Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698849415720.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE ___________________ FIRST SESSION ___________________ ORDER PAPER TUESDAY, 11 MAY 2021 No.

30 10.30 am 1 *1.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the progress of Sinovac vaccine approval; (b) whether Singapore is still considering to continue qualifying other vaccines that are claimed to be linked to blood clots; and (c) what is the likelihood for a need for another dose of vaccine in a year’s time.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Government is in discussions with Pfizer and Moderna for the need for a potential COVID-19 booster shot to be administered.

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Transport in enhancing road safety, what other measures can the Ministry consider besides licensing cyclists.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport given that cyclists are more vulnerable on the roads, how can it be ensured that (i) cyclists are protected against inconsiderate and reckless drivers and (ii) the rights of both cyclists and motor vehicle drivers are deconflicted.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) for each year in the last five financial years, what is the percentage of the Net Investment Returns (NIR) and the Net investment Income (NII) that contributed to the Government's budget as Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC); and (b) what is the estimated percentage of the NIR and the NII to be contributed to the Government's budget as NIRC for this financial year.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 2 *6.

*7.

*8.

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Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) over the last three years, what average percentage of GST paid by the lowest 20% of households (by income) is offset by all forms of GST vouchers; and (b) what is the breakdown based on one-off versus permanent GST voucher schemes.
Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the restricted inflow of workers to Singapore has affected companies in Singapore and their ability and capacity to meet business commitments; and (b) what measures are being considered to mitigate the impact on companies and the products and services they provide to Singaporeans.
Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) from November 2020 to April 2021, how many In-Principle Approvals (IPA) and successful Entry Passes respectively have been granted to Work Permit and S Pass applicants from the construction, marine and process sectors on a monthly basis; and (b) whether the Ministry will expand the list of source countries from where companies in these sectors can employ foreign workers to work in Singapore.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the contraction in total employment of non-residents by 181,500 throughout 2020 is also matched by a decline in the total population of non-residents in Singapore in the same period; (b) what are the reasons why non-residents who lose their jobs in Singapore may not be required to leave immediately; (c) how many non-residents who lost their jobs in 2020 have been allowed to remain in Singapore; and (d) how many non-residents who lost their jobs in 2020 have been re-employed in Singapore.
*10.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in light of recent cases of gastroenteritis in various education institutions (a) what are the findings from the investigations conducted; and (b) what actions have been taken to manage such incidents and prevent them from recurring in future.

*11.
*11.

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there are plans to review Singapore's commitment towards a net- zero carbon target and by when; and (b) beyond the targets set out in the Singapore Green Plan 2030, what are the key strategies to halve emissions by 2050, given that industries contribute to approximately 60% of Singapore's total carbon emissions.

No.

30 *12.
No.

30 *12.

11 MAY 2021 3 Prof Koh Lian Pin: To ask the Minister for Education whether there are coordinated steps being taken at the national level across institutes of higher learning to (i) assemble a Singaporean core of current leaders in science and education to support and advise the Government in implementing the Green Plan 2030 and (ii) continue to strengthen this core to future-proof Singapore against climate change, sustainability and other emerging challenges and opportunities.

*13.
*13.

Ms Janet Ang: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in light of Singapore's ambition to become a global trading hub for climate-related services, what is being done to ensure the credibility of carbon products to be traded through Singapore and to reduce Singapore's exposure to the risks of carbon trading.

*14.
*14.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of Singapore’s import of the first carbon-neutral liquified natural gas cargo (a) what agreement is in place to require the cargo suppliers to provide a statement of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of each cargo; and (b) what mechanisms will be applied to monitor the carbon credits used to offset the GHG emissions of each cargo.

*15.
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Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how prevalent are incidents of hazing and bullying in the schools in the past year compared to a year ago; (b) whether the Ministry is aware that such incidents are shared by students on social media platforms; and (c) whether a student's character is one of the criteria used in selecting his/her suitability for a leadership role in school camping activities.

*16.
*16.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry as sea freight costs are rising around the world (a) how will this affect the prices of exports to Singapore; (b) what impact will this have on our supply chains; and (c) whether the Government will help to mitigate the increased costs by reviewing port charges.

*17.
*17.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry given the rising prices in commodities markets around the world, whether there are steps which the Government can take to ensure that prices for groceries are kept affordable for Singaporeans as far as possible.

