Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698849368663.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE ___________________ FIRST SESSION ___________________ ORDER PAPER TUESDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2021 No.

42 11.00 am 1 *1.

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QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Education (a) from 2011 to 2021, what is the annual number of cases of mental distress or psychiatric issues reported by teaching staff in (i) primary schools, secondary schools and junior colleges (ii) institutes of technical education (iii) polytechnics and (iv) autonomous universities; and (b) in light of the next normal of living with COVID-19 and home-based learning in 2020/2021 and beyond, what is the Ministry doing to alleviate the stress encountered by teaching staff.
Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Education (a) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether there has been an increase in a teacher’s workload and blurring of lines between work and personal time; (b) whether steps have been taken to measure the mental health index of our teachers; and (c) whether there are efforts to ensure that our teachers are not overwhelmed and suffer from burnout.
Mr Edward Chia Bing Hui: To ask the Minister for Manpower regarding migrant workers living in dormitories (a) from January to October 2021, how many (i) sought mental health care and (ii) had to stop work temporarily due to severe mental health concerns; (b) how does the data compare to that of 2020 and 2019; (c) whether the Ministry has conducted any research or survey to ascertain the mental well-being of these workers; and (d) what are the efforts to further manage their mental health as many of these workers are still unable to leave the dormitories.
No.

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2 NOVEMBER 2021 2 Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Law whether the Government will consider (i) adopting a common and universal definition of mental disorder and mental disability across all legislation and (ii) conducting a thorough review on all relevant criminal legislation to incorporate appropriate safeguards, protection, and support for persons with mental disorders or mental disabilities who have to interact with the criminal justice system.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the annual number of suicides and attempted suicides, broken down by (i) age, race, education level and economic background for each of the years between 2011 and 2015 and (ii) race, education level and economic background for each of the years between 2016 and 2020; and (b) what are the causes that led to these suicides and attempted suicides.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Health (a) from 2016 to 2020, what is the annual number of individuals receiving treatments for mental health issues; (b) how many are treated for clinical depression and clinical anxiety specifically; (c) what are the profiles of these individuals broken down by race, age, education background and economic background; and (d) what are the known causes that led to these individuals suffering from anxiety/depression.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether a volunteer under the Appropriate Adult Scheme for Young Suspects was present during CNB’s interviews with Justin Lee.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether law enforcement agencies will review their protocols and implementation measures for dealing with crime suspects who are minors or who may have special needs.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs regarding persons under 18 years old who were arrested by the Police in the past five years (a) what proportion had a history of mental health conditions; (b) how many were hospitalised or died subsequently whilst under Police investigation; (c) what were the reasons for these hospitalisation cases and deaths; (d) what were the outcomes of the investigations following the arrests; and (e) what support is available to young persons with mental health conditions facing Police investigation or arrest.
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Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how do law enforcement agencies identify vulnerable persons and persons with mental disorders or disabilities when they interact with the criminal justice system at first contact; (b) who conducts these assessments in the law enforcement agencies; and (c) whether law enforcement agencies are adequately staffed with qualified professionals to make these assessments.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 3 *11.


Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in drug- related investigations involving minors, what is the approach and safeguard taken by the Central Narcotics Bureau especially in cases where the minor has a history of medical or mental health issues.

*12.
Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how can family members of a young person, whose death is suspected to be related to the person’s interaction with the criminal justice system, can request for a formal investigation into the death; (b) what are the criteria used to evaluate the need for such investigations; (c) how does the Government ensure that investigations are undertaken with neutrality by an independent party; and (d) whether the Government is committed to provide to the family the outcomes from the investigation.
*13.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) from January to August 2021, what is the number of domestic helpers who were allowed entry into Singapore; and (b) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the pilot scheme to bring more migrant domestic workers to Singapore.

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Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider prioritising approval of migrant domestic workers for households with healthcare workers so as to facilitate quality work-life balance amidst the pressures brought upon by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number of migrant domestic workers (MDWs) brought into Singapore under the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) pilot programme since it was introduced in July 2021 for the safe entry of MDWs; (b) what are the typical agency fees charged; and (c) what more can be done for the lower and middle income households who have urgent need for MDWs but may not be easily able to afford the fees involved for the programme.

