The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move \"That under Standing Order 10(2), the business Motion standing under the Leader of the House as listed in the Order Paper for today be taken now.\"
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That under Standing Order 10(2), the business Motion standing under the Leader of the House as listed in the Order Paper for today be taken now.\" – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien.] (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Revision of Question Time","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move \"That notwithstanding Standing Order 22 (1), Question Time at this day's sitting shall continue for up to two-and-a-half-hours from the commencement of the Sitting.\"
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That notwithstanding Standing Order 22 (1), Question Time at this day's sitting shall continue for up to two-and-a-half-hours from the commencement of the Sitting\" – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien.] (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Different Requirements for Taxi and Private Hire Drivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"1 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked\tthe Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry requires Uber and GrabCar vehicles to have the same insurance and car inspection schedules as taxis in Singapore; (b) why is the duration of courses for taxi and private hire drivers different; (c) whether there is an age restriction on Uber and GrabCar drivers; and (d) whether permanent residents and work permit holders who possess Singapore driving licences are eligible to be Uber and GrabCar drivers.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Transport (Mr Ng Chee Meng) (for the Minister for Transport): Mdm Speaker, the insurance requirements imposed on taxis and private hire cars are the same. The Motor Vehicles Act requires all motor vehicles, including taxis and private hire cars, to be insured against third-party liability risks, which include death or bodily injury to passengers. Specifically, this means that passengers in a private hire car that is involved in a motor accident can claim compensation from the owner of the private hire car or its insurer. Both taxis and private hire cars are required to procure insurance which covers the use of the vehicles for hire and reward purposes.
The inspection requirements for private hire cars are the same as those for private motorcars, while taxis have to go for more frequent inspections. This is because the Land Transport Authority (LTA)'s data show that, on average, currently, taxis run about 145,000 km annually, about five times the annual mileage of private hire cars. LTA will review the data regularly to see if there is a need to adjust the inspection frequency for private hire cars.
After the upcoming revamp, the taxi driving course will be shortened to about 25 hours, whereas the chauffeured services course will be about 10 hours long. The difference in training hours is mainly because taxi drivers can pick up street hail jobs, while private hire car drivers are not allowed to do so. Street hail jobs comprise 80% of all taxi trips, and the additional navigational and route planning components of the taxi driving course train taxi drivers for this. Taxi drivers must also be able to use a taxi meter correctly and be familiar with the various regulations concerning fare collection.
As announced during the Ministry of Transport (MOT)'s Committee of Supply debate recently, there will be no minimum age requirement for private hire car drivers. However, they must have held a driving licence for at least two years. The maximum age for private hire car drivers will be 75 years, like for taxi drivers.
Today, traditional limousine companies and car rental companies employ Permanent Residents and Work Pass holders as drivers. Work Pass holders are subject to Work Pass conditions stipulated by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). They provide chauffeured services that can be chartered for trips like airport transfers and ferrying of VIPs at events. In order to not disrupt traditional limousine companies and car rental companies when the new regulatory regime is implemented, these Permanent Residents and Work Pass holders will also be able to apply for the Private Hire Car Driver Vocational Licence. However, Permanent Residents and Work Pass holders can only provide chauffeured services in the course of their employment under these car rental or limousine companies. This is unlike for Singaporeans, who can be Uber or GrabCar drivers as long as they are sole proprietors of a chauffeured services company. As we understand it, there are no Work Pass holders driving for Uber or Grab today.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I thank the Minister for the comprehensive answers. I have three supplementary questions. I have residents who are taxi drivers and their feedback is that they hope to see a more level playing field. To get the vocational driving licence, they have a certain minimum number of hours that they need to drive and clock in. They think that with these Uber and GrabCar drivers, the playing field is not level.
Secondly, from the commuters' point of view, with Uber and GrabCar, the overall service given to commuters should improve. I would like to ask the Minister whether there are any statistics, feedback and measurement to show that Uber and GrabCar bring positive impact to our commuters. If not, why should we have them in Singapore and create so much unhappiness amongst the taxi drivers?
Finally, the Minister mentioned earlier that there is no minimum age for Uber drivers. I would like to ask why it is so. For the safety of commuters, why can we not specify that there is a minimum age for Uber drivers?
\tMr Ng Chee Meng: I thank the Member for the questions. With regard to a level-playing field, I will break down the answer into two components. First of all, in terms of the licensing requirements and so on, it is in accordance with the current practice. In terms of the need for a Taxi Vocational Licence or a Private Hire Car Driver's Licence (PDVL), there are different conditions. We follow industry practices as best as possible.
When it comes to the impact on taxi drivers and commuters, these were the stipulated principles of how we address the private-hire car industry. For most, it is commuters' interest; thereafter, the welfare of taxi drivers and private hire car drivers; and the third principle was to allow a transition for the companies, given this disruptive technology in Singapore.
If we really want to level the field completely, there are two major issues that may not bear the outcomes that we desire. Today, 80% of taxi trips are by street hail. If you completely level the playing field, it means that the private hire cars will have street hail privileges as well. This will not bring necessarily the outcomes desired, if it is a complete level playing field. So, in terms of welfare, transition for the taxi drivers, impact on income, we do not want these to be disrupted overnight. For commuters' interest, if you completely level the playing field and chauffeured service companies and taxi companies become homogenous, then, we will not be able to have the innovative disruption that private hire cars bring to the industry.
In the morning peak hours, when we have an inadequate supply of taxi drivers, the commuters' interests are served because there is a supplementary group of drivers that come in the form of Uber and Grab. They are mostly part-time drivers.
On the age limit, we think that safety is better ensured based on an estimate of how good a person is as a driver. So, we think that the requirement for at least two years of driving experience is adequate and we will continue to monitor the situation.
As to the age limit of taxi drivers being set at 30, it was for a different set of reasons. We are open to reviewing this if the taxi industry is requesting for minimum age requirements instead.
\tMr Ang Hin Kee (Ang Mo Kio): A follow-up question for the Senior Minister of State. Let me declare my interest as the advisor for the National Taxi Association. Taking a step back, is it better that we have three categories of drivers, keeping the traditional limo drivers as a separate licence group, the taxi drivers as the first original group and then create a licence group for the private hire drivers from Uber and Grab? Right now, to simplify matters, we have added the traditional limo group into the Uber and Grab group and, therefore, you would require even the traditional group that had been driving without this requirement and new creation, to comply with all the rules. I thought the Ministry could take one step back and see that there are three categories of licences, so that the rules for Uber and Grab drivers become specific to their requirements and vocation, rather than have them mixed up.
\tMr Ng Chee Meng: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for the question. This was considered in our initial design of the system. It is possible, but at the moment, we think that two categories would be in better service of the three principles I have articulated. Breaking them up into different parts would mean limo drivers versus private hire car drivers; you will have too many categories. Many of the limo drivers that I meet at our discussions are also part-time Uber or Grab drivers. Like how we designed the Taxi Driver Vocational Licence versus the PDVL, we allow cross-licensing. This is part of the review to make it not too cumbersome with too many regulations and for the drivers to not need to jump through too many hoops.
It is early days yet. We have not implemented the licensing regime and done a post implementation review. We will take a year to implement. So, we will take your views into consideration.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Senior Minister of State for the answer. I just have a clarification regarding the answer on the status of persons allowed to drive an Uber or GrabCar. Is the Senior Minister of State saying that PRs and Work Permit holders who have the Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL) are allowed to drive an Uber or GrabCar?
\tMr Ng Chee Meng: They are not allowed to offer their services via Uber and GrabCar as sole proprietors. If they work in a company, which does not exist today, that is a possibility.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Vehicle Entry Permit Fee for Cars Entering Singapore via Johor","subTitle":"Following RM20 levy on each vehicle entering Malaysia","sectionType":"OA","content":"2 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked\tthe Minister for Transport if he can provide an update on whether the Ministry is adjusting the Vehicle Entry Permit fee and toll charges for vehicles entering Singapore in response to the Malaysian authorities' intention to charge RM20 for each foreign vehicle entering Johor from Singapore.
\tThe Minister for Transport (Mr Khaw Boon Wan): Madam, Singapore has consistently advocated open and liberal transport links and connectivity with Malaysia. Our tolls at the Causeway and the Second Link were introduced in 1998, only in response to Malaysia's decision to levy tolls at both crossings. This long-standing policy of matching Malaysia's tolls is to ensure that Malaysia takes into consideration our response whenever they have plans to raise their tolls. If Malaysia removes their tolls, we will do likewise. In other words, our preference has always been a toll-free Causeway and Second Link.
The same principle will apply in our response to Malaysia's impending Road Charge. If it discriminates Singapore-registered vehicles, we will match it in some form. We will confirm whether and how we will respond, after Malaysia has implemented their Road Charge and the details become available.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Address Recent Spate of Lift Breakdowns at HDB Blocks","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"3 Ms Sun Xueling asked\tthe Minister for National Development what is the recourse for HDB residents where there are repeated lift breakdowns, slow rectifications due to shortage of lift parts, lack of qualified manpower to conduct repair works and the lift company has already been penalised for slow rectification but still fails to deliver timely and effective service.
4 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked\tthe Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider specifying a ceiling rate for lift breakdowns or a maximum period in which the breakdown rate consistently exceeds 0.1 such that the lift company that fails to meet the standard will be barred from operations; and (b) whether the Ministry will statutorily require lift companies to professionally train and certify their lift installation and maintenance workers before deployment.
5 Mr Alex Yam asked\tthe Minister for National Development (a) what is the progress on the independent audit checks of passenger lifts by BCA; (b) what are some of the key findings so far; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider a new lift upgrading programme to help Town Councils replace older lifts that experience frequent breakdowns.
6 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked\tthe Minister for National Development whether the recent spate of HDB lift malfunctions could have been prevented and whether there is an urgent need to step up the maintenance regime and audit checks to ensure high serviceability and safety standards of all lifts.
7 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked\t the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider (i) tightening the criteria of lift procurements; (ii) embarking on an open system specification, requiring potential lift suppliers bidding for HDB projects to facilitate use of common parts for their lifts; and (iii) setting up a lift expert team in BCA or to better regulate lift maintenance companies and working with the industry to build up sufficient lift maintenance staff to service the lifts in Singapore.
8 Mr Pritam Singh asked\tthe Minister for National Development (a) what is the expected additional cost to Town Councils as a result of BCA's new standards on lift maintenance; (b) whether HDB will provide specific lift-maintenance grants to Town Councils as a result of BCA's modified regime; and (c) whether HDB will consider a subsidy or co-payment scheme for HDB lift parts that turn obsolete prematurely.
9 Assoc Prof Randolph Tan asked\tthe Minister for National Development whether the tightening of regulations for lift maintenance announced by BCA on 16 June 2016 takes into account the potential increase in demand for manpower in the relevant fields.
The Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mdm Speaker, with your permission, I would like to take Question Nos 3 to 9 together.
Mdm Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: I understand and share the concerns raised by Members over the safety of our lift operations. Lifts are an integral part of our urbanised, high-rise living environment. Currently, we have around 59,000 passenger lifts, with 24,000 of these in public housing estates, all of which are used with high-frequency on a daily basis. Lifts in Singapore are checked regularly and safe to operate. But like any other machinery, they can malfunction from time to time. Data from the Tele-Monitoring System (TMS), which provides real-time monitoring of HDB lifts, indicate that there were around 20 breakdowns per 1,000 lifts every month in 2015, and the first half of this year. This is lower than the average breakdown rate of 30 per 1,000 lifts each month registered in the previous two years, in 2013 and 2014. This is just to reiterate. There are perceptions that there had been a sudden surge in lift breakdowns.
This is actual data from the Tele-Monitoring System (TMS), which all the Town Councils have. This is real-time monitoring data of HDB lifts operating in their respective estates. We have compiled the data and the breakdown rates were: 30 per 1,000 lifts in 2013 and 2014, on average. And it has come down to 20 per 1,000 lifts per month in 2015 and the first half of this year.
Nevertheless, despite the rates coming down, any serious lift incident is one too many. Furthermore, as our lifts get older and are subject to more wear and tear, they will face higher risks of faults.
This is why BCA, as the regulatory authority for lifts in Singapore, has been focusing on this issue for some time and it has been engaging the industry, consulting lift experts and studying international best practices and standards with the aim of enhancing the regulatory and safety regime for lifts. So, let me share some of the key thrusts in our strategy and, in the process, also respond to the queries raised by Members.
Our first priority is to raise our standards of lift maintenance. Currently, all lift owners, including Town Councils, have to engage a registered lift contractor to service the lifts at least once a month. The lift contractors must also carry out an annual inspection and testing of the lifts, in the presence of an independent Authorised Examiner, who has to certify that such inspection and testing were done in accordance with regulatory standards and that the lifts are fit for operations. This is the regime today.
While these monthly and annual checks are being carried out today, BCA's audits reveal that the quality of work can be improved. This is why BCA has recently announced measures to tighten maintenance standards for lifts. BCA will also step up its audit checks to ensure that lift contractors achieve the required standards and to take enforcement action against non-compliance. The measures will be implemented this month.
Second, besides tighter regulatory requirements, it is also important for lift companies to build up their capabilities and have competent technicians and engineers doing the work. BCA is, therefore, working with the industry to set clearer requirements on the scope and level of training for all lift personnel. It is also developing a sectoral plan which will take into account the manpower demand in relevant fields of expertise, as well as the need for better defined career development pathways to attract and retain more skilled professionals in this sector.
Third, we should continue to effectively harness competitive forces in the industry to bring about benefits to residents. There are around eight main lift contractors that maintain about 70% of the lifts in Singapore, as well as many other smaller firms operating in the sector. So, there are many firms but eight larger ones that maintain about 70% of the lifts in Singapore.
All of these lift companies, big or small, are free to bid for the installation of lifts in our public housing estates. HDB adopts a stringent procurement process which takes into account not just cost, but also the quality and reliability of lifts. For new lifts installed in BTO projects and under the Lift Upgrading Programme, HDB imposes the requirement of not more than one lift breakdown per month per 10 lifts installed during the one-year Defects Liability Period (DLP). Lift companies that fail to meet this performance standard will be penalised, for example, through the imposition of liquidated damages or debarments for future HDB tenders.
Beyond this one-year DLP, Town Councils can decide whether to continue with the Original Equipment Manufacturer or switch to a third-party lift contractor. In this regard, Mr Ang Wei Neng suggested that we facilitate the use of common parts for lifts so that Town Councils will have more contractor options to choose from. I agree with him and I would like to share that the Competition Commission is looking into this very matter, to ensure that third-party lift maintenance contractors have access to essential lift spare parts. So, this will promote more effective competition and enable the Town Councils to choose the best contractor to do the job.
Fourth, besides regulatory action by BCA, it is also important for Town Councils, as lift owners, to take responsibility and carry out proactive maintenance and cyclical replacement of lifts. For example, Town Councils can analyse the lift fault data from the TMS and the records of residents' feedback to identify lifts in their estates which may require more attention. Town Councils should also have qualified personnel within their management teams who can supervise the contractors and work with them to put in place an effective maintenance regime.
A more comprehensive lift maintenance and replacement programme will cost more. For example, with more rigorous checks over time, Town Councils are likely to draw more on their Sinking Funds to replace worn out lift parts or to carry out a complete replacement of older lifts. Town Councils must project and plan ahead and ensure sufficient savings for long-term financial sustainability. That is why MND intends to require all Town Councils to set aside a higher proportion of their S&CC collections into their Sinking Funds and to ring-fence a part of the Sinking Fund specifically for lift replacement.
Finally, Mr Pritam Singh asked about Government assistance and Mr Alex Yam also requested for an upgrading programme to replace older lifts. As I had explained in this House earlier, HDB is already implementing the Selective Lift Replacement Programme (SLRP) to replace selected old lifts with new ones that come with better safety and security features on a cost-sharing basis with the Town Councils. The SLRP is a one-off programme and we do not have plans to extend it further. The replacement of old lifts is the responsibility of the Town Councils and ought to be undertaken by them as part of their cyclical maintenance programme.
However, for the existing lifts that are not due for replacement soon, we will look at the possibility of helping the Town Councils retrofit them with key safety enhancements and features. So, I am not talking about lifts that are due for replacement because these are old lifts that should be replaced by the Town Councils; but about the ones that are not due for replacement soon, MND will look at the possibility of helping Town Councils retrofit them with key safety enhancements and features. This support for safety enhancements for existing lifts will require significant Government expenditure, so we are studying the matter carefully and will announce the details when ready.
To sum up, all of us, be it the Government, regulator, lift owners, contractors, or even lift users, have a part to play to ensure that our lifts are reliable and safe. Over the years, we have put in place an effective operating and regulatory regime for lifts in Singapore. Let us work together to make it even better and safer for everyone.
\tMs Sun Xueling (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I thank the Minister for the reply. I understand that current liquidated damages imposed on lift contractors for delays in service recovery and non-compliance with maintenance standards only amount to $50 per day. I think that is hardly a deterrence. Would the Ministry consider rethinking how penalties are structured, as a nominal fee is hardly penalising and could also find its way back as higher maintenance charges that we have to pay lift contractors on a monthly basis?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, like I said earlier, HDB already imposes stringent requirements in its procurement criteria and we would be happy to see how we can tighten some of these requirements, as suggested by the Member, including looking at even higher liquidated damages. We will always review and make sure that our standards and our requirements are tight.
I would also highlight that Town Councils themselves have maintenance contracts with lift contractors, and Town Councils themselves can impose these tighter requirements on their own lift contractors which they engage to do maintenance work.
\tMr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): The Minister mentioned the breakdown rate of 20 per 1,000 per month. If you look at the HDB lifts that we have, it still represents about a few hundred a month. It still appears high from a percentage standpoint. I want to ask whether BCA sets a more stringent standard in terms of the breakdowns for all the HDB lifts.
The second question is: with the breakdowns that we have seen in the last few months, is there a need to review the procurement policies? For example, whether the current contractual tenures for these lift maintenance contractors are too short for them, to the extent that they may not want to invest in lift maintenance capabilities because they are not sure whether they will still be in business after two years. So, would we want to look into the tenure, as well as how they source the parts? There are still talks that maybe the parts that we sourced from a vendor that offers cheaper rates may compromise the quality. So, does that not require a review as well?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, on the first point about the breakdowns, I fully agree with the Member that we should strive to bring it down to as low a rate as possible. My purpose of mentioning it was to show that over the period of time from 2013 till today, the breakdown rates have fallen from 30 to 20 per 1,000 lifts. Twenty per 1,000 is still, I think, a figure that we should try to bring down even further. That can only be done if we all work together, as I said. There will not be a magic solution, but that can only be done if we tighten up across the board – procurement, maintenance and timely replacement.
I agree with the Member on his subsequent point that we should look at procurement standards as well, and we are. As I mentioned, we will look at making sure that our standards are tight, that we procure not just looking at cost, but also looking at quality, which includes looking at the source, the origins of where the various lift parts are made, as the Member had suggested.
On his suggestion about making sure there is a longer Defects Liability Period (DLP), meaning to say, after procuring and installing the lifts, would we want the contractor to have a requirement to maintain the lift for a longer period beyond the one-year DLP which is in place today? We will look at it and we potentially can consider a longer DLP. It may mean a bit of a higher cost, but it also means that the Town Council is locked into the OEM for a longer period of time and you would not have the flexibility to allow competition to come in and to switch between different contractors. So, we have to find a balance, but we are prepared to consider a longer DLP.
\tMr Alex Yam (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I thank the Minister for his earlier reply. Just three supplementary questions.
Firstly, with regard to my original question, the Minister has shared that part of the finding is that maintenance can be improved. But beyond that, were there any other findings from BCA's independent audit since March?
Secondly, in November 2005, the Commissioner of Buildings did away with the requirement for the display of the Certificate of Lift Maintenance and Testing by the authorised examiners. But last Friday, the Commissioner issued new instructions to say that a new permit to operate the system will be undertaken by BCA and this certification will be required to be displayed and renewed annually. Could I understand a little bit more about what was the reason for BCA reviewing this requirement for display and what role BCA will be taking, beyond just providing the issuance of the certificate?
Lastly – I think this is also an issue that many fellow Members have raised in their questions – with the more stringent inspection regime and possibly a lot more servicing required, is BCA aware of the manpower situation in the lift maintenance and lift manufacturing industry and whether we will be facing issues with lack of manpower in the short term?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, let me address the three questions in turn. First of all, on the findings of BCA's audits, I would say that across the various audits and also the investigation of incidents that have happened so far, BCA has not found any systemic trend, or identifiable trends across the various incidents. Each one is quite unique, it varies across different lift models and different ages. Generally, if you look at data, like from the TMS and if you look at the overall state of lifts today, we can say that older lifts tend to have a higher breakdown rate, in particular, older lifts beyond 20 years. If you were to take a more preventive or risk-based approach, I would say, step up the maintenance and have preventive checks for the older lifts, particularly the ones which are above 20 years old. That is commonsense because these are lifts which have been subject to more wear and tear and, therefore, they need better maintenance.
On the Certificate of Lifts, the Member mentioned that it was taken away previously. But even though there was not a requirement to display, the certificates continued to be lodged with BCA. So, there was still that process. The decision now to require it to be displayed is really part of the broader review to see how we can tighten standards and ensure accountability. We want to make sure that it is not just about the certificate and the display of it, but to make sure that proper checks are done before the lifts are allowed to operate. Once that permit to operate is issued, it will be displayed, together with the Authorised Examiner's name, so that there is accountability – the person who did the checks, the name is there, is displayed. Potentially, even the lift contractor's name will be put up, together with the certificate. This is the second point.
Third, on manpower requirements, we are mindful that this may require more people in the industry, in the immediate term. In the longer term, we will, as I have said, look at sectoral plans to develop and ensure a healthy pipeline of technicians and engineers in this sector. In the immediate term, we are still in discussion with all the lift contractors. BCA is engaging them to identify specifically whether there are immediate manpower needs and how best to help them address these manpower needs. So, we are engaging the industry closely.
\tMr Pritam Singh (Aljunied): Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I would just like to ask the Minister specifically with regard to lifts which are above 20 years of age ‒ which, the Minister has acknowledged ‒ tend to have more maintenance-related issues. I think the point of balance for Town Councils would be to enhance contracts and, by doing so, require more regular lift maintenance. That would mean increasing routine expenditure for the Town Council. This would have to be balanced against making a decision to replace the lifts or upgrade the lifts earlier. That would, of course, entail the use of sinking funds. So, that is the real issue for many Town Councils, I believe.
In that light, with regard to the safety enhancements that the Minister has spoken about that HDB is looking at, and because it may cost a large sum of money, does the Minister have any estimate of when HDB will come to that decision? Town Councils will have to start determining how to project their finances going forward.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I think that is a fair question and I recognise the point that Town Councils need the information early to plan ahead. So, we are doing a study right now and we will be informing Town Councils in due course what we intend to do for the safety enhancements and what vintage of lifts. Obviously, it would not make sense for us to spend a lot of money on safety enhancements on a lift that is already going to be due for replacement next year. Because the better thing to do, as Mr Pritam Singh has suggested, is for the Town Councils to replace these very old lifts. So, these safety enhancements would be done, as I had mentioned in my answer earlier, for lifts that are not due for replacement soon. Exactly what age, we will have to study and this will take time to implement as well because we are talking about a huge stock of existing lifts which we will have to do progressively over a few years. But I know that Town Councils need the data and the information to plan and we will strive to provide this information as soon as possible.
\tAssoc Prof Randolph Tan (Nominated Member): Madam, I would like to thank the Minister for his responses so far. The Minister mentioned earlier that the breakdown rate actually improved by one-third. This is quite significant. He also mentioned that the total number of lifts in operation right now is 59,000. Does that actually imply that the number of lifts that have been brought into operation in recent years has outpaced the available supply of manpower that can handle the maintenance for such lifts?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I know the concerns about the availability of manpower and whether we have sufficient people in this sector. I would say, if you take another measure and look at the number of technicians per lift we have and compare that against other jurisdictions. So, we have done some comparisons against Japan, for example. We actually have more technicians per lift, compared to Japan. It is important to ensure that we have enough people, but it is also important to ensure that we have the people with the requisite skills and competencies and who are doing their jobs well.
So, as I have mentioned earlier, we are in the process of engaging the industry to understand better their manpower needs for the immediate term. But in the long term, we do want to make sure that we have a good and healthy pipeline of people with the right skills and the right competencies coming into the sector and who are also continually upgrading their skills and keeping pace with new advances in lift technologies and safety.
\tMs Tin Pei Ling (MacPherson): Madam, I have four supplementary questions for the Minister.
Firstly, I understand that quality checks cannot be 100% and I am also glad that the Ministry is looking into enhancing the competency. May I ask whether the Ministry will consider requiring the lift maintenance workers and installation workers to be certified, so that there is at least a basic quality assurance?
Secondly, I know of some new lifts that consistently fail to meet the minimum breakdown rate threshold and, maybe over consecutive months. So, may I ask, currently, during the DLP, how much are the liquidated damages for poor lift maintenance for these newly-installed lifts?
Thirdly, under what circumstances would the lift company be barred from the next tender, given what I have just shared?
Lastly, I would like to ask the Minister again whether the Ministry will consider shortening the replacement period from 28 years to, perhaps, a period that is closer to the private sector's benchmark of 15 years.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Thank you, Madam. Can I just ask the Member in response? I am not aware that there is a private sector benchmark of a 15-year replacement for lifts. It sounds to me to be very, very short and I wonder where the Member got that figure from.
\tMs Tin Pei Ling: Let me clarify. I asked the engineering team and, from what I was told, generally speaking, the lift replacement period is about 15 years, plus or minus. So, maybe I should rephrase that. Based on what I have come to understand, it is a shorter period of an average of about 15 years.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I thank the Member for clarifying this point. As far as I am aware from BCA's checks with the industry, there is no such 15-year guideline in place across the board, certainly, for private sector lifts in Singapore or anywhere in the world, for that matter. So, that is from what we have gathered so far. In fact, if you look around the world, too, at lift replacement, it is a wide range. There are lifts in other countries that have been operating for more than 30, 40, 50 years and still continuing to operate.
So, the point about the replacement period, it is simply a guideline. It cannot be prescriptive because these are machines and the replacement guide will depend on your usage frequency and standard of maintenance over the years. Obviously, if it is well maintained, it may even go beyond 28 years. But if it is a lift that has not been well maintained in the past, then you may want to replace it even earlier. Or, for that matter, you may want to replace most of the parts before 28 years are up.
Replacement, really, has to be done on a case-by-case basis. I do not think we can generalise. Town Councils will, therefore, have to work with their lift contractors, looking at each particular lift, the model, the age, the history of maintenance, and then make a decision consciously whether to do early replacement or maybe to change some of the major parts or to allow the lift to continue with a good maintenance regime.
On the earlier point that the Member has suggested on certification, we are going to tighten. As I have said, we are looking at clearer guidelines and training requirements for all lift personnel, including the technicians. We are doing that. On the second point about new lifts and the liquidated damages, I would say, we are aware that, for new lifts, there is generally also a higher breakdown rate or reported fault rate in the first year. And this is across the board, particularly because of teething issues or maybe, sometimes, it is related to residents moving in – renovation contractors and all sorts of things ̶ user habits. So, this tends to be the case. Then, it will stabilise. The lift fault rate tends to stabilise after the first year. And, then, as I have said, with wear and tear, you start to see older lifts having higher fault rates as well. But, first year, it is really a teething issue.
So long as it is within the DLP, HDB will work with the lift contractor to make sure that any of these teething issues with your new lifts in your new BTO flats are resolved expediently and as soon as possible. If, indeed, the contractor is the one who is responsible, then this will be taken into account the next time the contractor submits a bid for a future HDB lift contract and HDB will look at its past records and consider it very carefully before awarding it any future tenders. So, on that score, you do not have to worry that you will have a recalcitrant contractor bidding for another future contract. I would say that most contractors that we have dealt with for these new lifts have been very responsive and they have come forward to make sure that whatever the complaints are for the new lifts, their issues are resolved as soon as possible.
\tMr Ang Wei Neng (Jurong): Thank you, Madam. I would like to clarify with the Minister about the open system specification. Two clarifications. Would the Minister consider asking the HDB to specify in the procurement specifications to ask the lift suppliers to supply a list of OEMs that can supply the major parts? Second clarification: has the Competition Commission started to intervene and compel the lift companies to provide alternative sources of their lift parts?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, the Competition Commission has already started its investigation into this matter and I do not want to speak on their behalf. I am sure they would be putting up their findings soon. As I have said, the purpose of their investigation is to require OEMs to make available lift spare parts to all third-party contractors. That is the objective. So, they will put up their findings on the lift sector and how they intend to put these in place.
On the first point on open standards and procurement so that you have suppliers that would indicate which are the third-party contractors or how their parts can be supplied, I think the main thing is, if there is a contractor who comes in, installs a lift, what we would like to see is that the supplier of that new lift would make available the parts related to the lift to other third-party contractors, or other OEMs for that matter, so that whichever lift contractor the Town Council chooses for maintenance subsequently, the Town Council will not necessarily be held hostage to one contractor only. That is our intent and what we will strive to do in our procurement.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): I thank the Minister for his detailed answers so far. May I ask whether BCA conducts data analytics to identify sentinel events or warning signs that can help predict an impending lift breakdown? If BCA is able to identify such sentinel events, will it make the reporting and recording of such events mandatory?
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I would like to suggest to Members that Town Councils should do the data analytics first and foremost because the TMS data reside with the Town Councils. All Town Councils today – if Members do not already realise this – have access to real-time fault data of every lift in your housing estate. It is a rich database that allows Town Councils to already do data analytics to understand better which are the lifts with higher fault rates and, for those with higher fault rates, to go in, understand the reasons why this is happening and, if need be, take corrective actions, take remedial actions. There can be various reasons. We have found out, for example, in some instances, it is due to the newspaper vendor coming in every morning and jamming the lift doors when they deliver newspapers.
So, it may not be because of a mechanical problem. It may be a user issue. But with that kind of data analytics, as the Member has suggested, I think lift owners should take the responsibility to make use of these data and improve the maintenance regime. That applies across the board to all lift owners.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Thank you, Mdm Speaker. I welcome the recent tightening of the maintenance regime for lifts. I would like to ask the Minister this: tightening maintenance is one aspect; the other issue is during the construction and fabrication. Will HDB be more stringent in checking the lifts that are being installed in our new BTO projects? For your information, this morning, I went and tried one new BTO lift which was just handed over recently but it was so noisy, no air, so hot inside and the HDB took over and gave it to the residents to use. I would like to ask: will there be more stringent HDB requirements for inspection, including certification of the parts in the factory to make sure that we do not have the problematic parts in the lift? Otherwise, later on, whatever maintenance we do, the fault will be very difficult to rectify.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I fully agree with the Member's suggestions and I have asked HDB to do exactly that. They will be tightening on their processes of not just procurement but testing and commissioning of lifts, before taking over the lifts from the contractor.
Mdm Speaker: Final question, Miss Cheryl Chan.
\tMiss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling (Fengshan): I would like to ask the Minister if there is a technical committee that exists today where the Town Council or even the lift contractors could refer to in terms of their technical specifications. And whether they have best practice sharing. Because part of the problem is that a lot of downtime is due to trouble-shooting, which is inevitable when the lifts break down. But when it has a lot of trial and error, I think that can be avoided.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I agree. That is why BCA has already been beefing up its experts team within BCA. BCA, as the lift authority in Singapore, has already, over the years, been building up a strong technical team and will continue to do so. I have also asked BCA to get advice from an independent panel of experts, who could be local and foreign. So, they will also be setting up an experts panel to provide advisory and technical expertise, in particular. We will be strengthening this area within BCA and, if Town Councils or any lift owners, for that matter, would like to get technical advice, they can approach BCA for it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government's Plans to Prevent Racial Discrimination at Workplaces","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"10 Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked\tthe Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current percentage of employers that have an inclusive or multiracial workforce; (b) what percentage of these employers have employment policies that proactively seek to have an inclusive, diverse or multiracial employee base; and (c) whether the Ministry requires employers to make a serious attempt to create an inclusive work environment, starting with their employment policy.