*18.
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Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how are our local communities responding to the observed anti-Asian hate crimes overseas; and (b) how prepared is Singapore in guarding against racist or any form of anti-social sentiment from spilling over into Singapore.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 4 *19.


Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the factors that the Ministry will take into consideration when deciding which schools are to be merged; (b) whether the Ministry factors in the protracted increase in school admission rates in a few years’ time due to increase in the number of new BTO flats within the proximity of primary schools; and (c) what happens to the school sites, in particular Fuchun Secondary School, that will be left disused after the mergers.
*20.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has conducted any studies on the impact of school mergers announced in 2017 on the academic performance and development of students; (b) what are the learnings from the school mergers announced in 2017 to be taken into account in this new round of school mergers; and (c) whether the Ministry is considering research into the impact of smaller form class sizes as an alternative to school closures as a response to declining enrolment.
*21.
Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) in view of the recently passed Electronic Transactions (Amendment) Bill, whether there will be a gradual move towards complete paperless processes and transactions with businesses and public sector agencies; (b) if so, whether there are plans to incorporate this initiative under the Singapore Green Plan; and (c) whether there are plans to help individuals and businesses who have been left behind in this step towards the digital transformation of businesses.
*22.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Manpower with the Tripartite Standard on Work-Life Harmony launched with guidelines on flexible work arrangements, employee support schemes, enhanced leave policies and suitable arrangements for employees with caregiving responsibilities, what are the ways in which the Ministry is considering to promote employers to adopt the guidelines.

*23.
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Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry has plans to regulate or license private tuition teachers and tuition agencies/enrichment centres; and (b) what mechanisms are in place to ensure those working as private tuition teachers or in tuition agencies/enrichment centres do not have criminal records of sexual offences or violent crimes.

*24.
*24.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the percentage of students currently engaging the services of private tutors or attending extra lessons in private education centres; and (b) how many improper sexual conduct related offences have occurred in the past few years involving private tutors or private education centres.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 5 *25.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether a citizen is informed directly by the Elections Department when their name is struck off the Registers of Electors; (b) what steps are taken by the Elections Department to ensure citizens struck off the Registers of Electors can be restored in time for a subsequent election; and (c) whether the Government will consider removing the fee imposed on citizens to restore their names to the Registers of Electors especially for the first restoration request.
*26.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what is the rationale for ceasing to process requests for restoration of names to the Registers of Electors once the writ of election is issued; and (b) whether the Elections Department will consider extending that timeline to allow more citizens struck off the Registers of Electors to have enough time to submit their restoration request.

*27.
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Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what steps are taken by the Elections Department to encourage registration of overseas voters especially in the months surrounding each review of the Registers of Electors; and (b) how many Singaporeans living overseas were registered as overseas voters at the General Elections held in 2011, 2015 and 2020, both as a percentage of the total number of overseas Singaporeans and absolute numbers.

*28.
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Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether he can provide an update on the investigation into the incident of a rainbow flag being thrown at staff of the SMOL salad bar at Lau Pa Sat; and (b) whether further steps will be taken to deal with such incidents of abuse due to discrimination.

*29.
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Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the current options for young and vulnerable teens to seek shelter if they are kicked out of their homes for reasons such as their sexual orientation or gender identity; and (b) whether the Government will consider extending financial support to shelters run by LGBTQ+ community groups such as the T Project Shelter.

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Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the cause of overpayments under the Jobs Support Scheme last year; (b) whether businesses will be affected by the rectification actions; and (c) what are the measures taken to prevent potential recurrence.

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Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) when and how were the overpayments for the Jobs Support Scheme detected; (b) what lessons have been incorporated to prevent similar issues in the future; (c) whether the external auditors have discovered other errors; and (d) when is the Ministry expecting the overpayment amounts to be fully recovered.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 6 *32.


Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether there can be additional cashflow support such as short-term loans offered to the companies that will have their excess Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payouts reclaimed from them, as their manpower budgets may have already been set at the start of the year taking into account the future JSS payouts.

*33.
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Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Law whether the Ministry can take an active approach to help Singaporeans who do not meet the current means test for pro bono legal services and cannot afford the market cost of legal services in matters such as deputyship, estate administration and divorce.

