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Reply:
Mr President,
(a)
(b)
The investigations into the incident on 26 February 1997 carried out by the departments concerned have been completed. It is concluded that the discomfort to the residents at Tin Shui Wai on 26.2.1997 was caused by the firing of tear gas in the Castle Peak Firing Range. At the special Yuen Long District Board meeting held on 10.3.1997, the Commandant of the Police Tactical Unit (PTU) and the Assistant Commissioner (Personnel) of the Correctional Services Department (CSD) have, on behalf of their departments, apologised to the residents and schools affected. The Commissioner of Correctional Services has also personally written to the headmasters of the eight schools affected expressing deep regret for the incident.
At present, the Castle Peak Firing Range is a fully certified firing range in Hong Kong which is suitable for firing a wide range of live tear gas munitions. The range is certified to have attained internationally accepted safety standards, including those on setup and operation which are governed by a set of very stringent Range Standing Orders.
In the past three years, the British Forces have not carried out any tear gas firing in the territory.
The Police Force (PTU) has, since 1996, used the Castle Peak Firing Range on three occasions to fire tear gas. During these three drills, 162, 166 and 243 rounds were fired respectively. Prior to 1996, PTU made use of the Sai Kung area, namely the Po Pin Chau (South) Dam at High Island and a remote area of the coastline several kilometers to the North of Wong Shek Pier. During 1994 and 1995 these two areas were used for this purpose on a total of 22 occasions; the number of tear gas rounds fired on each occasion ranged from 44 to 250 respectively.
In 1994 and 1995, Correctional Services Department used the remote bay behind Stanley Prison on 14 occasions for the firing of not more than 55 rounds. No tear gas firing drill was conducted in 1996.