Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698846551961.pdf (Singapore)
THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE FIRST SESSION ORDER PAPER TUESDAY, 9 JANUARY 2018 No.

56 1.30 pm 1 QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* *1.

Dr Lily Neo: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry identifies and closely supervises cases of intellectually disabled persons who have no familial support or are estranged from their families; and (b) what can be done to prevent such vulnerable persons from being taken advantage of or abused.

*2.
*2.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the common causes of family violence; (b) whether more can be done to identify at-risk families and prevent such violence especially silent victims; (c) how many cases have reported by non-family members in the past three years; and (d) when will public consultation be held for a Vulnerable Adults Bill.

*3.
*3.

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Manpower how many couples aged 65 years and above are currently supported by only one CPF Life payout and how many of the spouses not receiving such payouts are women.

*4.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Manpower what measures are being taken to safeguard Singaporean workers from unfair discrimination arising from pre-existing medical history when (i) at the workplace or (ii) seeking confirmation of employment.

*5.
*5.

Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how does HDB ensure that the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) is adhered to when the flat owners rent out their flats; (b) whether there are rules in place to ensure compliance with this policy when flats are rented out; and (c) if so, whether HDB conducts checks or assessments to ensure that the sanctity of the EIP is maintained.

No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 2 *6.
Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how does HDB ensure the racial quota under the Ethnic Integration Policy (EIP) during the selling and buying process to ensure fairness and transparency to all parties; (b) what assistance is provided to sellers who are unable to sell their flat due to the EIP despite the many extensions given for them to sell their flat; and (c) whether HDB can exercise flexibility to allow a sale transaction to go through especially in circumstances where the seller cannot find a suitable buyer for a particular ethnic group.
*7.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what is the rationale for priority admission to co-located primary schools for students in MOE kindergartens; and (b) what are the responses of parents and other pre-schools to this policy announcement.

*8.
*8.

Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what is the number of primary schools with MOE kindergartens; (b) how many MOE kindergartens will be located in the popular primary schools which have balloting in the last three years for Primary 1 registration; and (c) whether the priority admission for pupils of MOE kindergartens that are co-located with the primary schools use the procedures and rules as the Primary 1 registration exercise.

*9.
*9.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) since the launch of the Global Investor Programme (a) how many employment opportunities have been created for Singaporeans; (b) what is the total local business expenditure generated; and (c) what are the actions taken to prevent abuse of the programme.

*10.
*10.

Mr Kok Heng Leun: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the outcome of the Ministry's review on the criminalisation of attempted suicide; and (b) whether any legislative change will be introduced and, if so, when.

*11.

Mr Kok Heng Leun: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the outcome of the Government's review on the issue of marital immunity for rape; and (b) whether any legislative change will be introduced and, if so, when.

*12.
*12.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) what is the number of ITE students who have progressed through polytechnics and university to attain (i) an undergraduate degree and (ii) a post- graduate degree respectively in the last 10 years; (b) what is the employment rate of ITE graduates in the last 10 years; and (c) how successful has the Ministry been in creating multiple paths towards career success for ITE students.

No.

56 *13.
No.

56 *13.

9 JANUARY 2018 3 Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) how have the present education policies helped to develop each child's potential to the fullest and ensure his success in life; and (b) whether there is a need to enhance the existing policies to ensure multi-paths created for each child that can ensure his success in life.

*14.
*14.

Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs whether he can explain Singapore's vote in favour of the recent United Nations General Assembly resolution of the 10th Emergency Special Session (ESS) on 21 December 2017 on the Status of Jerusalem which indirectly criticised the US' decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

*15.
*15.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Health whether Singapore's healthcare system has a plan for mobilising and co-ordinating all healthcare resources in case of a mass casualty incident that is similar to France's national emergency response plan "Plan Blanc".

*16.
*16.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the rate of medical inflation in Singapore over the past five years versus the global rate; (b) what is the projected rate of medical inflation for the next three years based on an expected increase in the goods and services tax in the near term; and (c) what is the Ministry doing to help bring down the rate of medical inflation.

*17.
*17.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Government can assist Singapore-based vessel-owning companies as well as foreign-based shipping companies employing Singaporeans to comply with social security protection requirements for all crew members serving onboard their ships as required by the Maritime Labour Convention 2006.

