Of the 23 absent members, 10 were pan-democrats and 13 were from the pro-Beijing camp. Five pro-Beijing lawmakers sent letters to the Legco secretariat applying for leave.

People Power legislator Albert Chan Wai-yip said he believed pro-Beijing lawmakers stayed away in an effort to spare Leung from further embarrassment before his three-day trip to Beijing.

Deputy chairman Tony Tse Wai-chuen, of the architectural, surveying and planning constituency, chaired the meeting on behalf of pro-Beijing chairman Lau Wong-fat, who told the secretariat he had flu. Tse said he would consider an additional meeting.

Leung tried to end the saga over illegal structures at his home on The Peak by apologising for his handling of the matter in the Legislative Council last week. On Friday the Buildings Department confirmed it had found illegal structures in 2001 at a flat in Stanley that Leung bought in 1979.

Before the meeting, 17 members said they were able to attend but in the end 11 of them did not show up. Twelve pro-Beijing lawmakers from the Federation of Trade Unions and the Business and Professionals Alliance for Hong Kong were all absent.

Other absentees offered apologies and different explanations. The chairwoman of the New People's Party, Regina Ip Lau Suk-yee, said she had taken medicine for a respiratory infection.

Gary Chan Hak-kan, of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said he had caught flu.

New People Party's vice-chairman Michael Tien Puk-sun said he had a mobile phone signal problem and had to fix it.

DAB lawmaker Chan Han-pan said he was so engrossed in talking to a woman over the phone that he forgot the time.

Liberal Party lawmaker James Tien Pei-chun said he had an interview with RTHK. Pan-democrats Cyd Ho Sau-lan, Leung Kwok-hung and Claudia Mo Man-ching, and DAB lawmaker Ann Chiang Lai-wan said they were delayed by traffic.