Frank Chan Not Informed About Subcontractor Email

The government says the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan, was not informed about a meeting request from China Technology - the subcontractor that poured concrete over steel bars that may have been cut short on platform work for the Shatin-to-Central Link's Hung Hom station. It said this was because China Technology had agreed to contact the Highways Department but later informed the bureau that there was no longer a problem.

The steel bars are at the centre of a shoddy work scandal, that has embroiled the contractor for platform construction works Leighton, and a subcontractor Fang Sheung Construction, which the MTR has alleged cut the bars too short.

The government said on September 15, China Technology sent an email to Chan's office. The email requested a meeting - between the Transport and Housing Bureau, the MTR, Leighton, and China Technology - to discuss construction matters linked to the Shatin-to-Central rail project. The government said there was no further information in the email.

On the same day, the bureau contacted China Technology and was told the matter related to technical aspects of one of the project's contracts. It said China Technology agreed to contact the Highways Department, which is under the Transport and Housing Bureau.

The government said on September 15 and 16, the Highways Department called China Technology several times but was unsuccessful. Then, three days later, the bureau received another email from China Technology which said the suspected issue of concern had been clarified and that the company considered that no further action was needed.

The government said, for this reason, the meeting did not go ahead. The government said as China Technology had originally agreed to contact Highways Department officials, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Frank Chan, had not been made aware of the problem.

On September 15, the Highways Department also contacted the MTR about the matter. But the MTR said it required more information.

The government says it expects the MTR to send it an incident report on the platform construction work no later than June 15.