on reported rental records as at July 31, 2020, under the extended period of six months (from November 2020 to April 2021). In accordance with the current model of operation, the monthly subsidy will be calculated based on the reported rental records as at July 31, 2020. The monthly subsidy will be either 50 per cent of the portion of the rental amount exceeding the applicable MRA or 15 per cent of the applicable MRA at the aforementioned date, whichever is the less. The subsidy will be disbursed during the further extended period of the programme in one go. It is expected to be deposited directly into the eligible CSSA households' bank accounts for CSSA payment from late January 2021.

     For details of the programme, please visit the CCF website (www.communitycarefund.hk) or the SWD website (www.swd.gov.hk). For enquiries, please call the CCF Team of the SWD at 3422 3090 during office hours.

     The Government announced today (December 24) that the Chief Executive has re-appointed Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan, Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung, Mr Chow Chung-kong, Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong, Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, Miss Elsie Leung Oi-sie, Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi, Dr Ng Chau-pei and Mr Lau Chin-shek as non-official members of the Honours and Non-official Justices of the Peace Selection Committee.
 
     "All members will serve for a one-year term, from January 1 to December 31, 2021," a Government spokesman said.
 
     The Selection Committee is tasked to consider nominations for various honours as well as for the appointment of Non-official Justices of the Peace (JPs) and make recommendations to the Chief Executive.
 
     Honours and awards are awarded to individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to Hong Kong or dedicated public and community service. The appointment of JPs is governed by the Justices of the Peace Ordinance (Cap. 510). JPs are required to perform certain functions, including visiting custodial institutions or detention centres to ensure that such facilities are effectively managed and that no inmate is unfairly treated or deprived of his or her rights.
 
     The annual Honours List and the list of new JP appointments are normally published in the Government Gazette on Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day (July 1).
 
     The Selection Committee is chaired by the Chief Secretary for Administration. Other official members include the Financial Secretary, the Secretary for Home Affairs, the Chairman of the Public Service Commission and the Director of the Chief Executive's Office.
 
     The Selection Committee's full membership for the new term is as follows:
 
Chairman
———-
Chief Secretary for Administration
 
Non-official Members
————————
Mr Bernard Charnwut Chan
Mrs Laura Cha Shih May-lung
Mr Chow Chung-kong
Mr Martin Liao Cheung-kong
Mrs Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee
Miss Elsie Leung Oi-sie
Dr Moses Cheng Mo-chi
Dr Ng Chau-pei
Mr Lau Chin-shek

Official Members
——————-
Financial Secretary
Secretary for Home Affairs
Chairman, Public Service Commission
Director, Chief Executive's Office

     The Government announced today (December 24) that the Chief Executive has made appointments and re-appointments to the four Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) advisory committees, namely the Advisory Committee on Corruption (ACOC), the Operations Review Committee (ORC), the Corruption Prevention Advisory Committee (CPAC) and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Community Relations (CACCR), and to the ICAC Complaints Committee (ICC). All of the appointments and re-appointments are for a term of two years with effect from January 1, 2021. 
 
ACOC
 
     The Chief Executive has re-appointed Executive Council Member the Hon Martin Liao Cheung-kong as the Chairman of the ACOC. Legislative Council (LegCo) Members the Hon Chan Hak-kan and the Hon Abraham Shek Lai-him as well as Ms Irene Chow Man-ling have been re-appointed to the ACOC as members. The Chief Executive has also appointed Ms Au King-chi as a new member to the ACOC. 
 
     Ms Au King-chi is a retired senior civil servant. She is currently a member of the Executive Committee of Youth Outreach.
 
     The ACOC advises the Commissioner of the ICAC on any aspects of the problem of corruption in Hong Kong, and keeps the operational, staffing and administrative policies of the ICAC under review.  
 
