Statistics on Code on Access to Information for fourth quarter of 2024
The Government received a total of 3 189 requests for information under the Code on Access to Information in the fourth quarter of 2024, a spokesman for the Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Bureau said today (July 25).
The total number of requests received since the introduction of the Code in March 1995 and up to the end of December 2024 amounted to 134 124. Of these, 8 767 requests were subsequently withdrawn by the requestors, and 6 623 requests covered cases in which the bureaux/departments concerned did not hold the requested information or cannot confirm or deny the existence of information. As at December 31, 2024, 653 requests were still being processed by bureaux/departments.
Among the 118 081 requests which covered information held by bureaux/departments and to which the bureaux/departments had responded, 114 706 requests (97.1 per cent) were met, either in full (111 597 requests) or in part (3 109 requests), and 3 375 requests (2.9 per cent) were refused.
Any member of the public who is dissatisfied with the response of a bureau/department under the Code may request that the matter be reviewed. He or she may also lodge a complaint with the Ombudsman.
In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Ombudsman received 9 complaints relating to requests for information. In this quarter, the Ombudsman concluded 10 complaints, among which four were concluded by inquiries (including one case with inadequacies found), and six were assessed and closed. As at December 31, 2024, the Ombudsman's investigations into three complaints were ongoing.
"The Code has provided an effective framework for the public to seek access to information held by the Government," the spokesman said.
Source: AI-found images
Government announces updates on follow-up work on Tai Po fire
The three task forces set up by the Government for the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po - the Task Force on Investigation and Regulation, the Task Force on Emergency Support and Fund-Raising, and the Task Force on Emergency Accommodation Arrangements - are making full efforts to follow up on the support, relief, and investigation work related to the incident. Details are as follows:
Financial and welfare support
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For the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the Government, donations received are about $3.4 billion as of noon today (December 15). With the start-up capital of $300 million from the Government, the fund's total has now reached around $3.7 billion. The fund will be used to assist residents in rebuilding their homes and providing long-term and sustained support.
The Government earlier announced that a living allowance from the Support Fund will be provided to each affected household, and the amount has been increased from $50,000 to $100,000. As of today, 1 883 cases have been processed. In addition, the Government will provide families of each deceased victim with a token of solidarity of $200,000, as well as $50,000 to cover funeral costs. As of today, a total of 130 cases have been processed. The allowance will be disbursed in phases.
Social workers from the Social Welfare Department (SWD) have been in contact with more than 1 980 affected households, providing the "one social worker per household" follow-up service to more than 4 900 residents. The SWD will maintain liaison with the affected households to provide all necessary assistance while fully supporting the relief work of the Government.
In addition, the Government also provides support and assistance to foreign domestic helpers (FDHs) affected by the fire. The Labour Department has been maintaining close liaison with the Consulates-General of the Philippines and Indonesia in Hong Kong to co-ordinate and follow up on the relevant work. Besides providing tokens of solidarity of $200,000 and funeral grants of $50,000 to families of each deceased FDH, as well as injury grants of $50,000 or $100,000 to injured FDHs, the Government has disbursed a special subsidy of $20,000 to 110 FDHs employed at Wang Fuk Court.
Meanwhile, the Immigration Department (ImmD) has made special arrangements for FDHs whose employers are unable to continue their employment contracts due to the fire. Under these arrangements, affected FDHs are allowed to remain in Hong Kong for three months as visitors to seek new employers (extendable if necessary), without having to return to their places of origin first. The ImmD will also waive the relevant fees for their extension of stay.
Accommodation support
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As of this morning, a total of 1 336 residents have been accommodated, through the co-ordination of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau, in youth hostels, camps, or hotel rooms. Another 3 247 residents are currently living in transitional housing units provided by the Housing Bureau, units from the Hong Kong Housing Society (HKHS), or Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun.
Currently, there is still an abundant supply of more than 1000 units that can provide affected residents with longer term accommodation. The transitional housing and HKHS projects in different districts can altogether provide around 400 units at the moment. Besides, Po Tin Interim Housing in Tuen Mun and Runway 1331 at Kai Tak can provide a supply of around 900 units.
In consideration of the extremely urgent situation of the residents affected by the fire incident, a special arrangement of a full rent exemption has been made earlier by the Housing Bureau to provide accommodation support to those affected residents moving into transitional housing or HKHS projects. In other words, if needed, the affected residents can stay for a longer period of time. The Government will continue to support the affected residents in terms of accommodation, and the residents in need do not have to worry about the relevant rental expenses or the duration of stay.
In addition, staff from the operating organisations of transitional housing and HKHS, as well as volunteers have been working around the clock to furnish the units with essential supplies, striving to meet the needs of the residents. All the currently available units in transitional housing and HKHS projects are equipped with furniture and appliances such as bed frames, mattresses, induction cookers and water heaters, etc, enabling the residents to settle in comfortably. At the same time, a number of organisations have proactively stationed their staff in some projects to provide residents in need with various forms of support. Taking T-Loft@Kai Tak in Kai Tak and T-Loft@Lok Wo in Ma On Shan as examples, the operators have not only arranged social workers to provide emotional support and assist with daily needs for the affected residents, but also set up dedicated emotional support stations within these projects. Volunteers were organised to serve on shifts, providing ongoing companionship and care to the affected residents, standing with them through the difficult time.
Relief supplies and donations
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Thesupplies donation online platform, established by the Government and the information technology sector, continues to operate, facilitating the registration of supplies donations from organisations and the public. The Government has so far received over 1 800 registrations, of which approximately 30 per cent were submitted by organisations, whereas the others were contributed by the public. The various registered donation items include food and beverages, clothing, daily necessities, bedding, and electrical appliances. The Government is actively assessing residents' actual needs through the relevant policy bureau, government departments, and service organisations for the matching of donated supplies in order to distribute appropriate items in phases to places in need. So far, about 23 000 donation items covering various categories have been distributed to different places. The matching and distribution of supplies will continue.
Regulation and inspection work
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The Development Bureau (DEVB) announced on December 11 a new mechanism for sampling and testing scaffold nets for external walls in Hong Kong. The DEVB is moving ahead in full steam the supporting arrangements to ensure that there are sufficient designated laboratories and a suitable site for off-site sampling work.
Source: AI-found images