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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Manpower in view of the Government’s actions to halt or delay the entry of new migrant domestic workers (MDWs) into Singapore in the last few months due to the COVID-19 situation locally or abroad, whether the Government will consider any measures to temper any resulting increase of salaries for transfer MDWs caused by the delay of new MDWs into Singapore.

*17.
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Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is Singapore’s inflation outlook in the near and medium terms; (b) what are the causes of the rising inflationary pressures; (c) what is the assessment of the likely impact of these inflationary pressures on low and middle income households; and (d) whether there will be mitigating measures to reduce the impact of rising costs arising from these inflationary pressures on households and businesses.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 4 *18.


Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) whether the Ministry can provide an update on the risk of a sharp accumulation of external and domestic cost pressures affecting prices of goods and services in Singapore; and (b) other than tighter monetary policy, what steps can be taken to mitigate some of the effects of rising costs over the next 12 months.

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Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the estimated impact of global supply chain problems on our economy; (b) which sectors are more greatly affected; and (c) what measures are available to help affected SMEs cope with the disruptions.

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Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with regard to the disruptions to the global supply chain (a) what measures is the Ministry taking to prevent potential profiteering, especially for essential products and necessities; and (b) what will be the wide-ranging impact on various sectors such as food, equipment and appliances, machineries and construction materials.

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Mr Chong Kee Hiong: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of the disruptions to the global supply chain, what measures is the Ministry taking to ensure that essential supplies reach Singapore.

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Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how does the Ministry track prescription drugs which have been imported, distributed or sold illegally in Singapore; and (b) what measures have been implemented to tighten control over the supply of these drugs to prevent them from reaching the wrong hands.

*23.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Health whether he can provide an update on the investigation of potential treatments for COVID-19.

*24.
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Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Defence how does Singapore view the relevance and significance of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) on its fiftieth anniversary and the recent conclusion of its Exercise Bersama Gold 2021, especially with a UK carrier strike group visiting South China Sea for the first time in many years and in light of the continuing tensions in the South China Sea.

*25.
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Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment regarding the Clean Tables Campaign to achieve a higher tray/crockery return rate (a) how many fines have been issued so far; (b) what is the general profile of those who have been warned or fined; (c) what are the most common reasons cited for non-return of trays; and (d) whether targeted public education can be provided for these diners.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 5 *26.


Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Finance whether the Ministry tracks data on the number of companies which have obtained Government grants such as that under the Jobs Support Scheme but have paid their workers less based on the amount of CPF contributions disclosed while the executive directors received bigger bonuses or remuneration in the same year.

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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) how does the Ministry ascertain that Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) payments are used for wage support; (b) what are the Ministry’s plans for clawback if JSS payments are found to have been used for other purposes, including senior executive bonuses or stock buybacks; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider publishing the list of organisations which returned all or part of their JSS payouts so that they can be given due public recognition.
*28.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) given COVID-19 disruptions to the hospitality industry, whether there are any changes to the timeline, investment commitment and nature of the S$9 billion combined investment commitment by the two integrated resorts; and (b) whether the new casino tax regime will still take effect in March 2022.

*29.
Mr Abdul Samad: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the announcement on the Progressive Wage Model for the landscape maintenance industry (a) what efforts are being undertaken to encourage service buyers in the landscape sector to adopt outcome-based contracts instead of traditional headcount-based contracts; (b) whether there are plans to publish a service buyer’s guide on progressive procurement practices for the landscape sector; and (c) what support is being provided to landscape companies towards industry transformation.
*30.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development in light of the increase in job losses among middle-income PMETs, whether the Ministry will review social assistance schemes, in particular the treatment of debt such as renovation loans and insurance payments as expenses.

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Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government intends to revise upwards the Singapore Allowance payable to low-income Government and statutory board pensioners to allow them to keep up with inflationary pressures.

*32.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Prime Minister how does the Government intend to respond to the combination of record low birth rates and ageing to ensure Singapore continues to be dynamic and relevant to the world.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 6 *33.


Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Transport given the rise of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV), what are the measures taken to properly dispose and recycle battery packs today and in the future.

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Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the indicators used in an evaluation that a HDB contractor has shown “poor performance and subsequent failure”; and (b) in the case of Waterway Sunrise II, whether there can be a longer period provided to home owners on rectifying construction and building issues with their flats given the “poor performance” of the original contractor.

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Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development whether special considerations and priorities for interim rental housing are given to home buyers who are affected by completion delays of their HDB BTO flats, in particular home buyers of Waterway Sunrise II where the delay is over a year.

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Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the current pace of HDB resale price increases, where the third quarter flash estimates of the Resale Price Index was up 12.3% year-on-year, is in line with the Government’s intent to ensure a stable and sustainable property market; and (b) what are the measures the Government is considering for implementation to improve housing affordability.

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Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the income of Singaporeans has been keeping up with the costs of BTO and HDB resale flats; and (b) in spite of over-subscription of BTO launches, whether the Ministry has done any studies on the long-term financial plans and abilities of the current generation of flat owners to pay off the loans.

*38.
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Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what support or oversight does the Ministry provide to autonomous universities (AUs) which issue bonds such as the recent sustainability bond issued by Nanyang Technological University or taking on substantial indebtedness; and (b) what are the framework or restrictions on keeping debt levels sustainable for the AUs.

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Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether the sharp decline of 6.2% in the Singapore permanent resident (PR) population is mainly due to extended stays by PRs in their citizenship countries abroad; (b) if so, whether there is any indication that the majority will return or relinquish their PR status; and (c) what impact this decline will have on job formation.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 7 *40.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Education whether the Government plans to (i) look into the survey findings of the Academic Freedom Survey 2021 published by AcademiaSG, notably that faculty who say they work on “politically sensitive” topics are more likely to feel constrained in their ability to research or engage the public compared with those whose work are not “politically sensitive” and (ii) take steps to improve the state of academic freedom especially in respect of Singapore studies and women academics, whom the survey reports as being more likely to feel constrained.
*41.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Prime Minister following the leak of the Pandora Papers into the public domain, what steps will MAS take to satisfy itself that Singapore-based professionals, trust companies and financial institutions charged with the responsibility of conducting the requisite due diligence checks under Singapore’s frameworks to prevent money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion are discharging their duties as required so as to preserve Singapore’s good reputation as a trusted and responsible financial hub.
*42.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Prime Minister in light of the Pandora Papers leaks (a) whether the current regulations are sufficient to monitor or uncover any illicit activities of offshore financial service providers with offices registered in Singapore; (b) whether more stringent compliances are imposed on companies that violate the regulations; and (c) whether there will be a requirement for them to be repeatedly audited by independent parties for a defined period.

*43.
Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Prime Minister in light of the disclosures in the Pandora Papers (a) whether MAS will be looking into the Singapore-based financial institutions and Singaporeans/foreigners who are implicated in the report; (b) whether any individual or financial institution will be asked to issue a clarification as to their activities disclosed in the report; and (c) how does MAS ensure that offshore wealth management services in Singapore remain lawful and legitimate by international standards.
*44.

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether Singapore is implicated in the Pandora Papers; and (b) whether the Government is investigating whether Singapore entities or individuals residing in Singapore are involved in the alleged practices.

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Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry will study the impact on students who do not have to take their Primary 3 and Primary 4 year-end exams; and (b) whether the removal of such year-end exams will lead to a less stressful education journey for primary school students.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 8 *46.


Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) from 2016 to date, how many Tesla cars are sold annually; (b) how many of these cars have Tesla's “Autopilot” Advanced Driver Assistance System installed; and (c) whether there has been any road traffic accident in Singapore involving a Tesla car on “Autopilot” mode.

*47.
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Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in each of the last five years, what are the average weekly working hours for (i) housemen and (ii) medical officers and residents; (b) whether shifts of over 30 hours still occur for housemen; (c) whether the Ministry is reviewing resident doctors’ weekly working hours with a post-COVID-19 ambition of reducing them; and (d) whether working hours are impacted significantly by the size of each degree intake and number of doctors in each cohort.

