Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698832105149.pdf (Singapore)
THIRTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE FIRST SESSION ORDER PAPER MONDAY, 7 NOVEMBER 2016 No.

26 1.30pm QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER* *1.

*2.


Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what is the current cost of training a teacher; (b) what is the average number ofyears that a qualified teacher stays in the teaching service; (c) what are the three main reasons for teachers leaving the profession; and (d) what is being done to motivate teachers to stay and make teaching their lifetime career.
Assoc Prof Daniel Gob Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) whether the annual resignation rate of teachers over the last five years compared to a decade ago from 2% to 3% is a cause for concern; (b) what is t4e resignation rate of new teachers within five years of teaching in 2015 compared to a decade ago; and (c) whether the non-teaching.workload is a significant factor in teachers' resignations nowadays.

*3.
*3.

Mr Mubamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) in each year over the past ten years, how many teachers have left the teaching force after their teaching bond ended, with a breakdown by teachers on the Postgraduate Diploma in Education, Diploma in Education, and BA/BSc (Education) tracks; and (b) of these, how many are (i) MOE scholars (ii) having teaching as their first career and (iii) are mid-career switches to teaching.

*4.
*4.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) how has the Ministry incorporated educational material on the effects of problem gambling into the school syllabus; and (b) whether educators are equipped with the necessary training to counsel students who may encounter problem gambling in .their homes.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 2 *5.

*6.

*7.

*8.

*9.
*8.

*9.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs what are the guidelines applicable to (i) permissible public speeches and writings undertaken by senior officials including accredited ambassadors and ambassadors-at-large of Singapore (ii) distinguishing between speeches and writings done in a private capacity and in an official capacity by such individuals and (iii) addressing situations where speeches and writings by such individuals may negatively affect Singapore's national interest.
Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Manpower what are the projected retrenchment numbers for this year and how does this compare with that of 2015.

.. j \ I'.
.. j \ I'.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) how does the Ministry address occurrences of "disguised retrenchments" by employers to avoid paying retrenchment benefits; (b) what measures will the Ministry put in place to monitor and deter such practices; and (c) how will the Government continue to ensure that public sector agencies abide by human resource best practices and do not engage in "disguised retrenchments".
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider allowing work permit holders to engage in part-time work, considering Singapore's current labour shortage.

Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) what are the qualifying criteria for Grassroots Leaders (GRLs) to apply for BTO flats and ECs under the special HDB scheme; (b) how many GRLs benefited from this scheme from 2006 to 2015; and (c) what .does the HDB scheme entail.

!
!

iJ I l I' I I *10.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there are periodical inspections ofHDB buildings to ensure structural integrity especially in mature estates.

*11.
*11.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the findings on the concrete sunbreaker in Tampines which gave way; (b) how many of such ~unbreakers are there in Tampines and islandwide; (c) how many have been built by the same contractor and are of similar age; (d) what is the method of inspection to ensure their structural integrity over the years; and (e) what will be the safety action to be taken by the Ministry going forward.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 3 *12.
Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for National Development in light of the collapsed sun shield in Tampines (a) whether HDB buildings in mature estates are monitored for structural integrity; (b) whether the designs and materials of older HDB buildings are routinely re-evaluated in light of contemporary data so as to provide an updated risk assessment for (i) internal structural failure and (ii) external facade structural failure; and (c) what other measures will HDB put in place to ensure safety of residents against similar incidents.
*13.
Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Ministry will conduct an assessment on facade features and external structures of HDB blocks such as those in Circuit Road that were built in the 1960s and were part of the first batch of blocks under the Main Upgrading Programme implemented two decades ago; (b) how does the Ministry ascertain if the structural integrity of a housing block remains good and safe for residents; (c) how frequent are such checks done; and (d) whether the Ministry will offer upgrading for the blocks in Circuit Road.
*14.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether the termination of the Park and Ride Scheme runs contrary to encouraging Singaporeans to take public transport; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider encouraging and incentivising motorists to park their cars at the Sports Hub and Kallang surface carparks during days with no major events and take train rides to the CBD.