ORC

     The Chief Executive has re-appointed LegCo Member the Hon Ronick Chan Chun-ying, Mr Paul Lam Ting-kwok, Dr Kelvin Wong Tin-yau and Ms Nicole Yuen Shuk-kam as members of the ORC. Professor David Hui Shu-cheong, Mr Johnson Kong Chi-how, Mr Richard Kendall Lancaster, Professor Li Pang-kwong and Ms Melissa Kaye Pang have been newly appointed to the ORC as members.
 
     Professor David Hui Shu-cheong is the Director of the Stanley Ho Centre for Emerging Infectious Diseases of the Faculty of Medicine of the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He also serves on the Board of Scientific Advisors.
 
     Mr Johnson Kong Chi-how is an accountant by profession. He is the Immediate Past President of the Council of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
 
     Mr Richard Kendall Lancaster is the Chief Executive Officer of a local utilities company. He is also currently the Chairman of the Business Environment Council.
 
     Professor Li Pang-kwong is a Professor of Practice in the Department of Political Science and concurrently the founding Director of the Public Governance Programme at Lingnan University.
 
     Ms Melissa Kaye Pang, a solicitor by profession, is currently the President of the Law Society of Hong Kong. She is also the Chairperson of the Committee on the Promotion of Civic Education.
 
     The ORC oversees all ICAC investigations. It reviews corruption complaints received and investigations conducted by the ICAC to ensure that they are handled effectively and efficiently. It also examines circumstances where search warrants are authorised by the Commissioner, where persons have been put on bail for more than six months, and where investigations have been lasting for over a year or require substantial resources.
 
CPAC
 
     The Chief Executive has re-appointed Ms Kuby Chan Yin-hung, Mr Sunny Cheung Yiu-tong, Mr Alex Chu Wing-yiu, Dr Stephen Lai Yuk-fai, Mr Winson Woo Lap-kee and Miss Theresa Yeung Wing-shan as members of the CPAC. Miss Mabel Chan Mei-bo and Ms Doreen Kong Yuk-foon have been newly appointed to the Committee as members. 
 
     Miss Mabel Chan Mei-bo is the sole proprietor of an accounting firm. She is serving on a number of boards and committees, including the Air Transport Licensing Authority and the Business Facilitation Advisory Committee.   
 
     Ms Doreen Kong Yuk-foon is a solicitor by profession and is now a Council Member of the Law Society of Hong Kong.
 
     The CPAC receives and calls for reports from the ICAC about practices and procedures of government departments, public bodies and the private sector which may be conducive to corruption. It also advises the Commissioner on what areas should be examined and the degree of priority to be accorded to each.
 
CACCR
 
     The Chief Executive has re-appointed Mr Mac Chan Ho-ting, Ms Chan Yuen-ling, Professor Anthony Fung Ying-him, Mr Eddy Hui Shun, Mr Chris Ip Ngo-tung, Mr James Mok Hon-fai, Mr Webster Ng Kam-wah, Mr Victor Pang Wing-seng, Dr Rocky Tung Yat-ngok and Mr Wong Wai-kit to the CACCR as members. A new member appointed to the Committee is Mr Chu Tsz-wing.
 
     Mr Chu Tsz-wing is the Chief Headmaster of St Hilary's Primary School and VNSAA St Hilary's School. 
 
     The CACCR advises the Commissioner on appropriate measures to foster public support in combating corruption and to educate the public against the evils of corruption. It also monitors the community response to the ICAC's work and public attitudes towards corruption in general.
 
ICC
 
     The Chief Executive has re-appointed Mr Stephen Yiu Kin-wah as a member of the ICC, while Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen is a new member appointed to the Committee.
 
     Mr Laurence Li Lu-jen is a Senior Counsel. He is currently the Chairman of the Financial Services Development Council.
 
     The ICC monitors the handling of non-criminal complaints against the ICAC, reviews the ICAC procedures and practices which may lead to complaints, and makes recommendations when necessary.
 
     The Government expresses its gratitude to all outgoing members of the above-mentioned committees, who are retiring on December 31, 2020. Their valuable contributions to the work of the respective committees are greatly appreciated.
 