*48.
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Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry foresees a trend where HDB BTO flats could take longer than the currently projected four to five years to complete; and (b) how is the Ministry steering construction companies towards increased use of technology to improve productivity and reduce reliance on manual labour.

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Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the long term, what is the desired and acceptable timeline for HDB BTO home buyers from the time of application of a HDB to receiving their flat’s keys; and (b) what are the considerations for this desired timeline.

*50.
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Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether teachers continue to be charged for school parking charges during periods of home-based learning; (b) whether any waivers of parking charges can be considered during these challenging times; and (c) whether the Ministry is looking into whether to continue charging teachers for parking on school premises.

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Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for National Development given the current delays in the completion of several HDB BTO projects and the related crunch on public housing supply, whether the Ministry will consider reducing the minimum occupation periods for new and resale flats in order to provide more housing supply in the market.

*52.
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Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Health (a) to date, what is the total amount of Quarantine Order Allowance that has been distributed to affected persons; and (b) what is the average waiting time for the allowance payout.

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Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the updated health protocols announced on 8 October 2021 emphasising personal responsibility, self-management and a greater reliance on antigen rapid tests (ART), whether the Government will allow individuals to collect free ART kits for their own regular testing, from designated vending machines, to supplement the free kits that will be distributed to all households from October to December 2021.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 9 *54.

*55.


Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the past three years, how many police reports have been made annually regarding the conduct of debt collection agencies or their employees and agents; (b) in how many cases was an offence made out; and (c) what are the outcomes of such cases.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health with new announcements that further restrict the movements of those who are unvaccinated, what accommodations are being made for those who are unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to medical reasons.

*56.
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Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) with regard to close contacts of COVID-19 positive cases who are issued with a Health Risk Warning, what is the percentage of these close contacts that became COVID-19 positive; and (b) how do these figures compare based on their vaccination status.

*57.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry has undertaken a study on the number or percentage of people infected with COVID- 19 and eligible for home-based recovery who rely on informal carers at home; (b) what guidance or support is provided to informal carers in this situation to ensure care can still be provided during the period of isolation; and (c) whether the Government provides alternative care arrangements for those infected with COVID-19 and, if so, what are these.
*58.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the probability of contracting COVID-19 from close contacts with COVID-positive family members on the Home Recovery Programme; and (b) how does this contrast with those who become infected at their workplace.

*59.
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Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Health whether recreational team sports activities such as football, netball, hockey, floorball and rugby can resume at public and private sports recreational facilities recognised by SportSG with participants requiring pre-event antigen rapid tests.

*60.
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Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the current number of students in government-aided schools who are permanent residents or international students (IS); (b) what proportion of these students have at least one Singaporean parent; and (c) what proportion of those with at least one Singaporean parent receive some form of subsidy this year.

*61.
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Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the Ministry will consider increasing the deterring measures for those who have taken in full or in part in the perpetration of scams or scam syndicates via telecommunication media to victimise the public.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 10 *62.


Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for Manpower from 2020 to 30 September 2021, what is the number of work injury claims for each year that were (i) filed (ii) paid compensations and (iii) rejected, where the employee sustained the injury whilst working from home.

*63.
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Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Health what is the timeline for the approval status for non-mRNA COVID-19 vaccines such as the SinoPharm and AstraZeneca vaccines to be included into the national vaccination programme under the Pandemic Special Access Route.

*64.
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Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Health regarding COVID-19 vaccination of children below 12 years of age, whether the Ministry can provide an update on (i) the vaccines that are currently under study or consideration by HSA and (ii) the progress of obtaining approval for use of these vaccines.

*65.
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Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what has been the COVID- 19 vaccination take-up rate amongst those who are homeless and rough sleeping in Singapore; and (b) what steps are taken to engage and encourage these persons to be vaccinated and receive their booster shots.

*66.
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Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development what are the current measures taken to counter an over-population of pigeons and their harmful pollutive effects such as decomposing carcasses of birds, discarded feathers and pigeon waste.

*67.
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Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry is observing an increase in the number of divorce cases where shared care and control is awarded; and (b) whether the Ministry has looked into the studies that show that shared care and control is a better option for the benefit of the children as compared to sole care and control.