*18.
*18.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in respect of the collision at Joo Koon station on 15 November 2017, what were the control options available to the driver of the second train to stop the train before it collided into the rear of the first train; and (b) what are the usual control options available to drivers of trains on North-South and East-West Lines for manual or emergency braking.

*19.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) before the collision at Joo Koon station on 15 November 2017, whether the operations control centre and the driver of the second train were aware that the protective bubbles of the first train had malfunctioned; (b) if so, whether there were other options that could have been taken to ensure that the second train remained stationary; and (c) whether there was any previous occasion when a train had continued to operate when its protective bubbles had malfunctioned.
No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 4 *20.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) to date, how many residents have benefitted from the Enhancement for Active Seniors (EASE) programme; and (b) how will the Ministry work with the Ministry of Health to enhance the current package of modifications to include fall-risk assessment, sensors and alarms to further help our senior residents.

*21.
*21.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider reducing the minimum age for the Lease Buyback Scheme where the flat owner has a serious medical condition causing significant reduction of life expectancy.

*22.
*22.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the current percentage of divorced spouses who have defaulted on their alimony payments; (b) how is the Ministry assisting families to recover such payments; and (c) how can we better support families during such times of difficulties.

*23.
*23.

Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) what proportion of university students, polytechnic and ITE students currently embark on work internships during their studies; (b) what is the duration and nature of these internships; and (c) what can be done to encourage more companies to provide internship opportunities for young Singaporeans.

*24.
*24.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) what is the progress of the joint collaboration between our ITEs and their counterparts in India in developing vocational training and institutions with the aim of providing vocational education to 50 million students in India.

*25.
*25.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Finance what is the rationale behind the payment of tax by national servicemen on the NS Excellence Award which they obtain for good performance during in-camp training.

*26.
*26.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on (i) efforts to encourage women to obtain HPV (human papilloma virus) vaccinations which can prevent cervical and other forms of cancer (ii) the take-up rate for the vaccine; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider more subsidies and awareness-raising efforts to promote the take-up of such vaccinations.

*27.
*27.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry monitors the number of young children injured through accidental burns each year; and (b) what measures are being taken to increase awareness among parents and caregivers of burn risks and how to prevent burns in the home.

No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 5 *28.


Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether he can provide an update on the review of Singapore's laws deterring online child pornography and what will be done to restrict, deter and punish access to and the hosting of child pornography websites in Singapore.

*29.
*29.

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs how did the two brands of aluminium composite panel used as external cladding that were recently found to pose potential fire risk come to possess Class "0" certificates and how did the SCDF discover that they could pose fire risks.

*30.
*30.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Law whether he will consider a provision in the Penal Code or the Children and Young Persons Act to enhance the discretionary power of the courts to administer harsher punishments for child abuse offenders.

*31.
*31.

Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the respective number of claims and valid claims submitted under the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA) since 1 January 2016; (b) whether all successful claimants have received WICA compensation for their injuries; (c) what are the reasons for claimants being unable to receive such compensation from their companies; and (d) what recourse do the claimants have when their companies are unable to pay the compensation sum.

*32.
*32.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the criteria that single unwed parents under the age of 35 need to fulfill before their applications or appeals are approved to (i) purchase a flat from HDB (ii) rent a flat from HDB; (b) what are the objective criteria used to determine if such unwed parents are able to continue living with their parents; and (c) what are the criteria used to determine if such unwed parents are able to afford other housing options.

*33.
*33.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether divorcees with joint custody of their children may apply for subsidised public housing without their ex-spouse's consent; (b) if so, how many of such applications have been approved each year in the last three years; and (c) under what criteria are these applications approved.

*34.
*34.

Dr Intan Azura Mokhtar: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development with our pre-schools and childcare centres becoming more inclusive of children with special needs, whether additional assistance and support will be deployed to our pre-school and childcare centres so that our pre-school and childcare educators are better able to manage and take care of all the children under their care.

No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 6 *35.


Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources what is the cost of the 320 sensors installed in Singapore's potable water supply pipelines to detect water leakages from the pipelines.

*36.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry is exploring options for burials by sea after death.

*37.
*37.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) what is the implementation roadmap and timeline for the full Open Electricity Market to all households islandwide.

