The Singapore Parliament will sit at 10:30 morning on Monday, 7 October 2019, for the 112th session of the 13th Parliament.
*70 oral questions and 53 written question have been scheduled to be asked.
Two Government Bills will be read for the 2nd time:
- Income Tax (Amendment) Bill [Bill No. 26/2019] – (Second Minister for
Finance) – Second Reading. - Maintenance of Religious Harmony (Amendment) Bill [Bill No. 25/2019] –
(Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading.
Below are the questions filed towards the various Ministers
[toggle title=”Prime Minister” state=”close”]
Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng: To ask the Prime Minister whether he can
provide an update on the efforts in strengthening a Singaporean talent pool in
the local finance industry.
Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Prime Minister whether there are plans to
(i) re-invigorate the local equities and equities derivatives market and (ii)
help the Singaporean.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Prime Minister what is the rationale for
not providing childcare leave to parents on a per child basis.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether there is a need to
strengthen regulations governing digital advisors in order to better protect the
interests of Singaporean investors; (b) whether the current MAS guidelines
have resulted in the establishment of adequate and robust frameworks by
digital advisors to manage technology and cyber risks; and (c) what mechanism
is in place for the Government to ensure compliance with the regulations and
effective adoption of the guidelines.
Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Prime Minister on what date in August 2019
was the latest Electoral Boundaries Review Committee formed.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Foreign Affairs” state=”close”]
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Transport” state=”close”]
Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the
public feedback so far since the implementation of a ban on PMD use at
void decks and common corridors at 15 towns on 1 September 2019; (b)
whether the number of reported incidents has reduced since the
implementation; and (c) whether the ban has had any impact on food and
goods delivery during the last one month.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the
estimated cost of LTA’s early disposal incentive for e-scooters which do
not meet the UL2272 safety standard and who will bear such costs.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Transport since the start of the
mandatory registration of e-scooters in July 2019 (a) how many illegally
modified e-scooters have been seized; (b) how does LTA keep check on escooter users who illegally modify their vehicles after being certified LTAapproved; and (c) whether the penalties will be enhanced for owners of
illegally modified e-scooters.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the latest
mode share of public transport; (b) how have the shifts been in the last five
years; and (c) how can the overall ridership of public transport be increased
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Transport in light of the Public
Transport Council’s announcement of a fare increase of up to 7% in the 2019
fare review exercise (a) whether the Ministry intends to increase the quantum
to be disbursed in the 2019 public transport voucher exercise; and (b) how
does LTA ensure the financial sustainability of our public transport without
degrading service standards when fare adjustments are not in tandem with
the cost of operation.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry
will consider constructing bollards in front of all bus stops to prevent vehicles
ploughing into the bus stops and injuring people but yet allowing wheelchair
users to pass through these bollards to board their buses.
Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the grace
period allowed for vehicles stopping to drop-off and pick-up passengers
at areas under camera surveillance before the drivers of those vehicles are
deemed to have broken the law by waiting or parking illegally.
Dr Teo Ho Pin: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether he can provide
an update on the progress of the upgrading works of the Bukit Panjang LRT
system; and (b) what measures are taken to reduce the inconvenience caused
to commuters during the upgrading period.
Prof Lim Sun Sun: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry
has considered the impact that the proposed reduction in the regularity of
MRT trains during off-peak periods may have on steering people towards
greater use of ride hailing and thus complicate efforts to encourage greater use
of mass public transport.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Transport whether his Ministry will
review driver assistance technologies such as intelligent speed assistance,
drowsiness and attention detection, lane-keeping assistance and event data
recorders that have the potential to make our roads safer and to assess their
implementation in Singapore.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for National Development” state=”close”]
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether
the Ministry will continue to keep the existing pricing of HDB BTO flats
pegged against average income instead of market price in view of the
recent raising of the income ceiling.
Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for National Development over the
past five years, how many successful HDB rental flat applicants have
exceeded the income eligibility threshold of $1,500.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for National
Development how many applications to rent HDB flats under the Public
Rental Scheme have been rejected because the applicants have exceeded the
household income ceiling in the three years before the change in policy to
make the criteria more flexible.
Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) as of
August 2019, what is the number of public rental flats that are not occupied;
(b) what is the current number of accepted rental flat applicants on the wait
list; and (c) what is the expected waiting period for an eligible applicant to
be assigned a public rental flat.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether
HDB will consider building 1-room Flexi flats that are integrated with other
flat types for singles who have a lower financial capability to purchase HDB
flats.
Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) to whom
do the fruits of trees located on state/public land belong; and (b) what is the
penalty for any person who (i) casually collects a fruit that has dropped
from a tree grown on state/public land and (ii) actively plucks a fruit from
a tree grown on state/public land respectively.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether
HDB will consider alternatives such as skybridges to connect flats without
lifts on their floor to the next available lift if lifts on every floor remain
non-feasible for the time being.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what
has been the response to the walk-in selection of balance flats since its launch
recently; and (b) whether HDB will consider allowing all balance flats to be
available for application and selection on a daily basis instead of quarterly.
Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are
the average amounts of funds that seniors receive in CPF and cash by
monetising their HDB flats through the Lease Buy Back Scheme; and (b) how
has this scheme boosted their retirement adequacy whilst continuing to live out
their retirement in their flats.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development in each of
the last five years (a) what has been the mean and median mortgage service
ratio (MSR) for those servicing mortgage loans for only a single HDB flat; and
(b) how many HDB lessees have been allowed to exceed the MSR ceiling, if
any.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in
the past five years, what is the number of cases of illegal subletting in private
properties; (b) whether there is a need to enhance the awareness of private
property owners about illegal subletting; and (c) whether the Ministry has any
plans to further strengthen the policing of illegal subletting and take stronger
legal action against agents, tenants or landlords who illegally sublet their
properties.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Health” state=”close”]
Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Health how prepared are our health
institutions to meet health issues that may arise from haze exposure.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what measures are in
place in hospital wards and nursing homes especially non air-conditioned
ones to help vulnerable Singaporeans cope with the haze situation; and (b)
whether the Ministry has haze management guidelines for healthcare
institutions in Singapore.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Health whether the
Ministry has specific guidelines for public hospitals on protecting patients
from the haze and whether all public hospital wards should be airconditioned and fitted with air purification filters.
Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether
HSA is reviewing the temperature tolerable limits when conducting stability
testing for pharmaceutical products, in view of global warming and
temperatures in Singapore expected to hit 40 degree Celsius by 2045; and (b)
whether the current stability testing limits at 30 degree Celsius is still valid,
considering daily maximum temperatures frequently hitting above 34 degree
Celsius.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is
the cost of testing for dengue fever; and (b) whether there is any difference in
the cost, before subsidy, of dengue fever tests at CHAS clinics, polyclinics or
private clinics.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will
consider increasing the MediSave withdrawal limit for patients who are
undergoing follow-up treatments for cancer.
Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the cause of
the contamination of ranitidine medicines has been identified; (b) what
measures have been put in place to advise patients who have the drug to stop
using them; and (c) whether there will be any compensation for replacement
of these medicines.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will
form a multi-disciplinary panel of experienced doctors to look into the types
of services and diagnoses that can be made through telemedicine in Singapore,
given the concerns over the risk of wrongful diagnosis.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether training
programmes for caregivers are regulated to ensure participants are adequately
trained to receive the necessary skills; (b) whether there are adequate
professional training programmes to meet the needs of the elderly or those with
special needs; and (c) whether subsidies and more support can be given for
caregiving-related courses.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Health with regard to
declining FDA inspections of factories outside of the US where much of
the active ingredients for generic pharmaceuticals are manufactured (a)
what is the impact on generic medications in Singapore; (b) how reliant is
Singapore on FDA assessments and whether Singapore can have independent
local inspections of medications; (c) what additional measures are in place to
protect the quality of medications; and (d) how will the Ministry work with
international health agencies to overcome this structural inspection problem.
Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching: To ask the Minister for Health whether
community pharmacists are allowed to perform health screenings such as
taking blood pressure readings or hypocount checks for the public in their
pharmacies or at health events if they have an established flow to refer patients
to nearby GPs for follow-up of abnormal readings.
Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the research
findings that there are higher amounts of bacteria, including antibiotic resistant
ones, in the air and bathroom surfaces where jet-air hand dryers are used
compared to paper hand towels, whether there are plans to reduce the number
of hand dryers in our hospitals, nursing homes and clinics and increase the
provision of paper towels instead.
Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the measures to
attract more students and healthcare professionals to specialise in geriatric
medicine and other relevant specialties; and (b) how effective have these
measures been so far.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the past five
years, what is the annual average number of years of service among nurses
who have left the service; (b) what are the efforts to encourage former nurses
who have left service to return to nursing; and (c) how many former nurses
have re-joined nursing under the Return to Nursing Programme since the
programme was launched in 2010.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the
healthcare sector has managed to fill the manpower gap of 30,000 more
healthcare workers from 2015 to 2020; (b) what is the current shortfall of
nurses; and (c) what is the adoption rate of flexi-working hours and part-time
working arrangements among nurses.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Health how much
have dental treatment charges risen in the last 10 years and what the Ministry
is doing to stem the rising costs.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what has been the
take-up rate of the Eldercarer Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW) Scheme which
provides FDWs with comprehensive training in eldercare; and (b) whether
there are plans to expand or develop the scheme to include training FDWs to
care for people with special needs.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Home Affairs” state=”close”]
Ms Anthea Ong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with respect to the
cancellation of the Yale-NUS “Dissent and Dialogue” course (a) whether
he agrees that the course entails ‘elements that may subject students to the
risk of breaking the law and incurring legal liabilities’; (b) what laws may
be broken and what kinds of legal liabilities may be incurred by (i) students
(ii) faculty and (iii) institution; (c) whether the Ministry provides guidelines
to academic institutions on such legal risks; and (d) what is the Ministry’s
position on online sentiments that having a course on dissent is an ‘unpatriotic
act’ and the hate speech that is directed at Yale-NUS students.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a)
whether and to what extent the Ministry regulates or monitors the political
activities of student groups in our autonomous universities; (b) what are the
guidelines or laws under which foreign students may participate in student
activities which may have community, social, or political impact in Singapore;
and (c) what can be done to assure students that they have the right to
associate and act for political and social causes in Singapore responsibly
and within the law.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of the
recent detentions of three foreign domestic workers under the Internal Security
Act (a) whether there is a need to review existing regulations and procedures
in screening foreign workers who are permitted to work in Singapore; and (b)
whether the Ministry will be coordinating with the Ministry of Manpower to
enhance awareness of employers to identify radicalised behaviour in their
workers.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what
is the Ministry’s plan to curb the increasing trend of scam cases; (b) how
effective are the current public education efforts; and (c) how can the various
stakeholders such as e-commerce companies, banks and the community play
a part in preventing scam cases.
Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the
citizenship application process for a foreign baby or child adopted by a
Singaporean; and (b) how long is the process expected to take.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of more
victims falling prey to scams (a) whether the Ministry can provide the age
profiles of these victims; and (b) whether the Anti-Scam Centre can work with
schools and institutes of higher learning in its outreach efforts.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Communications and Information” state=”close”]
Ms Anthea Ong: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information
(a) what are the Media Literary Council’s guidelines regarding fake news,
satire, parody and opinion; (b) how does the Council ensure that the media
literacy curriculum and materials are age-appropriate for schools; and (c)
what is the Ministry’s overall media literacy plan for Singapore including that
on matters under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation
Act.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information
(a) how many copies of the “Get Smart with Sherlock” booklet on fake
news have been printed; (b) how many copies have been distributed to
students; and (c) whether the Ministry will review the current vetting processes
for such material.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Communications and
Information (a) in the past three years, what is the number of complaint cases
reported to the Do Not Call (DNC) registry; (b) how many of these complaint
cases are repeated cases involving the same complainant’s phone number; and
(c) what actions have been taken against the perpetrators.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance” state=”close”]
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Education” state=”close”]
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are
the reasons and concerns leading to the cancellation of the Yale-NUS
programme “Dialogue and Dissent in Singapore”; (b) whether the
cancellation of the programme signals a more controlled and rigid education
environment in our education institutes; and (c) whether this curtails academic
freedom and the critical discourse necessary for academic richness and
excellence in our education institutes.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Education whether there are
clear rules on what topics and activities are or are not allowed in our
autonomous universities.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are
the reasons for the cancellation of the “Dialogue and Dissent in Singapore”
programme at Yale-NUS College; (b) whether and under what conditions
political dissent and activism in the Singapore context is a legitimate topic of
academic inquiry in our autonomous universities (AUs); and (c) what can be
done to assure AU staff and students that they continue to have the academic
freedom to responsibly and critically examine social and political issues in
Singapore.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Government
will review the policy regarding usage of the Post-Secondary Education
Account (PSAE) to permit withdrawals for tertiary studies at private
universities.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Education in view of the
massive amount spent on private tuition, whether there have been any studies
on why students rely on tuition and whether the Ministry has any plans to
reduce students’ reliance on tuition.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Education in view of the $1.4
billion spent on private tuition by Singapore households in 2018 (a) whether
the Ministry has concerns about this phenomenon; and (b) whether the
Ministry allows current MOE teachers to give private tuition and, if so, what
proportion of these teachers give private tuition now.
Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for Education (a) since 2016, what is
the number as well as percentage of each cohort of teachers who have been
offered re-employment upon reaching 62 years old; (b) whether there has
been an increase in the number of teachers not being offered re-employment
since the recent merger of schools; (c) what are the reasons for teachers who
have reached the retirement age not being offered re-employment; and (d)
whether there are excess teachers in the school system now.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether
subsidies can be provided for dyslexic students who wish to take the basic
Chinese programme offered by the Dyslexia Association of Singapore; and
(b) if not possible, what are the reasons for the non-provision.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: To ask the Minister for Education (a) in each of
the past five years, how many cases of sexual harassment/assault have
happened in our mainstream schools, aggregated by the ages of the victims;
and (b) what are the victim-care or counselling programmes available for
the victims.
Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: To ask the Minister for Education in each of
the past five years (a) how many cases of bullying or aggression have been
reported against students with disabilities or special needs in primary and
secondary schools respectively; (b) what corrective actions have been taken
against the perpetrators; and (c) what follow-up care and counselling
approaches have been taken to help these victims.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for Education whether
the Ministry will temporarily increase the number of places for tertiary
institutions for polytechnic, undergraduate, masters, PhD, and postgraduate
programmes for Singaporeans in view of the economic slowdown.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Law” state=”close”]
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Law (a) whether the
Ministry has statistics regarding organisations or non-legally trained
individuals who are advising clients on the drafting of wills; and (b) whether
the Ministry intends to restrict, supervise or regulate non-lawyers and
organisations that are not legally trained from dealing with the business of
will drafting.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Law of the 213
Protection Orders and 193 Expedited Protection Orders granted as of 31
December 2018 under the Protection from Harassment Act (a) what is the
gender breakdown of applicants; and (b) how many are for cases of workplace
harassment.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Manpower” state=”close”]
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the
current employment trends and employment rates of Singaporeans between
the ages of (i) 50 to 59 and (ii) 60 to 65 respectively; and (b) what are
the policy measures and concerted efforts required to further improve the
employment rate of senior Singaporeans.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the
number of cases and trend of re-employment disputes over the last three years
and what were the main issues.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to
the write-up on taking childcare leave on the Ministry’s website, whether
the Ministry will provide clearer definitions of (i) “matters that cannot be
postponed” and to clarify whether child sickness falls under this category
and (ii) “early notice” and to clarify the number of days or hours of notice
that employees need to provide to their employers before taking childcare leave
for matters that cannot be postponed.
Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry
has data regarding the prevalence and level of employer-related benefits for
Singaporean and foreign employees, according to the skill level of the
employee; and (b) whether any progress has been made, in conjunction
with other stakeholders, to make health benefits for employees more portable.
Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether local or
independent studies or surveys have been carried out on workplace bullying
in Singapore in light of the findings of the inaugural Kantar Inclusion Index.
Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the CPF Board
will consider reviewing the payout duration for the CPF Retirement Sum
Scheme such that CPF members can receive higher payouts.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are
the reasons why foreign instructors may conduct classes as a Work Pass
Exempt Activity, provided that no administrative work is carried out; (b) what
are the reasons for the exclusion of administrative work such as the setting and
grading of assessment materials; and (c) whether this exclusion can be waived
in cases where educational objectives can be strengthened through having the
same instructor integrate teaching and assessment.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Social and Family Development” state=”close”]
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development
since the announcement of the increase in childcare subsidies (a) how many
childcare operators have raised their fees; (b) what is the increase quantum;
and (c) how much savings can be expected, taking into account the increment
and subsidies.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development how does the Government intend to assist parents who will
not benefit from the recent increase in Government childcare subsidies, to
cope with childcare fee hikes by the 220 childcare centres as well as possibly
other childcare centres.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development with regard to the death of a toddler in a Chin Swee Road flat
(a) whether Government agencies and social service agencies could have
picked up the death earlier; and (b) whether the rest of the siblings are in
stable care arrangements.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development why have Government agencies and the social services not been
aware that the dead toddler recently found in a Chin Swee Road flat was
missing for five years.
Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development regarding the discovery of a child’s body at Chin Swee Road,
(a) whether the family was under the watch of any Ministry-appointed
counsellor in view of the family situation; (b) if so, did the disappearance of
the child raised any alert; and (c) if the Ministry has measures to verify the
condition of children in such troubled families where parents are
uncooperative, so as to detect potential abuse as early as possible.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development with regard to the recent Chin Swee Road toddler death,
whether the toddler’s birth was registered and, if so, why Government
agencies did not detect the child’s absence from educational and other records
in spite of the absence of a certificate of death.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development whether the Ministry will consider requiring divorce rulings
that award shared care and control to also state which party is allowed to list
the child as an essential occupier in their application to buy a subsidised HDB
flat.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development (a) how many needy families currently pay less than $10 and $5
per child respectively for their full-day childcare services; and (b) what are the
qualifying conditions to receive this comprehensive subsidy.
Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development
what is the number of youth suicides, broken down into male and female
youths, for the past two years.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development for each year from 2011 to 2017, out of each cohort of children
and young persons who enter a place of safety, what is the absolute number
and percentage of them who subsequently enter (i) boys’ or girls’ homes or (ii)
prison, respectively.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development for each year from 2011 to 2017, what are the highest, lowest,
mean and median numbers of children per social worker at places of safety.
Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development (a) how many current caregivers have been given Special
Approval for higher subsidy support for infantcare and childcare because they
are not working or they are non-parent caregivers; and (b) what is the average
higher subsidy support they receive.
Ms Anthea Ong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development in
each of the last five years (a) what is the average amount of cash savings per
household member for households who receive (i) ComCare Short-to-Medium
Term Assistance (STMA) and (ii) ComCare Long-Term Assistance (LTA)
respectively; (b) what is the number and percentage of applications rejected for
(i) STMA and (ii) LTA respectively due to the household’s cash savings; (c)
whether the amount of cash savings owned by the applicant is considered in
assessing his ComCare application; (d) what is the maximum amount of cash
savings per household member allowed; and (e) whether this is communicated
publicly.
