Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698847258989.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE (SECOND SESSION) ORDER PAPER TUESDAY, 4 JULY 2023 No.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Health what safeguards exist to ensure access to polyclinic care for seniors aged 65 years and above who (i) cannot go online to book appointments and (ii) repeatedly find that online slots are already fully booked.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health whether it is possible to release polyclinic next-day appointment slots in a few fixed tranches each day rather than have a single release of time slots at 10 pm.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to the recent cases of Android users losing close to $100,000 of CPF savings through malware-related scams (a) how many similar malware-related scams has the Ministry detected in the past three years; (b) what are the safeguards that the Ministry intends to implement to prevent CPF savings being lost to scammers; and (c) what recourse will the victims have with regard to their lost CPF savings.
Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth regarding the use of bots to book sports facilities through ActiveSG accounts (a) what measures has ActiveSG taken to strengthen their software system to reduce such instances of public bookings; and (b) whether more stringent deterrents can be used besides suspending or terminating the user accounts of repeat offenders.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the recent decision not to recommend those aged 60 to 75 years from taking the second COVID-19 booster shot is due to documented adverse effects; and (b) if so, what is the incidence of adverse effects from the second COVID-19 booster shot as compared to earlier rounds of the vaccine.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Government is considering or implementing regulatory sandboxes for small-scale carbon offsetting projects to identify and resolve the gaps including those around verification standards and the interface with the mainstream financial system; and (b) whether she can provide an update on the efforts to develop Singapore into a hub for carbon trading.
Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) how will the UN High Seas Treaty affect Singapore’s plans on maritime conservation; and (b) how will it impact Singapore’s plans to build polders or other mitigation against rising sea levels as well as the Greater Southern Waterfront Gateway development.

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Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the Ministry's plans to encourage seniors to adopt an active ageing lifestyle; and (b) whether such plans include (i) collaborating with the People's Association to convert Residents' Network to Active Ageing Centres in the day and (ii) setting up volunteering opportunities for seniors.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Government will consider legislating the need for all motorists who are involved in road traffic accidents to report the matter to their insurers, regardless of whether they wish to make a claim.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Transport in each of the last three years (a) how many complaints has the Ministry received from insured parties about the counterparty failing to file an accident report when involved in a road traffic accident; and (b) what are the remedies available to victims of road traffic accidents who are unable to pursue insurance claims due to the counterparty failing to file an accident report.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the tangible outcomes of the grants provided under the SMEs Go Digital programme since it was introduced; (b) how has it helped SMEs in terms of value adding and improvements in productivity; and (c) whether there will be further improvements to enhance the effectiveness of the grants.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower given the recent fatal accident at a demolition site (a) whether there will be additional safety measures for demolition works and additional penalties for infringements given the inherent danger for such construction works; and (b) what are the current penalties aimed at making the leadership of construction contractors accountable in preventing accidents and deaths from happening.
Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in the past five years, what is the total amount of support, including financial assistance, healthcare programmes and social support initiatives, that the Government has provided to our seniors; (b) whether there are any plans in place to further assist seniors in coping with the rising cost of living; and (c) if so, what are the details of these initiatives.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Government will consider introducing mandatory caregiving leave for private sector companies.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for National Development in view of the financial challenges faced by young families with babies who have been waiting for five years for their BTO flats and the increased rental costs in Singapore, whether priority can be given to this eligible group of the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) applicants to be allocated PPHS flats.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with regard to the potential Johor- Singapore economic region announced by the Malaysian Economy Minister in May 2023 (a) what has been discussed with the Malaysian federal government and the Johor state government; and (b) what is the status of these discussions.
Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Transport how does the Ministry ensure that major construction works by Government agencies which cause road closures in estates are well-coordinated and do not result in a waste of resources or cause further inconvenience to motorists.

