Parliamentary questions for 5 October 2020

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Ministry intends to abolish the Civil Service performance management system of stack ranking.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what is the projected and actual utilisation rate so far for the TraceTogether token; and (b) how will the Ministry safeguard personal data collected from TraceTogether and SafeEntry in light of the users’ privacy concerns stemming from the increased risk of cyber-attacks.

Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Prime Minister with regard to the recent document leaks from the US Financial Crimes Network (a) whether any banks in Singapore are implicated in the money laundering activities; and (b) whether the Ministry is in touch with the banks named to verify any Singapore connection.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Prime Minister in view of the recent assertions by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists that a number of banks in Singapore had handled large sums of suspicious
transactions (a) how will MAS address the assertions with the banks; and (b) what have been the efforts to enhance our work against suspicious transactions and money laundering.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Prime Minister in light of the recent cases of trade financing fraud involving billions of dollars leading to steps taken by banks to de-risk from this area, what steps will be taken to (i) ensure that there will be a sufficient number of banks providing such facilities on reasonable terms to traders (ii) reduce the fraud risks involved in such transactions on banks and other stakeholders and (iii) restore Singapore’s reputation as a premier global trade financing hub.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether the Ministry tracks the take-up rate of green financing loans and products for SMEs; and (b) what are the plans to make green financing more accessible to SMEs.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Prime Minister (a) in the past three years, how many high net worth individuals have set up or have been given approval to set up family offices in Singapore; (b) what is the total quantum of assets that have been attracted to Singapore through these high net worth individuals; and (c) how many Singaporeans have been employed by such family offices in Singapore.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister across the last three general elections (a) how many voters are allocated to each polling station on average; (b) how many polling stations have had the number of allocated
voters exceed 25%, 50% and 100% of the average; and (c) what is the respective maximum number of voters allocated to a given polling station.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Transport in light of the recent incident of an SBS bus driver being abused (a) what more can the Ministry do to protect our bus captains and transport service staff; (b) how can highrisk passenger management procedures be enhanced; (c) whether a public awareness campaign directed at passengers to encourage respect for bus drivers and to outline expected behaviours while travelling on public
transport can be explored; and (d) whether a code of conduct for passengers can be developed.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the next-generation ERP system allows for developers to create third-party applications; (b) whether the design of the on-board unit (OBU) be further
streamlined for motorcyclists; and (c) whether the majority of the OBU’s functions can be replaced by a smartphone in the future.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the next-generation electronic road pricing (ERP) system is an open-source appbased device; (b) how will LTA allocate slots for installation of on-board units (OBU) to minimise queueing; (c) whether there is any replacement cost should the OBU get faulty after usage; and (d) in light of safety concerns about how the OBU’s screen may be distracting to drivers, whether there can
be an option to dim or turn off the display.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA will reduce the size and improve the design of the on-board units (OBUs) for all classes of vehicles for the next-generation ERP system to ensure safe use, avoid distraction to motorists and better interfacing with the vehicular dashboards and systems; and (b) whether LTA will assu