11 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked\tthe Minister for Manpower (a) what measures does the Ministry have to respond to and investigate complaints of racial or religious discrimination at the workplace and in employers' hiring policies; (b) what powers does the Ministry have in enforcing such practices and under what circumstances will the Ministry enforce its powers; (c) over the past five years, what are the trends of complaints from workers over discrimination and hiring practices; (d) how can the Ministry get more employers to embrace and adopt the values of diversity and inclusiveness in their employment policies; and (e) what is the level of awareness among workers of TAFEP's role in handling discrimination at the workplace and how can this awareness be improved.
12 Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Manpower (a) between 2011 and 2015, what is the number of complaints that the Tripartite Alliance for Fair Employment Practices (TAFEP) has received on alleged discriminatory practices in the workplace; (b) what is the trend of alleged discriminatory practices by individuals, companies or employers which are based on race and religion; (c) what are the actions taken by TAFEP or the Ministry against companies where the discriminatory practices have been proven to have taken place; and (d) whether TAFEP is vested with sufficient authority to mediate or resolve discriminatory practices that are reported.
\tThe Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Teo Ser Luck) (for the Minister for Manpower): Mdm Speaker, with your permission, could I take Question Nos 10, 11 and 12 together?
Mdm Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes a serious view of any form of workplace discrimination. We expect all employers to adopt the principles of fair and merit-based employment, in line with the Tripartite Guidelines on Fair Employment Practices. In a survey conducted by MOM in 2014, two in three firms reported that they implemented fair employment practices. The majority of those who did not were planning to do so.
To tackle complaints about workplace discrimination, MOM works with our tripartite partners through the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP). TAFEP, as the advocate and champion for fair employment practices, plays an active role in looking into such complaints and refers cases to MOM for investigation where warranted.
Between 2011 and 2015, MOM and TAFEP received on average of about 400 complaints of alleged discriminatory workplace practices each year. Less than 10%, or about 30, of these relate to race or religion. Most of them were about unfair hiring practices, including posting discriminatory job advertisements and asking inappropriate questions during job interviews. The remaining concerned in-employment issues, such as poor grievance handling and lack of sensitivity in communicating company policies and practices.
Prior to 2014, TAFEP took an advisory approach in counselling employers who were involved in such complaints. They have all heeded TAFEP's advice. Even so, we have taken stronger actions to deter workplace discrimination. Since then, 10 employers have received warnings for race- or religion-related discrimination, and another 12 employers have had their Work Pass privileges curtailed.
While this twin approach of advisory and deterrence has been reasonably effective, we can certainly do more. MOM and our tripartite partners recognise that the key to eliminating discrimination is to spread this fair and inclusive message to all workplaces. TAFEP will step up its public education campaign to make people more conscious and sensitive in embracing diversity in a multiracial workforce. TAFEP will also ramp up training for HR practitioners to ensure recruitment and selection are based on the principles of fair and merit-based hiring, and publicise best practices in this area.
Mdm Speaker, Singapore is a multiracial and meritocratic society. We should not condone discrimination of any form, including race and religion, in the workplace. We can succeed in eliminating workplace discrimination when everybody plays a part.
\tDr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): I thank the Minister of State. It is very heartening to know that TAFEP and MOM take a very serious approach to this. However, we still hear of some feedback of discriminatory practices when it comes to hiring. I did not quite catch the answer to my Parliamentary Question about the percentages of companies that are inclusive or diverse in their racial make-up.
My second question is whether TAFEP will do a detailed study on the racial make-up and overall inclusivity of companies as well as Statutory Boards, mainly to focus on good practices that these companies or Statutory Boards may have.
Third, are there plans to enhance recognition or award schemes that positively affirm employers, companies or Statutory Boards that are inclusive and racially diverse in their employment?
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: I thank the Member for the questions. Let me just repeat the survey results. In the survey done by MOM in 2014, two in three firms reported that they implemented fair employment practices. The majority of those which did not, which is the one-third, were planning to do so. That survey was done in 2014.
With reference to the Member's question about doing the survey again, we do that every four years. The last one that we did was in 2014, so the next one that we will be doing will be in 2018.
As for recognising firms with good practices, TAFEP recognises employers that have good practices in creating an inclusive and diverse workforce through its Exemplary Employer Award. We are looking at six areas, mainly, age, race, gender, family responsibilities, religion and disabilities. This award celebrates the achievements of outstanding organisations that have implemented good practices in these areas and fair and progressive inclusive employment practices. TAFEP hopes to inspire many more firms to do so. Thirtytwo organisations have received this award so far since it was implemented in 2010.
\tMr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I note in the reply that MOM is coming up with enforcement measures to curtail Work Pass applications for foreign manpower. How effective has this measure been in terms of setting the right tone among employers and for them to adhere to non-discriminatory practices? In cases and conversations, we also often hear from employees or jobseekers on how employers tend to favour or discriminate against certain race profiles and so forth. Based on the findings that the Minister of State mentioned earlier on, are they mostly minority Singaporeans in this case, and how do we bridge that perception between employers and jobseekers, for example, because employers will also say they cannot find suitable Singaporeans or people of a certain race?
Last question, in terms of hiring practices, one fallout I can see, if you hit them too hard, is that there could be pre-emptive filtering, which means that even before they get to the hiring or interview table, they get filtered. How does MOM plan to look at these practices?
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: So far, we may investigate a certain case and after the investigation, we have issued warnings. Depending on the severity of the case, we have curtailed their Work Pass privileges as well. That, itself, has been effective because when we curtailed their Work Passes, over a specific period, it has an outcome. So far, all the companies have heeded and there were no repeat cases. It is a very positive outcome after we implemented some of the penalties.
In terms of bridging the perception, MOM and our tripartite partners recognise that to eliminate discrimination, we need to spread the fair and inclusive employment practices message far, wide and deep.
We will also continue to step up the public education awareness. Although the numbers remain stable, we know that, sometimes, you cannot eliminate all such cases. We have to continue to drive hard, drive the message out clearly. So, we are going to step up on public education. We are going to make people more aware and conscious, especially between the employers and employees.
As for the recruitment practices, so far, individuals who know of such discrimination have approached TAFEP and informed us, and we would then start the investigation.
On strengthening recruitment and hiring practices, TAFEP usually advises the companies to implement best HR practices and make sure there is compliance. Not only that, we are going to step up training for HR practitioners to ensure recruitment and selection are based on the principles of fair and merit-based hiring, and also publicise and share these best practices across all sectors.
\tMr Zainal Sapari (Pasir Ris-Punggol): I have one supplementary question. For those companies that MOM has given warnings to, how do you ensure compliance?
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: In the process of investigation, we make sure that the companies rectify all their practices, especially to make sure that the non-compliance issues are rectified and they comply with the fair employment practices. Thereafter, TAFEP will share with and advise or counsel the employers on some of the good HR practices to make sure that it is done and all is complied with. We check back on them to make sure they comply. So far, there have been no repeat cases. We are glad that, so far, all companies have heeded our advice.
\tMr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Thank you, Mdm Speaker, just two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. Firstly, the Minister of State referred to a survey of companies in relation to non-discriminatory and fair employment practices. Does the Ministry intend to conduct a survey of employees and job applicants because, surely, that would be a more accurate way of determining if there are really discriminatory practices that are prevalent, rather than asking the employers, but to also regularly survey the employees? That is the first question.
The second question is on the enforcement powers. Does the Government feel that there are sufficient enforcement powers because, if an employer is recalcitrant in the face of a warning, the Minister of State mentioned that the Ministry can curtail the Work Pass or threaten to curtail the Work Pass. But what about companies that do not depend on Work Passes, which have an entirely domestic workforce? That threat may not be useful to get them to comply. Is the Ministry satisfied that the current enforcement powers are sufficient to deal with such cases? Even if such cases have not occurred now, they may occur in the future.
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: I agree. For the survey that we intend to conduct in the next session – the previous survey was done in 2014, so the next one is in 2018 – our intent is, of course, to survey both sides – employer and employee side – in order to get a better view about the sensing on the ground, so we will take that into consideration.
As for whether there is enough enforcement that is effective, if you look at the numbers so far, there are about 400 complaints of all sorts of discrimination, not just race and religion. Race and religion make up about 10%. Between 2011 and 2015, on average, they made up about 400 of all the complaints. In 2015, that year itself, which is the latest survey, about 300. So, the numbers remain stable in terms of discrimination complaints of all sorts, which is, maybe, say, six areas, and a very small minority, about 10%, is on race and religion issues.
We feel that with this stability – not that we can eliminate all the discrimination – the current practice of a multi-pronged approach – in terms of imposing the penalties of curtailing Work Passes, as well as TAFEP's counselling and advisory work with the companies and following up closely with the companies – has been effective. Especially when we look at the outcome, all the companies heeded the advice and there were no repeated cases. We will continue to monitor closely whether there are any such needs to increase the enforcement. As of now, we feel that the current multi-pronged practice has been effective.
\tDr Tan Wu Meng (Jurong): A further supplementary question for the Minister of State regarding TAFEP's enforcement measures and what the Government can do to promote fair employment practices. Would the Minister of State consider making it a requirement for participating in Government tenders or public sector tenders, that the company applying has a clean record with TAFEP and subscribes to fair employment practices?
\tMr Teo Ser Luck: For fair employment practices under the Code of Conduct, we need a tripartite agreement. So, we will take the Member's suggestion back for a tripartite discussion and look at some of the alignments before considering that to be part of the condition for tenders.
\t
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Improving and Streamlining Community Health Assist Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"13 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked\tthe Minister for Health (a) how many Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) cardholders are there currently; (b) what is the breakdown of this figure according to the number of CHAS Blue and CHAS Orange cardholders respectively; (c) what are the common kinds of feedback received on the Scheme; and (d) whether the Ministry has plans to further improve and streamline the Scheme.
\tThe Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, there are 1.4 million Singaporeans on the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) currently. This includes about 400,000 Pioneers who receive special subsidies under CHAS. Excluding Pioneers, there are 600,000 and 400,000 Blue and Orange cardholders respectively.
Usual feedback on CHAS includes eligibility assessment, level and coverage of subsidies, application and renewal process, as well as charges at CHAS clinics.
The Ministry values the feedback provided. We take them into consideration in our periodic reviews of the design and implementation of the scheme, as well as guidelines and advice given to the CHAS clinics. For example, in 2014, we removed the age criterion for CHAS, which allowed all Singaporeans of eligible households, regardless of age, to benefit from the scheme. We streamlined the application process, as well as claims submission process. The Ministry will review CHAS regularly to ensure that the scheme continues to meet the objective of providing Singaporeans with access to affordable and quality primary care in the community.
\tMr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Thank you, Madam. I promised my resident that I would raise this. So, I have to convey this unhappy feedback, mostly from the Orange cardholders. The unhappy part about it is the $1,100 monthly household income cut-off criterion per person is too low to qualify for the Blue card. I would like to ask whether the Ministry would look at reviewing this threshold, given that medical expenses have gone up and whether there is any plan to merge the Blue and Orange cards.
Given that the Orange card is so unpopular and not so appreciated, maybe we should just move more to the Blue card. That will also take some of the patient load off the polyclinics because there are still a lot of people going to the polyclinics as it is a lot cheaper. If we can expand this group, that is, to have more getting the Blue card, that would probably improve the well-being of everyone and also ease the workload at the polyclinics.
\tDr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank the Member for his suggestions. In fact, I myself face certain suggestions and pressures from my own residents, too. Like I mentioned in my reply, MOH takes feedback from patients, Singaporeans and also from GPs on the scheme. In my previous reply, I mentioned some of the enhancements over the past years. I promise the Member that MOH will regularly review the subsidy quantum, as well as the scope of coverage of CHAS, including the eligibility criteria in the years to come.
\tMr Cedric Foo Chee Keng (Pioneer): From the number of CHAS cards issued, what percentage of our population is covered?
\tDr Lam Pin Min: The Blue CHAS covers up to the 30th percentile, whereas the Orange covers from the 31st up to the 50th percentile.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Prevent Medical and Dental Clinics from Over-provision of Services under Community Health Assist Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"14 Mr Seah Kian Peng asked\tthe Minister for Health what are the control measures to ensure that participating medical and dental clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) do not over-service and that fees remain competitive.
\tThe Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, under the Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS), lower to middle-income Singaporeans and all Pioneers enjoy subsidised outpatient treatment at participating private medical and dental clinics, so that primary care is more accessible and affordable. MOH has provided guidelines to the participating clinics to ensure that the subsidies are appropriately applied. We review these guidelines from time to time to ensure they remain in line with our objectives. We also conduct regular audits of CHAS claims to ensure compliance with our guidelines and investigate complaints that we receive. We take a serious view of any errant practices and have recently suspended two clinics' participation in CHAS.
Charges may vary across clinics and patients, depending on multiple factors, such as the patient's condition, the length of consultation, the treatment and medication provided and the cost structure of the clinic, including rental and other overhead costs. We, therefore, encourage doctors and dentists to actively engage their patients, and vice versa, to address any concerns from patients on their treatment and charges. We also encourage clinics to display their common charges like consultation fees prominently in their clinics and provide itemised receipts to patients on request. These will make their charges more transparent to their patients and minimise misunderstanding.
With the number of CHAS clinics more than doubled over the past four years to about 1,600 island-wide, CHAS cardholders and Pioneers have more choices now, compared to when the scheme was first launched. Patients can also be alert to check their bills and alert MOH on any concerns that they may have and we will investigate and advise the clinics if appropriate.
\tMr Seah Kian Peng (Marine Parade): A few clarifications for the Minister of State. I have received quite a lot of feedback from residents and friends. From their point of view, it appears that many feel that prices have gone up. So, on the control measures that the Minister of State has outlined, I would like to ask what is the assessment of the effectiveness of these control measures. Do we see the problem of possible over-claims to be widespread? Also, how many clinics are being investigated? Since this question was filed, yes, indeed, there were two dental clinics that were suspended. Is this the tip of the iceberg? Because these are serious taxpayers' monies that are being paid out, we need to have a more proactive approach to this issue.
\tDr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary questions. While there have been some complaints alleging high fees or suspected over-charging, so far, we have not found any clear evidence of over-charging in these cases. Given the considerable variation in GP practices and the autonomy of GPs to determine their charges, cases of overcharging can sometimes be very difficult to define. Furthermore, like I mentioned in my reply, there are many factors that can result in the variation of the bill sizes and these include the patient's condition, how long the consultation is, the type of treatment, the type of medication and the complexity of the medical conditions. All these will be taken into consideration during our investigation on some of the feedback from patients.
We also understand that some patients are quite concerned about being over-charged by their GPs. However, if we compare this to the large number of CHAS claims, we have received a relatively small number of such concerns, although many of us do hear from some of our residents. While we take such feedback very seriously, the small number suggests that the large majority of CHAS clinics continue to be reasonable in their charges.
With regard to the Member's last question on the number of clinics being investigated, other than the two dental clinics which we have suspended CHAS accreditation and are currently being referred to the police for further investigation, there are just a couple more clinics that have been referred to the police for investigations. Because of that, we are unable to provide further details until the investigations have been completed.
\tMr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mdm Speaker, just a clarifying question to the Minister of State. I have received feedback from residents that there are some GPs who have adopted the following practice where, for a follow-up visit to the GP, the GP now says that consultation fees must be levied if the CHAS subsidy is to be claimed, whereas previously, if the CHAS subsidy was not being claimed, then that consultation fee for a follow-up visit or for replenishment of medication would be waived. I just want to confirm that this practice is not permissible if it is seen and is a ground for complaints.
\tDr Lam Pin Min: There are two different forms of subsidy according to the CHAS scheme, that is, there is a subsidy for acute conditions, as well as a subsidy for chronic conditions. For acute conditions, it is claimed on a per visit basis, and we do have a limit to the number of visits the patient can make within a month.
With regard to chronic condition subsidy, there is a claim limit that a patient can claim for a particular year. So, if the patient has already exhausted the total amount that has been allocated, then the patient may have to come up with out-of-pocket expenditure.
With regard to the Member's particular concern, it would be best if the Member can write to us so that we can investigate the matter and have more clarity on whether there is any misconduct or malpractice.
\tMr Seah Kian Peng: Precisely because it is difficult to ascertain, how would MOH look at this factor? There is also the danger of doctors over-prescribing, over-servicing. I urge the Ministry to take a more active stance in approaching this issue.
\tDr Lam Pin Min: I would like to thank the Member for the suggestions. MOH conducts very regular audits on CHAS claims and we do look into the clinics' compliance according to the existing CHAS guidelines. And if we do receive feedback or complaints from residents, then we will audit the clinic in even more detail to ascertain the rationale, as well as how the charges are being made. If there is any misunderstanding between the patients and the doctors, the Agency of Integrated Care (AIC) will then explain to the residents. But if we do find any misconduct, we will not hesitate to take action against the doctors.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Main Complaints from Cardholders in Community Health Assist Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"15 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked\tthe Minister for Health (a) over the past three years, how many complaints have been received from CHAS cardholders against the clinics listed under the programme, especially that relating to medical fees; and (b) whether the Ministry can give a breakdown of the main complaints received and the action taken.
\tThe Minister of State for Health (Dr Lam Pin Min) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, we have received about 300 complaints against CHAS GPs and dental clinics from 2013 to 2015, or about 100 a year. In comparison, about 5.8 million CHAS claims were made over the same period. About half of the complaints were related to charges at the CHAS clinics, including incorrect billing and high fees. Other complaints included operational issues resulting in incorrect subsidy, refusal by the clinic to provide itemised billing, customer service issues and concerns over the professional practice of the doctor or dentist.
In each case, the AIC had engaged the clinic involved to seek clarification on the issues raised by the patient. For example, for complaints on fees, AIC would obtain and review the bill breakdown from the clinic and explain to the patient whether the fees were due to the length of consultation or type of medication prescribed. If there was a need to correct the bill, AIC would work with the clinic to effect it. Where the complaint was related to professional misconduct or professional ethics and standards, the patient would be advised to lodge a complaint with the Singapore Medical Council (SMC).
Some of these complaints could be avoided with clearer communication between the clinics and patients. Clinics are strongly advised by MOH to prominently display common charges in their clinics and provide itemised billing to patients. Patients can also seek clarification from their clinics and request for itemised receipts which will show them their bills before and after subsidy. Patients can also check how much CHAS subsidies their clinics have claimed for them, by logging into the CHAS website or calling the CHAS hotline.
I would like to encourage all Members to inform MOH of any complaints or feedback by residents on CHAS clinics and we will look into each case to address their concerns.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I would like to ask the Minister of State it is compulsory for a clinic or doctor to issue invoices with the itemised breakdown. If it is not compulsory, I would suggest to make this compulsory with itemised breakdown so that the residents can check.
And the second question is that though there is a CHAS hotline, can it be more prominently displayed, maybe in front of the registration counter of the clinic, so that the residents know where to direct their grievances?
\tDr Lam Pin Min: At this point in time, it is not mandatory for clinics to issue itemised receipts to their patients. We do encourage patients to request for it, as well as for doctors to issue it, whenever possible. MOH is in the process of looking into whether it is necessary to make it compulsory in the future. As for the CHAS hotline, I take the Member's suggestion and we shall encourage clinics to put up clearer signages or even the CHAS hotline number so that patients will be aware and can actually gain access to the information easily.
\tEr Dr Lee Bee Wah: May I ask why is it that it is not compulsory to issue an itemised invoice? Why is it so difficult, given the many feedback on over-charging?
\tDr Lam Pin Min: Like I have mentioned, MOH is actually in the process of looking at it and we are seriously considering making it compulsory. Once the details are out, we will announce it very soon.
I just want to reiterate that the medical profession has been a noble profession and I want to believe that it still is. Many patients hold doctors in high esteem and expect a high standard of professionalism from them. Since we are talking about CHAS overcharging and the perceived misconduct, I would like to remind all doctors that they are affirmed to the SMC's Physician's Pledge and they are also bound by the SMC's ethical code and ethical guidelines. I also want to reiterate in this House that MOH will not hesitate to take errant doctors to task if they are found to be engaged in professional misconduct or in contravention of the guidelines.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Travel Alerts for Countries with Zika Virus Infections","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"16 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked\tthe Minister for Health in light of the first case of Zika virus infection in Singapore (a) whether the Ministry will issue travel alerts for Singaporeans who are visiting countries which are considered as high risk; and (b) whether there will be a multi-Ministry effort to look into the control and management of infectious disease outbreaks, given Singapore's high tourism traffic.
\tThe Minister of State for Health (Mr Chee Hong Tat) (for the Minister for Health): Mdm Speaker, the first imported case of Zika virus infection in Singapore happened in May this year. The patient had travelled to Sao Paulo, Brazil from late March to early May 2016. Before this, MOH had started issuing advisories to travellers to and from Zika-affected countries on how they could protect themselves against mosquito bites, which are the main mode of transmission. We advised travellers who have returned to Singapore from affected areas to monitor their health and consult a doctor if they have symptoms of Zika, such as fever, skin rashes, joint and muscle pains, headaches and red eyes. MOH also informed hospitals and doctors about the notification, testing and clinical management for suspected Zika cases.
In addition, MOH advised pregnant women to postpone non-essential travel to countries with ongoing Zika outbreaks. If they have to travel to these areas, they should take strict precautions to protect themselves against mosquito bites.
As part of our on-going efforts to prevent and manage infectious disease outbreaks, MOH works closely with other Government agencies, such as MHA, ICA and CAAS, as part of the Homefront Crisis Management System. This approach has been effective in dealing with previous global outbreaks, such as the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the 2015 MERS outbreak in the Middle East and the Republic of Korea.
\tDr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Madam, I thank the Minister of State for the answer. With the Rio Olympics next month, we are a bit concerned whether the Zika virus will be brought back to the region by those who are participating in the Olympics or just going to attend the Olympics. What control measures do we now have to protect our athletes, as well as to make sure that when they come back, whether they will be screened to see if they have the Zika virus? My concern is that we do have the vector here. Once the Zika virus sets root in Singapore, it is very hard to get rid of it.
The other supplementary question is whether there is any regional platform, for example, coordinating with our Malaysian and Indonesian counterparts, on the battle against Zika. Once it gets into the region, Singapore will not be spared.
\tMr Chee Hong Tat: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Member for his supplementary questions. On his first question, we have travellers from all over the world. With the Rio Olympics, because Brazil is one of the affected countries, there will be people who will be travelling to Brazil and then, subsequently, travelling to Singapore. This is not confined to our athletes. It is also people who attend the Olympics in Brazil. With regard to our athletes, we have been in touch with the Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore to provide advisories to our athletes and officials. For example, when they are in Brazil, to protect themselves against mosquito bites, they should be wearing clothing that will cover the body, arms and legs. They should apply insect repellent and also take precautions to sleep in air-conditioned rooms or under mosquito nets to keep out the mosquitoes. And, very importantly, also to monitor for symptoms. I have mentioned earlier fever, rash, muscle ache, red eyes and headache. This should be done while they are in Brazil but also 14 days after they leave the country. These advisories that we provide are not just for the athletes and officials but all travellers who are visiting countries experiencing Zika outbreaks.
The second question that the Member asked is with regard to regional cooperation. Indeed, whether it is a Zika infection or any other outbreak, because of the global nature of the spread of such diseases, it is essential for us to work closely with WHO and also with our regional counterparts. Zika, for example, is already found in our neighbouring countries and we have to take steps to work together to monitor and also to coordinate our responses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Rationale for Delinking Civil Servants' Computers with Government Email Capabilities from Internet","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"17 Mr Alex Yam asked\tthe Minister for Communications and Information with regard to IDA's requirement that all public servants' computers with Government email capabilities be delinked from the Internet (a) what are the reasons that prompted such a major review; (b) what are the other solutions that have been considered before arriving at the current guidelines; (c) whether inputs from other Ministries and agencies have been sought in terms of its implementation; and (d) what potential impact will the requirement have on the productivity and service delivery of our public servants.
18 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked\tthe Minister for Communications and Information (a) how will the Government help businesses and organisations protect themselves against the threats behind the move to delink Internet access on public servants' computers; (b) whether the move will affect the development of the Smart Nation platform and its pervasive connectivity; and (c) what steps will be taken to restore public confidence in the Smart Nation vision.
\tThe Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim):\tMadam, can I take Question Nos 17 and 18 together?
Mdm Speaker: Yes, please.
\tAssoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: And congratulations, Madam, on your recent re-election.
Mdm Speaker, the cybersecurity threat level is significant and shows no sign of abating. In May 2015, I informed Parliament that the Government had detected a security breach in MFA's IT system. Immediate steps were taken to remove the threat and to remediate affected systems. Since then, there have been more targeted cyberattacks on Government networks. While these attacks were successfully contained, we can expect more to follow. Cybersecurity firms, such as Mandiant and Microsoft Research, have published reports explaining in detail how such attacks are carried out. It is clear from these reports that the attackers rely on the Internet to introduce malware into a network, to send instructions to infected machines, to infect more machines within a network and, finally, to steal data from the network.
IDA studied this issue together with the agencies for several years. When we spoke to other governments, some indicated that they set up isolated networks, whilst some have explored limiting Internet access only to the necessary functions. Due to security reasons, these measures are generally not publicised. Many options were deliberated. In the meantime, agencies assessed to be at higher risk, such as MTI and MFA, went ahead with separating Internet surfing. But agency-level arrangements do not make the whole Government network safer, because an attacker can still enter the network via another agency which continues to allow Internet surfing when connected to the Government network.
Madam, IDA's decision may not be popular, but it is, ultimately, the right decision. The Government has a duty to do all it can to protect the data it possesses, especially since such data often contain personal information of our citizens.
Separating Internet surfing will make it much more difficult for an attacker to succeed in its various stages of attack. It will mean that public officers have to make some changes. They will now have to access the Internet via a different device, rather than from a single device. The device that they use for Internet surfing must only be used for unclassified work. But the key point, Madam, is that they can still surf the Internet for work, using either separate devices provided by their organisation or their own mobile devices.
Madam, there will be no change for the public. They will still be able to send and receive e-mails from Government officers. Government e-services and transactions by the public and businesses will not be affected.
There is no reason to believe that the effectiveness of agencies will be adversely affected. Agencies like MTI and MFA have already implemented the separation of Internet surfing for some years, while MINDEF has implemented even more stringent requirements. These organisations have not become less effective as a result.
Madam, Assoc Prof Daniel Goh asked how the Government can help local enterprises protect against cyber threats. The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) has been working closely with industry associations to promote the importance of cybersecurity. It has organised conferences with the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) on cybersecurity. The Government worked with SBF to develop an Employee Cyber Security Kit. This free toolkit features a simple quiz which provides an initial assessment of a company's cybersecurity readiness and follows up with a recommended cybersecurity education programme tailored to meet business needs. There have been over 3,000 downloads of the resources and tools. CSA and the Singapore Infocomm Technology Federation co-chair a Cyber Security Awareness Alliance, which does good work in increasing awareness and adoption of cybersecurity practices. So, help is available to our businesses who want to do something to improve their cybersecurity.
Madam, far from affecting the Smart Nation initiative or our reputation, strong cybersecurity provides a strong and sure foundation for building a Smart Nation. In fact, other countries have expressed interest in learning from our experience. We cannot be a Smart Nation that is trusted and resilient if our systems are exposed and vulnerable.
\tMr Zaqy Mohamad (Chua Chu Kang): I thank the Minister for the clarification and the answer. I just want to ask the Minister in considering this solution – because some in the industry would consider it quite extreme – were there more elegant solutions that were thought through? For instance, did they consider tiered networking or a lockdown environment?
The second question is: would the Ministry be looking into what is the productivity impact on civil servants? For example, today, if I send the Minister an email with a link on it, the Minister would have to email it somewhere else, to another device, just to surf, to know what is this link about, for example. So, there is definitely impact on productivity, even for the simplest of things. What will the productivity impact be, and will the Ministry be studying the impact on civil servants?
\tAssoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: I thank the Member for those two questions. The first answer is yes, we did explore other solutions. I am not at liberty to discuss today in Parliament what solutions we explored because we have a whole range of efforts that we can put in. Clearly, putting in enough anti-viruses into our system is not sufficient because the experts will tell you it can only stop about, maybe, 20% to 30% of the malware. We deliberated this for a very, very long time and we decided that the best way is to do an Internet separation. We have to balance this against costs and usability and given the fact that Internet facing is always a challenge for us, we thought it was better to have a separate system altogether, allowing, of course, public officers to still surf the Internet on different devices. For example, the Prime Minister and some Ministers have already gone on with the separation. I have a separate laptop altogether – it allows me to surf the Internet. So far, it has not affected our work.
On the issue of productivity, I think this is something which we will continue to monitor. Certainly, we do not want to affect the work of our public officers. As I have mentioned in my reply, we have given ourselves one year. There is a whole series of workshops that we are conducting with senior management right down to the IT division within each of the Ministries for them to work together and find the best way forward. I think we recognise that there may be some instances where separation may not be possible now because of the nature of the work. So, we will leave this to the agencies to work with IDA to determine exactly how we are going to proceed. But as a policy, the Government has adopted this as the best way forward for us to ensure that we do not have any more attacks.
At the same time, you and I know; I cannot promise there will be no more attacks because the hackers are becoming more sophisticated, new hacking tools are being developed and it is always very difficult for us to keep ahead. So, we think this is the best approach going forward. But like all governments, we will never close off other options. We will continue to explore what are the available options out there and see whether we will review our strategies down the road.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Enhance Anti-money Laundering Compliance","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"19 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked\tthe Prime Minister what additional measures are being taken to enhance anti-money laundering compliance by financial institutions in the wake of the withdrawal of BSI's merchant banking licence.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Prime Minister): Madam, I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam who is also Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). As Singapore's financial centre grows in scale and sophistication, we have to be vigilant against the risk of its abuse for illicit financing activities. Indeed, all international financial and business centres face the risk of being used as a conduit for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. Singapore has taken this risk very seriously and we have in recent years significantly enhanced our regime for tackling money laundering and illicit financing risks.
Our regime against money laundering comprises four key elements: strict regulations, rigorous supervision, effective enforcement and good cross-border cooperation.
Financial institutions are the critical gatekeepers against the flow of illicit funds. So, we require financial institutions to comply with strict anti-money laundering regulations and to have in place robust controls to detect and deter illicit activities. More recent measures taken to strengthen our regime include criminalising the laundering of serious tax offences; enhancing MAS' Notices and Guidelines in line with evolving international standards; and stepping up our inspections of financial institutions.
MAS will not hesitate to take firm actions against financial institutions whose anti-money laundering controls are found to be lacking. As Mr Ong has highlighted, MAS decided to withdraw the merchant bank status of BSI Bank for recurrent and serious breaches of anti-money laundering control requirements and MAS has also referred six members of the bank's senior management and staff to the Public Prosecutor. Our regulatory and law enforcement agencies also share information and cooperate closely with their foreign counterparts.
We are also making organisational changes so as to enhance MAS' supervisory focus and effectiveness at a time of increasing sophistication of illegal money flows globally. So, MAS will consolidate supervisory responsibilities relating to money laundering and other illicit financing risks in a dedicated department. MAS will also have a new enforcement department that will work closely with the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) to investigate money laundering and other financial market offences.
