*****************
Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (January 30):
Question:
Some staff members of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have reflected to me that NGOs wish that they can, when assisting elderly people who are poor and those who are on Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) in arranging burial matters, introduce paper coffins, which are lower in costs. They have also pointed out that at present, members of the public who use government crematoria services are all required to make cremation arrangements through licensed undertakers. However, as most of these undertakers do not wish to introduce paper coffins due to commercial considerations, it is therefore difficult for members of the public to choose to use such coffins. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the current number of licensed undertakers who have introduced paper coffins for the choice of members of the public, and the number of paper coffins sold in Hong Kong last year;
(b) whether the authorities will formulate policies and take administrative measures to provide NGOs, charitable organisations and members of the public intending to use paper coffins with assistance (e.g. helping them purchase paper coffins according to their own wishes, or allowing them to use government crematoria services directly without having to make the arrangements through licensed undertakers, etc.); and
(c) given that encouraging the public to use paper coffins is conducive to the promotion of environmental protection, whether the authorities have set targets and timetable for promoting paper coffins; if not, whether the authorities will consider setting such targets and timetable; and what new measures the authorities will take this year to promote paper coffins to the public, especially the elderly?
Reply:
Madam President,
My reply to the above question raised by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing is as follows:
(a) According to the information provided by licensed undertakers of burials to the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD), 13 out of the 95 licensed undertakers of burials in Hong Kong offer eco-coffins for the choice and purchase by members of the public. At present, FEHD does not specifically collate statistics on the use or purchase of eco-coffins by members of the public. To encourage the adoption of environmental-friendly burial practices, FEHD has introduced the use of eco-coffins for cremating unclaimed bodies since July 2007. As at January 18, 2008, a total of 37 bodies were cremated in eco-coffins.
(b) Relatives and friends of the deceased or non-profit-making organisations providing assistance in making funeral arrangements for the deceased usually handle burial arrangements according to the will of the deceased. According to the law, a licensed undertaker of burials is responsible for undertaking all duties connected with the burial of human cadavers (including the funeral director), with a view to ensuring proper handling of human cadavers and maintaining a complete record for future inspection if required. As such, members of the public have to arrange burial services for the deceased through licensed undertakers of burials.
The Government has been striving to promote the use of eco-coffins. FEHD maintains close contact and exchanges views on environmental-friendly burial services with licensed undertakers of burials and non-profit-making organisations providing assistance in making funeral arrangements for the deceased.
(c) FEHD has stepped up publicity since last year by putting up notices about eco-coffins at its cremation booking offices to promote the use of eco-coffins by members of the public. The Department's website also contains the same promotional materials. Moreover, the Department distributes publicity leaflets at public mortuaries, hospitals, centres for the elderly and non-governmental organisations providing care services for senior citizens. On the other hand, FEHD also maintains regular contact with the funeral trade and relevant non-profit-making organisations, and holds discussions with them on the promotion of the use of eco-coffins. Apart from an exhibition on eco-coffins organised by FEHD in August last year to enable the funeral trade to have a better understanding of eco-coffins, a four-day public exhibition was also organised by a non-profit-making organisation in mid-October last year to promote the advantages of using eco-coffins to the elderly, elderly care and service providers as well as the general public. This exhibition attracted wide media coverage and was attended by representatives of FEHD.
Our observation shows that it will take a period of promotion and education before the public can gradually accept the idea of using eco-coffins. Having said that, in order to get hold of the statistics on the use of eco-coffins by the public, FEHD will collect such information from applicants for cremation and burial service upon receiving their applications in future. In the coming year, FEHD will step up the promotion and education on environmental-friendly burial practices. It will organise talks on the environmental-friendly burial practices at the Health Education Exhibition and Resource Centre at Kowloon Park each month. VCDs featuring the environmental-friendly burial practices will also be distributed to the non-profit-making organisations providing elderly care and services. The Government will promote the advantages of eco-coffins to the public through a number of channels, such as the production of announcement of public interest and leaflets as well as organising seminars and outreach talks. In addition, FEHD will maintain close contact and exchange views with the funeral trade and relevant non-profit-making organisations on various issues, including the feasibility of according priority to applications for cremation service using eco-coffins and requiring licensed undertakers of burials to provide the choice of eco-coffins for the public in the licensing conditions.
Thank you Madam President.
Ends/Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:02
NNNN
