(Translation)
Minutes of the 13th Meeting of the 5th Wan Chai District Council Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
Date: 14 November 2017 (Tuesday) Time: 2:30 p.m. Venue: District Council Conference Room, Wan Chai District Office, 21/F Southorn Centre, 130 Hennessy Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong
Present Chairperson Mr NG Kam-chun, Stephen, BBS, MH, JP
Vice-chairperson Dr CHOW Kit-bing, Jennifer, BBS, MH
Members Ms NG Yuen-ting, Yolanda, MH Mr LEE Man-lung, Joey Ms LEE Kwun-yee, Kenny, MH Ms LEE Pik-yee, Peggy Mr LAM Wai-man, Wind, Anson Mr WONG Wang-tai, Ivan, MH Miss YEUNG Suet-ying, Clarisse Mr CHENG Ki-kin Dr TANG King-yung, Anna, BBS, MH The Hon TSE Wai-chun, Paul, JP Ms CHUNG Ka-man, Jacqueline
Representatives of Core Government Departments Mr CHAN Tin-chu, Rick, JP District Officer (Wan Chai), Home Affairs Department Miss WONG Wing-yee, Amy Assistant District Officer (Wan Chai), Home Affairs Department
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Ms CHAN Siu-ping, Daphne Senior Liaison Officer (Community Affairs), Home Affairs Department Mr KAN Kai-yan District Commander (Wan Chai), Hong Kong Police Force Mr CHAN Kit-fung Police Community Relations Officer (Wan Chai District), Hong Kong Police Force Ms CHAN Sin-nga Assistant Commander (Operations) (North Point Division), Eastern District, Hong Kong Police Force Miss YIP Hau-yu, Hannah District Social Welfare Officer (Eastern/Wan Chai), Social Welfare Department Mr LAM Chi-keung Chief Engineer/ Hong Kong (2), Civil Engineering and Development Department Ms WONG Wai-ching, Daisy District Lands Officer/ Hong Kong East, Lands Department Ms LEE Pui-ling, Becky District Leisure Manager (Wan Chai), Leisure and Cultural Services Department Mr KAR Wing-fuk Chief Health Inspector 2 (Wan Chai), Food and Environmental Hygiene Department Mr HO Kwan-hang, Albert Chief Transport Officer/Hong Kong, Transport Department
Representatives of Other Government Departments and Organisations for agenda Mr Stephen LO, PDSM, PMSM Commissioner for Police item 1 Mr WONG Kin-wai, Anthony Business Director, The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Mr WONG Wo-ping, Peace Chief Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social for agenda Security and Employment), The Hong Kong Council item 13(d) of Social Service Ms WONG Wai-yin, Dorothy Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social Security and Employment), The Hong Kong Council of Social Service
Absent with Apologies Mr LUK Chi-kwong Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong East), Leisure
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and Cultural Services Department Secretary Ms WU Lai-shan, Alexandra Senior Executive Officer (District Council)/ Wan Chai, Home Affairs Department
Action Opening Remarks
1. The Chairperson welcomed Mr Stephen LO, Commissioner for Police to the 13th meeting of the Wan Chai District Council (WCDC) to exchange views with WCDC Members. The Chairperson also extended welcome to Ms CHAN Sin-nga, Assistant Commander (Operations) (North Point Division) who attended the meeting on behalf of Eastern District of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), Ms Daisy WONG, the new District Lands Officer/Hong Kong East of the Lands Department (LandsD) who attended the meeting for the first time, and Mr KAR Wing-fuk, Chief Health Inspector 2 (Wan Chai) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) who stood in for Mr LAU Chi-keung.
2. The Chairperson told the meeting that Mr LUK Chi-kwong, Chief Leisure Manager (Hong Kong East) of the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD) was unable to attend the meeting today due to other engagements.
3. The Chairperson asked Members to note the papers and the agenda with suggested discussion time on the conference table. He reminded them that a maximum of three minutes were allowed for each Member to speak in respect of each agenda item.
Meeting with Head of Department Item 1: Visit by Commissioner for Police
4. The Chairperson asked Mr Stephen LO to briefly introduce the work of HKPF.
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5. Mr Stephen LO briefed Members on the crime prevention and anti-crime activities organised by HKPF in Wan Chai District, the overall crime situation of the territory in the first nine months of 2017, the statistics and detection rates of different crimes, the overall crime and law and order situation of Wan Chai District, measures taken by the Police against various crimes, as well as the work for raising youngsters’ awareness of crime prevention and crime fighting and enhancing their sense of social responsibility. .
6. Mr Joey LEE stated that Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies had been included in Wan Chai District since 1 January 2016. At present, most of the government departments provided services to Wan Chai District via their Wan Chai offices. However, the distribution of business among police districts remained unchanged, with the work in Wan Chai District being shared by Eastern and Wan Chai Police Districts. Since Wan Chai and Eastern Police Districts each took charge of half of his constituency, it was inconvenient in terms of administration and operation, and members of the public wondered why the distribution of business between police districts remained unchanged despite the inclusion of additional constituencies in Wan Chai District. Moreover, both Wan Chai and Eastern Police Districts needed to send representatives to attend WCDC meetings, leading to a waste of manpower. To reduce administrative work and streamline operations, he strongly demanded that both Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies be included in Wan Chai Police District. He hoped that the Commissioner could handle this matter as early as possible, so as to enhance consistency in policy implementation, streamline operations, as well as avoiding a waste of manpower.
7. Dr Anna TANG congratulated the Commissioner on the declined crime rates of various types of crimes, especially cases related to domestic violence and drugs etc. Besides, she asked the Commissioner about the recent media report on a kind of drug called khat leaves, which was also known as East African poppy. She knew that the Police had made a great
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Action deal of effort to address the issue and had seized a large number of items containing this kind of drug. Noting that drug trafficking syndicates would deliver khat leaves to foreign countries via the logistics companies in Hong Kong, she asked if some of the khat leaves would be sneaked into Hong Kong. She also asked what preventive measures had been taken, and whether the Police would take actions or had any plan to collaborate with international organisations to combat khat leaves trafficking.
8. Miss Clarisse YEUNG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) She opined that it was necessary to increase the establishment of Traffic Wardens for Hong Kong Island. At present, the establishment of Traffic Wardens in the whole territory stood at 289 (Note: corrected to 298 after the meeting), but only 81 Traffic Wardens were posted to Hong Kong Island. With a large number of vehicles parked on the roadside and a substantial number of private vehicles on Hong Kong Island, Traffic Wardens were much needed to handle matters like illegal parking and speeding, etc. For instance, Wun Sha Street and Leighton Road were illegal parking blackspots. She reckoned that Traffic Wardens should be stationed at these blackspots. Members and the Police had conducted on-site inspections for many times, but the only solution was law enforcement. She thus hoped that HKPF could expand the establishment of Traffic Wardens so that more of them could be available for frontline duties. She particularly hoped that the Police could step up law enforcement against speeding on Tai Hang Road.
(ii) Regarding the rejected application by Civil Human Rights Front for using Percival Street and East Point Road for holding July 1st March, she pointed out that according to the principles of crowd management, it was not appropriate to
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Action squeeze all participants into Victoria Park. Moreover, participants tended to join the march directly at the area near Causeway Bay MTR Station in recent years. She opined that for the purpose of crowd diversion, more inner roads such as East Point Road, Great George Street and Percival Street should be opened as gathering points. Since much inconvenience would be caused to the local residents whenever there was a procession, she hoped that the Police would consider other possible arrangements based on the principles of crowd management.
(iii) She was much concerned about the 819 indecent assault cases in Wan Chai District as mentioned by the Commissioner just now. While the Commissioner might think that there was a downward trend in such cases since the number had dropped from 925 to 819, she hoped that the Police could strengthen the measures and support provided to the victims at the time when they made a report to the Police. She pointed out that victims of indecent assaults or sexual offences had to face tremendous psychological pressure when they made a report to the Police. Some countries would arrange for a social worker to accompany the victim when giving a statement. However, there was no such arrangement in Hong Kong, probably due to manpower constraints or other factors. She suggested that frontline police officers demonstrate more empathy or avoid obtaining a statement from the victims in the same manner as if an interrogation was being conducted. Although some questions were relatively sensitive, this approach could make the victims feel better. She believed that not only publicity targeting victims of such cases should be launched, instructions should also be provided to police officers.
9. Ms Peggy LEE raised the following comments and enquiries:
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(i) WCDC had been concerned about the problems arising from the methadone clinic on the ground floor of Southorn Centre. When passing the area in question just now, she found that it was very clean and tidy because the Commissioner visited WCDC today. She believed that residents would give a thumbs-up to the Police if the area could be maintained as tidy as today in half of the days throughout the year.
(ii) Members of the public were highly concerned about the drug dealing activities outside the methadone clinic. Residents nearby had witnessed such activities which were blatantly conducted during rush hours. Some of the residents might report to the Police immediately, while some might report through her to the Police Community Relations Officer or the Commander of Wan Chai District. She had maintained close contact with the Police. A number of drug trading cases had been successfully detected by the Police recently, thanks to the information provided by members of the public. In fact, the Council, the Wan Chai District Office (WCDO) and FEHD would conduct joint operations on an irregular basis. She hoped that the Police could provide further support to the staff of FEHD during the joint operations, so as to avoid people stirring up trouble when staff of FEHD were clearing the garbage. She believed that the personnel of FEHD would feel more secured when clearing miscellaneous items with the support from the Police. She also hoped that the Police could tackle the drug problem at source and reduce drug dealing activities in the area.
(iii) There were traditional bars and upstairs bars in Wan Chai District. In processing applications for a liquor licence, the Liquor Licensing Board would impose many conditions.
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Action She hoped that the Police could further strengthen prosecution and law enforcement when conducting inspections.
(iv) She thanked the Police, and stated that staff of the Police Community Relations Office (PCRO) had been cooperating with the Council and Members. She hoped that the Police, including staff of PCRO, could continue to follow the established practice of communicating with the Council and the stakeholders in a fair, pragmatic, just and impartial manner. She believed that effective communication and impartiality were the key to livelihood issues. She hoped that by strengthening the cooperation between the Council and the Police, Wan Chai District would become safer and more livable.
(v) There were anti-drug operations, protests, processions and illegal parking problem in Wan Chai District. Despite the heavy workload, the Police had made their best endeavours to handle the matters. She thanked the police officers once again for their efforts under the leadership of Wan Chai District Commander.
10. Mr Ivan WONG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) The Commissioner had talked at great length about deception cases just now. He noticed that trading platforms of Bitcoin had emerged in Wan Chai District recently, but many people had no knowledge of virtual currencies. It was not easy for the general public to figure out whether such virtual currencies were legal, or whether those people were using virtual currencies investment as a new means to cheat them out of money. In fact, there would be fraud cases relating to virtual currencies investment in the foreseeable future. He enquired whether
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Action the Police would conduct more studies on this issue in the future, in order to help the general public assess the validity and legality of virtual money. It seemed that relevant legislation was not up-to-date enough to monitor this latest financial tool. Even many accountants and lawyers did not have a good understanding of the development and operation of virtual currencies. He commented that the Police should take the initiative to conduct a research and step up publicity effort. As more and more people knew that there was such kind of companies in Wan Chai District, it might be easier for scammers to cheat them.
(ii) Noting that large-scale protests were on the increase, and there were police officers facing prosecution due to execution of duties, he enquired whether HKPF had provided new guidelines to police officers and how to achieve a balance. He commented that if police officers were too lenient, they would not be able to manage the crowd; yet if they took a tougher approach, they might face prosecution for exercising their duties, which was too high a price to pay. Some radicals might aggravate their actions when they knew that police officers might be prosecuted for carrying out duties. He asked whether new guidelines would be issued having regard to the latest court cases to improve the situation.
