Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698847003997.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE (SECOND SESSION) ORDER PAPER MONDAY, 8 MAY 2023 No.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Transport for the 457 Category D temporary motorcycle COEs which had expired between January and March 2023 (a) whether these COEs are concentrated among a few dealers and, if so, who are the top dealers; and (b) whether the Government will consider even more stringent action on motorcycle dealers who may be engaging in speculative bidding, beyond increasing the bid deposit and reducing the validity period of the temporary COEs to include barring such dealers from participating in the bidding.
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Transport in light of the record high COE prices (a) whether the Government has a view on the optimal number of private hire cars on the roads; and (b) whether the Government will consider more decisive measures to prevent private hire companies from dominating and driving up COE prices.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what other steps are being considered to moderate COE prices; (b) whether the trend of rising COE prices is triggered by extraneous factors such as influx of foreign residents into Singapore; and (c) how many cars are there in the bonded warehouse waiting to be put onto the market since January this year.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what are the key factors driving the recent surge in COE prices; and (b) whether there are plans to help those who rely on driving for their livelihoods but have been priced out due to the record high COE prices.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport for each month in the past 12 months, what is the total number of new cars which have been registered by (i) ride hailing or private hire companies and (ii) car leasing companies, as a percentage of the total number of new cars registered.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has done any analysis of its data to ascertain the key causes for the recent spike in COE prices; (b) whether the Government plans to impose a cap on the number of Private Hire Vehicles (PHV) that a PHV operator can own in their fleet, similar to the cap imposed on taxi companies, to reduce COE prices; and (c) what additional measures is the Government considering to rein in the costs of COEs.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the high COE prices will further fuel costs increases within the economy; and (b) whether there are plans to review the system to better allocate COEs.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 2 *8.

*9.


Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for Law whether he can elaborate on the concept of “indivisible security” as referenced in his speech entitled “The Russia-Ukraine War and Southeast Asia One Year On: Implications and Outlook” that was delivered on 8 March 2023 at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute workshop.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) whether remarks on the Russia-Ukraine war by the Minister for Home Affairs at a workshop on 8 March 2023 held at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute represent the views of the Government; and (b) whether there has been any revision to Singapore's position on the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

*10.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development arising from the realignment of roles and salaries in the social service sector (a) which specific job role and scope have seen a reduction in their recommended pay; (b) whether staff in these roles will experience a pay cut and, if so, how many are estimated to be affected; (c) whether agencies will consider grandfathering current employees facing a reduced salary; and (d) whether the reduction in salary will make it more challenging to find local workers to fill these positions.
*11.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to the outcome of the 2023 review of job roles and salary guidelines in the social service sector (a) whether any senior care staff have been pegged to a lower job worth as a result of the realignment process; (b) whether potential implications for support care staff in the healthcare sector have been considered in the review; (c) whether a tripartite approach has been considered in the review and, if so, to what extent; and (d) if not, why not.
*12.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Prime Minister (a) with the maximum coverage of up to S$75,000 per depositor per bank under the Deposit Insurance Scheme, what is the current percentage of non-bank depositors covered by the scheme; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider a review of the coverage cap.

*13.
*13.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what are the lessons from the closure of several US banks due to uninsured depositor runs; (b) whether MAS will consider raising the $75,000 per depositor per bank coverage limit insured by the Singapore Deposit Insurance Corporation; and (c) whether MAS will consider additional bank regulation on top of existing capital adequacy and leverage ratio requirements, such as the reporting of mark-to-market asset losses.

*14.
*14.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs for each year since 2000 (a) what is the number of ultra-high net worth individuals and their families, with a net worth of at least USD 50 million, who have been granted Singapore citizenship; (b) of which, how many of them obtained Singapore citizenship after having set up a family office in Singapore; and (c) how many obtained Singapore citizenship through other avenues.

*15.
*15.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of the introduction of the plastic bag levy, whether the Ministry will consider working with HDB on a public awareness campaign reminding residents of the need to bag rubbish for disposal in rubbish chutes.

*16.
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Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health whether polyclinics can scale up their capacity to accommodate more walk-in patients with urgent medical conditions, such as those experiencing acute or severe pain, and to avoid turning away senior citizens.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 3 *17.


Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the key considerations and matrices used to decide on the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) Shortage Occupation List; and (b) how does the Ministry balance between economic needs and ensuring these jobs are available for prospective new entrants, especially those who are still in school.

*18.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to the Complementarity Assessment Framework (COMPASS) Shortage Occupation List (a) how does the Ministry determine if there is a shortage in any particular occupation; (b) whether the Ministry has the expertise to evaluate if there is a shortfall in a specialised skillset and it is unavailable in the local workforce; and (c) how does the Ministry track whether a company has fulfilled its commitment to develop local talents as part of the conditions under the framework.
*19.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether bus shelter address plates can display the bus stop code, instead of the LTA alpha-numeric code, to assist bus passengers in identifying bus stops in advance of arriving at a particular bus stop; and (b) what measures has LTA taken to make navigation easier for bus passengers, including people with disabilities and the less technology- savvy.

*20.
*20.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) since 2021, how many reports have been received of electronic waste in (i) Clementi Forest and (ii) similar green spaces respectively; (b) what is the approach to addressing such electronic waste which may contaminate green environments or harm passers-by; and (c) what is the timeline and potential learning points regarding the removal of the abandoned refrigerator cited in OneService App in 2022 and removed in April 2023.

*21.
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Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Education (a) to what extent do primary schools at the annual Primary One registration ensure the racial make-up of their students is reflective of Singapore's society; and (b) what measures do schools take to ensure that their students may effectively learn through peer interactions about the lived experiences of different racial and religious groups.

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Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development to date, how many families have benefitted from the Home Ownership Plus Education scheme.

*23.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the recent rise in rental prices of commercial properties have affected Singapore’s competitiveness and attractiveness as a business destination of choice; and (b) whether more can be done to moderate further rental increases.

*24.
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Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether there are claims filed with the Financial Dispute Resolution Centre which involve an unauthorised bank transaction reportedly taken place and the bank has assessed that the One-Time Password (OTP) SMS messaging was used, but the customer's telephone operator records do not show transmission or receipt of such SMS OTP; and (b) whether there are other avenues available for these customers to seek redress.

*25.
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Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the current utilisation of Semakau Landfill; and (b) what is its estimated remaining capacity by number of tonnes of waste.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 4 *26.


Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) whether the limited balloting scheme has reduced the waiting time for Singaporean Muslims to perform the Haj pilgrimage; (b) if so, by how much; and (c) whether this scheme prioritises first-time Haj pilgrim applicants.

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Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the trend in relation to the number of seniors aged 60 years and above who live alone in Singapore; (b) what is the frequency of visits or checks on such seniors (i) under the Ministry’s Eldercare Centre service model (ii) by Silver Generation Ambassadors or (iii) through other Government initiatives; and (c) whether the Government is monitoring the number of seniors who choose to stay reclusive and unconnected with the community.

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Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry can provide additional dedicated resources and funding for social service agencies to scale up hiring and training capabilities to support the provision of medical escort services for the elderly from lower-income households who need help to move around, and have no caregiver, or whose caregiver is unable to provide support because of their own health and physical condition.

*29.
*29.

Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for Education what are the options available for students who require long-term in-patient care for physical or mental health issues to continue with their schooling and education, even as they are residing in hospitals or other healthcare institutions.

*30.
*30.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the remaining issues to be sorted out before the Government will introduce the anti-discrimination law announced by the Prime Minister at the National Day Rally in 2021; and (b) when is the draft law expected to be circulated for public review.

*31.
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Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) what is the significance to regional security with the Singapore and China joint military exercise held from 28 April to 1 May 2023; and (b) whether there are plans for further deepening of military ties.

*32.
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Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the high cost of MRI scans, whether the Ministry will consider providing additional annual subsidies on top of the existing $300 MediSave funding for outpatient MRI scans, specifically for retired or low-income citizens.

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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Education whether there are plans to revamp the format of GCE A Levels H1 General Paper examination from a single sitting consisting of one essay response paper and one comprehension paper to a series of continuous assessments of essays and comprehension papers, so as to remove the single-exam day risk that may unfairly penalise students affected by adverse events on the examination day.