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4 JULY 2023 3 Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) since the publication of the national guide for early childhood educators on Outdoor Learning by the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) in September 2019, whether the Ministry has taken stock of how many preschools are implementing the recommendations in the guide; (b) if so, what is the progress; (c) what are the challenges encountered by preschool operators incorporating more outdoor time in their curriculum; and (d) how is the Ministry helping to address these challenges.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government is considering implementing pay ratio disclosures to require Ministries, statutory boards and Government companies to disclose the ratio of top to median, lower quartile and upper quartile staff pay ratios and if not, why not.
Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the Ministry's plans to preserve the wealth of experience of senior healthcare workers who wish to continue contributing meaningfully in roles that are less physically demanding; and (b) apart from job redesign and the use of assistive technology, what additional measures is the Ministry considering to tap into the expertise of such healthcare workers.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Manpower in light of the recently formed Interagency Taskforce on Mental Health and Well-being (a) how is the Taskforce currently measuring mental wellness in the workplace; and (b) whether the Taskforce will make recommendations on ways in which employers can foster a positive work atmosphere to strengthen support for mental well-being at workplaces.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the installation of air-conditioning units for rental flats is banned; (b) if so, when was this rule implemented; (c) what is the number of appeals and successful appeals against this rule over the last five years; and (d) whether the Government will reconsider this rule in light of rising temperatures and, if not, why.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Government will consider allowing a resident’s record from the Gambling Regulatory Authority to be included in his Credit Bureau Report.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) when can the results from the measures announced to reduce waiting time for admissions to public hospitals be expected; (b) what is the longest projected waiting time for beds; (c) when will the Ministry start to mobilise private hospitals and healthcare facilities; and (d) what steps have been taken to ensure that patients who are not admitted within a day receive timely and quality care.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider stepping up action against abandoned, lost, or discarded fishing gear given reports that an abandoned fishing net on Pulau Semakau has caused the deaths of 14 blacktip reef sharks in May 2023.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the panel of judges for busking auditions can provide auditioning candidates (i) with feedback on their performance and (ii) when candidates are unsuccessful, with reasons for why their audition was unsuccessful.

No.

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Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether events and performances using spaces rented from Arts House Limited are subjected to the National Arts Council's content or funding guidelines.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether there will be a review of the Employment Act since the last round of amendments were passed in 2018 especially with the rise in median wages as well as changes in the nature of work, workforce profile and workplaces.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether he can provide a status update on the Single Room Shared Facilities initiative; and (b) what suggestions are received to enhance the said initiative.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance how can the Ministry minimise the impact of rising market rental values on property taxes.
Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has projected any figures for the anticipated increase in informal caregivers needed over the next 10 to 20 years as the population ages; (b) if so, what are the projected figures; and (c) how will the Government build up the capacity and capability of care workers to relieve the load on family caregivers.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the reason for pegging the minimum interest rate of the CPF Ordinary Account (OA) to the average of the three local banks' savings and fixed deposit rates over a three-month period; (b) whether the rationale remains compelling in the current interest rate environment and with the range of interest products available; and (c) whether there is a possibility of de-linking the concessionary HDB loan rate to the CPF OA interest rate.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Prime Minister in respect of the eligibility criteria for private sector candidates to qualify as President of Singapore which includes a condition for profitability throughout the entire period of the candidate’s service as chief executive, why is an equivalent criterion to measure successful leadership not included for public service candidates.
Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether any review on the performances of Singapore’s football teams at the recent Southeast Asia Games 2023 has been conducted; and (b) if so, what are its findings and recommendations.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth following the Singapore national football team’s poor results at the 32nd SEA Games (a) how does the Ministry intend to rebuild our local football ecosystem; and (b) whether the pipeline of our young football talents should be under greater scrutiny.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what is the cause of the disruption to DBS Bank's digital banking services and physical ATM services on 5 May 2023; and (b) what is being done to strengthen the reliability and resilience of retail banks with significant market share in Singapore, especially with regard to digital banking services.
Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Prime Minister in view of the second disruption to DBS's digital banking services in the last two months (a) whether MAS will be taking action to investigate the root causes; (b) whether the further additional capital requirement imposed by MAS on DBS Bank following the second disruption will be adequate; and (c) whether MAS will be sharing any preliminary findings by the DBS Special Board Committee.

No.

