Lawmakers on Wednesday night passed a government motion on supporting and rebuilding work for Wang Fuk Court fire victims, after almost nine hours of deliberation at the first full meeting of the new legislative term.

In his concluding remarks before the vote, Chief Secretary Eric Chan thanked councillors for sharing their views into the need for systemic reforms and boosting regulatory oversight.

Chan said the inferno prompted the government to reflect on shortcomings in the current system, and stressed the need to update and optimise relevant laws to keep up with the times.

One of the laws requiring amendment, he said, is the Buildings Ordinance.

"We propose adding a provision to the Buildings Ordinance requiring that building materials meet statutory safety standards, to provide a clear legal basis for prosecuting non-compliant materials and to increase penalties," he said.

When asked when affected residents can return to their homes to recover belongings, Deputy Chief Secretary Warner Cheuk said evidence collection and scaffolding dismantling would take around two to three months to complete.

Cheuk said he understands residents' desire to return home, and pledged to speed up the process as much as possible.