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Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry has detected attempts to circumvent the law on cross border movements of physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992 with the use of high value goods instead of physical currency and bearer negotiable instruments.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 5 *35.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance from the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic (a) what is the aggregate loss arising from the premature termination of building and infrastructural contracts issued by Government bodies and statutory bodies due to the insolvency of contracting counterparties, including the re-issuance of contracts for remaining work to other parties at higher unit prices; and (b) what steps are being taken to minimise such losses.

*36.
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Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will study the feasibility of replicating elements of the Korean Employment Permit Scheme in the recruitment of low-wage Bangladeshi migrant workers to regulate and improve oversight over parts of the recruitment process that are prone to exploitation and which may lead to overly high recruitment fees.

*37.
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Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development since the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) was introduced, how many joint owners of HDB flats have been found to have falsely filed for divorce to decouple their property to avoid paying the ABSD on the purchase of a second property.

*38.
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Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the number of home rental scams using online platforms has increased in the past 12 months; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider introducing further safeguards to protect homeowners whose homes have been used in such scams from liabilities.

*39.
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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Education what are the key performance indicators tracked by the Ministry in terms of (i) the employability of disrupted workers after attending a funded training programme (ii) the time taken to find employment and (iii) the availability and effectiveness of courses that upskill workers to enter occupations in the Shortage Occupation List.

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Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment for each year in the past five years (a) what percentage of feedback on secondhand smoke in homes are resolved; and (b) what percentage of feedback on secondhand smoke in homes are repeated feedback.

*41.
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Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether an update can be provided on the progress of the new Serangoon Polyclinic located at the junction of Upper Serangoon Road and Serangoon Central that is currently under construction; and (b) specifically, when can the polyclinic start operating and serve residents living in that vicinity.

*42.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government will review how it can better regulate the provision or disclosure of companies’ business information on (i) the use of or investment in renewable energy alternatives and (ii) any impact arising from its business activities relating to emissions, biodiversity, carbon footprint and climate change, in order to encourage a clearer focus in these areas and allow better transparency for investors to assess companies for investment decisions based on sustainability.
*43.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the relationship between “career health” efforts, Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs) and Jobs Transformation Maps (JTMs); (b) how can CareersFinder be differentiated and improved upon from existing initiatives such as MyCareersFuture and MySkillsFuture; (c) how does CareersFinder fulfil the needs of our workers; and (d) whether CareersFinder will tap on partnerships with private entities to improve a job seeker's experience.

No.
No.

102 8 MAY 2023 6 *44.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Law (a) what are the reasons for not pressing charges against Mr Liew Kai Lung Karl under section 177 of the Penal Code for furnishing false information to a public servant and section 193 of the Penal Code for giving false evidence, as announced by the Police on 4 November 2020; and (b) whether he will ask the Attorney-General to make the reasons public.

*45.
*45.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the extended Heightened Safety Period has been effective in reducing workplace accidents and injuries; and (b) whether there are plans to further extend the Heightened Safety Period which is set to end on 31 May 2023.

*46.
*46.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what types of activities are undertaken by the grassroots advisors (GRAs) to explain Government’s policies to the people; (b) what is the legislative provision that mandates the role for the People’s Association (PA) to explain Government’s policies; and (c) what proportion of the PA’s overall budget is devoted to this function.

*47.
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Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what are the impediments to having civil servants from the People’s Association, as well as other agencies, communicate and explain Government policy, as compared with having a grassroots adviser to do so.

*48.
*48.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the standards applied to decide whether an activity held in People’s Association (PA) controlled events or venues are being used for partisan purposes by any political party; and (b) what are the channels for recourse should any member of the public be concerned about PA events or venues being misused for partisan purposes.

*49.
*49.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport for growing towns like Punggol where the demand on the LRT system can be very busy during peak times and drop drastically during non-peak times, whether the Ministry will consider supplementing the LRT system with more frequent bus services in the interim, if it is not yet feasible to bring in additional LRT train sets.

*50.
*50.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Prime Minister whether he can provide an update on the progress of the framework for equitable sharing of losses between scam victims and financial institutions.

*51.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many months on average does it take before HDB officers contact the errant tenant on their public rental flat arrears; and (b) what process is undertaken by HDB to understand the reasons behind the arrears.

