Reply:
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(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
By the end of June 1996, 427,699 applications from elderly people, representing about 70% of the elderly population, had been received by the Social Welfare Department Senior Citizen Card Office. 423,320 cards have been issued and the remaining applications are being processed. So far, 424 companies and organisations with a total of 2,133 outlets have joined the Scheme to offer concessions and/or priority services to senior citizens. Regular reviews and monitoring of the Scheme are carried out by Social Welfare Department. As the Scheme has operated smoothly so far, a comprehensive review is not considered to be necessary.
Application forms and promotional posters are available to the public at service counters of various Government Departments and non- governmental organisations. Promotional programmes, exhibitions and publications are also provided at district level and the Senior Citizen Card Ambassador Programmes further assist in promoting the Scheme.
Business organisations are invited to participate in the Scheme by invitation letters, telephone contacts, etc. In addition, Senior Citizen Card Ambassador Programmes have recently been organised on a trial basis at district level. Through these programmes, elderly people as well as volunteers act as ambassadors and personally invite business organisations at district level to join the Scheme to offer concessions and priority services to the elderly. So far, more than 50 organisations have been recruited under these programmes. In view of its achievements, this promotional strategy will continue to be used.
The right to disclose the personal data of individuals is limited by the need to protect that person's privacy. The Immigration Department holds information on individuals' age as a result of the registration of persons but this is done for purposes which do not include the issue of Senior Citizen Cards. The Registration of Persons Ordinance and its subsidiary regulations prohibit the disclosure of a registered person's particulars. The release of personal data kept by the Immigration Department for the purpose of issuing Senior Citizen Cards could be regarded as an arbitrary interference with privacy and would thus breach Article 14 of the Bill of Rights. Moreover, such disclosure of information would also breach the provisions of legislation on data protection which is soon
soon to come into effect. Given these considerations, it would not be appropriate to use such information without the consent of the individual concerned.
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