Issued by Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government Information Services
Garden Road, 5th-8th Floors, Murray Building, Hong Kong. Tel: 2842 8777
Sunday, January 11, 1998
CONTENTS
========
1. Response to enquiries on Hebei's earthquake
2. Update on avian flu
3. Nursing homes for elderly invite applications
4. District Office organises fire drill
5. More young people join volunteer work
6. VISA card to promote HK's heritage
7. EPD to enhance 'one-stop shop' service
8. Tapping water from fire service installations illegal
9. Heavy fine for second non-compliance with statutory order
10. Water cut in Kowloon City
1. Response to enquiries on Hebei's earthquake
*******************************************
In response to media enquiries concerning the
earthquake in Hebei, a government spokesman today (Sunday)
said: "The Government is sorry to hear about the
earthquake and the number of casualties. We are waiting
for more information. The matter will be discussed at a
regular senior government officials meeting tomorrow."
End
2. Update on avian flu
*******************
A spokesman for the Department of Health said that
there was no new cases of Influenza A (H5N1) today
(Sunday).
Moreover, the three-year-old boy of confirmed case 15
has recovered and has been discharged.
The status and condition of other cases remain the
same as yesterday.
End
3. Nursing homes for elderly invite applications
*********************************************
The first of six nursing homes for the elderly
developed by the Department of Health (DH), subvented by
the Social Welfare Department and operated by non-
government organisations will commence operation next
month (February).
Located in Sheung Shui, this nursing home will
provide 200 beds. Together with the other five which will
be completed by the end of this year, the Government will
provide a total of 1,400 nursing home beds.
Applications for the Nursing Home Service will be
accepted from tomorrow (Monday) onwards.
Announcing this today (Sunday), a DH spokesman said:
"Applicants for nursing home care must be elderly persons
aged 65 or above who are suffering from one or more
medical conditions that are stabilised but which have
caused functional disability and loss of personal care
ability, and who require regular and basic medical and
nursing care."
He said all applications would be processed in
accordance with the application procedures of Residential
Care Service Delivery System for the Elderly.
The spokesman explained that the nursing homes
provide residential care to elderly people who, as a
result of their health condition, could not be adequately
cared for in care-and-attention homes but did not require
the intensive medical and nursing care provided in
infirmaries.
"Different types of services will be rendered by a
team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational
therapists, social workers and personal care workers in
the nursing homes," he added.
The nursing home fee in 1997/98 is $1,992 per month.
For enquiries on nursing home applications, please
contact the Social Welfare Department at 2838 6051 during
office hours.
End
4. District Office organises fire drill
************************************
The Sham Shui Po District Office's Building
Management Co-ordination Team staged a fire drill at Hung
Yu Mansion in Cheung Sha Wan today (Sunday) to help
promote the fire prevention message in
commercial/residential buildings.
The event was one of the activities organised under
the "Fire Drill Plan" initiated by the Sham Shui Po
District Office in the wake of several tragic fires to
enhance the public's awareness of fire risks and knowledge
on fire prevention and evacuation.
Officers of the Fire Services Department observed the
evacuation of the building and reviewed with residents
areas that need improvement. Some 150 residents of the
22-year-old building participated in the exercise.
Staff of the Sham Shui Po District Office and members
of the building's owners' corporation were also present to
render their assistance.
Also attending the activity included Sham Shui Po
District Officer, Mrs Ingrid Yeung; and the Chairman of
the Sham Shui Po Provisional District Board, Mr Tam Kwok-
kiu.
End
5. More young people join volunteer work
*************************************
More and more young people like to serve the
community as volunteers.
The "Opportunities for Youth Scheme" (OYS), which is
run by the Social Welfare Department, registered 9,500
young participants this fiscal year, compared with 2,100
in the preceding year.
The department allocated $1 million this year to
subsidise 151 community service projects organised by the
young volunteers for various groups of people.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony of the OYS in
Kowloon Park today (Sunday), the Director of Social
Welfare, Mr Andrew Leung Kin-pong, said the Department set
up a Central Office for Volunteer Service last year to
promote and coordinate the development of volunteerism.
He said a new project named "Reaching out to the
Elderly - Opportunities for Volunteer Services" would be
launched in 1998/99 to mobilise the community to respect
and care for the needy elderly.
Also officiating at the ceremony were the Chairman of
Commission on Youth, the Hon Eric Li Ka-cheung, and
outstanding basketball player Mr Yung Kam-wah.
End
6. VISA card to promote HK's heritage
**********************************
To promote the awareness of heritage preservation in
Hong Kong, the Lord Wilson Heritage Trust and the Shanghai
Commercial Bank Ltd will join hand to launch Hong Kong's
Heritage VISA Classic Card and VISA Gold Card.
This follows the successful completion of the Year of
Heritage projects last year when a series of activities
had been organised for people from all walks of life to
learn the value of historical relics and the significance
of heritage preservation.
Under the heritage visa card scheme, the Shanghai
Commercial Bank will initially donate $200,000 to the
Trust, with an extra contribution of $20 for each credit
card issued. A collection of eight phone cards bearing
the photograph of declared monuments in Hong Kong,
together with a brochure introducing the relative
heritage, will be offered to successful cardholders.
End
7. EPD to enhance 'one-stop shop' service
**************************************
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) has
extended the "one-stop-shop service" for the application
of environmental licences and permits.
In addition to the existing service counters at the
six EPD Local Control Offices (LCO), similar counters have
been set up in three other EPD offices. All the counters
will now accept applications for any environmental
licences or permits.
"We started the service at the LCOs to collect
licence and permit applications related to construction
sites at the beginning of 1997," said EPD's Assistant
Director (Local Control), Dr Mike Chiu.