*38.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how are excavation works to repair telecom cables, water pipes, sewage pipes and other underground works coordinated across agencies such that excavation work is minimised and shared across agencies to the fullest extent possible; and (b) whether the Government will consider tracking and publishing the instances when excavation works are undertaken at the same area multiple times within the same six-month period as a measure of the effectiveness of such co- ordination.
*39.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what additional noise abatement measures to counter low-flying aircraft noises coming from the nearby Seletar Airport can be put in place; (b) whether the height limit of the airspace over residential areas can be increased; and (c) whether a different flight path can be given to aircraft landing at the airport so that they will not fly over housing estates especially in the middle of the night.

*40.
*40.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) how many scams on claims have been reported and investigated since the implementation of SkillsFuture; and (b) what is the Ministry doing to stop cases of training providers pressuring citizens to sign up for courses by falsely telling them that their SkillsFuture credits will expire soon.

*41.
*41.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) whether the Government is concerned that the report by the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) released in November 2017 titled "Excellence and Equity in Education" found that economically disadvantaged students in Singapore were significantly more likely to under-perform in science in school, compared to their OECD counterparts.

No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 7 *42.
Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for National Development what are the processes in place to ensure that (i) design and consultancy fees for building iconic "green" and "sustainable" buildings are fair and appropriate (ii) proper cost and benefit analyses are conducted before going ahead with the construction of such buildings (iii) the tender evaluation body of such contracts is well-versed in the subject and has a sense of the fair costs of design and construction and (iv) the tender evaluation body for such bids does not rely solely on an assessment based on relative bids.
*43.
Ms Rahayu Mahzam: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what recourse is available to residents living in landed properties when they are affected by problems such as pest infestation or overgrown trees arising from a neighbouring property which has been abandoned or not properly maintained by the owners; (b) what enforcement measures are available to compel owners of landed properties to maintain their property; and (c) in what circumstances can the authorities enter the premises to deal with the issues affecting the other residents.
* Members may postpone their Questions to a later sitting day if their Questions are not reached by the end of Question Time.

The postponement forms are available at the Chamber entrances.

Members must submit their notices to the Clerk within one hour after the end of Question Time.

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 Bill 1.
Minister for Home Affairs: Criminal Law (Temporary Provisions) (Amendment) Bill.

ORDERS OF THE DAY 1.

2.

Supreme Court of Judicature (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

47/2017] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading.

Charities (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

49/2017] – (Minister for Culture, Community and Youth) – Second Reading.

No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 8 3.

Co-operative Societies (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

50/2017] – (Minister for Culture, Community and Youth) – Second Reading.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER 1.


Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what damage to equipment or facilities has been sustained as a result of the recent episode of flooding in the Bishan-Braddell MRT tunnel; and (b) what is the estimated cost of repairing this damage and restoring the train system to full pre-flood functionality.

2.
2.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: To ask the Minister for Transport with about 15,000 and 30,000 new residents moving into the new BTOs in Keat Hong and Hong Kah North, whether the Ministry will consider adding a bus service between Choa Chu Kang and Bukit Batok Town Centre that plies through Brickland Road and Gombak MRT station.

3.
3.

Mr Zaqy Mohamad: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has studied the noise decibel levels caused by MRT trains passing through Keat Hong Crest and Keat Hong Pride; (b) if so, whether these levels exceed the 65-decibel level that is the threshold for noise disturbance under NEA guidelines; and (c) what are the criteria for the estate to qualify for noise barriers.

4.
4.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) how many employers have been reported to the Ministry in the past five years for not issuing employment contracts to their workers; (b) what is the age group of these affected workers; (c) what action has been taken against such employers; and (d) what is the redress for these workers when their employers refuse to issue proper employment contracts that stipulate their wages, work hours and duration of the contract.

5.
5.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many residents currently especially with transport accompaniment; (b) what is the support provided for low-income families; and (c) how can the Ministry work with the public transport operators and ride- hailing companies to increase the capacity to cater for an ageing population.

require wheelchair assistance, No.

56 9 JANUARY 2018 9 6.


Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many companies currently provide eldercare leave to their employees; (b) whether there has been an increase in consumption of such leave; and (c) how can the Ministry encourage more companies to provide such leave.

7.
7.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether the tax revenues collected from the top 20 per cent of income earners have been declining or increasing in the past 10 years; and (b) what are the changes in tax revenue in each age group for the past 10 years.

PAPER PRESENTED 2017 Misc.

10 Date Presented Deliberate Online Challenges and Implications Falsehoods: ..... 5 January 2018