11. Dr Jennifer CHOW raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) She agreed with Mr Joey LEE that two constituencies in Eastern District had been included in Wan Chai District, but they were overseen by Eastern and Wan Chai Police Districts, causing many administrative problems. She hoped that the Police could conduct a review of such an arrangement.
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Action (ii) She pointed out that Wan Chai District had a large transient population, and she had learnt from MTR Corporation Limited that the crime figures of Wan Chai also included crimes which took place on transportation that passed through the district. She wondered if this was a reason for Wan Chai to have a higher number of indecent assaults. With the large number of bars and flourishing vice trade in Wan Chai, there were colourful neon signboards on the streets and many people hanged around the residential buildings nearby. Some women who went home late had complained to Members about feeling unsafe. She hoped that the Police could step up patrols to ensure the safety of women who returned home late. In addition, she said that there were many bridges in Wan Chai, and the areas under bridges were often used by government departments for storage of goods. Those areas were dim as there was no light. Many women had complained that they would feel very frightened when they walked past such areas. She hoped that the Government could install more street lights or step up patrols in dark areas.
(iii) She had received complaints about fraud cases recently. A courier service company had sent parcels to some elders using different names. Not knowing what to do, the elders sought help from Members. She hoped that the Police could devote greater efforts to spreading anti-scam messages to the elderly, as well as strengthening the publicity of the latest cases.
12. Ms Kenny LEE raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) All Members were aware that illegal parking was a long-standing problem in Wan Chai District which could hardly be eradicated. Therefore the Development, Planning and Transport Committee (DPTC) under WCDC
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Action had made illegal parking a dedicated item for discussion. She understood that there were over 700 000 vehicles in Hong Kong, and parking spaces were insufficient. Yet this was not an excuse for tolerating illegal parking. Illegal parking had become increasingly rampant, and double parking in many places, such as Queen's Road East and Electric Road, was so serious that traffic blockage was resulted. She asked the Police to consider providing additional manpower for law enforcement, or following Macau’s practice of introducing new technology for issuing penalty tickets. It was no doubt that this suggestion should be further discussed at other levels of society.
(ii) She had learnt from a recent newspaper report that two police officers of North Point Police Station were involved in a case in which a false claim of law enforcement was made. The informant found that the two police officers had not come to the scene to take law enforcement action. She understood that frontline police officers were subject to pressure when issuing fixed penalty tickets (FPTs) as they would be scolded by the offenders very often. However, Members had been facing pressure as well amid calls from the public for improvement in illegal parking. Therefore, she hoped that the management could pay regard to the mental health of frontline police officers, otherwise morale would be too low to address illegal parking problem. She also hoped that similar cases would not happen again in the future, and urged the Commissioner to face up to the issue by understanding the difficulties faced by frontline police officers in the course of law enforcement.
(iii) She thanked the police officers of Wan Chai District for their prompt action to conduct covert operations against the sale of liquor without a licence. Nevertheless, she added that law enforcement should be further stepped
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Action up. Liquor licence holders might be smart enough to realise that it was a covert operation, making it not possible for the Police to gather evidence for prosecution action. She urged the Police to consider arranging additional manpower for patrolling at night, as there were a growing number of bars at Sun Street, Moon Street and Star Street, and she hoped that noise nuisance could be alleviated with the help from the Police.
13. Ms Yolanda NG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) She was pleased to note that there was a reduction in the overall crime rate of Wan Chai District every year, and she expressed her gratitude to the Police for their hard work. However, she was concerned about the increasing number of sex crimes, and hoped the Police could strengthen their work in this respect. She opined that the detection rate was important, yet efforts in other areas, including public education, were also of vital importance.
(ii) Illegal parking, noise pollution and nuisance caused by some street activities were important issues of Wan Chai District. Illegal parking was not limited to illegal parking of vehicles. It also included occupation of parking spaces. Some even made use of the traffic cones and fences used by the Police for crowd control to occupy parking spaces on the roadside. Illegal parking problem existed in more than 200 streets and roads in Wan Chai District. Given the shortage of manpower, it was very hard for police officers and traffic wardens to cope with such heavy workload.
(iii) According to the information of DPTC, noise problem was relatively serious at night in Wan Chai. If relatively serious crimes happened at night time in the district, the Police might not be able to handle the noise nuisance cases
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Action promptly. Besides, police officers normally would advise the persons concerned to stop the noise nuisance, instead of taking immediate law enforcement actions, leaving the problem unresolved. She had joined the Council for ten years, and noise nuisance cases emerged almost every night. She often had to call the Police at midnight and waited on the spot until police officers arrived. Noise nuisance arose since business owners did not consider the needs of other stakeholders nearby. As a result, significant impacts were caused to the neighbourhood. She hoped that the Police could deploy additional manpower to handle these non-core police duties.
(iv) To address nuisance caused by street activities, such as food selling, crowd gathering and goods distribution beneath the footbridge at Gloucester Road and in the vicinity of Sugar Street, joint operations by FEHD and HKPF were required. She commented that those people were not scared of FEHD staff, thus the Police should arrange additional personnel to provide assistance.
(v) The manpower of the Tobacco Control Office was in great shortage. In fact, staff working at some premises, such as venues managed by LCSD, could provide assistance, and beat constables could also help issue FPTs. She hoped that frontline police officers could provide support in this area.
(vi) She once again thanked staff of PCRO for their efforts, and hoped that the Commissioner would pay heed to Members’ opinions on manpower deployment.
14. Ms Jacqueline CHUNG raised the following comments and enquiries:
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Action (i) She pointed out that the area covered by Wan Chai Police District was not that big. She recalled that there were about 600 police officers in the police district. However, Wan Chai District had a transient population of more than 600 000 every day. She added that many protests and large-scale celebrations took place in Wan Chai District, and the workload arising from directing traffic every morning at the school area at Jardine's Lookout was very heavy. Crimes involving "bogus refugees" happened occasionally in Wan Chai District. Moreover, the majority of buildings in Wan Chai District were private buildings, and they were often covered by boards and nets for maintenance works, leading to an increased risk of burglaries in domestic premises. It was encouraging to note that a relatively low crime rate could be maintained in Wan Chai despite the huge workload facing the police district. She opined that it was no doubt the result of hard work of the commanders of Wan Chai District.
(ii) She quoted from somebody that vice crimes such as prostitution, gambling and drugs would thrive in crowded districts. However, the number of drug-related cases in Wan Chai District had further declined. Apart from the compliments given by the Council, she reckoned that the Commissioner should take actions to commend the efforts made by his subordinates, since it was very challenging for about 600 police officers to cope with such an overwhelming workload. She opined that the Outstanding Police Officer Contest funded by WCDC was a very important event because police officers should not only be commended by the Commissioner, but also be praised by the Council and members of the public. Crime detection was by no means easy. It could not be achieved by a single officer, but through concerted efforts by the whole team.
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(iii) She stated that the establishment of the Junior Police Call (JPC) Permanent Activity Centre at Pat Heung was of great significance, since it was a project aimed to enhance the well-being of young people. According to her observation, police officers of Wan Chai District PCRO interacted well with youngsters during JPC activities, earning them respect from the youngsters. The personal charisma of Chief Inspector Mr CHAN Kit-fung had attracted a number of young adults to come back and help organise activities, even though they had passed the age of joining JPC, and she was touched by their enthusiasm. She continued that working in PCRO was not a piece of cake. She believed that those who joined the Police would normally prefer carrying out actual police duties in the front line, yet if PCRO did not exist, there would be no publicity and education work for young people. Therefore it was necessary to recognise their work. Apart from being fearless, honest and impartial, police officers of PCRO were required to interact with youngsters and serve as a bridge between the Police and owners’ corporations. They played a very important role and thus should be given concrete commendations.
15. Mr Anson LAM expressed his gratitude to the police officers of Wan Chai District.
16. The Hon Paul TSE stated that his constituency was relatively fortunate. It might be because it was named “樂活” in Chinese, meaning that everyone was living a pleasant and stable life. He had learnt just now that the number of cases relating to spiritual blessing (including online romance scams) had almost doubled from 345 to 745. He was pleased to learn from the Commissioner that the Anti-Scam Helpline 18222 (the Helpline) was set up. He enquired whether it was launched with the use of the existing resources for cyber-crimes or managed by
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Action another unit. He also asked about the manpower deployment for the Helpline. He opined that the Helpline should be widely promoted, as a growing number of online and other scams had been recorded, and he asked whether this had become the new modus operandi and trend. Although there were a larger number of elderly in Wan Chai District, many of them had fallen victim to these scams, just like the situation across the territory. He asked the Commissioner to brief Members on the publicity work, resources and challenges encountered in this area.
17. The Chairperson said that he had learnt from the media that the number of crimes committed by torture claimants had increased recently, and such cases included wounding and robbery. The situation appeared to be more rampant, causing worries among the general public. He was of the view that the Government should review related policies and decide whether torture claimants should continue to be allowed into Hong Kong so easily, yet he clarified that it was not racial discrimination. Since the processing of torture claims would take a very long time, this might give a chance to the applicants to commit crimes. He believed that this was an issue of public concern.
18. Mr Stephen LO thanked Members for their comments and enquiries, and responded as follows:
(i) Mr Joey LEE suggested including both Tin Hau and Victoria Park constituencies in Wan Chai Police District. When HKPF first established the boundary of a police district, the boundary was drawn based on population distribution, crime rates and environmental factors, instead of administrative regions. Therefore, Hong Kong Island was not an exception. Sai Kung District of Kowloon East Region, for instance, was partly covered by Sai Kung Police District and partly by Tseung Kwan O Police District. He understood that Members might not be happy about the overlap and inconvenience. Upon merger of any areas, the Police would consider whether the areas concerned could be
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Action managed by one police district. Nevertheless, different departments had different considerations, and the boundaries established by the Police might be different. He acknowledged that inconvenience might be caused to Members, and said that the Police would consider re-delineating the boundary. Yet he stressed that it would not be an easy task.
(ii) Regarding the complaint against illegal parking just mentioned by Ms Kenny LEE, it was alleged that no police officers arrived at the scene after a report was made to the Police. The Police had attached great importance to the case. HKPF was a highly professional team, otherwise the crime rates would not decline significantly as reported today. He thanked Mr Joey LEE for informing the Police of the incident. An investigation and a disciplinary review were being conducted, and results would be available soon. If it was found that the police officers in question had violated the disciplinary code of conduct and should be held responsible for the incident, the Police would take resolute follow-up actions.
(iii) Regarding the trafficking of khat leaves as mentioned by Dr Anna TANG, the abuse of khat leaves was not popular in the territory. The 1-tonne khat leaves seized this time were to be shipped to Europe instead of Hong Kong. The Police had not found khat leaves yet in the market, but it was a kind of drug according to the laws of Hong Kong. Therefore, regardless of its popularity, the Police would continue to gather information and liaise with the Mainland Public Security Authorities and Interpol to strengthen intelligence exchange, with a view to preventing the smuggling of this kind of drugs into Hong Kong, or the use of the city as a transit port for the drugs going to other places. The above case was one of the successful law
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Action enforcement actions.
(iv) Regarding the establishment of Traffic Wardens as mentioned by Miss Clarisse YEUNG, HKPF had actively requested the Government to expand the establishment of Traffic Wardens over the past few years. However, due to resource allocation, the number of Traffic Wardens could not be further increased for the time being. Secondment was one of the short term solutions. Apart from districts on Hong Kong Island, there would also be staff secondment for Traffic Wardens working in Kowloon and the New Territories. But of course, such arrangement could only cope with short-term needs, and it would not be a long-term solution.
