Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698846173141.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE ___________________ FIRST SESSION ___________________ REVISED ORDER PAPER TUESDAY, 11 JANUARY 2022 No.

45 12 noon 1 *1.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry keeps track of the number of employees with remote working arrangements and the number of hours spent working remotely in the past year; (b) whether work- from-home (WFH) will become a permanent feature even as COVID-19 restrictions are relaxed; and (c) whether the Ministry will look into introducing new legislation to improve the welfare of WFH employees including barring employers from contacting employees about non-critical work matters outside of their contracted working hours.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower as companies are encouraged to operate in a hybrid operating model to boost business resilience (a) how will the Ministry support employers to help their employees transit towards this model; and (b) how will the Government encourage organisational dexterity in local companies so that work projects based overseas can be managed remotely from Singapore.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether, beyond the Tripartite Standards or Tripartite Guidelines, the Ministry intends to retain existing work from home legislation and make the right to work from home the new normal.
Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in light of the higher-than-expected inflation rate in November 2021 (a) what is the Ministry’s assessment of the resulting impact on economic growth in 2022; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider working with the other Ministries to delay the increase in various statutory charges.

No.

45 *5.

*6.

*7.

*8.

*9.

*10.


11 JANUARY 2022 2 Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the reasons for the recent rise in costs impacting consumers across many areas; and (b) what policies or measures will be put in place to manage the impact of these increases on consumers, especially lower income households and those whose livelihoods have been impacted by disruptions caused by the current pandemic.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Finance in light of inflation and rising costs (a) whether there are available fiscal resources in the upcoming Budget to further assist Singaporeans to cope with increased costs; (b) whether the proposed GST increase remains part of our strategy for fiscal sustainability; and (c) if so, what can be done to mitigate the impact of GST increase on Singaporeans, especially the lower income households and retirees.
Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether the economic policy involving billions of fiscal support to businesses and households is contributing to higher inflation; and (b) how will the market adjust when the support schemes taper off.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry is considering reviewing the household income and per capita income criteria for ComCare assistance in view of rising inflation against a backdrop of slower economic growth.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of the rising petrol prices, whether the Ministry has considered giving support to the point- to-point (P2P) sector to help defray such costs as the industry faces a slow start to passenger recovery.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many people gave up smoking in the past two years compared to the pre-COVID-19 pandemic figures; (b) whether this trend is in line with our target to reduce the smoking rate to 5% by 2035; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider a ban on cigarette sales to young Singaporeans born after 2012 that can result in the gradual phasing out of tobacco smoking altogether in Singapore.

*11.
*11.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Government will study the implementation of a ban on the sale of tobacco products to those born after a particular year, in addition to the current minimum legal age; (b) if so, what are the factors the Government will look into when determining whether to implement such a ban and when will the results of the study be announced; and (c) if not, why not.

*12.
*12.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Government will consider introducing a lifetime ban on cigarette sale to young persons below a certain age, similar to New Zealand’s plan to introduce legislation to eliminate smoking for the next generation, reported on 9 December 2021.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 3 *13.


Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry intends to introduce a generational tobacco purchasing ban similar to that implemented by New Zealand; and (b) whether other measures are being studied to reduce rates of smoking in the general population.

*14.
*14.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) for each year over the past five years, how much does smoking-related diseases cost the healthcare sector; (b) whether the Ministry will study New Zealand's ban on the sale of tobacco products to those born after a particular year; and (c) if so, when will the study be expected to be completed and results presented to the public.

*15.
*15.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) to date, what is the percentage of graduates who successfully completed at least one SGUnited Traineeship Programme but has not been converted into permanent employment with the same company; (b) what are the reasons for not being converted; and (c) what recourse do these jobseekers have.

*16.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower in the last three years (a) what is the annual acceptance rate for the Professional Conversion Programme for (i) all applicants and (ii) applicants above 50 years old; (b) what proportion of graduates from the (i) SGUnited Skills Programmes (ii) Career Transition Programmes (iii) Career Conversion Programmes and (iv) Professional Conversion Programmes were later employed in full-time permanent jobs; and (c) what proportion of these graduates are employed in full-time, permanent jobs related to their Workforce Singapore-supported skills programme or attachment.
*17.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the current strategy or practice in the social work and social services sector on the provision of therapy or support for families that have gone through family violence to aid in their psychological and emotional recovery from the trauma.

*18.
*18.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the current capability and capacity of the social services system in providing support to survivors of sexual violence in their mental, psychological and emotional recovery; and (b) whether the Ministry is currently working or plans to work with educational institutions to ensure a trauma-informed and survivor-centric approach to post-violence care and support for youths.