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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government is considering implementing a land allocation and pricing framework for the HDB market similar to the revised land and pricing allocation framework for places of worship; and (b) if not, why not.
Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Family Service Centres (FSCs) are required to submit regular impact assessment reports to the Ministry to monitor the efficacy of the deployment of funds received; and (b) if not, whether the Ministry will consider extra funding for manpower support to help FSCs with impact assessments to provide more clarity in funding results and optimization.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether she can provide an update on the trial project to install sensors in recycling bins within HDB estates; and (b) what measures are being implemented to address the issue of overflowing recycling bins.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what rules apply to Ministers and other political officeholders on whether to accept invitations to speak at events organised by commercial organisations; and (b) what are the enforcement mechanisms in place to ensure that political officeholders are not leveraged on to promote commercial interests.
Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider increasing the size of the wet market at Pasir Ris Drive 4 and 6 and the number of hawkers at the market, in view of the increase in the number of residents due to new BTO flats launched in Pasir Ris.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Health whether the use of MediSave for family members can be extended to grandparents and siblings who are on Long-Term Visit Pass.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether an elaboration can be provided on plans to install electric charging stations in different parts of Singapore for use by harbour launches and other harbour crafts beyond the first charging station at Pulau Bukom including the possible locations and projected commencement dates for such other facilities so as to facilitate conversion plans for harbour craft owners; and (b) what assistance is available to assist Singaporeans or SME owners of harbour launches and other harbour crafts to convert to full electrification, biodiesel or net zero fuels in line with the MPA’s net zero goals for such vessels.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether catered food for migrant workers living in dormitories must meet the Singapore Food Agency (SFA)'s "Guidelines for Ordering Catered Meals for Functions and Events"; (b) if so, how does the Ministry work with the SFA to ensure migrant workers living in dormitories are provided with food in accordance with the guidelines; and (c) if not, what guidelines are applicable to catered food for migrant workers.
Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the current per capita cost of running Day Activity Centre services for adults with disabilities with moderate to high needs; and (b) what is the current per capita grants provided by the Government for such Day Activity Centre services.

No.

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Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether a study has been done to quantify the contributions of the family offices set up in the past three years to the Singapore economy and how they compare to other groups including citizens and foreigners under employment passes; and (b) if not, whether the Government will consider tracking this in the future.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current percentage of the cat population that is already microchipped; (b) what are the reasons why more cat owners do not microchip their cats; (c) whether there are plans to enforce mandatory microchipping and licensing of cats; and (d) if not, why not.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry has conducted studies in migrant worker dormitories to assess the adequacy of ventilation in rooms using CO2 samples as proxy similar to studies conducted in MINDEF/SAF accommodations; (b) if so, what are the readings from the CO2 samples; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will conduct such studies.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Law what is the average market rental rate of (i) Good Class Bungalows and (ii) other residential landed properties that are assessed by IRAS for rental income taxes in the past 10 years.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Prime Minister for each year since 2020 (a) what is the total inflow of foreign funds into Singapore, broken down by each source country; and (b) whether the Government will provide an assessment on the impact of the inflow of such foreign funds on (i) Singapore’s Official Foreign Reserves position (ii) the private property market and (iii) inflation.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Prime Minister in view of the police advisory informing the public that malware was used to compromise mobile devices resulting in unauthorised transactions made from bank accounts, whether MAS will consider reviewing previously closed cases of customer disputes with banks where unauthorised transactions were reported despite one-time passwords not being divulged or received.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what background checks are undertaken on foreign nationals before they are allowed to set up Singapore companies; (b) how does ACRA verify whether these companies’ activities are in line with what their directors declared when they were seeking incorporation; and (c) how actively does ACRA investigate companies to verify whether they are conducting activities in accordance with their incorporation documents.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the policy requiring operators of HDB rental coffeeshops to provide four budget meals and two budget drinks may be extended to owners of HDB sold coffeeshops located at mature estates by imposing this requirement as a condition in the renewal of permission for them to use their respective outdoor refreshment area at HDB common areas.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Health in light of the increase in rent in the property market, whether the Ministry will consider mandating or recommending the increase of accommodation allowances for foreign healthcare workers to incentivise and retain talent in the sector.