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit (RTS) Link including the implications of converting the RTS into a Light Rail Transit.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the number of COVID-19 cases from the crew of ships visiting Singapore port waters in the last six months; and (b) what are the COVID-19 safety measures required for all workmen, ship agents’ or ship suppliers’ personnel and other persons boarding commercial vessels visiting Singapore port waters.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Transport why does the Government allow the private hire vehicle companies to impose a rule that their drivers take up to a maximum of three passengers only and must
leave the front seat empty as it affects both drivers and passengers.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many private hire car operators have participated in the Point-to-Point Support Package (PPSP); (b) what are the amounts disbursed to each of these private hire car operators through the PPSP; and (c) whether any reasons are offered by private hire car operators who decide not to participate in the PPSP.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will allow carpooling by taxi operators so as to maximise the usage capacity of each vehicle and also reduce the country’s overall carbon footprint.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport what are the factors that the Ministry will consider before approving no-destination flights and how important will carbon emissions arising from such flights be a factor for approval.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has considered imposing a per-flight environmental tax with regard to SIA’s proposed plan to operate ‘flights to nowhere’; and (b) whether the Ministry has considered suggesting to SIA to have pilots retain skills via simulators and have flight crews’ salaries be further supplemented by the estimated additional environmental costs via a Government subsidy, instead of operating such flights.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Transport whether LTA can introduce regulations to ensure that cyclists riding on footpaths do not ride recklessly and endanger other users of the footpaths.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry has plans to install acoustic cameras to identify noisy vehicles for enforcement action.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider extending the Cross Island Line Punggol Extension, which will connect Pasir Ris to Punggol, to Seletar Airport, Seletar private estate and Fernvale.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport whether Singapore has plans to build a sheltered walkway on the Singapore’ side of the Causeway in light of Malaysia’s announcement to build a 1.2km sheltered walkway on the Causeway between Johor and Woodlands.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the progress of the construction of the new bus depot near Seletar West Farmway; and (b) with this new bus depot, what plans are there to improve
the bus services in Fernvale.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the progress on the national project to widen footpaths and build more cycling paths involving Bukit Batok SMC.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA is looking into the feasibility of incorporating low-noise pavement mix for all sections of expressways running close to residential blocks, in particular along the section of the Tampines Expressway between Sengkang and Punggol estates; (b) what are the preconditions for implementation; and (c) what other measures are being implemented to mitigate the impact of traffic noise.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many pedestrian overhead bridges are there in Singapore and how many have lifts installed to provide barrier-free access; and (b) whether there are plans to install more lifts for pedestrian overhead bridges, especially at mature estates like Woodgrove.

Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the last three years, how many appeals for waiver of the Ethnic Integration Policy are received from HDB flat owners; (b) how many appeals are received from each ethnic group; (c) how many of the appeals are successful; (d) how many owners are granted time extension to sell their flats; and (e) how many of the flats remain unsold at the end of the time extension

Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for National Development in each of the last three years (a) how many (i) Sale of Balance flats (SBF) and (ii) open booking flats remained unsold for more than two years; (b) what
are the main reasons for this; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider lifting the Ethnic Integration Policy criterion for such flats.

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB can consider ramping up the number of flats constructed, especially in mature estates, and reduce the number of upcoming condo developments as families become more financially prudent during this COVID-19 period and beyond.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider providing regular cyclical maintenance for HDB rental flats beyond the typical repair works.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will provide a more effective solution for HDB rental flats that are affected by bed bug infestations and excessive hoarding.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether he can provide an update on the state of major infrastructure projects, specifically the ones that will be postponed or cancelled, if any, given the
current economic restructuring that Singapore is going through

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for National Development whether smart light sensors can be installed in all our common areas, parks and the environment to turn on lights automatically instead of having to manually adjust the timings during certain periods or months when the environment turns dark early.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many applicants have been successful in getting their HDB flats under open booking since it was launched (b) how many have decided not to go for flat selection after they obtained their queue number; (c) whether there are flats that still remained unselected under open booking; and (d) whether HDB will be offering more of such open bookings to those who need to get the flat early.

Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Minister for National Development with working from home becoming a part of our lifestyle (a) how will this impact HDB’s design for future homes to be built; and (b) whether there are plans
to turn communal spaces in the neighbourhood into working spaces with WiFi to help those who need a quiet space to work.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the circumstances that led to the air-conditioning ventilation duct at NEX shopping mall being dislodged; (b) what are the liabilities of
the building owner, management office, and tenant in such cases; and (c) what is being done to prevent such incidents from happening again.

Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the last three years, what is the number of complaints made in relation to defects in HDB BTO flats within five years of their completion; (b) what is this figure as a percentage of the total number of HDB BTO flats completed in that year; and (c) whether HBD will consider extending the defects liability period with its contractors for a longer period of up to five years to ensure greater responsibility for workmanship.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether all HDB and URA car parks will (i) implement a transitional parking of at least 15 minutes grace period and (ii) providedesignated food delivery pick-up points at loading and unloading bays for registered food delivery riders.

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for National Development in 2019 and 2020 to date, what is the maximum and median number of application attempts for first-time applicants before they are successful in being invited to select a HDB flat.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the past five years, what is the number of prosecutions that have been brought in relation to instances of illegal wildlife trade; (b) of these prosecutions, how many also involved charges of corruption, moneylaundering or fraud; and (c) whether the Ministry will start collecting this data if it is not available.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to the Allotment Gardening Scheme (a) how many allotment garden plots have been made available each year since its inception in 2016; (b) how
many allotment garden plots have had their lease terminated and on what basis; and (c) whether there are plans to expand the programme to allow more residents access to sustainable farming in their neighbourhoods.