*19.
*19.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the types of cases which the Family Violence Specialist Centres (FVSCs) handle; and (b) whether the FVSCs render any assistance towards victims of non-domestic sexual assault or harassment in the workplace cases.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 4 *20.


Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to male survivors of family or sexual violence, particularly those who have experienced such violence when they are young, what are the avenues of help available to these survivors in terms of counselling and support, awareness of legal rights and access to peer support groups.

*21.
*21.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry will consider, on its own or in partnership with other organisations, implementing programmes to encourage a more proactive approach towards preventing family violence which goes beyond contacting the Ministry’s family violence hotline to also include bystander intervention training and strategies to empower all members of the public.

*22.
*22.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the precautions that should be taken in Singapore’s cyberspace to protect the digital security of Singaporeans against cyberattacks by private firms allegedly at the behest of state actors and state-backed entities; and (b) what additional and updated steps are being taken to address the risk of such attacks in the wake of developments over the last six months.

*23.
*23.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for National Development what is the number of new BTO flats that can be built to increase supply in order to meet the rising demand due to factors such as more marriages and higher-income ceiling and to lower the application rate from 5.8 applications for each BTO flat in 2020 to two.

*24.
*24.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the reasons for the current housing imbalance; (b) whether the current HDB BTO approach has been able to meet the housing needs of first-time home buyers in a timely manner; and (c) whether the longer construction time in building new HDB flats due to the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced the usefulness of the BTO model.

*25.
*25.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for National Development considering the 38,500, 51,400 and 87,800 HDB BTO flat applicants from 2018 to 2020 respectively and in view of the widening supply-demand gap of BTO flats over the past three years, what are the plans to reduce this gap given that HDB will be launching only up to 23,000 BTO flats each year in 2022 and 2023.

*26.
*26.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for National Development in view of the widening supply-demand gap of HDB BTO flats, whether the Ministry will consider to transition from Build-To-Order housing to providing a ready stock of available housing ahead of demand to reduce the waiting time.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 5 *27.


Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what steps can a person take to ensure that his donation to charities based overseas are not used for terrorism financing activities especially if such checks are not readily available to, or can be reasonably taken by, the individual.

*28.
*28.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there are any other migrant workers who are suspected to be radicalised or financing terrorism; and (b) how can the public be educated to ensure that their donations are used for genuine charitable purposes and not used to finance terrorism, given that individuals transfer donations through online platforms.

*29.
*29.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what are the types and frequency of enforcement actions taken against errant active mobility device riders who speed or ride on pathways where they should not; and (b) whether more resources can be provided for stricter enforcements especially at pathways affected by infrastructure works in the Central District.

*30.
*30.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the cooling measures for private residential and HDB resale markets announced on 15 December 2021 (a) what is the impact of the tightened total debt servicing ratio (TDSR) from 60% to 55% and lower loan-to-value (LTV) ratio for HDB loans from 90% to 85%, on first-time home buyers; and (b) whether home ownership is even more out of reach for young couples now.

*31.
*31.

Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo: To ask the Minister for National Development what is the impact assessment on first-time home buyers with the recent tightening of the loan-to-value limit and total debt servicing ratio.

*32.
*32.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the number of infant care applications and the successful placement rates from January to December 2021; (b) what is the estimated projection of infant care applications for 2022 and whether there is adequate capacity; and (c) what are the Ministry’s plans on infant care capacity.

*33.
*33.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower in the last five years (a) what is the annual number of discrimination-related claims that have been made before the Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT); (b) what is the breakdown of these claims by discrimination category; and (c) what is the (i) average and (ii) range of compensation awarded by the ECT in wrongful dismissal cases involving discrimination.

*34.
*34.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what avenues of specialised mental health support are available to healthcare workers; (b) for each year from 2019 to 2021, how many healthcare workers have sought mental health support through these channels; and (c) what avenues do healthcare workers have for whistle-blowing or to raise their concerns for the mental well-being and safety of themselves or their colleagues.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 6 *35.
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in 2021, what were the attrition rates in the public healthcare system and the breakdown by job category, including frontline and non-frontline job categories; and (b) whether more can be done to recognise the contribution of public healthcare support workers who are not considered to be frontliners but are also exposed to risk in the performance of their duties, such as maintenance workers, with a view to reducing these attrition rates.

*36.
*36.

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many nurses and allied health professionals were recruited for the public sector in 2021 on a quarterly basis; and (b) how does this compare to 2020 and 2019.