*15.
*15.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Transport if he can explain the rationale for stopping the Park and Ride Scheme and what are the alternatives available to motorists using this scheme.

*16.

Assoc Prof Randolph Tan: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how often are taxi fare evasions reported involving cases where the fare evader is not identified; and (b) whether the existing process by which taxi companies refer taxi fare evasion cases to PTC/L T A for investigations handles such cases.
*17.

Assoc Prof Randolph Tan: To ask the Minister for Transport whether the rate of recovery of unpajd fares in taxi fare evasion cases referred to PTC/L T A for investigations is satisfactory.

No.26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 4 *18.


Assoc Prof Daniel Gob Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) how many training organisations have been investigated and prosecuted for SkillsFuture scams which have exchanged credits for cash or vouchers; (b) how much credits have been lost through such scams; and (c) whether the credits have been recovered from the organisations and returned to Singaporeans who have been cheated.

*19.
*19.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) in light of PSLE students who are affected by train breakdowns (a) whether the Ministry will moderate their exam results to take into account the anxiety faced by them which may impact their performance; (b) how many students have been affected by the recent train disruptions; and (c) what contingency plans are there to help these students cope with their anxiety of turning up late for exams.

*20.
*20.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry will consider regulating managed care and third party administrator (TPA) companies as health care entities; and (b) how can transparency on the fee arrangements between doctors, TP As and insurers be improved.

*21.
*21.

Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Health whether there are ways to help families who are unable to qualifY for additional Government subsidies to pay for outpatient medical fees that may cost thousands of dollars even after basic Government subsidies, such as that for MRis, CT scans, and blood tests.

*22.
*22.

Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the misallocation of hospital beds due to patients opting to be treated as inpatients in order to claim inpatient insurance and avoid out-of-pocket outpatient medical costs transfers the financial burden from the individual to the state; and (b) if so, whether the Ministry will look into outpatient insurance as an option under MediShield Life to enable individuals to afford their own outpatient costs.
support the criminalisation of suicide and oppose *23.
Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) why does Singapore its decriminalisation; (b) what is the psychological support provided after the police arrests a person for attempting suicide, especially those who appear mentally unstable; (c) whether the cuffing of suicide attempters is beneficial to the psychological state of suicide attempters; and (d) what is the rehabilitation framework (admission, deterrence, treatment and aftercare phases) available for those charged with and imprisoned for attempted suicide.
No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 5 *24.

Ms Chia Yong Yong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government has studied the trends in increased jaywalking; (b) what are the numbers of jaywalkers over the last five years; (c) how many of them have been warned or penalised for jaywalking; and (d) what are the Government's plans to penalise jaywalking and ensure that jaywalking will be brought under control.

*25.
*25.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information what is the status and outcome of the legal proceedings filed by the executors of the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew's estate against the Government in September 2015 on the interpretation of an agreement in 1983 concerning the use of transcripts of interviews conducted by the Government's then Oral History Department.

*26.
*26.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what has been the trend in complaints about misleading and derogatory advertisements on the Internet over the past three years; and (b) what action has been taken against such advertisers and media owners.

*27.
*27.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) what does Phase Three ofthe US Rebalancing Strategy entail for Singapore and the region in terms of security; (b) what is the Government's assessment of the associated security benefits, costs, and risks; and (c) how does the Government intend to maximise these gains while addressing the costs and mitigating the risks.

*28.
Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) in 2015, what is the number of Singaporean PSLE private candidates who have been posted to secondary schools not of their first choice even though they meet the cut-off point; (b) what is the Secondary One placement policy for such candidates; (c) what is the rationale to treat such candidates differently from those studying in mainstream schools during Secondary One placement exercises; and (d) whether the policy can be reviewed to uphold the principle of meritocracy.
*29.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) how many teachers in primary and secondary schools currently give tuition after their working hours.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 6 *30.


Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) whether the Ministry has explored using qualitative indicators versus quantitative performance indicators to determine how funding is allocated for different agencies; and (b) how has the Ministry worked with the Ministry of Social and Family Development, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Culture, Community andY outh, and Ministry of Education to measure social and cultural impact.

