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Willa Wu

Hong Kong’s newly elected lawmakers will discuss a government motion to strengthen support for affected Wang Fuk Court fire residents at their first chamber meeting next Wednesday, but will skip a regular question session for officials.
The Legislative Council chamber meeting for legislators, who assumed their posts on January 1, will also debate a lawmaker’s motion that calls for a review of the city’s building maintenance system and a crackdown on bid rigging in renovation projects.
Legco announced the agenda in the late hours of Friday, saying the first chamber would hear the government motion titled “support and rebuilding work after the fire at Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po” by Chief Secretary Eric Chan Kwok-ki.
Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu will also give an opening speech at the chamber meeting.
The catastrophic 43-hour blaze at the residential complex in Tai Po, which started on November 26, claimed at least 160 lives and displaced nearly 5,000 residents.
The estate, which had been undergoing renovations since July last year, was covered in scaffolding and mesh. Some scaffold net samples collected after the fire failed fire-retardant tests.
According to the paper uploaded to the Legco website, the motion centres on emergency financial help for residents, accommodation arrangements and long-term solutions.
It also asks lawmakers to discuss with the government ways to advance legislative reviews to improve the system and close loopholes.
“To ensure the meeting can fully focus on this important motion, after consultation with government authorities, the Legislative Council president has decided that no question time will be arranged for this meeting,” the Legco secretariat said in an announcement.
The current Legco president is Starry Lee Wai-king, who won the election on Thursday.
The secretariat added that Lee decided to extend the debate time for this motion to allow all members who wish to speak to do so, given the broad scope of issues involved and grave public concerns over the support and reconstruction work following the fire.
Each member can speak once, with a five-minute time limit.

Lee also decided that the meeting would handle only one motion proposed by lawmaker Mark Chong Ho-fung, with four hours allocated for the discussion.
Chong’s motion – “improving the management of building maintenance works” – urges the government to reform the sector’s regime and procedures, and rigorously crack down on bid-rigging.
It also calls on authorities to enhance the specification of construction material requirements, step up inspections of building maintenance sites and strengthen the monitoring of the construction process.
The city’s leader had promised to take action at the first meeting of the new Legco and push through systemic reforms to close loopholes in the construction sector’s practices, which have come under heavy scrutiny in the aftermath of the Wang Fuk Court fire.
He also ordered the creation of the committee in early December to identify the cause of the blaze and initiate “systemic reforms”. The investigation report is expected to be submitted in nine months.
Authorities have so far arrested at least 23 people on suspicion of offences such as manslaughter and corruption in connection with the fire.


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Hong Kong’s Legco to discuss post-Tai Po fire support but question session cancelled

The 43-hour blaze at Wang Fuk Court claimed at least 160 lives and displaced nearly 5,000 residents. Photo: Dickson Lee

The new Legco’s first chamber meeting will also debate a lawmaker’s motion calling for a review of the city’s building maintenance system and a crackdown on bid rigging. Photo: Eugene Lee

Starry Lee secures Hong Kong Legco presidency after 5-vote margin over Ronick Chan

Starry Lee (left) and Ronick Chan. Photo: Karma Lo

Starry Lee has been elected Legco president, securing 47 votes, five more than Ronick Chan. Photo: Karma Lo

Hong Kong school near fire-hit estate to take over new campus by end of June

Parents have said their children are excited to move to the new campus for Tai Po Baptist Public School. Photo: Dickson Lee

Principal Siu Ting has said parents she has spoken to are excited that their children and other pupils will be able to study all together again at a new location. Photo: Dickson Lee

Rebuilding fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court ‘not practical’, Hong Kong officials say

Hong Kong authorities estimate that acquiring all homes in the fire-ravaged Wang Fuk Court will cost around HK$6 billion and believe rebuilding on the site is not ‘practical’. Photo: Elson Li

Deputy finance chief Michael Wong says reconstruction at Wang Fuk Court is unlikely with the government considering alternative uses for the Tai Po site. Photo: Sun Yeung

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New Legco’s first chamber meeting will also debate lawmaker’s motion calling for review of building maintenance system and crackdown on bid rigging


New Legco’s first chamber meeting will also debate lawmaker’s motion calling for review of building maintenance system and crackdown on bid rigging.


Legislative Council of Hong Kong (Legco)

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong fires and safety

Eric Chan Kwok-ki

Hong Kong’s Legco to discuss post-Tai Po fire support but question session cancelled

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}New Legco’s first chamber meeting will also debate lawmaker’s motion calling for review of building maintenance system and crackdown on bid rigging

New Legco’s first chamber meeting will also debate lawmaker’s motion calling for review of building maintenance system and crackdown on bid rigging