According to a government press release, Dr Chow has told lawmakers it has commissioned a consultant to re-assess the commercial viability and market interest in running such a centre.

He said: "We are also studying the trend of public demand for live chickens. We will consult the Legislative Council on whether a poultry slaughtering centre should be developed once the detailed analytical results of these studies are available."

Dr Chow added that the government is also doing an analysis on the risk of avian flu in local markets and farms and in the region.