*31.
*31.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Health considering that gender bias for Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening (PGS) can now be blinded, whether the Ministry will consider permitting women with recurrent miscarriages or a history of infertility to seek PGS in Singapore.

*32.
*32.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider permitting Pre-Implantation Genetic Screening to improve the chances of healthy live births, subject to strict controls such as banning sex selection and use for other non-medical reasons.

*33.
*33.

Ms Kuik Shiao-Yin: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry is adopting the suicide prevention strategy recommended by WHO and, if so, how has it been adapted for our context; (b) what measures have been taken to reduce the stigma about help-seeking for suicide attempts; and (c) how does the Ministry work with the police to ensure that those arrested for attempting suicide are provided sufficient psychological support especially those who appear mentally unstable.

*34.
*34.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in the last five years (a) what is the average wage differential of an ex-offender who secures employment through the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) compared to the median industry wage in the relevant industries; and (b) what is the number of white collar or office-based jobs that SCORE has matched ex-offenders to.

*35.
*35.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) to date, how many hit-and-run traffic cases remain unsolved; (b) whether the Ministry has an information network which includes workshops to report on suspicious damaged vehicles and immigration officers to do the same for vehicles leaving Singapore; and (c) w}lat other measures are in place to apprehend drivers on the run.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 7 *36.


Ms K Thanaletchimi: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) to date, how many companies have implemented portable medical benefits for their employees; (b) how can it be made more pervasive and attractive for both employers and employee to support such initiatives; and (c) apart from contributing to Medisave, whether portability of medical benefits can be in the form of reimbursements to employees for the premium that they pay for standard medical insurance.

*37.
*37.

Mr Ong Teng Koon: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) whether the tripartite work group has been successful in encouraging employers and employees to shift to portable medical benefits; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider legislation to mandate that corporate outpatient medical insurance plans become portable in order to protect employees who may be unable to qualify for a subsequent insurance plan due to pre-existing conditions.

*38.
*38.

Ms Chia Yong Y ong: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether there are any plans to protect contract workers with mandatory insurance cover to be purchased by companies contracting their services, particularly health, personal accident and life insurance.

*39.
*39.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the Government's estimated budget for the Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP) for private estates for the next three years; and (b) what is the schedule for calling for EUP nominations each year.

*40.
*40.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether there are plans for greater regulation of home renovation contractors to have a minimum entry level for such contractors; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider requiring such companies to post a bond before they are allowed registration with HDB or BCA.

*41.
*41.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development how can the Ministry urgently implement and communicate a nationwide action plan to help families in need to apply for the appointment of Deputies for family members who have lost their mental capacity due to accidents, dementia or other disabilities.

*42.
*42.

Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether the Ministry can further assist persons with special needs who require replacement for aids such as (i) motorised wheelchairs and (ii) cochlear implants and other hearing aids throughout their lives.

No.26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 8 *43.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry will consider imposing a charge on plastic bags at supermarkets.

*44.
*44.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources instead of increasing deployment of cameras and enforcement staff to curb high-rise littering, whether the Ministry will consider enhancing ground enforcement by allowing residents on patrol or designated volunteers to submit evidence of the offence and enable NEA to take immediate action against the offenders.

*45.
*45.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) how many errant interior renovation contractors have been taken to court over renovation disputes in the past three years; and (b) what regulations are in place to prevent errant contractors from setting up a new company to continue their misdeeds.

*46.
*46.

Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a)when did the Competition Commission of Singapore first receive a complaint alleging that EM Services Pte Ltd was refusing to supply lift parts for the maintenance of lifts in HDB estates; and (b) which other companies were investigated by the Commission.

*47.
*47.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) under what conditions does LTA revoke a Taxi Driver's Vocational Licence (TDVL); and (b) what due process takes place to enable taxi drivers to have a fair hearing before revocation ofTDVLs.

*48.
*48.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport whether LTA will consider (i) building another road parallel to the KPE as an additional route for motorists travelling between Hougang and Ubi and (ii) increasing the speed limit to 90km/h along the stretch of KPE between Buangkok Drive and Defu flyover.

