Hospital Authority thanks Central Government for sympathy expressed to injured persons
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The Hospital Authority Chairman, Mr Henry Fan today (November 27) expressed gratitude to Mr Zhuo Ji, Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Mr Nong Rong, Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, for visiting the injured victims in the fire incident in Tai Po and extending their sympathies to the healthcare staffs.
Mr Zhuo Ji and Mr Nong Rong visited the Prince of Wales Hospital this morning to meet with the injured victims after the Tai Po fire and to learn about their treatment progress. They also conveyed the condolences of Mr Xia Baolong, Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council. During the visit, Mr Zhuo Ji and Mr Nong Rong extended their wishes for the patients' speedy recovery and hoped they would overcome this difficult period soon.
"We are deeply grateful to Director Zhuo and Deputy Director Nong for conveying President Xi Jinping's concern and deep condolences to the families of the deceased and injured. We also appreciate the Central Government's full support for Hong Kong in disaster relief efforts. Our healthcare staff will do their utmost to treat all the injured and will also spare no effort in supporting the affected residents and their families in need, helping them to overcome their difficulties and heal from their trauma," Mr Fan said.
During their visit to Prince of Wales Hospital, Mr Zhuo Ji and Mr Nong Rong also met with the healthcare staff of Accident and Emergency Department to understand the treatment of the injured. Mr Fan thanked the Central Government for its sympathy to the healthcare staff and encouraged them to continue their dedicated efforts in providing maximum support to all the injured and affected residents.
Re-launch of Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works in New Territories Exempted Houses
Following the direction of earlier proposals, the Buildings Department (BD) announced today (April 1) the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme for Unauthorised Building Works (UBWs) in New Territories Exempted Houses (NTEHs). The reporting period will last for one year from April 1, 2026 to March 31, 2027.
"In view of the history and unique circumstances of the NTEHs (commonly known as village houses), the Government launched a one-off administrative reporting scheme in 2012 as a special arrangement. Under the scheme, owners could report to the BD about UBWs that were erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law. The reporting period ended in December 2012. The Development Bureau (DEVB) put forward proposals to amend the Buildings Ordinance in December 2024, which included rationalising the policy for handling UBWs. The DEVB also pointed out that in response to the views of villagers and Legislative Council members that the reporting period was too short, the Government prepared to re-launch the Reporting Scheme to allow owners who at that time did not report their UBWs to do so," a spokesman for the BD said.
Relevant stakeholders and Legislative Council members generally considered the above proposals practical and feasible, and they welcomed the proposals. The DEVB and the BD have also consulted Heung Yee Kuk on the relevant implementation arrangements.
The re-launched Reporting Scheme will maintain the original criteria, including:
(1) The types of UBWs that can be reported and their erection dates are the same as the original Reporting Scheme, meaning that only UBWs erected before June 28, 2011, posed lower risks or constituted less serious contravention of the law and were not the First Round Targets (Note) are eligible. Examples include signboards projecting from the external walls of village houses; enclosed rooftop structures with a coverage of not more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area of the main building.
(2) Same as the original Reporting Scheme, owners are required to conduct safety inspections on the reported UBWs every five years.
"The BD will not require the immediate removal of the reported UBWs unless their structures become obviously dangerous. Regarding UBWs in village houses, the BD is prioritising the handling of First Round Targets. If any relevant UBWs remain not reported after the application deadline of March 31, 2027, the BD will, after dealing with the First Round Targets, take priority enforcement action against the non-reported UBWs. The BD will formulate enforcement strategy for the reported UBWs at a later stage in accordance with the risks and the actual situation," the spokesman added.
To enhance the efficiency of processing applications, reports must be submitted via the electronic platform on the BD's website by technically competent persons or registered professional engineers appointed by owners. In accordance with the user-pays principle, an administrative fee of $600 is payable for each application. Upon successful reports, owners must also pay the relevant administrative fee when conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years.
Details of the re-launched Reporting Scheme are available on the BD's website at https://www.bd.gov.hk/en/safety-inspection/ubw/UBW-in-new-territories-exempted-houses/index_relaunch_reporting_scheme.html; Villagers who wish to report can call 2626 1616 for enquiry. The BD will also use different channels such as distributing leaflets and posters to Rural Committees to enable villagers to know more about the re-launch of the Reporting Scheme.
Owners who had successfully participated in the Reporting Scheme in 2012 are not required to submit reports again. However, they must continue to comply with the requirements of the original Reporting Scheme, including conducting safety inspections of the reported UBWs every five years, submitting safety certificates and paying administrative fees to the BD.
Note: The First Round Targets refer to UBWs with higher potential risks and more serious nature, such as village houses of four storeys or more, and enclosed rooftop structures covering more than 50 per cent of the roofed-over area.
Source: AI-found images