*52.
*52.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the EnterpriseSG grants such as the Enterprise Development Grant (EDG) and the Productivity Solutions Grant (PSG) will include a survey on employees’ well-being before and after the implementation of the project as a specific indicator to measure potential improvement of employees’ wellness.

*53.
*53.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development what are the plans for the only wet market in Braddell Heights constituency located at 267 Serangoon Avenue 3 after the cessation of its lease to a private operator next year.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 7 *54.


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 through family offices, 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.

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*55.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Prime Minister in each of the past five years to date, what is the value of wealth inflows into Singapore (i) on aggregate and (ii) as broken down by the top 10 source countries.

*56.
*56.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Prime Minister with regard to single family offices applying for tax incentive schemes since April 2022 and are required to allocate at least 10% or S$10 million of their assets, whichever is lower, to local investments, what is the total assets that have been invested locally into (i) equities listed on Singapore exchanges (ii) private equity investments in unlisted Singapore- incorporated companies and (iii) qualifying debt securities.

*57.
*57.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many Singaporeans have signed their Advanced Medical Directive (AMD) and Advanced Care Plan (ACP) in the last five years; (b) whether the Ministry has a target percentage of older Singaporeans to complete these documentations; and (c) whether there are any further plans to increase the awareness of and encourage a higher completion rate of AMD and ACP among the population.

*58.
*58.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs for each year in the past five years, what are the (i) mean and (ii) median number of hours an ICA officer has worked for each shift at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints respectively.

*59.
*59.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether there are sufficient existing Singaporean bus drivers to handle all categories of bus passengers such as students, workers, and local or foreign tourists; and (b) if not, what are the Government’s plans to ensure that there will be sufficient bus drivers all round.

*60.
*60.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) of the influenza cases in the past year, what is the breakdown by age of the patients, especially among seniors aged 65 years and above; (b) what is the percentage of these cases that have developed severe conditions; (c) what is the influenza vaccination uptake rate among seniors in 2022; and (d) whether there is an adequate supply of influenza vaccines.

*61.
*61.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in which year was the Ministry first aware that key authorised lorry suppliers in Singapore agree that from a road safety perspective, it will be ideal for lorries not to carry any passengers in their rear decks; and (b) how has the Ministry factored this information into its policy-making on transportation of workers.

*62.
*62.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Prime Minister (a) how many Singapore homeowners refinanced their home mortgage loans in the past 12 months; (b) what is the average increase in monthly home mortgage payments (i) in absolute terms (ii) as a percentage of monthly income; and (c) whether the Government is considering any measures to help Singapore homeowners with the sudden spike in interest rates.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 8 *63.


Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of abuse cases against security officers in the first four months of 2023; (b) whether there has been an increase in the number of such abuse cases over the past five years; and (c) how does the Ministry intend to send a strong message that abuse of security officers is unacceptable.

*64.
*64.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Prime Minister whether MAS is considering curbs on car loans in light of the record high COE prices.

*65.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development to date, how many HDB flats that have been sold for more than $1 million were flats built under the Design, Build and Sell Scheme.

*66.
*66.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government has data on the amount of gaming revenue generated by each of the Integrated Resorts in the past three years; and (b) whether the Government tracks the breakdown according to gaming revenue received from Singapore citizens, permanent residents and foreigners, respectively.

*67.
*67.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the number of fatalities and injuries from falls onto LRT tracks in the past ten years.

* 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.

MINISTERIAL STATEMENT 1.

Minister for Transport: Meeting the Transport Needs of Singaporeans.

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

Prime Minister: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) Bill.

(President's recommendation signified).

2.

Minister for Home Affairs: Online Criminal Harms Bill.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 9 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

1.


ORDERS OF THE DAY Family Justice Reform Bill [Bill No.

15/2023] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading.

Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

12/2023] – (Second Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading.

Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

13/2023] – (Second Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading.

Financial Services and Markets (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.
11/2023] – (Prime Minister) – Second Reading.

Companies, Business Trusts and Other Bodies (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill [Bill No.

14/2023] – (Second Minister for Finance) – Second Reading.

NOTICE OF MOTION Dr Tan Yia Swam (Nominated Member) Mr Abdul Samad (Nominated Member) Dr Shahira Abdullah (Nominated Member): SUPPORTING HEALTHCARE: That this House commits to supporting healthcare beyond the COVID-19 pandemic and the whole-of-Government efforts for consistent and sustainable support.
MEMORANDUM Matter proposed to be raised on the Motion for the Adjournment (SO 2(8)(b)).