     The updated non-official membership lists of the four ICAC advisory committees and the ICC are in the Annex.

     Following is the transcript of remarks by the Secretary for Labour and Welfare, Dr Law Chi-kwong, on the "Hong Kong Poverty Situation Report 2019" after attending a radio programme this morning (December 24):

Reporter: One English question. So, you said people should not pay too much attention to the record-high number of 1.49 million people in poverty. Could you explain a little bit more and how do you think the Government is doing to help those people?

Secretary for Labour and Welfare: The number of people living below the poverty line basically means those who have received assistance from the Government and income on their own, so that figure is basically around 640 000 people. On the other hand, the figures that represent the pre-Government intervention tell us something else. It doesn't tell us how many people are actually living below the poverty line. It tells us that if the Government does nothing at all, then how many people will be living in poverty. It also tells us the impact of the downturn of the economy, its impact on different sectors of the community.

     So, just looking at that particular figure is not very meaningful, but looking at what's behind those figures will be more useful, in particular in terms of evaluating government policy, no matter they are regular recurrent expenditure or whether there are some relief measures. Those figures will help us evaluate the extent of impact and the differential impact on the relief of poverty and they are more useful. I believe that the Report is a very important instrument for us to review the policy and have people reading them and giving us constructive suggestions.

(Please also refer to the Chinese portion of the transcript.)

     The Government today (December 24) announced that Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung has been appointed as Chairman of the Environmental Campaign Committee (ECC) for two years from January 1, 2021, to December 31, 2022.         

     Three new members are appointed to the ECC. They are Ms Sarah Mui Sze-wa, Ms Tansy Lau-Tom and Ms Samathy Woo.

     The Secretary for the Environment, Mr Wong Kam-sing, said, "I am pleased to appoint Mr Wong to be the Chairman of the ECC and I warmly welcome the three new members. I am looking forward to the ECC's promotion of environmental protection and mobilisation of the public to practise low-carbon living in different sectors of the community under the leadership of Mr Wong.

     "I would like to thank in particular the outgoing Chairman, Professor Joseph Sung Jao-yiu, for his full dedication to leading the ECC to enhance the environmental awareness of the public in the past two years, especially in promoting eco-anti-pandemic measures as well as taking care of one's health and reducing waste at source at the same time. In addition, I would also like to thank the outgoing members, namely Ms Nancy Lam Chung-yan, Dr Calvin Lee Kwan and Dr Albert Wong for their valuable advice and contributions to the ECC during their appointment period."

     The ECC has been set up since 1990 to promote public awareness of environmental issues and encourage the public to contribute actively towards a better environment. It also advises the Government on publicity and educational programmes related to the environment with a view to contributing to the Government's formulation of relevant policy initiatives and measures.

     The appointments, published in the Gazette today, will be effective from January 1, 2021.

     The full membership of the new term of the ECC is as follows: 

Chairman: 
Mr Simon Wong Kit-lung

Vice Chairman:
Mr Hui Yung-chung*

Non-official Members: 
Mr Tommy Chan Ka-keung*
Dr Eugene Chan Kin-keung*
Ms Vivien Cheng Yu-wai*
Ms Quince Chong Wai-yan*
Mr Henry Ho Chi-fai*
Mr Tony Ip Chung-man* 
Mr Edmond Leung*
Ms Jenny Li Chun-chau*
Mr Norris Ng Hin-lung*
Dr Ng Tsz-yan*
Ms Malina Ngai Man-lin*
Ms Ellie Tang*
Dr Conrad Wong Tin-cheung*
Mr Henry Yau Yik-chung*
Ms Sarah Mui Sze-wa
Mrs Tansy Lau-Tom
Ms Samathy Woo

Ex-officio Members:
Secretary for Education#
Secretary for Home Affairs#
Director of Environmental Protection#
Director of Information Services#

* Serving members
# Or his/her representative