Overview
- At the first meeting of the new Legislative Council term, Chief Executive John Lee set reforms in motion and pledged full accountability through law-enforcement probes and a judge-led inquiry.
- The package would expand the Urban Renewal Authority’s role, introduce vetted lists of consultants and contractors, require third-party supervision for major works, and mandate Fire Services approval before disabling key safety systems, with a site smoking ban to be tabled within weeks.
- Preliminary findings point to non-fire-retardant scaffolding mesh and polyfoam boards, along with some failed alarms, as factors that accelerated the Wang Fuk Court blaze.
- Officials say evidence collection and dismantling of scaffolding across the complex could take two to three months.
- A pro-establishment lawmaker cautioned that tougher checks and an expanded URA role may add costs and slow projects, calling for more discussion of implementation details.