Legco President Andrew Leung on Saturday brushed off suggestions that the legislature had sacrificed diligence for speed, after passing 34 bills over the past year.

Speaking on an RTHK programme, Leung said every bill is comprehensively reviewed from start to finish, with lawmakers working with officials in a pragmatic and collaborative manner.

He highlighted the enactment of homegrown national security legislation under Article 23 of the Basic Law as a pivotal accomplishment in 2024, stressing that councillors had been anything but sloppy in the legislative process.

“We held meetings for seven days, from nine in the morning to seven at night, and asked about 2,000 questions,” Leung said.

“There are 182 sections [in the bill], and we revised 91 of them – which is an unprecedented number. So, were we careless and simply raising our hands in support because that's what the authorities wanted? No, we put a lot of effort into this.”

Responding to concerns about the cost of a Legco duty visit to Japan at the end of last year, Leung said that discussions during the visit were productive and covered many practical issues, including Hong Kong's considerations regarding food imports from Japan.

He added that the expenses were in accordance with guidelines.

"We followed the guidelines and did not spend more than necessary. In fact, we were very frugal. We were there for an official visit, not to indulge," he said.