Mr Leong Mun Wai (Non-Constituency Member) : Making Parliament a Fairer Arena for All.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER 1.

2.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Prime Minister whether the number of days for childcare leave can be granted in proportion to the number of children such that parents with three or more children are given additional days.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Prime Minister (b) what measures are there to prevent persons who have been found to be dishonest or corrupt by the courts from working in the financial sector; and (b) whether the Ministry has a criminal database against which financial institutions can check to avoid hiring such persons for the protection of their clients.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 10 3.

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11.


Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what recourse and support is available to public officers who in the course of their duties are subjected to unsubstantiated defamatory accusations via (i) the media (ii) emails, including mass emails, and (iii) instant messaging applications; and (b) whether such support includes (i) assistance with clearing the officer's name (ii) counselling and (iii) mental wellness support.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance for the income tax on the Net Annual Value (NAV) of residential properties which tax has been removed with effect from Year of Assessment 2010 and based on Year of Assessment 2009, what is the respective breakdown for (i) the amount of tax revenues derived from this tax (ii) the number and proportion of residential properties that have been subjected to this tax and (iii) the 25th percentile, median and 75th percentile of the NAVs for properties that have been subjected to this tax.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether property tax can be lowered in the event that the property owners have retired or have had a decrease in income.

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) whether the Government intends to change the limit of $1 million before businesses are liable for GST registration; and (b) what conditions will determine a change in this policy.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry will consider new legislation to plug the revenue leakage gap in the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Act 1993, in view of the recent court decision in Herbalife International Singapore Pte Ltd vs Comptroller of Goods and Services Tax.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs for each year in the past five years, of the number of cases of harassment or abuse of public healthcare workers while on duty where convictions are secured (a) what is the average and median amount of fines imposed; and (b) what is the average and median length of imprisonment imposed.
Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the worrying trend of youths abusing cannabis, whether the Ministry will consider introducing the new saliva test kits, which are easy-to-use and non-invasive, for use in schools to help with earlier detection and intervention of at-risk students.
Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the state as well as the impact of the use of technologies such as social media and cryptocurrency payments to facilitate drug activity; and (b) whether there are plans to boost the capabilities of CNB and other agencies for their continued effectiveness in combating the proliferation of drugs in the digital sphere.
Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the trend of permissive attitudes towards drugs globally and the rebound of overseas travel post-pandemic (a) what is the rationale for applying the extra-territorial reach of the drug consumption offence to only Singapore citizens and permanent residents, as per section 8A of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider extending this to other Singapore residents, such as those on Long-Term Visit Pass or Dependant's Pass.
No.

102 8 MAY 2023 11 12.

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Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in each of the last five years, what is the number of traffic accidents involving (i) children aged six and below (ii) children between seven and 12 years old and (iii) young people between 13 and 17 years old; and (b) whether and how road safety awareness can be further enhanced for minors, both inside and outside of school premises.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether CNB retains any information or data obtained from the administration of quick drug-testing saliva tests where the outcome is negative; (b) if yes, what is the length of such retention; and (c) what is the disposal or deletion process.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs for the first four months of 2023 (a) how many motorcyclists and their pillion riders have been (i) injured or (ii) died from road traffic accidents; (b) whether there has been an uptick of such cases as compared to the corresponding period last year; and (c) if so, what steps are being taken to raise awareness of this fact amongst road users as well as to arrest the problem.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for what kinds of offences have statements been video-recorded from witnesses and suspects during investigations by law enforcement agencies since video-recording was introduced in 2018; (b) what has been the impact of video-recorded statements in achieving positive outcomes, such as reducing allegations of involuntariness of statements; and (c) whether the Ministry will expand the categories of offences for which video-recording of statements will be required.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Law in the last two years (a) what is the number and percentage of criminal cases prosecuted where victim impact statements (VIS) have been tendered in court; and (b) what are the categories of offences for which VIS have been so used.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government is actively pursuing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) to locate a 12-inch wafer fabrication plant in Singapore instead of Europe through the use of incentives; (b) if so, when will the outcome be finalised; (c) what is the expected total value of the incentives and subsidies to TSMC; and (d) what is the expected impact to GDP, employment and tax revenues.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) since 2004, how many persons have been granted permanent residency under the Global Investor Programme; (b) what is the total amount of Assets Under Management invested under the Global Investor Programme (GIP); (c) how many GIP funds have been set up to date; and (d) how many of such GIP funds have returned less than 70% of the original investment capital to the investees upon the funds’ expiry.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry since 2004, what is the estimated number of (i) jobs and (ii) total business spending created by Options A and B of the Global Investor Programme respectively.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry what is the utilisation rate for each of the 27 implemented Free Trade Agreements that Singapore has signed with these trading partners.