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4 JULY 2023 7 Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) how will the Ministry ensure that the proposed Workplace Fairness Legislation does not result in harmonious workplaces becoming more litigious; and (b) how will the proposed legislation (i) provide support to employees in navigating complex processes, such as claiming wages and for damage and (ii) protect employees who raise legitimate concerns and pursue claims against the company, from being victimised or adversely disadvantaged in their workplaces.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Manpower in view of the proposed Workplace Fairness legislation (a) what is the Ministry’s impact assessment of the proposed legislation on employer- employee relationships; and (b) how will the Ministry seek to contain any negative impact, such as baseless legal actions or inadvertently creating a litigious workplace environment.
Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the recent outbreak of gastroenteritis in several pre-schools due to consumption of contaminated catered food, whether the Ministry will consider imposing medical insurance coverage for consumers as a licensing condition for food caterers and suppliers, especially for vendors who provide such services to vulnerable groups such as children and the elderly.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Government is considering regulating the growth of (i) the private hire car and (ii) rental car population; and (b) if not, why not.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for National Development whether, in awarding contracts to coffeeshop operators, the Ministry considers whether the operator is independent or part of a chain.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the recent heatwave in Singapore has contributed to a spike in electrical consumption in both residential and commercial premises; (b) if so, what is the net increase in usage in terms of percentage and cost; and (c) what steps will be taken to ensure that Singapore's power grid will continue to have capacity to deal with the expected higher demand owing to climatic conditions in the future.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Prime Minister (a) in each of the past 10 years, what proportion of offenders who have been imposed fines for regulatory offences like parking violations have appealed for lower fines on grounds of financial hardship; (b) what proportion of such appeals have been successful; and (c) what proportion of offenders have not paid such fines on grounds of financial hardship.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what are the current rules, conventions, policies and processes for Cabinet Ministers to declare conflicts of interest and recuse themselves from official matters on which they may have an actual or perceived conflict of interest; and (b) whether there are any plans to strengthen such rules, conventions, policies and processes.

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Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Ministers' tenancies of 26 and 31 Ridout Road have breached the Code of Conduct for political office holders.

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4 JULY 2023 8 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether consultations were held with relevant stakeholders of the Singapore Turf Club, especially its 350 employees, before the decision was made to hold the last race in October 2024 and for the club to close by March 2027 and, if so, how many were held and when.

* Members may postpone their Questions to a later sitting day if their Questions are not reached by the end of Question Time (QT).
For such Questions, Members may email to parl_cop@parl.gov.sg in advance a postponement notice that will be effected after QT.

Members must submit their notices to the Clerk within one hour after the end of QT (SO 22(3)).

Questions will be given a written answer if no such notices are received by the Clerk within the stipulated time.

AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS INTRODUCTION OF GOVERNMENT BILLS 1.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance: National Productivity Fund (Amendment) Bill.

2.
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Minister for Trade and Industry: Lease Agreements for Retail Premises Bill.

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ORDERS OF THE DAY Building and Related Works (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill [Bill No.

19/2023] – (Minister for National Development) – Second Reading.

Women's Charter (Family Violence and Other Matters) (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

18/2023] – (Minister for Social and Family Development) – Second Reading.

Maintenance of Parents (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.


20/2023] – (Mr Seah Kian Peng, Member for Marine Parade) – Second Reading.

Online Criminal Harms Bill [Bill No.

17/2023] – (Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading.

NOTICES OF MOTIONS Ms Hazel Poa (Non-Constituency Member): Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member): GROUP REPRESENTATION CONSTITUENCIES: That this House calls for the abolition of Group Representation Constituencies.

No.