*34.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Law (a) what steps does the Legal Aid Bureau (LAB) take to ensure that lawyers appointed by LAB act competently and with due despatch on legal aid matters assigned to them; (b) whether LAB conducts regular satisfaction surveys with legally-aided persons to elicit their views about service levels accorded to them by the lawyers appointed by LAB; and (c) if so, what is the service quality standard of lawyers appointed by LAB over the past three years as elicited from these surveys.
*35.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how many cases of vaping in schools have been reported yearly since the ban on electronic vaporisers in 2018; (b) what more can be done in schools to educate our youths on the dangers of using electronic vaporisers; and (c) what actions have been taken on those who supply electronic vaporisers or e-cigarettes to the students in secondary schools and junior colleges.

*36.
*36.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is monitoring the trend of vaping in Singapore since the pandemic; (b) how is the Ministry working with popular e-commerce platforms to mitigate the sale and import of vaping devices; and (c) what measures are being taken to increase awareness about the dangers of vaping especially among teens.

*37.
*37.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many companies are there currently in Yellow Ribbon Singapore's pool of employer partners; (b) of the more than 2,000 ex-inmates placed into jobs by Yellow Ribbon Singapore, whether there is data being collected on their job retention rate; (c) if so, what is the average length of stay of employment; and (d) what is the rate of recidivism amongst these candidates placed in jobs by Yellow Ribbon Singapore.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 7 *38.


Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether IRAS can consider allowing more flexibility for a divorcee to purchase a property without the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty before the final court ruling on the divorce with a condition that the existing property needs to be disposed of within the time frame according to the court ruling.

*39.
*39.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how much does the Government spend on preventive care as a proportion of overall spending on healthcare expenditure; (b) what are the key performance indicators of preventive care programmes and what is their progress so far; and (c) what is the impact of these programmes in addressing health issues that lead to unhealthy aging and chronic illnesses.

*40.
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Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education whether he can provide an update on the progress of the adoption of the skills frameworks that have been developed as part of the 23 Industry Transformation Maps.

*41.
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Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has data on how many Singaporeans are full-time caregivers to persons who suffer from permanent moderate disability, and (b) if so, how many of them have household incomes that fall within the bottom 20th percentile household income group (after transfers).

*42.
*42.

Mr Raj Joshua Thomas: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will study whether service buyers are prepared to pay higher prices for services from the Progressive Wage Model sectors arising from mandatory wage increases amidst an uncertain economic climate; and (b) what is the impact on SME service providers that may be unable to pass on the increased costs due to the mandatory wage increases to service buyers.

*43.
Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Ministry will consider (i) publishing the assessment criteria and Environmental, Social and Governance standards that will apply to projects financed by green bonds issued by the Government (ii) ensuring transparency about the carbon and other environmental impacts of these projects using internationally recognised accounting principles and (iii) outlining the timeline for finalising Singapore’s green and transition taxonomy.
*44.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the Ministry's latest assessment of the political situation in Myanmar; and (b) how best can ASEAN and Singapore contribute towards the well-being of the people of Myanmar.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 8 *45.


Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs following the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting on 24 April 2021 (a) what further actions will now be taken by ASEAN to ensure that the Myanmar military will work towards a peaceful and democratic resolution of the political crisis; and (b) what does Singapore hope for ASEAN to achieve and what is the expected time frame.

*46.
*46.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Education whether home-based learning for secondary school and junior college students can be reduced from two days per month to one day per school term as not all students have conducive home learning environments and there is merit to socialising and learning in a school setting.

*47.
*47.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Education what is the Ministry's plan in balancing the benefit of digital device usage in schools as part of a national digital literacy programme and its effects on students' health in light of a KKH-led study that finds new links between child screen time and emotional and behavioural difficulties.

*48.
*48.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for National Development whether any additional support will be provided to companies in the construction, marine, and process sectors to cope with new restrictions on travellers from India.

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*49.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the recent border restrictions on India will have significant impact on the supply of workers to the construction industry; (b) what are the available alternative sources of labour supply for the construction sector; and (c) how can the Government assist construction companies impacted by the border restrictions and the increased number of quarantine cases at the workers’ dormitories.

*50.
*50.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in light of the increased need for mental well-being support and increased use of online healthcare and counselling services (a) whether the current schemes and subsidies to provide mental health services to the lower income are sufficient; and (b) whether there are plans to review and provide a holistic support structure in terms of uplifting these individuals.

*51.
*51.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Health given the constraints on movements and visits to clinics, whether there are plans to educate the public, especially those less familiar with the use of computers, about the use of online mental wellness resources.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 9 *52.


Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry has identified excessive hoarding at home as a social or mental health issue; and (b) whether there are assistance programmes to help change the behaviour of such dwellers especially those living in HDB estates and to improve their mental and environmental well-being.

*53.
*53.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the drop in polytechnic graduates employed within six months of graduation amid COVID-19 job market disruptions, whether the Ministry will consider to re- evaluate the current offerings of specialised diplomas and instead put greater emphasis on diplomas that offer broad skills that can be generalised across other disciplines.

*54.
*54.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there are plans to increase the supply and model of Singapore’s public rental housing and interim rental housing so as to decrease the waiting time between application and securing the keys for eligible applicants.

*55.
*55.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for National Development for resale transactions of HDB flats made by vulnerable residents such as single seniors, whether there are protective measures in place to ensure that such individuals have made plans to secure accommodation after the sale of their flats.

*56.
*56.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether single unwed parents can qualify for interim housing under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) while they await the completion of their new flat; and (b) if not, why not.

*57.
*57.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) in the past one year, how many reports have been received by the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore or CASE regarding hair and beauty salons engaging in pressure sales tactics; (b) how many of these salons are located in HDB heartlands; and (c) what action has been taken to protect consumers especially the elderly and other vulnerable groups.

*58.
*58.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the past five years, how many cases of illegal sales and supply of adulterated and counterfeit health products through online platforms have been prosecuted; (b) whether there has been a growing trend of illegal online sales postings for lifestyle health products with exaggerated claims; and (c) what are the enforcement and education efforts conducted to protect consumers.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 10 *59.


Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of scam calls reported on a daily basis; (b) whether the scam calls are consolidated through various channels, including reports made to operators via phone apps; and (c) whether reports are on the increase from a year before.

*60.
*60.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the Ministry's position on vending machines that sell alcoholic beverages; and (b) how will the Liquor Control (Supply and Consumption) Act regulate such vending machines.

*61.
*61.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how much funds have been allocated for the arts annually in the past five years; (b) how are these funds distributed between visual, performing and literary arts; and (c) how are funds distributed among large arts organisations, medium-sized independent outfits, small collectives, and individual artists.

*62.
*62.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the contribution of the local arts sector to Singapore's GDP; (b) how many jobs does the arts sector currently provide; and (c) what are the efforts undertaken by the Government to protect the arts economy and jobs in the sector.

*63.
*63.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry is aware that the existing criteria for the Rapid and Immersive Skill Enhancement (RISE) programme, which requires that trainees be unemployed only at the time of enrolment (before March 2021) rather than for a prior fixed duration, may induce potential applicants who are currently employed to prematurely submit resignation letters in order to qualify.

*64.
*64.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current number of heavy vehicle parking spaces islandwide as compared to the number of heavy vehicles registered with LTA under the Vehicle Parking Certificate (VPC) scheme; and (b) what steps can be taken to impose responsibility on vehicle owners who do not use the designated parking space stipulated in the VPCs and instead require their drivers to find alternative parking options for the vehicles.

*65.
*65.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Prime Minister with regard to ‘Buy now, Pay later’ digital platforms (a) what measures are implemented to prevent the young or compulsive buyers from taking on too much debt; (b) whether there are plans to verify the income of those using these platforms for purchases; and (c) whether a centralised system can be used to check the advance taken between credit cards and these platforms.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 11 *66.


Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Ministry will consider expanding after-school care or offer opt-in after- school programmes in all secondary schools.

*67.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how has the COVID- 19 pandemic affected blood and organ donations; and (b) how are hospitals reviewing their processes to ensure blood and organ donations and transplants are safe for patients and donors amidst the pandemic.

*68.
*68.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past two years, how many applications for the hiring of foreign domestic workers have been rejected; and (b) what are the key reasons for the rejections and percentage of each reason.

*69.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the factors in the Ministry’s decision not to collect data on the number of drug users whose parents are themselves drug users.

*70.
*70.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB can consider introducing a register for BTO flat applicants to register their interest and indicate their area of preference to enable HDB to plan their HDB launches to meet the applicants' demand.

*71.
*71.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what is the progress on busking pilots to test out the safe management measures required for busking; and (b) whether the Ministry intends to scale up and expand the pilots to more sites.

*72.
*72.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) over the past three years, what has been the number of laser strikes on aircraft arriving at or departing from Singapore; and (b) how many of such incidents resulted in disruption to flight operations or required the pilot to seek medical attention.