\tMr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. It is heartening to know that we have a robust suite of measures. But I would like to ask the Minister how he intends to mitigate the higher operating costs for financial institutions to comply with these enhanced anti-money laundering measures in order to help them stay competitive globally.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, I understand the Member's concerns about the competitiveness of our banks and financial institutions. And, indeed, the higher cost will be a cause for concern with regard to competition if our banks were to do it alone whereas other banks elsewhere do not have to comply with these same requirements.
But the reality is that these new requirements are imposed across the board. These are new international standards that all financial institutions are complying with. So, it does increase compliance cost but it is being done across the board and is applied on all financial institutions, be it in Singapore or internationally. So, I think this is an increased cost but it is a cost that financial institutions would have to bear in order to be more effective in the global fight against money laundering and against terrorism financing.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cybersecurity Measures to Ensure Banking System Integrity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"20 Mr Ong Teng Koon asked\tthe Prime Minister what are the cybersecurity measures being taken to ensure the integrity of our banking system and financial transactions in light of the recent cyber theft incident encountered by Bangladesh Bank.
\tThe Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong) (for the Prime Minister): Madam, I am taking this question on behalf of the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS). The recent incident at the Bangladesh Bank is a timely reminder that cyberattacks can be very costly.
MAS and financial institutions (FIs) in Singapore take cybersecurity very seriously and we have been paying close attention to global developments in cyber threats.
MAS expects our FIs institutions to build strong and effective capabilities to safeguard the integrity and availability of their critical systems and services and to protect customer and other sensitive information from unauthorised access. This means having in place measures to protect their critical systems, to detect threats and system vulnerabilities in a timely manner and also to recover from cyberattacks swiftly. They must conduct regular security reviews and tests to ascertain the continued effectiveness of these measures.
MAS assesses the FIs' cyber resilience through both onsite and offsite supervision. And where there are any gaps or areas of improvement identified, MAS requires the FI to develop a remedial plan of action and will monitor the institution's progress in its implementation. MAS also monitors the prevailing cyber threat landscape and issues targeted advisories to FIs.
The FIs themselves have been taking proactive steps to combat cybersecurity risks. In addition to investments at the individual FI level, they are also collaborating on industry initiatives to strengthen the sector's cyber resilience. The Association of Banks in Singapore Standing Committee on Cyber Security (SCCS) was set up in 2013 and has since served as a useful platform for industry collaboration. Since its inception, the SCCS has championed a number of initiatives to raise industry standards, for example, in the area of penetration testing. They have also commenced regular sector-level cyber exercises amongst its members to test the FIs' responses and operating procedures against various cyber threat scenarios. The group also meets regularly to exchange insights and intelligence on cyber threats.
At the national level, MAS and major FIs work closely with the Cyber Security Agency (CSA) to support our national initiatives on cybersecurity and critical information infrastructure protection.
Madam, cyber threats are persistent and we must expect threat actors to continue to enhance their tools and techniques. So, MAS will continue to work with our FIs and industry partners to monitor developments in cyberspace and to adapt defences, as appropriate, to stay cyber-resilient.
\tMr Ong Teng Koon (Marsiling-Yew Tee): I would like to thank the Minister for his reply. I would also like to ask him whether there are any plans to develop a local talent pool for the cybersecurity industry in order to broaden the talent and expertise to deal with such threats.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, there are, indeed, plans to do so and this is an area that, in fact, MCI and the CSA have been coordinating because the requirements cut across different sectors, not just in the finance sector but across all industries. The reality is that cybersecurity will become an emerging threat which all companies and all industries including in the public sector, will have to deal with. There will be more requirements for skilled people in this area and so our CSA is, indeed, looking at our manpower needs for the future, and our educational institutions, including our tertiary institutions, are stepping up provisions in this area as well.
\tMr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Thank you, Madam. Can I ask if MAS has performed audits or reviews on the effectiveness of IT controls very specific to FAST, which stands for Fast and Secure Transfers? If so, how often? If not, is there a plan to do so? I understand that FAST is very similar to SWIFT, which was the software or network which was infiltrated by the hackers to steal the $81 million from the Bank of Bangladesh.
\tMr Lawrence Wong: Madam, as I have mentioned earlier, MAS does do audits, checks and penetration tests as well across the board in all our financial networks, including on FAST. So, I would like to assure the Member that these audits and tests are being done and we are always making sure that we have a resilient system that will be able to withstand cyberattacks.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Brexit on Singapore's Economy and Investments","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"21 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked\tthe Minister for Finance (a) what will be the impact of Brexit on the Singapore economy; and (b) whether the Government will take any action to mitigate any adverse effects on the stock market and the economy.
22 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked\tthe Minister for Finance what is the short-term and medium-term impact of Brexit on (i) Singapore's economy; (ii) Temasek Holdings' investments; and (iii) Government Investment Corporation of Singapore's investments.
\tThe Deputy Prime Minister (Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam) (for the Minister for Finance): Mdm Speaker, as the topics are related, may I take Question Nos 21 and 22 together, please?
Mdm Speaker: Yes, please.
\tMr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The short-term impact of Brexit is mainly on the financial markets, more than on economies. The immediate impact of Brexit on currencies and stock markets has also not been a major concern for us.
Following the Brexit vote, as Members know, the British pound has declined sharply in value, and the US dollar and the yen have strengthened in global markets. Other Asian currencies, including the Singapore dollar, also weakened against the US dollar, as is typical when there is a sudden increase in risks in global markets. The resulting movement of the Singapore dollar on a trade-weighted basis has been orderly and contained. Stock markets also fell immediately after the Referendum, but have since recovered.
We can expect repeated bouts of volatility in financial markets as Brexit is debated and negotiated. But what is of greater concern are the economic and political uncertainties resulting from Brexit. These uncertainties will weigh on the UK, Europe and the global economy for at least a few years and are likely to dampen growth.
The first uncertainty has to do with what Brexit actually means. There is no clarity within the UK, even among proponents of Brexit, on the nature of its future relationship with the EU. This state of affairs may persist for some time. It is also not clear when the UK will formally trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, which serves formal notice to leave the EU.
Second, even after formal notice is served, negotiations between the UK and the EU are likely to be complex and prolonged. The basic conundrum is that the UK wants free access to the EU market but control over immigration from the EU, whereas the EU sees free access to its market and free movement of people as one package. That is the basic conundrum. Both UK and EU leaders will be mindful of their domestic political circumstances, and the EU will want to ensure that more member states are not encouraged to follow the UK.
In short, there is no precedent for Brexit and no one can say how and when events will unfold. Until the future trade and investment relationships between the UK and the EU are formally settled, the uncertainties will likely reduce investments and economic growth in the UK and, to some extent, in Europe as well. They will present another headwind in a generally subdued global economic outlook for the next few years.
As of now, MTI does not expect these developments on their own to result in a significant reduction of growth in Singapore over the short term or the next few years. However, if a European slowdown coincides with other factors, such as a sharper than expected slowdown in China or the United States, we will see a more major impact on our economy.
What happens over the longer term following Brexit is even less predictable and a deeper concern. Analysts have begun to paint the possible scenarios. In the more optimistic scenarios, the UK and the EU arrive at a new and mutually beneficial arrangement for trade, investment and immigration. If, as a result, the UK retains substantial access to the EU single market, we should not underestimate its ability to regain economic competitiveness and strength and to remain a valuable economic partner for us in Singapore over the long term.
However, a more pessimistic state of affairs cannot be ruled out. The key unpredictability is in the political dynamics, both within the UK and in Europe. If the UK is unable to hold itself together as a union, or if nationalism gathers pace among the EU's member countries, there will very likely be a permanent weakening in their economies. More divisive politics in the UK and the EU will also weaken the resolve to undertake needed economic and financial reforms for the long term.
Last week, the World Bank released a report stating that the Brexit Referendum outcome has marked a \"historical shift in trade policy attitudes\" that could impair global economic growth. If we do, indeed, see a shift towards protectionist policies worldwide, it will have major implications for Singapore, which thrives on an open global trading system.
Mdm Speaker, it is premature to say what the longer term impact of Brexit will be, positive or negative. We must watch the developments carefully and be prepared to adjust our strategies so that we stay competitive as an economy and can retain good jobs in Singapore.
Let me turn now to Mr Patrick Tay's question on the impact of Brexit on GIC and Temasek Holdings' investments. GIC and Temasek, like other major global investors, can never be insulated from volatility in the financial markets. However, both GIC and Temasek make investment decisions for the long term and look beyond the short-term market booms and busts. Their focus with regard to Brexit, for example, is to assess how it could fundamentally alter the long-term prospects for the EU and UK economies.
From time to time, GIC and Temasek will face market dislocations. They aim to weather the ups and downs of the market and adopt investment strategies that can deliver good long-term returns. The 2008 Global Financial Crisis was a major case in point. Global capital markets saw much larger declines than what we saw recently with the Brexit vote. MSCI World (Equities) fell by more than 40% from its peak to the trough during the Global Financial Crisis. The value of GIC and Temasek's investment portfolios declined significantly, together with the markets. But their portfolios recovered their value within one to two years and have continued to grow since then.
Mdm Speaker, the Brexit Referendum outcome is an important turning point for the UK and the EU. We must expect a period of economic uncertainty over the next few years at least. What is especially critical is how politics will unfold in the UK and Europe. It will have lasting economic repercussions extending beyond Europe. We will continue to watch these developments closely, be prepared for their impact on Singapore and see what lessons might be useful for ourselves.
\tMr Patrick Tay Teck Guan (West Coast): I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for the very comprehensive response and reply. I am aware that Temasek Holdings has about 8% of its portfolio in Europe. If you look at the actual numbers, we have large stakes in British Pounds like in Stan Chart, some in Lloyds, as well as in properties. How would that impact, because, as the Deputy Prime Minister has shared earlier, it might be prolonged, coupled with the fact that we have about 70% of our investments in both Asia and Singapore by Temasek Holdings and China has recalibrated itself the past year and the next couple of years? Bearing in mind also that, like last year, our Budget, moving ahead, would be highly dependent on Temasek's Net Investment Returns (NIRs). Will that, in a way, require us, as we prepare for Budget 2017 and beyond, to relook at our strategies and how we position ourselves and balance our books?
\tMr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Whether or not Brexit and its impact on the UK and European economies affect our long-term expected returns on investments, both GIC and Temasek and, for that matter, Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), it is too early to say.
My guess is that it will dampen somewhat the outlook over the medium term but it is too early to say what the long-term impact will be. You have to remember that the NIR Framework is really a framework of looking at the returns over the next 20 years, which is a reasonably long period, and applying that then to the asset base in order to derive how much money can be spent in the Budget.
So, I would say we should not rush to a conclusion on the long-term implications of Brexit. For that matter, as far as Temasek and GIC are concerned, they have reasonably well-diversified portfolios. Temasek has a more concentrated portfolio in Asia and it is also more concentrated in equities. Even for Temasek, if you look at its equity portfolio, it is quite well-diversified across industry sectors. So, at any one point in time, you are hit by one cycle or another, but it is the overall portfolio over the long term that determines if you are fulfilling your mission of delivering good long-term value.
\tMr Lim Biow Chuan (Mountbatten): Mdm Speaker, may I ask the Deputy Prime Minister: there is some concern that because of the economic uncertainty in Europe and the UK, that many foreigners would want to come to Singapore to look for employment opportunities. So, can I ask whether MOF will work with the rest of the Government agencies like MOM to ensure that we do not allow these foreigners to adversely affect employment opportunities for Singaporeans in the FIs?
\tMr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: Our framework for admitting talent to Singapore remains unchanged. They must be talented, they must be experienced and they must be able to prove their worth. MOM's framework looks, as Members know, at a few criteria: how much they are paid, and not just how much they are paid at any age, it actually varies by age. So, if you are someone in your mid-40s, if you are talented and experienced, it will be reflected in your pay. So, it is not a framework where anyone who wants to come, comes into Singapore. They have got to meet some hurdles. But we have got to make sure that the framework does allow talented and experienced people – people with a track record that can add to teams in Singapore – to come to Singapore. It is what our firms need and what our economy needs. So, I would not worry too much about the perturbances in Europe leading to a sudden flood of the unwashed to Singapore.
Dr Lily Neo (Jalan Besar): Mdm Speaker, may I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether it is correct to say that there has been a strengthening of the Singapore dollar and that he said earlier that the currency had been volatile lately with Brexit? Therefore, may I ask him whether this trend will further dampen Singapore's export and, if it is so, will that affect Singapore's economy? And should MAS mitigate this currency trend in the future?
\tMr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: I would like to thank Dr Neo for her question. First, we have to always, when we think of currency in the Singapore context, distinguish between the bilateral currency movements and the movements of the Singapore dollar against the trade-weighted basket.
Bilaterally, it is true that we have strengthened very significantly against the British pound. In fact, we have got a stronger exchange rate against the pound, compared to any time in the last 35 years. That is because the pound has collapsed in global markets. But if you look at the Singapore dollar against a basket of currencies, it has not moved very much. In fact, it has depreciated slightly because the US dollar and Japanese yen have strengthened in global markets.
So, essentially, this is typical of any instance that happens in the global markets, where you find that the bilateral rates move quite significantly, but, on balance, when you look at the Singapore dollar across the whole basket of currencies, it moves in a fairly moderate fashion. In this instance, the movement has been quite contained.
\tMr Leon Perera (Non-Constituency Member): Mdm Speaker, just two supplementary questions for the Deputy Prime Minister. Firstly, on the outcome of the Brexit Referendum, how does the Government envisage that it would affect the timeframe for the ratification of the EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement? Secondly, does the Government anticipate entering into a process of bilateral negotiation eventually with the UK for a bilateral FTA and, if so, what would be the approximate timeframe for that?
\tMr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: There can be no precise answer to both questions. First, I think this is a complication in the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement with the EU. It does not rule out early ratification but we know the distractions that are taking place in Europe. We are pushing them, we are in constant touch with them, both diplomatically as well as amongst our trade officials. But this is a bit of a setback. With the UK, I think we should always remain open to a free trade agreement.
I do not want to prejudge obviously what happens between the UK and Europe. If the UK does go ahead with its exit from the single market and decides to have a free trade agreement with Europe, it will be, of course, very keen to also have free trade agreements with other third parties like ourselves. It is something which we are in constant touch with the British on.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government's Actions after Disclosure in Panama Papers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"23 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked\tthe Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry is taking any action in the aftermath of disclosures made in the Panama Papers; (b) whether any Singapore companies and individuals have been named in the Papers and, if so, who are they; and (c) what is the Ministry's position on Singapore being named by several international news sources as a haven for tax evasion.
\tThe Senior Minister of State for Finance (Ms Indranee Rajah) (for the Minister for Finance): The Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) have been reviewing the information released in May 2016 on the individuals and entities named in the Panama Papers. Among the entities named, there was one Singapore-incorporated company. There were also individuals and overseas entities with some association with Singapore, for example, where they have some association with a company service provider (CSP) or a person who was said to have a Singapore address. In addition, financial institutions(FIs) and CSPs in Singapore were named as intermediaries that had dealt with the said individuals or entities.
Mdm Speaker, I should clarify at the outset that the use of offshore vehicles, in and of itself, is not illegal. Offshore vehicles can and are commonly used for legitimate purposes, such as mergers and acquisitions, and estate planning. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which released the Panama Papers, has, indeed, itself highlighted that being named in the Panama Papers does not automatically constitute a basis for suspicion or evidence of wrongdoing. The approach taken by our authorities in connection with the Panama Papers, therefore, is to look into whether there was actual wrongdoing by any individual or entity in Singapore. If so, we will take firm action.
MAS and ACRA have reminded FIs and CSPs respectively of their duty to periodically review their customer relationships. These professional intermediaries have also been asked to ascertain that their customers are using offshore vehicles strictly for legitimate purposes. If there is any ground for suspicion, the professional intermediaries are legally obliged to file suspicious transaction reports. MAS and ACRA are conducting checks to ensure that the professional intermediaries under their supervision have acted in compliance with their obligations to prevent money laundering and terrorism financing.
The Suspicious Transaction Reporting Office (STRO) in the Commercial Affairs Department has also reminded lawyers and accountants to report any suspicious transaction they come across. STRO will analyse the information and evaluate if an offence might have been committed. Where appropriate, STRO will disseminate the information to the relevant authorities in Singapore or overseas for further investigation.
Mdm Speaker, Singapore is an economy and business hub that attracts, generates and retains substantive economic activities to create skilled and quality jobs. Our conducive business environment is attractive to firms for a range of competitive reasons, including a skilled labour force, good infrastructure and competitive tax rates, as well as our strong commitment to the rule of law.
Safeguarding the integrity of our financial system against illicit funds and activities is paramount in ensuring that Singapore continues to be a financial centre trusted by international investors and global FIs. Our regulatory and supervisory regime meets international standards and enables effective exchange of information with overseas tax authorities, including banking and trust information. Hence, too, it deters illicit funds, including proceeds of tax crimes, from using our financial system. To reiterate, Singapore stands ready to fully assist foreign authorities in their investigations into potential illicit activities, in accordance with our international commitments to global standards.
\tDr Lim Wee Kiak (Sembawang): Let me thank the Senior Minister of State for the reply. Since the Senior Minister of State mentioned that they have been reviewing the companies as well as the names that have appeared in the Panama Papers, may I ask, in the current review, whether there are any suspicious activities. Is anybody under investigation? Is it all cleared or are they still under investigation?
\tMs Indranee Rajah: This comes under the Suspicious Transactions Reporting Office. What they have done is to remind the financial institutions(FIs) and intermediaries like the lawyers and accountants to report suspicious transactions. Whatever has been reported to them, they are reviewing and looking at them. Obviously, in the course of investigations, it would not be appropriate to name individuals or entities at this stage because some of them may well turn out to be in the clear. But I have no doubt that the Commercial Affairs Department will take strong and decisive action against any individual or entity that is found to have been guilty of wrongdoing.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Actions to Reinforce Common ASEAN Position on South China Sea Issue","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"24 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked\t the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are the Ministry's plans to reinforce a common ASEAN position on the South China Sea issue in light of the recent joint statement by China, Brunei, Cambodia and Laos in view of the fact that Singapore is currently the ASEAN-China dialogue partnership coordinator.
\tThe Minister for Foreign Affairs (Dr Vivian Balakrishnan): Mdm Speaker, this question comes at a sensitive moment because the arbitral tribunal will be publishing its findings tomorrow. I hope Members will appreciate that I have to be extra careful in my reply.
ASEAN's last consensus position on the South China Sea was reflected in the Chairman's Statement following the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Vientiane in February this year. The Chair, Lao PDR, had emphasised that all 10 ASEAN Foreign Ministers remained seriously concerned over the recent and ongoing developments in the South China Sea and reaffirmed the need to enhance mutual trust and confidence. In addition, there is a need for all stakeholders to exercise self-restraint in their conduct of activities and to pursue peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law.
This sentiment was most recently conveyed by the ASEAN Foreign Ministers during the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers' Meeting which we held in Kunming, China, on 14 June. We had a very frank and robust exchange of views on issues of mutual interest, including the situation in the South China Sea. The ASEAN Member States and China broadly reaffirmed the importance of our multi-faceted and mutually beneficial relationships. We also underscored the importance of ASEAN unity and centrality on issues of common interest to ASEAN, including the absolute need for peace and stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
The media attention that occurred after that meeting on the failure to issue an ASEAN Joint Press Statement, in fact, reflects the importance that the international community places on ASEAN's unity and the developments in the South China Sea. The 49th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting is scheduled in two weeks' time and I am sure this issue will arise again.
On our part, I just want to emphasise that Singapore is not currently the Chairman of ASEAN and we are also, very importantly, not a claimant state in the South China Sea. We have consistently stated that Singapore takes no position on the merits of the specific territorial claims, and the Philippines' arbitration proceedings against China was a national decision undertaken by the Philippines without consultation with the rest of us. Singapore's position on this matter has been clearly articulated in January 2013 by my predecessor, Minister K Shanmugam, here in Parliament. In brief, our position is that the overlapping sovereignty claims in the South China Sea should be settled by the parties concerned. However, this should be done in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). All parties should refrain from provocative behaviour that could raise tensions in the South China Sea.
Territorial claims could be resolved by negotiations, adjudication or arbitration. The Six-Point Principles on the South China Sea that was adopted by ASEAN in 2012 clearly states that ASEAN supports the peaceful settlement of disputes, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS. In fact, seven out of the 10 ASEAN Member States have used adjudication and/or arbitration to resolve disputes in the past. ASEAN, at the highest levels, has also consistently reaffirmed the principle that disputes should be settled peacefully, with full respect for legal and diplomatic processes, and this was most recently issued by our Leaders in the Sunnylands Declaration after the Special ASEAN-US Leaders' Summit in February 2016.
As the current country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations, Singapore will fully support and we will facilitate the existing ASEAN-led processes to manage or to help manage the tensions in the South China Sea. We will continue to perform this role in a transparent and objective manner, with the aim of preserving ASEAN unity and credibility whilst simultaneously advancing our multi-faceted and mutually beneficial relationship with China. This includes the full and effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the expeditious conclusion of a legally-binding Code of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (COC).
We have made some, albeit slow, progress in confidence-building and conflict-prevention measures. At the recent ASEAN-China Senior Officials' Meetings on the Implementation of the DOC that were co-chaired by Singapore and China, we adopted the MFA-to-MFA hotline for maritime emergencies, which will be manned on a 24/7 basis. This hotline will help build confidence amongst parties to the DOC and, hopefully, help prevent ground accidents. We have also started preliminary discussions on a proposed Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES), to be applied in the South China Sea, on which I had previously briefed Members. We hope that the observance of CUES will send a positive signal and help manage the situation at sea and prevent miscalculations.
Our officials have also begun looking at possible elements of the Code of Conduct but, quite frankly, this will take time. Progress has been extremely slow on this front. As the country coordinator for ASEAN-China dialogue relations and as the co-chair of the DOC process, Singapore will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to advance ASEAN unity, credibility and centrality.
\tMr Dennis Tan Lip Fong (Non-Constituency Member): I thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. I have a few supplementary questions.
Firstly, in light of the expected ruling tomorrow, will there be or will Singapore be pursuing a joint ASEAN position on the expected rulings of the Permanent Court of Arbitration?
Secondly, what would be Singapore's stand on the expected ruling?
Thirdly, if China does, indeed, not abide by the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, as it declared earlier, what would be Singapore's reaction to that?
Finally, will the Minister share with this House his assessment of how China's military deployments in the South China Sea or, indeed, the position that China has been taking regarding the South China Sea may affect Singapore in respect of shipping and overflight issues across the South China Sea?
\tDr Vivian Balakrishnan: Let me deal with the first question: will there be a joint ASEAN statement? First, we will have to see what the ruling is tomorrow. I am not privy to it and I think all of us, all stakeholders and all interested parties, will have to study it in great detail. That is the first point.
Secondly, it would be ideal that ASEAN speaks with a common voice but on the basis of consensus, because that is a key tenet by which ASEAN arrives at decisions. So, I cannot at this point in time give an answer with any certainty on whether there will be a joint ASEAN statement. It depends on the ruling, the respective analysis and assessments by the sovereign countries and whether there is a consensus. So, we will have to wait and see. I am going to be quite busy for the next few days.
Where does Singapore stand? As I have said, first, we are not a claimant state, fortunately, so we have no dispute with China. We have no overlapping claims with any ASEAN member in the South China Sea. What we stand for is we believe in a rules-based world order where decisions are made on the basis of law, on the basis of international law and not on the basis of might or size. We believe in a peaceful resolution of disputes and, as I have said earlier in my answer, including negotiations, adjudication or arbitration. In the case of Singapore, we have, on more than one occasion, used adjudication or arbitration to successfully settle disagreements. It has worked for us.
Third, we need freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea because the South China Sea is a crucial avenue through which at least five trillion dollars' worth of global trade flows through it. It is not enough to just talk about freedom of navigation and overflight but we all know that there needs to be a sense of security and stability, so that people who are transiting goods, services, flowing through the South China Sea will be able to do so with some certainty and clarity. This, therefore, makes it very important that all stakeholders do not unnecessarily escalate tensions in order to make a point because such escalation of tensions will have a profound impact on global trade and will affect even non-claimant states like us.
The other question on what will we do if China does not comply, I will consider that to be a hypothetical question and, with due respect, I do not wish to engage in speculation at this point.
As for the Member's fourth supplementary question on military activities, I would say I have addressed it earlier on. The key point is to reduce tensions and to look for peaceful resolution of differences. We believe this is still possible and we hope that cooler heads will prevail.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Private Continuing Education and Training Centres' Contribution to SkillsFuture Initiatives","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"25 Mr Desmond Choo asked\tthe Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) how are private Continuing Education and Training (CET) Centres contributing to SkillsFuture initiatives; and (b) whether there are plans to expand Earn and Learn Programmes to private CET Centres beyond Polytechnics and Institutes of Technical Education.
\tThe Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung): Mdm Speaker, maybe let me take a step back in answering this question, which is that MOE and MOM are in the process of restructuring the Workforce Development Agency (WDA) into what we call SkillsFuture Singapore, which will then come under MOE.
There is significance in this change with regard to our understanding of SkillsFuture and it is this: the work done by WDA on Continuing Education and Training and, before that, the Skills Redevelopment Programme, provided the foundation for SkillsFuture today.
It was WDA which set up the CET Centres, funded and supported them, made them publicly accessible, so that workers are empowered to sign up for training and benefit from Government subsidy directly. The philosophy that each of us is responsible and empowered to take charge of our lifelong learning continues to underpin SkillsFuture. Today, the funding and support for CET Centres remain substantial.
CET Centres must, therefore, continue to be an integral part of SkillsFuture. We must ensure they remain publicly accessible, deliver courses that are relevant to industries and offer progression pathways.
From a policy perspective, CET Centres can deliver the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programmes (ELPs) so long as they have the capability and willingness to do so and the industry recognises and supports the programmes. Centres, such as SEED and the Lithan Academy, already offer work-study training programmes that predate and are broadly similar to the ELPs in terms of funding, delivery, structure and industry acceptance. They are designed to help mid-career individuals and include features tailored to facilitating career switches. I will be happy to align the branding of these programmes with the ELPs.
\tMr Desmond Choo (Tampines): Madam, I would like to thank the Minister for his comprehensive reply. Just one supplementary question. With the Government going towards industry transformation projects, how would the current suite of CET Centres meet the aggregated and differentiated demand and needs of workers, especially existing workers in the workforce?
\tMr Ong Ye Kung: We started maybe 10-12 years ago with one or two CET Centres. Today, we have 41, I believe. We started one or two ELPs. Last year, we started about 15. This year, we are aiming for 20 ELPs. The system is always expanding every year. Throughout these 10-12 years of this work, we went through a Global Financial Crisis. We set up CET Centres and rolled out programmes that were needed by workers at that point in time. Should we enter a new phase where we have older PMEs or other vulnerable workers that require help, certainly, we have to set up CET Centres and ELPs that will cater to their needs. This will have to be a tripartite effort.
\tDr Intan Azura Mokhtar (Ang Mo Kio): Will the Ministry be open to include non-CET Centres, such as private companies or organisations that provide skills training in areas, such as sports or the arts? For example, you can have a company that deals with football but they have certification courses in football refereeing that may provide opportunities for those who are seeking a second career to be referees in that sport, for instance. Can they be included under SkillsFuture?
\tMr Ong Ye Kung: SkillsFuture is really an inclusive concept. Everything can be included under SkillsFuture. I think maybe the differentiation the Member wants to make is not so much between companies or non-companies because even CET Centres are companies – they are training providers. But maybe what the Member is referring to are employers or non-employers. We do support employers because some of their workers are vulnerable or they are trying to raise their productivity. So, as part of SkillsFuture, we can support them – to raise the capabilities of their workers.
But there are also other employers who are trying to provide training for the entire industry and we have them. For example, Ascott has been providing training for the entire hotel industry. In those cases, we have to ask them to set up a separate entity, negotiate the terms so that it continues to be open, accessible to the entire industry. And the entire industry must also be comfortable – that I am sending my workers to a particular company, maybe my competitor, for training. I think industry players have to start working together to raise the standard of the industry overall.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Teaching in Schools of Acceptance of Diversity","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"26 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked\tthe Acting Minister for Education (Schools) (a) how do schools currently teach acceptance of diversity and differences and the addressing of discrimination in schools and the community; (b) how much time in the curriculum is allocated to this; (c) what are the considerations that go into designing curricula that meaningfully and thoroughly address issues of diversity, difference and discrimination at the Primary, Secondary and tertiary levels; and (d) how does the Ministry intend to improve upon current efforts to address these issues.
\tThe Minister of State for Education (Dr Janil Puthucheary) (for the Acting Minister for Education Schools)): Madam, values, such as respect, care and harmony, are core to our national curriculum. Complementing our emphasis on values education, we also develop in our students social and emotional skills that will enable them to appreciate diversity, empathise with and demonstrate respect for others and build positive relationships with others.
To achieve this, educators role model the values and we provide students with varied learning experiences through platforms, such as Character and Citizenship Education (CCE) lessons, Social Studies and History lessons, Values in Action programmes and Co-Curricular Activities.
In CCE lessons, younger students learn the core values and related appropriate social behaviour through stories depicting everyday interactions in schools and with the community. Teachers use relevant resources from mainstream and social media to engage older students in discussions. In this way, teachers help students to see real life issues from different perspectives and how their values shape their actions. Students are also taught skills to uncover stereotypes and prejudices they may have and re-shape them, and ways to demonstrate respectful behaviours.
This learning is reinforced by the inquiry approach adopted by Social Studies and History teachers, where teachers use authentic and relevant lesson resources to engage students in discussing real-world issues, such as diversity in society. For example, in the lower Secondary History curriculum, students learn about the riots in post-war Singapore and the importance of managing race, religion and socio-economic challenges with sensitivity. In Social Studies, students learn that Singapore is, like many parts of the world, becoming more diverse. Singapore today has common spaces, like schools, and common experiences that foster understanding and harmony in our multicultural society. As young citizens, students learn how they can contribute to these efforts. We review and refresh our curriculum regularly to ensure that it remains sound and relevant.
Through Co-Curricular Activities and Values in Action programmes, students put their values into practice. They receive feedback from teachers and peers and reflect on them. For example, in engaging with the community in Values in Action projects, students understand the community better, form ties and are encouraged to serve in the community. Students in schools have been commemorating Racial Harmony Day every year on 21 July since 1997 to mark the racial riots of 1964. It allows them to reflect on and celebrate our success as a harmonious society built on a rich diversity of cultures and be reminded of the importance of maintaining racial and religious harmony.
In the Institutes of Higher Learning, students continue to gain an appreciation of diversity within and outside the formal curriculum. Beyond discussing issues pertaining to diversity through modules and electives, there are events and activities, such as the Global Community Day held across all Polytechnics, as well as SMU's annual Diversity and Inclusion Conference, which deepen our students' ability to manage diversity. The opportunity to work and live in groups also provides students ample opportunities to appreciate and manage diversity.
\tMr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): Madam, I would like to thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive reply. Madam, I am heartened to hear that there is a diverse and varied approach to inculcate values. Unfortunately, recently, we have seen incidences being shown in the social media of incidents of parent and child making insensitive cultural and religious remarks in public. Thus, I would like to make one proposal to the Ministry, that is, whether the Ministry can consider having more programmes to address these issues of diversity, differences and discrimination that will also involve parents as well. For example, run more of such programmes under the PSD platform.
Dr Janil Puthucheary: I thank the Member for his suggestion. We are always looking for ways to improve and ensure our CCE programmes and Values in Action programmes are relevant. I will take the Member's suggestion on board and I will study it.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reducing Discriminatory Behaviour and Speech","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OA","content":"27 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked\tthe Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is being done to reduce instances of discriminatory behaviour and speech along ethnic, gender, age or other lines within the community; and (b) what processes are in place to measure the success of such efforts.
