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(b) The Police have conducted thorough investigations immediately following each incident and the investigation reports need to be submitted to the coroner's court. Under section 7 of the Coroners Ordinance (Cap. 14), whenever any person dies whilst in official custody, a coroner shall inquire into the cause of death with a jury of three persons. The Police are fully aware of their responsibility to ensure the safety of persons under their custody. Apart from deploying cell guard constables to maintain regular checks on all detainees, and putting detainees with known suicidal tendencies under constant observation, the Police are carrying out a number of new measures to prevent detainees from committing suicide. These include:

identifying suitable tear-proof blankets to prevent detainees from using torn up blankets to hang themselves in the detention cells: and

conducting a pilot project with a view to covering all cell bars with XPM wire mesh, a material which can stop detainees from fastening anything to cell bars to hang themselves. If the pilot project is successful, XPM wire mesh will be installed in all Police cells.

Definition of gifted education

*

Following is a question by Dr the Hon David Li and a written reply by the acting Secretary for Education and Manpower, Miss Jacqueline Willis, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

The Fung Hon Chu Gifted Education Centre, which is the territory's first centre for gifted pupils, was opened in December last year. Will the Government inform this Council of the following:

(a)

what is the total number of pupils in the territory who are identified as "gifted";