The Census and Statistics Department maintains a computerised Central Register of Establishments which contains information relating to some 420 000 active establishments in Hong Kong. Information kept in the Register is updated on a quarterly basis through feedback from various surveys of the department and administrative returns from relevant government departments. Information in respect of the first quarter of 2019 is now updated in the Register.

     The Register serves mainly as the sampling frame for various economic surveys conducted by the department. In addition, many other government departments and private organisations also make use of the disclosable particulars kept in the Register for their surveys, publicity, business promotion, customer classification and research work. These disclosable particulars cover the name, address, type of business and employment size class of the establishments. They are available to the public in the following two forms.

20% sample listing

     A sample listing containing 20% of the records randomly selected from the Register, together with disclosable particulars of the establishments, is available to users. Users may apply for all or part of the records in the 20% sample listing in writing by providing the following information:

* Particulars of the applicant (including name, position, organisation, address, telephone, fax and email);

* Details of the project (including name, purpose, expected completion date, and specifications of information required such as industries, employment sizes and districts); and

* Medium of delivering the information (e.g. photocopy or CD-R and file format such as Visual FoxPro, Excel or text, if applicable).

     The application can be faxed to 2827 2296, emailed to cre@censtatd.gov.hk or posted to the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section, Census and Statistics Department, 20/F, Wanchai Tower, 12 Harbour Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong.

     The information can be supplied in the form of CD-R or photocopies at the following rates:

* CD-R – a charge of about $1,630 per listing, compiled to the user's requirements (exact amount depending on the complexity of the job concerned);

* Photocopies – a ready, standard listing is available for photocopying (in part if desired). A charge of $1.30 per page is levied.

Matching operation with specified establishments

     Users may apply to conduct matching operations for a list of establishments in their databases and then extract disclosable particulars for the matched establishments from the Register. The matching operation will be done using the application program supplied by the user and conducted on the computing facilities in the Department. Both the name and address of establishment will be used as matching keys.

     Users may apply for this service item by submitting a proposal of the matching operation to the department. The proposal should cover the intended use of the information derived from the matching operation, the specifications of the establishment database provided by the user, the details of the matching process and the specifications of the output data.

     The information can be supplied in the form of CD-R. A charge will be levied at the following rates:

* a minimum charge of about $5,100 for the service required (exact amount depending on the complexity of the matching operation conducted); plus

* $1 per matched record with information supplied to the user.

Enquiries

     Further details about the above service items can be obtained from the Employment Statistics and Central Register of Establishments Section of the department at Tel: 2582 4760; fax: 2827 2296; or email: cre@censtatd.gov.hk.

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Monday, June 10, 2019 is 105.4 (up 0.1 against last Saturday's index).

     The effective exchange rate index for the Hong Kong dollar on Saturday, June 8, 2019 was 105.3 (same as last Thursday's index).

     Two co-owners of an industrial premises in Tuen Mun were fined over $100,000 for failing to comply with three orders issued under sections 24(1), 25(2)(b) and 26(1) of the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap 123) at Tuen Mun Magistrates' Court last month.
      
     The orders involved one illegal structure with an area of about 220 square metres erected on the roof of an industrial building at San Ping Circuit, Tuen Mun. The illegal structure was divided into eight cubicles for domestic use. As the unauthorised building works (UBWs) were carried out without prior approval from the Buildings Department (BD), contravening the BO, a removal order under section 24(1) of the BO was served on the co-owners of the premises. 
      
     Moreover, the premises has been changed to domestic use without permission, posing a serious fire and safety risk to the occupants of the premises and rendering the premises dangerous, which has also contravened the BO. Two orders issued under sections 25(2)(b) and 26(1) of the BO respectively were served concurrently with the removal order, requiring the owners to discontinue the domestic use and to carry out certain remedial works before the specified time.
      
     As the owners failed to comply with the three orders upon the expiry of the time limits, they were prosecuted by the BD with three charges under sections 40(1BA) and 40(1B)(b) of the BO. They were convicted of all the charges at the Tuen Mun Magistrates' Courts on May 31 and fined $111,900 in total.
      
     "UBWs may adversely affect the structure and fire safety of a building. Furthermore, unauthorised change in use of an industrial building to domestic use will increase the fire risks. Both situations can lead to serious consequences. Owners should seek professional advice before carrying out any building works or change in use in their premises. The BD will continue its enforcement action against these situations," a spokesman for the BD said today (June 10).
      
