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LCQ18: Public beaches and water sports centres with rescue speedboat and canoe services
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     Following is a question by the Hon Pan Pey-chyou and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (March 10):

Question:

     Regarding the speedboat and/or canoe lifeguard services provided by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department at the beaches and water sports centres under its management, will the Government inform this Council:

(a)  of the names, listed in table form, of the beaches/water sports centres at which such lifeguard services are available;

(b)  whether such lifeguard services were ceased in the past five years; if so, of the names, listed in table form by years, of the beaches/water sports centres concerned, together with the numbers of drowning and fatal cases which have occurred at those beaches since the cessation of such services;

(c)  whether it will resume the provision of such lifeguard services at the beaches/water sports centres in (b); if it will, when such services will be resumed; if not, of the reasons for that; and

(d)  whether the lifeguards providing speedboat lifeguard services at water sports centres are required to possess the qualification stipulated by the Marine Department for using specified government vessels; if so, of the respective numbers of those in possession of such qualification among the lifeguards in the civil service establishment and the seasonal lifeguards at present; the arrangement currently put in place by the authorities to provide speedboat lifeguard services when no lifeguard meets that qualification; and whether it will recruit afresh lifeguards with such qualification in order to maintain the quality of services?

Reply:

Mr President,

(a)  The Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) manages 41 gazetted public beaches in Hong Kong.  With the exception of nine beaches that are temporarily closed due to poor water quality, all the other 32 public beaches provide life saving services when open to the public.  Rescue canoes are provided at each of these 32 public beaches, and five beaches are also provided with rescue speedboats.  The rescue speedboats provided at these five beaches can also serve other nearby beaches.

     All five water sports centres under LCSD management have rescue speedboats.  A list of the public beaches and water sports centres that have rescue speedboats and/or canoes is at the Annex.

(b) & (c)  In the past five years, LCSD has not cancelled rescue speedboat and/or canoe services at any of the public beaches or water sports centres under its management.

(d)  Lifeguards who are responsible for operating rescue speedboats at public beaches and water sports centres must hold the qualifications for operating a speedboat specified by the Marine Department, i.e., a local Certificate of Competency for Pleasure Vessel Master Grade II and a local Certificate of Competency for Pleasure Vessel Engineer Grade II or a Coxswain Grade 3 Certificate (a local Certificate of Competency) and an Engine Operator Grade 3 Certificate (a local Certificate of Competency) as required by the Marine Department under the Merchant Shipping (Local Vessels) Ordinance (Cap. 548) amended in 2007.  Of the lifeguards in the current civil service establishment, about 140 of them have the above qualifications for operating a speedboat.  As for seasonal lifeguards, LCSD does not have detailed information, as an open recruitment exercise is conducted annually depending on the service needs of the swimming season and the possession of a certificate for operating vessels is not an entry requirement for seasonal lifeguards.

Ends/Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Issued at HKT 15:41

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