*68.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether it will be publishing on REACH’s platforms any public consultation exercise specifically on revisions to the carbon tax and whether sufficient time will be given to the public to incorporate suggestions before Budget 2022; (b) whether any revision to the carbon tax will also include revisions to the carbon tax target by 2030; and (c) whether a summary of the resulting feedback and responses to the exercise will be provided to the public before Budget 2022.
*69.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average cost of seeking a doctor's memo or copies of a medical test result at a restructured hospital; (b) what are the grounds for waivers for these charges; and (c) whether the Ministry will provide a fee waiver for first-time requests for such medical documents.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 11 *70.


Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to Sections 4, 5 and 19 of the Endangered Species (Import and Export) Act and Sections 8 and 9 of the Wildlife Act, whether the Ministry will consider classifying contraventions of these sections as serious offences in the Schedule of the Organised Crime Act 2015.

*71.
*71.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will consider increasing the period a person is disqualified from owning any animal or any class of animals from the current maximum of 12 months under Section 43B of the Animals and Birds Act; (b) if not, why not; and (c) if so, whether the Ministry will consult with stakeholders and the general public in considering the extent of the increase.

*72.
*72.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Council for Estate Agencies considers prior work and managerial experience for mid-career applicants seeking to be registered as real estate salespersons where the prospective applicant does not have the prescribed minimum of four GCE 'O' Level passes but has worked for many years in a managerial role.

*73.
*73.

Mr Vikram Nair: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to speeding vehicles and illegally modified vehicles along Woodlands Avenue 5 over the last year (a) how many (i) complaints have been received and (ii) summonses have been issued; and (b) whether the Traffic Police will consider installing a speed camera along the stretches of roads where speeding complaints are received.

*74.
*74.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the Ministry's plans to support cultural associations to document and preserve their artefacts during relocation or closure; (b) whether the Ministry conducts outreach to cultural associations on donations of artefacts to NHB- managed museums; and (c) whether clearer criteria can be provided on what determines an artefact’s accession to, or rejection from, NHB-managed museum collections.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 12 *75.


Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what are the causes for three electricity retailers to close operations within a short period of time; (b) what is the current financial viability of the existing retailers; and (c) whether there is a need to review the financial criteria for future licensing purposes.

* 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 Retirement and Re-employment (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.
35/2021] – (Minister for Manpower) Resumption of Debate on Question (1 November 2021) “That the Bill be now read a second time.”.

– (Minister for Manpower).

Central Provident Fund (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

36/2021] – (Minister for Manpower) – Second Reading Energy (Resilience Measures and Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill [Bill No.

34/2021] – (Second Minister for Trade and Industry) – Second Reading Preservation of Monuments (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.
33/2021] – (Minister for Culture, Community and Youth) – Second Reading Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

31/2021] – (Minister for Finance) – Second Reading Government [Bill No.

32/2021] – (Minister for Finance) – Second Reading (Miscellaneous Borrowing Amendments) Bill Constitution of [Bill No.

29/2021] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill Judicial Service (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill [Bill No.
30/2021] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading 1.

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No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 13 MEMORANDUM Matter proposed to be raised on the Motion for the Adjournment (SO 2(8)(b)).

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis (Sengkang) : Beyond Home Ownership: Supporting Diverse Aspirations Through Rental Housing.

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QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether there is currently a facility for an individual to prevent close family members whom they suspect are victims of scams from making outbound funds transfers from their bank accounts; and (b) what recourse do such families have to prevent unwitting loved ones from draining their savings due to such scams.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of enforcement raids conducted by the police against massage establishments and public entertainment and nightlife outlets since the detection of the KTV COVID-19 cluster in July 2021; (b) how many persons have been arrested as a result of these raids; and (c) of those arrested, how many are repeat offenders.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) for each year in the last 10 years, how many cases of suspected foreign interference came to the attention of the Ministry; (b) how many resulted in further investigations and action being taken; and (c) how many were found to have been actual instances of foreign interference.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Law whether the Limitation Act will be amended to address several deficiencies identified by the Law Reform Committee of the Singapore Academy of Law, particularly with respect to providing a limitation period for actions in unjust enrichment, which is not covered by the Act.
Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how much helium is imported into Singapore every year; (b) what are the main uses of helium in Singapore; and (c) how the unnecessary use of helium is discouraged in Singapore given that helium is a rare resource with medical uses that will be exhausted in less than 200 years.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 14 6.

