'Legislative reforms on fire safety to be rolled out'
Security minister Chris Tang on Friday said the government will roll out a series of legislative reforms to improve fire safety, as the administration mulls sweeping changes in response to the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire. The independent committee looking into the tragedy submitted its report to the chief executive on Thursday, and John Lee has said plans for "comprehensive reforms" will be announced shortly. Asked on a radio programme about the government's response to the report -- which has yet to be released to the public -- Tang said that authorities have already introduced a series of administrative measures over the past year to improve the situation, and further legislative changes are pending. He also noted that the Fire Services Department has acknowledged that at the end of the day, it is ultimately responsible for fire safety. "If anyone files a complaint with us regarding a situation related to a fire, even if it is not the Fire Services Department's responsibility, we must follow up until another department takes over," he said. On the question of accountability, Tang pointed to the chief executive's earlier statement that anyone found to bear responsibility for the blaze would be held to account. Edited by Cecil Wong
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