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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (March 11):
Question:
Quite a number of elderly care organisations and poor elderly people have all along been dissatisfied with the policy on burial service and the management of public columbaria in Hong Kong. They are especially concerned about the acute shortage of columbarium niches, the heavy burden of burial expenses and the management of Gardens of Remembrance where members of the public may scatter cremated ashes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has assessed the demand for columbarium niches in the coming 10 years and planned for the construction of columbaria strictly according to such demand, so as to resolve in the long run the problem of insufficient columbarium niches; if it has, of the relevant demand figures and plans for construction of columbaria;
(b) whether it will provide incentives to attract undertakers to recommend to members of the public the use of eco-coffins and ways of burial which are cheaper and more environment friendly, so as to reduce the burden on poor elderly people and promote environmental protection; and
(c) whether it has, having regard to the need and expectation of the public in Hong Kong, formulated rules and regulations on the management of Gardens of Remembrance and deployed dedicated personnel to manage them; if so, of the details of the relevant arrangements; if not, whether it will consider formulating the management rules and regulations, and increasing the manpower in this regard?
Reply:
President,
The Administration has been paying due attention to the demand and usage of cremation services, columbarium facilities and gardens of remembrance. In addition to actively identifying suitable locations for the development of relevant facilities in different areas in Hong Kong, in terms of cremation services, we are now replacing our existing facilities with more efficient and environmental friendly cremators so as to provide more cremation sessions. At present, half of the crematoria (i.e. Kwai Chung, Diamond Hill and Fu Shan Crematoria) have been upgraded. Compared to the original cremators, these new cremators can increase the number of cremation sessions by 8,268 sessions a year. Moreover, the reprovisioning projects at the Wo Hop Shek and Cape Collinson Crematoria will commence in this year and the next respectively. After the two projects are completed in 2014, the annual number of cremation session will increase from the present 37,600 sessions to 51,500 sessions, which will be able to cope with the anticipated demand.
As regards the Member's question, our reply is as follows -
(a) Based on the estimated number of deaths in Hong Kong each year, and the rising rate of cremation recently, the total number of cremations is estimated to be about 428,700 cases in the next 10 years (i.e. from 2009 to 2018). At present, about 55,000 niches are being planned by the Government, including 18,500 niches at the Diamond Hill Columbarium to be completed early next month and 37,000 niches at Kiu Tau Road, Wo Hop Shek, which are expected to be completed in 2012. Apart from public niches, niches are also provided by the non-governmental Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries; cemeteries managed by religious bodies such as Catholic, Protestant and Buddhist organisations; and in premises managed by private entities such as Po Fook Hill at Sha Tin, monasteries, nunneries, etc.
There are suitable sites in the New Territories for constructing columbarium facilities, but such developments could only be realised with the support of the District Councils and the local community. In the meantime, the Administration has been actively encouraging the public to handle cremains through alternative means, such as scattering the cremains in gardens of remembrance or in designated Hong Kong waters.
(b) Since early 2008, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has imposed an additional licensing condition on all newly issued and renewed Undertakers of Burials Licences, requiring undertakers of burials to provide eco-coffins so as to provide another option to the public. At present, 84 out of all 94 licensed undertakers in Hong Kong are already subject to this additional licensing condition. The remaining 10 will be subjected to the same requirement by mid this year, when the existing licences are renewed. At the same time, FEHD has also stepped up publicity to promote the use of eco-coffins through various channels, such as publicity leaflets, FEHD's homepage, announcements of public interest and talks. In addition, FEHD is working with non-government organisations providing elderly services to strengthen the promotional efforts. In fact, some social welfare organisations also hold valid Undertakers of Burials licences. They provide low-priced burial services, including the provision of eco-coffins, for members of the public in need to choose from.
(c) Under the Cremation and Gardens of Remembrance Regulation (Cap. 132M), the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene is tasked with the management of the eight gardens of remembrance under his purview, including the determination of their hours of opening, allocations and layout as well as regulation over the disposal of ashes, placement of memorials and the conduct of persons in the gardens, etc. Any person who wilfully obstructs any member of the staff of any garden in the carrying out of the staff's duty shall be guilty of an offence. At present, the daily cleaning, repair and maintenance, and gardening work of the eight gardens of remembrance are undertaken by FEHD or its contractors in accordance with contract or operational manual, and under the supervision of FEHD staff.
FEHD is now carrying out landscaping works in the gardens of remembrance under its management and plans to provide additional gardens of remembrance in existing public cemeteries to offer more choices to the public.
Ends/Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:32
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