Minutes of the 24 th Meeting of the HKSAR Third Term of Wong Tai Sin District Council (Summary Translation) Date: 6 September 2011 (Tuesday) Time: 2:45 p.m. Venue: Conference Room, Wong Tai Sin District Council, 6/F, Lung Cheung Office Block, 138 Lung Cheung Road, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon Present: Chairman: Mr. LI Tak-hong, MH, JP Vice-chairman: Mr. WONG Kam-chi, MH, JP Wong Tai Sin District Council Members: Mr. CHAN Lee-shing Ms. CHAN Man-ki, Maggie Mr. CHAN On-tai Mr. CHAN Wai-kwan, Andie Mr. CHAN Yim-kwong, Joe Mr. CHOI Luk-sing, MH Mr. CHOW Ching-lam, Tony, MH Mr. CHUI Pak-tai Mr. HO Hon-man Mr. HO Yin-fai Mr. HUI Kam-shing Mr. KAN Chi-ho, BBS, MH Ms. KWOK Sau-ying Mr. LAI Wing-ho, Joe Mr. LAM Man-fai, JP Dr. LAU Chi-wang, James, BBS, JP 20111017-3_DC%5BM24%5D-e.doc 1 Mr. LEE Tat-yan, MH Mr. MOK Chung-fai, Rex, MH Mr. MOK Kin-wing Mr. MOK Ying-fan Dr. SHI Lop-tak, Allen, MH, JP Mr. SO Sik-kin Mr. TO Kwan-hang, Andrew Dr. WONG Kam-chiu, MH Mr. WONG Kwok-tung Mr. WONG Kwok-yan Mr. WONG Yat-yuk Mr. WU Chi-wai, MH Mr. YUEN Kwok-keung In attendance: Mr. CHEUK Wing-hing, JP Commissioner for Labour LD ) Re.: Item Miss Grace CHAN Wing-han Senior Labour Officer LD ) III(i) (Employment Services)(Operation) ) Mr. SUEN Kwai-leung Regional Commander (Kowloon East) HKPF ) Re.: Item Mr. LI Po-hung Police Community Relations Officer HKPF ) III(ii) (Wong Tai Sin) ) Ms. Jessica CHU Ha-fan Senior Town Planner/Kowloon 3 PlanD ) Re.: Item Mr. Anthony LO Kam-yan Chief Engineer/Kowloon 1 CEDD ) III(iii) Mr. Anthony LO Kam-yan Chief Engineer/Kowloon 1 CEDD ) Re.: Item Mr. TONG Kin-shing Senior Engineer DSD ) III(iv) Mr. Richard SIU Yee-lin Senior Town Planner/Kowloon 4 PlanD ) Mr. Victor CHENG Pat-leung Secretary General (Ag.) HKEAA ) Re.: Item Mr. K. F. TAM Manager – Projects HKEAA ) III(v) Mr. Bernard V. LIM, JP Principal AD&RG ) Mr. C. H. YIP Senior Architect AD&RG ) Mr. Sunny CHAN Architectural Executive AD&RG ) Dr. LEE Kuan Hong Associate Director Scott Wilson Ltd ) Mr. Wallace P. M. CHAN Senior Engineer Scott Wilson Ltd ) Ms. Flemy YIP CExO(HKEAA) EDB ) Mr. CHOW Chun-wah Principal Assistant Secretary for THB ) Re.: Item Transport & Housing (Transport)7 ) III(vi) Mr. Samson LAM Sau-sang Assistant Secretary for Transport & THB ) Housing (Transport)7B ) Ms. Amy CHOW Pui-yue Senior Engineer / Shatin to Central HyD ) Link 1(Ag.) ) 20111017-3_DC%5BM24%5D-e.doc 2 Mr. YIK Ming-sui Senior Co-ordination Engineer MTRCL ) Mr. NG Sui-yuen Design Manager–SCL(East-West)(Ag.) MTRCL ) Ms. CHAN Fong-ting Public Relations Manager – Projects MTRCL ) and Properties ) Mr. Richard SIU Yee-lin, Senior Town Planner PlanD ) Mr. SHIU Wai-chuen, William, JP District Officer (Wong Tai Sin) WTSDO Mr. David Michael GUNTON District Commander (Wong Tai Sin) HKPF Ms. Lily NG District Social Welfare Officer SWD (Wong Tai Sin/Sai Kung) Mr. Peter CHUI Si-kay Senior Engineer / 6 (Kowloon) CEDD Mr. HSU Kam-lung Senior Housing Manager/Wong Tai Sin HD Mr. Kelvin AU Senior Transport Officer /Wong Tai Sin TD Mr. WONG Wai-wan, MH District Environmental Hygiene FEHD Superintendent (Wong Tai Sin) Mr. George LAM Hok-hay District Leisure Manager LCSD (Wong Tai Sin) Mr. Freddy CHIK Yu-fai Assistant District Officer (Wong Tai Sin) WTSDO Mr. Patrick CHUNG Chan-yau Senior Executive Officer WTSDO (District Management) Mr. TING Tin-sang Senior Liaison Officer 1 WTSDO Ms. Phyllis PANG Suk-wah Senior Liaison Officer 2 WTSDO Mr. Nathan YAM Yiu-hung Executive Officer I (District Council) WTSDO Secretary: Ms. Maggie LAM Pui-fun Senior Executive Officer WTSDO (District Council) Opening Remarks The Chairman welcomed everyone to the 24th meeting of the Wong Tai Sin District Council (WTSDC), especially Commissioner for Labour Mr. CHEUK Wing- hing, JP and Senior Labour Officer (Employment Services)(Operation) Miss Grace CHAN who attended the meeting for agenda item III(i). 2. The Chairman welcomed Senior Engineer/6 (Kowloon) of Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD) Mr. Peter CHUI who stood in for Mr. Anthony LO; Senior Housing Manager/Wong Tai Sin of Housing Department Mr. HSU Kam- lung who stood in for Mrs. SUNG CHEUNG Mun-chi; and Senior Transport Officer/Wong Tai Sin of Transport Department (TD) Mr. Kelvin AU who stood in for Mr. FAN Yung-kuen. 20111017-3_DC%5BM24%5D-e.doc 3 3. The Chairman informed Members that the agenda had to be revised since representatives of Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) visited WTSDC. The revised agenda had been faxed to Members and tabled by the Secretary. 