Leading advisers split over action

Executive Councillors were divided on the way the Government had dealt with the bird flu.

Tam Yiu-chung of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment of Hong Kong said the way officials handled the outbreak could be improved.

'I hope there will be a better and more comprehensive plan on how the government will handle the outbreak and allow the public to know more about the illness,' Mr Leung said.

But His Exco colleague Leung Chun-ying said the Government had done what it could.

'This is a new disease. The Government should not over-react to this matter because any action may have a great impact,' he said.

Mr Leung denied the Government had acted too slowly, saying it had tried its best to balance the interests of all parties.