*73.
*73.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the OneService app has plans to allow residents to submit reports on smoking or noise disturbances by neighbours and, if so which agency will these reports be routed to.

*74.
*74.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Employment Assistance Package under the Retirement and Re- employment Act can be pegged to an employee’s last drawn salary instead of the current cap of $5,500 to $13,000 regardless of last drawn salary.

No.

30 *75.
11 MAY 2021 12 Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the projected BTO construction delays coupled with increased prices in the property market due to the pandemic (a) whether there is now an oversubscription of HDB flats under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme; (b) what additional measures will be taken if there is an oversubscription; and (c) whether there will be an introduction of further measures that may further help young couples who need a home to start a family in the current climate.
*76.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the past three years, how many people applied for HDB BTO flats under the Married Child Priority Scheme (MCPS) and Multi-Generation Priority Scheme (MGPS); (b) how many are successful; (c) whether the Ministry will consider a priority scheme for parents whose children are studying in schools near the BTO project; and (d) what is the recourse for those who fail multiple ballots but have pressing reasons to apply in certain estates.
*77.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in each year of the past three years, how many applications for reducing the Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) has been received by HDB; (b) what are the usual grounds relied on by the applicants; (c) what is the average percentage of applications that are allowed by HDB in the past three years; and (d) what are the circumstances under which HDB may be persuaded to reduce the flat owner’s MOP.

*78.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the number of applicants for the community care apartments in Bukit Batok during the February 2021 HDB BTO exercise; (b) what is the rationale for requiring seniors to pay upfront for the cost of the community care apartments in full, instead of spreading the mortgage over the lease tenure; and (c) how many applicants who are successful in their balloting exercise have appealed to pay for their community care apartments via a loan.
*79.

Dr Tan Yia Swam: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has assessed if Third Party Administrator (TPA) companies should be directly regulated rather than indirectly through doctors' disclosure; (b) whether the transparency of TPA fee arrangements will be enhanced beyond the Singapore Medical Council Ethical Code and Ethical Guidelines; and (c) whether the financial relationship between TPA companies and insurers will be regulated.

*80.
*80.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Law whether there are plans to streamline the process of making simple wills so that more residents, especially the low-income, can have their wills made and safely deposited with minimal expenses and administrative hurdles.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 13 *81.


Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how much foreign investment did Singapore attract in 2020 and the first quarter of 2021; (b) how much of the foreign investment that Singapore attracted in the past five years have been realised in the last three years; and (c) how many jobs have been created in the last three years due to the foreign direct investment.

*82.
*82.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the current ratio of mental health professionals to resident population in Singapore; and (b) what is an optimal ratio.

*83.

Mr Mark Chay: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether the SwimSafer assessment is designed, administered and scored in a standard and consistent manner; and (b) how does the SwimSafer programme align with the national swimming development programme.

*84.
Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development based on the study titled “Understanding the Intergenerational Transmission of Criminality in Singapore” (a) what are the mentoring programme details for at-risk youths; (b) whether programme attendance is by schools’ identification or students’ opt-in; (c) whether there is merit in a gender-based approach; and (d) what improvements can be made to support children whose parents are incarcerated so they may avoid the poverty and delinquency cycle.
*85.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider providing real-time flooding advisories on flood prone roads so that drivers and public transportation can be diverted in case of floods happening.

*86.
*86.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the latest progress on (i) the Thomson East Coast Line (TEL) (ii) the Jurong Region Line (JRL) and (iii) the Cross Island Line (CRL); (b) how many TEL stations will be opened this year; and (c) how has the pandemic affected the construction of TEL, JRL and CRL.

*87.
*87.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs whether bankrupts are being assisted within the eight categories of asnaf and, if so, how are they assisted.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 14 *88.


Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs (a) for each category of asnafs (zakat beneficiaries), what is (i) the number of recipients receiving the zakat (ii) the total amount of zakat allocated and (iii) the percentage of zakat allocated respectively; and (b) for the zakat collected in 2018, 2019 and 2020, what are the amounts and percentages of the undisbursed zakat respectively.

*89.
*89.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs with the online collection of zakat, how does MUIS determine the appointment of Amils (zakat administrators).

*90.
*90.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Government will start public education efforts in all four official languages on why Singaporeans should reduce the usage of single use plastic bags so that everyone will have a better and aligned understanding of why all should do so.

* 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 STATEMENTS 1.