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Health with the low number of community cases for COVID-19, what can be expected on further easing of measures for Singapore and when can this be done.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Government has completed its review of work-from-home arrangements and where does Singapore stand in the Government’s risk assessment in
determining when to move into Phase 3 of Singapore’s reopening.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider subsidising dengue vaccines for persons who have had prior dengue infection as affordability is one of the reasons for people not vaccinating
against re-infection.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average level of COVID-19 testing per day for the last month; (b) what is the expected timeline for reaching the target of 40,000 tests per day announced in May
2020; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider publishing the number of tests conducted per day.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the past three years, how many babies have been born through the use of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF); (b) what is the success rate of IVF when using fresh, versus frozen,
eggs; and (c) what are the current measures to help couples address infertility issues.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether more flexibility can be exercised over MediSave claims for age-related medical treatment such as macular degeneration; and (b) whether the Ministry will
review the MediSave limits for the elderly who have a substantial balance in their MediSave accounts so that they need not top up so much cash when paying their bills.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether there has been any study of the differences, over time, between charges by private versus public healthcare providers; (b) whether this has been
appreciably altered by the citizen/PR subsidy; and (c) whether the trend of rising costs has accelerated due to greater access to insurance products that reduce the individual cost-sharing burden.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health for the mental and social well-being of our seniors in nursing homes, whether up to five designated visitors for each nursing home resident can be allowed, instead of two
currently, though the current arrangement of only one visitor can visit each day can remain for the safety of our seniors.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health with smaller class sizes and most classes going virtual due to the continued threat of COVID-19, how can the Government ensure that courses tailored for the elderly are still
effective and accessible.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether there has been an upward trend over the past year of people seeking telemedicine; (b) what are the reasons for them seeking telemedicine; and (c) whether feedback from patients who have used telemedicine can be compiled and shared to enable the public who are thinking of using telemedicine to be wellinformed.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the estimated timeline of when a viable rapid COVID-19 test kit will become widely available; and (b) whether this, coupled with universal contact tracing, can
allow sectors such as aviation, hospitality and other related businesses to resume progressively.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of people who have called the National CARE Hotline since the COVID-19 pandemic started; (b) what is the percentage of repeat callers;
and (c) whether there are any plans to better support residents who are facing mental resilience issues in this prolonged fight against COVID-19.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health what further measures can public healthcare institutions put in place to promote and increase public awareness among patients of the option of medication
delivery.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health what is the progress on developing the Woodlands Health Campus and whether this has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in each year of the past five years, for systemic lupus erythematosus and spondyloarthritis respectively, what is (i) the number of Singaporeans and permanent residents with the condition and (ii) the number of unique patients seeking outpatient care in public hospitals; and (b) whether the Ministry will start collecting this data if it is not available.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health in each of the last five years, how many patients have been treated in polyclinics and CHAS clinics for chronic conditions that are not one of the 20 chronic
conditions included in the Chronic Disease Management Programme.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health in each of the last five years, how many patients reached their annual MediSave withdrawal limit of (i) $500 allowed under the Chronic Disease
Management Programme and (ii) $200 allowed under the outpatient FlexiMediSave scheme.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health in each of the last five years, how many patients have reached (i) their monthly $450 MediSave withdrawal limit for renal dialysis outpatient treatment and (ii) their monthly $1,200 MediSave withdrawal limit for chemotherapy.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Health over the past three years (a) what has been (i) the screening rate for breast cancer and (ii) the rate of late-stage breast cancer diagnosis; and (b) how do these rates compare
across (i) housing types and (ii) household income deciles.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health in light of the recent relaxations on meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibition (MICE) events allowing for gatherings of up to 250 people, whether there is a specific timeline that the Ministry is considering for key life events, in particular weddings.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs following the judgment of the High Court in Parti Liyani v PP [2020] SGHC 187, what steps will be taken by the different agencies to identify why the issues identified in the judgment occurred and how these issues will be addressed in future.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in respect of the High Court judgment in Parti Liyani v PP [2020] SGHC 187, what are the agencies’ findings on what is assessed to have gone wrong and what will be
done to address the findings.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs over the last five years (a) what percentage of cases of theft as an employee has a foreign domestic worker been the accused; (b) what proportion of the above has (i) been charged in court (ii) proceeded to trial (iii) been convicted and (iv) been acquitted respectively; and (c) what proportion of each subgroup above has had legal representation.

Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether there are any updates on its internal reviews of what happened in Ms Parti Liyani’s case, and in particular the police’s handling of the matter.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether he will appoint a committee of inquiry consisting of members not affiliated to the Government to conduct a public inquiry into the conduct of the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers with regard to Ms Parti Liyani’s case.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider allowing foreign domestic workers and other work permit holders to be accompanied by non-legal personnel in police
interviews, similar to the Appropriate Adult Scheme.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what has gone wrong in the chain of events related to the case of Ms Parti Liyani and what are the findings and outcomes of the review.

Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the root causes that led to the procedural lapses on the part of the police in Parti Liyani v PP [2020] SGHC 187 and whether there are sufficient procedura

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what has been the trend of scam crimes in the past 10 years; and (b) what is the police’s strategy to reduce such scam crimes.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of some children with special needs finding it stressful to abide by COVID-19 regulations, such as mandatory mask wearing (a) what kind of training do police officers receive to equip them to deal with such individuals if they fail to abide by the law; and (b) how can the Police exhibit more empathy towards these individuals, while ensuring that rules are complied with to everyone’s
interest.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in order to prevent more Singaporeans from being scammed, whether the Ministry can work with MAS to require financial institutions to display pop-up reminders whenever their clients perform an overseas remittance via their mobile phone and computer.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there has been any systematic study by the Ministry as to the deterrent effect of a life sentence relative to the death penalty; and (b) whether the study has been conducted in cases where the reasoning capacity of the perpetrator may have been compromised such as by mental illness or addiction.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether Wireless@SG hotspots can be rolled out for HDB rental blocks to ensure a minimum level of Internet connectivity for residents who may not be able to afford the subsidised plans with Home Access 3.0 programmes.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) to date, how many low-income households have benefited from the Home Access 3.0 programme for minimum broadband speeds; and (b) whether higher minimum broadband speeds can be considered for the Home Access programme to cater for the growing need for online access.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information what is the projected gap in digital talent supply and demand in Singapore over the next one year, three years and five years respectively.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether there has been a significant increase in the adoption rate of Government-wide digitalisation initiatives; (b) how does the Government intend to capitalise on this opportune timing to push ahead with digitalisation and introduce new projects; and (c) whether there are plans to allocate additional funding to support and encourage Singaporeans to be more digital savvy.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether telecommunication companies (telcos) have standardised clauses for the non-renewal of service contracts; (b) whether non-renewal clauses that place the obligation on customers to inform telcos exactly seven days in advance before the end of the service contract, or risk incurring a penalty, are in accordance with the principles of contract law; and (c) whether IMDA is aware as to whether consumers experience an increase in subscription fees after the automatic continuation of their service contacts upon its expiry.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether he can provide an update on the digital ambassador outreach effort since its implementation.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is the utilisation rate of NLB’s book dispenser located at Lot One shopping mall; and (b) whether NLB will consider installing such book dispensers at the void decks of HDB rental blocks with higher densities of young families.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information with regard to the Auditor-General’s Report detailing that the National Archives project exceeded its renovation budget by $1.72 million due to a lack of scrutiny (a) when is the internal review expected to be completed; and (b) whether the review will also look into ways to strengthen internal financial controls.