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Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) to date, what has been the redemption rate of SingapoRediscovers vouchers; (b) whether allowing Singaporeans to use their NRICs to redeem their vouchers at community centres and residents committees since 30 August 2021 has resulted in higher redemption rates; (c) whether the Ministry will consider allowing utilisation of the vouchers for other uses such as dining to support the food and beverage industry; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider further extending the expiry date of the vouchers.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the labour productivity growth during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic; and (b) if the productivity growth indicates an upward tick, what steps are being taken to promote the entrenchment of the productivity gains.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with the anticipated rise in electricity prices, what are the plans to raise awareness and education on tips to save energy for both residential and commercial users.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) from 2018 to 2021, how many cyclists have been caught without wearing a helmet while cycling on roads; and (b) what are the Ministry's further measures to ensure road cyclists’ compliance with road safety rules.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in the past three years, how many cyclists have been caught, injured or were involved in an accident with another road user while riding in expressways and tunnels; (b) how many have been subsequently charged with an offence; and (c) what safety measures are in place to prevent such incidents.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in the past five years, what is the annual number of cases of odometer tampering; and (b) whether there are any plans to better educate consumers to guard against such unscrupulous cases.
Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many electric motorcycles are currently registered to run on our roads; (b) whether the Ministry has any projections on the popularity of electric motorcycles for the next five years; and (c) whether there are any plans to spur the industry to install more electric motorcycle charging points to support the growth in this industry.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 15 13.

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19.

20.


Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how many condominiums currently have by-laws prohibiting smoking at balconies, patios or windows; (b) what are the names of these condominiums; and (c) whether the Government has studied whether these by- laws have been effective at curbing the problem of secondhand smoke.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether there is any threshold on the number of persons who must be affected before a nuisance can be considered to be an offence of a public nature under the (i) Penal Code and (ii) Environmental Public Health Act; (b) if so, what is the threshold; and (c) whether persons who are affected in their own homes are considered part of the threshold number.
Dr Shahira Abdullah: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment how does SFA plan to adjust the amounts of different types of food that are imported into Singapore to ensure that surplus food is kept to a minimum whilst local food producers scale up to produce 30% of Singapore's nutritional needs by 2030.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment in view of the “30 by 30” goal to raise local food production (a) what is the projected increase in water demand and usage to support this goal; and (b) what will be the expected impact on the supply and cost of water.

Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry can provide an update on the investigations of the foul odour in the air in Woodlands.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Education in view of Singapore dealing with COVID-19 as an endemic and considering the significant disruption home-based learning (HBL) can cause, whether HBL can be minimised to facilitate interaction between students, CCA groups and other student groupings.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Education in view of the greater risk of depression and anxiety among students during this period, whether home-based learning can be minimised so as to provide students with holistic development beyond purely academic excellence.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether the Ministry’s Tuition Fee Loan (TFL) scheme can be extended to Approved Educational Institutions (AEIs) covered under the CPF Education Loan Scheme but not currently under the TFL scheme; and (b) if not, why.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 16 21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.


Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Finance what are the steps undertaken to (i) prevent back flow of salary payment from the employee to the employer under the Jobs Support Scheme and (ii) provide a safe and whistleblowing mechanism for employees to report such cases.
Ms Mariam Jaafar: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development what has been the number of divorce cases filed in the past 15 months since the end of the circuit breaker period when the Family Justice Courts started accepting cases again.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) in each of the past five years, what is the 20th percentile household income for resident households with children; and (b) what are the mean and median numbers of children in the bottom 20th percentile category of households with children, including those without working members.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs how many Muslim lawyers in the MUIS legal panel are trained in Syariah/Islamic law and who advise the Attorney-General’s Chambers on Islamic matters as guided by the Administration of Muslim Law Act.
Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development and Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs what are the efforts made in addressing mental health issues and suicide cases, both attempted and committed, within the Muslim community.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health what is the likelihood of resumption of dining out in groups of more than five persons.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether he can provide an update on the Home Recovery Programme; (b) whether it can be expanded to include a greater number of cases so as to lessen the impact upon hospitals and community care facilities.
Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health given how the COVID-19 endemic has affected mental health among the elderly, whether those with minimal underlying medical conditions can be encouraged to leave the house more often in a safe manner to as to be involved in social activities and community.
Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health whether there are efforts to encourage and normalise mental health screening for all Singaporeans through key touchpoints like schools and institutes of higher learning, workplaces, hospitals, general practitioner clinics, paediatrics clinics, and gynaecological clinics.

No.

42 2 NOVEMBER 2021 17 30.

31.

32.

33.

34.

35.

36.

37.


Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Government is looking at a specific timeline to expand our mental health infrastructure by equipping all polyclinics, general practitioners and social service agencies with the necessary expertise and resources.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Health following the Government’s change of policy from September 2021 to require most of those infected with COVID-19 to serve their isolation or to recover at home (a) how many households have more than one infection at any one time in the period of September to October 2021; and (b) what is the number of people who have been subsequently infected with COVID-19 by another member of their household in September and October 2021.
Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health whether SMSes informing people of quarantine orders, health risk warnings, health risk alerts can be sent in both English and vernacular languages, to ensure the instructions are clearly understood by all recipients.
Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health (a) since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, how many healthcare workers have left their jobs each month, broken down into (i) consultants (ii) junior doctors (iii) nursing staff and (iv) allied healthcare workers; (b) what are the main reasons for them resigning; and (c) how do these compare with pre-pandemic levels.
Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Health what is the breakdown of COVID-19 deaths by (i) their underlying medical conditions (ii) their respective ages (iii) the duration spent in the ICU and (iv) their vaccination status.

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry has been collecting data on all serious side effects from each type of COVID-19 vaccine to have a better understanding on the best or possible treatments when such side effects are experienced.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information what are the initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to develop the artificial intelligence ecosystem and its deployment in Singapore.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the current levels of carbon emission by the built environment sector; (b) what is the projected trend of increase as construction steps up post-pandemic; (c) whether there are concrete plans on reducing embodied carbon in buildings such as sourcing of green building materials; and (d) whether the Government is working with banks to enhance green financing for construction companies.

No.

42 38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

43.


2 NOVEMBER 2021 18 Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development in each year over the last 10 years, (a) what is the number of HDB flats eligible for resale within one year, five years and 10 years after the five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) respectively; and (b) what is the number of direct- purchase HDB flats sold within one year, five years and 10 years of meeting MOP respectively.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for National Development what are the plans and measures taken to experiment, certify and deploy new construction materials, building capabilities or techniques to reduce construction costs and time to keep housing prices affordable.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what cleanliness and hygiene standards apply to hotels deployed as COVID-19 quarantine facilities; and (b) what avenues of feedback and support are available to persons staying at such facilities who are concerned about cleanliness and hygiene.
Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to the forthcoming legislation of existing TAFEP guidelines (a) whether there are adequate professionals and resources to implement enforcement and remedial action of claims in a timely manner; (b) how will the legislation address anxieties that may arise from the issue of unfairness which may be subjective or are driven by perception; and (c) how will the Ministry ensure that all claims are thoroughly investigated to avoid unnecessary compliance costs and court processes.
Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) for the past three years, what is the number of reports filed by workers that they are made to work longer than that allowed under the Employment Act; (b) what have been the actions taken; and (c) how can tripartite partners work together to protect workers from being overworked.
Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) for each year from 2018 to 2020, how many work pass holders reported their employers for not providing properly itemised payslips; (b) how many employers were found liable, with the percentage breakdown; (c) how many employers were repeat offenders; (d) whether, and if so, what harsher penalties were imposed on these repeat offenders; and (e) whether the Ministry actively monitors employers’ compliance with the itemised payslip requirement and, if so, by what means.