Budget and test result statistics for the Chinese Medicine section
Dear Government Laboratory,
Is there anywhere you publish your detailed statistics on budget
and overviews of test results, or can I obtain these through an
access to information request? In particular I'd like to know what
proportion of your budget goes on Chinese Medicine and natural
products authenticity testing (e.g. how much of your budget goes to
the Chinese Medicine section)?
I'd also like to obtain the aggregate results of individual tests,
e.g. your budget report says there were 86,479 tests for Chinese
medicine conducted in 2013, but of these how many came up with a
"fail"? If you can't do that on an overall level, for individual
HOKLAS accredited tests like the STV (Sildenafil, Tadalafil and
Vardenafil) test, is it possible to find out how many products are
tested each year, and how many came up positive?
Any help on obtaining this information would be gratefully
appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Edmunds, PhD
Dear Government Laboratory,
I'm just following up, as I made an access to information request on the 1st May, and by law, any authority should normally have responded promptly and by May 13, 2015. Wonder if there are any problems and if you needed additional time to gather this information. My original email is pasted below.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Edmunds
--------------------
Dear Government Laboratory,
Is there anywhere you publish your detailed statistics on budget
and overviews of test results, or can I obtain these through an
access to information request? In particular I'd like to know what
proportion of your budget goes on Chinese Medicine and natural
products authenticity testing (e.g. how much of your budget goes to
the Chinese Medicine section)?
I'd also like to obtain the aggregate results of individual tests,
e.g. your budget report says there were 86,479 tests for Chinese
medicine conducted in 2013, but of these how many came up with a
"fail"? If you can't do that on an overall level, for individual
HOKLAS accredited tests like the STV (Sildenafil, Tadalafil and
Vardenafil) test, is it possible to find out how many products are
tested each year, and how many came up positive?
Any help on obtaining this information would be gratefully
appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
Scott Edmunds, PhD
Dear Dr Edmunds,
I refer to your email of 14.5.2015. It seems that you have not
received our reply sent to you at 11:44 a.m. this morning. In this
connection, our reply to your email of 3.5.2015 is appended below and
re-sent to you.
Government Laboratory
This e-mail message and its attachment(s), if any, are for the attention of
the designated recipient(s) only and may contain privileged information.?
Their use, retention, disclosure, reproduction, transmission, dissemination
or printing, whether all or in part, by person(s) other than the designated
recipient(s) is strictly prohibited.? If you are not the designated
recipient but have received the message and/or the attachment(s), please
erase them all from your computer system and notify the sender immediately.
Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: WT TANG/GOVTLAB/HKSARG
To: [email address]
Cc: WM Sin/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, KK CHOI/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, DS(GL), Winnie YM
WONG/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, ADS2
Date: 14/05/2015 11:44
Subject: RE: Budget and test result statistics for the Chinese Medicines Section
Dear Dr Edmunds,
I refer to your email dated 3 May 2015 on the above subject.
2. Government Laboratory (GL) provides a wide range of analytical,
investigatory and advisory services and support for enabling departments
and bureaux of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region to meet their responsibilities for law and order; public health and
safety; environmental protection; government revenue; consumers' interests
and implementation of government policies. A full account of the work of
GL and the related work statistics are available at GL home page (
http://www.govtlab.gov.hk) and GL annual reports posted on the said
website. Regarding information about the annual budget; expenditure
analysis and commitments for GL, you may download the yearly Controlling
Officers' Reports pertaining to GL at http://www.budget.gov.hk for reading.
3. As given in the 2015-16 Controlling Officers' Report of GL, the
Government Chemist accounts for the expenditure under three programmes,
namely (i) Statutory Testing, (ii) Advisory and Investigative Services and
(iii) Forensic Science Services, that contribute to different Policy Areas.
Carrying out the statutory functions as referee analyst under various
legislation for the testing of, among others, Chinese medicines comes under
the programme of Statutory Testing. Under this programme, the actual
financial provision for 2013/14 was $186.9 million.