(v) Illegal parking violated the laws of Hong Kong, but it could only be resolved if a number of conditions could be met. The number of FPTs issued by the Police each of the past few years was greater than that of the previous year by at least 10% to 20%. In the first few months of this year, the number of FTPs issued had increased by over 10%. As commented by Members, improvements on illegal parking were yet to be seen. Police officers would issue FTPs and ask the drivers to drive their vehicles away after receiving reports from the public, yet some drivers would park at the same locations again after a while. Due to resource constraints, the Police could not deploy officers to station at the locations for 24 hours. He opined that illegal parking was a very complicated issue, and the situation could only be improved if a number of factors could be fulfilled, such as providing more parking spaces, improving road designs, or even raising the penalty. Besides, the Police would, in collaboration with the Transport Department and other departments concerned, study the use of CCTV to step up law enforcement. Since legislative amendments were
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Action required, results could not be achieved in the short term. The recent proposal made by the Police to raise the penalty was not passed. However, if the Police continued to tackle the problem simply by issuing FTPs, it seemed that efforts were made to treat the symptoms but not the disease. He recalled that when he attended a meeting of another District Council (DC), a Member commended the Police for their efforts in solving the illegal parking problem, leading to smooth traffic flow in his constituency, but then another Member pointed out immediately that the illegal parking issue had shifted to his constituency. The Police would continue to make every effort to combat illegal parking by issuing FTPs, or even towing away the vehicles in question if the situation was severe. However, he hoped that Members could understand that these measures would not solve the core problem, and illegal parking would continue to exist. Issuing more FTPs went slightly against the Police’s objective of seeking support from the public by strengthening communication between the both parties. Since members of the public would feel annoyed whenever they were issued a FTP, frontline police officers were subject to tremendous pressure when carrying out the duties.
(vi) The Police had paid great attention to indecent assault cases, and the most effective measure was to remind women through publicity to protect themselves. In addition, the Police would gather intelligence and step up patrols. Arrests would be made if indecent assaults were reported. He found that many such cases in which the assailants were strangers were linked to online dating. The victims went on a date with the offenders shortly after they knew each other, and were indecently assaulted as a result. Therefore, the Police would strengthen publicity, especially in schools, to remind students to be cautious when meeting
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Action people online.
(vii) When managing protests and demonstrations, the major considerations were public security, public order and others’ right to use the road. Efforts would be made to strike a balance between them. Miss Clarisse YEUNG asked why East Point Road or other roads were not opened for protestors. She opined that if other roads were opened, the participants could join the protest in other places, instead of gathering at Victoria Park. In fact, such arrangement was implemented on a trial basis a few years ago. Nevertheless, since July 1 procession was held in hot summer every year, some participants joined the protest at East Point Road or Sogo Department Store because they did not want to wait for two hours at Victoria Park. As a result, the crowd waited at Victoria Park could not start the procession on time and became angry. They accused the Police of slowing down their progress by not allowing them to start. In fact, the Police also hoped that the procession could start as soon as possible, so that participants could express their views. Other roads were not opened because the Police did not want a large group of people joining the protest in the middle of the queue, which would delay those waiting at Victoria Park, and would thus lead to unnecessary disputes and conflicts. The Police would continue to strengthen communication with the organiser, with a view to enabling the procession to be conducted in a safe and peaceful manner and facilitating the expression of opinions by the public.
(viii) The Police had made efforts in different areas, such as organising training and drills, strengthening communication with the organiser and enhancing the protective gears of police officers. Large-scale protests had undergone drastic changes over the past few years. There were “Occupy
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Action Central”, Mong Kok riot, as well as other demonstrations held in a peaceful manner. The Police had learnt a lot from these incidents, and would continue to provide appropriate training to police officers, equipping them with skills to handle different events, so that the public could express their views in a peaceful manner, and inconvenience to local residents could be minimised.
(ix) Support provided by the Police to victims of indecent assaults could vary. Each police officer would be provided with in-depth training at different stages to teach them how to handle victims of different types of cases, such as children, and women who were sexually assaulted. Such training included equipping them with skills to understand the psychological state of the victims, as well as providing guidelines to remind officers to avoid as far as possible asking the victims to recall their experience repeatedly. For example, the victims should not be asked to meet a police officer at the report room, and then meet another officer in the office of CID. In addition, training related to empathy, as mentioned by Members, was also provided to police officers. Therefore, he assured Members that the Police would sustain its endeavours to alleviate the pressure of victims when they made a report to the Police.
(x) The methadone clinic mentioned by Ms Peggy LEE was a long-standing issue. There were methadone clinics in different districts, and drug dealing could normally be found outside those clinics. The Police would work hand in hand with other departments such as FEHD, and the anti-drug unit of each police district would strengthen law enforcement as well. He called for the public to report to the Police as soon as possible if they spotted any illegal acts.
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Action
(xi) The Police would step up patrols at the bar area, as well as strengthening law enforcement against the sale of liquor without a licence.
(xii) He thanked Members for supporting and commending officers of PCRO. He recalled that when he was appointed the Commissioner of Police, he had said that apart from fostering Police-public co-operation, he hoped that the Police and the public would come to see each other as family members. The Police wished to know the needs of the public, and public opinions were most welcomed which could assist the Police to better exercise their duties.
(xiii) Mr Ivan WONG was concerned about Bitcoin. Bitcoin itself was not illegal, but many people had utilised it to commit crimes, such as blackmailing and swindling the public out of their money. The Police would launch publicity to advise the public not to purchase or use such virtual currency if they did not have a thorough understanding of it. In fact, the Police had conducted research on this topic, and if required, information about the usage of Bitcoin could be included in the publicity.
(xiv) Regarding migrant population as mentioned by Dr Jennifer CHOW, he could not see any relation between the indecent assaults and the migrant population. There were 43 cases of indecent assault in Wan Chai, a slight increase of 2 as compared with the last year’s figure. The increase was mild as the number of indecent assaults across the territory had increased by 10%. The Police would continue to gather intelligence, launch anti-crime publicity, as well as strengthening patrols. Regarding women having worries about their personal safety when walking past dark areas (e.g. areas under bridges) or bar areas during night time, he
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Action hoped that Dr Jennifer CHOW could provide the locations of the blackspots to Eastern and Wan Chai Police Districts. The District Commanders could deploy officers to step up patrols at such blackspots at night, so that the public could feel safe when they returned home late.
(xv) He had not heard of deception cases about courier service companies using different names to send parcels to the elderly. He hoped that Members would refer such cases to Wan Chai Police District for follow-up actions.
(xvi) He thanked Ms Yolanda NG for her support to Wan Chai Police District and that she was pleased to note the declining overall crime rate. Regarding her concern about the rising trend of sex crimes, he pointed out that the Police would continue to strengthen publicity work in this respect.
(xvii) Regarding the matter of noise nuisance, police officers would normally give verbal advice on the spot. The Police could take law enforcement action against noise nuisance in domestic premises. Cases relating to industrial noise should be handled by the Environmental Protection Department (EPF).
(xviii) Regarding providing additional manpower for carrying out non-core police duties, he said that he could only tell the Council that they would try their best to seek additional manpower. A low crime rate could be maintained because police officers spent most of their time on law enforcement work and patrol duty to deter potential offenders from committing crime. The Police would also carry out non-core police duties, but further enhancement in this respect was unlikely. If there were serious cases, the Police would consider according priority to those cases. Regarding support to other departments, such as law
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Action enforcement in relation to sale of food by FEHD, the Police had been lending its full support to the law enforcement actions taken by FEHD. If staff of FEHD were threatened during operations, the Police would definitely take actions. He thanked Ms Jacqueline CHUNG and Mr Anson LAM for their support to the police district.
(xix) Cases relating to spiritual blessing and online dating as mentioned by the Hon Paul TSE were handled by the Commercial Crime Bureau of HKPF. The Helpline was maintained through deployment of internal resources, thus no new resources were used. Eight police officers were deployed to man the Helpline at present. They worked in shifts, and the service was well received. If the service required expansion, additional resources would be sought from the Government. Since many people would think about the publicity of the Police when they received a deceptive phone call, the Helpline was set up to enable the public to make enquiries before transferring money. Normally, people would be afraid of reporting the case to the Police when the caller claimed that they were wanted by the Police, and they might be arrested if they contacted the Police. However, as calling the Helpline did not require disclosure of personal information, the public might be more willing to make enquiries. When they realised that it was a scam after making the enquiry, they would give up the idea of transferring money, or they would feel safe to provide their personal information, so that the Police could assist in suspending the money transfer. The Helpline had produced positive effect, and the Police would continue to work on this area.
(xx) Regarding the committal of crime by non-ethnic Chinese as mentioned by the Chairperson, the Police had recognised this issue for many years. The relevant crime rate had
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Action increased recently, and the Police had a specialised intelligence unit to conduct monitoring. If such persons committed crimes, the Police would be able to arrest them right away in most cases. Members’ opinions on speeding up the processing of torture claims would be referred to the Immigration Department for consideration.
19. The Chairperson thanked the Commissioner for the detailed answers, and asked Members if they had any other comments or enquiries.
20. The Hon Paul TSE stated that the Commissioner had mentioned several times the difficulties and challenges facing the Police in dealing with illegal parking. It was no easy task partly due to the recent decision made by the Legislative Council (LegCo) to lower the proposed increase of penalty by 50%, and partly due to the number of parking spaces. Besides, he raised the issue of skips, since the Public Accounts Committee of LegCo had once pointed out that the three departments concerned had turned a blind eye to the issue. It seemed that HKPF, EPD and the Highways Department (HyD) could not coordinate properly. He noticed that many roadside skips in Wan Chai District posed great dangers, or even blocked the traffic. He asked if any inter-departmental collaboration could be launched or any breakthroughs could be made to achieve better law enforcement.
21. Ms Yolanda NG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) She suggested establishing a special unit to handle non-core police duties. She reckoned that this would allow police officers who were responsible for core police duties to enhance and concentrate on their work. She hoped that HKPF could study the feasibility of this suggestion.
(ii) Regarding sex crimes, she pointed out that the Commissioner had mentioned his hope of raising public awareness of and vigilance against sex crimes, yet he only
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Action simply said that women would be reminded to protect themselves. A number of women groups had told her that reminding women to protect themselves was a common line-to-take of the Police in response to the increase in the number of sex crimes. However, on hearing this advice, some victims or assistance seekers would think that reporting the case implied that they did not protect themselves properly, or that they were sexually assaulted because they behaved indecently, consumed alcohol or dressed sexy. She hoped that the Police could provide comprehensive care to the victims while making the reminder, since the reminder was likely to make them think in that way. From her contact with women in different ages when conducting women’s development work, she learnt that some women were afraid of making a report to the Police or felt deeply hurt after hearing similar reminders. She hoped the Commissioner would understand that she shared this out of goodwill. She believed that raising public awareness of and vigilance against sexual offences, strengthening the awareness of crime prevention and enhancing the overall sense of justice would help combat sex crimes significantly.
22. Mr Joey LEE thanked the Commissioner for his concern about the case reported by the press today. In fact, Wan Chai and Eastern Police Districts had maintained close contact and exchanged letters with him because of the case. He knew that Eastern Police District was investigating the complaint. He thanked the Police for their follow-up work, and Mr KAN, District Commander (Wan Chai), and officers of PCRO for their assistance in handling matters in his constituency.
23. Miss Clarisse YEUNG said that she agreed with Ms Yolanda NG that to combat sex crimes, only urging women to protect themselves was not enough. In fact, this was a major reason for victims not to make a report to the Police. She believed that the Commissioner had heard of
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Action the “Me Too” movement. Many victims of sexual assault, both women and men, shared their own stories on the internet. Therefore, she reckoned that HKPF should adopt a more open approach, so that the victims could receive assistance from the Police. Besides, many cases had no witnesses, thus making it very difficult to lay charges, and she had encountered a number of similar situations personally. However, she believed that if the Police was willing to open a file for investigation for each case, offenders would know that they had to bear consequences of their acts. She opined that the Police could definitely play this role.