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Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim (Sengkang): Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap (Aljunied): SPORTING SUCCESS: That this House celebrates the accomplishments of our athletes and para-athletes at the 32nd Southeast Asian Games and the 12th ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia, and calls on the Government to undertake a thorough evaluation of the areas of improvement in Singapore’s sporting ecosystem, and commit to realising clear, achievable goals for sporting success over the coming decade.
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Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Prime Minister for each year since 2008, how many applications for Public Service Commission scholarships have been received from junior college students, with a breakdown by junior colleges.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Prime Minister when is section 3 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Act 2016 (Act 28 of 2016), which establishes a revised entrenchment framework relating to the Elected Presidency and its custodial powers, is expected to come into operation.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance as of 31 December 2022, how many companies registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority with over $500 million in shareholders’ equity have chief executives who are Singapore citizens.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on the Ministry’s discussions with China on the bilateral visa-free travel arrangement; and (b) when will this visa-free travel arrangement be reinstated.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs for the past five years, what is the average and median household income of applicants who are granted (i) permanent residency and (ii) citizenship.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Ministry has studied the outcomes thus far from the deployment of the redesigned Neighbourhood Police Posts (NPPs) which are fully automated and unmanned; (b) whether there is evidence of a displacement of workload from such NPPs to other touchpoints like 999 calls or Neighbourhood Police Centres; and (c) what is the usage level of such NPPs by the public as compared to usage levels prior to the redesign.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether an update can be provided on the progress and the plans on the full implementation of the Automated Passenger In-Car Clearance System at the land checkpoints in Singapore; and (b) whether such similar systems will be extended to commercial goods vehicles.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Transport what percentage of COEs went to HDB flats owners or dwellers for each year in the past 10 years.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has done any simulation or studies to assess the impact on COE prices if the supply of COE has been stable; and (b) if so, what are the results.

No.

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Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Transport for each year in the past 10 years, how many COEs were allocated to car owners who belong to households that after such allocations would have (i) one car (ii) two cars and (ii) three cars or more respectively.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Transport whether regulations may be considered to ensure that the headlights on the front of bicycles and power-assisted bicycles emit dipped beams so as not to blind pedestrians and motorists approaching these bicycles from the opposite direction.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many developments fall under the lower bound of the bicycle parking provision requirement based on the Code of Practice for Vehicle Parking Provision in Developments; (b) how does the Ministry assess the sufficiency of the current requirements; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the requirement to ensure easy, secure and universal access to bicycle parking on our path to a car light society.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport whether more assistance can be given to parallel importers to encourage them to focus on getting higher volumes of Electric Vehicles (EVs) sales as opposed to Internal Combustion Engine vehicles, including the review and clarification of rules and, documentary requirements for EVs sales which may be more disadvantageous to parallel importers as compared with authorised dealers.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to burst water mains under PUB jurisdiction, what are the support and redress available to members of the public, including residents whose homes and personal property are affected.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Education (a) in the past three years, how many students have been suspended from school for sporting tattoos; (b) what percentage of such students have participated in the tattoo removal programme by the National Skin Centre; (c) what support or interventions have been provided for students who do not continue with the programme; (d) whether the no-tattoo policy is consistently enforced across all schools; and (e) how is the Ministry raising the awareness of such a policy among students and parents.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how does the Ministry ensure harmony amongst the various financial support schemes for students in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) such that any disparities in the financial support schemes given to students of different IHLs are minimised and that equal access is ensured; and (b) whether IHLs are required to make their eligibility criteria for IHL- specific financial aid transparent; and (c) if not, why not.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the longer training period of 24 months for Physical Education (PE) teachers at the National Institute of Education as compared to 16 months for teachers of other subjects has any effect on the intake of trainee PE teachers each year; and (b) whether there is any plan to review the training period for PE teachers.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to common pick-up and drop-off points for school buses from 2024, what are the measures that the Ministry will be taking, in working together with the school bus operators and associations, and relevant agencies like LTA and Traffic Police, to ensure the safety of students and the proximity of the pick-up and drop-off points for high demand areas.