4. The Chairman advised Members that a suggested schedule for discussion for the 24th meeting was tabled. Members raised no objection to it. I Confirmation of the Minutes of the 23 rd Meeting of the Wong Tai Sin District Council held on 5 July 2011 5. The minutes of the 23rd meeting of WTSDC held on 5 July 2011 were confirmed without amendment. II Progress Report on Matters Arising from the 23 rd Meeting of the Wong Tai Sin District Council (WTSDC Paper 58/2011) 6. The Chairman informed Members that establishment of Working Group on Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Holistic Centre for Youth Development had been endorsed by circulation. The first Working Group meeting had been held on 15 August 2011. On 31 August 2011, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals had sent a letter to WTSDC on progress of the project. 7. Members noted the paper. III(i) Commissioner for Labour’s Visit to the Wong Tai Sin District Council 8. The Chairman welcomed Commissioner for Labour Mr. CHEUK Wing- hing, JP and Senior Labour Officer (Employment Services)(Operation) Miss Grace CHAN to WTSDC, and invited Mr. CHEUK to introduce the department’s work. 9. Mr. CHEUK said he was glad to attend the WTSDC meeting in the capacity of Commissioner for Labour. He would like to take this opportunity to brief Members on the department’s major tasks as it had no standing representative in WTSDC. (i) Job Placement Service and Measures (a) Job placement service was a core business of Labour Department (LD), and the department had devoted a large amount of resources into this service. LD established 12 Job Centres, through which 20111017-3_DC%5BM24%5D-e.doc 4 information on employment and vacancies, career counselling service, etc. were provided free of charge. Job seekers in Wong Tai Sin might go to the Kowloon East Job Centre on 7/F, Stelux House; or other Job Centres; (b) Job seekers might also use the Interactive Employment Services on the Web (iES) to obtain the latest information on vacancies. Those who had registered with a Job Centre or iES might gain access to job referral service via the hotline (2969 0888), instead of going to Job Centres in person. In addition, there were 19 “Job Explorer” touch-screen Vacancy Search Terminals in Wong Tai Sin. These terminals could be found at Kowloon East Job Centre and the office of Social Welfare Department (SWD) at Stelux House, as well as the SWD office and the Public Enquiry Service Centre of Wong Tai Sin District Office (WTSDO) at Lung Cheung Office Block; (c) In July 2011 LD posted information on about 80 000 private sector job vacancies, an increase of 19% compared with the same period last year, viz. the department had handled about 4 000 vacancies per working day on average. In July 2011, LD had also assisted 15 000 job seekers to secure a job, an increase of 20% compared with the same period last year; (d) LD organised large-scale job fairs in various districts. Seven large- scale job fairs had been held in the first seven months of 2011, offering more than 13 700 job vacancies of various trades to about 10 000 fair-goers. Kowloon East Job Centre had also arranged 57 recruitment days during January to July 2011, offering 3 600 vacancies to job seekers in the district; (e) LD had set up two Recruitment Centres at Revenue Tower in Wanchai to meet the eminent manpower needs of the catering and retailing industries. To speed up the recruitment process, the employers could interview job seekers in the Recruitment Centres; and (f) Various programmes were provided to different age groups and different job seekers. These programmes included Youth Pre- employment Training Programme and Youth Work Experience & Training Scheme (YPTP&YWETS), Employment Programme for the Middle-aged, Work Orientation and Placement Scheme for the disabled, etc. (ii) Curbing Illegal Employment 20111017-3_DC%5BM24%5D-e.doc 5 (a) To protect employment opportunities for local people, LD committed itself in the fight against illegal employment. During routine inspections, Labour Inspectors would check the employees’ identity documents according to the Immigration Ordinance. In 2010, the Labour Inspectors mounted 140,000 inspections; and more than 60 000 inspections in the first seven months of 2011. LD would also mount joint operations with other law enforcement departments. 217 and 113 joint operations had been taken in 2010 and the first seven months of 2011 respectively, resulting in the arrest of 438 and 202 illegal workers; and (b) Through various channels, such as public transport and newspaper advertisements, leaflets, etc., LD reminded employers of the serious consequences of employing illegal workers from time to time. (iii) Promoting Harmonious Labour Relations Even though there had not been any serious labour disputes in recent years, LD would still give priority to assist employees involved in winding-up cases.