24. Mr Stephen LO responded as follows:
(i) About two years ago, he explained to LegCo that the issue of skips was jointly handled by LandsD, HKPF and HyD. The three departments had maintained communication and held meetings on a regular basis to discuss the matter. If Members saw roadside skips in Wan Chai District, they could inform police officers of Wan Chai Police District, so that they could take follow-up actions and step up law enforcement in this respect.
(ii) He thanked Ms Yolanda NG and Miss Clarisse YEUNG for sharing their experiences. He explained that the reminder was meant to tell the public that women should be well protected, and they did not expect that women would feel pressure after hearing it. The Police would pay attention to this issue when launching publicity in the future, so as to avoid imposing pressure on members of the public. While the Police hoped to lower the number of sex crimes, he stressed that they would definitely open a file for investigation whenever a case was reported. Investigation would be launched not only because the case could be solved. The public could lodge a complaint to the Police if individual police officers refused to open a file for investigation.
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Action
25. The Chairperson thanked the Commissioner for attending the meeting, and asked the Vice-chairperson to see him out.
Confirmation of Minutes of Meeting Item 2: Confirmation of Minutes of 12th Meeting of WCDC
26. The Chairperson said that the Secretariat had received proposed amendments to the minutes of the 12th meeting of WCDC from Miss Clarisse YEUNG and Ms Yolanda NG. He asked Members to note the proposed amendments at Appendixes A and B on the conference table. If Members had no other amendments, the minutes of meeting should be confirmed by means of a motion moved by a Member and seconded by another Member.
27. Members present raised no other amendments, and the minutes of the 12th meeting were confirmed by means of a motion moved by Mr Anson LAM and seconded by Mr Joey LEE.
Discussion Items Item 3: Election of Chairpersons and Vice-chairpersons of Committees of WCDC (WCDC Paper No. 85/2017)
28. The Chairperson said that the 5th WCDC had endorsed the establishment of six committees at its 1st meeting held on 5 January 2016, and the Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of each committee would serve a two-year term until 31 December 2017. The Secretariat sent a letter to Members on 11 October 2017 inviting them to make nominations for the Chairpersons and Vice-chairpersons of all committees for 2018-2019. The Secretariat had received one valid nomination for each of the posts of Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of each committee after the deadline (Please refer to Annex 1 to the paper for details). Since there was only one nominee for each of the posts of Chairperson and Vice-chairperson of each committee, the Chairperson announced that the nominees as shown in
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Action Annex 1 to the paper were elected uncontested as Chairpersons and Vice-chairpersons of the respective committees for 2018-2019.
Item 4: Arrangements for Declaration of Interests by DC Members and Members of Committees (WCDC Paper No. 86/2017)
29. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 86/2017. He informed the meeting that the Home Affairs Department (HAD) had, in response to the recommendations on the implementation of community involvement projects by DCs as set out in the Director of Audit’s Report No. 68 and having consulted the Independent Commission Against Corruption, issued the Guidelines on “Other Declarable Interests” for reference by Members of all DCs and their Committees. The “Registration Form on Personal Interests-Category 8: Others” at Appendix of the Standing Orders was also updated. Moreover, HAD had reviewed the arrangements for declaration of interests implemented by 18 DCs, and proposed good practice for reference by DCs in handling declaration of interests.
30. The Chairperson continued that the Funding and General Affairs Committee (FGAC) had discussed the matter at its 12th meeting on 31 October 2017. It was suggested that a working group be set up to follow up on the above guidelines/proposed good practice issued by HAD and to review the arrangements for declaration of interests implemented by WCDC. The Chairperson asked Members if they agreed with the above suggestion made by FGAC.
31. Members raised no objection, and the setting up of an ad hoc working group directly under WCDC to follow up on the review of the arrangements for declaration of interests implemented by WCDC was endorsed by means of a motion moved by Mr Ivan WONG and seconded by Mr Joey LEE.
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Action Item 5: Revised Allocation of WCDC Funds 2017/2018 (WCDC Paper No. 87/2017)
32. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 87/2017. He said that the Community Building and Housing Affairs Committee (CBHAC) of WCDC had endorsed at its 12th meeting the transfer of the uncommitted reserved funds of $55,592 left from the production of Lunar New Year publications and WCDC souvenirs to Central Reserve, in order to better utilise the funds. FGAC had endorsed at its 12th meeting held on 31 October 2017 the following proposed revisions, and agreed to submit them to WCDC for approval:
(i) The uncommitted reserved funds of CBHAC of $55,592 be transferred to Central Reserve; and
(ii) After the transfer, Central Reserve would increase from $467,600 to $523,192.
33. Dr Anna TANG said that CBHAC was not unable to fully make use of the reserved funds. It had organised the activity in accordance with the reserve funds scheme. However, after the funding was approved, some Members said that the production of Lunar New Year publications should be considered from the perspective of environmental protection. As a result, the number of publications produced was reduced. Since time was not enough for following up on the remaining funding, CBHAC had decided to return the funding to Central Reserve.
34. Ms Peggy LEE supplemented that some Members had signed the Charter on “Eco-Friendly Lai See Packets” earlier. Therefore, CBHAC had decided to reduce the number of Lunar New Year publications to be produced. She asked the Secretary to provide detailed information.
35. The Secretary supplemented that Greeners Action had earlier invited WCDC to sign the Charter on “Eco-Friendly Lai See Packets”. Having sought the approval from the Chairperson, the Secretariat had
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Action consulted Members by circulation of papers. In the end, WCDC agreed to sign the charter. According to the charter, WCDC would voluntarily reduce the number of lai see packets to be produced, with a view to achieving a reduction of 10% in the number of lai see packets to be distributed as compared with that of last year. Moreover, simple eco-design should be adopted to reduce the use of resources. In view of the pledge that WCDC should fulfil after signing the charter, CBHAC had decided to reduce the number of lai see packets to be produced in the coming year.
36. The Chairperson asked Members if they agreed with the above revisions proposed by FGAC.
37. Members raised no objection, and the proposed revisions to the allocation of WCDC Funds 2017/2018 were endorsed by means of a motion moved by the Hon Paul TSE and seconded by Mr Ivan WONG.
38. The Chairperson said that a surplus of about $700,000 to $800,000 was estimated having regard to the existing spending position of WCDC Funds 2017/2018. Since all the expenditures from WCDC Funds 2017/2018 should be settled before 31 March 2018, if the Council decided to use the remaining WCDC Funds to organise an activity, the activity should be concluded in early February 2018, in order to ensure enough time for the organiser to prepare and submit the application for reimbursement of funds and other related receipts. The Secretariat would scrutinise the application to see if it was necessary to ask the organiser to revise the information or provide supplementary information, in order to ensure that the procedures for reimbursement of funds and finalisation of accounts could be completed before 31 March 2018. Since the Lunar New Year fell in mid-February 2018, he suggested that any newly proposed activities should be completed in January 2018.
39. The Chairperson invited views from Members on how to handle the remaining WCDC Funds for this year. He said that if the Council decided not to use the remaining funds, the remaining funds would be
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Action returned to HAD. If the Council hoped to make use of the funds to organise an activity, Members should raise a proposal and consider setting up a working group to follow up.
40. The Hon Paul TSE asked if the funds should be used for carrying out a study.
41. The Chairperson said that the Council had earlier set aside funds for the District Works and Facilities Management Committee to carry out a survey on the overall need for park facilities and to prepare the related report. Since the tendering process and the related preparatory work took time, the funds set aside for the above purpose could not be used in this financial year. If the Council was unable to organise other activity within the said period, the related funds would also be returned to HAD. Therefore, it was hoped that Members would actively propose activities for consideration. He supplemented that an informal meeting had been held earlier, during which a Member suggested organising a large-scale event on the turf in Happy Valley Racecourse with district organisations, with the theme of the event being vitality and sports. He asked Members to further discuss the above suggestion.
42. Mr Ivan WONG agreed with the above suggestion. He opined that sports could promote health, thus lowering medical bills. Activities promoting sports were seldom organised in the district. He was of the view that it was a good idea to spread the health messages to the community. He suggested implementing the proposal promptly given the limited time.
43. Dr Anna TANG said that many Members had attended the informal meeting that day, during which a number of suggestions were raised. Members mainly suggested inviting a district organisation to co-organise an activity. Moreover, given the time constraints arising from the tendering and funds application process, only very limited time was left for processing the proposed activity. Therefore she hoped that the Chairperson would report to Members on the preliminary proposal
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Action raised at the informal meeting.
44. The Chairperson said that he would report to Members on the proposal later. He pointed out that if Members agreed to organise the activity, a working group should be set up at this meeting to follow up on the matter. An activity proposal should be submitted to FGAC before 23 November for approval at its 13th meeting. In view of the very limited time, he had earlier held an informal meeting to seek consensus on whether the activity should be organised.
45. Ms Peggy LEE raised the following comments:
(i) Members present at the informal meeting had reached an initial consensus. They agreed to organise an activity with vitality and health as its themes. A non-governmental organisation or district organisation would be invited to co-organise the activity. The Chairperson said that some interested organisations had been contacted. However, a Member held the view that the Council should extensively invite district organisations to co-organise the activity, instead of designating a certain organisation as co-organiser. In view of the very limited time available, district organisations should be required to state clearly the time required, based on which their ability to organise the activity would be assessed. The Chairperson had asked Members to approach district organisations after the meeting, and to invite the interested organisations to submit an activity proposal before the deadline.
(ii) It had been two weeks since the informal meeting. She had contacted some district organisations after the meeting, but most of them were busy with their own commitments and thus were unable to organise the activity. She enquired if Members had contacted other district organisations.
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Action
(iii) A Member asked at the informal meeting whether the amount of allocation for the Council for the next financial year would be affected if the remaining funds were returned to HAD. It was therefore suggested that the funds for this year should be properly utilised as far as possible.
(iv) The crux of the matter at this stage was whether there were any district organisations interested in organising the activity within such a short timeframe. If yes, the matter could proceed.
46. Miss Clarisse YEUNG said that she had earlier enquired about the handling of the funds in question, but she had not attended the informal meeting. She did not agree to spend the funds on organising a one-off event. Instead, she hoped that the funds could be utilised to carry out studies at various levels, which could serve as reference when implementing relevant policies in the future.
47. Dr Anna TANG raised the following comments:
(i) She agreed that various studies should be conducted to review community needs. She pointed out that many committees had conducted studies in the past. For example, the Working Group on Building Management of CBHAC had conducted a number of studies. Yet the time available now was indeed very limited.
(ii) The funds spent each year should have the accounts finalised within the same financial year. The Council could of course commission an institution to conduct a study if time allowed. It was also hoped that the studies planned but not pursued this year would be carried out next year.
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Action (iii) She did not support the use of the funds to organise any carnival-like activity. Instead, she proposed organising a health-themed activity for participation by the young people and all walks of life.
(iv) Although an initial consensus had been reached at the last informal meeting, it was not decided what organisations should be invited to co-organise the activity. She suggested inviting the Hong Kong Wan Chai District Association (HKWCDA), and told the meeting that the Chairperson had contacted the association.
(v) She agreed that a working group should be established to follow up on the matter, and suggested the Council’s Chairperson and Vice-chairperson serve as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the working group respectively.
48. Ms Yolanda NG raised the following comments:
(i) She was unable to attend the informal meeting due to other commitments. But she was not informed of the need to contact district organisations. If Members not present at the informal meeting were not informed of the relevant information, the future cooperation among Members and the principles of fairness and openness in the Council’s work would be affected. To avoid unfairness, she requested the Secretariat to assist in disseminating information in the future, so that Members not present at any meeting would be informed of the relevant information.
