Govt mulls opening up Sha Tau Kok town

Secretary for Security Ambrose Lee says retaining Sha Tau Kok town within the Frontier Closed Area will not hinder the area's development. The government is considering opening up the town on a limited basis to encourage tourism development.

Lee told lawmakers yesterday that due to the unique physical setting of Chung Ying Street, the town needs to be retained within the Frontier Closed Area.

"The street is very narrow. There is no physical barrier to delineate the boundary between Hong Kong and the mainland, nor are there any proper boundary-control facilities," he said.

Doctor, patient given service order over fraud

A 37-year-old woman was sentenced yesterday to 200 hours of community service for conspiring with a private doctor to defraud insurance companies by exaggerating medical costs and providing false names. The doctor, 65, was sentenced to 240 hours of community service.

The presiding Kwun Tong magistrate said the two defendants had committed a serious crime but considering the doctor has been certified as barely capable of carrying out community service and that both defendants had shown remorse, the magistrate decided against jail terms.

Govt to spend another HK$12m for pregnant teens

The Department of Health recorded 326 cases of abortion by girls under 18 last year, while unmarried teenagers gave birth to 137 babies.

The average age of unmarried girls who terminated pregnancies in 2007 is 16.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung told Legislative Council members in writing yesterday that the government will add HK$12 million to a standing provision to fund services designed to improve physical and psychological health of children, including helping pregnant teenage girls that are unmarried.

Maternity fees fight continues today

The High Court yesterday heard the judicial review filed by Fok Siu-wing, a man whose pregnant daughter-in-law comes from the mainland.

Fok objected to the far-higher maternity fees imposed by the Hospital Authority on non-local residents. Fok's lawyer said the fees are unreasonable and violate human rights and the Basic Law. The lawyer added that out of the 27,000 mainland pregnant women who gave birth in the city last year, 3,000 were married to Hongkongers, and they should not be treated differently.

The hearing continues today.

China Daily

(HK Edition 05/15/2008 page1)