\tThe Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, the social harmony we enjoy today is a precious legacy, one which we continuously work at. The focus of all our efforts, through our various initiatives and programmes, is to build bonds and understanding between people and communities, so that discrimination can be minimised. For example, the Inter-Racial and Religious Confidence Circles (IRCCs) allow community leaders to build friendships and speak up when they see fellow Singaporeans being discriminated against across ethnic and religious lines. The National Integration Council works to reduce discrimination along foreign-local lines. Our Youth Corps reaches out to all segments of society, including the elderly. Through its events and programmes, the People's Association reaches out to residents of all races, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds to promote social cohesion and racial harmony. When we see each other as friends and as fellow Singaporeans, the tendency to cause hurt will be reduced.
We are not alone in our efforts. Other Ministries and agencies also work to reduce discrimination. For example, in the workplace, the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) takes a promotional and capability-building approach in helping employers adopt fair employment practices and addressing employment discrimination. The Government has also made efforts towards eliminating gender stereotypes, as well as discrimination based on age, race or religion, through civic education in schools, as well as through public education. More generally, the Media Development Authority (MDA)'s Programme Code for TV states that programmes should not encourage or in any way discriminate against any section of the community on account of gender, age, disability or occupational status.
We also have legislation in place to protect minority interests and to uphold a fair and harmonious society. Our Constitution guarantees that all persons are equal before the law. We have legislative safeguards, such as the Presidential Council for Minority Rights, which protects the rights of minorities; the Sedition Act and the Maintenance of Religious Harmony Act, which act as a deterrent against any group attempting to cause racial and religious conflict; and the Employment Act which protects employees against unfair dismissal.
While measuring discrimination is not easily quantifiable, we have surveys on attitudes that we can use. For instance, as an indication of the state of racial and religious harmony, a survey by OnePeople.SG and the Institute of Policy Studies in 2013 showed that eight out of 10 respondents were comfortable having a close friend from another race or religion. As a measure of the state of our gender equality, the UN's 2015 Human Development Report ranked Singapore 13th out of 155 countries on the Gender Inequality Index, which means that we are good, right up there in the top percentile – the lower the ranking, the higher you are – we are more equal.
In the long run, the harmony in our society speaks for the work we do. However, we can also do more as individual citizens by speaking out against discrimination, be it derogatory speech or exclusivist attitudes. The battle against discrimination is an ongoing one and, as a society, we must continue to maximise our common space, minimise our divides and move forward as one united people.
\tMr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap (Aljunied): I would like to thank the Minister for her reply. Madam, I have three supplementary questions. One is whether the Ministry is open to the idea of discussing such sensitive issues on a platform which has a wider public outreach and is more formal, such as the SG Future Forum. I believe such discussions will allow public awareness on these issues. Secondly, what are the processes that MCCY uses to review current and on-going efforts to address discrimination to improve on the existing work in this area? And, lastly, how does MCCY support efforts to address discrimination in areas covered by other Ministries and Government agencies, such as MOM and TAFEP, to understand and deal with workplace discrimination?
\tMs Grace Fu Hai Yien: Madam, on the Member's suggestion about discussing sensitive issues in a broader forum, we are undertaking such an effort to discuss sensitive issues with groups comprising youth leaders, as well as amongst school leaders. Also, in IRCCs and IRO, we have held conferences as large as 200-300 strong to discuss issues confronting us on racial and religious lines. So, these are our efforts towards sanitising people of all segments with larger groups to come together to have a good, frank discussion about the challenges that we are facing as a nation and what we can do to help ourselves build a stronger and united people.
With regard to MCCY reviewing the processes of whether we have been successful in promoting racial harmony, I think my answer has actually been prepared on that basis. I note that the supplementary question is very similar to the Member's original Parliamentary Question. So, I think I have answered the question that he has posed.
On whether MCCY reviews the successes of the other agencies, of course, we work very closely with our sister agencies. For example, on the National Integration Council, we have MOM leading the sectoral discussion on the workplace. We also have different agencies represented on the National Integration Council which is represented by many Ministers.
In short, this is a very important question for us because, as a very young nation, we do have our natural fault-lines along race and racial perspectives but also, increasingly, we have new fault-lines, new forces that are pulling us apart. And even more established societies are finding themselves being pulled in many directions. So, nation-building, social cohesion are an ongoing process. It is a key focus of MCCY but it is also receiving attention from many agencies and Ministries. And as community leaders, all of us here in this House have a role to send a very positive message to our community because how we treat each other – do we take an inclusive view or an exclusive view will set the mood for our community. I encourage the Member to help us move social cohesion along the line of greater unity and greater cohesion. And I look forward to Members playing an important role in your community towards building a stronger people.
Mdm Speaker: Order. End of Question Time.
[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), Written Answers to Question Nos 28, 30-31, 36-39, 41-43, 45, 47, 49-50, 52-53, 55-56,58-61, 63-65, 69-72, 74, 76, 79-84 and 86 on the Order Paper are reproduced in the Appendix*. Question Nos 29, 32-35, 40, 44, 46, 48, 51, 54, 57, 62, 66-68, 73, 75, 77-78 and 85 have been postponed to the next available sitting of Parliament.]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Singapore Workforce Development Agency (Amendment) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to amend the Singapore Workforce Development Agency Act (Chapter 305D of the 2004 Revised Edition) and to make consequential amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Teo Ser Luck); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Employment Claims Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to to facilitate the expeditious resolution of employment disputes by providing for the mediation of such disputes, for the constitution, jurisdiction and powers of and administration of justice in the Employment Claims Tribunals, and for related matters, and to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister of State for Manpower (Mr Teo Ser Luck); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Info-communications Media Development Authority Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to to establish the Info-communications Media Development Authority, to make provision for competition and consumer protection in the media industry, to repeal the Info-communications Development Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 137A of the 2000 Revised Edition) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore Act (Chapter 172 of the 2003 Revised Edition), and to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Technology Agency Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to establish the Government Technology Agency and to make consequential amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Minister for Communications and Information (Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Administration of Justice (Protection) Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to state and consolidate the law of contempt of Court for the protection of the administration of justice, to define the powers of certain Courts in punishing contempt of Court and to regulate their procedure in relation thereto; and to make consequential amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Senior Minister of State for Law (Ms Indranee Rajah); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"SkillsFuture Singapore Agency Bill","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BI","content":"[(proc text) \"to establish the SkillsFuture Singapore Agency and to make consequential and related amendments to certain other Acts\", (proc text)]
[(proc text) presented by the Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (Mr Ong Ye Kung); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available Sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. (proc text)]
Mdm Speaker: Order. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair at 4.25 pm.
Sitting accordingly suspended
at 4.05 pm until 4.25 pm.
Sitting resumed at 4.25 pm
[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill ","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"BP","content":"[(proc text) Order for Second Reading read. (proc text)]
The Minister for National Development (Mr Lawrence Wong): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That the Bill be now read a Second time.\"
Madam, in July 2009, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) agreed to boost its capacity to lend to low-income countries impacted by the global financial crisis, through a new Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The PRGT is the IMF's concessional lending vehicle, which provides lending facilities tailored to the diverse needs of low-income countries. To fund the PRGT, IMF members agreed in 2012 to contribute at least 90% of distributed profits from the sales of gold holdings at the IMF.
As a highly open economy and international financial centre, Singapore has a strong stake in preserving a healthy global economic environment. This includes doing our part in the IMF's efforts to assist low-income countries. The PRGT will help support developing countries in Asia, such as Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam, whom we share growing economic ties with.
The amendments to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act will allow MAS to participate in the PRGT through a US$20 million grant paid from Singapore's share of the IMF's gold sales profit. The grant is subject to Parliament's approval. Any future grant to the IMF will also require Parliament's approval.
Mdm Speaker, I will now go through the main amendments of the Bill.
Firstly, key provisions of setting out powers to provide financial assistance to the IMF, including loans, grants and interest-free deposits. MAS currently has powers to provide loans and interest-free deposits to the IMF under the MAS Act, but not grants. So, the Bill will empower MAS to make grants to the IMF, but only with Parliament's approval. The amendments will also consolidate MAS' existing powers to provide financial assistance to the IMF, including loans and interest-free deposits, into this single Act.
The second key provision is about setting out strong safeguards when providing financial assistance to the IMF. The Bill will add the following safeguards that apply when MAS provides any loans, grants or other financial assistance to the IMF.
First, any financial assistance can only be provided pursuant to a specific request from the IMF. In addition, MAS will provide financial assistance only as part of collective action among IMF members.
Second, in the interest of transparency, the Minister-in-charge of MAS must publish in the Gazette a statement containing key information about the financial assistance. This statement will contain a description of the nature and terms of the agreement to lend, give grants or other financial assistance, and the maximum amount that MAS has agreed to lend or give to the IMF. While MAS has in the past issued media statements and provided answers in Parliament on such assistance, such as in the case of MAS' contingent loan to the IMF in 2012, a Gazette notice, as required in this Bill, will provide further transparency.
Third, specifically in the case of a grant to be given by MAS to the IMF, the Bill provides that Parliament's approval by specific resolution is required. This is because grants are treated as expenses. This is unlike loans to IMF which are to be repaid at maturity and are recorded as assets in MAS' balance sheet. Loans to the IMF remain part of Singapore's Official Foreign Reserves, which are managed by MAS as the central bank.
Next, let me touch on some of the provisions for early repayment. Currently, agreements to provide loans to the IMF include a safeguard that obliges the IMF to immediately repay the loan in the event that Singapore has a balance of payments need.
The Bill will introduce a new safeguard for loans and other financial assistance provided to the IMF. Such agreements must include provisions for MAS to require early repayment in the event of suspension, or premature termination, of the IMF programme for which the assistance was provided.
Mdm Speaker, it is in Singapore's interest to continue to support the IMF as a global multilateral institution and its efforts to maintain a stable global financial system. The introduction of the Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill will enable Singapore to support the IMF initiative to help low-income countries in times of crisis. Madam, I beg to move.
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Liang Eng Hwa (Holland-Bukit Timah): Mdm Speaker, the amendments to the Bretton Woods Agreements Act further set out the authority provided to MAS to enter into agreements with IMF and to empower MAS to carry out its obligations under the fund arrangement and fund programme established by IMF.
In particular, the proposed amendments to the Act will allow MAS to make grants and other financial assistances to IMF's concessional lending facility known as Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). The PRGT was set up primarily to lend to low-income countries who may be severely impacted by catastrophes, natural disasters, epidemics or global financial crises.
The amendments also instituted additional safeguards, such as requiring Parliament's approval for the provision of the grants and that the Minister-in-charge of MAS must also publish in the Gazette a statement containing details of the financial agreement.
I support the amendment to empower MAS, as well as the safeguards put in place over MAS' exercise of powers. From a humanitarian standpoint, I would also agree with the Government's position that we need to do our part and contribute our humble share to help poorer countries impacted by various calamities from time to time. It is also in our interest to see greater international cooperation in dealing with the various global challenges that we face and for the spirit of Bretton Woods to come to bear and continue. After all, we hope to live in a global village where the community of nations make efforts to help one another in need and each doing our part to alleviate poverty.
However, Mdm Speaker, I do have a few questions for the Minister.
I understand from the Minister's speech that the additional funds for the PRGT initiative is paid for from the profits arising from the IMF's sales of part of its gold holdings. The member states have agreed to this arrangement and Singapore's share of contribution to PRGT amounted to US$20 million. I would like to ask the Minister: do our gold holdings at IMF form part of our official foreign reserves and, hence, would the conversion of the sales profits from the disposal of our gold holdings into the financial grant to PRGT constitute a spending on reserves?
Secondly, I would like to ask the Minister whether he envisages the IMF requesting more contributions from member countries and, in particular, asking for bigger contributions from Singapore? This is against the backdrop of the growing trend of Western countries under political pressure to reduce their commitment to foreign aid. Would the PRGT be able to self-sustain its concessionary lending capacity over the long term with this latest contribution?
Thirdly, section 6A(2)(b) of the Bill states that MAS needs to be satisfied that at least one other government would be willing to provide the financial assistance in response to IMF's request before the grant or financial assistance can be given. I would like to ask the Minister whether that would be setting the bar too low with just one other government needing to consent to provide the financial assistance. What is the rationale and why would we not require more governments to participate before we assist, given that IMF is a multilateral participatory organisation? In this case, I understand that PRGT has already obtained support of more than 80% of the member countries.
Mdm Speaker, we live in an increasingly connected global neighbourhood where events or calamities that happen at one end of the globe could have impact and ramifications on other faraway locations, financial or otherwise.
As a highly open economy and international financial centre, it would also serve us well to support IMF's multilateral efforts to improve the livelihood of poorer countries, develop sustainable economic growth and preserve global financial stability. Mdm Speaker, with that, I support the amendments.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat (Bishan-Toa Payoh): Mdm Speaker, as a small country, we are, indeed, fortunate to be able to withstand the onslaught of the many tremors that had previously rocked the world's financial system. We have seen how many bigger countries had faced economic crises because of their lack of prudence in safeguarding their reserves. This does not include such earthquakes in the financial market as the collapse of the subprime market in the US, the Eurozone debt crisis, the recent sharp decline in oil prices and other commodities. Governments need to carefully scrutinise their spending and to be honest when making hard decisions. The leaders must take the honourable step to be prepared to explain to the people on any difficult decisions rather than take the road of least resistance to win popularity.
Today, the IMF is called into play to help support or rescue governments for a variety of reasons. Across the globe, Angola is the latest to seek a bailout from the IMF that could be worth more than US$1.5 billion. This oil-producing OPEC member is seeking international help to cope with the fallout from low crude prices. Others, like Greece, are still struggling and tapping on IMF bailout funds.
Singapore, as a small nation, can take pride in being able to contribute to the IMF. We even hosted the 61st annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank board of governors in 2006. Today, we are also the home for the IMF-Singapore Training Institute, serving as the regional training centre for the Asia-Pacific region on macroeconomic and financial management.
I am supportive of the amendment Bill, in particular, the new addition in section 6(a) with strong safeguards set out when providing the financial assistance, including loans and grants, to the IMF, for example, the arrangement that financial assistance will be given only if at least one other government has provided or intends to provide assistance in response to a similar request from the IMF. In the case of grants, additional safeguards were set out with the need for Parliament's approval. That is, powers to give grants to the IMF are subject to Parliament's approval, given the nature of grants as an expense and not an asset. This is an important additional safeguard.
However, while I support the amendment Bill, I would like to ask the Minister a few questions.
First, whether we should set a limit for the total financial assistance, including loans, grants and other forms of financial assistance, under section 6A, subsection (2)(c)(ii). And I feel we should put a limit based on a percentage of our current GDP or of our reserves, with a cap on a maximum, whichever is lower. One approach could be via 1% of GDP or about $4 billion, or 2% of reserves or around $5 billion, or on a per capita basis per Singapore citizen. This is on top of what is in subsection 2(d) which has already stated that Parliament will, by resolution, fix the maximum amount of grants to be given by MAS. This is because any loan or grant to the IMF under any agreement will be paid out of MAS' reserves. In addition, under subsection 2(c)(ii), the maximum amount that MAS agrees to lend or to give by way of grants or other financial assistance, will the methodology behind the calculation to derive that maximum amount be made public?
Second, for the loan component in section 6(A) subsection (4), can the Minister also share with the House, if, for some reason, Singapore faces a balance of payment crisis – as the Minister have mentioned earlier – and we are in need of the fund, what is the minimum timeframe required to notify them of our need for earlier repayments?
Third, for accountability and transparency, under subsection 2(c), in conjunction with the Minister's published Gazette, will MAS publish the statement on the maximum amount of financial assistance in the local media on the key information about the agreement to extend financial assistance so that the public can scrutinise it, and to publish it before Parliament debates the issue?
I think what is important is for all governments to work together to find a way to strengthen and maintain global financial stability. Our participation via IMF would, in some ways, be contributing to bringing stability to the recipient country or countries. Otherwise, a country which is trying to rebuild its economy would find its efforts scuppered by crisis in another country.
In Singapore, we have been enjoying financial stability though we are occasionally tested by outside events. Stability also means we need to continually ensure that our citizens are able to take some of the jabs without suffering a knock-out. Indeed, our main defensive block is our reserves. So, we must ensure we have sufficient safeguards with regard to any matter that affects our official or MAS' reserves, no matter how small.
Our second defensive block is our sound fiscal position and prudent yet progressively smart financial regulatory policies. Our policies have shored up our banks and financial system and we need to continually keep up with the changes in the market environment. Our de facto central bank, MAS, has done well to mitigate any sharp rise in market volatility and has ensured the appropriate monetary conditions for the economy to grow sustainably. I hope that as we participate to ensure global financial stability, we continue to ensure our own defensive blocks are not marginally eroded. Mdm Speaker, I support the amendment Bill.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, the world economy is moving into a patch that has never before been seen. Who would have thought that oil prices, for example, could spiral down from above US$100 to just a quarter of its previous price? Many governments are caught in this sinkhole and would be at wits end how to re-write the budgets for the projects that are already launched and are work-in-progress.
The recent Brexit has added more uncertainties and chaos to the world economy. Instead, Singapore is in a happy position for it is able to participate and contribute to the IMF financial assistance scheme to help bail out others who are less fortunate. We would have read in the media of countries where the people see their savings eroded almost overnight.
We would have read of people who desperately rushed to queue for hours outside the banks and at ATMs to withdraw whatever was left in their account. Indeed, we would have read of how families suffered because of job losses due to the collapse in their country's economy. The bailout terms would require the borrowing governments to make painful cuts in expenditures, resulting in job losses. Hence, those whose jobs were affected would take to the streets and protest. These are all very frightening scenarios which happened in other countries. Thankfully, we do not see this in Singapore.
Today, we are in a more fortunate situation where we are among the members of the IMF who are able to make contributions to offer loans and grants to others. We had benefited from the World Bank funding our projects in the past. Going forward, what is important for us now is to examine how do we keep a lookout for any headwinds that may be heading towards us.
What can we do to further strengthen our fiscal policy to ensure that we can get an early warning in place and steer away from the storm?
I note that the amendment Bill covers public accountability and transparency when we are making any loans or grants to the IMF. The Government will publish the key information in the Gazette and, if I could ask, would this suffice, especially as not many people would read the Gazette? Or should this information sharing be published in the main local media so that everyone knows under what terms the loans or assistance are given? This way, it would thwart any attempt for mischievous rumour-mongering to make its way around the new media platforms.
Is there a special committee in MAS that will be making the decision on whether or not Singapore is to offer the loans or grants? What is the process before the proposal is tabled before Parliament?
And how much lead time will Members of Parliament have to study the proposal before it is tabled for the House to approve? Mdm Speaker, I support the Bill.
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mdm Speaker, the Bretton Woods Agreements Act, when enacted in 1966, enabled us to become a member of the IMF and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, also known as the World Bank.
As a country, we have benefited from our membership in the institutions, especially in our early years as a developing nation. As mentioned by the hon Member Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Singapore received loans from the World Bank – about 14 loans between 1963 and 1975 – to develop our sewage, water, power and telecommunications infrastructure.
Now, it is right for us to do our part to support the IMF in its effort to provide assistance to the development of low-income member countries (LICs), particularly under the IMF's Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT). We live in an increasingly complex world, interconnected and interdependent, where no one country is really immune from developments in another. In this regard, I quote the President of the World Bank Group, Mr Jim Yong Kim, in a speech he delivered on 5 April 2016:
\"It has never been so painfully clear that the world is deeply interconnected. Major issues that evolve in a developing country now swiftly move to affect developed countries – and vice versa – more than ever before. Climate change, pandemics, refugees, terrorism and economic downturns all move seamlessly around the world.\"
The above-mentioned impact applies all the more to an open economy like Singapore.
The Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill proposes amendments to the Act to allow MAS to lend or give grants or to provide other financial assistance to the IMF to support its programmes. I support the amendments proposed in the Bill.
While the intentions and motivations are commendable, given that this involves matters of our country's finances, I would like to highlight four areas of concern in respect of the applicable safeguards.
First, the proposed new section 6A of the Bill requires that the MAS be satisfied that at least one other government has provided or intends to provide financial assistance in response to a similar request from the IMF to provide financial assistance. The hon Member Mr Liang feels that this is setting the bar too low. However, in the explanatory brief issued by MAS on 9 May 2016, MAS said that it would only agree to a request for financial assistance where there is a collective and broad-based response amongst IMF members. I would like to ask the Minister why the stance taken by MAS appears to be rather more stringent than what is reflected in the wording of section 6A?
Second, the Explanatory Statement to the Bill states that any loan or grant to the IMF will be paid out of MAS' reserves. Loans are treated as monetary assets and are recorded as such in MAS' books. In contrast, grants are treated as expenses. For this reason, the proposed new section 6A(d) specifically requires Parliamentary approval on the quantum of the grant before a grant may be given. I agree that the Parliamentary safeguard is necessary.
However, we have another safeguard in the form of the Elected President. Article 22B(6) and (7) of the Constitution requires the MAS and its CEO to inform the President of any proposed transaction of the MAS which is likely to draw on MAS' reserves and, the President, acting in his discretion, may disapprove the proposed transaction. Could the Minister please clarify whether this constitutional safeguard would apply to a loan or grant given to the IMF, given that it will be paid out of MAS' reserves? If so, in the context of grants, would MAS be expected to engage the President before or after Parliament is asked to provide approval?
Third, where loans to the IMF are concerned, have we considered the possibility that such loans may not be repaid at maturity and may eventually be written-off? I highlight this, in particular, as the wording of the proposed section 6A of the Act contemplates that the financial assistance requested by the IMF may be provided directly to a recipient country. This approach of providing assistance directly to the recipient country is also contemplated in other legislatures, such as the Australian legislature. If so, Singapore would be taking on the direct credit risk of the recipient country and not the credit risk of the IMF. As such, if there is a loan default situation, what would be the treatment of the decision to write-off such loans? Would it be treated as an expenditure of MAS' reserves? Would a write-off require Parliamentary and Presidential approval under the proposed Bill or the Constitution?
Fourth, I have a concern relating to the phrase \"other financial assistance\" in the proposed section 6A of the Act. Section 8C of the Australian International Monetary Agreements Act is similar to our section 6A in that it allows Australia to provide assistance to another country in support of a fund programme. The Australian Act is restricted in the scope of financial assistance that may be provided as it only allows the Treasurer of Australia to enter into an agreement to lend money or to enter into a currency swap. No other financial assistance in contemplated.
In our proposed section 6A, the wording is wider. Could the Minister please clarify, besides interest-free deposits which have been identified by the MAS in its explanatory brief, what other types of financial assistance are contemplated and will they likely be also drawn from MAS' reserves? In particular, does section 6A contemplate the giving of guarantees? If so, does this not engage Article 144(1) of the Constitution, such that the President's concurrence is required before the guarantee may be given?
While I appreciate the need to maintain some flexibility as to the form of financial assistance to be provided, given that we have safeguards in the Constitution and the proposed Bill that would engage either or both the President and Parliament, would it not be better for the Bill to specify the types of financial assistance that may be given?
In conclusion, it is right for Singapore to do her part in assisting other developing nations, just like she once benefited from such assistance. However, we must also balance providing financial assistance with exercising prudence when spending our reserves. Mdm Speaker, notwithstanding my request for the Government to review and clarify the safeguards, I support the Bill.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon): Mdm Speaker, I stand in full support of this Bill, a Bill that is about the spirit of sharing and giving.
The proposed amendments will provide MAS with additional powers to make grants, in order to enable MAS to participate in the IMF's initiative to strengthen the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) resources.
These amendments will result in more financial assistance for lower income member countries. For a start, as the Minister mentioned, Singapore will be able to contribute our share of the IMF's gold sales profit, which will amount to a grant of US$20 million to the PRGT.
This proposal for the contribution of the above sales profit is supported by 80% of IMF members and this is a timely move for Singapore to support this as well, in direct response to repeated calls by the IMF for the world to act together, urgently.
In April this year, IMF chief, Christine Lagarde, warned that time was running out to revive the global economy. A few months before that, a report to G20 leaders called for strong policy responses at the national and multilateral levels to propel the global economy to a more prosperous path.
It does not take an economist to realise that we are entering into a changing economic climate. The global economy is facing latent fissures in the form of falling oil prices and China's slowdown.
Amid these economic threats, global powers are also struggling to cope with the refugee crisis, religious extremism and political unrest. We know that the IMF – as the global crisis lender – is not optimistic. After careful observations of global trends, they have cut their global growth forecast for the fourth time this year.
The amendments allowing for increased contributions to the IMF will allow it to fight fires in the global economy. Crisis prevention is an international effort, and Singapore must act, contribute and help. A strong Singaporean response in a time like this can only signal our resolve to maintain global stability, placing Singapore at the forefront and as a leader.
This act of global goodwill will also bode us well. For a trade-reliant country like ours, a stable and healthy global economy will only serve our interests. By contributing to IMF's war chest and bolstering emergency funds for weaker economies, we are, ultimately, building a firewall for ourselves. In these times of uncertainty, we must do all we can to ensure the global economic climate remains favourable to Singapore.
But this is not just about the Singapore economy, Singapore's interest and dollars and cents. It is also about showing that, despite being a tiny red dot, we can be a shining example of a small country with a big impact, a small country of responsible global citizens and we can be a shining red dot.
For me, this really is about sharing and giving – the lessons we teach our children in schools and the lessons I am currently teaching my daughter. When she is playing with other children and they want to play with the toy she is playing with, I tell her to share. Let others also have a chance to play. I am also teaching her to give and donate. I started passing her coins to put into donation tins in shops and explain to her why she is putting the coins in the tins.
But I am afraid this has been a failed experiment so far. I doubt she understands why. But she does enjoy putting the coins in the tins and she now insists on putting coins in every donation tin we walk past. I mentioned previously that she has learnt to say the word \"no\", but I am afraid I have not learnt to say the word \"no\" to her, especially when she has now learnt the words, \"Daddy, please\".
But I am sure she will eventually understand why she is putting coins in tins. Perhaps, the best way to teach is to show by example. As parents, we need to show that we share and we give. As a Government, we need to lead by example and show that we not just teach sharing and giving in our schools but that we practise what we preach.
Mdm Speaker, I applaud the Government for this initiative to strengthen our spirit of sharing and giving at an international level and I stand in full support of this Bill.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Mdm Speaker, I thank the Members, Mr Liang Eng Hwa, Mr Saktiandi Supaat, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah, Mr Murali Pillai and Mr Louis Ng, all of whom have spoken and given their support for the Bill.
While the Members have highlighted the continued relevance of the IMF in maintaining a stable global financial and economic environment and the importance for Singapore to do our part in the IMF's multilateral efforts to assist low-income countries, they have also raised a number of issues and I will address them in turn.
First, Mr Liang asked if the grant to the IMF's PRGT will constitute an expense on our official foreign reserves. Madam, I would like to clarify that the gold holdings in the IMF belong to the IMF. It is not Singapore's gold or members' gold. It is the IMF's gold holdings. And when the IMF sold its gold to raise funds for the PRGT, the proceeds arising from the gold sales were distributed to members in proportion to their quota shares, provided members agreed to contribute the proceeds as grants to the PRGT.
So, the proceeds from the gold sales in 2012 and 2013, due to MAS, were recorded as income in the IMF's books temporarily and would be exactly offset when MAS makes the grant to PRGT. The net effect of this is that this entire transaction – income and outflow of grants – will not affect our overall level of official foreign reserves.
As countries around the world face increased risks of economic and financial disruptions arising from a broad range of factors, the IMF will review its financial assistance toolkit from time to time to see how it can assist countries. Where new initiatives are proposed, we will consider contributing to such initiatives where relevant and as part of a multi-lateral effort. As I have said earlier, any future grant will also similarly be subject to Parliament's approval. So, that is on the first point about the transaction mechanism, and whether it has an impact on our official foreign reserves.
Second, Mr Liang also asked whether PRGT will be self-sustaining and if we expect more requests from member countries by IMF. Self-sustainability is, indeed, one of the key considerations for the PRGT fundraising initiatives. The pledges made by IMF members so far have increased the PRGT's annual lending capacity from US$1 billion to US$1.75 billion. The IMF estimates that these additional resources will be able to sustain the PRGT lending for two decades. So, that is an estimate that the IMF has already made to ensure that the PRGT is on a sound, sustainable financial footing.
Next, Mr Liang and Mr Murali asked about the rationale behind section 6A(2b) of the Bill which requires that MAS be satisfied that at least one other government has provided or intends to provide financial assistance in response to the IMF request, before MAS can agree to such requests.
Madam, I would like to clarify that this section was incorporated to preclude Singapore from making grants to the IMF purely on our own. Thus, the key phrase is \"at least one other government\" but, in practice, I would like to assure Members that MAS will carefully assess any IMF requests for financial assistance on a case-by-case basis and we will participate only where it is in our interest to do so and only as part of a multilateral effort.
And as Mr Liang highlighted, IMF has acted with about 80% of IMF members, which is more than 140 countries, pledging grants with the PRGT from members' shares of the IMF's gold sales proceeds.
Next, Mr Murali also asked if Article 22B(6) and (7) of the Constitution – basically, the Constitutional safeguards on the reserves – would apply to any of the financial assistance to the IMF. I would like to clarify that Article 22B(6) of the Constitution refers to transactions which are likely to draw on the reserves accumulated by a Statutory Board prior to the current term of office of the Government. And, indeed, as with any such proposed transaction, including any financial assistance to the IMF, the President would be informed if MAS has to draw on past reserves.
If Article 22B(6) of the Constitution is engaged because a grant is likely to draw on past reserves, then MAS will inform the President before going to Parliament to obtain a resolution. But in this context, I would like to reassure Members that we do not expect any financial assistance to the IMF to require funding from past reserves. So, we do not expect any financial assistance to IMF to have to be funded from past reserves as MAS is most unlikely to participate in any scheme should this arise.
Mr Murali also asked about the possibility that loans with the IMF may not be repaid. I would like to clarify, first of all, that section 6A of the Bill does not, in fact, allow Singapore to provide financial assistance directly to a country borrowing from the IMF. When we provide a loan in support of an IMF programme for the benefit of one or more countries, we are providing the loan to the IMF and entering into an agreement with the IMF. We are taking on the credit risk of the IMF rather than the direct credit risk of the countries that the IMF lends to. This is similar to the low risk that is associated with the MAS' subscriptions to the capital of the IMF. As the IMF enjoys preferred creditor status, loans granted by the IMF must be repaid ahead of all other creditors. The IMF, with the advantage it has from its preferred creditor status and sizeable reserves that it can use to protect its members, has always repaid its own creditors.
Mr Murali also raised the question about what forms of other financial assistance MAS would make under the Bill and whether this includes the giving of guarantees and if the Bill should specify the types of financial assistance that can be given.
Madam, the amendments in the Bill will allow MAS to make grants to the IMF and consolidate existing powers to provide loans and interest-free deposits to the IMF. We expect these to be the main forms of assistance that MAS would give to the IMF in the foreseeable future. We have not been approached to give a guarantee to the IMF nor do we expect to do so. I think the Member highlighted Article 144 of the Constitution stating that \"no guarantee or loan should be given or raised by the Government unless the President concurs\". Article 144 does not apply to loans raised or guarantees given by a person other than the Government. And MAS is a separate vehicle from the Government. As such, Article 144 of the Constitution will not be engaged. Nevertheless, I should reiterate that MAS has not had to assist the IMF in the past by giving a guarantee; we have never had to do that and we do not expect to do so.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked if a limit should be set over the total financial assistance that can be provided to the IMF and whether there should be some form of methodology to derive this total amount that is stipulated in our various agreements with the IMF.