(ii) She agreed that conducting studies was a very important task for the Council. However, due to time constraint, the Council had earlier decided to return part of the funds earmarked for carrying out studies to Central Reserve. If the Council now insisted on spending the funds in question
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Action on a study, she was worried that the funds eventually could not be properly utilised in this financial year.
(iii) She opined that the community would be getting into the festive spirit in November, and therefore the Council could take this opportunity to organise an activity to promote the message of sports for all. A study or opinion poll could be conducted during the activity which could not only serve as reference for similar studies in the future, but also meet the need for collection of opinions from the public during the activity.
49. Ms Kenny LEE raised the following comments:
(i) She stressed that the funds in question should be used to benefit more members of the public since it was such a great sum of $700,000. She continued that the majority of Members present at the informal meeting agreed that the themes of the activity should be vitality, environmental protection and health. She opined that if the organiser was able to publicise the above themes to various groups of the public at different locations within three days, more people would be benefitted.
(ii) It was also mentioned during discussions at the above informal meeting that allowing one district organisation to apply for the entire funds would be more appropriate in view of the requirement that the expenditure of the activity should be clearly settled within the current financial year.
(iii) She agreed that a study should be carried out as suggested by a Member. She suggested that data on participants’ vital capacity, walking distance in miles, methods for keeping fit and calories burned should be collected during running or cycling, which could serve as a base for a study.
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Action She hoped that the activity would contain the elements of health and vitality, and relevant data would be collected.
50. The Chairperson supplemented the following:
(i) If an in-depth study was to be carried out, sufficient time would be required for completing the necessary procedures such as inviting district organisations to become the organiser, arranging tendering and carrying out preparatory work. The expenditure incurred should be paid after the completion of the entire study, making it impossible to complete the finalisation of accounts within the current year.
(ii) The purpose of the informal meeting was to seek Members’ views. The majority of Members present at the meeting opined that a meaningful activity should be organised to ensure the funds were properly utilised. At the meeting, he invited views from Members on the theme of the activity and the choices of the partnering organisations. It was agreed that while Wan Chai District was among the top in terms of per capita income, educational attainment and level of happiness, there was room for improvement in the promotion of health and vitality.
(iii) During the days when Dr Peggy LAM chaired WCDC, a promotional activity titled “Hygienic, Healthy and Dynamic City” was organised. He therefore had the idea of building the image of Wan Chai as a hygienic, healthy and dynamic district.
(iv) Mr CHENG Ki-kin had earlier led a team to join the “District Councils Challenge Cup” of the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2017 on behalf of WCDC, and the team had won the Champion in the race. WCDC’s
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Action team was also the winner of the race for District Councils on Hong Kong Island in ASICS Hong Kong Island 10k City Race 2017. These two awards gave significant recognition to Wan Chai’s achievements in this respect. He therefore opined that further efforts should be made to enhance the promotion of sports in Wan Chai District.
(v) Based on the above idea, a consensus was reached at the informal meeting. It was preliminarily agreed to organise a large-scale event. Sports organisations such as Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Association, the Cycling Association of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Amateur Athlete Association would be invited to co-organise the event with WCDC.
(vi) He had contacted Hong Kong Jockey Club which told him that the Forecourt of Happy Valley Racecourse could be reserved on 14 January 2018. LCSD also initially reserved Pitch No. 7 of Happy Valley Recreation Ground for organising the event.
(vii) He had contacted a number of district organisations, some of which had agreed to co-organise the event. One of them was the HKWCDA, under which there were over 40 groups, and they were pleased to co-organise the event with the Council.
(viii) He had contacted a number of media organisations with a view to identifying a suitable one for the publicity work.
(ix) He reiterated that the Council should decide at this meeting whether the funds in question should be used for organising the event.
51. Mr Anson LAM said that it might be better to return the funds to
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Action HAD in view of the extremely limited time. Negative comments would be drawn if the result of the event was unsatisfactory.
52. Ms Yolanda NG said that the Council should discuss whether a working group should be set up to follow up on the use of the funds. She pointed out that Members’ initial thinking was to set up a working group first and then decide on the type of event to be organised. It was seldom necessary to discuss an event in such great detail at a meeting of the full Council. She was of the view that the details of the event should be discussed by the working group since the Council had decided the broad direction.
53. Mr Joey LEE agreed with Ms Yolanda NG that the details of the event should be handled by the working group.
54. Ms Peggy LEE suggested inviting HKWCDA to submit a project proposal first. The working group would then convene meetings to discuss the proposal.
55. The Chairperson reiterated his hope that the Council would decide whether the funds in question should be used for organising the event. If the Council decided to organise the event, the setting up of an ad hoc working group directly under WCDC to handle the matter would be suggested. The Chairperson asked Members to decide on the above suggestion by a show of hands.
56. Since the majority of Members present expressed support and no Members raised objection, the Chairperson announced that the above suggestion be endorsed, and asked Members interested in joining the working group to stay after the meeting for preliminary discussion. The Secretariat was requested to formally invite Members to join the working group later.
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Action Written Motion Item 6: Motion on Supporting the Implementation of “Co-location Arrangement” in Hong Kong (WCDC Paper No. 102/2017)
57. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 102/2017 and the written reply from the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) on the conference table. The Chairperson continued that Miss Clarisse YEUNG had informed the Secretary this morning of her wish to make an oral statement on this agenda item at today’s meeting. According to Section 20 of the Standing Orders of WCDC, a member who wished to make an oral statement should notify the Secretary before the meeting, and the oral statement should not last more than five minutes.
58. The Chairperson suggested asking Mr Ivan WONG who moved the written motion to speak and read out the motion first. The nine Members who seconded the motion would then be asked if they had anything to add. After that, Miss Clarisse YEUNG would be allowed to make an oral statement, and then other Members would be invited to express their views. Finally, the motion would be put to a vote.
59. Members present raised no objection to the suggested handling of the motion, and the Chairperson asked Mr Ivan WONG to speak and read out the motion.
60. Mr Ivan WONG read out the motion: “The Wan Chai District Council supports the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in implementing the co-location arrangement at the West Kowloon Station (WKS) of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) for customs clearance to ensure the full realisation of the efficiency of XRL. Besides, the Government is urged to further explain to the public the concrete operation of the co-location arrangement”.
61. Mr Ivan WONG opined that given the huge construction cost of
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Action XRL, its benefits could not be fully unleashed without the implementation of the co-location arrangement. He asked Members to support the co-location arrangement, and hoped for the early endorsement of such arrangement which could bring convenience to the public.
62. The Chairperson asked the nine Members who seconded the motion if they had anything to add.
63. The nine Members who seconded the motion had nothing to add, and the Chairperson asked Miss Clarisse YEUNG to make the oral statement. She was reminded that the oral statement should not last more than five minutes.
64. Miss Clarisse YEUNG made the oral statement as follows:
“I hereby make an oral statement. I will not participate in the discussion of this agenda item to protest against the motion.
Considerable controversy was aroused when the Government proposed to build the Hong Kong Section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail Link (XRL) a decade ago. The works which cost $66.9 billion require the demolition of Choi Yuen Tsuen. The community has proposed to use Kam Sheung Road as an alternative site for the construction of XRL. Such proposal is less costly and will have smaller impact, but the Government refused to consider it and sought the approval of the construction of XRL from the Legislative Council (LegCo) despite the opposition.
In 2010, ten thousand people besieged LegCo. They stopped legislators from leaving by blocking the road. It is true to say that the rift in society and the radical social movements are the results of the relevant government policies, isn’t it?
Up to now, the construction cost of XRL is almost $20 billion more
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Action than originally estimated, and the completion date is further delayed. Despite being in the post-Umbrella Movement era, the Government still refuses to learn any lesson from it. Public voices have fallen on deaf ears, and there is no public consultation.
The community has proposed to implement the co-location arrangement in Futian and Guangzhou. However, the Government not only refused to consider the alternative proposal, but also submitted the proposal to implement the co-location arrangement to LegCo after six elected legislators were disqualified from the legislature. The Government has made no response to the public concerns about the harms to be brought to the Basic Law and the principle of “one country, two systems” by the implementation of the co-location arrangement, thus aggravating the conflicts in the legislature and the community. The opposition camp should not be held responsible for the conflict, should they?
I very much hope that I can have a sincere discussion with Members on the co-location arrangement. However, today’s motion leaves no room for discussion at all. Only passage of it is allowed. Besides, the Transport and Housing Bureau (THB) just regards the Council as a rubber stamp. Why THB does not take the initiative to raise the issue if they attach importance to the opinions of the Council. Why no representatives are sent to attend today’s meeting? Members present are all elected by the people, and the Council is an elected body. I cannot accept the handling of the matter in such manner. I definitely oppose the motion, yet I have no choice but to withdraw from the discussion of this agenda item in order to protest against the motion.”
65. Mr CHENG Ki-kin was of the view that the implementation of the co-location arrangement required the enforcement of the laws of China at WKS. He asked whether assistance should be sought from the public security officers or the Police if someone felt sick or a pregnant woman was about to be in labour at WKS. He asked whether compensation
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Action would be made in accordance with the laws of Hong Kong or China if an accident involving compensation happened. He pointed out that the Government had not clearly explained these legal issues to the public, and hoped that Members who supported the motion would explain these issues with concrete examples to illustrate the differences between the co-location arrangement to be implemented in Hong Kong and the corresponding arrangements adopted in other countries such as Britain and the United States (US).
66. The Chairperson said that the opposing views raised by the two Members just now would be put on record and relayed to THB for consideration.
67. Mr CHENG Kin-kin supplemented that the co-location arrangement was likely to jeopardise the rights of Hong Kong people. He queried if such arrangement should be endorsed only for the sake of efficiency or because of the money spent.
68. Mr Ivan WONG pointed out that similar arrangement had been in force since Hong Kong’s return to the Motherland 20 years ago. There was such a dividing line on Lo Wu Bridge. Therefore, the concerns over legal issues were specious.
69. Mr CHENG Ki-kin asked why the co-location arrangement had to be implemented at WKS instead of Futian.
70. Mr Ivan WONG raised the following comments:
(i) At Huanggang control point, travellers had to get on and off their coach several times to complete the customs clearance procedures, leading to many safety problems and causing great inconvenience. In fact, a dividing line for custom clearance had been implemented for a long time, and the issues of concern raised by Mr CHENG Ki-kin had seldom come true over the past years.
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Action
(ii) He was not in a position to answer the query as to whether the co-location arrangement would violate the principle of “one country, two systems” or the Basic Law since he was not a representative of the Department of Justice. Yet he opined that the implementation of the co-location arrangement through the “Three-step Process” reflected the Government’s respect for the principle of “one country, two systems” and the Basic Law.
(iii) He agreed that some members of the public had misunderstanding because they did not have a good knowledge of the co-location arrangement. Therefore, the Government was urged in the motion to fully explain the co-location arrangement to the public to remove their worries.
(iv) The Government had spent a huge sum in constructing XLR. It would waste public money and hamper integration between Hong Kong and the Mainland if a separate-location arrangement was implemented.
71. Ms Jacqueline CHUNG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) Although it was a motion paper, it could be for discussion. In the past, the Secretariat would invite relevant officials to attend meetings to answer queries. She wondered if the Secretariat had made such invitations this time since no relevant officials attended today’s meeting.
(ii) The Government raised the proposal of co-location arrangement in July. She conducted a questionnaire survey in August. According to the findings, 65% of the respondents supported the construction of XRL, and they
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Action did not think that the co-location arrangement was inconsistent with the principle of “one country, two systems”. Of the respondents who needed to travel to and from the Mainland, 57% answered that they would choose to use XRL. It could be seen from the above findings that the public generally supported the construction of XRL and were willing to use it, and they also supported the co-location arrangement proposed by the Government.
