In a five-page reply to a question raised by unionist lawmaker Chan Yuen-han concerning wealth disparity in Hong Kong, the professor-turned- secretary spent three pages elaborating on the Gini coefficient - a standard used to measure income disparity on a scale from zero to one, with one indicating absolute income inequality.

Figures released by the Census and Statistics Department last month showed the coefficient in 2006 had reached 0.533, the highest since data was collected in 1971.

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Ceajer Chan, however, said last year's figure, with taxation and social benefits considered, had dropped to 0.475, taking it as an "indication for a reduction in the spread of income disparity."

That comment drew sharp responses from several legislators, including Lee Cheuk-yan from the Confederation of Trade Unions.

"I'm afraid the secretary is defending the indefensible," Lee said. "The whole of Hong Kong believes the wealth gap between the rich and the poor is worsening, I think [Chan] is completely out of touch with society."

Former Democratic Party chairman Yeung Sum also questioned whether the comment means one should tear up Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam- kuen's policy address in which he stressed solving the wealth-gap problem was one of the main priorities of his current term.

The question-and-answer session ended up taking 27 minutes to complete, nearly double the allocated time of 15 minutes.

"[The length of the session] has broken all records, it's just too long and I have to be stricter [with the time] next time around," Legco president Rita Fan Hsu Lai-tai said.

Swamped by reporters on his way out of the Legco chamber, Chan, formerly the dean of the Business School at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, said lawmakers were eager to raise questions while denying that the queries were razor sharp.

Other Cabinet members at Legco were quick to defend their new colleague, including Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah.

"I think [Chan] performed very well ... for a newcomer it's tremendous pressure to answer lawmakers' questions," he said.

Secretary for Labour and Welfare Matthew Cheung Kin-chung said: "I think everyone should not take [Chan's] comments out of context and be fairer with him."

He praised Chan for in-depth preparation while asking reporters not to misinterpret his comprehensive presentation.

Cheung added: "We are a team now and much like in ball games, we should help each other out and show our good formation."

For legislator Chan Yuen-han, the new secretary's performance was less than satisfactory. "He sounded very nervous and lectured [lawmakers] as if we were his students," she said.

Democratic Party vice chairman Sin Chung-kai was also unimpressed. "For his debut answer session, Chan may be lacking in confidence a bit. I guess he needs some more training," he said.

Lawmaker Cheung Man-kwong, also a democrat, was a little more generous. "It is rather difficult to expect a new secretary to be as smooth [in answering questions] as [Secretary for Education and veteran official] Michael Suen Ming-yeung.

"But Chan gave his best and we should give him credit for his hard work," he told reporters.