Secretary for Transport Nicholas Ng Wing-fui has been criticised by lawmakers for allegedly pressuring the Education Department to speed up redevelopment plans for the school he attended.
Mr Ng had phoned the Education Department to ask about the progress of a funding application for La Salle Primary School, Kowloon, his spokeswoman said yesterday.
The department was considering a request for $160 million to increase classrooms and improve facilities to comply with whole-day schooling policies.
The spokeswoman said Mr Ng's call was 'solely on a private basis, and was not intended to exert pressure'.
She said it was not easy to draw a line between Mr Ng's capacity as a government official and as an alumnus of the school.
The department said it had processed the school's application in accordance with normal procedures.