No.

102 8 MAY 2023 12 21.

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Mr Derrick Goh: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of reports by Nee Soon Link residents that the bus arrival timings display board at Yishun Integrated Transport Hub shows longer wait times for Bus Service 801 compared to the frequency reflected in LTA's MyTransport.SG (a) whether LTA has now improved the frequency and services for Bus 801; (b) if so, what are the reasons for the discrepancies; and (c) if not, when will the discrepancies be resolved.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Transport whether there are any infrastructural initiatives to partner Malaysia in allowing cross-border travel for Singapore’s electric vehicles.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether public buses are required to pay Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) charges while travelling on their designated bus routes; (b) whether LTA reimburses public transport operators for these charges; and (c) what is the total amount in ERP paid by public transport operators in each of the last three years.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the feasibility study commissioned for a new MRT line serving the north and north-east regions, which is separate from the North-South Line (NSL) and Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) and running through Sengkang West, as announced in the Land Transport Master Plan 2040.
Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of escalating prices of the Certificates of Entitlement for motor vehicles, whether the Ministry will consider imposing additional taxes or levies on foreigners who purchase cars in Singapore.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how is the use of plastic packaging monitored and regulated so as to minimise the overuse of plastic for packaging of products.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the number of free Blooboxes that have been collected as at 30 April 2023; (b) what does the Ministry intend to do with the balance Blooboxes that are not collected; and (c) how will the Ministry continue to encourage recycling in households when the current distribution exercise ends.
Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what measures are being taken to increase the adoption of Bloobox among Singapore households, considering that only one in five households have collected the box so far; and (b) how the Ministry plans to strengthen public education and awareness campaigns to encourage more households to participate in such recycling initiatives.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether NEA plans to extend Project Wolbachia in the coming months to more sites, especially in areas where a high Aedes aegypti mosquito population has been detected.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment referring to the Report on Transparent Recycling Bin Pilots published on 6 April 2023 (a) why are contamination rates higher in Bedok than in Bukit Batok; (b) whether the Ministry will expand the pilots to include a wider range of resident profiles over a longer time period; (c) whether the Ministry will test segregated transparent bins in areas with high pedestrian footfall; and (d) whether similar studies have been done overseas and what can Singapore learn from such studies.
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102 8 MAY 2023 13 31.

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Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light that 43 food operators were warned after their staff were found not wearing a mask or a spit guard while preparing food (a) what additional steps will the Ministry take to improve public awareness about the importance of adhering to food safety guidelines and the consequences of non-compliance; and (b) how does the Ministry plan to support food operators in ensuring that their staff are properly trained and equipped to follow food safety guidelines.
Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry has a specific policy and programmes to alleviate harassment by students and parents on teaching staff across all our schools and tertiary institutions including Special Education (SPED) schools.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has considered amending the Character and Citizenship Education curriculum to be aligned with the social model of disability as outlined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; and (b) if not, why not.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Education whether there are plans for the qualifying age for the SkillsFuture Mid-Career Enhanced Subsidy to be lowered from 40 years old to 35 years old to help more Singaporeans with career pivots that are happening earlier and more frequently.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether there are plans to make resources from the Gifted Education Programme (GEP) available to non-GEP classes where appropriate and when requested by non-GEP teachers; and (b) whether non-GEP teachers across all schools may incorporate elements of the GEP resources and methodology for their non-GEP classes where appropriate.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how many students with special educational needs (SENs) are studying in mainstream schools due to being ineligible for special education schools; (b) what support is available if such students struggle to cope and find private schools unaffordable; and (c) whether a minimum ratio of Allied Educators in mainstream schools with expertise to work with SEN students will be established.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether restructured hospitals can include in the prenatal classes lessons on how to use infant car seats and the importance of such car seats; and (b) if not, why not.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health how is the Ministry reviewing the Rare Disease Fund and legislation to put in place an appropriate financing scheme to support citizens with rare diseases who require expensive drug treatments.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has explored the credibility of AI-based diagnostic solutions; and (b) if so, what are the regulatory considerations that will be most important if there are more widespread adoption of such technologies.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has issued any standing directive or is aware of hospitals that have done so internally, which permits or requires asymptomatic healthcare workers who have tested positive for COVID-19 to return to work.

