The Labour and Welfare Bureau (LWB), after consulting the Elderly Commission (EC), announced today (December 7) that the consultation period of the Consensus Building Stage of the Elderly Services Programme Plan (ESPP) will be extended from December 31, 2016, for five weeks to February 6, 2017, to allow more time for the public to submit their views on the initial recommendations being put forward under the ESPP.

     As announced in the 2014 Policy Address, the EC has been tasked by the Government to formulate the ESPP, which will serve as a blueprint to enhance the medium and long-term planning of elderly services. The EC and the consultant engaged to assist with the task are now conducting a public engagement exercise under the Consensus Building Stage on the initial recommendations of the ESPP. The recommendations were formulated on the basis of the previous engagement exercises under the Scoping and Formulation Stage.

     The present public engagement exercise of the Consensus Building Stage was launched in mid-October 2016 and includes public consultation forums organised in each of the 18 districts from October to December 2016. Members of the public are also welcome to provide their written views on the ESPP by mail or email, or through the online opinion submission form.

     "We have decided to extend the consultation period for five weeks to February 6, 2017, so that the public could have more time to prepare and submit their written views on the ESPP," a spokesman for the LWB said.

     Details on the engagement events of the Consensus Building Stage and on the submission of written opinions are available at the ESPP's website (espp.socialwork.hku.hk). For views and enquiries on the public engagement exercise, please call Ms Yu (Tel: 3917 5013) or email espp@socwork.hku.hk.

Ends/Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Issued at HKT 17:15

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