*37.
*37.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how Singapore’s doctor-to-population ratio and nurse-to-population ratio compares with other developed countries; and (b) whether the Ministry plans to increase the manpower capacity in the public healthcare system in the next five years.

*38.
*38.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider building further agri-tech and urban farm clusters to ensure food supply and that price disruptions are kept to a minimum.

*39.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) following the suspension of Vaccinated Travel Lane flights and bus tickets, what is the outlook for the aviation, hospitality and tourism industry; (b) with COVID-19 Omicron cases requiring quarantine, whether the Ministry foresees this as a reliable revenue source for hotels; and (c) whether the Ministry will step up measures to help companies pivot to other industries, diversify their service offerings or over time reduce reliance on sectors that involve travel.
*40.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) to date, what is the aggregate subject matter value of cases that have been subject to or are currently under investigation, involving abuse, misuse or fraudulent application of all COVID-19 Government grants and payouts; (b) how much of these monies have been recovered from the perpetrators of these acts; and (c) whether the Ministry will provide a dedicated whistleblower channel to uncover more of such cases and set up a separate agency to investigate these cases.
*41.

Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will consider subsidising small sub-contractors and specialists in the built environment sector to bring in foreign manpower to lower the cost of bringing in workers from non-traditional source countries.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 7 *42.


Mr Abdul Samad: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the three full-time Technical Diploma courses offered by the Institute of Technical Education (a) to date, how many students have graduated from these courses; (b) whether the starting salaries of these graduates are equivalent to that of diploma holders from the local polytechnics; and (c) if not, what are the latest starting salary ranges in respect of these graduates.

*43.
*43.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what progress has been made in the SG Together movement involving various Alliances for Action (AfAs) to address the key themes identified in the Singapore Together Emerging Stronger Conversations; (b) whether more needs to be done to inculcate the National Identity and Shared Values highlighted in the Emerging Stronger Conversations among Singaporeans; and (c) if so, what are the plans.

*44.
*44.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the discussions with the Malaysian Government to revive the Kuala Lumpur – Singapore High Speed Rail project.

*45.
*45.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is aware of any local studies that have examined the relationship between the consumption of anti-depressants and suicide, particularly among youths in Singapore; and (b) whether such risks are communicated to the parents of youths who are prescribed with anti-depressants.

*46.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower with the initiatives to strengthen the Singaporean core in the workforce and COVID-19 uncertainties that could have prompted some foreigners to leave (a) whether Singapore companies have reported greater difficulties in filling specialised roles in the past two years; (b) how can local companies position themselves as attractive places for global talent to work for; and (c) what are some upcoming initiatives to ensure Singapore remains attractive to global talent.
*47.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education with no formal exams for several levels of primary school children, especially those in the lower primary in 2021, how does the Ministry effectively assess the academic merit for the different categories of the Edusave Awards.

*48.
*48.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education with minimal school co-curricular activity sessions in 2021, especially in primary schools, how does the Ministry assess students for qualification for the Edusave Award for Achievement, Good Leadership and Service (EAGLES).

*49.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how is the talent war and tight labour market causing wage inflation; and (b) what is its impact on the sustainability of businesses.

No.
No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 8 *50.

Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the global supply chain disruption, continued labour challenges from overseas and high inflation rate, what will be the most significant economic impact for Singapore in the next two years.

*51.
*51.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the increase in HDB flat resale prices and market rental rates, whether the Government will consider increasing the income ceiling for the Public Rental Scheme.

*52.
*52.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how many applicants under the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS) have been rejected since January 2019 because of their household incomes exceeding the $7,000 monthly household income limit; and (b) whether HDB plans to increase this limit given the delays in completion of many BTO projects due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

*53.
*53.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) since January 2020, how many summonses for construction site noise exceeding permissible limits are issued; (b) what are the median, 75th and 95th percentile cumulative amount of such fines issued to a single construction site; and (c) how do these fines compare to the total developer profits accruing from the projects at such sites.

*54.
*54.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) for the past three months, what is the number of instances of non-compliance with regulatory noise limits detected by noise meters installed at the HDB BTO construction sites in Woodlands; (b) what is the breakdown by projects; and (c) what penalties have been imposed.

*55.
*55.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the current national daily sodium consumption rate of consumers in Singapore; (b) what measures are being taken to help Singaporeans adhere to a low-sodium diet; (c) what are the plans in the pipeline to reduce the national salt intake of consumers; and (d) whether sodium taxes are being explored.

