▁granted ▁on ▁ 1 ▁August . ▁ ▁Soci etal ▁views ▁ ▁Short age ▁of ▁n urs ing ▁staff ▁ ▁Mr ▁Chan ▁Chi ▁Ch uen ▁reflected ▁that ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁staff s ▁in ▁some ▁R CH ES ▁did ▁not ▁meet ▁the ▁Sch edule ▁ 1 ▁of ▁the ▁Res ident ial ▁Care ▁Hom es ▁( E lder ly ▁Pers ons ) ▁Reg ulation . ▁Under st aff ing ▁was ▁especially ▁serious ▁on ▁night ▁sh ifts . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party , ▁the ▁short age ▁of ▁n urs ing ▁staff ▁is ▁due ▁to ▁por ▁working ▁conditions ▁at ▁R CH Es . ▁From ▁ 1 9 9 9 ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁the ▁Real ▁Sal ary ▁for ▁n urs ing ▁staff ▁decre ased ▁by ▁ 5 %, ▁whilst ▁the ▁average ▁week ly ▁working ▁hours ▁was ▁ 7 2 ▁hours . ▁It ▁is ▁common ▁among ▁the ▁industry ▁to ▁rec ruit ▁illegal ▁lab ours ▁as ▁staff s ▁who ▁lack ▁professional ▁qual ifications . ▁ ▁The ▁Secretary ▁for ▁Labour ▁and ▁W elf are ▁(" SL W ") ▁respond ed ▁that ▁under st aff ing ▁was ▁mit ig ated ▁by ▁the ▁ 1 ▁ 6 5 2 ▁imported ▁lab ours ▁working ▁as ▁front line ▁care ▁workers ▁in ▁private ▁R CH Es , ▁which ▁consisted ▁ 5 1 . 3 % ▁of ▁the ▁total ▁ 3 ▁ 2 2 4 ▁imported ▁labour . ▁But ▁the ▁Labour ▁Party ▁was ▁concerned ▁that ▁importing ▁foreign ▁lab ours ▁would ▁further ▁decrease ▁w ages . ▁ ▁Dr . ▁Fernando ▁Che ung ▁requested ▁more