Tech bureau, lead-in-water scandal and private columbariums among heated debates as Hong Kong's Legislative Council reconvene

After months when political reform dominated, the legislature faces another tough year as it addresses a series of "hot potato" issues - from the long-debated innovation and technology bureau to private columbariums.

As 70 lawmakers reconvene to mark the beginning of the last year of their four-year term, pan-democrats will put forward a motion to invoke the Legislative Council's special powers to investigate this summer's discovery of lead in water at public housing estates.

While the HK$36.5 million-plus funding request for the proposed bureau will come under scrutiny again on Friday, two complicated bills regarding copyright and columbariums are also expected to be put to a vote before next July.

Information technology sector lawmaker Charles Mok said he believed funding for the bureau - against which radical pan-democrats staged a marathon filibuster before the summer recess - would be passed this session as it was first on the agenda.

"It is time for the lawmakers to focus on ways to monitor the bureau after its creation to prevent it from … benefiting only a small group of people as some suggested," said Mok.

Newly elected Finance Committee chairman Chan Kin-por said he would compare lawmakers' questions with their old ones to avoid any repetition.