Mr Alex Yam Ziming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the weak links highlighted annually in the AuditorGeneral’s Reports (a) how does the Civil Service ensure that officers are adequately trained and supervised to meet the Government’s procurement processes; and (b) whether officers handling tenders have to attend regular refresher courses to stay abreast with new regulations and processes.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the recurring lapses in IT controls highlighted in the latest Auditor-General’s Report, whether there are inherent systemic issues within
the public service and what effective measures will be taken to address the weaknesses.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in respect of the Workfare Special Payment (a) what is the rationale behind having up-to-date Medisave contributions as a qualifying criteria for the
payment; (b) how many low-wage workers who are otherwise eligible for this payment have been prevented from receiving this due to arrears in their Medisave contributions; (c) how many of those who are not eligible for this
payment have contribution arrears amounting to more than $3,000; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider removing such contributions as an eligibility criteria especially in this difficult time when liquidity and cashflow is needed by individuals to survive day to day.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry can consider being more flexible in administering COVID-19 relief schemes for (i) those who stay in landed properties that they may not own and (ii) Merdeka and Pioneer Generation Singaporeans especially those with chronic health conditions.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how does the new Grants Governance Framework and rules issued by the Ministry to all agencies differ from the existing framework currently adopted; and (b) how does the Ministry plan to ensure consistent implementation across agencies.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government, as a major investor in Government-linked companies, uses its shareholder influence to persuade investee companies to
prioritise Singaporean jobs during any mass retrenchment exercise.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what is the reason why purchasers of a second property who are single do not qualify for the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty remission even if they meet the same conditions that married couples do to facilitate their changing of homes; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending the remission to singles who meet the same conditions in the future.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many Singapore citizens who acquired their citizenship by registration, have turned 21 years of age this year, have taken their Oaths of Renunciation beforehand and provided their bank account details to the Government, have received their Solidarity Payments late, i.e. after 14 April 2020; (b) what contributed to the delay; and (c) what steps have been taken to address this matter.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry considers whether Singapore-registered companies are making profits before disbursing Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payouts and, if so, what is the quantum of JSS payouts disbursed to such companies; (b) whether the Ministry will consider asking Singaporeregistered companies that declare profits before JSS payouts in FY2020 to return the JSS payouts in whole or in part; and (c) how many companies have declined JSS or returned the JSS payouts disbursed to them.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider allowing universities and schools to return to more normalised face-to-face activities and classes when TraceTogether tokens are in widespread use with safe distancing measures in place.

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry can increase university enrolments for the coming few years so that all Singaporeans with grades that qualify for entry into Government funded universities can do so amidst COVID-19.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry and SkillsFuture Singapore will consider embarking on a detailed study together with tripartite partners and academia on (i) the efficacy of
current Continuing Education and Training (CET) Schemes in supporting placement, progression and upward social mobility and (ii) the future skills and CET required in the next 3-5 years across the new and growth sectors/industries.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider removing the annotation symbol from the PSLE certificates of those candidates who have been granted access arrangements during the PSLE such as extra time allowance.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Education whether there are any measures in place to (i) assess the quality of training from SkillsFuture training providers and (ii) measure the effectiveness of SkillsFuture courses, through competency or company-based outcome assessments rather than using course attendance and participation.

Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how many companies have participated in the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme (ELP) since it first started; (b) how many companies are currently on the ELP and what is the attrition rate of ELP companies; and (c) what is the percentage of graduates from the ELP who continue to be in full-time employment after the ELP companies have fulfilled their mandatory employment commitments
to graduates.

Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Education what are the plans for National School Games (NSG) competitions and similar school sporting events that are scheduled to take place in the first quarter of 2021.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Education whether all primary school students will receive a personal laptop or tablet with complimentary Wi-Fi access to further support home-based learning.

Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Education how has COVID-19 affected the 2020 Direct School Admission (DSA) exercise for secondary schools especially in the absence of school sports or other such events and activities that would have ordinarily facilitated DSA applicants to use
objective and quantitative criteria in their DSA applications.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the total number of children in the 2015 cohort in Fernvale constituency; and (b) whether the three primary schools in Fernvale constituency will be able to
accommodate all the children in the 2015 cohort.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Education how is the success of SkillsFuture and related Continuing Education and Training programmes measured in providing Singaporeans with opportunities for new careers and
employability.’

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Education whether national education such as the meaning of the national anthem and meaning of the colours and symbols on our flag are taught in lower primary school.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what types of support do students facing mental health issues receive in schools; (b) currently, what is the ratio of counsellors trained to work with students with mental health issues to students in primary, secondary, and tertiary institutions, including autonomous universities; (c) what is being done to ensure that students with mental health issues belonging to different income groups receive the support they need; (d) what is being done to de-stigmatise mental health issues in schools; and (e) whether the Ministry will consider annual reports tracking support for mental health issues in schools to be presented to Parliament.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Education with the rise in the number of young teens indulging in unprotected sexual activities and contracting HIV and other diseases (a) what are the Ministry’s efforts to promote sex education; and (b) what is the Ministry doing to keep up with the changing attitudes towards sex among the young.

Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for Law whether there are any updates on the Ministry’s internal reviews of what happened in Ms Parti Liyani’s case and in particular the handling of the matter by the Attorney-General’s
Chambers.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Law in light of the Parti Liyani case (a) whether an expedited trial process can be created for economically vulnerable foreign accused persons; (b) whether the honorarium for volunteer lawyers under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme can be increased to signify their contributions; (c) whether an Office of Public Defender can be created to provide legal assistance to accused persons in Singapore; and (d) whether there are any steps being taken to strengthen the interpreter service in the Singapore Police Force.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Law whether the Government will consider providing direct legal aid to vulnerable persons or those with lesser financial means who are charged with criminal offences, in light of concerns raised about access to justice and adequate legal representation for such persons, following the case of Parti Liyani v PP [2020] SGHC 187.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Law how many State Court judges have previously worked as prosecutors in the Attorney-General’s Chambers and whether the Ministry will review the policy of separation of
duties.

Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Law with regard to the case of Parti Liyani v PP [2020] SGHC 187 where gaps in the prosecution’s case have been noted, what are the procedures and supervisory oversight in place at the Attorney-General’s Chambers in the assessment of evidence throughout the process of prosecution.

Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Law in the last three years (a) what is the number of court cases involving employers and their foreign domestic workers (FDWs); (b) what is the number of cases wherein the
employer has been convicted; and (c) what is the number of cases wherein the FDW has been convicted.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Law for Singaporeans with mobility needs who encounter significant difficulty going out from the home, what avenues are available for them to obtain legal aid or pro bono legal services.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Law for each year since 2015, how many cases lodged with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) for neighbourly disputes in HDB flats are in
relation to neighbourly disputes involving (i) noise disturbances (ii) smoking and (iii) obstruction of common areas.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the considerations behind the Ministry’s punitive actions against the employer for the illegal deployment of Ms Parti Liyani as a foreign domestic worker; and (b) whether the actions taken are consistent with similar cases in the past.

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Manpower in light of the AuditorGeneral’s Report for FY 2019/2020, (a) whether the Ministry will be undertaking a more wide-scale review of the number of successful career conversions and Professional Conversion Programme outcomes thus far; and (b) what will be the extent of sample checks to be conducted on grant Programme Partners by Workforce Singapore or the Ministry in future.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) how many Singaporeans aged 60 and above have been retrenched, or did not have their contracts renewed, as fallout from the economic impact of COVID-19; (b) how will the Ministry address the challenges of ageism in the COVID-19 economy; and (c) whether the Ministry will provide additional assistance to help seniors who are seeking employment opportunities.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether she can clarify how the national guidelines on managing excess manpower and responsible retrenchments and other related policies ensure that Singaporeans are better off compared to permanent residents and non-Singaporeans in terms of job and income security.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Manpower of the number of retrenchments in 2020, how many were women.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the rationale for restricting investable products under the CPF Investment Scheme; (b) how are the approved investment products determined; (c) how frequent is this list of approved products reviewed; and (d) whether Singaporeans can choose to invest in products not in the approved list on a conditional basis.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the percentage of applications under the Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme that have been rejected due to the applicants’ spouses earning more
than $70,000; and (b) whether the Ministry can review this criterion as part of its study on the possible extension of SIRS in light of the prolonged economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether guidelines for cross-deployment of foreign domestic workers (FDWs) can be tightened and made available to both employers and FDWs for greater
clarity; (b) what kind of outreach has been done to ensure employers and FDWs are aware of their rights and the platforms to seek assistance; and (c) how can the Ministry better address FDWs’ fears of losing their jobs if they report errant employers.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Manpower over the last five years, what is the trend of female workforce participation for those with younger children across the income deciles.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in each year in the past five years, how many cases have there been of residential addresses being falsely declared as housing addresses for foreign workers; and (b) what measures are taken to ensure that housing addresses declared for foreign workers are accurate.

Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the rationale for further consultations with AGC to decide on what further action ought to be taken against Ms Parti Liyani’s previous employer when the Ministry has previously issued a warning to the employer in 2018.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current number of CPF members aged between 21 and 60 who are not covered under the Dependants’ Protection Scheme, with a breakdown based on the key reasons for exclusion; (b) whether the scheme can be automatically extended to all CPF members aged above 21 who have sufficient CPF savings but have not made their first CPF working contribution; and (c) whether the scheme can be extended beyond the current age cap of 60 to be in line with the prevailing retirement age.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry is reviewing its eligibility criteria for distributing support grants especially on the use of per capita income of occupants living in a particular address.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs what are the plans of MUIS to regulate or educate food and beverage (F&B) operators on the use of labels depicting Islamic phrases or Muslim-owned businesses status in order to avoid confusion amongst the public of the halal status of F&B establishments and potential dilution of the MUIS halal certification mark.

Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development what has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the employment prospects and status of those with special needs and persons with
disabilities and how is the Ministry progressing with measures to raise inclusivity during this challenging period.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry monitors (i) the retrenchment rates for persons with disabilities (PWDs) and (ii) the proportion later found to have been ‘disguised retrenchments’; (b) if so, how do these findings compare with employees who are not PWDs; and (c) what is the average duration before a retrenched PWD finds new employment.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether receiving the COVID-19 Support Grant and grants under Self-Employed Income Relief Scheme will result in a reduction of
ComCare assistance to be received; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider allowing ComCare clients to receive their existing ComCare assistance together with COVID-related financial assistance.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how can families facing prolonged periods of unemployment be supported beyond the current ComCare scheme for financial assistance; and (b) whether the COVID-19 Support Grant can evolve to some form of unemployment support.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider extending the Development Support and Learning Support Programme to children who are differently abled at the nursery levels.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether he can provide an update on the issue of social egg freezing; (b) whether the Ministry has reviewed its policy to extend this procedure to
everyone, and not only to certain individuals based on medical grounds; and (c) whether the Ministry is aware that a growing number of Singaporeans are going overseas to have their eggs or sperm preserved.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development in each of the last five years (a) how many Singaporean families have been eligible for the Kindergarten Fee Assistance Scheme (KiFAS); (b) how many
Singaporean families have received assistance under KiFAS; and (c) whether the Government has plans to extend KiFAS to all eligible Singaporean families irrespective of chosen childcare provider, with the same subsidy to
be provided to all eligible children.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development that given the increasing stresses on families and individuals due to the current COVID-19 and economic crisis, what are the measures
adopted to keep families intact and maintain the mental well-being of individuals.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the manpower resourcing plan for the Home Visitation Programme under KidSTART, in terms of the number of home visitors the programme aims to hire in the next two to five years; (b) what are the required skills or eligibility criteria for home visitors that the programme is looking for; and (c) what is the job scope they are expected to perform.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many children have been enrolled under the Enhanced Pilot for Private Intervention Providers (Enhanced PPIP) in 2017 and 2018; and (b) whether
the quota of children can be increased.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the take-up rate of registering Lasting Powers of Attorney since the establishment of the Office of the Public Guardian; (b) what is the profile
age groups of the applicants who have registered their Lasting Power of Attorney; and (c) whether the Office of the Public Guardian has plans to implement online registration for Lasting Powers of Attorney.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) from 2017 to 2019, how many applications for ComCare Interim Assistance, Short-to-Medium Term Assistance and Long-Term Assistance
are received in which the applicant has exceeded the income criteria; (b) what factors are considered when the applicant slightly exceeds the income criteria; and (c) whether the Ministry is planning a review of this income
cap over the next 12 months.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs how have the different age groups in the Malay/Muslim community responded and
adapted to meet the community’s religious needs in light of the COVID-19 restrictions.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) from 2017 to 2019, what is the annual number of appeals received by the MUIS
Appeal Board regarding judgments issued by the Syariah Court of Singapore for divorce cases; (b) what are the main reasons for the appeals; and (c) how many cases are reported by ex-husbands and ex-wives respectively.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs what is the progress of investigations into allegations of questionable halal certification
practices by MUIS’s Halal Certification Strategic Unit.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with regard to the Report of the Auditor-General, wherein it stated that test checks found that JTC premises may have been sublet to about 26,000
business entities without JTC’s approval (a) whether JTC has completed investigations into all identified business entities and confirmed cases; and (b) what are the penalties imposed on affected tenants, lessees and sublessees.

