Executive Council convenor Regina Ip said on Thursday that she supported the idea of removing a reference to "political neutrality" from the code of conduct for civil servants, saying that loyalty to the government should take precedence.

Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung told lawmakers on Tuesday that an update to the code of conduct would remove the term so government employees would not be able to use it as an excuse to avoid tasks.

Speaking on RTHK's Hong Kong Today programme, Ip noted that she had been accused of breaching political neutrality while serving as secretary for security because she voiced support for former leader Tung Chee-hwa.

"It has caused a lot of misunderstanding. In my time this term has been used by the opposition to ask civil servants not to support the Chief Executive," she told RTHK's Samantha Butler.

"It happened in my time. So I think it is better to eliminate any misunderstandings."

In her briefing to lawmakers, Yeung stressed that civil servants should not be affected by their political orientation when carrying out their official duties.

Chief Executive John Lee said in his Policy Address last week that he would strengthen the management of the civil service, including updating the code of conduct and strengthening the reward and punishment system.