Minister for Health: 2.

Minister for Education: Fourth Update on Whole-of-Government Response to COVID-19.

ORDERS OF THE DAY 1.

2.


Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

8/2021] – (Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading Land Transport Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

9/2021] – (Minister for Transport) – Second Reading No.

30 11 MAY 2021 15 3.

COVID-19 3) Bill [Bill No.

12/2021] – (Minister for National Development) – Second Reading (Temporary Measures) (Amendment No.

MEMORANDUM Matter proposed to be raised on the Motion for the Adjournment (SO 2(8)(b)).
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon) : Providing Child Car Seats in Taxis and Private Hire Cars.

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QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister (a) in the last 10 years, how many citizens are struck off the Registers of Electors after each election, broken down by gender, age and ethnicity; (b) across the last 10 years, how many citizens are restored to the Registers of Electors each year, broken down by gender, age and ethnicity; and (c) what percentage of citizens are restored only after paying the fee.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Prime Minister for each General Election held in 2011, 2015 and 2020 (a) what was the number of citizens (i) aged 21 and above, on the cut-off date for registration on the Registers of Electors and (ii) on the Registers of Electors, both numbers broken down by age band, gender and ethnicity; and (b) what was the number of citizens aged 21 and above not on the Registers of Electors, broken down by age band, gender, ethnicity, and duration they have been struck off the Registers.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Prime Minister for 2019 and 2020 respectively, what are the take-up rates of parent-care leave by public servants.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance what is the current total value of Government-owned land that can be sold for development.
Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs (a) what is the specific assistance that Singapore has offered to other countries to deal with COVID-19; and (b) how has Singapore assisted India as it confronts its latest wave of the pandemic.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 16 6.

7.

8.

9.


Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in light of a number of high-profile abuse cases against vulnerable persons, often in the presence of family members who do not report or have even contributed to the abuse, whether the Minister will consider strengthening the legal framework to penalise eyewitnesses and participants whose inactions have allowed the crime to continue.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what is being done to monitor extremist ideology on social media platforms and Internet forums.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) of the total number of scam cases reported in 2020, how many cases were reported by victims who have been scammed more than once; (b) how many iOS users have downloaded ScamShield since its launch in November 2020; and (c) when is the application expected to be rolled out to Android users.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the factors currently taken into consideration in the conduct of security clearances for applicants for civil service and public service positions.

10.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health what measures are put in place to counter the perception that vaping does not have the same serious health effects that smoking does.

11.
11.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether healthcare providers are allowed to flag suspicious injuries on vulnerable persons including foreign domestic workers to the relevant authorities without the permission of the victims or their guardians; (b) what is the procedure to report suspected abuse; and (c) how will these reports be handled.

12.
12.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the past 10 years, how many cases of myopia-related eye disorders has the Singapore National Eye Centre treated; (b) of these, what is the percentage of cases that could have been prevented if the patient had good myopia preventive care when they were young; and (c) whether the National Myopia Prevention Programme launched in 2001 has shown any progress in preventing children from developing myopia.

13.
13.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the past five years, how many cases of body dismorphic disorder and eating disorders have been treated in the public healthcare institutions; (b) what is the breakdown by condition, age and gender; (c) how many healthcare institutions offer consultation and treatment for body dismorphic disorder and eating disorders; and (d) whether the Ministry conducts any campaigns to promote early diagnosis of such disorders.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 17 14.


Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Home Caregiving Grant may be provided to care recipients living alone but who rely on persons residing separately from them for their caregiving needs.

15.
15.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information having regard to the significant increase in spoofed calls received in Singapore from scammers based overseas, whether IMDA will consider directing telecommunication service providers here to block overseas calls received in Singapore which carry the misleading prefix “+65”.

16.
16.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what are the average monthly electricity and water consumption rates for households living in (i) landed properties (ii) private condominiums and (iii) HDB flats respectively.

17.
17.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment what proportion of households living in (i) landed properties (ii) private condominiums and (iii) HDB flats currently consume more than 130 litres of water per day.

18.
18.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) in the past two years in Fernvale constituency, how many residents have been caught for (i) highrise littering (ii) throwing down cigarette butts and (iii) throwing food down to feed birds; (b) what are the age groups of those who are caught for such offences; and (c) whether NEA can increase the deployment of cameras to resolve the issues.

19.
19.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment considering that Singapore has potable water, whether table water can be mandatorily made free-of-charge at food and beverage establishments.

