Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ9: Columbarium facilities and gardens of remembrance
Following is a question by the Hon Wong Kwok-hing and a written reply by the
Secretary for Food and Health, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today
(March 11):
Question:
Quite a number of elderly care organisations and poor elderly people have all
along been dissatisfied with the policy on burial service and the management of
public columbaria in Hong Kong. They are especially concerned about the acute
shortage of columbarium niches, the heavy burden of burial expenses and the
management of Gardens of Remembrance where members of the public may scatter
cremated ashes. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether it has assessed the demand for columbarium niches in the coming 10
years and planned for the construction of columbaria strictly according to such
demand, so as to resolve in the long run the problem of insufficient columbarium
niches; if it has, of the relevant demand figures and plans for construction of
columbaria;
(b) whether it will provide incentives to attract undertakers to recommend to
members of the public the use of eco-coffins and ways of burial which are
cheaper and more environment friendly, so as to reduce the burden on poor
elderly people and promote environmental protection; and
(c) whether it has, having regard to the need and expectation of the public in
Hong Kong, formulated rules and regulations on the management of Gardens of
Remembrance and deployed dedicated personnel to manage them; if so, of the
details of the relevant arrangements; if not, whether it will consider
formulating the management rules and regulations, and increasing the manpower in
this regard?
Reply:
President,
The Administration has been paying due attention to the demand and usage of
cremation services, columbarium facilities and gardens of remembrance. In
addition to actively identifying suitable locations for the development of
relevant facilities in different areas in Hong Kong, in terms of cremation
services, we are now replacing our existing facilities with more efficient and
environmental friendly cremators so as to provide more cremation sessions. At
present, half of the crematoria (i.e. Kwai Chung, Diamond Hill and Fu Shan
Crematoria) have been upgraded. Compared to the original cremators, these new
cremators can increase the number of cremation sessions by 8,268 sessions a
year. Moreover, the reprovisioning projects at the Wo Hop Shek and Cape
Collinson Crematoria will commence in this year and the next respectively. After
the two projects are completed in 2014, the annual number of cremation session
will increase from the present 37,600 sessions to 51,500 sessions, which will be
able to cope with the anticipated demand.
As regards the Member's question, our reply is as follows -
(a) Based on the estimated number of deaths in Hong Kong each year, and the
rising rate of cremation recently, the total number of cremations is estimated
to be about 428,700 cases in the next 10 years (i.e. from 2009 to 2018). At
present, about 55,000 niches are being planned by the Government, including
18,500 niches at the Diamond Hill Columbarium to be completed early next month
and 37,000 niches at Kiu Tau Road, Wo Hop Shek, which are expected to be
completed in 2012. Apart from public niches, niches are also provided by the
non-governmental Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries;
cemeteries managed by religious bodies such as Catholic, Protestant and Buddhist
organisations; and in premises managed by private entities such as Po Fook Hill
at Sha Tin, monasteries, nunneries, etc.
There are suitable sites in the New Territories for constructing columbarium
facilities, but such developments could only be realised with the support of the
District Councils and the local community. In the meantime, the Administration
has been actively encouraging the public to handle cremains through alternative
means, such as scattering the cremains in gardens of remembrance or in
designated Hong Kong waters.
(b) Since early 2008, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has
imposed an additional licensing condition on all newly issued and renewed
Undertakers of Burials Licences, requiring undertakers of burials to provide
eco-coffins so as to provide another option to the public. At present, 84 out of
all 94 licensed undertakers in Hong Kong are already subject to this additional
licensing condition. The remaining 10 will be subjected to the same requirement
by mid this year, when the existing licences are renewed. At the same time, FEHD
has also stepped up publicity to promote the use of eco-coffins through various
channels, such as publicity leaflets, FEHD's homepage, announcements of public
interest and talks. In addition, FEHD is working with non-government
organisations providing elderly services to strengthen the promotional efforts.
In fact, some social welfare organisations also hold valid Undertakers of
Burials licences. They provide low-priced burial services, including the
provision of eco-coffins, for members of the public in need to choose from.
(c) Under the Cremation and Gardens of Remembrance Regulation (Cap. 132M), the
Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene is tasked with the management of the
eight gardens of remembrance under his purview, including the determination of
their hours of opening, allocations and layout as well as regulation over the
disposal of ashes, placement of memorials and the conduct of persons in the
gardens, etc. Any person who wilfully obstructs any member of the staff of any
garden in the carrying out of the staff's duty shall be guilty of an offence. At
present, the daily cleaning, repair and maintenance, and gardening work of the
eight gardens of remembrance are undertaken by FEHD or its contractors in
accordance with contract or operational manual, and under the supervision of
FEHD staff.
FEHD is now carrying out landscaping works in the gardens of remembrance under
its management and plans to provide additional gardens of remembrance in
existing public cemeteries to offer more choices to the public.
Ends/Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Issued at HKT 15:32
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