The Government clarified today that in the first half of the year, it tabled four bills to the Legislative Council for first and second readings, rather than only one bill as reported by the media.

The news report claimed that owing to the COVID-19 epidemic, while 15 bills were to be put forward in the first half of this year, according to the legislative programme submitted by the Government, the Employment & Retirement Schemes Legislation (Offsetting Arrangement) (Amendment) Bill 2022 was the only one tabled.

In this connection, the Government clarified in a press statement that apart from the aforementioned bill, it has already proposed three other bills to LegCo for first and second readings. They include the Appropriation Bill 2022 on February 23, as well as the Employment (Amendment) Bill 2022 and the Revenue (Tax Concessions) Bill 2022 on March 16.

Furthermore, it announced earlier that the Temporary Protection Measures for Business Tenants (COVID-19 Pandemic) Bill will be submitted on Wednesday.

Other bills will continue to be read at LegCo at the end of March and in April, it added.

Recapping the established practice, the Government explained that at the beginning of each legislative year, it will issue a projected legislative programme to LegCo’s House Committee. Having regard to the needs of the community, the priority of the Government’s policy and the drafting progress, the programme items and timetable will be updated from time to time. Such arrangement was already detailed in the Government’s letter to the House Committee chairman on January 20.

As for the other bills originally planned to be brought to LegCo in the first half of the year, the Government said the consultation and drafting work of only a small number of bills have been affected as a result of the epidemic situation. Nonetheless, relevant bureaus will proceed with the law proposals in an orderly manner.