20.
20.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether new rules on the import of Japanese food products will be put in place in light of the Japanese Government’s plans to release contaminated water from the Fukushima nuclear accident into the ocean.

21.
21.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the number of Singaporeans who have donated their SingapoRediscovers Vouchers (SRVs); and (b) what are the current efforts to allow and encourage Singaporeans who do not wish to utilise their SRVs to donate them to underprivileged and migrant workers.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 18 22.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Government collects data on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinatown businesses in terms of revenue decline or number of merchants closing and, if so, what does the data show; (b) whether the Government will allow the use of SingapoRediscovers Vouchers for Chinatown-based businesses including retail and F&B operators; and (c) whether the Chinatown Digitalisation Initiative is expected to mitigate the effects of COVID-19 on their business and, if so, how many businesses are targeted to be so assisted.
23.

Ms Raeesah Khan: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether any aspects of the current school curriculum seek to educate students about body image and self-esteem related issues, especially in relation to the use of social media platforms; (b) if yes, at which levels of education does this occur and what is the content covered; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will consider introducing such content into the school curriculum.

24.
24.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the change in the size of the 2019 and 2020 cohorts of Singaporean students who went overseas to study; and (b) what has been the change in the number of overseas students coming to Singapore to study in 2020.

25.
25.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for each year in the past five years, what is the average social worker to case load ratio at family service centres; and (b) what is the optimal social worker to case load ratio based on the Ministry’s studies.

26.
26.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) between 2016 and 2020, how many households are receiving a mix of CPF payouts and ComCare Long-Term Assistance cash grants every year; and (b) how are the total payout rates for such long-term assistance determined.

27.
27.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is (i) the current number of cases of Hand, Food and Mouth Disease (HFMD) (ii) the number of preschools ascertained to have active clusters of prolonged transmission of HFMD and (iii) the number of preschool closures on an annual basis over the last five years including year- to-date; and (b) how does the Ministry make the determination for centre closures to break the cycle of transmission.

28.
28.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider installing a traffic signal at the intersection of Anchorvale Lane and Sengkang West Avenue in light of the increase in resident density in the area as well as a recent accident that has occurred at the intersection as a result of a discretionary right turn.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 19 29.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry has a non-online public education programme in four official languages on the safe use of footpaths and park connectors and safe riding on roads, for both cyclists and pedestrians; (b) if so, whether such a programme can focus on pushing the information, knowledge and messaging to people who may not actively seek any such information by themselves; and (c) if not, whether the Ministry will consider having such a programme.
30.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether foreign domestic worker (FDW) employment policies are being reviewed to offer more protection to FDWs; (b) what is the schedule for the Ministry to interview the new FDWs; and (c) how does the Ministry ensure FDWs are able to honestly share their concerns and be understood during these interviews.

31.
31.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry regulates how maid agencies should follow up on the FDWs' welfare throughout their employment period; (b) whether agency fees can be prorated monthly rather than collected in one lump sum to motivate them to remain invested in the employee’s performance and well-being; and (c) whether there are training opportunities for agency employees to improve communication with FDWs and identify signs of distress.

32.
32.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past five years, how many disputes between employers and foreign domestic workers have been reported; (b) of these, how many went to trial; and (c) what are the key observations from these reports.

33.
33.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether spouses on Dependant's Passes can continue to work under a letter of consent for part-time and temporary jobs instead of requiring them to obtain a work pass so that foreign dependants are able to contribute to their family and the economy.

34.
34.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry will consider introducing legislation to require companies hiring workers in the gig economy to recognise them as employees so that they can enjoy all benefits and retirement protection like regular employees; (b) whether these workers can be brought under the Progressive Wage Model scheme; and (c) whether they can be covered for health and personal accident insurance by their contractors.

35.
35.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the current number of (i) total applications and (ii) approved applications, by geographic regions for (i) employment passes and (ii) student visas to Singapore.

No.

30 11 MAY 2021 20 36.


Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether NParks will consider having more tall trees along TPE opposite Fernvale constituency between Seletar Link and Piccadilly where there is unloading of sand so as to minimise sand dust and loss of sand due to winds.

37.
37.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development how does HDB ensure that its rental flats are maintained properly by tenants and whether all flats are ‘spruced up’ and reinstated to ensure that the flat is in a habitable condition prior to handing over to new tenants.