Replies to LegCo questions
LCQ11: Reorganisation plan for the food safety regulatory framework
Following is a question by the Dr Hon Kwok Ka-ki and a written reply by the
Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food, Dr York Chow, in the Legislative Council
today (November 23):
Question:
Regarding the Reorganisation Plan for the Food Safety Regulatory Framework, will
the Government inform this Council:
(a) as there are currently about 1,000 staff of the Agriculture, Fisheries and
Conservation Department and the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department who
are jointly engaged in the work on agriculture, fisheries and food safety, of
the details concerning the division of responsibilities among them; the
establishment and strength of their grades and ranks; and the results of the
assessment on whether there are overlapping of structure and unclear delineation
of responsibilities or work between the two government departments;
(b) how the primary duties of the staff, their establishment and strength, and
the relevant staffing in the corresponding policy bureaux and executive
departments after the reorganisation of food safety regulatory framework compare
to those before that, including the number of additional staff at management,
junior and professional levels and the amount of expenditure involved; the
reduced grades, the number of staff affected and the cost savings; as well as
how to achieve the objectives of streamlining the structure and saving
resources;
(c) of the amount of resources to be injected to perfect the work on food safety
regulation; and how the notification mechanism will improve to ensure the
disclosure of information, enhanced transparency, prompt notification to the
public and proper handling of contingency situations; and
(d) whether the authorities will comprehensively review the relevant
legislation, revise food safety standards and formulate related policies, as
well as provide scientific research funds and adequate staff training on food
safety issues?
Reply:
Madam President,
The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD) has about 480 officers
(including about 30 professionals such as Medical Doctors, Chemists, Veterinary
Officers, Scientific officers and Research Officers and over 160 Health
Inspector grade officers) responsible for food safety control including food
surveillance and the import control of Mainland food animals, imported meat
products, seafood and food products. As regards the Agriculture, Fisheries and
Conservation Department (AFCD), it has about 370 professional, frontline and
supporting staff (including about 20 professionals such as Agricultural
Officers, Fisheries Officers and Veterinary Officers) and is responsible for the
licensing for local poultry farms and mariculture farms; regulating the import
of non-food animals, birds and plants; providing veterinary laboratory testing
services; and animal management. As both departments are responsible for
executing part of the veterinary public health and food safety functions, the
setup not only causes confusion in the course of liaison with regulatory
authorities of other countries/areas and international authorities, but also to
the local community. Moreover, the allocation of scarce professional and expert
resources cannot be optimised under the existing organisation.
In view of increasing public concern for food safety, we have reviewed the
current food safety regulatory framework and considered that the food safety,
veterinary public health and other related inspection and quarantine functions
of FEHD and AFCD should be reorganised to form the Department of Food Safety,
Inspection, Quarantine (DFSIQ). It is expected that the new DFSIQ would have a
total of some 1 200 staff (including a Director at D6 level, a Controller,
Centre for Food Safety (CFS) at D4 level, five Assistant Directors/Consultant/AOSGC
at D2 level and two D1 officers). Some 1 000 odd staff currently perform food
safety, veterinary public health, inspection and quarantine and administrative
functions in FEHD and AFCD will be transferred to the new DFSIQ. A total of
about 220 additional non-directorate posts will be created in the DFSIQ,
Government Laboratory (GL) and Health, Welfare and Food Bureau (HWFB) to support
the work of the re-organised food regulatory framework and perform the various
enhanced food safety and administrative functions. The re-organisation plan will
include a net increase of four directorate posts, namely one Permanent Secretary
(D8) in HWFB; one Assistant Director (AOSGC at D2) in DFSIQ; and two Principal
Medical Officers (D1) in DFSIQ. The Controller, CFS post would be created by
upgrading the existing Deputy Director (Food and Public Health) (D3) post in
FEHD to D4 level to oversee the daily operation and management of the CFS,
identify objectives and formulate strategies on food safety.
To strengthen support at the top policy making level, we propose to create an
additional post of Permanent Secretary at D8 level responsible for the work on
food safety and environmental hygiene, and also management of the newly
established DFSIQ and Department of Agriculture and Environmental Hygiene (DAEH)
as well as the GL. Three additional non-directorate posts will also be created
in HWFB to support the work of the new Permanent Secretary.
The total additional recurrent expenditure required for the reorganisation will
be about $150 million per annum. The details on the number and establishment of
posts in DFSIQ, GL and HWFB are being worked out in consultation with the
relevant bureaux/departments.
As the Mainland is our major supplier of poultry, livestock, aquaculture produce
and other foodstuffs, we also place great emphasis on enhancing the
communication and co-ordination with the Mainland on food safety. We have
recently signed a new cooperation arrangement with the General Administration of
Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine. Under the new co-operation
arrangement, we would strengthen source management for inspection and quarantine
work, hold discussions on the adoption of uniform procedures, methods and
standards for inspection and quarantine across the border and step up
enforcement actions against illegal imports and exports. We are in the process
of setting up a notification mechanism on food safety with the Guangdong
Provincial Government and the Shenzhen Municipal Government to enhance
communication on major food incidents, contingency measures as well as other
food safety matters that may have across-border implications.
The new DFSIQ will step up the regulation and inspection of local livestock and
poultry farms, vegetable farms and mariculture farms. In order to exercise
control at source, we would also set up several special teams with
interdisciplinary expertise to step up inspection of registered farms,
processing plants and fish ponds in the Mainland and facilitate the same efforts
in other countries supplying food to Hong Kong. We would also provide additional
resources to enhance the capacity of risk assessment and the setting up of food
standards. The DFSIQ would also enhance their food surveillance efforts at
import, wholesale and retail levels to ensure that food products supplied by the
Mainland and overseas countries are safe to consume.
Ends/Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Issued at HKT 14:33
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