Ms Anthea Ong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development over
the past five years (a) what is the number of Singaporeans and PRs who are
suffering from food insecurity, broken down to different extents; (b) how does
the Government measure food insecurity and why is this method chosen; (c)
what is the total amount of social welfare budget spent on providing food
support; (d) how many charities in Singapore provide food support, broken
down by type of food support; and (e) what is the total estimated operating
expenditure of these charities in providing food support.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Social and Family
Development whether he can provide an update on the Ministry’s position on
commercial for-profit surrogacy and whether measures will be put in place to
deter it.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Trade and Industry” state=”close”]
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in light of
sudden incidences of disruption of Saudi Arabia’s oil supply and the potential
risk of such incidences happening (a) what is the impact on Singapore’s
economy; (b) how will this affect the prices of our electricity supply to
consumers; and (c) how will this affect prices of petrol for motor vehicles.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with regard
to the recent attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil production facility (a) what has been
the impact on Singapore’s oil imports from Saudi Arabia; (b) whether oil
prices are expected to rise and impact inflation as a result of these attacks and
their aftermath; and (c) what is being done to manage the risk of rising oil
prices.
Ms Anthea Ong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether
there are plans to reduce greenhouse emissions by industries; (b) how much
fossil fuel is (i) imported into and (ii) refined in Singapore every year; (c) how
do the volumes in (b) measure up against Singapore’s annual carbon emissions;
(d) how much percentage increase in carbon emissions is expected following
an expansion of refinery facilities; and (e) what is the strategic plan to support
industries to make the urgent shifts to changing market and consumer
demands to promote climate crisis responsibility.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry
(a) what are the key criteria for SMEs to be selected for the Scale Up
initiative; and (b) what is the likely number of companies that will benefit
from this programme over the next 24 months.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is
the contribution of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) to GDP growth in each
of the past 10 years; (b) what has been the growth in TFP in each of the past
10 years; (c) how does Singapore’s TFP performance compare to that of
other developed countries; and (d) what drivers and restraints of Singapore’s
recent TFP growth has the Ministry identified.
Mr Cedric Foo Chee Keng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry
what are the achievements of the Overseas Singaporean Unit (OSU) since its
formation in 2006.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry
whether the Ministry can provide an update on the achievement of the Action
Community for Entrepreneurship (ACE) programme and whether there is a
need to evolve the current status of ACE.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry what are the
economic and other benefits of hosting the F1 Singapore Grand Prix and
whether there are continuing benefits for Singapore to host the race beyond
2021.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry since July
last year (a) whether the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore
has received any complaints about vendors who engaged in free gifts
marketing techniques and, if so, whether actions have been taken under the
Consumer Protection (Fair Trading) Act; and (b) of these vendors who have
not been censured, why not.
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Culture, Community and Youth” state=”close”]
[/toggle]
[toggle title=”Minister for Defence” state=”close”]
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Defence what lessons
can Singapore learn from the recent drone attack in Saudi Arabia and what
is the Government doing to prevent and counter a similar potential attack in
Singapore.
Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Defence whether he can provide
an update on plans for bilateral military co-operation with China.
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[toggle title=”Minister for the Environment and Water Resources” state=”close”]
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) what measures will be implemented to help Singaporeans and
residents cope with the worsening haze and air pollution; and (b) whether these
measures will include the installation of air filter equipment in places
frequented by the public, distribution of masks and public education on ways
to minimise the impact on health.
Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) how successful has the 2014 Transboundary Haze Pollution Act
been in mitigating the annual threat of haze; (b) to date, how many successful
cases have been investigated under the Act; (c) how many cases are currently
under investigation; and (d) whether our neighbouring countries have been
cooperative in providing assistance for investigation requests.
Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources in view of public feedback on the perceived “inaccuracies” of the
24-hr Pollutant Standards Index forecast currently used by NEA, whether the
Ministry will consider adopting the hourly Air Quality Index now cast
alongside the 1-hour PM2.5 concentration readings to assuage public concerns.