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Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry has data on the current number of organisations and non-disabled employees working with persons with disabilities (PWDs) that have undergone diversity and inclusion training programmes since 2015; (b) what is the percentage of organisations employing PWDs that have sent their non-disabled employees to these programmes; and (c) whether there is comparative data on the average employment tenure of PWD staff in these organisations against organisations who have not sent their staff for such training.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Early Childhood Education Agency mandates the installation of CCTVs within the pre-schools’ premises; (b) what is the number of pre-schools that do not have CCTVs within their premises; and (c) what regulations govern the review of CCTV footage for pre-schools.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how does the Ministry intend to encourage greater donations of blood; and (b) whether the Ministry will review rules prohibiting blood donations following visits to certain countries, to address the current blood stock crunch.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of “hangover supplements” sold in Singapore over the last five years; (b) whether such supplements are safe for regular consumption; and (c) whether the Ministry intends to step up public education to educate consumers about the safety and efficacy of such supplements.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health with regard to the World Health Organisation’s report in May 2023 that non-sugar sweeteners have no long-term benefit in reducing body fat and can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults (a) how does the Ministry intend to encourage Singaporeans to reduce the consumption of non-sugar sweeteners; and (b) whether the Ministry will review existing materials about non-sugar sweeteners on HealthHub.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether air conditioners are allowed to be installed in HDB rental flats; and (b) if not, what measures does HDB take to ensure that HDB rental flat tenants can mitigate the impact of high heat and humidity in their homes.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for National Development after the first round of the Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) and subsequent retrofitting to provide direct lift access for more of HDB units (a) how many HDB blocks still have units without direct access to lifts; (b) where are these blocks located; (c) what are the criteria for the post-LUP retrofitting of such flats; and (d) whether HDB will continue to retrofit units with direct lift access as new design and technical solutions become available.
Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how does the Government ensure that the initiatives and projects relating to the Southern Islands by various Government agencies are harmonised and staged over the years to minimise harm to the biodiversity and ecology systems; (b) whether the Government can bring together all relevant agencies across Ministries into a coordinated workgroup with clear short, medium, and long-term goals for the Southern Islands; and (c) whether the Government has clear environmental impact assessment requirements before the implementation of such projects.
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Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development in each of the next five years, how many integrated blocks of flats with both rental and sold units does HDB plan to build.

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Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider implementing (i) fire alarm call points and (ii) publicly visible fire evacuation plans for HDB buildings.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Urban Redevelopment Authority has plans to expand the Landscaping for Urban Spaces and High-Rises (LUSH) programme to new areas or to expand the boundaries of the already identified areas.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development in view of the medical advances in the United States on the administration of non-surgical one-dose contraceptive to feral animals to control their populations and which causes less stress to the animals, whether NParks will consider studying these advances with a view of introducing them in Singapore in lieu of the current practice of spaying the animals.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for National Development in view of recent reports on the trunking design of the centralised cooling system to be pioneered in HDB's Tengah BTO flats, what steps will HDB take with SP Group and relevant contractors to engage affected flat owners prior to the completion and handover of their flats to ensure not only the energy efficiency of the system but also its integration with the aesthetic design of the flats.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether the Ministry can provide an update on what measures are being taken to enhance the redundancy of Singapore's undersea cable communications networks, including the preservation of adequate bandwidth for the internet and cloud computing access for essential services which include Singapore’s financial sector.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) in each of the last five years, how many applicants for funding by the National Arts Council (NAC) are found to have not complied with NAC’s funding guidelines; (b) what are the grounds under which they are found not to have complied with the funding guidelines; (c) how many applicants have appealed against such decisions; and (d) how many appeals have been successful.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the Ministry is able to provide any updates from the review by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) on the performance of our football team at the Southeast Asia Games 2023; (b) in light of other countries naturalising foreign players, whether SportSG is planning to work with the FAS to restart such a scheme to improve our performance; and (c) if so, will it consider implementing an accelerated process to citizenship for talented players to play for Singapore.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number of Construction Temporary Quarters in each of the past five years; and (b) of these, what percentage (i) was inspected to ensure they met the requirements under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA) and (ii) did not meet the requirements under the FEDA.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in the last two years, how many current and former work permit holders respectively have been granted approval to marry Singaporeans, segmented by gender; (b) what industries have these approved spouses of Singaporeans worked in; and (c) what criteria are currently used to decide such applications for approval to marry Singaporeans.