I want to emphasise that the MAS considers each IMF request for financial assistance carefully and exercises a high degree of prudence on whether or not to contribute. It may not be so practical to set the limit, given that there will be times of crisis when we think we should do our part to contribute to IMF resourcing initiatives. And, indeed, this was the case in 2012, when we provided a contingent loan to the IMF at the time of heightened global risk. In fact, I think I should also elaborate that, as I have said earlier in my opening speech, it is in Singapore's interest to do our part to contribute to a stable global financial and economic environment because of our role as a financial hub. So, it is, in fact, not just an obligation but it is also in our interest to make a contribution to ensure a stable economic and financial environment which we, in turn, will benefit from.
I should also explain that each member of the IMF is assigned a quota based broadly on its relative size in the world economy, including GDP, openness of its economy and its international reserves. This quota determines a member's voting power and it is also used as a benchmark for the IMF to apportion potential financial assistance to the IMF. So, this is already in place. For instance, the IMF distributed gold sale proceeds to members in proportion to their quotas to be re-contributed to the PRGT, as I have explained earlier.
Singapore's current quota share is about 0.82% of total IMF quotas and this remains a useful benchmark for deriving the financial assistance we provide to the IMF on a case-by-case basis.
Finally, Er Dr Lee Bee Wah and Mr Saktiandi Supaat also asked about publication and whether we should go beyond the publication of the Gazette to a broader statement to inform the public and I agree that we should do so. It is precisely for accountability and transparency that we want to make sure that the publication is made not just in a Gazette but to ensure that members of the public are informed of what we are doing and there can be a robust debate to Parliament, if need be.
Finally, Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked how much advance notice the IMF needs to repay Singapore's loans to the IMF in the event that we face a balance of payment crisis. Under MAS' existing agreement with the IMF, the IMF is obliged to immediately and fully repay the loan upon request. So, it is obliged to repay immediately and fully. In the event that such a scenario arises, where we have a balance of payments need, that is the obligation of the IMF to repay immediately and fully. The IMF has set aside more than US$120 billion, as a buffer, to ensure its ability to repay creditors early, if and when such an emergency emerges.
Madam, I believe I have addressed queries from the Members. I thank Members once again for their interest and for their support of the Bill.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. (proc text)]
[(proc text) The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. – [Mr Lawrence Wong]. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. (proc text)]
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","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Addressing Challenges Faced by Caregivers of Children with Special Needs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"OS","content":"The Leader of the House (Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien): Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\"
[(proc text) Question proposed. (proc text)]
Mr Murali Pillai (Bukit Batok): Mdm Speaker, on previous occasions in this House, passionate speeches on this topic were made by Members,\tsuch as Ms Denise Phua and Ms Chia Yong Yong, who had long fought hard for better care for those with special needs, as well as that of their caregivers .
I would not pretend to have the breadth and depth of their knowledge and experience in this arena. I am, nonetheless, driven to speak on this Motion as a result of a confluence of a number of factors, chief of which are as follows.
Immediately after being elected, I received correspondence from Bukit Batok residents who have special needs children. They highlighted their plights to me. I also had the opportunity to hold in-depth discussions with affected family members and representatives from stakeholders involved in the provision of care to special needs children.
The points I make today are primarily based on my observations from these discussions. In my speech, \"special needs\" is used interchangeably with \"mental disability\".
On 26 June 2016, I attended the Bukit Batok Swim Meet co-organised by ActiveSG and Bukit Batok Constituency Sports Club at the Bukit Batok Swimming Complex. There I met Mdm Yap, a single parent with her 10-year-old daughter, Amelia. Amelia is a warm and charming girl. She even tried to cheekily plant a kiss on my cheek when I was not looking.
Amelia suffers from Mild Intellectual Disability (MID) and Global Development Delay (GDD). Mdm Yap entered Amelia for two competitive events: the 50-metre freestyle and the 50-metre breaststroke. Amelia has physical coordination issues and did not always listen to instructions. Mdm Yap had to remind her which proper stroke to use and how to end the race, namely, to touch the walls with two hands for breaststroke and one for freestyle. She spends a lot of time and energy to help Amelia compete. In the end, Amelia completed both races successfully. She and her mother received a great reception from the audience who loudly cheered Amelia along. The organisers also decided to give Amelia a medal for her commendable effort. Mdm Yap was encouraged by this gesture.
I am sharing this as a good example of how our community provided the empathy, encouragement and support for both the caregiver and the child with special needs in their endeavours.
This does not appear to be a given, unfortunately. The Lien Foundation survey, results of which were published in the media last week on 4 July 2016, revealed, amongst others, the following results in its poll of the general public and parents of children with special needs: only 28% of those surveyed agreed that Singapore is an inclusive society when it comes to special needs children.
Whilst a great majority of parents surveyed, about 71%, supported inclusive education, only slightly more than half, 58%, will be comfortable with their child attending the same school as a child with special needs. Only 32% of the general public polled believed that typically developing children are comfortable interacting with children of special needs.
Anecdotally, I have heard accounts that support the impression created by the numbers that Singaporeans are generally less comfortable when dealing with mentally disabled persons.
A mother of a mildly autistic child told me that she enrolled her child in a mainstream kindergarten. The child would go to the school in the morning with a full pencil case, only to return home with just a ruler. Apparently, the child's classmates took advantage of her condition and helped themselves to the stationery. I asked the mother whether she had brought this matter up to the attention of teachers. She informed me that the typical response of the teachers – as the kindergarten does not have any allied professionals to help in such situations – would be to recommend that her child be enrolled in a special needs school instead.
Another mother spoke to me about a problem which appeared, at first glance, a simple one to solve but turned out to be rather complex because of the positions taken by the relevant stakeholders. She drops her autistic son at a childcare centre every morning. She arranged for a bus service to have him picked up from the childcare centre at about 11.30 am and sent to a special needs school. She asked the childcare centre to help escort her son into the bus. The centre refused on account that it does not fall within their scope of work. They went on to highlight that the other parents would also ask for the same service if they were to make an exception for her case. The bus service staff also was not able to help and their explanation is understandable because they could not spare anyone else to pick him up because other special needs children in the bus also need tending to.
As a society, we need to address this situation. We must change our attitudes towards special needs persons and their caregivers. We have always prided ourselves as being an inclusive society when it comes to race, language, religion, social classes. Indeed, the caregivers I have spoken to, have uniformly acknowledged that great strides have been taken in the past few years by the Government to enhance the support given to special needs children.
There is absolutely no reason why a line has to be drawn within our society when it comes to treatment of persons with special needs. Gone are the days when people suffering from mental issues are just locked up in lunatic asylums. For the vast majority of our special needs children, we must take care of them within our community and provide them with the opportunities they need to lead fulfilling lives.
I am not convinced though that legislation would be the right response. Rather, I would advocate that we do more to promote better understanding of special needs children and the challenges they face within our community. We could emulate what my Parliamentary colleague, Ms Tin Pei Ling, has been doing in MacPherson. I learnt that she conducted training lessons for her grassroots leaders so that they are better able to identify and deal with persons with mental disabilities. I do believe that by gaining a good understanding of special needs children and their challenges, our fellow Singaporeans and residents would change their attitudes towards special needs children, develop their empathy and provide better support for them and their caregivers.
We should, perhaps, through relevant agencies like Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) promote amongst support stakeholders, such as childcare centres, kindergartens and even school bus operators, the implementation of a code of conduct or best practices to encourage them to take the extra step to help caregivers and their special needs children.
Turning specifically to adult children with special needs, Members of this House have highlighted on previous occasions the need to provide more help to adult children with special needs after they turn 18 and graduate from the education system. We have also heard assurances from the Government that it would look at ways and means to enhance the level of support. The support to be provided, I understand, is primarily two-fold: to provide better institutional support and bespoke job opportunities that would fit their circumstances.
I do not propose to repeat what has already been said. I do, however, wish to update the House that the waiting time to get a place in one of the three Day Activity Centres for Autistic Adults stands at two years. This, in my respectful opinion, is too long. The caregivers will have to bear the brunt of the problem and they will be put under tremendous stress and anxiety. Also, the special needs children with moderate to severe forms of disabilities may unlearn what they have learnt in school. This results in a waste of resources.
I further propose that caregivers of adult children with moderate to severe forms of special needs be given the same form of grants and concessions that caregivers of disabled or the elderly or the young enjoy with respect to employment of foreign domestic maids. This will, hopefully, give the caregivers some level of respite.
I would also advocate that the Government look at providing more funding support to encourage the adoption of models that would enhance the employability of adult children with special needs within the Day Activity Centres; for example, in the horticultural or cafeteria arenas. Whilst these models cost more money to run, they may make more sense in the long run as it provides our adult children with a sense of purpose and enable them to contribute to society at the same time.
There may also be an economic basis for this enhanced funding. A study by researchers from the University of California and Old Dominion University published in a seminal article on autism appearing in The Economist on 16 April 2016 reveals that the lifetime cost of supporting an autistic American is much lesser than the opportunity cost, referring to an estimate of the output lost when autistic people are jobless or under-employed or when their caregivers leave their jobs to take care of them. There is no reason to suggest that the situation in Singapore is any different.
In conclusion, I wish to draw attention to a speech that the Prime Minister made in December 2015 towards the end of the SG50 celebrations about the need to build a more inclusive, fair and just society that respects and values all, including the disabled. He quoted the late Mr S Rajaratnam who famously spoke about building \"a democracy of deeds\" and that \"ultimately, it is the quality and character of the individual citizens rather than the blueprints and programmes which decide whether a society is good or bad… a success or failure.\"
We are dealing with an area which the Government cannot just decree a change in attitude. This must come from within our society. It depends on each individual and each family. Each of us has a part to play in treating the caregivers and their special needs children with empathy, providing them with the welcome, support and encouragement they so rightly deserve.
The Minister for Social and Family Development (Mr Tan Chuan-Jin): Mdm Speaker, I would like to thank the Member for his feedback and the concerns that have been raised regarding the needs of caregivers and Persons with Disabilities. My Ministry, together with the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and SG Enable, has been conducting ground consultations as part of our Enabling Masterplan 3 and also other focus groups which we carry out throughout the year to find out more about the needs of Persons with Disabilities and also that of their caregivers. Through these sessions, we have developed a reasonably decent understanding of the concerns and challenges faced by caregivers in providing care for their loved ones, and the feedback provided by Mr Murali is consistent with those inputs. There is a range of other issues that many families are concerned about as well.
I would like to take this opportunity to update the House and members of the public because it is an area that is vitally important for us. While we have made important progress in the past several years, there is still a lot more that we can do. We will continue to improve and expand services to meet the needs of Persons with Disabilities and their caregivers. Certainly, this is a very important focus for my Ministry, especially as we address these issues in the Enabling Masterplan 3.
But I would say this: in order for the Government to be able to move forward, we cannot do it alone. It really requires the whole community to be involved – the VWOs, private organisations and individuals. When we talk about building an inclusive society, it is not just about bringing on board different Singaporeans with different abilities and to help them be included in the rest of society and in what we do. It is about all of us being included in the process of welcoming other Singaporeans on board because, without the effort of all of us, this cannot happen.
Allow me to take the opportunity to provide an overview of the concerns and issues and where we are as a society, and let me cover some of the main themes.
First, the issue of awareness within the community of Persons with Disabilities. Clearly, from the survey done by the Lien Foundation and certainly from the surveys done by MSF as well, it shows that while we have made progress and while many Singaporeans do express concerns about these issues, whether we actually walk-the-talk or not does not always reflect what we say. As we work towards the vision of an inclusive society, community acceptance is essential and public education efforts will play a very important part. I totally agree with the Member – you cannot legislate these things. In fact, when you legislate, sometimes, it may get in the way because it forces people to begin to just follow the letter of the law without changing the spirit of it. A lot of interactions actually come not from the formal interactions but out of day-to-day interactions which you cannot formally legislate. It is about a change in mindset; it is about a change in climate that we need to effect in our society.
Recently, we launched a campaign called the \"We are Able\" campaign and the \"See the True Me\" campaign by NCSS. These are essentially aimed at helping to raise awareness about the abilities and contributions of Persons with Disabilities. We do need to create an environment where Persons with Disabilities can live enabled lives. Campaigns play a part but there are also practical actions that can be undertaken, for example, promoting the employment of people with different abilities within the workspace. It goes a very long way in transforming the cultures of the companies. In fact, many of the companies which have embraced this have shared with us that what they have found to have changed is the climate within the companies. When you have fellow Singaporeans with different abilities within your ranks and they go out of the way to accommodate and to adjust what they do, they find that it softens the work culture. I think that is the kind of transformative effect that we hope to see at the workplace, in schools and beyond. And slowly, hopefully, a tipping point can be reached.
A second theme is really about providing support to special needs children in mainstream schools. There are over 20,000 children with special needs attending mainstream MOE schools and these children are supported in various ways. Allied Educators provide learning and behavioural support to students with mild educational needs, such as dyslexia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). And all schools have a core group of teachers trained to support students with special needs.
In addition, a number of schools in each cluster are resourced with disabled-friendly facilities and programmes to support students with hearing impairments, visual impairments and physical disabilities.
The third theme is post-18 options for special needs children. What happens when the formal schooling ends? This is something that weighs on the minds of all parents who have special needs children. We are very aware of their concerns regarding the limited options that Persons with Disabilities have after graduating from SPED schools. We are currently studying the opportunities to increase the post-18 range of options.
Efforts are underway to strengthen the transition from SPED schools to work. MOE, MSF and SG Enable have started the School-to-Work (S2W) programme, which involves the schools, employers and parents to provide more work and training options for these students. And to try to further ensure as far as possible information transfer and a seamless transition from home to school, and school to work, and to facilitate that as much as we can.
A fourth theme is about funding for skills training post-SPED. My Ministry has been working with MOE for the Post-Secondary Education Account (PSEA) to be extended to special needs children following their graduation from SPED for skills development and further training to enhance their work capability.
Like all other Singaporeans, Persons with Disabilities will also be able to tap on SkillsFuture when they reach 25 years of age for continuing professional development training to remain relevant in the workforce. For many with special abilities, they can gain new skills and to be relevant in the workforce. I think we are making some progress on that front and I hope that we can extend that as much as possible. For many companies – and certainly for some sectors – we do not know what we do not know. When we actually look at how it is being done elsewhere, sometimes abroad or sometimes in other industries, it surprises employers. \"I did not realise that I can do that.\" And when that realisation happens, that opens a pathway for many other options to be developed.
A fifth theme is about training and employment in general. Employment is an important platform to helping Persons with Disabilities gain independence and SG Enable was set up in 2013 precisely to also promote the employment of Persons with Disabilities. Persons with Disabilities seeking employment assistance and training courses that will help increase their employability can approach SG Enable – and please do so. Persons with Disabilities can benefit from the job-readiness assessment conducted by specialists on job placement and job support. SG Enable actively engages employers and seeks to encourage them to make employment opportunities available for Persons with Disabilities.
Sixth, it is important in terms of care services, especially for caregivers. We are also mindful of the rising number of adults with autism and the need for the services to be expanded to meet the demand. Our Ministry will be expanding the range of home and community care options to meet the needs of the various groups. We are currently on track to add 200 more day care places by 2018 for Day Activity Centres specifically catering to persons with autism. As we expand the capacity of our services, we are also mindful of the quality and capability of staff rendering these services.
MSF will continue to assess the training needs of staff working with Persons with Disabilities and work on the professional development of the staff with relevant training agencies and experts in the field. VWOs also share best practices and knowledge with one another, and also hear from experts from relevant fields of practice at networking platforms organised by MSF and NCSS.
In addition, we are exploring with VWOs to enable day activity centre programming in the community with the help of volunteers meaning that we do not need to have centre activities at the Day Activity Centre itself but that there are other ways in which we can carry that out. A lot of it is providing knowledge, especially to families, because if they feel they are relatively inadequate and the only way to provide some of the support is to send their children to the Day Activity Centres, but they do not realise that there are things that they can do at home or within the community.
These activities will enable the community to support Persons with Disabilities and their families living in their neighbourhood and, in many ways, like an extended family, or an extended Day Activity Centre, if you will. The community at large can certainly play a bigger role in lending their support for such initiatives, firstly, by acceptance and, secondly, to reach out to these groups. This may be a small step for the community but I think it is a very significant step forward in our effort to build an inclusive society. We will continue to press ahead with the expansion of capacity and relevant services so that Persons with Disabilities can be better served.
I agree with Mr Murali in terms of the waiting times, not just for Day Activity Centres, but for various special needs schools and so on. In some cases, the wait is longer than we desire. If I were a parent of a special needs child, and especially where we believe that early intervention will make a difference, it is very anxious – every month that we wait. We wish that, if intervention had come earlier, it would have made that additional amount of difference. We will endeavour to bring those timings down.
In terms of subsidies for care services and transportation, caregivers who are accessing care services, such as Day Activity Centres, Home-based care services and the Drop-in Disability Programme, it is also important for us to support the effort to get there. So, they receive continued support from the Government through means-tested subsidies which can defray up to 80% of their costs. Also, Persons with Disabilities who are accessing educational or care services can tap on dedicated transport. For example, SPED schools are also supported through transport assistance under the VWO Transport Subsidy Scheme. Eligible Persons with Disabilities may receive transport subsidies of up to 80% of their monthly transport fares. In addition, Persons with Disabilities receive 25% concession on fares on public transport.
In terms of schemes and support for caregivers, caregivers are supported through both subsidy schemes to defray the cost of services, as well as through care-giver support centres at VWOs and within SPED schools. Caregivers who require the assistance of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) to care for Persons with Disabilities with their activities of daily living are eligible to pay a lower monthly FDW levy. Families whose monthly per capita income is less than $2,600 are supported through a monthly FDW Grant to offset the cost of a foreign domestic worker. Caregivers can also enhance their care skills with the support of the Caregivers' Training Grant.
The last theme is about supporting Persons with Disabilities beyond the caregivers' lifetime.
Many parents are anxious as to what is going to happen after they have passed on. One of the things I would very much urge parents to do is to also involve the rest of the family. Sometimes, I do notice that parents, rather than wanting to burden the siblings, take on the responsibility themselves. But I think it is important to involve the siblings in the process because when they pass on, it is not always a given that the siblings necessarily will step forward and play their role. This is something that is important.
But beyond that, what can we do to support parents and to assure them? To address this concern, the Special Needs Trust Company (SNTC) was set up in 2008 to provide trust management services for families of Persons with Disabilities. SNTC provides an avenue for caregivers to plan for the long-term financial and care needs of Persons with Disabilities. Along with SNTC, we set up the Special Needs Savings Scheme which was established in 2012 to enable parents to set aside CPF savings for the long-term care of their Children with Disabilities. We will continue to explore avenues to further help address the concerns of caregivers on these matters. So, please do continue to provide us feedback from the families who have concerns on this front.
I would like to conclude by saying credit to those in the sector who have been actively pushing for these issues to improve. While much work has been done to help the caregivers and Persons with Disabilities, very clearly, there is still room for improvement. As we work through the next Enabling Masterplan, we hope to address the various concerns faced by the caregivers of Persons with Disabilities and build on what we have done.
What I have mentioned is but a brief overview of some of the areas that we are currently working on. The Enabling Masterplan aims to examine these issues and we will provide an update when the Enabling Masterplan recommendations are ready.
With the support and partnership of the people, private and public sectors, we can all, together, build a more inclusive society in Singapore in time to come.
[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]
[(proc text) Resolved, \"That Parliament do now adjourn.\" (proc text)]
Adjourned accordingly at 5.34 pm.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":"Matter Raised On Adjournment Motion","questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Recent Spate of Residential Fires","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"28 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many residential fires happened in the first four months of this year; (b) whether this is higher or lower than the number of residential fires reported over the same period of the last two years; (c) what are the main causes of the recent residential fires; (d) what is SCDF doing to increase awareness on preventing residential fires; and (e) what percentage of homes currently own a fire extinguisher.
Mr K Shanmugam: There were 955 residential fires in the first four months of 2016, about 6% and 10% lower than the same period in 2015 and 2014 respectively.
About 98% of the residential fires this year are small-scale fires which did not result in casualties. About 50% of these fires were caused by the indiscriminate disposal of lighted materials, such as lighted cigarettes and charcoal embers, down the rubbish chute or into rubbish bins at common areas. Unattended cooking, which accounted for about 20% of the recent residential fires, is the second main cause.
A large number of residential fires can, therefore, be prevented with better awareness of fire safety at home. To increase awareness, the SCDF actively promotes fire safety and public education messages through community-based programmes and initiatives. Residents participate in fire drills at Emergency Preparedness Day Events and learn emergency preparedness skills, such as operating a fire extinguisher, when they take part in the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme. The SCDF also disseminates fire safety advisories to homes and regularly collaborates with grassroots organisations to include articles on fire hazards and fire safety tips in their newsletters and magazines.
The SCDF does not monitor the percentage of homes that currently own a fire extinguisher. Fire extinguishers are sold by private vendors who are not required to report their sales to the SCDF. However, the SCDF encourages each household to be equipped with a fire extinguisher to be prepared for fire emergencies. This message is regularly emphasised through SCDF's community-based initiatives, as well as in fire safety advisories.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases Filed since Enactment of Protection from Harassment Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"30 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Law since the coming into force of the Protection from Harassment Act until 31 May 2016, what has been (i) the total number of cases filed, mediated and resolved; (ii) the total number of cases involving workplace bullying/harassment; (iii) the total number of cases involving sexual harassment; and (iv) the total number of cases involving workplace sexual harassment.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Protection from Harassment Act was introduced to strengthen harassment laws and provide a range of criminal sanctions, civil and self-help remedies to better protect people from harassment and related anti-social behaviour. Cases filed under the Act are managed with a view to assist parties to explore ways to resolve the issues effectively and promptly without proceeding to trial, including the use of counselling and mediation.
The Act took effect on 15 November 2014. According to the State Courts, as at 30 April 2016, 203 applications for Protection Orders had been filed. This includes applications by victims of sexual and workplace harassment. However, the State Courts do not track the specific number of cases for each type of case.
Of the 203 applications filed, 32 cases were sent to the State Courts Centre for Dispute Resolution for mediation as at 30 April 2016. Sixty three Protection Orders and 55 Expedited Protection Orders had been granted. Seventy three applications were withdrawn. Out of the 63 Protection Orders granted, 38 were granted by consent, constituting more than half of the orders that were granted. This suggests that a good number of cases were resolved amicably. The remaining applications have either been dismissed or struck off, or are pending resolution as at 30 April 2016.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Percentage of Five- and Six-year-olds Enrolled in Pre-schools","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"31 Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what percentage of five- and six-year-old Singaporeans and permanent residents are enrolled in half-day or full-day pre-school; and (b) for children who are not enrolled in pre-school, what actions are taken on the parents or guardians and what are the reasons given for not enrolling their children in pre-school.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: In 2015, over 90% of Singaporean and permanent resident children aged five to six years were enrolled in half-day or full-day pre-schools.
Some Singaporean and permanent resident children may not attend pre-school due to their family's circumstances. For example, there are those who are living overseas, or whose parents prefer other options for their child's development. By age six, close to 99% of Singaporean children would have had some pre-school experience.
We recognise the importance of the pre-school years in a child's development, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. As such, ECDA works actively with the community to reach out to Singaporean children who are not attending pre-school by age five. Our community outreach partners conduct home visits and work closely with the family to overcome some of the barriers to the child's pre-school participation.
KidSTART, a new initiative announced at this year's Budget, will further enhance efforts to reach out to and ensure children from low-income and vulnerable families have early access to appropriate health, learning and developmental support, including attending quality pre-school. We will pilot KidSTART in the second half of 2016.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Efficient Deployment of Buses during Train Breakdowns to Minimise Disruption to Commuters","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"36 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry (i) monitors whether sufficient buses are deployed at each affected MRT station during breakdowns and whether these buses are deployed efficiently enough to minimise disruption to commuters; and (ii) takes these two factors into consideration in evaluating the performance of the operators.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: If bus bridging services are required during a service disruption, the rail operators must comply with the standards set out in LTA's Code of Practice. These include the time taken for the bus bridging services to be activated and deployed, as well as the headways for such services. LTA monitors the deployment of these services through officers on the ground and from the Land Transport Operations Centre. If the operators fail to deploy the bus bridging services adequately or appropriately, they may be penalised.
However, we should be realistic about the effectiveness of bus bridging services during any large-scale service disruption. The capacity of a bus is much smaller than that of a train. It takes almost 20 buses to carry the load of one train. Hence, the only satisfactory way forward is to improve the reliability of our train system, reduce frequency of disruptions, avoid large scale disruptions, speed up fault identification and train service recovery. For the longer term, we have to increase the resilience of our train network by building another orbital line like the Cross Island Line. This will create multiple interchanges with our existing lines and provide commuters with more alternative rail routes in the event of any service disruption.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Segregating COE Bidding for Different Categories of Car Buyers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"37 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA will consider limiting the categories that private hire cars and taxi companies can bid for COEs as against individual car owners; (b) whether LTA will consider segregating COE bidding between individual owners and companies, including car dealers on behalf of individual buyers; and (c) whether LTA has studied the impact of separating COE pricing from new car purchases.
38 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will take out private hire car firms like Uber and Grab Taxi from the COE bidding process and treat them similar to taxi operators so that the COE system is not distorted by their bids for COEs.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Today, taxi operators do not bid at COE auctions. They draw their COEs from Cat E and pay the Cat A Prevailing Quota Premium. In this way, the impact of the growth and replacement of the taxi fleet, which can be lumpy, is isolated to Cat E.
As for the private hire car sector, we will continue to monitor its rate of growth and uptake of COEs, to see if a similar measure will be appropriate.
There is nothing that prevents individuals from bidding for COEs on their own. However, most choose to have dealers bid on their behalf, for convenience and also because of the way some dealers package the prices of the cars. We have no plans to segregate individual and proxy bids since, ultimately, both emanate from the same demand. Segregating them will be artificial and give a distortionary picture.
Buying a car is a transaction between a willing seller and a willing buyer. Most car dealers will offer prices without COEs, if asked. It is best that we leave it to the market to decide how car sales should be carried out, whether with the COEs packaged or not.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government's Engagement of Ride-sharing App Companies and Private Car Hire Drivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"39 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport (a) in view of a recently published letter by Uber Singapore on the over-regulated approach taken by the Ministry on private car hire companies, whether there has been adequate dialogue with these companies during the Ministry's engagement with stakeholders on the recently announced \"light touch\" regulations for ride-sharing app companies and private car hire drivers; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider exempting taxi operators from the Quality of Service, Taxi Availability and other compliance licensing requirements.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: LTA had engaged all the stakeholders in the recent review of the chauffeured services industry. Numerous consultations were held with Uber, Grab, the National Taxi Association, the National Private Hire Vehicle Association, car rental and limousine companies and, most importantly, commuters. While we need some regulations to protect commuters’ interests and safety, we have strived to ensure that these are not so onerous that they stifle innovation of new services and business models.
As for taxi operators, the current Taxi Availability and Quality of Service standards ensure that commuters can enjoy a minimum service quality for street hail and phone booking respectively. We have retained them as these remain the primary modes of hiring a taxi and the current outcomes are satisfactory. Since the Taxi Availability standards were introduced, the proportion of two-shift taxis has increased from 53% to 68%. The proportion of the taxi fleet plying the roads during peak hours has gone up, from 82% to 92%. This has made it easier for commuters to get a taxi by street hail. Nonetheless, the industry is evolving and we will continue to review these requirements to ensure that they remain relevant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Promoting Safer Workplace Culture given Spate of Worker Deaths","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"41 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Manpower what are the root causes of the recent cases of workplace injuries and death and whether there are strategic and targeted interventions planned.
Mr Lim Swee Say: MOM is concerned with the deteriorating Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) situation.
In the first half of 2016, there were already 42 fatalities, 12 more compared to the same period last year1. The construction sector remains the top contributor with 18 fatalities. This is an 80% increase from last year, where we had 10 from the construction sector.
Our preliminary investigation findings indicate that the fatalities had multiple factors as root causes. Many cases were due to inadequate risk assessments carried out by the companies, lack of planning and coordination and insufficient safety awareness among the workers. On the whole, it points to an absence of a robust WSH management system in the companies involved.
MOM has earlier outlined a four-pronged strategy to take targeted interventions to improve WSH raising awareness, building WSH capability, strengthening enforcement and imposing harsher penalties. Stiffer penalties against errant companies which flout safety regulations were introduced in May. Since then2, 25 extended Stop Work Orders were issued against worksites with rampant unsafe conditions. We have also stepped up our enforcement presence, targeting high-risk sectors undertaking activities with high incidences of work injuries, such as work at heights, crane operations and formwork structures.
This heightened regulatory stance by MOM is complemented with stepped up assistance provided by the WSH Council. The Safety Compliance Assistance Visits Plus (SCAV+) programme was launched in June to help companies identify WSH lapses and improve risk assessment capabilities. This supplements existing WSH capability and culture building efforts, such as the WSH Council's bizSAFE and CultureSAFE programmes. The Council also produced a series of pictograms showing WSH Dos and Don'ts of common work situations. These are being distributed to construction sites and foreign worker dormitories as visual reminders to increase the safety consciousness of our workers.
We are heartened that the industry also stepped up efforts to increase WSH awareness. In April, more than 100 project sites in the construction and marine sectors participated in a Safety Time Out to review the safety procedures for their work activities. Last month, over 70 worksites participated in safety awareness activities involving CEOs of the Singapore Contractors Association (SCAL) member companies. This is important to demonstrate leadership commitment to WSH. SCAL also collaborated with the Real Estate Developers' Association of Singapore (REDAS) and the WSH Council to develop more user-friendly WSH training materials for construction workers.
At the structural level, the Design for Safety (DfS) Regulations will come into effect on 1 August 2016. Under the Regulations, developers and designers will have responsibility for the safety and health of workers in the construction sector. The Regulations will foster greater industry ownership and facilitate information sharing among all stakeholders to improve the identification and management of WSH risks throughout all phases of the building project.
It is important to reiterate that WSH is, ultimately, everyone's responsibility. All stakeholders – employers, supervisors and workers – must take proactive ownership in WSH in order to improve our situation. MOM will continue to work closely with the WSH Council and industry partners to raise WSH standards and foster safe work habits.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : From 1 January 2015 to 30 June 2015, there were 30 workplace fatalities.","2 : As of 4 July 2016."],"footNoteQuestions":["41"],"questionNo":"41"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Difference between Workmen and Non-workmen in Employment Act","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"42 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Manpower (a) if he can explain the need for a difference between workmen and non-workmen in the Employment Act in view of the future employment landscape; and (b) whether PMETs earning less than $4,500 who spend more than 50% of their time doing manual tasks can be regarded as workmen.
Mr Lim Swee Say: The distinction between \"workmen\" and \"non-workmen\" in the Employment Act is a legacy issue. \"Workmen\" refers to blue-collar workers who operate machinery and vehicles or are involved in manual labour, such as cleaners, construction workers and labourers. \"Non-workmen\" refers to white-collar workers who are not in managerial or executive positions, such as clerks and receptionists.
The Employment Act draws this distinction primarily for Part IV of the Act, which relates to hours of work, rest days and annual leave. This is to take into account the differences in the nature of work between workmen and non-workmen. Our longer term intent is to remove this demarcation, given the changing nature of our workforce.
For example, we have already taken steps to reduce the difference in coverage between these two groups. In the 2014 amendments to the Employment Act, we raised the salary threshold of non-workmen for Part IV coverage from $2,000 to $2,500 while holding the salary threshold of workmen constant at $4,500. This is to allow the salary threshold of non-workmen to catch up gradually with workmen, while balancing employers’ concerns about the rise in business costs.
