Public gain greater access to Legco data as online records dating back to 1877 go online

Changes in the way data is presented on the Legislative Council's website should help Hongkongers keep a closer eye on lawmakers' activities, officials and government watchdogs say.

The data put online is now stored in readable and searchable xml and pdf formats, the council's secretary general, Kenneth Chen Wei-on, said. "All this Legco information has been out there on the internet, but was not user-friendly enough. Now, by keeping their formats abreast with technological changes, they are all machine-readable, making us more open to the public."

While legislators and activists said the move was a welcome step in fostering civil monitoring of the government, they renewed their calls for more official information to be made available.

Democratic Party lawmaker Emily Lau Wai-hing said the Legco website change was a necessary first step for Hong Kong.

"The openness of the government and legislature's information has lagged behind by other countries. … We have to match up and make them more accessible and findable," said Lau.

Governance and transparency advocate David Webb called the changes a move in "the right direction".

But he added: "The Companies Registry and Land Registry should make all the documents and registers available for free, like New Zealand has." The information is now put behind a pay wall.