CE Asks Legco To Focus Maiden QA On Several Areas

Chief Executive John Lee has written to the legislature asking councillors to focus on several policy areas when he goes there on Wednesday for his first question-and-answer session as CE – though they can ask questions outside the suggested parameters if they like.

The topics include how the government will follow-up on President Xi Jinping's speech on Hong Kong last week, anti-Covid efforts, housing, telling a good Hong Kong story and promoting the SAR internationally.

The president of the Legislative Council, Andrew Leung, said the request was made in a letter received late on Monday, and that this is a normal practice allowed under the council's house rules even though former CE Carrie Lam had not made similar requests in the past.

He said the government also wrote a follow-up letter to Legco on Tuesday morning, stating that lawmakers are welcome to ask questions on any policy area.

"It's focused on these areas, it doesn't mean that it's limited to these areas [of discussion]," Leung told reporters.

"If members ask questions outside those focus areas, normally as President I would allow them to ask, and I would guess the CE would gladly answer those questions."

The Legco chief said the focus areas suggested by the new CE are hot topics and focusing on them would allow for a meaningful discussion.

Leung also said he has approved an application by House Committee chairwoman, Starry Lee of the DAB, to move an urgent adjournment motion to discuss President Xi's remarks on Hong Kong and how to implement them.