Whether a worker is classified as a workman, a non-workman or a manager or executive depends on the specific nature of his work. The Employment Act clarifies that a worker with supervisory duties who actually does manual work for more than 50% of the time is considered a workman. However, this does not apply to any person who is employed in a managerial or executive position as specified in the Employment Act. The work-hour related provisions in Part IV of the Employment Act are less relevant to managers and executives whose jobs are often more outcome based.
That said, managers and executives enjoy protections under other parts of the Employment Act. In fact, we have progressively enhanced protections for managers and executives in our employment laws over the years. For example, we amended the Employment Act in 2008 to extend salary protection to managers and executives earning less than $2,500 a month, including access to the Labour Court to resolve salary-related disputes. This salary ceiling was raised to $4,500 in 2011 to cover a bigger group of managers and executives. In 2014, we again amended the Employment Act to cover managers and executives for non-salary issues, such as sick leave benefits and protection against unfair dismissal. We have also amended our Industrial Relations Act to allow managers and executives more options for union representation at the workplace, most recently in 2015.
In addition, MOM is now working with the State Courts to set up the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) early next year. The ECT will allow all managers and executives, who now have no access to the Labour Court, with a new, quick and expeditious channel to resolve statutory and contractual salary-related disputes, subject to certain claims limits.
Managers and executives form an important and growing part of our workforce. MOM, together with our tripartite partners, will continue to regularly review our employment laws to ensure that they are adequately protected.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Free Replacement of Identity Cards for Selective Cases","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"43 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether ICA can provide free replacement of NRICs at selected intervals of one's lifetime due to fair wear and tear of our identity cards and outdated photographs.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Identity Card (IC) is made of a highly durable polycarbonate material that has been subjected to stringent tests to ensure its durability. It is not easily damaged with normal handling. Apart from a small number of cards that may be damaged due to excessive wear and tear over time, there is no need to replace all ICs at regular intervals.
The $60 fee for replacing a damaged IC is to cover the production cost, which includes manpower, material, as well as other costs incurred in producing a new card. This fee has remained the same for many years.
ICA will consider a waiver of the fee for cases which warrant special consideration. This includes situations where the card was damaged due to circumstances beyond the cardholder's control, such as accidents or fire.
Singapore residents are currently required to register for an NRIC at age 15 and to re-register at age 30 with an updated photograph. Given longer life expectancy, ICA is studying the feasibility of introducing a second NRIC re-registration at an older age.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-speed Rail on Jurong East Region","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"45 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development how the development of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High Speed Rail will impact the Jurong East region and neighbouring estates.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The siting of the High Speed Rail (HSR) terminus in Jurong East dovetails with the Government's vision to develop Jurong Lake District as a second Central Business District and as a new gateway to Singapore.
The area around the planned HSR site is more than 100 hectares in size. I chair the Jurong Lake District Steering Committee to oversee the development of this new area and we have discussed several broad themes in the development plans. First, we should take advantage of its proximity to the Jurong Lake Gardens, which is itself undergoing a major upgrade, to make this a sustainable district distinguished by beautiful greenery and water.
Beyond the business and commercial provisions, the area will also be an attractive leisure destination, anchored by the revamped Jurong Lake Gardens and the new Science Centre.
Second, the area should be well-integrated with the Jurong Gateway, which is already shaping up well as a vibrant precinct, with a mix of office, retail, residential and other complementary uses. The developments in Jurong Gateway are presently connected by pedestrian links to one another and also to the Jurong East MRT station. These linkages will be extended seamlessly to the HSR site, which is located just south of the Jurong Gateway.
Third, there needs to be an extensive transport network to ensure that residents and visitors can travel in and out of the Jurong East region smoothly. We are mindful of the existing traffic congestion issues in the area and the Government agencies are studying ways to improve the traffic flows. In particular, we will provide for convenient access between the HSR terminus and the nearby MRT stations. This includes the existing MRT station and the upcoming integrated transport hub in Jurong East, as well as the new stations being planned for the Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line. We will also plan ahead for infrastructure to accommodate new forms of transport, such as autonomous vehicles.
URA will be launching a Request for Proposal today, 11 July 2016, to invite experts to draw up the concept plans for the area. We will also be engaging the public, especially residents in Jurong East and the neighbouring estates, to gather feedback and suggestions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"No Claim Discount on MediShield Life for Elderly without Claims in Three Years","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"47 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry can consider granting a \"No Claim Discount\" on MediShield Life premiums for senior citizens who do not make any claims for a consecutive period of three years.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: The idea of a \"No Claim Discount\" on MediShield Life premiums was considered by the MediShield Life Review Committee when they conducted their review in 2014. After careful deliberation, the Committee decided against the idea.
The Committee felt that having a \"No Claim Discount\" may lead Singaporeans to delay seeking essential treatment even though they are ill. This may result in worse outcomes, such as medical complications, prolonged illness and even larger hospital bills, down the road.
Furthermore, a person could take good care of his health and still require medical treatment. For example, he may encounter an accident. Introducing a \"No Claim Discount\" may unduly \"penalise\" such individuals who are hospitalised for reasons beyond their control.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Inclusion of SAF Camps in Smoking Ban","subTitle":"Impact on service personnel","sectionType":"WANA","content":"49 Assoc Prof Randolph Tan asked the Minister for Defence (a) what is the impact of the inclusion of SAF camps in the list of places where smoking is prohibited by law on service personnel who continue to smoke; and (b) whether there is engagement of all ranks of smoking or non-smoking personnel to ensure that they understand the reasons for the ban and to obtain their support in maintaining it.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: The ban on smoking within SAF camps and bases is not new. In fact, even before the Smoking Prohibition Act, SAF has, since 1993, administratively restricted smoking for its servicemen to designated smoking points, known as \"Yellow Boxes\", which are situated away from main thoroughfares and walkways. This prohibition was enforced with errant offenders punished accordingly.
The recent inclusion of SAF camps and bases under the Smoking (Prohibition in Certain Places) Act formalised an existing and long-standing administrative restriction under national law. The only change with this inclusion is that the SAF can now also provide particulars of civilians who violate the smoking prohibitions in our camps and bases to the NEA for possible enforcement actions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Clarification of Alleged Cooling-off Day Violations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"50 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Prime Minister with regard to the Elections Department's filing of police reports against two individuals for alleged violations of Cooling-off Day regulations for the Bukit Batok by-election (a) what constitutes \"regular propagation, promotion and discussion of political issues\" as stated in its press statement; and (b) at which point is such individual propagation no longer within the exception of \"transmitting personal political views on a non-commercial basis using the Internet\".
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Prime Minister): Let me state upfront that I cannot comment on individual cases because Police investigations are still ongoing. However, I will speak broadly about election advertising and how we determine whether specific postings during Cooling-off Day and Polling Day are allowed or not.
Election advertising is defined as any material, whether online or offline, that is intended to raise the standing of, or secure the electoral success of, any candidate or party. Under the Parliamentary Elections Act, election advertising is not allowed on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day. This is to allow voters time to step back from the excitement and emotion of the campaign and reflect on the issues at stake before casting their votes.
This prohibition applies to all individuals and organisations. However, in the online space, social media has made every individual a potential broadcaster. It is, therefore, not possible for the Elections Department to monitor every single post in enforcing the prohibition against election advertising on Cooling-off and Polling days. Instead, the Elections Department takes a practical approach, by taking into account the following factors:
(a) Intent. Posts clearly intending to promote or procure electoral success of a political party or candidate, or enhance their standing, are not allowed. For example, a post that asks people to \"vote Party A\" is quite clearly intended to secure the electoral success of Party A. A post that portrays \"Party B\" negatively is also considered election advertising as it is likely to enhance the standing of Party A. In addition, repeated publication of posts on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day, or posts published after ELD had issued its reminder, will be treated more seriously.
(b) Reach and impact. ELD will consider how many people are likely to have read particular posts. Posts by individuals or groups that regularly engage in the discussion of political issues will have further reach and greater impact than those by ordinary members of the public.
As for the Member's second question, the law does allow for individual-to-individual transmission of personal political views, on a non-commercial basis, on Cooling-off Day and Polling Day. So, if a person sends an email or SMS to a friend to share his personal political views about the election, that will not be considered a breach. However, if he blogs or posts a message on his Facebook page that everyone can read, asking readers to vote for a particular party or candidate, that is clearly publication of election advertising.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Price-Quality Method for Tender Evaluations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"52 Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Finance (a) how many Ministries and Statutory Boards adopt the Price-Quality Method for tender evaluations when procuring cleaning, security and landscape services; (b) what is the average percentage of price over quality adopted in such procurement contracts awarded in 2015 and 2016 (to date); and (c) whether the Government will consider adopting a 30:70 ratio for the Price-Quality Method, with 30% allocated to price and 70% allocated to quality as recommended by the Tripartite Committee for Low-Wage Workers and Inclusive Growth (TriCom).
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The use of the Price-Quality Method, where procurement decisions are made based on a combination of both \"Price\" and \"Quality\" factors, has been in practice in the Public Service for many years. However, its adoption and the weightage of the \"Quality\" factors used vary from procurement to procurement, depending on the context of each procurement. For example, the evaluation criteria for cleaning services for office premises will be different from those required for street and expressway cleaning. In fact, the need to cater to the different context of the procurement was also acknowledged in the Best Sourcing Practices Advisory published by the Tripartite Committee for Low-Wage Workers and Inclusive Growth (TriCom), where it was noted that while buyers \"should aim towards achieving a weightage of 30:70 between Price and Quality criteria respectively… the weightage may be adjusted based on the needs of your organisation\".
For tenders called in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors, \"Quality\" factors were considered in the award of all the tenders called in 2015 and 2016. For these tenders, where weightages were explicitly specified, the \"Quality\" component made up 20% to 70% of the total evaluation criteria.
We agree that security, cleaning and landscape services should not be procured based on price alone and we are further reviewing the emphasis placed on \"Quality\" factors in the evaluation of these tenders. However, even as the TriCom recommended that buyers should aim towards achieving a 3070 Price-Quality weightage, it also recognised that there is no ideal price-quality weightage that is suitable for all situations. What goes into the \"Quality\" component must be relevant to the tenderers' ability to provide the required service. If we simply set 70% as the weightage for \"Quality\" factors, but they do not allow us to differentiate the ability of the tenderers to provide the cleaning, security or landscape services, then the tenderers may end up being assessed with the same \"Quality\" scores, and it will still end up with competition based on price.
We share Mr Zainal Sapari's interest in uplifting the cleaning, security and landscape sectors and in improving the working conditions of workers. To achieve these objectives in a sustainable manner, the Government has supported the adoption of the Progressive Wage Model which the tripartite partners have agreed to. We had taken the lead to procure only from cleaning service providers who adopt the wage model, even before it became a licensing requirement.
We have also taken onboard feedback to use less prescriptive and less headcount-based tenders. As mentioned in MOF's Committee of Supply response earlier this year, we are now working with the respective lead agencies and industries to progressively introduce outcome-based procurement in the cleaning, security and landscape sectors over time. This would allow tenderers to consider using technology and innovative solutions. Along with this, we will also increase the emphasis and weightage placed on the \"Quality\" factors which reflect the tenderers' ability to provide the service, such as manpower productivity of the tenderers and the quality of their workforce.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Criteria for Working Mother's Child Relief Claims","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"53 Mr Zainal Sapari asked the Minister for Finance (a) whether income declared for a child by a working mother to claim for Working Mother's Child Relief (WMCR) can exclude (i) the National Service allowance as this should be treated as recognition given to NSmen and their families and (ii) income earned through internships or attachments to encourage the child to learn beyond the classroom; and (b) whether the annual income ceiling of $4,000 of the child for WMCR can be reviewed to keep pace with the rising cost of living and current wage levels.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: To qualify as a dependant for tax reliefs, such as Working Mother’s Child Relief, the dependant should be financially dependent and not be earning any income. However, as a concession, we have allowed dependants who derive incidental income to qualify as a dependant for tax relief purpose, if their income is not more than $4,000 a year.
This income condition applies to all dependants, including parents and spouses, and not just children who work part-time or are NSFs. We do not exclude any category of income from this threshold in determining whether the dependant's income exceeds $4,000, so as to be consistent and equitable in the treatment of all income of dependants.
The income threshold for the relief was last doubled to $4,000 in Budget 2010. We will review this threshold from time to time.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Schools Conducting Academic Assessments Immediately after Holidays","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"55 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) (a) how many schools conduct examinations or tests immediately or within two weeks after the school holidays; and (b) what is the rationale for having school holidays if students are expected to study for the tests/examinations during the school holidays.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Examinations are useful for students to gauge their learning and for teachers to check on the effectiveness of their teaching. Schools adopt a student-centric approach, taking into consideration the profile and needs of the students and the schools’ contexts when scheduling the examinations. The practice of having examinations after the June holidays is more prevalent among the Junior Colleges (JCs) in view of the school year for JC1 students starting in end January or early February. There would be limited time for students to consolidate their learning before the examinations if examinations are held in May. Many of the JC students are also participating in the Singapore Youth Festival for performing arts and National School Games in April and May. The decision to schedule the mid-year examinations for JC students in Term 3 after the June vacation will allow the students to better manage their revision and to ensure they would still have some time during the June vacation to have a break and pursue other recreational and social activities.
Similarly, a small proportion of schools at other levels may also conduct some form of testing after the June holidays for their students in graduating levels, to help them consolidate their learning in June and pace their revision leading up to national examinations.
Our schools are mindful of the need to strike a balance between catering to students' academic and CCA needs, as well as their socio-emotional well-being. The decision to have examinations after the vacation is made after considering the different options available to address their students' overall needs and also to minimise stress.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number and Costs of Household Surveys","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"56 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) from 2011 to 2015, what has been the number of household surveys commissioned by the People's Association; (b) what is the purpose of the surveys; and (c) what is the total cost of the surveys, cash incentives and NTUC Fairprice vouchers given to participating households in the surveys.
Mr Chan Chun Sing (for the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth): The People's Association (PA) promotes social cohesion and racial harmony amongst residents from all races, age groups and socio-economic backgrounds through many community programmes, courses and activities. To better serve the residents, PA conducts regular surveys to enable us to understand their needs, interests and satisfaction-level with our programmes and services.
Between 2011 and 2015, PA conducted eight nation-wide surveys. The total cost of these surveys was about $4 million. These services were procured in accordance with Government procurement procedures. The appointed vendors follow industry practice in how they conduct their surveys and may issue tokens of appreciation to their respondents for participation. The vendors do not give cash incentives.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government's Efforts to Raise Awareness for Business Opportunities Offered by Multi-national Corporations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"58 Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) whether EDB can continue to directly promote more awareness of business opportunities arising from Singapore-based MNCs to local SME suppliers or through their relevant industry and trade associations.
Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Economic Development Board (EDB) actively encourages the MNCs it engages to partner local SMEs. Besides engaging MNCs in Singapore, EDB also facilitates regular visits by overseas-based MNC executives to assess possible partnerships with local SMEs in Singapore, including outsourcing opportunities. These will continue to be priorities for EDB.
For example, EDB and SPRING Singapore have been actively working with MNCs to groom promising SMEs and start-ups in the cleantech industry, including both the water and clean energy sectors. One such partnership that EDB and SPRING Singapore have facilitated is between Green Koncepts (a local SME offering energy management system solutions) and DNV GL (an MNC that offers testing, inspection and certification services for sectors, such as cleantech and marine and offshore). Under this partnership, Green Koncepts is developing building and home energy management solutions at NTU. If successful, these solutions could be exported to regional markets.
Our economic agencies also work with the Trade Associations and Chambers (TACs) to create networking opportunities between MNCs and SMEs through industry collaborative platforms and dedicated supplier conferences. For example, in conjunction with the Singapore Airshow 2016, EDB partnered SPRING Singapore and the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore) to organise an Airbus supplier conference. This conference was attended by over 30 Singapore-based companies, many of whom were new to the aerospace industry.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Traffic Accidents Involving Foreign-registered Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"59 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many traffic accidents involving foreign-registered vehicles have been reported in the last three years; and (b) what measures are in place to ensure that motorists of foreign-registered vehicles are held accountable for personal injury and/or vehicle damage in the event of a traffic accident in Singapore.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: In the last three years, there were about 1,100 accidents each year which involved foreign-registered vehicles.
If found responsible for causing an accident, motorists of foreign-registered vehicles are treated no differently from those of Singapore-registered vehicles in law. In other words, they are liable for damages incurred. In addition, the Motor Vehicles Act requires all vehicles used on Singapore roads, whether local or foreign-registered, to be insured against third-party bodily injury and death. To effect this for Malaysian-registered vehicles, the Motor Insurers' Bureau of Singapore (MIBS) has Special Agreements with Malaysian insurers to require that they settle claims against their insured who get into accidents in Singapore which involve deaths or injuries. In such cases, the MIBS will facilitate the third-party claimants from Singapore to file their claims with the insurers in Malaysia.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Relaxation on Car Loan Restrictions and Raising of Car Park Charges on Building of Car-lite Society","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"60 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the policies to promote a car-lite society, including but not limited to assessing the impact of (i) the latest relaxation of car loans; and (ii) raising public car park charges on car ownership.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: A car-lite society needs to be underpinned by a good public transport system which makes it unnecessary for people to own cars. To this end, we have made significant improvements in our rail and bus services. Our rail network is being built up at an unprecedented pace and will double to 360 km by 2030. Since 2012, we have expanded our train fleet by 50% and our bus fleet by 25%. As a result, train and bus rides are now less crowded, more comfortable and convenient, with shorter waiting and travelling times. We are also working hard to improve the reliability of our rail system. We are making steady progress, but there is still room for improvement.
We have also taken significant steps to improve the first- and last-mile connection between homes and transport hubs. We have built 17 km of sheltered walkways and 57 km of cycling paths. We aim to build about 150 km more sheltered walkways under our Walk2Ride programme by 2018 and about 130 km more cycling paths by 2020. Just this past weekend, the Prime Minister graced the launch of Phase One of Ang Mo Kio Walking and Cycling Town, which we hope can be a model for all towns in the future. Earlier this year, the Government accepted the Active Mobility Advisory Panel's recommendations on cycling and the use of personal mobility devices. Greater certainty on the rules and norms will encourage more people to cycle for short commutes.
Despite our investments in public transport and active mobility, we recognise that, sometimes, it may still be more convenient for commuters to take personalised, point-to-point transport. We have taken some steps to enhance taxi and private hire car services. Recently, LTA signed a partnership with one of Europe’s largest car-sharing operator to implement an electric vehicle car sharing programme in Singapore, which will see 1,000 shared cars on our roads within 10 years.
Private cars will continue to have a role in our car-lite society. However, it is important that the cost of driving, particularly the land-take for roads and parking, be accurately reflected. The increase in car park charges by HDB and URA has this in mind. Our public parking rates have remained unchanged for more than 10 years, while the cost of building, operating and managing car parks has increased by 40%. Even after the increase, our public parking rates remain lower, compared to other global cities, such as London, New York and Tokyo. In due course, we will also review car parking provisions for buildings and developments.
MAS has explained that the car loan restrictions introduced in 2013 were a cyclical response to reduce inflationary pressures and over-borrowing from the strong demand for cars. As inflationary pressures have receded and outstanding motor vehicle loans have declined, MAS has reset the car loan restrictions to levels more appropriate for the longer term. This reset does not affect our move to a car-lite society. We would still want to see a reduction in the growth of the car population and will be reviewing the vehicle growth rate next year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Coverage for Third-Party Claims under HDB Fire Insurance Scheme","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"61 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider making it mandatory to cover third-party claims under the HDB Fire Insurance Scheme.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Currently, all flat owners with an outstanding housing loan from HDB are required to take up a basic fire insurance policy under the HDB Fire Insurance Scheme.
The HDB fire insurance policy provides basic coverage for the reinstatement cost of the building structures and fixtures, in the event of a fire. It does not cover renovation or third-party liability, in order to keep the premium low and affordable. This is in line with the market practice for private properties where the bank is the mortgagee.
However, flat owners who wish to take up additional insurance cover for third-party liability have the flexibility to do so with an insurer of their choice.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Local Employees Covered under Portable Medical Benefits Options Eligible for Higher Tax Deductions","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"63 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) how many local employees are currently covered under each of the three portable medical benefits options listed by the Ministry that are eligible for higher tax deductions; (b) how many local employees have been affected by moving from an employer providing portable medical benefits to an employer that does not; and (c) whether the Government will consider implementing a higher tax deduction limit for employers who provide medical benefits under the Transferable Medical Insurance Scheme (TMIS) for their local employees.
Mr Lim Swee Say: Ensuring that Singaporean workers have adequate medical coverage in employment and post-employment is an important priority for the Government. At the national level, the Government ensures portable medical benefits through mandatory Medisave contributions by employers and employees. These contributions will remain with the employee even after he stops work or changes employer. Tax incentives were also introduced in 2004 and 2008 to encourage provision of additional portable medical benefits on a voluntary basis at the company level.
However, the take-up rate of the voluntary portable medical benefits at the company level has not been high. Our last survey in 2013 showed that about 4% of companies employing about 20% of our local workers have done so. Even with the tax incentives, many employers prefer to continue with their own non-portable medical benefits which are more cost-effective in attracting and retaining workers who are mostly healthy adults of working age.
Moving forward, with the introduction of MediShield Life in November 2015, the tripartite partners are actively pursuing MediShield Life as the main platform for voluntary portable medical benefits provided by employers.
MediShield Life is universal and employees can pay for their premiums using Medisave contributions. With MediShield Life, all our local workers can be assured that their medical coverage, including for pre-existing illnesses, would follow them, regardless of any change in employment status or employer. More importantly, the annual claim limit has been raised significantly and the lifetime claim limit has been removed.
These enhancements have given greater assurance to workers and added impetus to tripartite efforts to encourage the voluntary adoption of portable medical benefits by companies. Of the various portable medical benefits options, our focus going forward will be to encourage employers to make additional contributions to employees' Medisave accounts. We have started by including this in the Tripartite Guidelines on Re-employment of Older Employees released in May 2016. The tripartite partners will continue to work closely to encourage more employers to offer voluntary portable medical benefits at the company level.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Payment of CPF Contributions and Workfare Income Supplement to Prison Inmates and Disabled Adults","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"64 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry mandates the payment of CPF contributions and Workfare Income Supplement to (i) prison inmates who undergo in-prison training to get them ready for work as well as those who undergo work programmes in prison; and (ii) disabled adults at organisations like the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore who do work for social enterprise programmes.
Mr Lim Swee Say: In general, all Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents are required to make CPF contributions if they earn an income from two categories of work in Singapore.
The first category refers to those who are working under Contracts of Service, where there is an employee-employer relationship, and who earn more than $50 per month.
The second category refers to those who are Self-Employed Persons and whose net trade income is more than $6,000 per year.
CPF contributions are mandated for persons with disabilities who do work for social enterprise programmes if the work arrangements fall under the two categories above. For example, the centres run by the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) currently enable the training of persons with disabilities in social enterprises. There is no employer-employee relationship between MINDS and the person with disabilities. CPF contributions are not required to be made by or on behalf of these persons with disabilities.
Work programmes in prison are part of the overall inmate rehabilitation programme. The work programmes serve to keep the inmates meaningfully occupied during their prison term and prepare inmates for employment upon their release. Participation in such work programmes is voluntary and inmates can ask to cease participation at any time. Prison inmates do not work under a Contract of Service and there is no employer-employee relationship between the Government and the inmate. CPF contributions are not required to be made by or on behalf of these prison inmates.
The Workfare Income Supplement (WIS) supplements the income and CPF savings of eligible Singaporeans aged 35 and above. This age criterion for WIS is waived for persons with disabilities.
Persons with disabilities can qualify for WIS if they make the necessary CPF contributions in line with their work arrangements. Prison inmates who participate in work programmes can likewise qualify for WIS if they make the necessary contributions to their CPF Medisave accounts.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulations for F&B Outlets to Display Calorie and Nutrition Information on Menus","subTitle":"Measures for war on diabetes","sectionType":"WANA","content":"65 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider regulations for food and beverage outlets to display calorie and nutrition information on their menus as part of its war on diabetes and countering rising obesity.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Evidence from other countries suggests that requiring calorie labels on menus can be effective in reducing the number of calories consumed, if consumers are aware of the labels and understand how to use them. Calorie labels also help to incentivise food and beverage businesses to modify their recipes and offer lower calorie options on their menus.
We have made some progress on this front in Singapore. Restaurants, such as Dian Xiao Er and The Soup Spoon, have shown the calorie values for all their menu items. Food court operators like Kopitiam have also done so at selected outlets. Other operators, such as Foodfare and Koufu, highlight the calorie value of their healthier dishes, while McDonald's and Subway provide calorie information online. There is scope to do more in this area and we will continue to work with the food and beverage industry to provide Singaporeans with a larger variety of healthier meal options.
The Diabetes Prevention and Care Taskforce will study Mr Zaqy Mohamad's proposal in consultation with our stakeholders, including hawkers and small businesses, and look at how we can balance the benefits and associated costs of implementation. I thank the Member for his suggestion.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cycling for Students","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"69 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) (a) whether the Ministry will offer cycling lessons among its list of activities for students in Primary and Secondary schools; and (b) whether there is any survey done to find out what percentage of our students cycle to schools.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: MOE’s primary focus on cycling is on safety. As part of the Physical Education curriculum in Primary schools, students learn about personal safety and safety of others as a cyclist as well as a pedestrian. This is taught in Primary 3. In addition, MOE is collaborating with LTA to offer a cycling safety enrichment programme to students in Secondary schools who are able to cycle. This would be a voluntary programme where students would be taught safe cycling practices. We currently have no specific plans to offer cycling lessons in our schools beyond this cycling safety enrichment programme.
MOE has not carried out any survey on the number of students who cycle to school. From schools' observations, this number is small. Nevertheless, MOE will continue to work with partner agencies, such as LTA and Traffic Police, to improve road safety infrastructure around schools to keep our students and other road users safe, including students who cycle to school. MOE will also continue to monitor the traffic situation and design programmes to promote student safety.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of Starting Train Operations Later on Sundays on Workers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"70 Ms K Thanaletchimi asked the Minister for Transport with the delayed commencement of MRT trains affecting 13 train stations on Sundays with effect from June (a) how many commuters, especially workers, will be affected; (b) whether more bus services will ply along the train route with minimum inconvenience to workers commencing work at 7 am or earlier; and (c) whether the Ministry will work with the affected sectors, such as the hospitals, to assist healthcare workers commuting via public transport and who commence work at 7 am.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The temporary change in operating hours on Sunday mornings may affect about 13,000 passengers. I would like to thank the affected commuters for their understanding and patience. The additional hour per week will allow the train maintenance staff to speed up the on-going track renewal works.
LTA has assessed that there are adequate bus services plying the affected stretch. Nonetheless, we will be adding an interim bus service, with a frequency of 10 minutes, running between Bukit Gombak and Joo Koon via Jurong East. We will monitor the situation closely and adjust our measures to mitigate the impact on commuters.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Extension of Free MRT Travel to Ease Peak-hour Travel","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"71 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the free travel to CBD MRT stations will be extended in its coming review; (b) how many commuters have benefited from this scheme since it was launched; (c) what is the percentage of improvement it has contributed to peak-hour travel; and (d) whether the scheme can be extended to more stations in non-CBD areas serving the industrial and business parks.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: We recently announced that the Free Pre-peak Travel scheme will be extended to June 2017. Around 65,000 commuters benefit from the scheme daily. The number of morning peak hour exits at the designated city centre stations has fallen by about 7%, with the ratio of peak to pre-peak exits falling from 2.7 to 2.1.
The Free Pre-peak Travel scheme is aimed at reducing crowding along the most congested stretches of our rail network during the morning peak period, which are primarily city-bound trips. We started the Travel Smart Rewards Programme to complement the Free Pre-peak Travel scheme. Under Travel Smart, commuters travelling to MRT stations outside the city area can earn credits for travelling outside peak periods. For commuters who consistently travel off-peak, the Off-Peak Monthly Travel Passes offer further discounts over the regular monthly travel passes.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Automatic PR Status for Foreign Spouses of Singapore Citizens with One Singapore Citizen Child","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"72 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs whether foreign spouses of Singapore Citizens and who have at least one Singapore Citizen child together can be granted Permanent Residence automatically after a specified period of time so that the Singaporean family can be complete and stable.
Mr K Shanmugam: Permanent Residence (PR) is not automatically granted to foreigners who are married to Singaporean Citizens (SCs). Each PR application is evaluated holistically on a range of criteria, such as the financial ability of the SC spouse to support the foreign spouse. The fact that there are SC children from the marriage would be a plus factor.
Foreign spouses who do not qualify for PR yet may be granted a Long-Term Visit Pass (LTVP) or Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus (LTVP+) for them to remain in Singapore with their families. Those who are granted LTVP and LTVP+ are allowed to seek employment to help support their families.
In 2015, ICA implemented the Pre-Marriage LTVP Assessment (PMLA). The PMLA provides greater clarity, prior to marriage, on whether the foreign spouse can qualify for long-term stay in Singapore. It helps prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples better plan for the future. Prospective Singaporean-foreigner couples are strongly encouraged to undergo the PMLA before marriage.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Enforcement Actions against Cluttering of Common Space at HDB Flats and Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"74 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for National Development whether there are national level plans to take enforcement action on the cluttering issue in common spaces of HDB flats and housing estates.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Town Councils manage and maintain common areas in HDB estates. They enforce by-laws that regulate the use of the common property, including the placing of objects at common areas. These by-laws are typically guided by Singapore Civil Defence Force's guidelines on fire safety.
HDB, as well as many Town Councils, also carry out public education to remind residents about the risk posed by clutter in common areas.
At the same time, residents can play their part by keeping the common areas clean and free from clutter, to ensure a safe living environment for all.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Incentives and Grants to Help Construction Companies Manage Labour Costs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"76 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development, given the construction sector's heavy reliance on foreign manpower, what are the specific incentives and grants available to help businesses in the construction sector, especially SMEs, to cope with the increase in the foreign worker levy.
Mr Lawrence Wong: To shift the construction industry away from a reliance on foreign manpower, BCA uses a combination of higher foreign worker levy and grants and incentives to encourage the adoption of productive construction methods.
Since 2010, close to $800 million of funding has been made available to firms through the Construction Productivity and Capability Fund (CPCF). The CPCF supports firms in the built environment sector in areas of workforce development and technology adoption. To date, $400 million have been committed to fund projects undertaken by more than 8,000 firms, of which 90% are small and medium-sized firms.
The Workforce Training and Upgrading Scheme, funded through the CPCF, provides up to 90% funding support for firms to upgrade their local employees. Firms can also receive up to 80% funding support to train and upgrade their Basic Skilled R2 workers, to Higher Skilled R1 workers. In addition, there is a suite of scholarship and sponsorship programmes to help firms attract and develop their local workforce.
Besides worker training, companies can also receive funding support to mechanise their operations and adopt productive technologies and processes.
We encourage the industry to continue tapping on the incentives and grants available to improve construction productivity.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Making Overhead Pedestrian Bridges Elder- and Disabled-friendly","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"79 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Transport (a) to date, what is the number of overhead bridges that have lifts; and (b) what are the alternative solutions to make overhead bridges, especially those found in mature estates, elderly- and handicap- friendly if lifts and ramps cannot be installed for some reason.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Today, 33 pedestrian overhead bridges have lifts. LTA is installing lifts at 34 more bridges by 2018 and 50 more bridges after that. We will then review the situation for the subsequent phases. We will prioritise bridges near places, such as transport hubs, hospitals, polyclinics, welfare homes, homes for the aged and schools for children with special needs.
For bridges that are regularly used by the elderly and physically disabled, if it is impossible to install lifts because of location constraints, we will explore alternatives like street-level crossings.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Police Guidelines for Handling Complaints of Noise and Neighbour Disputes in Condominiums","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"80 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the current guidelines for the police when handling complaints of noise and neighbour disputes within condominiums.