*49.
*49.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what has been the take up rate for the Singapore Savings Bond since its launch in September 2015; (b) whether the Ministry is satisfied with the interest shown; and (c) what is the Ministry doing to reach out to the man in the street to explain the benefits of the bond.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 9 *50.
Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what constitutes "exceptional circumstances" in which Mother Tongue (MT) exemptions are granted to schoolchildren with diagnosed special education needs (SEN); and (b) how does the Ministry assess SEN children who are able to compensate for their learning disabilities currently by relying on memory or rote learning instead of comprehension and assimilation of MT but who will face pronounced difficulties in learning MT in the future.

*51.
*51.

Mr Mubamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) what services or mechanisms are available to teachers to resolve disputes between parents and teachers; (b) how does the Ministry address work related stress faced by teachers; and (c) what services are available to teachers that cater to their psychological well-being.

*52.
*52.

Dr Cbia Sbi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the number of patients with diseases caused by smoking has fallen in the last three years; (b) whether the number of smokers, especially those aged 30 years and below, has decreased; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider reducing hospital subsidies for active smokers as a deterrent measure.

*53.
*53.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with regard to the recent hostage incident where a two-year-old child was held in a 17-hour standoff in Sembawang (a) why did the police not storm into the flat earlier and rescue the child; and (b) what were the considerations before the police decided to act.

*54.
*54.

Mr Edwin Tong Cbun Fai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the reasons for not allowing Singaporean citizens to hold dual citizenships and whether the time is now right to review the relevant rules.

*55.
Mr Aug Hin Kee: To ask the Minister for Manpower what are the efforts undertaken to ensure that (i) premise owners publicize safe workplace practices or make adequate provisions to ensure that independent contractors operating in their premises are protected from workplace incidents; (ii) service buyers play an active role in safety discussions with independent contractors that they engage so that the incidents can be avoided; and (iii) greater publicity, training and educational efforts are channelled to creating safer workplaces for independent contractors.
*56.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Home Improvement Programme can be extended to flats built after 1986 when they reach 30 years.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 10 *57.
Mr Kok Heng Leun: To ask the Minister for National Development in respect of the demolition and rebuilding of three units of Ellison Building (a) whether LTA and URA have considered realigning the North-South Expressway without affecting Ellison Building when the alignment plan was announced in 2011; (b) whether studies were made before arriving at this option and, if so, whether they were disclosed; (c) whether L TA and URA have consulted with stakeholders such as the long-term tenants of the building, residents living in the area and heritage organisations and, if not, what are the reasons; (d) what is the loss in heritage value created by this option; (e) what are the mitigation measures considered before deciding on this option; and (f) why is this decision the best option.
*58.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how has the affordability of child care services changed since the last review in 2008; and (b) whether the Ministry will review the basic subsidy of $300 for working mothers.

· *59.
· *59.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) for the past three years, how many cases have there been of schools and childcare centres allowing potential teachers or staff to start work before they have passed the pre-employment medical screening; and (b) what actions have been taken against these schools and childcare centres.

*60.
*60.

Mr Muhamad Faisal Abdul Manap: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the reasons for the discontinuation since 1989 of subsidised stalls under the Government's hardship scheme in markets/hawker centres managed by NEA; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider reinstating this scheme.

*61.
*61.

Miss Cheng Li Hui: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) whether the Ministry will consider freezing or reducing the land rent component of the JTC Land Rental Scheme to assist our SMEs in view of the slowing economy and difficult business conditions ahead.

*62.
*62.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) how does the Government ensure a level playing field between our local retailers and online shops operated offshore in terms of the goods and services tax due; (b) how does the Ministry regulate such operators and enforce fair trading practices and protection of personal data; and (c) how many cases of online retail fraud have been reported in the past five years.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 11 *63.


Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether Changi Airport Terminal 4 will be completed and open for use ahead of schedule; and (b) what is the expected number of visitors that Terminal 4 will handle in its first three years of operation.