     Pursuant to section 40(1BA) of the BO, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with an order served on him or her under section 24(1) of the BO, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of $200,000 and to imprisonment for one year, as well as a further fine of $20,000 for each day that the offence has continued.
      
     Moreover, pursuant to section 40(1B)(b) of the BO, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with an order served on him or her under section 25(2) or section 26(1) of the BO, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of level 5 and to imprisonment for one year, as well as a further fine of $5,000 for each day that the offence has continued.

     The Centre for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health today (June 10) reported the latest number of cases of Legionnaires' disease (LD), and stressed the importance of using and maintaining properly designed man-made water systems, and that susceptible groups should strictly observe relevant precautions.

     From June 2 to 8, three community-acquired LD cases were reported. They are:

1. A male patient, aged 55 with underlying illnesses, who lives in the Mainland and Taiwan, and has passed away;
2. A male patient, aged 66 with underlying illnesses, who lives in Yan Chuk House, Yan Ming Court, Tseung Kwan O; and
3. A male patient, aged 71 with underlying illnesses, who lives in the Mainland.

     "Epidemiological investigations are ongoing to identify potential sources of infection, high-risk exposure and clusters, if any," a spokesman for the CHP said. 

     As of June 8, 33 LD cases had been reported in 2019. In 2018 and 2017, there were 105 and 72 cases respectively. 

     "Men, people aged over 50, smokers, alcoholics and persons with weakened immunity are more susceptible to LD. Some situations may also increase the risk of infection, including poor maintenance of water systems leading to stagnant water; living in areas with old water systems, cooling towers or fountains; using electric water heaters, whirlpools and spas or hot water spring spas; and recent stays in hotels or vessels," the spokesman said. 

     Legionellae are found in various environmental settings and grow well in warm water (20 to 45 degrees Celsius). They can be found in aqueous environments such as water tanks, hot and cold water systems, cooling towers, whirlpools and spas, water fountains and home apparatus which support breathing. People may get infected when they breathe in contaminated droplets (aerosols) and mist generated by artificial water systems, or when handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes.    

     Immunocompromised persons should:
 

• Use sterile or boiled water for drinking, tooth brushing and mouth rinsing;
• Avoid using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices. A shower may also generate small aerosols; and
• If using humidifiers, or other mist- or aerosol-generating devices, fill the water tank with only sterile or cooled freshly boiled water, and not water directly from the tap. Also, clean and maintain humidifiers/devices regularly according to manufacturers' instructions. Never leave stagnant water in a humidifier/device. Empty the water tank, wipe all surfaces dry, and change the water daily.

     The public should observe the health advice below:
 

• Observe personal hygiene;
• Do not smoke and avoid alcohol consumption;
• Strainers in water taps and shower heads should be inspected, cleaned, descaled and disinfected regularly or at a frequency recommended by the manufacturer;
• If a fresh water plumbing system is properly maintained, it is not necessary to install domestic water filters. Use of water filters is not encouraged as clogging occurs easily, which can promote growth of micro-organisms. In case water filters are used, the pore size should be 0.2 micrometres (µm) and the filter needs to be changed periodically according to the manufacturer's recommendations;
• Drain and clean water tanks of buildings at least quarterly;
• Drain or purge for at least one minute infrequently used water outlets (e.g. water taps, shower heads and hot water outlets) and stagnant points of the pipework weekly or before use;
• Seek and follow doctors' professional advice regarding the use and maintenance of home respiratory devices and use only sterile water (not distilled or tap water) to clean and fill the reservoir. Clean and maintain the device regularly according to the manufacturer's instructions. After cleaning/disinfection, rinse the device with sterile water, cooled freshly boiled water or water filtered with 0.2 µm filters. Never leave stagnant water in the device. Empty the water tank, keep all surfaces dry, and change the water daily; and
• When handling garden soil, compost and potting mixes:

     1. Wear gloves and a face mask;    
     2. Water gardens and compost gently using low pressure;
     3. Open composted potting mixes slowly and make sure the opening is directed away from the face;
     4. Wet the soil to reduce dust when potting plants; and
     5. Avoid working in poorly ventilated places such as enclosed greenhouses.

     The public may visit the CHP's LD page, the Code of Practice for Prevention of LD and the Housekeeping Guidelines for Cold and Hot Water Systems for Building Management of the Prevention of LD Committee, and the CHP's risk-based strategy for prevention and control of LD.