*56.
*56.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth as more youths turn to unhealthy coping habits such as excessive online gaming, drinking, and shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic (a) whether the Ministry has data on the current number of youths who are receiving some form of professional help; and (b) what is the Ministry’s assessment of current specialised services in helping youths to overcome such addictions.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 9 *57.


Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the relief framework under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act (COTMA) can be expanded to include material costs to assist built environment sector firms cope with rising material prices; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider establishing a dedicated BCA team to assist these firms in applying for and exercising their rights under COTMA.

*58.
*58.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how much was allocated in 2020 and 2021 to enhance employment and employability for youths with special needs; (b) what are the outcomes of the expenditure and its schemes; and (c) whether there are further plans to enhance employment and employability of youths and adults with special needs and, if so, what are these.

*59.
*59.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth how will the Ministry build on the success of the Singapore national football team at the AFF Suzuki Cup 2021 in the near and medium terms.

*60.
*60.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what are the current statistics of women leaders in the technology and innovation sectors in Singapore at the mid-management, senior management and board levels; and (b) what are the Ministry’s efforts in growing the women talent pipeline.

*61.
*61.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Education given that the main contributing factor for gender pay gap in Singapore is occupational segregation (a) what are the top five courses in institutes of higher learning (IHLs) which currently have the highest proportion of girls; and (b) what efforts are there in schools and IHLs to build students’ interest in growth sectors including science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

*62.
Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the proportion of female students who are enrolled in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related disciplines in the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) in 2021; (b) whether there is data on the proportion of women currently working in STEM related industries in Singapore and, if so, what is the figure; and (c) what are the plans to encourage more women to take up education and careers in STEM related industries and to increase their representation in leadership roles.
*63.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Education whether targets will be set for the Institutes of Higher Learning (IHLs) to increase female enrolment in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) courses so as to boost the supply of female talent to the growing technology and innovation sector.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 10 *64.


Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on gender diversity on the boards of Singapore publicly-listed companies; and (b) whether the Ministry compiles data of companies using formal search and nomination process for appointing female board directors.

*65.
*65.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many respite care places are there currently in total to support caregivers and seniors with short-term care needs; (b) of the total number of places, how many are available; and (c) whether there has been an increase in demand over the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

*66.
*66.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the existing number and capacity in megawatts (MW) of data centres in Singapore; (b) whether the Government has concluded its review on the data centre industry; (c) if so, what are the Government’s expectation and limits for future growth in number and capacity; and (d) what measures are put in place to manage the resource footprint of the data centre industry in Singapore.

*67.
*67.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Prime Minister what measures are there to assist and protect bank customers from losses and penalties suffered due to outages of licensed banks' online systems.

*68.
*68.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Finance with regard to the raising of Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) rates for second properties, whether the Government can consider granting upfront remission of ABSD for married couples with at least one Singapore citizen spouse who is purchasing a replacement private residential property, similar to the purchase of a HDB flat or an Executive Condominium unit from property developers by such married couples.

*69.
*69.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Defence whether the Ministry will consider preserving the RSS Resolution as part of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s heritage and also potentially as a tourist attraction.

*70.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for National Development with the move towards higher adoption of electric cars, whether existing petrol kiosks will be repurposed in due course.

*71.
*71.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Education whether SkillsFuture credits can be made transferable from parent to child if the parent is already retired.

*72.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health whether he can provide an update on the development and implementation of the five-year Child and Maternal Health and Well-being Strategy and Action Plan.

No.

45 *73.
No.

45 *73.

11 JANUARY 2022 11 Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in view of some $430,000 reportedly lost recently to scams involving hotel room bookings (a) whether any awareness campaign has been conducted to specifically target those planning for staycations; and (b) whether there are efforts to work with local influencers and content creators to join the campaign against such scams.

*74.
*74.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether there are any updates to the stakeholder engagement exercises to update Singapore’s Nationally Determined Contribution pledges for the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27).

*75.
*75.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Education in light of the revised PSLE scoring system in 2021 which uses scoring bands (Achievement Levels), what is the required benchmark that madrasahs have to attain for each cohort in order to be allowed to continue taking in primary one pupils.

*76.
*76.

Mr Abdul Samad: To ask the Minister for Health whether there are any plans to support publicly funded healthcare organisations to make a monetary award to the estimated 5,000 essential services outsourced workers such as cleaners, housekeepers, porters, technicians and security officers to recognise their contribution and dedication as frontline workers, working alongside our healthcare workers, during this COVID-19 pandemic.

