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Following is a question by the Hon Wong Sing-chi and a written reply by the Secretary for Home Affairs, Mr Tsang Tak-sing, in the Legislative Council today (February 11):
Question:
In 2003, the Government introduced a three-year pilot scheme under which an annual funding of $3.5 million was provided through the Ping Wo Fund respectively to two non-government organisations (NGOs) to subsidise each of them to operate a counselling and treatment centre for problem and pathological gamblers. Subsequently, the Government extended the pilot scheme by two years and then by 15 months up to December 2009, but the level of annual funding remained unchanged. Caritas-Hong Kong, the operator of one of the centres, wrote to the Home Affairs Bureau in the middle of last year requesting for additional funding to cope with the financial pressure of rent increase, pay rise, etc. faced by the centre in recent years. However, the request was not approved. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) why the Government has not increased the level of annual funding for the two centres since 2003; whether it will increase the level of funding; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(b) what criteria the Government has adopted for determining the allocation of the funds of the Ping Wo Fund, financed by donations from the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC), to various NGOs for the provision of the services concerned; what the current balance of the Fund is and how the amount concerned will be utilised;
(c) whether it will make reference to the relevant practices adopted by the governments of the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and legislate to require HKJC to contribute a certain percentage of its revenue to the Ping Wo Fund; and
(d) why the Government had set a time frame for the pilot scheme, and whether it will provide the services concerned on a long-term basis instead; if it will, when it will be implemented; if not, for how long the pilot scheme will be further extended?
Reply:
President,
(a) The Government provided funding through the Ping Wo Fund for the Caritas-Hong Kong and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals to operate, on a pilot basis, two counselling and treatment centres for problem and pathological gamblers from October 2003 to September 2006. According to the service contracts, the centres would each receive an annual funding of $3.5 million.
In September 2004, the Home Affairs Bureau (HAB) commissioned the Hong Kong Polytechnic University as a consultant to assess the effectiveness of the two centres. The consultancy report recommended that the two centres should continue their operation at the prevailing service scale until September 2008. The recommendations of the report were supported by the Ping Wo Fund Advisory Committee (the Committee) and accepted by HAB. The consultancy report also recommended that another in-depth research be conducted to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the two centres with a view to ascertaining whether the service needed to be continued after September 2008. It was also recommended in the consultancy report that two small treatment centres be established to provide services to problem and pathological gamblers with a community-based approach. The operators of these two centres subsequently established were Zion Social Service Limited and the Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups. According to the service contracts which were valid from February 2007 to January 2009, the centres would each receive an annual funding of $1.3 million.
While the HAB has commissioned the Hong Kong Polytechnic University to conduct the second phase consultancy study, the Committee recommended to HAB that as an interim arrangement, the service contracts of the four centres be extended to December 31, 2009 at the current service scale and funding level.
(b) In 2003, the Government invited tenders from non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to operate the counselling and treatment centres for problem and pathological gamblers. It was stated in the tender document that funds to be received by each centre would be at $3.5 million each year. Having considered the proposals submitted by the NGOs, the Government selected the Caritas-Hong Kong and the Tung Wah Group of Hospitals as the operators.
Apart from financing the operation of the counselling and treatment centres, the Ping Wo Fund also supports research work relating to gambling as well as publicity and public education programmes preventing gambling-related problems.
The Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporated (SHAI) submitted the audited financial statement of the SHAI for the last financial year to the Legislative Council in accordance with the requirement of the Secretary for Home Affairs Incorporation Ordinance in December 2008. According to the financial statement, the balance of the Ping Wo Fund was about $5.5 million as at March 31, 2008.
(c) The Ping Wo Fund is financed by contribution from the Hong Kong Jockey Club and public donation. The Hong Kong Jockey Club has undertaken to contribute at least $15 million each year during the five-year period from July 2008 to June 2013. We will closely monitor the financial situation of the Fund.
(d) As mentioned in part (a) of the reply, the service contracts of the four centres will end on December 31, 2009. The Committee is studying the consultancy report prepared by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and will make recommendations to HAB on the development of support and preventive measures for problem and pathological gamblers. On receipt of the recommendations of the Committee, HAB will consider in a comprehensive manner the long-term provision of support services for problem and pathological gamblers and other affected parties, including the mode of funding, service operation, amount of funding etc., and report to the Legislative Council Panel on Home Affairs.
Ends/Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:31
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