"By providing more service counters and extending the
scope of the service to cover all environmental licences
and permits, the applicants will find it even more
convenient to submit their applications," he said.
Applicants can visit or telephone any of the
collection counters to obtain licence and permit
application forms and information packages relating to all
licensing requirements. They can also enquire about the
status of their applications submitted.
The addresses and telephone numbers of the collection
counters are listed below:
EPD Headquarters,
28th floor, Southorn Centre,
130 Hennessy Road,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Telephone No.: 2573 7746
Revenue Tower Office,
33rd floor, Revenue Tower,
5 Gloucester Road,
Wan Chai, Hong Kong.
Telephone No.: 2824 3733
World Trade Square Office,
10th floor, Rooms 1001-1003, Tower 1,
World Trade Square,
123 Hoi Bun Road,
Kwun Tong, Kowloon.
Telephone No.: 2755 3480
Local Control Office (Territory East),
Fifth floor, Nan Fung Commercial Centre,
19 Lam Lok Street,
Kowloon Bay, Kowloon.
Telephone No.: 2755 5518
Local Control Office (Territory North),
Rooms 1101-1110,
11th floor, Tower 1,
Grand Central Plaza,
138 Shatin Rural Committee Road,
Sha Tin, New Territories.
Telephone No.: 2634 3800
Local Control Office (Territory South),
Second floor, Chinachem Exchange Square,
1 Hoi Wan Street,
Quarry Bay, Hong Kong.
Telephone No.: 2516 1718
Local Control Office (Territory West),
Seventh, Chinachem Tsuen Wan Plaza,
455-457 Castle Peak Road,
Tsuen Wan, New Territories.
Telephone No.: 2411 9621
Local Control Office (Urban East),
Suite UG01-02, Block 2,
Hoi Fai Commercial Centre,
222-224 Sai Lau Kok Road,
New Territories.
Telephone No.: 2402 5200
Local Control Office (Urban West)
Eighth floor, Tsuen Wan Government Office,
38 Sai Lau Kok Road,
Tsuen Wan, New Territories.
Telephone No.: 2417 6084
End
8. Tapping water from fire service installations illegal
*****************************************************
The Water Supplies Department today (Sunday) warned
against the illegal use of water from fire service
installations for non-fire fighting purposes.
The warning was made in the wake of an increasing
number of such offences.
"Offenders are liable to a maximum fine of $5,000," a
spokesman for the department said.
The spokesman noted that eight people in different
cases were recently convicted of taking water from fire
service installations for washing purposes.
"They were fined between $600 and $3,000," he said.
In addition, eight contractors were fined between
$1,500 and $5,000 for using water from street fire
hydrants for construction purposes.
As construction activities are actively going on, the
spokesman also reminded construction companies and
contractors to take precautionary measures and due care
when working near Government water mains to avoid damage
to pipes.
"Three reckless contractors working in Kwun Tong and
Yau Tong were fined between $1,000 and $2,000 for causing
damage to Government water mains. They were also ordered
to pay for the damage caused," the spokesman added.
End
9. Heavy fine for second non-compliance with statutory order
*********************************************************
The co-owners of a residential house in Marina Cove,
Sai Kung, were recently fined $151,600 in total for
failing to comply with a statutory order to remove
unauthorised building works for a second time.
They were convicted at the Kwun Tong Magistracy in
December last year.
In October 1995, the owners were first fined $23,100
for not removing a 30-square-metre three-storey structure
in the side yard of their house.
The building works have been carried out without the
prior approval and consent from the Building Authority and
were not exempted works under the Buildings Ordinance.
Prosecution proceedings were initiated again after
staff of the Buildings Department in November 1996 and
September 1997 found that the illegal structure had still
not been removed.
In another case, the owner of an industrial premises
in Kwai Chung was convicted and fined $100,000 at the
Tsuen Wan Magistracy on December 31 last year for failing
to comply with a statutory order without reasonable
excuse.
This is a record fine for a single order and against
a single owner.
The Building Authority issued a statutory order in
July 1996 after discovering an illegal structure on the
roof and unauthorised openings formed in the roof slab of
the premises.
The Assistant Director of Buildings (Control and
Enforcement), Mr Leung Shiu-hong, today (Sunday) urged
owners who had been served with statutory orders to comply
with the orders without delay.
He stressed that approval and consent from the
Building Authority were required before building works
should commence.
"Property owners intending to carry out building
works should appoint an Authorised Person and, where
necessary, a Registered Structural Engineer, to prepare
plans for consideration by the Building Authority in
accordance with the Buildings Ordinance," Mr Leung said.
"Any alterations or additions to buildings without
the approval of the Building Authority are regarded as
unauthorised building works and will have to be
demolished," he said.
The maximum penalty for carrying out unauthorised
building works is two years' imprisonment, a principal
fine of $100,000 and a daily fine of $5,000.
The maximum penalty for failing to comply with a
demolition order is one year's imprisonment, a principal
fine of $50,000 and a daily fine of $5,000.
Mr Leung said his department took a very serious view
of non-compliance with statutory orders and would
invariably take out prosecution in such cases to protect
public interest and to ensure building safety.
End
10. Water cut in Kowloon City
*************************
Fresh water supply to some premises in Kowloon City
will be suspended from 11 pm on January 14(Wednesday) to
6 am the following day for waste detection work on
watermains to be carried out.
The suspension will affect all premises at Nga Tsin
Wai Village; Block 22 of Tung Tau Estate and Wing Tung
House, Wai Tung House, Pak Tung House, Yat Tung House,
Ying Tung House, Yan Tung House, Wong Tung House, Shing
Tung House, On Tung House, Mau Tung House, Choi Tung
House, Hing Tung House, Cheung Tung House and Hong Tung
House of the Estate.
End