*77.
*77.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to HDB blocks which have undergone the Main Upgrading Programme but still have lifts which do not stop at every floor, whether HDB has any plans to retrofit the staircases of these blocks with foldable wheelchair lifts to assist residents with mobility issues.

*78.
*78.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how is HDB harnessing the latest technology to build lift access for HDB blocks that remain without direct lift access; and (b) as at 31 December 2021, how many residents have successfully applied for the Lift Access Housing Grant.

*79.
*79.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many MRT stations have a barrier-free commuter route from station entrance to train platform which is served by (i) just one lift (ii) two or more lifts, respectively; (b) what is the operational lifespan of these lifts; (c) how many of these lifts are nearing the end of the operational lifespan; and (d) what contingency arrangements exist for lift breakdowns especially at MRT stations serving hospitals.

*80.
*80.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there has been an increase in the number of illegal online betting offences committed since the onset of COVID-19; and (b) if so, what is the increase in the number.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 12 *81.


Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport with the increasing number of Vaccinated Travel Lanes (VTLs) being opened, what measures would be taken to help ensure point-to-point (P2P) drivers who pick passengers up from the airports and other border points are adequately protected from COVID-19 and its variants.

*82.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Government will consider prohibiting employers from requiring retail staff to stand for prolonged periods when standing is not necessary; (b) whether the Government works with employers to implement rest times and seats for workers who have to stand for prolonged periods; and (c) whether the Government collects data on (i) the number of retail staff who have to stand for prolonged periods a day and (ii) the health risks faced by these workers.
*83.

Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider offering a mobile vaccination service, akin to school dental services, for primary schools to administer subsequent booster shots for young children and to take the opportunity to also raise the children’s awareness on the evolving COVID-19 home recovery arrangements.

*84.
*84.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the rationale for having different safe management measures for vaccinated migrant workers living in dormitories and the rest of the population living outside of dormitories.

*85.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health in light of living with COVID-19 as an endemic disease (a) to what extent is TraceTogether still utilised as a contact tracing tool; (b) whether there are any plans to transition towards user-oriented contact exposure technology, such as Novid; (c) whether there are any plans or specific dates for permanently deleting server-side identification data registered via TraceTogether; and (d) whether there are any plans for the discontinuation of SafeEntry.
*86.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of potential breaches of COVID-19 safe management measures and disamenities that may occur at sky gardens located at HDB blocks, whether the Ministry will (i) review its policy and consider gating up these sky gardens and (ii) provide key card access to residents.

*87.
*87.

Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what proportion of public healthcare workers have been unable to clear at least 50% of their accumulated leave in 2021 despite the ongoing public healthcare manpower crunch; (b) what is the average cap on leave that can be encashed for 2021 for these workers; and (c) what proportion of healthcare workers have had to forfeit their leave as they have exceeded the cap on leave encashment.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 13 *88.


Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry why there is a differentiated testing approach between travellers arriving at Changi Airport via the Vaccinated Travel Lanes (using the polymerase chain test) and those arriving via the Causeway (using the antigen rapid test).

*89.
*89.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) for each year from 2014 to 2021, what is the number of cases of water leakage within HDB flats reported to HDB; (b) what percentage of these cases are due to piping or waterproofing issues from the units above; (c) how long on average does it take for these cases to be resolved; and (d) how many of these cases required HDB's special enforcement as a result of the owner's failure to take rectification measures.

*90.
*90.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the development of cycling path networks in HDB towns; and (b) when will LTA build the cycling path networks in Nanyang and Gek Poh estates.

*91.
*91.

Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the Neko Inu crypto gaming craze that has resulted in Singaporeans losing over $100,000 in cryptocurrency, what is being done to educate and protect youths from falling prey to cryptocurrency game scams.

*92.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the Ministry tracks workplace fatalities related to overwork; and (b) if so, how many of such cases have been recorded in the past five years.

*93.
*93.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Law in light of the recent news report about foreigners purchasing restricted residential property illegally through Singaporeans (a) since 2017, what is the number of incidents of foreigners purchasing restricted residential property; (b) what types of property do they involve; and (c) whether these incidents have impacted property prices.

*94.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what measures exist to regulate retailers offering consumer credit for goods purchased where the credit is provided by the retailer and not by financial institutions regulated by MAS; (b) where the debt has accrued via retailer-provided credit, how many of these consumers in 2021 are subjected to (i) debt collector action and (ii) bankruptcy proceedings, respectively; (c) what dispute resolution mechanisms exist; and (d) whether safeguards exist to prevent predatory lending.
No.