Mr K Shanmugam: Noise complaints among neighbours, whether in condominiums or other types of housing, are often related to underlying problems, such as disputes, inconsiderate behaviour or intolerance. Such problems are best addressed through a community-based approach, where community partners, Government agencies and grassroots leaders work together to settle such disputes.
First, we must promote good neighbourliness to prevent disputes from arising, as residents on friendly terms are more likely to be considerate and tolerant of differences. Second, we encourage mediation to mend relationships where disputing parties find it difficult to resolve issues on their own. Third, we provide options of legal recourse as a last resort. The Community Dispute Resolution Tribunals (CDRTs) were established in 2015 to provide simple and specialised Court processes to help neighbours resolve disputes.
A Police response should only be considered where there are law-and-order concerns – for instance, when the noise arises from fights or large congregations that pose safety and security concerns. In such cases that warrant Police's attention, Police would dispatch frontline resources to maintain law and order.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Home Protection Scheme for All HDB Flat Owners with Outstanding Home Loans","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"81 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development what is the status of the review to make it compulsory for all HDB flat owners servicing their housing loans to take up the Home Protection Scheme (HPS).
Mr Lawrence Wong: Currently, it is mandatory for HDB flat owners who use CPF monies to service their loans to take up the Home Protection Scheme (HPS) or similar mortgage insurance. Six in 10 of all HDB flat owners with outstanding loans belong to this category.
Among the remaining four in 10 HDB flat owners who do not use CPF to service their loans, 43% of them have already opted for HPS voluntarily. There may also be others who have taken up mortgage insurance from the private sector.
We recognise the importance of mortgage insurance, as it ensures that surviving family members are protected in the event of death, terminal illness or total permanent disability of the flat owner before the housing loans are paid up. MND and MOM are, therefore, reviewing the extension of mandatory HPS or similar insurance to HDB flat owners who do not use CPF monies to service their housing loans.
As part of this review, we are studying factors, such as the affordability of premiums and measures to minimise lapses in paying for the premiums, before making a decision on this matter.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Take-up Rate for 2-room HDB Flats","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"82 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for National Development as of June 2016 (a) what is the number of 2-room HDB flats, including studio apartments, that have been built and left unsold; (b) what is the percentage of 2-room flats on 99-year lease versus flexi-lease that have been sold; and (c) what is the number of flexi-lease 2-room flats, including studio apartments, that have been returned to HDB and what are the main reasons for such returns.
Mr Lawrence Wong: As of June 2016, there are about 2,200 2-room Flexi flats, including studio apartments (SAs), which are unsold. About 40% of these are completed while 60% are still under construction. These flats make up about 7% of the total number of 2-room Flexi flats and SAs that HDB has offered. About 60% of these units have been offered in the last two Sale of Balance Flats exercises and are pending selection.
Since HDB introduced 2-room Flexi flats in the November 2015 sales exercise, 70% of the units were bought on 99-year leases while 30% were bought on short leases.
As of June 2016, no 2-room Flexi flat bought on short leases has been returned to HDB, while about 540 SAs have been returned to HDB. The main reasons for these returns were demise of the owner or the owners moving to stay with their family.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Investigation into Engine Fire on SQ368","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"83 Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked the Minister for Transport if he can provide an update on the investigation into the cause of the engine fire on SQ368 on 27 June 2016, including whether pre-flight checks have been conducted properly, and what is being done to ensure that a similar incident does not happen again.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: We are taking the incident on 27 June 2016 involving SQ368 very seriously, notwithstanding the fact that there were no casualties and that airport operations returned to normal in a matter of hours.
The Air Accident Investigation Bureau of Singapore (AAIB) has already started its investigations into the incident. Its aim is to establish the cause and make recommendations to prevent recurrence.
The investigation is being conducted in accordance with protocols set by the International Civil Aviation Organization. The investigation team includes accredited representatives from the US National Transportation Safety Board and technical advisers from the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing and engine manufacturer General Electric. The AAIB investigation covers issues, such as aircraft operations, aircraft maintenance, training, the design and manufacture of the aircraft and engine, human factors, as well as regulatory oversight.
Separately, as the safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is also conducting its own investigations to ensure the continued safety of air travel. Its investigations include reviewing whether the aircraft and engine were well maintained and whether the flight operations and emergency response were conducted in accordance with regulatory requirements and procedures. CAAS' preliminary findings are that the pre-flight aircraft checks were carried out properly and by qualified personnel.
We expect the AAIB investigation to take approximately six months, as the engine and its components will need to be taken apart carefully and examined. It is our intention for the findings of the investigation to be made public. In the meantime, CAAS has worked with Singapore Airlines to ensure that all safety procedures continue to be strictly adhered to on all its flights.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Making Traffic Light Crossings at Junctions Safer for Pedestrians","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"84 Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked the Minister for Transport with regard to T- or X-junctions where vehicles are allowed to turn right when the traffic light is green while pedestrians are crossing (a) how many injuries and fatalities have occurred at these junctions in the last five years; and (b) where there are green arrows at such junctions, on average, how long do they remain on green and approximately how many cars are allowed to turn.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: There are 1,451 signalised T- and X-junctions where motorists are allowed to turn right while pedestrians are crossing. From 2011 to 2015, there were a total of 14 fatalities and 319 injuries which involved pedestrians and cyclists being hit by right-turning vehicles at such junctions.
To enhance the safety of our junctions, LTA is installing more measures, such as traffic light timings that give pedestrians a head-start in crossing the road and additional road markings and signs, to alert right-turning vehicles to the presence of pedestrians crossing the road.
At most signalised junctions where vehicles are allowed to turn right when pedestrians are crossing, the right-turn green arrow is on for between five and 12 seconds, which allow about three to six vehicles per lane to turn right.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Provision of Vehicle's Certificate of Insurance to Drivers of Private Hire Cars","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WANA","content":"86 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider requiring private hire car leasing companies to provide their drivers each with a certified original copy of the vehicle's Certificate of Insurance to ensure that drivers are fully aware of their own accident excess liabilities and other vehicle-related risks.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: It is the drivers' responsibility to ensure that they apprise themselves fully of the car's insurance coverage, liabilities and other terms and conditions, before entering into an agreement with the car leasing company. We will also bring their attention to it by including it in the curriculum for the Private Hire Car Driver Vocational Licence.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Posting of Job Openings in Public Service on National Jobs Bank","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"1 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Prime Minister whether all job openings in the Public Service can be posted not just on Careers@Gov but on the National Jobs Bank which is a portal to encourage job postings by all employers other than those mandated under the Fair Consideration Framework.
Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): Currently, Public Service agencies have to separately prepare and post up job advertisements on the Careers@Gov portal and Jobs Bank if they wish to advertise the same job on both portals. Notwithstanding this, Public Service agencies have been posting an average of 268 jobs on Jobs Bank per month, which is about 21% of total public sector jobs advertised.
To make the process more convenient, PSD is working with WDA to build an interface between Careers@Gov portal and Jobs Bank. The interface allows job advertisements on Careers@Gov portal to be easily copied to Jobs Bank. This is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans for Wider Use of Automated Vehicle Systems in Transport System","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"2 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are plans to incorporate a wider use of automated vehicle systems into our transport system; (b) how energy-efficient and cost-effective are these systems; and (c) what plans are there to help drivers who may be inevitably displaced.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: There is a broad spectrum of automated vehicle systems. Driverless trains have been in use in our MRT and LRT networks for more than 15 years. As for self-driving vehicles that can travel freely on public roads, the technology is advancing rapidly. My Ministry is leading a Committee on Automated Road Transport for Singapore, comprising public and private sector members, to chart the development and deployment of the technology in Singapore. Four major initiatives are being pursued concurrently.
First, we are working with industry and research institutions to develop and trial self-driving buses. Second, we are planning for fleets of self-driving pods to provide on-demand, point-to-point mobility services for first-and-last-mile travel in the neighbourhood, and will be trialling them in Sentosa and One-North for a start. Third, we are working with PSA to trial truck-platooning between our port terminals, where one driven container truck can lead a few other driverless ones following behind. Fourth, we are working with the National Environment Agency (NEA) to develop and trial self-driving utility vehicles such as for road cleaning, and these can be deployed for service during the wee hours, reducing road congestion.
The technology is expected to improve cost effectiveness of the respective operations in the long run. However, as it is still evolving, it is premature to say by how much.
Singapore faces a shortage of bus, truck and other drivers. In the near term, automation can help alleviate some of this shortage. However, there may, indeed, come a day in the further future when the need for driving is substantially reduced. We will then need to equip existing drivers with new skills for different vocations.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on Malaysian Cars Entering and Leaving Singapore and Traffic Offences Committed","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"3 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Transport (a) how many Malaysian cars have entered and left Singapore each year from 2010 to 2015; and (b) how many traffic offences involving Malaysian cars have there been during this time.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: From 2010 to 2015, Malaysia-registered cars made an average of 4,000,000 trips to Singapore each year. In the same period, foreign-registered cars were involved in an average of 11,000 traffic offences each year.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Erection of Noise Barriers between Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak MRT Stations","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"4 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for Transport (a) when will noise barriers be set up between Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak MRT stations; (b) what are the locations of these barriers; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider the inclusion of new BTO developments, such as Keat Hong Pride and Keat Hong Crest, in the implementation of these noise barriers due to their close proximity to the MRT tracks.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: LTA will call the tenders to install noise barriers near the residential blocks between Chua Chu Kang and Bukit Gombak MRT stations in the second half of this year. The noise barriers will be installed at viaducts fronting:
(a) Block 369 to Block 338, and Block 383 to Block 395, Bukit Batok West Avenue 5;
(b) Block 296D to Block 297D, and Block 272 to Block 279, Chua Chu Kang Avenue 2;
(c) Block 224 to Block 223, Chua Chu Kang Central; and
(d) Block 353 to Block 355, Chua Chu Kang Loop.
New residential developments that are close to existing railway viaducts, including Keat Hong Pride and Keat Hong Crest, must comply with setback and noise mitigation requirements. These should be able to address the noise issue adequately.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Need for Pram-friendly Buses","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"5 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport as the current design of wheelchair-accessible buses does not provide for means to secure open prams and LTA has deemed it safer for the caregiver to be seated with the child in his or her arms and the pram folded, how can LTA help to ensure inclusiveness in our public transport system to better cater to the needs of families with young children.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: I agree with the Member that our public transport system must be inclusive and cater to the needs of different commuters, including families with young children. Our bus captains and MRT station staff are trained to assist passengers with strollers. We have priority seats for young children and their caregivers. LTA, together with our bus operators, is also studying ways of safely securing strollers on board our buses.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Review of Need for Inspection of New Cars from Third Year Onwards","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"6 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry will consider reviewing the current practice of subjecting registered new cars for inspection from the third year onwards to the fourth year instead as increasingly there have been new improvements in car designs and higher safety standards in vehicles; and (b) whether inspection works done by authorised car dealers who provide servicing and maintenance of fairly new vehicles can also qualify as approved inspection works and their reports taken as a proxy for the third year instead of sending the vehicle to an inspection centre.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The inspection passing rate for three-year-old cars is about 93% and has not improved in the last five years. This is despite new car designs and technological features. There is, therefore, no strong case for conducting the first inspection in the fourth rather than the third year.
LTA's authorised inspection centres do not provide vehicle repair and maintenance services. This allows them to be independent and objective in their inspection and removes any possibility of a conflict of interest. This is not the case for motor dealers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Female Bus Captains Employed by Public Bus Operators","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"7 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the breakdown in numbers of female bus captains currently employed by the four public bus operators; and (b) whether LTA has any plans to work with the public bus operators to recruit more women to join the bus captain profession, especially those seeking to re-enter the workforce.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The four public bus operators currently employ 575 female bus captains, of whom 404 are in SBS Transit, 142 in SMRT Corporation, 26 in Tower Transit Singapore, and three in Go-Ahead Singapore. They make up about 6% of the total number of bus captains.
LTA has been working with the operators to recruit more local bus captains, including women. For example, SBS Transit and SMRT Corporation have introduced part-time employment schemes which can appeal to those who need some work schedule flexibility because of family commitments. Tower Transit Singapore and Go-Ahead Singapore offer female employees up to 26 weeks of paid maternity leave. Tower Transit Singapore also offers female employees an enhanced maternity benefit of $300 to $700 annually, as well as additional childcare leave.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Green Man Plus Scheme at Pedestrian Crossing along Potong Pasir Avenue 1","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"8 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport whether the implementation of the Green Man Plus Scheme at the pedestrian crossing along Potong Pasir Avenue 1 between blocks 109 and 141 that is currently scheduled for June 2017 can be done earlier so as to aid the elderly and disabled residents living in the vicinity.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: LTA prioritises its implementation of Green Man Plus in areas where there is a high number of elderly residents. LTA will look into whether it is possible to expedite the implementation at Potong Pasir Avenue 1.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Determination of COE Quota for Category D Vehicles","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"9 Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng asked the Minister for Transport (a) how is the COE quota for Category D vehicles being determined; and (b) what is the long-term trend of the allowable motorcycle population in Singapore in view of the needs of low-income workers to own motorcycles due to their work requirements.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The number of Category D COEs available for bidding every quarter is based on the number of motorcycles deregistered in the preceding quarter. Adjustments are then made to account for the allowable growth rate for the vehicle population, cancelled and expired COEs, as well as contributions to the Open Category. It is no different from how we derive quotas for the other COE categories.
The number of motorcycles we should allow in Singapore is tied to how much we can grow our overall vehicle population, which will, ultimately, be limited by our land constraints. In this regard, at some point, we will have to bring the allowable vehicle growth rate to zero. By giving motorcycles a distinct COE category, Category D, we have limited the extent to which motorcycles will be replaced by cars within the vehicle population. We have also reduced the contribution by various COE categories, including Category D to the Open Category from 25% just a few years ago, to 10% currently. We will continue to monitor the trend of Category D quotas and make further adjustments if necessary.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Taxi Stand in Vicinity of Blocks 216 to 222 at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"10 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport whether a taxi stand can be implemented at a suitable location in the vicinity of blocks 216 to 222 at Lorong 8 Toa Payoh at the request of the residents who reside in the area.
Mr Khaw Boon Wan: We build taxi stands in locations where there is high taxi demand, to facilitate pick-up and reduce disruption to traffic flow. As the taxi demand along Lorong 8 Toa Payoh is relatively irregular and low, it would be difficult to justify building a taxi stand there.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cybersecurity Measures in Place at Key Installations and Critical Infrastructures","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"11 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Communications and Information what are the cybersecurity measures in place in key institutions and installations, such as the stock exchange, airports, seaports, MRT stations, power stations and other critical infrastructure, to ensure that the systems and networks of these institutions and installations are protected from cyberattacks.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) adopts a sectorial approach to ensure Critical Information Infrastructure (CII) is protected from cyber threats. It does this by working closely with regulators in the 11 CII sectors (Aviation, Banking and Finance, Energy, Government, Healthcare, Infocomm, Land Transport, Maritime, Media, Security and Emergency Services, and Water). The 11 sector regulators, in turn, ensure that entities that operate CII facilities have adequate plans to deal with the cyber threat.
To validate the sector and operator plans, CSA conducts cybersecurity exercises with and across critical sectors. This year, CSA conducted a multi-sector exercise, codenamed Cyber Star. The exercise validated the incident management capabilities of CSA and four critical sectors (Banking & Finance, Energy, Government and Infocomm) to deal with a large-scale cyberattack. CSA will continue to conduct exercises to validate the plans of other sectors and also enhance the sophistication of the exercise scenarios.
CSA is currently developing a National Cybersecurity Strategy, and the protection of CIIs from cyber threats will be an important part of the strategy. In 2017, we intend to introduce a new Cybersecurity Act that will enhance and improve existing rules on CIIs in the areas of protection, information sharing and incident response.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Government Expenditure on Advertisements and Sponsored Posts on Online Media Platforms","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"12 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Communications and Information (a) for each year from 2011 to 2015, how much has the Government spent on advertisements and sponsored posts on online media platforms, including but not limited to Facebook, YouTube and Google; and (b) what is the breakdown of this spending by each Ministry.
Assoc Prof Dr Yaacob Ibrahim: The Government does not keep track of the total amount Ministries spend on online advertisements. However, MCI itself spent approximately $4.3 million last year (or 0.5% of our operating budget) on digital advertisements to support a wide range of major policies and initiatives, such as the Pioneer Generation Package, SkillsFuture, Marriage and Parenthood and Integration issues. This was spread out across multiple online media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Google.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Regulars, NSmen and NSFs Diagnosed with Mental Health Problems","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"13 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Defence (a) for each year from 2011, what is the breakdown of numbers of regulars, NSmen and NSFs diagnosed with mental health problems as a result of or aggravated due to service; (b) how does the SAF train its commanders to identify and support personnel with mental health issues and ensure compliance with the necessary protocols; and (c) whether the SAF takes responsibility for the treatment and compensation for such cases, including that for servicemen who have left service.
Dr Ng Eng Hen: The SAF is a microcosm of Singapore society as we enlist males for full-time National Service and In-Camp Training thereafter. The incidence of mental health conditions among NSFs is about 4% and is lower than the 7% national incidence of Singaporeans aged 18-34, reported in a 2012 study by the Institute of Mental Health3.
Many factors can predispose an individual to mental health problems which include individual, familial and relationship factors and may not be related to his place of work or service. Whatever the cause, the SAF's goal is to ensure the mental and physical well-being of its servicemen through a multi-prong approach. Training is conducted for commanders to enhance their understanding of mental health problems, so that they can better identify and manage servicemen with such problems which include referral to trained professionals. Servicemen with known mental health conditions before enlistment are monitored and provided with counselling and medical treatment. There are also dedicated psychologists at the formation level. In addition, servicemen can call a 24-hour SAF Counselling Hotline whenever they need help.
Compensation for injuries, both mental and physical, sustained in the course of service follows closely the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) but is generally more generous in amounts paid. Medical expenses incurred for the treatment of the condition at Government and restructured hospitals or clinics are also paid as long as treatment is required, even after the serviceman has left service.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["3 : Chong SA, Abdin E, Vaingankar JA, Heng D, Sherbourne C, Yap M, Lim YW, Wong HB, Ghosh-Dastidar B, Kwok KW, Subramaniam M. A Population-based Survey of Mental Disorders in Singapore. Annals Academy of Medicine, Singapore. 2012. 41(2): 49-66."],"footNoteQuestions":["13"],"questionNo":"13"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Involvement of Phone Scam Suspects Arrested Overseas in Phone Scams in Singapore","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"14 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the phone scam suspects arrested recently by several countries have also been involved in Singapore's phone scam; (b) if so, how do the authorities work with the international agencies to bring them to justice; and (c) whether the suspects can be tried in Singapore if found to have committed the phone scam crime in Singapore, especially where there are Singaporean victims.
Mr K Shanmugam: The widespread use of social media and messaging platforms on mobile phones has given rise to new scam tactics. Scams are now being committed not just through phone conversations but also over the Internet accessed through mobile phones. Such scams include credit-for-sex scam, Internet love scam, kidnap hoax scam and lottery scam. There were 2,450 of such cases in 2015, as compared to 1,015 cases in 2014.
These cases are typically committed by sophisticated scam syndicates based overseas. The transnational nature of these crimes present significant enforcement challenges. The syndicates know that such transnational crimes are not easy to solve. They hide behind the anonymity of the Internet platforms, leverage the ease of online payment and choose victims that are not from the country where the syndicate is based.
Where foreign law enforcement agencies are willing to cooperate, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) will work closely with them to take action against these overseas syndicates. In 2015, the SPF conducted a joint investigation with the Ministry of Public Security of the People's Republic of China into a credit-for-sex scam syndicate that targeted Singaporean victims. The syndicate operated from China, using social media platforms to deceive Singaporean victims into paying money for non-existent sexual services. According to the Chinese Police, this syndicate may have also targeted victims in Australia. As a result of the joint investigation, the Chinese Police conducted successful raids at various locations in China that led to the arrest of 43 individuals. These individuals will be dealt with by the Chinese authorities.
The best defence against the online and phone scammer is prevention. Together with the National Crime Prevention Council, the Police will continue with its public education and outreach efforts to create more public awareness about the various scam tactics. Members of the public are advised to exercise caution and vigilance to avoid falling victim to such scams.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Deployment of Auxiliary Police Officers and CCTVs at Liquor Control Zone in Little India","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"15 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) deployed and the number of CCTVs installed at the Liquor Control Zone (LCZ) in Little India; and (b) whether the APOs conduct vertical foot patrols of the staircase landings of HDB blocks within the LCZ.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Police deploy APOs and Security Officers (SOs) in Little India on a daily basis to deter crime and disamenities such as urination, littering and spitting. During the peak periods on weekend nights, eves of public holidays and public holidays, more than 90 APOs and SOs are deployed. This is in addition to the Police officers on patrol.
Currently, there are 34 Police Camera Zone CCTV cameras installed within the Little India LCZ and SPF has plans to install an additional 50 cameras in this zone by the end of the year.
The APOs and SOs will patrol the common areas, as well as specific areas of concern. This includes the higher floors and staircase landings of HDB blocks where specific feedback has been received about congregations or disamenities.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Offenders Taken to Task for Consumption of Alcohol in Public Places during Restricted Hours","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"16 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Home Affairs since the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act came into effect on 1 April 2015, how many offenders have been taken to task for consuming alcohol in public places during restricted hours, particularly within the Liquor Control Zone in Little India.
Mr K Shanmugam: As of 31 May 2016, more than 1,800 individuals were found to be consuming liquor during restricted hours since the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act came into effect on 1 April 2015. Within the Liquor Control Zone in Little India, about 230 individuals were found to be consuming liquor during restricted hours.
Most of these individuals were first-time offenders and were issued with advisories. There were 48 repeat offenders island-wide, of which three were within the Little India Liquor Control Zone and they have all been offered composition fines. For subsequent repeat offences, SPF will commence investigations with the view to prosecute and the offenders will be subject to stricter penalties.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Cases Reported on Singapore Academy of Law Website","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"17 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Law (a) how does the Singapore Academy of Law decide on the cases to be reported on its website; (b) what is the duration for which the cases will remain on its website; (c) what are the requirements for their removal; and (d) whether Court of Appeal cases heard in overseas jurisdictions are included in the website or only those heard in Singapore.
Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Academy of Law (SAL) manages two websites which contain judgments, namely the Singapore Law Watch website (at www.singaporelawwatch.sg) (the SLW Website) and the Singapore Law website (at www.singaporelaw.sg) (the SgLaw Website).
According to SAL
(a) All judgments from the Supreme Court of Singapore are published on the SLW Website and the SgLaw Website. There is no selection process.
(b) Judgments from the Supreme Court of Singapore are published on the SLW Website for a period of three months and on the SgLaw Website in perpetuity.
(c) Judgments are redacted or not published only where this is required by law or by an order of Court.
(d) The SLW Website and the SgLaw Website only publish judgments from the Supreme Court of Singapore. They do not publish judgments from other jurisdictions.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Victim Compensation Orders Granted under Section 359 of Criminal Procedure Code","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"18 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Law (a) how many victim compensation orders have been granted by the Courts under section 359 of the Criminal Procedure Code in 2014 and 2015 respectively; (b) whether the Courts have made any orders of compensation against the prosecution or informant for frivolous or vexatious prosecutions under section 359(3); and (c) what is the range of compensation amounts awarded and for what types of offences.
Mr K Shanmugam: Section 359 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) allows for claims for compensation in criminal proceedings and makes it mandatory for a Court convicting a person of any offence to consider whether a compensation order should be made and the Court will make such compensation orders where appropriate. The number of victim compensation orders that were granted by the Courts under section 359 of the CPC in 2014 and 2015 can be found in the table below.
Of the compensation orders made in 2014 and 2015, 84% were made in relation to cases involving hurt, mischief, theft, cheating and criminal breach of trust. In 75% of all instances where compensation orders were made, the compensation amounts were less than $2,000. In the remaining instances, the compensation amounts were between $2,000 and $10,000, with one compensation order amounting to $57,000 (rounded) for a charge of criminal breach of trust.
The State Courts track the total number of compensation orders made under section 359 of the CPC. No breakdown is available on the number of orders made under the different sub-sections in that provision.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Young Persons Processed for Criminal Offences through State Courts","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"19 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Law (a) how many young persons aged between 16 and 18 years have been processed for criminal offences through the State Courts in the last three years; (b) which offence types have been most often charged against these young persons; and (c) what have been the most common types of sentences or orders made upon conviction of such persons.
Mr K Shanmugam: Between 2013 and 2015, 2,254 young persons aged between 16 and 18 years have been charged for criminal offences in the State Courts.
The most common types of offences which these young persons had been charged with are the offences of theft and cheating under the Penal Code, and offences under the Moneylenders Act, Tobacco (Control of Advertisements and Sale) Act and the Road Traffic Act.
While we continue to underscore the need to maintain law and order in our criminal justice system, we recognise the importance of rehabilitation as well for young offenders in appropriate cases. Between 2013 and 2015, 2,046 young persons aged between 16 and 18 years were convicted, of which close to half of these young persons were given probation (or probation and other types of sentences, such as a fine), while about 30% were sentenced to a fine (or a sentence of fine and disqualification from holding or obtaining a driving licence under the Road Traffic Act) and about 15% were sentenced to Reformative Training (or Reformative Training and other types of sentences such as a fine).
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Need for Upfront Settlement of Bills by Patients Fully Covered by Insurance Policies upon Discharge from Hospital","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"20 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the reason for holders of health insurance policies being required to pay first and be reimbursed later after they are discharged from hospitalisation even though they are fully covered by their insurance policies; and (b) whether the Ministry can look into streamlining the payment process for policy holders who are fully covered by their insurance plans.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: With the implementation of MediShield Life for all Singaporeans, we have streamlined our processes so that Singapore Citizens who choose Class B2 or C wards will not need to pay deposits. There is an exception of a small number of patients, who will need to pay a deposit if they choose Class B2 against financial counselling advice so as to encourage them to choose the class they can better afford. The public hospitals will also advise patients who need help with their healthcare bills and discuss with them options for assistance.
For private patients who choose private hospitals or Class A or B1 wards in the public hospitals, their bills are much higher as they do not enjoy the heavy subsidy for B2/C wards. Thus, hospitals may require them to make upfront payment, such as a deposit pre-admission, to cover their estimated hospitalisation cost. Once the bill and the insurance payout are finalised, they will be reimbursed for any excess payments.
Even if the patient has private insurance, hospitals have no certainty over the patient’s insurance payout, given the range of private insurance policies with different coverage, terms and exclusions for pre-existing conditions. Therefore, they may collect a deposit. However, hospitals may waive or reduce the deposit if the patient’s insurer issues an upfront Letter of Guarantee to cover all or part of the estimated bill. Today, all the six Integrated Shield Plan insurers issue Letters of Guarantee, usually with coverage of up to $10,000, if the patient meets their criteria.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Compliance with National Standards of Care in Nursing Homes","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"21 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there is a set of national standards to ensure that the care offered in nursing homes meets minimum standards for facilities, space, staff training, experience, hygiene, management and supervision; (b) whether there is third-party assessment by a national accreditation body to ensure compliance to such standards; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will consider implementing such a system.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: All nursing homes are licensed under the Private Hospitals & Medical Clinics (PHMC) Act. The licensing requirements cover standards in areas, such as medical and nursing care, facilities maintenance and up keeping and general hygiene.
MOH conducts regular checks to ensure that nursing homes meet the licensing requirements and care standards. MOH also engages independent auditors to further assess care standards in areas, such as infection control, wound care and nursing management, in the nursing homes. In addition, we have the Nursing Home Visitors Programme where volunteers will visit the nursing homes to obtain direct feedback from residents and their family members, as well as observe the living environment.
MOH regularly reviews and enhances the care standards in our nursing homes. In 2014, an industry-led workgroup was convened to develop enhanced nursing home standards in the areas of clinical care, social care and organisational excellence. The workgroup's recommendations were subsequently incorporated into licensing requirements in April 2015 and enforced with effect from April 2016.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Number of Singaporeans Who Have Signed Advanced Medical Directives","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"22 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of Singaporeans who have signed Advanced Medical Directives (AMDs) each year from 2010 to 2015; (b) what is the total cumulative number of Singaporeans who have signed AMDs; and (c) what is the total cumulative number of cases where healthcare institutions acted on AMDs.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: An Advance Medical Directive (AMD) is a legal document that enables a person to voluntarily and, in advance, register his or her wishes not to have any extraordinary life-sustaining treatment to prolong his or her life when the person becomes terminally ill and unconscious or unable to make a rational judgement on his or her own treatment.
The AMD was introduced in 1997. A cumulative total of 24,682 Singaporeans made an AMD between 1997 and 2015. During the same period, 10 AMDs were effected.
Between 2010 and 2015, the numbers of AMDs made by Singaporeans were listed in the table below.
Besides AMDs, Advance Care Planning (ACP) is also available and practised at hospitals. This allows forward planning for end-of-life care arrangements, such as the extent of medical treatment and place of death. Though not legally binding, the care preferences of the person are recorded as a document to guide medical professionals and family members in the care arrangements for the patient. We formally rolled out ACP through the Agency for Integrated Care in 2011. Between then and 2015, about 5,100 Advance Care Plans were completed.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Senior Citizens Diagnosed and Treated for Hearing Impairment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"23 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Health (a) between 2013 and 2015, how many senior citizens had been diagnosed with hearing loss requiring the use of hearing aids; (b) how many had applied for subsidies for hearing aids under the Seniors' Mobility and Enabling Fund (SMF); (c) how many had been granted a subsidy for hearing aids; and (d) what was the total amount of subsidy disbursed for hearing aids.
25 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Health (a) how many elderly Singaporeans are currently suffering from hearing impairment and have gone for treatment at polyclinics and public hospitals; (b) how many of them have received subsidies for hearing aids under SMF; (c) what is the average amount that seniors have to pay for their hearing aids after the subsidy; and (d) what happens if an elderly person cannot afford to pay for the remaining amount after the subsidy is given.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Between 2013 and 2015, our public hospitals diagnosed about 16,300 Singaporean seniors aged 60 and above with hearing loss requiring the use of hearing aids. Of these, about 5,500 seniors eventually took up the use of a hearing aid. These figures would include seniors who visited polyclinics for hearing loss problems who were referred to specialists at our hospitals for further assessment and prescription. We do not have figures on diagnosed cases at private healthcare institutions.
Over the same period, 3,954 seniors applied for subsidised hearing aids under MOH's SMF, with 3,934 seniors, that is, 99.5% of applicants, eventually received the subsidies. On average, seniors paid about $300 as co-payment, after about $2,700 subsidies from SMF, to purchase a pair of hearing aids. Seniors who have difficulties with the co-payment can approach the medical social workers to apply for further financial assistance. Of the 3,954 seniors, about 640 needy seniors, such as those who were on public assistance or Medifund assistance, received 100% subsidy from SMF for their hearing aids.
About 100 seniors with disabilities have also tapped on the Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) and the former Special Assistance Fund (SAF)1 under MSF to purchase hearing aids. A total of $10.4 million from the three funds – SMF, ATF and SAF – was disbursed to subsidise seniors for hearing aids between 2013 and 2015.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":["1 : The SAF was closed in 2015 following expansion of coverage and enhancement to the ATF."],"footNoteQuestions":["23","25"],"questionNo":"23-25"},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Reviews of Standard List of Drugs and Medications of Restructured Hospitals","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"24 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health how frequent is the standard list of drugs and medications of restructured hospitals reviewed, especially in respect of costs and prices of brands that have become generic.
Mr Gan Kim Yong: Our Standard Drug List (SDL) is reviewed annually based on assessments by the Drug Advisory Committee (DAC).