*64.
*64.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Transport how will the Ministry fix the problem-prone Bukit Panjang LRT system and whether there are plans to overhaul the entire system or to replace it with a more reliable transport mode to better serve the residents living there.

*65.
*65.

Assoc Prof Daniel Gob Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Health concerning the Health Insurance Task Force report (a) whether the Ministry will (i) study whether it is overconsumption by patients, over-servicing or overcharging by healthcare providers, or poor oversight by private insurers that have led to higher bills for patients with Integrated Shield Plan riders covering the entire bill and (ii) determine the causes before making co-payments by patients with Integrated Shield Plans compulsory.
*66.
Ms K Thanaletchimi: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether Singaporean colleagues of foreign nurses are allowed to be guarantors for them instead of confining this to only their family members before the healthcare institutions grant these foreign nurses sponsorship for further studies; (b) how many cases have there been where the sponsored nurses are unable to complete their studies or become uncontactable after their studies without fulfilling their bond; (c) how much liquidated damages have been paid by guarantors and how many of the affected guarantors are Singaporeans; (d) what level of responsibility should employers bear and what measures are in place to prevent the number of defaults or failures in their course of study; and (e) whether the Ministry will continue its effort and resources to sponsor foreigners to study nursing in Singapore and to what extent.
*67.
Ms K Thanaletchimi: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how are foreign nurses' qualifications being verified; (b) how are they tested for competency and emplaced in our healthcare system to ensure patient safety; (c) how are the foreign nurses treated if they fail to pass their probation; (d) whether these nurses can be retained by allowing them to work in the step-down care sector or nursing h.omes; and (e) whether the Ministry can help in this transfer effort when foreign nurses from various healthcare institutions do not meet the mark.
No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 12 *68.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the measures and penalties to deter social media posts or online publications from sowing discord among different racial and religious groups.

*69.
*69.

Mr Png Eng Huat: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how does HDB ensure the safety and elderly-friendly features of HDB's studio apartments in new housing developments are built according to specifications before allowing elderly residents to move in; and (b) who is responsible for fixing such inherent defects if they are detected after the defect liability period.

*70.
*70.

Mr Darryl David: To ask the Minister for National Development what laws or regulations are in place governing those who (i) ride motorcycles and other similar vehicles in HDB void decks, pedestrian pathways and parks and (ii) use these areas as convenient shortcuts from HDB car parks to public roads.

*71.
*71.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Transport over the past three years (a) what proportion of motor vehicle accidents involving elderly pedestrians resulted in (i) serious injuries or (ii) fatalities; and (b) what plans will the Ministry put in place to further enhance the safety of road crossings and reduce the incidence of such accidents.

*72.
*72.

Assoc Prof Randolph Tan: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether in decisions on the Public Transport Council balances considerations of the operating cost structure of public transport operators with ratings by commuters of the quality of their service; and (b) if it does not, what are the reasons for not doing so.

reviews, fare *73.
reviews, fare *73.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether the laws of Singapore can be strengthened to ensure that our social and racial harmony will not be adversely affected by malicious lies published by foreign entities and which may have the effect of undermining racial or religious harmony.

*74.
*74.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether, to what extent and by what evidence the experience of Hong Kong and Norway (or that of any other countries studied by the Ministry) demonstrates that allowing some legal online gambling will (i) cause a significant switch of current illegal gamblers to legal gambling and (ii) not cause a significant expansion in the total population of gamblers for both legal and illegal gamblers.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 13 *75.


Mr Pritam Singh: To ask the Minister for National Development whether the Ministry will exercise flexibility in the qualifying criteria for the Lift Enhancement Programme and allow lifts that are marginally older than the 18- year threshold to qualify for the programme.

*76.
*76.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development whether BCA can enhance the requirement set out in the Code on Accessibility in the Built Environment 2013 for access symbols to be affixed on tables set aside for use by persons with disabilities at eating houses so as to make clear that the fixed seats provided at such tables are reserved for accompanying caregivers, family members or friends of persons with disabilities and not for general use.