(iii) Since the public did not have a thorough understanding of the co-location arrangement, she hoped that the Government would step up publicity to drive home the message that the construction of XRL had its economic benefits and the co-location arrangement was in line with the Basic Law. The Government should also conduct extensive consultation on the related arrangements inside XRL to enhance public’s understanding.
72. The Chairperson said that the Secretariat had invited THB to send representatives to the meeting via email on 7 November. THB later replied that they were unable to attend the meeting.
73. Ms Yolanda NG raised the following comments:
(i) She was of the view that THB should send representatives to the meeting, even though the Secretary for Transport and Housing was unable to attend the meeting. It had never happened before that no relevant officials were present to answer Members’ enquiries.
(ii) Regarding the query raised by a Member as to whether the motion left room for discussion, she said that it was the established practice of the Council to allow discussion time for any motion. Being an elected Member, she supported the motion after listening to the public opinion.
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(iii) While she was not in a position to answer the queries about the legal issues on behalf of the relevant government departments, she opined that the co-location arrangement for XRL was in line with the arrangements implemented in other control points.
(iv) Members of the public who travelled frequently between Hong Kong and the Mainland would benefit most from the co-location arrangement, and a large number of them were the grassroots. Such arrangement brought convenience to the public. She hoped that officials in charge of the relevant policy could improve their elaboration skills and devote greater efforts to explaining the co-location arrangement to the public.
74. Mr Joey LEE raised the following comments:
(i) Regarding the allegation that the co-location arrangement was a deal to “sell Hong Kong out”, he said that Article 1 of the Basic Law stipulated that “the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an inalienable part of the People's Republic of China”, and Article 7 stipulated that “the land and natural resources within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be State property. The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be responsible for their management, use and development and for their lease or grant to individuals, legal persons or organizations for use or development. The revenues derived therefrom shall be exclusively at the disposal of the government of the Region”. In fact, the handling was the same as that adopted before the handover. Before the handover, all lands belonged to the sovereign state. There was a term of years for any grant of land by the Hong Kong Government. In essence, only the right to
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Action use the land was granted to the so-called “buyer”. Therefore, the allegation that the establishment of the Mainland Port Area was equivalent to “selling out Hong Kong” was not only misleading, but also showed disrespect for China’s sovereignty over Hong Kong.
(ii) As regards the allegation that the co-location arrangement violated the principle of “one country, two systems”, he opined that such concern was an exaggeration. At the opening ceremony of the 19th Communist Party of China National Congress, President XI Jiping unprecedentedly mentioned several times the importance of upholding the principle of “one country, two systems”. Based on the principle of “one country”, “two systems” could prosper. This showed that “one country, two systems” was a long-established state policy which would not be changed hastily. He was of the view that the issue of law enforcement by Mainland personnel in Hong Kong could certainly be resolved through the arrangement agreed between the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Central Government, and approved by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC).
(iii) Some people were worried that after the implementation of the co-location arrangement at the station of XRL, such kind of arrangements would be extended to other areas. He opined that such worries were raised with exaggeration. The implementation of the co-location arrangement was crucial to realising the speed and convenience offered by XRL. Arrangements being implemented in other ports had been operating smoothly, and there was no need to implement the co-location arrangement in these ports. The co-location arrangement was a rather unique arrangement implemented for the sake of convenience for the public to
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Action travel to and from the Mainland. During his daily contacts with the local residents, they seldom told him that they were worried about the extension of such arrangement to other areas. Neither did they say that they were worried about law enforcement by Mainland personnel in the whole territory.
(iv) The concerns over law enforcement by Mainland personnel in Hong Kong were also made with exaggeration. A large number of Hong Kong people crossed the border every day for work, business, studies or travelling, showing that the public were not in great fear of the Mainland’s law enforcement system.
(v) He said that upon the commissioning of XRL, there would be a multiplier effect on the economic benefits generated. It would not only generate direct income from fares payment, but also bring about other indirect benefits, such as stimulating the economic growth of Hong Kong. He opined that WKS could not be regarded as the hub of XRL. Instead, the hub stations should be Shenzhenbei Railway Station and Guangzhounai Railway Station. Those who had travelled through these stations should know that they were operated like an airport, through which passengers could change to a number of railways. Only being connected to the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Rail Link, the XRL station in Hong Kong was a spoke to the hub of the national high-speed rail network. Without this spoke, Hong Kong would not be connected to the national rail network, and would become an isolated island.
(vi) Some suggested building the XRL station on Kam Sheung Road to make it more convenient for people living in the New Territories to travel to and from the Mainland. He did not agree with such suggestion since it was based on a
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Action too simple or even wrong assumption that people who would cross the border via the station in the future were all from the New Territories North or New Territories North East. Upon the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of XRL, people from all over the world including Europe, the US and Southeast Asia would travel to various provinces and cities across China via WKS with ease and convenience. The network might even expand to cover South East Asia and Eurasia countries with the implementation of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative.
75. Mr CHENG Ki-kin raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) It was stipulated in the Basic Law that national laws should not be applied in Hong Kong except for those listed in Annex III to the Basic Law.
(ii) While the findings of some questionnaire surveys might indicate that a large number of people supported the implementation of the co-location arrangement, the results of such kind of questionnaire surveys largely hinged on how the surveys were conducted and what default questions were asked.
(iii) The supporters only listened to the government propaganda without giving careful consideration to the details. For example, one had to consider how to handle cases where a passenger felt sick or a pregnant woman was about to be in labour in a train compartment. Other issues included the jurisdiction over the areas inside and outside the train compartments, the cables, the rails, etc. Many legal and compensation issues might arise in case there was an accident. However, no clear explanation on these issues had been given by the Government.
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Action 76. Mr Joey LEE read out the following three articles of the Basic Law:
(i) Article 18: “The laws in force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region shall be this Law, the laws previously in force in Hong Kong as provided for in Article 8 of this Law, and the laws enacted by the legislature of the Region. National laws shall not be applied in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region except for those listed in Annex III to this Law. The laws listed therein shall be applied locally by way of promulgation or legislation by the Region. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress may add to or delete from the list of laws in Annex III after consulting its Committee for the Basic Law of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the government of the Region. Laws listed in Annex III to this Law shall be confined to those relating to defence and foreign affairs as well as other matters outside the limits of the autonomy of the Region as specified by this Law. In the event that the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress decides to declare a state of war or, by reason of turmoil within the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region which endangers national unity or security and is beyond the control of the government of the Region, decides that the Region is in a state of emergency, the Central People's Government may issue an order applying the relevant national laws in the Region.
(ii) Article 20: “The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region may enjoy other powers granted to it by the National People's Congress, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress or the Central People's Government.”
(iii) Article 22: “No department of the Central People's Government and no province, autonomous region, or
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Action municipality directly under the Central Government may interfere in the affairs which the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region administers on its own in accordance with this Law. If there is a need for departments of the Central Government, or for provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government to set up offices in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, they must obtain the consent of the government of the Region and the approval of the Central People's Government. All offices set up in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region by departments of the Central Government, or by provinces, autonomous regions, or municipalities directly under the Central Government, and the personnel of these offices shall abide by the laws of the Region.
77. Mr CHENG Ki-kin queried if these articles allowed the Chinese security officers to take law enforcement actions in Sham Shui Po.
78. The Chairperson said that the motion under discussion aimed to urge the Government to devote greater effort to explaining the concrete operation of the co-location arrangement to the public, in addition to expressing support for the implementation of the co-location arrangement at WKS and the full realisation of the benefits of XRL. He considered the motion reasonable as it aimed to urge the Government to further explain the arrangement in order to alleviate public worries.
79. Mr CHENG Ki-kin asked about the differences between the co-location arrangement in the US and Canada and that to be implemented in Hong Kong. He also asked why Hong Kong did not follow the arrangements implemented in other countries.
80. The Chairperson raised the following comments:
(i) There were precedents for implementing the co-location arrangement. At present, an area in Shenzhen Bay was
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Action leased to the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region for the implementation of the co-location arrangement.
(ii) If the co-location arrangement was to be implemented in Futian, passengers who had completed departure clearance in Hong Kong would have to alight in Futian while carrying their baggage to undergo arrival clearance procedures. Such an arrangement was time-consuming and would hamper the efficiency of XRL.
(iii) He supported the motion after listening to public views. Many of his friends who loved photography hoped for the implementation of the co-location arrangement at WKS since it saved time and offered convenience. The arrangement would enable them to reach their destinations directly without the need to alight and re-board the trains for clearance procedures while carrying a large number of equipment.
81. Mr CHENG Ki-kin said that he would consider the arrangement only if any incidents happened between WKS and Futian would be handled by the Hong Kong Police or Customs, and no national laws would be enforced. It was only under such circumstances that the public rights could be protected.
82. The Chairperson thanked Mr CHENG for his comments, which would be put on record and relayed to THB for consideration. Since the “Three-step Process” was in progress, the Council would still have time to express its opinions.
83. Mr Ivan WONG raised the following comments:
(i) He commended Mr CHENG for staying in the conference room to participate in the debate, since the more they
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Action debated the issue, the more truth would emerge. Those who chose to withdraw from the discussion in haste only told us that their arguments were not tenable.
(ii) Many new policies or arrangements were subject to doubts before implementation, such as the principle of “one country, two systems” and the construction of the cross-harbour tunnel. In many cases, people’s worries stemmed from ignorance and a lack of knowledge. Therefore, the motion aimed to urge the Government to devote greater effort to explaining to the public the concrete operation of the co-location arrangement.
(iii) It was stated in the written reply from the Government that “it would seek the approval and endorsement of the Co-operation Arrangement by the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress through a decision to be made by the Standing Committee”. The Standing Committee of NPC was the highest-level legislative body in China which had the power to give final authoritative interpretation.
84. Ms Jacqueline CHUNG raised the following comments:
(i) She concurred with the views of Mr Ivan WONG that the more they debated the issue, the more truth would emerge. Therefore, she could not understand why a Member withdrew from the discussion.
(ii) In making the proposal, reference had been made to the arrangement implemented in Shenzhen Bay. A Mainland Port Area would be established at WKS for use by the Mainland on lease basis. The proposal should be completed through a “Three-step Process”, which included reaching a Co-operation Arrangement with the Mainland,
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Action seeking the approval and endorsement of the Co-operation Arrangement by the Standing Committee of NPC through a decision to be made by the Standing Committee, as well as completing the local legislative process next summer, so as to implement the co-location arrangement upon the commissioning of the Hong Kong Section of XRL in the third quarter of 2018.
(iii) Apart from expressing their views at meetings of the Council, Members could attend the hearings of LegCo to voice their opinions. It was meaningless to further argue the topic since no officials were present at today’s meeting to answer Members’ enquiries.
(iv) Members who supported the motion were also elected by members of the public, and they supported the motion after listening to public opinion. The strange remarks about law enforcement by Mainland personnel in Sham Shui Po just shifted the topic, and were therefore considered inappropriate.
85. The Hon Paul TSE raised the following comments:
(i) The co-location arrangement was indeed a very controversial issue. The Government should make extra effort in explaining the legal issues to alleviate public worries.
(ii) Support in principle should be given at this stage to enable the Government to proceed. The Government would have to spend considerable time on the legislative and implementation work at a later stage. He believed that the Government would give detailed explanation in response to the enquiries raised by Mr CHENG at a later stage.