4. In 2013, 86 479 tests were conducted on Chinese medicines as
described in GL Annual Report 2013. These tests are mainly related to the
analytical services provided to various government departments on their
requests, such as Department of Health, for urgent samples and
investigation into cases of adverse reaction arising from the consumption
of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) found containing western drug
ingredients, and intoxication incidents related to substitution or
contamination of herbs in Chinese herbal medicines (Chm), as well as the
routine analysis of Chm and pCm for their safety and quality including the
determination of western drugs adulteration, pesticide residues and heavy
metals/toxic elements. The results of these analyses were returned to the
client departments for their further actions, including instigation of
legal proceedings, if necessary. GL does not hold information about the
details and statistics on samples that fail the testing.
Regards,
Dr Gary TANG Wai-tong
Senior Chemist
Chinese Medicines Section
Government Laboratory
Tel: 2319 8398
Email: [email address]
This e-mail message (together with any attachments) is for the designated
recipient only. It may contain information that is privileged for the
designated recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding
or dissemination of the message is strictly prohibited. If you have
received the message in error, please erase all copies of the message
(including attachments) from your system and notify the sender immediately.
Dear Dr Edmunds,
I refer to your email of 14.5.2015. It seems that you have not
received our reply sent to you at 11:44 a.m. this morning. In this
connection, our reply to your email of 3.5.2015 is appended below and
re-sent to you.
Government Laboratory
This e-mail message and its attachment(s), if any, are for the attention of
the designated recipient(s) only and may contain privileged information.?
Their use, retention, disclosure, reproduction, transmission, dissemination
or printing, whether all or in part, by person(s) other than the designated
recipient(s) is strictly prohibited.? If you are not the designated
recipient but have received the message and/or the attachment(s), please
erase them all from your computer system and notify the sender immediately.
Thank you.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: WT TANG/GOVTLAB/HKSARG
To: [email address]
Cc: WM Sin/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, KK CHOI/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, DS(GL), Winnie YM
WONG/GOVTLAB/HKSARG@GOVTLAB, ADS2
Date: 14/05/2015 11:44
Subject: RE: Budget and test result statistics for the Chinese Medicines Section
Dear Dr Edmunds,
I refer to your email dated 3 May 2015 on the above subject.
2. Government Laboratory (GL) provides a wide range of analytical,
investigatory and advisory services and support for enabling departments
and bureaux of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative
Region to meet their responsibilities for law and order; public health and
safety; environmental protection; government revenue; consumers' interests
and implementation of government policies. A full account of the work of
GL and the related work statistics are available at GL home page (
http://www.govtlab.gov.hk) and GL annual reports posted on the said
website. Regarding information about the annual budget; expenditure
analysis and commitments for GL, you may download the yearly Controlling
Officers' Reports pertaining to GL at http://www.budget.gov.hk for reading.
3. As given in the 2015-16 Controlling Officers' Report of GL, the
Government Chemist accounts for the expenditure under three programmes,
namely (i) Statutory Testing, (ii) Advisory and Investigative Services and
(iii) Forensic Science Services, that contribute to different Policy Areas.
Carrying out the statutory functions as referee analyst under various
legislation for the testing of, among others, Chinese medicines comes under
the programme of Statutory Testing. Under this programme, the actual
financial provision for 2013/14 was $186.9 million.
4. In 2013, 86 479 tests were conducted on Chinese medicines as
described in GL Annual Report 2013. These tests are mainly related to the
analytical services provided to various government departments on their
requests, such as Department of Health, for urgent samples and
investigation into cases of adverse reaction arising from the consumption
of proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) found containing western drug
ingredients, and intoxication incidents related to substitution or
contamination of herbs in Chinese herbal medicines (Chm), as well as the
routine analysis of Chm and pCm for their safety and quality including the
determination of western drugs adulteration, pesticide residues and heavy
metals/toxic elements. The results of these analyses were returned to the
client departments for their further actions, including instigation of
legal proceedings, if necessary. GL does not hold information about the
details and statistics on samples that fail the testing.
Regards,
Dr Gary TANG Wai-tong
Senior Chemist
Chinese Medicines Section
Government Laboratory
Tel: 2319 8398
Email: [email address]
This e-mail message (together with any attachments) is for the designated
recipient only. It may contain information that is privileged for the
designated recipient. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby
notified that any use, retention, disclosure, copying, printing, forwarding
or dissemination of the message is strictly prohibited. If you have
received the message in error, please erase all copies of the message
(including attachments) from your system and notify the sender immediately.
