The terms of reference of the Commission of Inquiry into Excess Lead Found in Drinking Water are broad, covering the present system in respect of drinking water supply in various types of buildings in Hong Kong, the Government says.
That statement was made in response to an article by legislator Helena Wong published in the Apple Daily newspaper today, that claimed the Government had narrowed the scope of the commission's inquiry to only include the cause of excess lead found in public housing estates and to exclude water supply systems in private buildings.
The Government refuted the article as containing "groundless and inaccurate allegations".
The statement noted that the Government has made it clear that apart from the need to "ascertain the causes of excess lead found in drinking water in public rental housing developments", the commission's terms of reference also included the requirements to "review and evaluate the adequacy of the present regulatory and monitoring system in respect of drinking water supply in Hong Kong" and "make recommendations with regard to the safety of drinking water in Hong Kong".
It also said remarks that the Chief Executive can dictate the direction and content of the inquiry are "totally untrue".
The commission is an independent statutory body set up under the Commissions of Inquiry Ordinance which can conduct independent and comprehensive investigations, and make concrete recommendations, the statement added.