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102 8 MAY 2023 14 41.

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Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB has in place a system to collate feedback from Town Councils on the quality of maintenance crews' work on lifts at HDB blocks installed and maintained by lift contractors under HDB contracts; and (b) whether such inputs are used by HDB to gauge the suitability of lift contractors to be issued contracts for installation of lifts for future HDB projects to ensure a high standard of maintenance of installed lifts during their lifecycles.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for National Development of the 128 Ethnic Integration Policy related appeals that HDB acceded to in 2022, what is the breakdown of appellants by ethnicity.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has considered (i) implementing a fixed timeframe within which coffeeshop operators are required to replace their sole halal food stall with another halal vendor once the original vendor ceases to operate and (ii) imposing stricter penalties against coffeeshop operators who fail to do so, beyond not renewing their leases in the future; and (b) if not, why not.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry has data for each of the last 10 years on (i) the number of appeals that were made to the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) to review the valuation conducted by a valuer for an HDB flat and (ii) the number of SISV appeals that resulted in a re-valuation of such HDB flats.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development whether he can provide an update on the progress of upgrading the unit electrical power supply from 30A to 40A under HDB’s Electrical Load Upgrading Programme for the HDB blocks in Bukit Batok that are built in the 1980s and 1990s.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for National Development whether NParks will consider introducing recycling bins to complement the rubbish bins in all public parks which are run by NParks so as to reduce the amount of recyclable waste which are currently thrown into rubbish bins.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the timelines for public consultation in 2023 on the enhanced Community Disputes Management Framework to tackle neighbourhood disputes; and (b) with the necessary modifications, whether any part of this framework can be used for neighbour disputes in private estates.
Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether he can (i) elaborate on the cross-agency collaboration efforts that will be implemented to address noise issues between neighbours and (ii) provide details on the criteria that will be used to determine whether such a noise dispute is classified as 'serious' and necessitates the intervention of the dedicated unit that was recently announced during the Ministry’s budget debate.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether there have been reports received by the Ministry and its agencies, including the People’s Association and its associated groups, on misuse of People’s Association events or venues which deviate from the original intent; (b) if so, how many investigations have been conducted on these reports in each of the last five years; and (c) what is the breakdown of the outcome of such investigations.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the Ministry's plans to mitigate any effect the Shortage Occupation List may have in entrenching Singapore's reliance on foreign labour or depressing wages for Singaporeans in such occupations; and (b) for how many years does the Government expect these occupations to remain on the Shortage Occupation List.

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102 8 MAY 2023 15 51.

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Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry collects data on the average recruitment fees paid by low-wage migrant workers; (b) if so, what is the average recruitment fees paid by such workers from (i) Bangladesh (ii) India (iii) China and (iv) the Philippines; and (c) how does this compare with the recruitment fees paid by comparable migrant workers working in other major migrant labour receiving countries.
Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether he can provide an update on the initiatives and their progress to improve female labour force participation rate over the last five years.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the current percentage of CPF members aged 55 and above with outstanding mortgage payments; and (b) what is the average mortgage amount per month, broken down by (i) those who do not meet the basic retirement sum (BRS) (ii) those who do meet the BRS but not the full retirement sum (FRS) and (iii) those who do meet the FRS respectively.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower for CPF members who (i) do not meet the Basic Retirement Sum (BRS) (ii) meet the BRS but not the Full Retirement Sum (FRS) and (iii) meet the FRS (a) what is the percentage of CPF members aged 63 and above with outstanding mortgage payments; and (b) what is the average monthly mortgage amount.