The DAC receives applications from public healthcare clinicians for additions to the SDL. In assessing these applications, the DAC may consider research evidence and consult other clinicians. The DAC is guided by three main considerations
(a) Whether the drug is essential for the treatment of medical conditions that are important causes of morbidity and mortality in Singapore;
(b) Whether the drug offers a significant improvement in terms of efficacy and effectiveness, as compared to existing drugs in the SDL; and
(c) Whether there is sufficient evidence of long-term safety and cost-effectiveness of using the drug.
Our public healthcare institutions procure generic versions of the drugs where available. As generic drugs are generally cheaper, patients prescribed these generic drugs would benefit from the lower costs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Impact of China's \"One Belt, One Road\" Initiative on Singapore SMEs","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"26 Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) what is the impact of China's \"One Belt, One Road\" initiative on our small and medium size enterprises.
Mr S Iswaran: Singapore welcomes China’s \"Belt and Road\" Initiative (B&R), as it is a mutually beneficial initiative that will encourage further economic integration, infrastructural cooperation and people-to-people linkages between countries in the region.
A key component of this initiative is the internationalisation of Chinese companies. As a key financial, transportation and trading hub in the region, Singapore is well-positioned to be a base for Chinese enterprises venturing into Southeast Asia. In 2015, Chinese investments into Singapore amounted to US$4.96 billion, an increase of 76.5% from the previous year. To date, more than 6,500 Chinese companies have established their presence in Singapore, almost twice the number of companies five years ago. Singapore companies can benefit from collaboration opportunities with this growing pool of Chinese companies venturing into the region in sectors, such as transport and logistics, mixed-use park developments, construction materials and financing.
The B&R initiative will also open up possibilities for Singapore companies in China. Various provinces in China have rolled out infrastructure and development plans to support the initiative, resulting in greater opportunities for Singapore companies in sectors, such as information and communications technology (ICT), urban solutions, transport and logistics, as well as infrastructure and related services. A key example of this is the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, the third Government-to-Government project between Singapore and China. Under this initiative, Singapore companies can access opportunities and bring on board our expertise in the areas of financial services, aviation, transport and logistics, and ICT.
The Government is helping our SMEs to prepare themselves to seize these opportunities. For example, companies can seek support from SPRING Singapore for capability development efforts in developing innovative technologies, products and services in areas, such as environmental management, logistics and engineering services.
Companies can also tap on IE Singapore's schemes and initiatives to access opportunities in China and countries along the B&R. The Market Readiness Assistance (MRA) scheme provides broad-based assistance for companies new to internationalisation, while the Global Company Partnership scheme provides customised help for companies with more established presence overseas. In 2015, IE Singapore supported 34,000 companies in their internationalisation efforts and over 80% of these companies were SMEs.
IE Singapore has recently signed MOUs with the Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China to provide more financing options for Singapore companies undertaking infrastructure projects along the B&R. IE Singapore also works with Trade Associations and Chambers to organise overseas in-market workshops in key target markets, including China. These workshops help SMEs gain first-hand experience of market conditions and facilitate the building of networks with potential local business partners.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Non-extension of Income Tax Relief for Foreign Maid Levy to Single Females Supporting Aged Parents","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"27 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Finance (a) what is the reason for the income tax relief for foreign maid levy being not extended to single females who are supporting their aged parents; and (b) whether the Ministry will look into extending the tax relief to cover all female taxpayers who have to employ a foreign maid to care for their aged parents.
Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam: The Government had introduced the foreign maid levy relief to encourage married women to stay in the workforce. For this reason, other individuals, including, singles are not eligible for the foreign maid levy relief.
Nonetheless, singles, whether men or women, can apply for the foreign domestic worker concessionary levy if they have young children, or are living with family members who are aged or have disabilities, as long as qualifying conditions are met. We have also reduced the levy over the years, most recently in Budget 2015, where the concessionary levy rate was halved from $120 to $60 a month.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Encourage Parents to Have More Children","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"28 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in support of the Government's policy to encourage more parents to have more children (a) whether the Ministry has considered giving free childcare for Singaporean pre-school children; and (b) how much this will cost the Government if it is implemented.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: We understand that childcare costs are a concern to many young parents. Our approach is for the Government to play a strong supporting role by defraying parts of the child-raising costs, including subsidising childcare.
Initiatives to help parents manage the costs of child-raising include Baby Bonus, tax benefits and housing, and medical grants. In particular, the Government recently enhanced the Child Development Account (CDA) by introducing the CDA First Step, which provides the first $3,000 of Government contributions, without parents having to save first. CDA funds can be used to pay for the education and healthcare needs of the child, including childcare fees.
The Early Childhood Development Agency also works to ensure childcare remains affordable for families. This is achieved in two ways.
First, centres under the Anchor Operator and Partner Operator schemes are subject to fee caps. Today, over 40% of Singaporean children enrolled in childcare are in these centres, which is a significant increase from about 20% in 2012.
Second, through basic and means-tested childcare subsidies, which were enhanced in 2013. This allows lower-income families to pay as little as $3 per month. Parents can also use money in their CDAs to pay for the balance of the fees.
Through these enhancements, we have significantly increased Government spending on early childhood. We spent about $600 million on pre-school related efforts last year, which is more than one-and-a-half times what we spent in 2012.
This approach keeps childcare affordable, while allowing parents to choose from a variety of options according to their preferences. Conversely, provision of free childcare may limit the range of childcare programmes available to parents and result in a higher burden to taxpayers. It may also have the unintended consequence of driving over-consumption and, hence, raising demand, so parents truly in need of childcare might find it difficult to secure a place.
We will continue to monitor and review our measures to ensure quality childcare remains accessible and affordable, as part of a range of measures to support the parenthood aspirations of Singaporeans.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Holistic Assistance for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities and Their Caregivers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"29 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what measures are being taken to provide holistic assistance for (i) individuals with intellectual disabilities and (ii) their caregivers; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending existing subsidies, such as the VWO Transport Subsidy Scheme, to cover all persons with disabilities regardless of their financial background.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Persons with Disabilities (PwD)s, including those with intellectual disabilities, are supported through a range of early intervention, education, employment and care services. From the time a child is assessed as special needs, they will be supported through the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) and, in the school-going years, at Special Education (SPED) schools which offer customised education programmes for children with intellectual disability. SPED schools also train and help the transition to employment in the later years.
Persons with intellectual disabilities can acquire relevant skills and receive job matching and support services from SG Enable and its VWO partners, such as the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS).
Persons with intellectual disabilities can also receive a range of care services from Drop-in Disability Programmes, Day Activity Centres (DACs) and home-based care. DACs equip persons with disabilities with living skills to enhance their independence. We are in the process of adding 600 new DAC places by 2018 to provide this service.
Caregivers hiring a foreign domestic worker (FDW) to care for PwDs requiring assistance with their daily activities are eligible to pay a lower monthly FDW Levy. Caregivers of PwDs with moderate to severe disability can separately receive a monthly FDW Grant should their monthly per capita household income be less than $2,600. In addition to the care services and FDW Levy concession and Grant, caregivers of PwDs can also apply for a Caregivers’ Training Grant each year to attend training on caregiving or self-care skills.
Public Transport subsidies are provided to all PwDs today through the Public Transport Concession Scheme and are not means-tested. Under this scheme, all persons with permanent disabilities will receive 25% off bus and train travel. Private transport options, such as taxis and dedicated transport, are subsidised through the Taxi Subsidy Scheme and the Voluntary Welfare Organisation Transport Subsidies (VWOTS) and these are means-tested. Under the current means-test criteria, up to two-thirds of households in Singapore would be able to meet the scheme’s income criteria. Such an approach has enabled us to channel limited resources to persons who need them most.
In addition to end-user subsidies, the Ministry has also awarded grants to three transport operators serving persons with disabilities in 2015 to help keep transport cost low for dedicated transport users. The subsidised transport rates offered by funded transport operators are available to all PwDs, regardless of their income level.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Availability of Places in Senior Group Homes and Take-up Rate","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"30 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many places in Senior Group Homes are currently available; and (b) what has been the take-up rate for these places.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: The Senior Group Homes (SGHs) promote ageing-in-place for frail seniors without family support and living in HDB rental flats. Each Home comprises five to eight rental flats, and each flat is shared among two to three seniors. MSF appoints VWOs to coordinate and provide services, such as home-care services, to the residents. The seniors are also encouraged to participate in social activities and to provide mutual support to one another. There are currently 14 SGHs, of which, 11 started operations from late 2015. The Homes can accommodate up to 250 seniors.
As at end April 2016, 39 seniors are residing at the SGHs. MSF is working with MOH and other partners to improve coordination of care options in the community, to enable seniors to age-in-place.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Subsidies for Preschools to Train and Employ Additional Manpower for Children with Speech Delay, Autism and at Risk of Moderate or Severe Disabilities","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"31 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of the higher number of children below the age of seven years with speech delay, autism and at risk of moderate to severe disabilities and the longer waiting time for early intervention services at VWOs, whether the Ministry will consider (i) funding or increasing subsidies to the preschools to train and employ additional manpower similar to the role of a shadow teacher or allied educator in schools; and (ii) making recommendations to increase the ratio of teachers to students in preschools who accept these children in the interim.
Mr Tan Chuan-Jin: Today, preschools may accept children with mild to moderate developmental delays and who may benefit from integration into the mainstream environment. To support this,MSF funds the Development Support Programme (DSP) at more than 300 preschools. Under DSP, therapists and specially-trained Learning Support Educators (LSEds) provide targeted learning and development for the children and also work with the main teacher during classes to integrate the child in a group setting. We will expand the DSP to 30 more centres this year.
In addition, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) has been collaborating with training institutes to provide subsidised modular Continuing Professional Development courses to equip pre-school teachers with the skillsets to support pre-school children with developmental needs. Given the diversity of needs, ECDA does not prescribe a specific staff-child ratio for preschools with these children. However, preschools with these children are able to deploy more teachers if needed. Preschools are also encouraged to work with the child’s parents and developmental specialists for the child’s development.
For children with more severe needs, there are currently 17 Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC) centres supporting some 2,600 children in their developmental needs. The EIPIC centres also support the integration of children into mainstream preschools. MSF will increase the capacity to 3,200 places by 2018.
Beyond expanding current services, MSF will work with our partners to develop a continuum of services for children with different needs and to train a multi-disciplinary team of preschool teachers, LSEds, therapists and psychologists to support more children with special needs in the learning environment that is most appropriate for their development.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Complaints about Pigeons","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"32 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many complaints about pigeons have been received by AVA and town councils on average per month over the past year; and (b) what have been done in response to these complaints.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Over the past year, Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) received about 320 pigeon-related feedback each month. The feedback pertains mainly to the feeding of pigeons and pigeon-related nuisances, for example, soiling of laundry by pigeon droppings.
The management of pigeon-related issues requires a multi-stakeholder approach. AVA enforces against pigeon feeders and NEA enforces against littering offences, which could contribute to food sources for birds. AVA and the Town Councils also conduct pigeon control operations when necessary.
In addition, to reduce food supply for the birds, it is important for the Town Councils to maintain the cleanliness of the estates, while NEA ensures good food waste management in food centres and coffeeshops.
AVA distributes advisories to residents on the environmental health and hygiene issues caused by pigeons. Members of the public have a role to play by not feeding pigeons, which would result in an increase in the pigeon population and pigeon-related nuisance.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Measures to Deter Pet Abandonment","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"33 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development what are the measures taken to deter pet abandonment and lower the burden of proof in a pet abandonment case so that the irresponsible owner can be taken to task.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has been educating the public on responsible pet ownership to reduce pet abandonment. To prevent impulsive pet buying, AVA has restricted pet retailers from selling pets to individuals below 16 years old since January 2014. Pet retailers are also required to assess the suitability of their customers as pet owners prior to sale of the pet animal.
In addition, AVA raised the dog licensing fees for unsterilised dogs from $70 to $90 in February 2014. This will encourage dog owners to sterilise their pets to prevent non-intentional breeding, which could contribute to abandonment of unwanted puppies.
The Animals and Birds Act was amended in 2014 to enhance animal welfare. To lower the burden of proof, the amendments made the act of abandonment an offence without having to consider whether the animal was suffering or in distress as a result of abandonment. In addition, a person found guilty of pet abandonment may be fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to a year for first-time offenders.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Listing of Completed Estate Upgrading Programme and Interim Estate Upgrading Programme Projects in Aljunied GRC","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"34 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for National Development if he can provide an updated listing of completed Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) and Interim Estate Upgrading Programme (I-EUP) projects in Aljunied GRC, with dates of commencement and completion and a brief description of the nature of works.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Three estates in Aljunied GRC were selected for EUP, namely Serangoon Gardens in Batch 1; Rosyth, Hillside and Kovan in Batch 2; and Charlton Park in Batch 6. The selection of the three estates for EUP was first announced in 2000, 2001 and 2008 respectively, and upgrading was completed in 2004, 2006 and 2014 respectively. The EUP works typically consist of upgrading of park facilities and improvements to public infrastructure, such as footpaths.
The I-EUP was conducted over three phases islandwide. All I-EUP works in Aljunied GRC had been completed as at March 2016 and included footpath lightings, notice boards, banner stands, directional signages and rain shelters.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Statistics on HDB Studio Apartments Sold by Families upon Demise of Lessee","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"35 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) since 1998, how many HDB Studio Apartments have so far been sold by the families upon the death of the lessee; and (b) whether the sale proceeds of the Studio Apartments have been released to the beneficiaries of a deceased's estate who are the children or relatives of the deceased.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Studio Apartments (SAs) were sold on a 30-year lease to eligible senior citizens for occupation. SAs cannot be re-sold on the open market.
If the lessee passes away, the SA will be passed to the owner's estate. Family members, if eligible, can continue living in the SA for the remaining lease. Alternatively, the SA can be returned to HDB, and HDB will reimburse the residual lease value to the estate of the deceased owner.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Additional Ballot Chance for Unsuccessful First-timer BTO Flat Applicants for Mature Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"36 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for National Development whether the HDB scheme to allot an additional ballot chance for subsequent applications of first-timer applicants for BTO flats who have been unsuccessful for two or more applications in non-mature estates can be extended to include first-timer applicants for mature estates.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The allotment of an additional ballot chance only applies for first-timer (FT) families applying for BTO flats in the non-mature estates. The intention is to help FT families with more urgent housing needs secure their first home.
Extending this to those who have applied for BTO flats in the mature estates may not be as effective, given the high demand for the limited flats in such estates.
Flat buyers who wish to purchase flats in the mature estates can consider applying under the various priority schemes, such as the Married Child Priority Scheme, Multi-Generation Priority Scheme or the Parenthood Priority Scheme. Alternatively, they may consider buying a resale flat on the open market. Eligible FT families buying resale flats can receive up to $90,000 in housing grants, comprising the CPF Housing Grant, Additional CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plan for Vacant Land Opposite Bukit Batok MRT Station bounded by Bukit Batok Central","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"37 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the development and implementation plan for the piece of vacant land directly opposite Bukit Batok MRT station that is bounded by Bukit Batok Central; and (b) whether this land is being safeguarded for the provision of supporting infrastructure and facilities for the growing population in Bukit Batok Neighbourhood 4 and, if so, what are the details of these plans.
Mr Lawrence Wong: URA and HDB work together to plan for infrastructure and facilities to meet the needs of residents in each of our towns.
In March 2016, URA launched a mixed commercial and residential site under the Government Land Sales Programme at Bukit Batok West Avenue 6, which is within Bukit Batok Neighbourhood 4. The tender for the site was awarded in May 2016. When completed, residents at Bukit Batok Neighbourhood 4 can look forward to a supermarket, a foodcourt and a childcare centre, amongst other retail facilities, at this mixed-use site.
The vacant land opposite Bukit Batok MRT is safeguarded for longer-term commercial and residential uses, as indicated in URA's Master Plan. The development timeline and details of the site will be announced when the plans are ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Appeals Made to HDB for Flexibility in Application of Ethnic Integration Policy","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"38 Mr Pritam Singh asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many appeals have been made over the past three years for HDB to exercise flexibility in resale transactions on the ethnic limits under the Ethnic Integration Policy and on what grounds; (b) of these, how many have been rejected; and (c) what are the grounds for such rejections.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Between 2013 and 2015, HDB received about 1,200 appeals for a waiver of the Ethnic Integration Policy. Four in five appeals were not successful. For most of these unsuccessful cases, the applicants did not cite any reasons for their appeals, hence, there was no basis to consider their requests. Several also cited reasons like financial difficulty or divorce. While we empathise with these cases, they do not provide sufficient grounds to justify the waiver of the ethnic limits, which are needed to ensure a good mix of residents in our neighbourhoods and public housing estates. Furthermore, HDB's observation is that many flat sellers are still able to secure buyers from eligible ethnic groups, given the large volume of resale transactions annually.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Land Earmarked for HDB Development","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"39 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for National Development (a) of the land earmarked for HDB development, what is the percentage of undeveloped residential land; and (b) what is the percentage of residential land occupied by flats built in 1986 and before.
Mr Lawrence Wong: About 20% of the land earmarked for HDB residential development by 2030 have not been developed.
Of the total land used for HDB residential development today, slightly less than half are occupied by HDB flats built in 1986 and before.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Relaxation of Rules for Sale of HDB Flats to Singles with Relatives in Mature Estates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"40 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for National Development whether HDB will relax the rules and allow the sale of HDB flats to singles in mature estates if the singles have relatives living in the mature estate.
Mr Lawrence Wong: The housing policy for singles was relaxed in 2013 to allow first-timer singles aged 35 and above to buy a subsidised 2-room Flexi flat in non-mature estates from HDB. Land for public housing in mature estates is limited and flats offered by HDB are mostly prioritised for families.
However, singles aged 55 years and above may apply for a 2-room Flexi flat on a short lease in both non-mature and mature estates from HDB. This flexibility is given to elderly singles to meet their ageing-in-place and/or mutual care and support needs.
Younger singles who wish to live in mature estates have the option of applying for an HDB flat with their parents. In addition, they can buy a resale flat in any location on the open market and enjoy a Proximity Housing Grant of $10,000 if they buy a resale flat to live with their parents.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Typical Lifespan of HDB Lifts and Their Replacement","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"41 Mr Ang Wei Neng asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the typical lifespan of HDB lifts; (b) in the past five years, how many HDB lifts have been replaced before the end of the specified lifespan as stated at the point of procurement; and (c) of these, how many lifts have been replaced due to unavailability of spare parts.
Mr Lawrence Wong: Like any machinery or equipment, there is no definitive lifespan for a lift. Much depends on the intensity of use and standard of maintenance. Nevertheless, as a guide to help the Town Councils (TCs) in their planning and budgeting, HDB has recommended a schedule of 28 years for lift replacement.
HDB does not have statistics on the number of lifts replaced before 28 years or the condition of lifts at the point of replacement, as the maintenance and replacement of lifts are the responsibility of the respective TCs.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Procedure for Collection of Materials in Recycling Bins by Public Waste Collectors at Point of Collection","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"42 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether it is standard procedure for recycling bins to be emptied into a single receptacle by public waste collectors at the point of collection; and (b) if so, what is the objective of asking residents to separate the waste into different bins for different recyclable items.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under the National Recycling Programme (NRP), public waste collectors are required to provide a blue co-mingled recycling bin at every HDB block and landed premises. This co-mingled system makes it convenient for residents to recycle as they do not need to spend additional time and effort to segregate the different types of recyclables (that is, paper, metal, plastic and glass) nor set aside additional space in their homes to store the different types of recyclables.
NEA requires the public waste collectors to use dedicated trucks to collect recyclables. These trucks are labelled accordingly as vehicles for the collection of recyclables. NEA monitors these trucks to ensure recyclables are collected and sent to the Materials Recovery Facility. NEA will impose a financial penalty on any public waste collector found to have collected waste and recyclables using the same truck. At the Material Recovery Facilities, the recyclables are sorted, baled and sent to local recyclers or exported for recycling.
Besides the NRP implemented for households, we also encourage private premises, such as shopping malls and hotels, to participate in the recycling effort by providing recycling bins on their premises. For these premises, the infrastructure and collection methods are decided and provided by the premises owner and these can vary across premises. Some premises may provide segregated recycling bins, as patrons tend to dispose of singular items, such as aluminium cans or plastic bottles.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Plans and Timeline for a Hawker Centre in Chua Chu Kang Town","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"43 Mr Zaqy Mohamad asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what are the Ministry's plans and timeline to set up a hawker center in Chua Chu Kang Town.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Chua Chu Kang is one of the towns identified for a new hawker centre by 2027. My Ministry is working on the details of the location and timeline of the new hawker centre and more information will be provided when the plans are ready.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Law on Hybrid Cars with Combustion Engines Switched off when Stationary","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"44 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether section 21 of the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations applies to hybrid cars which have their combustion engines switched off \t– with transfer to the use of an electric motor\t– when the car is stationary.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Under Regulation 21 of the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations, it is an offence to leave the engine of a vehicle running when it is stationary for reasons other than traffic conditions. Leaving the engine running when the vehicle is stationary results in fuel wastage and unnecessary environmental pollution.
Hybrid vehicles are equipped with an internal combustion engine and an electric motor powered by a battery pack. If the battery pack is unable to meet the electrical energy needed to operate the in-vehicle auxiliary systems, such as the air-conditioning or the radio when the vehicle is stationary, the internal combustion engine will automatically re-start to provide the energy needed, thereby generating tailpipe emissions. Hence, hybrid vehicles can still emit tailpipe emissions when stationary and, thus, the regulations on idling engines also apply to hybrid vehicles.
To promote greater awareness of the regulation, NEA has installed anti-vehicle idling signages at places where vehicles frequently congregate, such as carparks, loading/unloading bays and along the roadside near schools. In addition, NEA also works closely with stakeholders, such as the authorised vehicle inspection centres, private and public transport operators and schools, to disseminate educational pamphlets and decals.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Implementation of Tray Return Initiative at All NEA-managed Hawker Centres","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"45 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether the tray return initiative for hawker centres started in 2012 has been implemented for all NEA-managed hawker centres; (b) if so, what is the total cost of the initiative; (c) whether and how the initiative has been assessed for its success; (d) whether the initiative has reduced the number of cleaners needed; and (e) how is the tray return system integrated with the food waste recycling trials at the two hawker centres undergoing these trials.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Tray-return was introduced by NEA to hawker centres in 2012 and tray return facilities have been progressively implemented in all hawker centres since July 2015 at an average cost of about $11,000 per hawker centre.
The tray-return rates at our hawker centres vary from centre to centre, with the highest tray-return rates at Tiong Bahru Market and Block 137 Tampines Street 11. However, we can and should do better in achieving higher tray-return rates. The NEA is working with the Public Hygiene Council and the Singapore Kindness Movement to raise awareness of the tray return initiative, for example, by garnering support from schools, community organisations and corporations, including food court and fast food operators under the Tray Return Partnership. We are also looking at incorporating tray return stations that are more visible, prominent and accessible. Through these efforts, we hope to co-develop solutions to make it easier for everyone to return their trays and make the dining experience at hawker centres a more pleasant one for all.
At Ang Mo Kio Block 628 Market and Tiong Bahru Market where on-site food waste recycling projects are ongoing, food waste is segregated by cleaners when crockery is returned at the tray-return stations and when they collect the crockery during table-cleaning. The segregated food waste is then brought to the bin centre for recycling. NEA and the appointed food waste recycling companies have conducted training sessions with the cleaners at both centres on how to segregate food waste at the tray-return stations and during table-cleaning.
Tray-return will improve the overall level of cleanliness and hygiene in hawker centres by minimising the amount of food scraps left on the tables. It will also help the cleaners increase their work efficiency and will, over time, ease the manpower constraints faced by the cleaning sector. My Ministry will continue with our efforts to educate and raise awareness of tray-return to build this culture. Ultimately, cleaning up after ourselves is not just about raising productivity or ensuring better hygiene and cleanliness but simply a reflection of our social graciousness and consideration for others. I hope that all of us can continue to play our part in returning our trays not just in hawker centres but in other food outlets as well.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"NEA's Plans for Appointment of Community Volunteers as Auxiliary Officers","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"46 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the immediate plans for appointing community volunteers as auxiliary officers to assist NEA in performing its functions; (b) what enforcement powers will be given to the volunteers; and (c) how many volunteers will be deployed and for what purposes.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: NEA started the Community Volunteer (CV) programme in 2013 to empower members of environment-related NGOs to take on larger roles in strengthening public ownership of the environment. Since May 2016, individuals who are not members of any NGO but who meet the stringent selection criteria and fulfil the requisite training can also be appointed as a CV. There are currently about 380 CVs and about another 100 individuals have expressed interest to join the CV programme.
The role of the CV is to engage and educate environmental offenders to keep our environment clean, as well as to inculcate greater community ownership of the environment. CVs are required to adopt specific geographical areas and lead by example to promote good social norms through participating in monthly environmental activities, such as litter picking and educating environmental offenders, within these adopted areas. The newly appointed CVs are also required to be accompanied by NEA officers as part of their training to learn how to engage offenders.
As the primary role of the CVs is to encourage members of the public to take responsibility for the environment, the CVs will not be issuing enforcement tickets directly. The CVs will only use their authority card to request the particulars of a non-compliant offender for NEA's investigations. NEA will then follow through with enforcement where necessary. With the passing of the National Environment Agency (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2016 earlier this year, the CVs will be provided with powers to request particulars from persons found to have committed environmental offences beyond littering, such as smoking in prohibited places, spitting, urinating or defecating in public places, failing to properly remove animal faecal matter from public places, as well as leaving the engine of a stationary vehicle to idle.
Through the CV programme, we hope that more people will learn to take ownership of the environment. After all, care for the environment is a shared responsibility and everyone needs to play a part in ensuring a clean and liveable Singapore.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Data on Unsold Food Discarded by Supermarkets","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"47 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether the Ministry currently collects data on the amount of unsold food discarded by supermarkets every year; and (b) if it does, how much unsold food is discarded and, if it does not, whether it will consider collecting such data.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: While my Ministry currently does not collect data on the amount of unsold food disposed of by supermarkets specifically, it tracks the total amount of food waste disposed of in Singapore. This is obtained from waste sampling and disposal data at incineration plants. My Ministry also keeps track of the total amount of food waste recycled which is compiled from the records of food waste recyclers.
Under the mandatory waste reporting requirements, my Ministry collects data on the amount of food waste recycled by large hotels and shopping malls. The mandatory reporting of waste data and waste reduction plans helps build greater awareness among building managers on the potential for waste reduction on their premises.
Over the past 10 years, the amount of food waste generated in Singapore has increased by almost 50% and is expected to rise further with population growth and greater affluence. Besides the effort and energy needed to collect and dispose of it, food waste also contaminates recyclables and gives rise to odour and pest issues if not managed properly. Hence, there is a need to manage food waste in a holistic way in terms of minimisation, redistribution and recycling.
As part of ongoing outreach efforts, my Ministry launched a programme last November to encourage everyone to reduce food wastage. It has also worked with various food retail businesses, including the supermarkets, to encourage consumers not to waste food. In addition, my Ministry is working on good practice guides for food manufacturers, retail establishments and supermarkets to minimise waste across the food supply chain. These include guidelines for the proper handling and redistribution of unsold and excess food to food distribution organisations, such as Food Bank Singapore and Food from the Heart.
My Ministry is also conducting projects to evaluate cost-effective methods for collecting and recycling food waste. On-site food waste recycling machines have been installed at two hawker centres to convert food waste to either water or bio-fertiliser. In a separate project, source-segregated food waste will be collected from multiple premises in Clementi. The collected food waste will be mixed with used water sludge to produce biogas at a pilot facility at the Ulu Pandan Water Reclamation Plant.
With regard to the suggestion to collect food waste data from supermarkets, my Ministry is currently considering enhancing the mandatory waste reporting requirements and extending waste reporting to other premises that generate large amounts of waste, including food waste.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Development Plans for Wet Market and Hawker Centre at Block 511, Bedok North Street after Expiry of Lease","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"48 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what are the development plans for the wet market and hawker centre at Block 511, Bedok North Street, after the expiry of its lease in October 2017.
Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Currently, when the lease for a wet market and hawker centre expires, stall-owners who wish to continue their businesses will have the option to do so. Those previously on the subsidised scheme will pay the current subsidised rent while those who were not previously subsidised can either pay the prevailing market rent or tender for vacant stalls. NEA has been studying alternative management models for hawker centres and will consider where it can be applied so long as the fundamental objective of hawker centres in providing affordable, hygienic food is maintained.
Just like other sold centres whose leases had expired earlier, the wet market and hawker centre at Block 511, Bedok North Street 3, will continue to operate after the stall leases expire on 31 October 2017. The Town Council remains responsible for the maintenance of this centre and must arrange for any necessary repairs and redecorations to be done.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Early Detection and Intervention Measures for Young Students with Learning Difficulties","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"49 Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) what measures are currently in place to provide for the early detection and intervention for young students who have learning difficulties and what more can and will be done to help such students and their parents.
Mr Ng Chee Meng: Schools have measures in place to identify students with learning difficulties and provide timely and appropriate intervention.
Upon entry into Primary 1, schools conduct early literacy and numeracy screening to identify students who need additional support to level up their literacy and numeracy skills. There are learning support programmes to help these students acquire the basic literacy and numeracy skills. Support in these programmes is extended all the way to Secondary school levels if the child needs it.
In addition, students with dyslexia may attend the School-based Dyslexia Remediation (SDR) Programme or the MOE-aided literacy remediation at the Dyslexia Association of Singapore. MOE also provides resources for parents to support their children with dyslexia on the MOE Social Media Platforms, such as Schoolbag.sg. Students with learning difficulties may also be referred to MOE psychologists for further assessment and consultation on follow-up support.
There are also trained personnel, such as Teachers trained in Special Needs, Allied Educators for Learning and Behavioural Support, and School Counsellors, to provide case consultation and intervention for students with learning disabilities, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder or mild Autism Spectrum Disorder. MOE also collaborates with the Institute of Mental Health to make available the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) services where students can be assessed for further support and intervention, including advice for parents and caregivers.
","clarificationText":null,"clarificationTitle":null,"clarificationSubTitle":null,"reportType":null,"questionCount":null,"footNotes":null,"footNoteQuestions":null,"questionNo":null},{"startPgNo":0,"endPgNo":0,"title":"Graduate Employment Survey on Local and Overseas Graduates","subTitle":null,"sectionType":"WA","content":"50 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Acting Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) whether the Ministry will consider conducting a comprehensive and robust Graduate Employment Survey (GES) that covers graduates from all six local Universities as well as overseas graduates and graduates from local trans-national University programmes, so as to provide a broader data source on graduate employment prospects to complement the GES exercises published by some individual universities.
Mr Ong Ye Kung: MOE currently publishes comprehensive information on the employment outcomes of fresh graduates from the full-time degree programmes offered by the five local Autonomous Universities (AUs), that is, NTU, NUS, SMU, SIT and SUTD. Results for UniSIM will be available in 2018 when its first batch of full-time students graduates.
Instead of having one comprehensive survey for all AUs, each AU conducts its own survey, with MOE standardising the methodology. That way, students have access to more information on the full-time permanent employment rates and monthly salaries for graduates from each degree programme from each University and can make better-informed decisions when choosing their course of study.
The Council for Private Education (CPE) has commissioned a pilot graduate employment survey for graduates from Private Education Institutions (PEIs). The pilot survey polled graduates from nine of the largest PEIs, which covered the majority of private degree graduates in 2014. As mentioned in Parliament on 28 January 2016, CPE will make available information from this survey to help support individuals in their decision making.
MOE, however, does not track Singaporeans who go overseas to pursue their undergraduate studies.
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