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Following is a question by the Hon Mr Wong Ting Kwong and a reply by the Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology, Mr John Tsang, in the Legislative Council today (January 11):
Question:
I have received complaints that nude photographs of women have been published on the front covers of certain leisure and entertainment magazines. Since these magazines have not been classified as indecent articles by the Obscene Articles Tribunal (OAT), they are not required to be sealed with wrappers and to display warning notices on their front and back covers. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(a) whether the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA) is aware of the above problem; if so, of the follow-up actions taken;
(b) of the number of inspections of newspaper stands and retail shops conducted by the staff of TELA in the last financial year, and the current establishment and strength of the staff deployed for such duties; and
(c) of the number of publications that TELA referred to OAT for classification in the last financial year and, among them, the respective numbers of those which were classified as indecent and obscene, as well as the average time taken to classify a publication?
Reply:
Madam President,
(a) There is no censorship of newspapers and magazines prior to publication in Hong Kong. If officers of TELA find any articles suspected to be in contravention of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance (COIAO) during inspection of newspaper stalls and other retail outlets, they will refer them to the OAT for classification. TELA will prosecute those responsible for articles classified as obscene or indecent accordingly.
(b) In 2004-05, officers of TELA conducted a total of 74,865 inspections of newspaper stalls and other retail outlets.
Both of the current establishment and strength in TELA for discharging the inspection duties and enforcing the COIAO are 8 Overseers and 13 Senior Foremen. In addition to those on the establishment, there are 22 Inspection Assistants assisting in the enforcement work.
(c) In 2004-05, TELA referred 1,750 articles suspected to be in contravention of the COIAO to the OAT for classification, of which 1,240 articles were classified as obscene and 453 articles indecent. Generally speaking, the OAT can make a classification within two days upon receipt of an article.
Ends/Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Issued at HKT 13:23
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