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Action (iii) The proposals involving Choi Yuen Tsuen and Kam Sheung Road were all water under the bridge. The proposal involving Futian was wishing thinking. He called for Members not to be caught up in the past. Instead of considering those unrealistic proposals, Members should devote more attention to the more feasible proposals which had gained more public support and would bring economic benefits. The focus of discussion should be on how to overcome the legal and technical obstacles, including those issues involving the Basic Law. This should be the way forward.
(iv) Regarding the concerns over legal issues including any violation of the Basic Law, a number of judicial reviews were in progress, and the public should wait and see. It was inappropriate to make too many unnecessary guesses or threats at this stage.
86. Mr CHENG Ki-kin asked why no legislators had asked the questions he raised just now over the past decade. He was not worried about the counter-revolutionary charges or charges of endangering national security. However, practical issues should be resolved such as the compensation issue and the jurisdiction over the cables and rails.
87. The Chairperson thanked Mr CHENG for his comments, which would be put on record and relayed to THB for consideration. The Chairperson then asked Members to vote on the motion. The voting result was as follows:
Yes: 11 votes (Stephen NG, Dr Jennifer CHOW, Ms Yolanda NG, Mr Joey LEE, Ms Kenny LEE, Ms Peggy LEE, Mr Anson LAM, Mr Ivan WONG, Dr Anna TANG, The Hon Paul TSE, Ms Jacqueline CHUNG) No: 1 vote (Mr CHENG Ki-kin)
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88. The Chairperson announced that the motion was passed.
Information Paper Item 7: Report of the Wan Chai District Fight Crime Committee (WCDC Paper No. 88/2017)
89. The Chairperson asked Members to note WCDC Paper No. 88/2017. He asked Mr KAN Kai-yan if he had anything to add.
90. Mr KAN Kai-yan said that he had nothing to add since the Commissioner of Police had just reported in detail on the figures of various crimes. He thanked WCDC for its support to Wan Chai and North Point Police Districts. He said that if WCDC found that some areas should be given enhanced effort, it could contact Police Community Relations Officers or him at any time so that prompt and proactive action could be taken to address the law and order issues in the district.
91. Members raised no other enquiries, and the Chairperson asked them to note the paper.
Item 8: Progress Report of the 213rd Meeting of the Wan Chai District Management Committee (WCDC Paper No. 89/2017)
92. The Chairperson asked Members to note the above paper.
Item 9: Progress Reports of Promotion Committees/Working Groups/Organising Committees Directly under the WCDC (WCDC Paper No. 90/2017)
93. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 90/2017, and reported on the progress in organising the duty visit. Details were as follows:
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Action (i) WCDC endorsed at its 11th meeting on 4 July 2017 the proposal of duty visit and the arrangements for the distribution of quotas.
(ii) On 4 September 2017, Mr Anson LAM, the ex-Chairperson of the Working Group on Duty Visit informed Members, Co-opted Members and members of committees under WCDO who had applied to join the duty visit via email that the contractor was unable to organise the tour since the final number of participants of the duty visit of WCDC originally scheduled for November was insufficient, and some of the participants were unable to pay the deposit before deadline. Therefore, the duty visit had to be cancelled.
(iii) The Council had held an informal meeting to discuss the duty visit, during which Members expressed their hope for the duty visit to be organised. Since the cost of the duty visit to Osaka, Japan was relatively high, a Member suggested the destination of the duty visit be changed to Gangdong-gu in Korea. Members of the Gangdong-gu District Council had paid a visit to WCDC earlier. Six WCDC Members had attended the meeting with Gangdong-gu District Council.
94. The Chairperson invited views from Members on whether a duty visit should be organised on another date within this term, the suitable date and the destination of the duty visit.
95. Ms Kenny LEE raised the following comments:
(i) She opined that it was worth organising a duty visit since it would enable Members to learn management experience of another places. Besides, it was an established practice for the Council to organise duty visits, and such practice should not be abolished easily.
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(ii) From the exchanges with Gangdong gu District Council during their visit to WCDC, she learned that Hong Kong should draw on the experience of Korea in environmental protection and planning. Therefore, she supported organising a duty visit to Korea.
96. The Chairperson asked whether a working group on duty visit should be established to discuss the details, or the duty visit should be followed up by the Secretariat if the Council decided to continue to organise a duty visit within this term.
97. Dr Jennifer CHOW raised the following comments:
(i) She was of the view that the duty visit should be followed up by the Secretariat, and hence the establishment of a working group was not required.
(ii) She agreed to organise a duty visit to Korea, and suggested one of the items to be studied should be the utilisation of areas under bridges in Korea to make available more spaces for leisure and sports.
98. Members raised no objection, and the Chairperson asked the Secretariat to continue to follow up on the duty visit.
(The Hon Paul TSE and Mr Anson LAM left the meeting at 5:10 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. respectively.)
Item 10: Progress Reports of Committees of the WCDC (a) Community Building and Housing Affairs Committee (WCDC Paper No. 91/2017) (b) Cultural and Leisure Services Committee (WCDC Paper No. 92/2017)
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Action (c) District Works and Facilities Management Committee (WCDC Paper No. 93/2017) (d) Development, Planning and Transport Committee (WCDC Paper No. 94/2017) (e) Food and Environmental Hygiene Committee (WCDC Paper No. 95/2017) (f) Funding and General Affairs Committee (WCDC Paper No. 96/2017)
99. The Chairperson asked Members to note the above papers.
Item 11: Summary of Meetings of Area Committees (WCDC Paper No. 97/2017)
100. The Chairperson asked Members to note the above paper.
Item 12: Financial Statement of the WCDC Funds for 2017/18 (WCDC Paper No. 98/2017)
101. The Chairperson asked Members to note the above paper.
Item 13: Any Other Business (a) Nomination of WCDC Representative to Serve as Co-opted Member of Task Force on Harbourfront Developments on Hong Kong Island (WCDC Paper No. 99/2017)
102. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 99/2017. He stated that the Harbourfront Commission (HC) had invited WCDC to nominate a Member to serve as co-opted member of the Task Force on Harbourfront Developments on Hong Kong Island (the Task Force) under HC in order to advise the Government on the planning, design, management and related matters of the harbourfront developments. The coming term would end on 30 June 2019, and Ms Jacqueline CHUNG was the representative of WCDC in the last term. The Chairperson asked
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Action Ms Jacqueline CHUNG whether she was interested to continue her service.
103. Ms Jacqueline CHUNG said that she was pleased to continue to serve on the Task Force. .
104. The Chairperson asked whether there were other nominations.
105. Miss Clarisse YEUNG enquired about whether there were established procedures for nominating Members to join these kinds of task forces.
106. The Chairperson answered that it was the established practice of the Council to nominate a Member as its representative. The precondition was that the nominee was willing to take up the post, and that other Members agreed with the nomination. If there were more than one nominee, the Council could vote by a show of hands.
107. Miss Clarisse YEUNG stated that she was interested in joining a committee earlier, but the normal practice of the Council was to nominate the chairperson of the related committee to take up the post.
108. The Chairperson clarified that the Council had never formed a task force on harbourfront developments.
109. Miss Clarisse YEUNG replied that she knew that the Council had not formed a task force on harbourfront developments. She pointed out that the new-term Government welcomed the participation of the younger generation in politics, and encouraged young people to join committees of the Government. She opined that this was a precious opportunity, therefore she was much interested in joining the Task Force. While she acknowledged that she had limited experience, she asked whether the Council supported the idea of encouraging young people to join these kinds of committees.
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Action 110. The Chairperson stated that many committees would openly recruit members, and Members could apply via self-nomination. However, since the nominee would represent the Council to serve on the task force, the nomination should be agreed by other Members.
111. Mr Ivan WONG opined that the word “young” could be defined differently, and it could both refer to “young age” or “a young heart”.
112. Miss Clarisse YEUNG said she understood that the practice of the Council could be different from the Government’s direction. She only wanted to know whether the Council would take reference of the Government’s mechanism, and follow its standards in nominating Members to join these kinds of committees. According to her past experience, younger Members had fewer opportunities to take up such tasks.
113. The Chairperson thanked Miss Clarisse YEUNG for her enthusiasm in the matter, and told her that she could nominate herself and see whether her self-nomination was seconded by any Members. If more than one Member were interested in serving on the Task Force, the Council should make a decision by voting.
114. Ms Kenny LEE stated that she chaired DPTC, and the matters handled by DPTC were closely related to harbourfront developments, therefore she was interested in joining the Task Force as well.
115. Mr CHENG Ki-kin opined that if voting was required, it should be by secret ballot.
116. Ms Yolanda NG said that she was glad to note the active participation of Members, but she saw no reason to decide such nomination of a Member to sit in meetings on behalf of the Council by a motion or voting. She suggested that interested Members discuss among themselves after the meeting and reply to the Task Force.
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Action 117. The Chairperson asked the three candidates to discuss among themselves and inform the Secretariat of the result.
118. Ms Jacqueline CHUNG agreed to settle the matter right now by voting.
119. Mr Ivan WONG agreed with Ms Yolanda NG that the three interested Members should discuss the matter after the meeting. He added that if voting was required, it should be by secret ballot.
120. Ms Peggy LEE mentioned that similar situation had happened before. The Chairperson proposed to nominate her to become the member of a committee, since she chaired a committee of the Council. Miss Clarisse YEUNG expressed her interest as well on that occasion. Eventually, they discussed between themselves after the meeting and reached a consensus that the role should be taken up by Miss Clarisse YEUNG.
121. Mr CHENG Ki-kin stated that he did not prefer voting, and suggested drawing lots.
122. Miss Clarisse YEUNG pointed out that the past practice of the Council was to nominate the chairperson of the relevant committee. She and Ms Peggy LEE had expressed interest in being the member of a committee before. That time they discussed the matter after the meeting and decided to nominate her. However, she was not appointed by that committee in the end.
123. The Chairperson stated that since there were precedent cases, the nomination should then be discussed among the three interested Members after the meeting.
(Post-meeting note: Following the discussion among the three Members after the meeting, it was decided that Ms Jacqueline CHUNG would continue to be the co-opted member of the Task Force on Harbourfront
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Action Developments on Hong Kong Island under Harbourfront Commission on behalf of the Council.)
(b) Invitation to WCDC to Nominate a Representative to Join 2018-19 Customer Liaison Group (WCDC Paper No. 100/2017)
124. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 100/2017. He informed the meeting that the Hongkong Post had invited WCDC to nominate a Member to join the 2018-19 Customer Liaison Group, which was tasked to give advice on the postal service. Ms Yolanda NG, Ms Kenny LEE and Mr Joey LEE had served as the representative of the Council in 2008-2013, 2014-2015 and 2016-2017 respectively. The Chairperson asked Mr Joey LEE whether he was interested to continue his service.
125. Mr Joey LEE answered that he was pleased to continue to serve on the liaison group.
126. The Chairperson asked whether there were any other nominations.
127. Since no other nominations were raised at the meeting, the Chairperson announced that Mr Joey LEE would be nominated to join the 2018-19 Customer Liaison Group on behalf of WCDC.
(c) Invitation Letter in Respect of Vita Green Cycling for Health Marathon Challenge 2018 (WCDC Paper No. 101/2017)
128. The Chairperson asked Members to refer to WCDC Paper No. 101/2017. He told the meeting that the 7th Vita Green Cycling for Health Marathon Challenge would be held on 28 January 2018 (Sunday). WCDC had agreed at its 12th meeting to be the supporting organisation of the above event. The Chairperson continued that the organising committee of Vita Green Cycling for Health Marathon Challenge 2018
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Action had invited WCDC in writing to form a team for competing as the “District Council Invitation Team”, and the race of such team would be held on 28 January 2018. Each team should be comprised of three participants aged between 18 and 60, with at least one being a DC member or co-opted member. The Chairperson asked whether there were Members interested in joining the race under “District Council Invitation Team”.
