The standard sale and purchase agreement may be amended to give flat buyers legal ownership upon their full payment of the purchase price.

Secretary for Housing, Planning & Lands Michael Suen said today the Government is consulting concerned organisations on the possibility of inserting the new clause.

Speaking in the Legislative Council, he said that in light of the problems revealed in the Villa Pinada and The Aegean cases, the administration has started a review of the Consent Scheme.

Preliminary findings indicate there is a need to ensure that perspective buyers who have paid for the cost of the flat will be able to obtain legal ownership of completed flats irrespective of any problems which the developer might face.

Mr Suen said the Government is also exploring improvement measures on other concerns relating to the conflict of interest under the Consent Scheme and the operation of the stakeholder's account.

He said the administration will closely monitor the progress of the two uncompleted residential property development projects.

Mr Suen said the Government has written to the developers of the 44 developments that are currently covered by the Consent Scheme, and 17 others for which applications for the scheme are being processed, requiring them to submit updated information on their developments.