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the Auditor-General’s Report for FY 2019/2020 (a) how many companies have received the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) so far; (b) what action will Enterprise Singapore (ESG) undertake to ensure strict compliance to the minimum 30% local shareholding criterion for all future cases; and (c) whether ESG claws back grant monies from recipient companies as a matter of practice when there a substantial change in local shareholding before an EDG-funded project is completed.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how is STB supporting travel agencies to expand their local tour offerings; (b) whether hostels that are licensed under the Hotel Licensing Board qualify as partners
for use of the SingapoRediscovers vouchers; and (c) whether STB will extend the period beyond 31 December 2020 for the 90% reduction of the minimum financial requirement for travel agents to keep their licences.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry is aware of the prevalence of ‘zombie companies’ in Singapore and the risk that COVID-19 support schemes may be allocating precious
resources to them, hindering the allocation of labour and skills to more productive parts of the economy.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether a study has been commissioned to understand the impact of a work-from-home norm on demand for commercial rental property; and (b) if so, whether there are any measures being explored to soften the impact on the market.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry amidst greater trade tensions and shortening of supply chains, what are the Ministry’s plans to enhance Singapore’s position as a regional trade hub.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how have businesses in the Central Business District been affected since the circuit breaker period; and (b) whether there will be a special assistance package to help these affected businesses.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the Ministry will consider implementing virus drills whereby certain pockets of industries can take turns to implement business continuity
plans for one week including the distribution of masks and other essential items, such as hand sanitisers, to employees.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how many companies applying for Enterprise Singapore’s financing support schemes do not meet the minimum 30% local shareholding criterion; (b)
how many of such companies have been granted financial support by Enterprise Singapore; and (c) whether concessions can be made for such companies with high levels of local employment.

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry and the Multi-Ministry Task Force on COVID-19 can proactively work with the National Arts Council to come up
with proper safe distancing guidelines on outdoor live performances instead of going with a blanket restriction, so that our artistes can make a living.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Defence what is the status and updated timeline for the move of the RSAF operations from Paya Lebar Air Base to Tengah Air Base.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Defence whether the operational readiness of the RSAF will be significantly compromised if sorties taking off from Paya Lebar Airbase are clustered into a small number
of windows within the day, even if the duration of each window will be relatively longer.

Mr Sitoh Yih Pin: To ask the Minister for Defence whether the RSAF will consider reducing the number of early morning training sessions of military aircraft near residential areas in light of the substantial increase of residents
who work from home due to the COVID-19 measures.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) in each of the last five years, how many tonnes and what percentage of Singapore’s recyclable waste has been exported; and (b) how
does the Ministry ensure that the exported recyclable waste ultimately gets recycled instead of being incinerated or deposited in landfills overseas.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether she can provide an update on (i) the expansion of our domestic waste recycling industry and (ii) NEA’s study on e-waste and plastics recycling solutions and technologies and its assessment of their suitability for local adoption; and (b) whether there has been a cost-benefit analysis of exporting recyclables versus owning the capabilities to process
them, considering the carbon footprint of transport and the environmental impact on developing countries that import recyclable waste.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how can Singapore leverage on the work-from-home trend to promote adoption of greater personal acceptance and responsibility for
recycling and reducing waste.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is being done to alleviate the disamenities and inconveniences caused by the placement of safety distancing barricades and
markers at public places; and (b) whether the responses pertaining to feedback from the public concerning safe distancing features are dealt with in a timely manner.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of COVID-19, whether screw taps for wash basins and manual flushing systems in hawker centre toilets can be replaced with automatic ones.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in the past three years, how many cat feeders have been summoned for littering.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether complaints against smoking, second-hand smoke and cigarette butt littering at HDB estates have increased in the past six
months; and (b) whether the measures implemented so far have been effective.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will look into ways in which the advantages of biodegradable plastics may be harnessed and advertised so as to reduce reliance on Singapore’s landfill.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there has been an increase in rat sightings since the circuit breaker period and what measures are in place to address them.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how will the Ministry engage with supermarkets and consumers to reduce plastic pre-packaging of fruits and vegetables.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what are the protocols for enforcement of safe distancing measures at coffee shops and hawker centres in HDB heartlands after office
hours; and (b) how are safe distancing ambassadors trained to handle drunk and rowdy patrons.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there is any criteria to determine the number and size of wet markets in a town; and (b) if so, whether there are plans to review and upgrade the wet markets in towns that are growing in size.