Rail Terminus Bill To Go Back To Full Council

The second reading of the government's bill to put mainland immigration facilities in the West Kowloon express rail terminus will resume on June 6, after the move received the nod from Legco's House Committee on Friday.

The House Committee's approval came despite strong opposition from the pro-democracy camp. Pan-democrats complained that a bills committee report on their 45 hours of discussion on the plan is a biased account that distorts the facts.

But New People's Party lawmaker Regina Ip, who chaired the bills committee, dismissed the criticism, saying it was not meant to be a verbatim transcript.

Civic Party lawmaker Tanya Chan said it was important for the report to provide a more accurate picture of events because people may not have time to go through all the minutes and videos of the meetings.

"This is a very important report and an official one, well that's why it's important to include all these relevant, and at the same time, important points that are illustrated or raised by members as well as government officials," said Chan.

House Committee chair Starry Lee suggested members liaise directly with the Legco Secretariat if they wish to add things to the report before the resumption of the bill's second reading.

The second reading will be the last chance for lawmakers to air their concerns before it is put to a vote.

Separately, the House Committee voted down two adjournment proposals by pro-democracy lawmakers.

The Democratic Party's Lam Cheuk-ting had asked to move an adjournment motion to debate lift safety, after a woman plunged to her death in a lift shaft in Sheung Shui earlier this month. But pro-establishment legislators pointed out that the issue would also be discussed at a Development Panel meeting next week.

Hong Kong First lawmaker Claudia Mo also made an unsuccessful bid to bring an adjournment motion over the recent violent arrest of a Hong Kong journalist by police in Beijing.