     Following are the opening remarks by the Chief Executive, Mrs Carrie Lam, at a media session this morning (June 10):
 
Chief Executive: Let me say a few words in English. First of all, I want to say that the march yesterday on the Government's amendments to two pieces of ordinance has been conducted in a generally peaceful and orderly manner, and I think this fully reflects the degree of civilisation in Hong Kong society and reaffirms that the rights and freedoms of individuals, of journalists, etc, are fully protected and safeguarded under the Basic Law. In a way I hope this incident also helps to refute any worries and allegations that these rights and freedoms have been eroded in recent years. I think they clearly demonstrate that these rights and freedoms are as robust as ever.
 
     Of course, we were very sad to watch the TV after midnight that there was some violence undertaken by a few hundred protesters, including attacking the Police, obstructing the roads, etc. As a result, several police colleagues and at least one reporter and maybe some other people have been hurt. I want to extend to them my warmest sympathy and hope that they will recover as soon as possible.  The Police, as mentioned by the Commissioner of Police earlier this morning, are taking very serious actions against those breaches of the law, because Hong Kong is a very lawful society. While we respect and uphold the freedoms of expression, we also expect every citizen to obey the law.
 
    Coming back to the substance of the march and the protest, I fully understand that during the march many of the participants have expressed worries and concerns and anxiety about the Government's attempt to amend the legislation. I have also heard from the political parties who have issued statements after the march that while reaffirming their support for the Government's action, they also have put forward some constructive suggestions. I'm responding in the following four areas of work.
 
     One is we realise that our communication and explanation work has to continue, whether throughout the Legislative Council scrutiny process or even after the enactment of the bill, because this is a very important piece of legislation that will help to uphold justice and also ensure that Hong Kong will fulfil her international obligation in terms of cross-boundary and transnational crimes. The explanation will focus on the additional safeguards that we have introduced, especially on May 30 by the Secretary for Security. Those six measures will provide some of the very reassuring human rights safeguards that we have heard some people, especially from the legal sector, who have put those proposals to us in the earlier part of the consultation. Our experience is as long as there is a chance for us to interact and to explain and answer questions directly face to face, normally it will have a very positive effect on the other stakeholders to improve or enhance their understanding of what we are doing.
 
     The second area of work that we will do is, coming back to the additional human rights safeguards that we have announced on May 30, I heard that there was some worry that they were just statements made by a government official, and they are not particularly reassuring. I'm telling you here that in this area of work, we will make sure that all these additional safeguards, and there is a long list of those additional safeguards, which resemble very closely the international standards and the ICCPR (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights)minimum guarantees, they will have a legal binding effect on the Government because we will put them into a very solemn policy statement to be delivered by the Secretary for Security when the bill resumes its second reading in the Legislative Council. If one cares to go into the bill itself, there is a very specific provision that says that as long as we ask for these safeguards from the requesting party and put them into some sort of agreement, then they will, of course, restrict or confine the executive's ability in the surrender of fugitive offenders. In short, these human rights safeguards have binding effect, and we will only surrender a fugitive requested by a requesting party when these guarantees are being fully met.
 
     The third area of work is in response to a suggestion from some political parties late last night, that is, if the bill were passed, those political parties suggested that the Government should provide regular reports to the Legislative Council about the implementation of this sort of case-by-case surrender arrangement, in terms of the jurisdictions involved, the nature of the cases and whether the human rights safeguards and procedural safeguards that we have been talking about are being fully implemented.
 
     I have to stress again that we said at the very beginning of this exercise that this special surrender arrangement, that is, a case-based surrender arrangement, is a supplementary arrangement. It's a sort of stop-gap arrangement because we do have a very serious gap and deficiency in our justice system. The long-term arrangement, or the long-term goal, is still to enter into long-term agreement on the surrender of fugitive offenders with as many jurisdictions as possible. We now have 20 such agreements. We should increase these bilateral agreements as far as possible, so I will accord priority to this area of work and will immediately enhance the staff resources in the Security Bureau and the Department of Justice to enable them to catch up on the work and to start the negotiations on these long-term agreements, including negotiations with the Mainland of China, Taiwan and Macao.
 
     Finally, I want to say to every citizen in Hong Kong who has expressed a view on these amendments, whether you are agreeing or not agreeing with us, whether you are supporting the work that we are doing or objecting to the work that we are doing, I want to thank every one of you, because the concern of every citizen about the work that the Government is doing, and this scrutiny of our work, is an important factor to enhancing good governance in Hong Kong. Thank you very much.

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