129. Ms Kenny LEE said that she was interested in participating in the race, and would look for suitable cycling athletes to form a team.
130. The Chairperson announced that Ms Kenny LEE would follow up on the matter of forming the “District Council Invitation Team”.
(d) Proposed Establishment of Wan Chai Local Cuisine Bazaar (WCDC Paper No. 84/2017)
131. The Chairperson welcomed Mr Anthony WONG, Business Director, Mr Peace WONG, Chief Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social Security and Employment), and Ms Dorothy WONG, Officer, Policy Research & Advocacy (Social Security and Employment) of the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) to the meeting.
132. The Chairperson invited representatives of HKCSS to brief Members on the activity.
133. Mr Anthony WONG briefed Members on the “Lunchtime Local Cuisine Bazaar at Gloucester Road Garden in Wan Chai”, with the following main points:
(i) Last year, HKCSS organised nine bazaars in various districts across the territory, including Sheung Shui, Fanling, Kwun Tong, Yuen Long, Wong Tai Sin, Kwai Tsing, Sham Shui Po, Western District and Wan Chai, with
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Action the number of visitors reaching about 10 000. These bazaars were designed by HKCSS based on the characteristics of each district.
(ii) By organising non-profit-making and modern bazaars, HKCSS hoped to reconnect people with public spaces, so that grassroots citizens could obtain economic gains by utilising community spaces, as well as sharing public spaces.
(iii) The objective of the modern bazaar was to create community atmosphere by showing homemade delicacies and handicrafts made by local residents to office workers nearby, and to highlight the image of Wan Chai as a caring, healthy and vibrant district. It was also hoped that the four major targets of “fostering love for local community, encouraging cross-disciplinary creativity, establishing environmental bazaars and promoting healthy lifestyle” could be achieved.
(iv) HKCSS proposed to organise the above event at Gloucester Road Garden in Wan Chai on 7th or 14th December. An application for the use of the venue had been made to LCSD, and FEHD had been contacted regarding the application for a licence for food processing.
(v) HKCSS would collect residents’ views on the arrangements and results of the event after it ended.
134. The Chairperson enquired of HKCSS about the form of support expected from the Council to the activity.
135. Mr Anthony WONG stated that regardless of the district a bazaar was held, HKCSS hoped to strengthen communication with the stakeholders, in order to better plan for the event.
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136. The Chairperson invited Members to express their views on the activity.
137. Ms Peggy LEE raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) Given the heavy pedestrian flow at the venue during lunchtime, she enquired about the main types of food to be sold by the cooked food stalls, and whether the food would all be prepared on the spot by the use of electric stoves. She hoped that HKCSS could clarify whether flame cooking would be used.
(ii) She asked whether LCSD had any comments on the preliminary venue setting, and enquired about their views on the pedestrian flow, safety and usage.
138. Dr Anna TANG raised the following comments:
(i) She opined that organising innovative events was good to the district since such events could energise the district and lift officer workers’ spirits.
(ii) She was worried that the bazaar might lead to the accumulation of rubbish, and was concerned about the follow-up work after the conclusion of the event. She asked the organiser to share their experiences gained from organising similar activities in other districts.
139. Dr Jennifer CHOW raised the following comments:
(i) She hoped that HKCSS could share their experiences gained from organising food bazaars in other districts.
(ii) She asked what kind of cooked food would be sold by the
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Action cooked food stalls. She was also worried that the cooked food might create oil stains on the ground. She asked the departments concerned whether any ancillary conditions would be imposed in approving the establishment of the food bazaar, and how the cleaning work would be conducted.
(iii) There were flower planters next to the cooked food stalls. She was worried that the flower planters would become rubbish bins, and asked the organiser what precautionary measures would be taken.
(iv) As shown in the layout plan, a circular pedestrian line would be drawn at the venue, and sculptures would be placed in the centre of the circular line. She asked the organiser how they could make sure the patrons would wait and consume the food within the pedestrian area.
(v) She enquired whether the decorative items of the event were from the past bazaars held in other districts, and whether such items would be reused, or discarded after use.
140. Mr Ivan WONG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) He asked why such activity was not held on holidays, so that park users would be less affected. Since there would be many stalls in the bazaar, he asked whether the commercial activities and pedestrians nearby would be affected.
(ii) He enquired about the selection criteria for stall operators, and whether only licensed hawkers would be selected. He also reminded the organiser to handle the matter with extra caution since the event involved monetary profits.
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Action (iii) He asked which party would be held responsible if the food was unhygienic or the products were of poor quality. He also enquired whether the organiser had purchased insurance.
(iv) He asked whether the deposit paid by the stall operators would be forfeited if the venue was made filthy, so as to ensure that the stall operators would carry out the cleaning work properly.
(v) He opined that the venue was not just a park, but also an access, therefore the public should not be deprived of the right to use the area because of this event. He pointed out that people might query why the food bazaar would be accorded higher priority than the users of the park.
(vi) If the Council agreed to be a co-organiser or an assisting party, it might be held responsible when something went wrong during the event.
141. Ms Yolanda NG raised the following comments:
(i) Organising bazaars was not new to WCDC. In 2008, the Cultural and Leisure Services Committee had co-organised a farmers’ market with Organic Farming Association. As the event was held on a holiday, fewer office workers visited the market, leading to a significant reduction in the number of visitors.
(ii) Although the organiser did not request WCDC to become an assisting, co-organising or supporting organisation, she hoped that the organiser would consider the opinions of the Council, with a view to optimising the event.
(iii) Regarding the selection of stall operators, she hoped that
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Action more social organisations could be recruited, and stakeholders of the district should be invited as well to facilitate collaboration. Besides, she hoped that the activity would aim at fostering human connection and building a healthy and vibrant district, instead of being made a political event.
(iv) Regarding how to introduce and demonstrate the district, since the community consisted of many elements, she hoped that the organiser would listen to the opinions of the stakeholders and the Council.
(v) As for the future frequency of the activity, she pointed out that when the Council applied for venues for organising events, it could only submit an application once per month for the same location. Therefore, the organiser might need to observe similar requirements when they planned to organise similar events again in the future.
142. Miss Clarisse YEUNG raised the following comments and enquiries:
(i) She asked the organiser to clarify whether the cooked food stalls would sell reheated food or cook the food on the spot.
(ii) She commended the organiser for its effort in the design of the food trucks and in engaging other stakeholders in the design process. She asked if it would be necessary to alter the food trucks if the stall owner was changed in the future.
(iii) Noting the boring lunch options available for office workers, the organiser aimed to offer them different food choices through the activity. Running a bazaar was like performing on the street, both required the support from the crowd, and snacks would attract a large number of people.
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Action She expressed her support for the food bazaar.
(iv) Each food truck was equipped with a canopy. She enquired whether more canopies would be set up when it rained, causing the road condition to become more chaotic.
143. Mr Anthony WONG replied as follows:
(i) Regardless of the location where a bazaar was held, HKCSS did not intend to cause nuisance to the community or affect the original uses of the venue. The venue of the food bazaar was a park, and this location was open for shared use by the public. He stressed that HKCSS had no intention to change the usage of the park.
(ii) Stall operators and groups were being invited at this stage. HKCSS knew that there were many district organisations in Wan Chai, and the event would open to them as far as possible, especially those with no experience in organising a bazaar. Members were welcomed to recommend suitable organisations for participation in the event.
144. Mr Peace WONG supplemented the following:
(i) All cooked food stalls would use electric stoves, and there would be no flame cooking. Since FEHD only permitted the sale of reheated food, the risk of food safety was very low.
(ii) HKCSS had co-organised such cooked food bazaar in Sham Shui Po with other organisations, and the activity was well received.
(iii) Before drafting the layout plan, the planner had inspected the venue and carried out measurements. HKCSS would
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Action refer Members’ comments to the planner for consideration. Apart from the general walking route, the design also included an emergency access. Similar design was adopted in the bazaar held in Sham Shui Po, and there was no issue on crowd management.
(iv) HKCSS was highly concerned about the environmental hygiene. A large number of rubbish bins would be placed in the vicinity, and volunteers would be deployed to clean the venue on the spot. HKCSS had organised a similar bazaar in Sham Shui Po during Easter, which attracted a large number of visitors, but no complaint was received. FEHD was also satisfied with the hygiene level.
(v) The food trucks had been used in past events, and they would be reused in the future. The designer would adjust the design of the food trucks based on the food to be sold by the stall operators.
(vi) Products to be sold that day would mainly be handcrafts and agricultural products. Such products were sold at the bazaars organised by HKCSS before, and no complaints about the quality of the products had been received.
(vii) HKCSS would take out insurance for the entire event. Regarding the risk of food safety, they would strictly comply with FEHD’s licensing requirements.
145. Mr Ivan WONG asked the organiser whether any procedures were put in place for handling cases where patrons fell sick after consuming unhygienic food or complaints about defected products. He opined that just answering there should be no problem or no complaint had been received in the past events was not good enough.
146. Mr Anthony WONG responded that being the organiser, HKCSS
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Action would be responsible for ensuring the safety of food and other areas. In case any incident happened, the organiser could be sued.
147. Ms Dorothy WONG supplemented the following:
(i) The venue was managed by LCSD, thus they would take out insurance in accordance with the requirements of LCSD. She added that the insurance would cover both the organiser and the venue.
(ii) Regarding food safety, FEHD would impose stringent licensing requirements, including requiring the submission of vouchers to prove the sources of the ingredients, and requiring food processing to be done by licensed kitchens etc. In addition, FEHD and the Fire Services Department would impose a number of requirements on reheating facilities, with a view to minimising risks.
148. The Chairperson asked Ms Becky LEE of LCSD whether she had any response.
149. Ms Becky LEE replied that LCSD had received the application from HKCSS in mid-October, and it was still being processed. LCSD was asking more detailed information from HKCSS, so as to seek advice from the departments concerned on the safety of the activity and the impact of the visitor flow on the passageways involved. Ms Becky LEE clarified that LCSD would require organisers who hired a venue for non-designated uses to take out public liability insurance.
150. The Chairperson asked Mr KAR Wing-fuk of FEHD whether he had any response.
151. Mr KAR Wing-fuk reminded the organiser that if a Temporary Food Factory Licence was needed, it should submit an application to FEHD at least 12 working days prior to the proposed commencement day
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Action of the licence. Moreover, if the soup packs to be sold were pre-made, they must be manufactured by licensed food factories, and appropriate labelling must be provided.
152. Mr Anthony WONG clarified that the soup packs planned to be sold would only contain dried ingredients.
153. The Chairperson thanked the representatives of HKCSS for attending the meeting and explaining the details of the event. He also asked them to note the concerns and comments of Members.
154. The Chairperson asked Members whether there was any other business.
155. Mr Joey LEE stated that according to paragraphs 34-51 of the minutes of the last meeting, Eastern Police District and North Point Police Station would respond to his complaint at this meeting.
156. Ms CHAN Sin-nga of HKPF responded that regarding the complaint made by Mr Joey LEE about traffic congestion at 42-60 Tin Hau Temple Road, since the computer record of the Police differed from the on-the-spot observation by Mr Joey LEE, the Police was carrying out a comprehensive investigation. The investigation and disciplinary review were still in progress, and Mr Joey LEE would be informed of the results once available. She reiterated that HKPF attached great importance to the conduct of police officers. If any officers were found to have violated the disciplinary code of conduct, the Police would follow up on the matter and take resolute action.
Item 14: Date of Next Meeting
157. The Chairperson announced that the next meeting would be held at 2:30 p.m. on 9 January 2018 (Tuesday).
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Action Adjournment of Meeting
158. There being no other business, the meeting was adjourned at 6:05 p.m.
Wan Chai District Council Secretariat January 2018
These minutes of meeting were confirmed on 9 January 2018.
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