Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ4: Provision of columbarium niches
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Bernard and a reply by the Secretary for
Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council today (April
6):
Question:
In 2004, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department handled 31,332
cremations. Yet I learn that in the columbaria managed by the Government and
Board of Management of the Chinese Permanent Cemetery, not many vacant niches
are available for placing the ashes of the deceased, while niches in columbaria
managed by religious bodies only cater for their followers and privately-run
columbaria charge higher rates. Furthermore, the Government has not formulated
legislation or other measures to regulate privately-run columbaria. In this
connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) of the total number of Government departments, religious bodies, public and
private institutions that provide niches for placing the ashes of the deceased,
the total number of niches provided and the average waiting time of each
application for a niche;
(b) of the estimated time for all the current vacant niches to be taken up, and
whether the Government or private institutions have plans to build new
cemeteries or columbaria; and
(c) whether it will enact legislation to regulate columbaria in monasteries,
private industrial/commercial premises or domestic units?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) At present, the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) is the only
Government department that provides columbarium niches. The columbaria managed
by FEHD provide a total of 138,000 niches, whilst the Board of Management of the
Chinese Permanent Cemetery, a non-government organisation, provides 195,000
niches at its four Chinese Permanent Cemeteries. In addition, there are also
niches available in cemeteries managed by religious bodies (e.g. the Roman
Catholic Cemetery, Protestant Cemetery and Buddhist Cemetery), private
institutions (e.g. Po Fook Hill at Sha Tin) and monasteries/nunneries/temples
for sale to the public for interring ashes of their family members.
The new niche spaces of FEHD have been sold out in March this year. As for the
purchase arrangement for old niches, FEHD updates information about niches
available for allocation on its website in the middle of each month. Applicants
may select and purchase niches at the beginning of the following month. The
waiting time for individual applicant depends on the number of niches
surrendered to FEHD by the public and whether the applicant has any special
requirements. On the other hand, applicants who wish to purchase a new niche in
the Chinese Permanent Cemeteries have to make advance appointment. It usually
takes an average of two to three months to complete the formalities of
transaction after making the appointment.
(b) FEHD has about 1,100 old niches (mostly located at Cape Collinson
Columbarium) available for allocation and sale to the public. Around 12,000 new
unallocated niches are available at Junk Bay Chinese Permanent Cemetery. These
unallocated niches of FEHD and Chinese Permanent Cemetery are expected to be
sold out by the end of this year. We do not have any information about the
available niche spaces at columbaria run by religious bodies and private
institutions.
In view of our limited land resources, it is the Government policy to encourage
cremation. There is no plan to develop new burial grounds. In line with the
policy, FEHD is actively studying plans to develop new columbaria or expand the
existing ones. The work involves the following:
(1) To provide about 10,000 new niches of smaller size at Kwai Chung
Crematorium, Cape Collinson Crematorium and Wo Hop Shek Crematorium. These new
niches will be completed in phases and become available from the first quarter
of next year on.
(2) To build a columbarium at Diamond Hill Crematorium to provide about 18,500
new niches. To address the concern of Wong Tai Sin District Council about
traffic arrangements for the proposed development, FEHD consulted its Traffic
and Transport Committee on March 29. FEHD would apply to Finance Committee for
funds in due course with a view to completing the project by the end of 2008.
(3) To review expansion plans for Fu Shan Columbarium at Shatin and Kwai Chung
Columbarium and to examine the feasibility of adding columbaria at other
crematoria (including Cape Collinson Crematorium and Wo Hop Shek Crematorium).
Besides, two non-government organisations have applied to the Government for
land to develop columbaria in the past year. One of the organisations has
already submitted a planning application to the Town Planning Board whilst the
other intended to develop a columbarium in a "Green Belt" zone and will seek the
views of the Planning Department on the proposal.
(c) Ash interment does not give rise to any public hygiene problems. FEHD and
the Home Affairs Departments have not received any complaints about private
columbaria causing nuisance to their neighbourhood in the past two years. Hence,
the Government has not enacted any legislation or implemented any other measures
to regulate private columbaria. However, these columbaria must comply with the
land use and planning requirements for that land or building, the lease
conditions, as well as other statutory requirements, and must be a permitted use
under the terms and conditions of Deed of Mutual Covenant of the buildings in
which they are located.
Ends/Wednesday, April 6, 2005
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