Mr Charles Chong: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources what is the number of companies and individuals who have been
investigated and prosecuted under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act since
commencement of the Act in 2014.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) what steps has Singapore taken to promote the sustainable
production of palm oil, pulp, paper and other commodities from plantations so
as to disincentivise plantation owners and farmers from using the slash and
burn method of clearing land that causes transboundary haze; and (b) what is
the Ministry’s assessment of the effectiveness of these steps.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources what steps have been identified to overcome the difficulty of
gathering evidence against entities believed to have caused transboundary haze
in contravention of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources whether there are plans for the Government, businesses and the
community to work hand-in-hand to distribute N95 masks to low-income and
vulnerable seniors when the Pollutant Standards Index readings hits very
unhealthy or hazardous levels.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for the Environment and
Water Resources what can Singapore do to make it commercially unviable for
companies in the region to operate slash and burn tactics for clearing of land.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources in light of the haze recurrence (a) whether measures and action plans
implemented previously to help our neighbours are no longer effective; and (b)
what is the action plan moving forward to help our neighbours prevent or
reduce the hot spots for the long term.
Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources whether NEA is able to identify any land owners in Indonesia who
are responsible for the burning of forest land that causes haze and whether any
prosecution action will be taken against these land owners.
Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) how the cost of haze pollution to Singapore can be estimated;
and (b) what are the Government’s estimates of previous years’ cost impact
arising from haze pollution on health, education and business.
Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) how effective has the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014
been in holding companies and individuals accountable for causing haze
pollution; and (b) what is the number of perpetrators who have been prosecuted
under the Act.
Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) what are the haze assistance efforts extended to Indonesia this
year; (b) how much of the assistance efforts have been accepted; and (c) what
are the long-term collaboration plans with leaders in the region to mitigate
transboundary haze.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources how can the Government minimise and manage the impact of haze
on the public and the Government’s policy in the distribution of the national
stockpile of N95 masks.
Assoc Prof Walter Theseira: To ask the Minister for the Environment and
Water Resources (a) whether and to what extent the Transboundary Haze
Pollution Act has been effective at addressing transboundary haze; (b) what is
the progress on existing investigations under the Act of the four firms linked
to the 2015 haze; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider strengthening the
Transboundary Haze Pollution Act with financial incentives for
whistleblowers who contribute substantially to the identification and
prosecution of entities contributing to haze pollution.
Prof Lim Sun Sun: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources why there have been no prosecutions to date under the
Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014 despite the ample legal and
evidentiary mechanisms available under the Act.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources whether he can provide an update on (i) the outlook for haze
affecting Singapore in the months ahead (ii) diplomatic efforts to mitigate haze
generation in Indonesia and (iii) domestic efforts to mitigate the public health
impact.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
(a) what are the considerations behind NEA’s decision to report air quality
based on 24-hour PSI and 1-hour PM 2.5 readings; and (b) what is the
Government’s assessment of the utility of the above readings to the population
vis-á-vis other indices or measures.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources
how has the enactment of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act 2014
enhanced Singapore’s response to transboundary haze pollution.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) in the past five years, which is the most common area that
residents have neglected resulting in mosquito breeding; (b) how many areas
are at common areas (i) outside their house and (ii) within their house
respectively; and (c) how many houses have been forced open for inspection
in the absence of a response from owners/tenants.
Ms Irene Quay Siew Ching: To ask the Minister for the Environment and
Water Resources what is the correct disposal method for household
pharmaceutical waste consisting of cytotoxics, antibiotics and controlled
drugs.
Mr Ang Hin Kee: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources whether the Ministry plans to align and standardise the colour codes
of all recycling bins beyond housing estates to the shopping malls, hotels,
offices and industrial estates for easy recall and identification as there is
currently no consistency in how bins are labelled and can be confusing to users.
Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources when will the NEA life cycle assessment study on plastics be made
public in its entirety for the use of academics, professionals and the lay public
so as to promote an evidence-based approach to climate solutions suited for
the Singapore context.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources (a) how many insect farms are currently located in Singapore; (b)
what types of insects are currently allowed to be cultivated in Singapore; and
(c) whether there are plans to allow for post-consumer food waste to be used
for insect farming to help in recycling food waste.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water
Resources in light of the recent Singapore Climate Rally (a) what are the
Ministry’s plans to engage the climate enthusiasts in novel ways to raise
awareness of high levels of overconsumption, waste reduction and our carbon
footprint; and (b) whether the Ministry will also consider leveraging on this
movement and lead the efforts in the region.
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