45 *95.
11 JANUARY 2022 14 Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to the Sugarbook website offering free membership to students (a) whether there is any data on how many Singapore students have subscribed to the website; (b) if so, how pervasive is the use of the website among Singapore youths; and (c) whether there is any update on the police taking enforcement action against such website companies that enable the procurement of sexual or pornographic services through their online platforms.
and Management *96.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) why does NEA currently limit the taking of action under the Environmental Protection Emissions) Regulations in (“Regulations”) against drivers of foreign-registered vehicles only circumstances where NEA officers had personally issued infringement notices to these drivers; and (b) what steps can be taken by NEA to establish the identity of, and take action against, drivers of foreign-registered vehicles reported by third parties to have parked with idling engines in contravention of the Regulations.
(Vehicular *97.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will consider extending the Cross Island MRT Line's Punggol extension from Punggol West to Yio Chu Kang Road (at the junction with Sengkang West Road) and Jalan Kayu so as to support the residents there.

* 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.

ORDERS OF THE DAY AND NOTICE OF MOTION (Those marked∙• are Orders of the Day) •1.

•2.

Monetary Authority of Singapore (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.
37/2021] – (Prime Minister) – Second Reading Exchanges (Demutualisation and Merger) (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

28/2021] – (Prime Minister) – Second Reading [For amendment on the Bill, see Supplement No.

9 dated 11 January 2022.]

•3.

Prisons (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

38/2021] – (Minister for Home Affairs) – Second Reading No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 15 •4.

•5.

6.

1.

2.

3.

4.

Intellectual Property (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.


39/2021] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading Legal Profession (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

40/2021] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading [For amendment on the Bill, see Supplement No.

9 dated 11 January 2022.]
Ms Poh Li San (Sembawang) Mr Gan Thiam Poh (Ang Mo Kio) Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin (Ang Mo Kio) Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang (Nee Soon) Ms Hany Soh (Marsiling-Yew Tee) Mr Don Wee (Chua Chu Kang): TOWARDS A LOW-CARBON SOCIETY: That this House calls on the Government to enhance green financing, create more green jobs, and strengthen corporate accountability, in partnership with the private sector, civil society and community, to advance Singapore’s inclusive transition towards a low-carbon society.
2 4 QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Prime Minister since 2013, what is the annual number and proportion of HDB and private property flat buyers who had a total debt servicing ratio of above 55%.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Defence in light of the falling total fertility rate in Singapore to 1.1 in 2020, how will the Singapore Armed Forces use technological advancement to ensure its forces continue to be formidable and mission-ready.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what is being done to raise awareness of outrage-of-modesty cases on public transport and to alert commuters on how to protect themselves.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is sufficient protection in place to protect individuals from the multitude of internet-related scams including investment scams, job scams, e-commerce scams, loan scams and internet-banking scams; and (b) how can the public be made aware to not provide their SingPass details or other passwords to prevent scammers from remotely draining money from their accounts.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 16 5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.


Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to the usage of ScamShield as a form of protection against scam calls and messages, to date, what is the (i) take-up rate and (ii) number of reports made through the app, respectively.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) in the past four years, how many reports of road traffic offences have been made against foreign-registered vehicles in Singapore; (b) how many road traffic summonses have been issued; (c) how many such summonses are compoundable with fines; (d) what proportion of such fines remain unpaid; and (e) what measures exist to ensure drivers of foreign-registered vehicles comply with Singapore’s traffic laws.
Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the gender ratio of current Long-Term Visit Pass and Long-Term Visit Pass Plus holders; and (b) what proportion of these pass holders are employed in Singapore.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether Singapore can commit to phasing out the use of unabated coal in its electricity mix earlier than the committed 2050 timeframe announced with Singapore's joining of the Powering Past Coal Alliance on 4 November 2021.
Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether there has been an emerging second-round effect of inflation; (b) if so, whether such effect will persist in 2022; (c) what are the potential main drivers contributing to wage and services inflation outlook in 2022; (d) what other price stabilisation measures are being explored to mitigate potential rise in supply side cost drivers; and (e) whether there are further plans to enhance cooperation with retailers in 2022 to reduce excessive pricing practices on daily necessities and food items.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in the past year, how many incidences of installation of non-compliant batteries in personal mobility devices (PMDs) have been reported every month on average; (b) what are the current efforts by the Ministry to ensure that approved vendors of PMD batteries are not simultaneously selling non-compliant batteries in the market.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport whether LTA had promoted the use of requisite regulatory front and rear lights on all bicycles and power-assisted bicycles to enhance better visibility and safety for all cyclists, pedestrians and motorists during its recent enforcement operations against errant cyclists or public outreach efforts to cyclists.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 17 12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.


Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what has been the progress of improvement works on the Bukit Timah Canal between the Jalan Anak Bukit flyover and Jalan Kampong Chantek; and (b) when is the estimated date of completion of these works.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment since the introduction of COVID-19 vaccination entry checks at hawker centres, what is the number of (i) disputes between enforcement officers and diners and (ii) cases of unvaccinated patrons found to be dining-in.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many food farms are currently licensed in Singapore; and (b) how many coastal fish farms are licensed in Singapore, and of these, how many have leases of (i) less than five years and (ii) between five to 10 years remaining.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment with regard to the Agri-food Cluster Transformation Fund (a) since its launch how many applications (i) have been received and (ii) were successful; (b) what was the range of grants in total amounts, given out to each farm; and (c) what is the breakdown by types of successful applicants.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what are the parameters for deciding on offerings for mother tongue languages (MTLs) in secondary schools; and (b) what are the reasons for not requiring all secondary schools to offer classes for all three official MTLs (Chinese, Malay and Tamil).
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to secondary one school posting exercises for students who took the PSLE from 2019 to 2021 (a) what is the annual number of students posted to a school which was not their first choice, broken down by travelling time of (i) over 30 minutes (ii) over one hour and (iii) over 90 minutes by public transport; and (b) what guidance and advice are provided to students and parents to optimise their choices.
Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the state of employment for graduates from the COVID-19 pandemic cohorts; (b) what percentage of these graduates have secured full-time employment; (c) how many graduates are unable to secure full-time employment after attending the SGUnited Traineeship Programme; and (d) what are the job prospects for the upcoming graduating cohorts.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Finance in each year of the last 10 years, what is the respective breakdown of residential property stamp duties and Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) that is collected from (i) Singaporeans (ii) permanent residents (iii) foreigners and (iv) entities.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 18 20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.


Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) what is the assessment of second-round inflation effects in 2022; and (b) what additional fiscal policy related measures can be taken to offset the impact of non-demand driven inflation effects caused by rising producer costs or supply-side constraints on Singaporeans.
Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what is the total number of cases lodged with the Commissioner for the Maintenance of Parents over the past three years; (b) of which, how many of these cases (i) managed to reach an amicable resolution at the mediation stage (ii) were subsequently referred to the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents or (iii) were referred to seek assistance from other community resources, respectively; and (c) what are the types of assistance rendered.
Ms Hany Soh: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for each year over the past three years, what is the number of access enforcement applications filed in the Family Justice Courts; and (b) of these, how many are (i) male applicants (ii) female applicants and (iii) cases that have reached an amicable resolution at the mediation stage.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development with regard to recipients of the COVID-19 Recovery Grant (a) whether the Ministry tracks how many of these recipients successfully obtained a new job after the end of the disbursement of the grants; and (b) if so, what is this number to date.
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development what is the number of ComCare applications where the applicant’s declaration of debt expenses as part of their basic living expenses are not approved.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Termination of Pregnancy Act can be reviewed such as to lower the current limit for termination from 24 weeks to 22 weeks in light of advancements in neonatology which indicate that babies born at 22 weeks gestation have a chance of viability.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether psychologists are fully regulated under the Allied Health Professions Act; and (b) whether the Allied Health Professions Council has the power to investigate any complaint made against errant psychologists.
Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what was the outcome of the COVID-19 vaccination trials for children under 12; (b) what percentage of these children developed side effects; and (c) whether particular groups of these children are more susceptible to the side effects.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 19 28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.


Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how prevalent are new frontiers of technology such as Metaverse and non- fungible tokens in real-life applications in Singapore; (b) whether the Government has plans to regulate such technologies; and (c) how can regulations be administered considering the borderless nature of virtual reality.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development of the cases prosecuted for the illegal import and export of endangered species in the past five years, in how many cases were (i) the runners prosecuted and (ii) the syndicate leaders prosecuted.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development in each of the last 10 years (a) what is the overall number of HDB BTO flat applications from first-timer families and first-timer singles; and (b) what is the number of BTO flats allocated to first-timer families and first-timer singles.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) since 2019, how many inspections have been conducted on dog farms and pet shops to ensure compliance with licensing conditions; (b) of these inspections, what is the number and average amount of penalties issued for non- compliance with licensing conditions; (c) what efforts have been undertaken to prevent unlicensed backyard breeding and sale in Singapore; and (d) whether there are plans to revise the penalties for mistreatment of animals.
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to the repair of ceiling leaks in HDB flats (a) whether there is any update on the inclusion of overlay waterproofing membrane system as an offering under the Goodwill Repair Assistance (GRA) Scheme; and (b) whether the Ministry is considering the inclusion of chemical infusion as an offering under the GRA Scheme.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry can provide guidelines, including a list of the relevant authorities or regulators of charities in overseas jurisdictions, for donors in Singapore who wish to donate to charities based overseas.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether any study has been done on the prevalence of the concept of intergenerational teams in local companies; and (b) how will the Ministry encourage work redesign to build intergenerational teams that leverage on age diversity to bring out the skills and capabilities of senior and younger employees.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider having some form of financial support for families to cover the increased costs of bringing in migrant domestic workers in the event of an unsuccessful employment relationship.

No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 20 36.

37.

38.

39.


Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the number of Singapore citizens drawing a monthly CPF payout of (i) below $500 (ii) $500 to under $1,000 (iii) $1,000 to under $1,500 (iv) $1,500 to under $2,000 and (v) $2,000 and above, respectively.
Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the projected number of Singapore citizens in 10 years’ time drawing a monthly CPF payout of (i) below $500 (ii) $500 to under $1,000 (iii) $1,000 to under $1,500 (iv) $1,500 to under $2,000 (v) $2,000 to under $3,000 and (vi) $3,000 and above, respectively.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past five years, how many inspections on the food provisions for migrant workers have been conducted annually; and (b) what is the change in the proportion of migrant workers who have access to cooking facilities before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Manpower what are the protection and recourse available to employees who experience workplace discrimination or wrongful termination because they have not undergone vaccination for medical reasons or otherwise.

PAPERS PRESENTED 2022 Date Presented S. L. 429 Road Traffic (Amendment) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 430 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Registration and Licensing) (Amendment No.
5) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 431 Road Traffic System) (Amendment No.

2) Rules 2021 (Motor Vehicles, Quota ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 432 Road Traffic System) (Amendment No.

3) Rules 2021 (Motor Vehicles, Quota ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 433 Road Traffic Woodlands (Amendment) Rules 2021 and (Collection of Toll at Tuas Checkpoints) ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 434 Road Traffic (Vehicular Emissions Tax) (Amendment No.

2) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 No.


45 11 JANUARY 2022 21 PAPERS PRESENTED - continued 2022 Date Presented S. L. 435 Road Traffic (Electronic Road Pricing System) (Amendment No.

3) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 436 Road Traffic Limiters) (Amendment) Rules 2021 (Motor Vehicles, Speed ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 437 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Lighting) (Amendment No.
2) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 438 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Seat Belts) (Amendment) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 439 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Construction and Use) (Amendment No.

2) Rules 2021 ..... 07 January 2022 S. L. 440 Provident Central Contributions Regulations 2021 Fund and Annual (Voluntary Limits) ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 441 Central Provident Fund (Revised Retirement Sum Scheme) (Amendment No.
3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 442 Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Topping-Up Scheme) (Amendment No.

3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 443 Central Provident Fund (Withdrawal of Cash Grants) (Revocation) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 444 Central Provident Fund (Approved Housing Schemes) (Amendment No.
3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 445 Central Provident Fund Regulations 2021 (Amendment) ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 446 Central Provident Fund (Retirement Sum Scheme) (Amendment No.

2) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 447 Central Provident Fund (Self-Employed Persons) (Amendment) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 No.

45 11 JANUARY 2022 22 2022 S. L. 448 PAPERS PRESENTED - continued Date Presented Central Provident Fund (New Retirement Sum Scheme) (Amendment No.
3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 449 Central Provident Fund (Topping-Up of Special Account) (Amendment No.

3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 450 Central Provident Fund (Public Sector Employees) 3) (Amendment Regulations 2021 No.

..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 451 Central Provident Fund (Reserved Amount) (Amendment No.
3) Regulations 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 452 Provident Central (Amendment) Regulations 2021 Fund (Refunds) ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 453 Road Traffic (Bicycles) (Amendment No.
2) Rules 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 454 Road Traffic (Amendment) Rules 2021 (Expressway Traffic) ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 455 Road Traffic (Amendment) Rules 2021 (Pedestrian Crossings) ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 456 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Rules 2021 ..... 10 January 2022 S. L. 457 Road Traffic (Motor Vehicles, Driving Licences) (Amendment) Rules 2021 ..... 10 January 2022