Below are highlights of some of the questions which MPs will be asking in the September 17th (Monday) sitting of Parliament.
Ministerial Statement:
Minister for Manpower:
CPF Reforms and Other Measures for a Secure Retirement.
QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER
On Corporal David Teo Ming:
Dr Lam Pin Min: To ask the Minister for Defence in light of the recent incident involving the unauthorized possession of firearms in public by a national serviceman (a) what are the current control measures in ensuring the proper issuance and use of firearms in the military service; and (b) whether there will be additional measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
Mr Low Thia Khiang: To ask the Minister for Defence how Corporal Dave Teo Ming managed to slip out of Mandai Hill Camp with arms and ammunition.
Effects of US sub-prime market on public housing in Singapore:
Mdm Ho Geok Choo: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what impact will the current crisis in the US sub-prime market have on the property market in Singapore; and (b) what steps will the Ministry take to mitigate any negative effects on the property market, especially on public housing.
Employment for the aged:
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for each of the years from 2004 to 2006 (a) what is the percentage of workers which the civil service and statutory boards respectively offered re-employment to after they reached the age of 62, expressed as a percentage of the total number of workers reaching 62 in each of these two entities; and (b) how do these figures compare with the private sector’s reemployment rate for workers aged 62 and above during the same period.
Mrs Josephine Teo: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the reasons for the relatively low female employment rate after age 55 in Singapore compared to OECD countries; and (b) what steps can be taken to boost the employment rate of women in this age group.
On teachers and teaching:
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Education whether there have been any studies carried out to ensure that teachers are able to complete the syllabus for the academic curriculum within a year without being overly stressed.
Assoc Prof Kalyani K Mehta: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether teachers are trained to detect and address the phenomenon of school bullying; (b) whether there are clear policies for principals to follow when such incidences occur in their schools; and (c) whether there are protocols for teachers to follow when students complain to them about a bullying incident either as a victim or bystander and, if not, when will such procedures be considered for implementation.
On traffic concerns:
Er Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) if he will provide an update on the traffic condition on the expressways over the last three years; (b) whether his Ministry is aware that errant drivers are crossing the chevron marking to exit at the ingress near Ang Mo Kio so as to avoid the traffic jam; and (c) what steps will his Ministry take to stop these drivers since the imposition of penalties and fines have not deterred them.
On Malay/Muslim community:
Mr Chiam See Tong: To ask the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports what steps the Government is taking to mitigate the problem of Malay/Muslim dysfunctional families and teenage pregnancies.
On HIV cases:
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) if he will provide an update on the HIV/AIDS situation in Singapore; and (b) what steps, if any, will the Ministry take in light of a recent report that revealed 1 in 350 non- HIV in-patients’ blood sample was found to be HIV positive.
Mdm Halimah Yacob: To ask the Minister for Health with the record increase in HIV cases last year (a) whether there is concern that women are now more exposed to HIV infection compared to the past; (b) what is the number of women infected by HIV in each of the last five years; (c) what are the most common causes of their infection; and (d) what measures are being taken to educate and protect women from infection by their spouses.
Professor Emeritus Douglas Sanders
Mr Baey Yam Keng: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what are the reasons for the change in assessment of the permit for Professor Emeritus Douglas Sanders’ public lecture after the permit was previously approved; and (b) what is the number of similar cancellations of approved permits in the past five years and what are the main reasons for their cancellation.
Mr Siew Kum Hong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs (a) why was a public entertainment licence initially granted for a public lecture on 7 August 2007 by Professor Emeritus Douglas Sanders; and (b) what circumstances had changed to result in the cancellation of the licence.
On public transport:
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide an assessment on the efficacy of the full-day bus lane scheme; (b) whether the full-day bus lane scheme has improved the travelling speeds of buses; and (c) whether there is any assessment on how the scheme has affected the travelling speeds of other traffic.
Er Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Transport whether his Ministry will consider reviewing the use of the public transport concession pass for senior citizens to make it valid for a full day on weekdays.
For the full list of questions, please click here. (pdf file)