*77.
*77.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the impact on carpark provisions in the CBD when Golden Shoe Carpark is developed into an office building; and (b) whether the Ministry is revising the carpark provision guidelines of shopping centres and office buildings inside and outside theCBD.

*78.
*78.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what are the quality control measures in place for new public housing developments; (b) what will qualify newly-installed lifts as "lemons"; (c) whether "lemon lifts" should be accepted; (d) whether the Ministry will require the lift company to replace the "lemon lifts"; and (e) whether the Ministry will require the lift company to replace the lifts at Block 17B Circuit Road that have been persistently faulty since key collection.

*79.
Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for National Development where the Town Council has done its duty to require lift contractors to conduct maintenance works, engaged specialised cleaners to clean lifts of debris and enforced policing of errant renovation contractors and yet lifts still break down in new estates like Punggol (a) what enforcement action can HDB take against lift manufacturers to protect residents affected by lift malfunctions; and (b) whether HDB requires lift manufacturers to replace lifts that have shown a systemic record of malfunctioning.
*80.

Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for National Development where a lift contractor has systematically shown an inability to rectify lift faults and the Town Council is stuck with the lift contractor as the sole proprietor of its technology and cannot go to other maintenance contractors, what recourse is available in the procurement contract between HDB and the lift contractor that can be relied upon to protect the interests of residents.

No.26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 14 *81.
Ms Sun Xueling: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider (i) making a change in the design and use of lifts to stipulate that only one lift in a HDB block can be used for renovation and moving purposes so that the other lift in the HDB block can be dedicated to resident's daily use; and (ii) pre-installing CCTV cameras in lifts so as to monitor the behaviour ofHDB licensed contractors and ensure the safety of residents during the renovation and moving-in period.

*82.
*82.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what will be the impact if a lift company folds or withdraws from Singapore; and (b) what is the Ministry's contingency plan when such an event occurs.

*83.

Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for National Development what checks and enforcement measurements are in place to ensure the welfare of animals being bred in our local pet farms and whether AVA has sufficient certified personnel to conduct these inspections.

*84.
*84.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for National Development what service standards and operating procedures does HDB apply when replying to residents on their feedback, complaints and requests for rectification of defects.

*85.

Ms Foo Mee Bar: To ask the Minister for National Development to what extent is HDB empowered to act in cases where water leakage occurs between floors and one of the parties refuses to cooperate to resolve the issue.

*86.
*86.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for National Development what measures are in place to ensure the safety of amusement rides including those at fun fairs, carnivals and theme parks and how often are safety enforcement and spot checks by qualified inspectors performed.

*87.
*87.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to the Jurong West market and coffeeshop which have been affected by a recent fire, whether HDB can consider funding, fully or partially, the building of a temporary market/ hawker centre while waiting for the completion of the permanent building.

*88.
*88.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the number of HDB flats that have multiple steps at the flats' entrance; (b) whether HDB has plans to install ramps for such flats at a subsidised cost to residents who need it for easier accessibility; and (c) when will be the estimated earliest time that ramps can be installed for such flats in view of the ageing population.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 15 *89.


Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the number of private buildings above three storeys that do not have lifts installed; and (b) whether there are plans to ensure or encourage owners of such private buildings to install lifts for easier accessibility by the elderly and less able-bodied.

* Members may postpone their Questions to a later sitting day if their Questions are not reached by the end of Question Time.
The postponement forms are available at the Chamber entrances.

To ensure timely notice of such postponements, Members should submit their notices to the Clerk by 4.00 pm.

Questions will be given a written answer if no such notices are received by the Clerk.

AT THE COMMENCEMENT OF PUBLIC BUSINESS Introduction of Government Bills 1.

Prime Minister: Securities and Futures (Amendment) Bill.

2.

Minister for Manpower: Retirement and Re-employment (Amendment) Bill.

3.

Minister for Law: Mediation Bill.

4.


Minister for Law: Civil Law (Amendment) Bill.

5.

Minister for Health: The Kwong-Wai-Shi~ Free Hospital (Transfer of Undertaking and Dissolution) Bill.

I' No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 16 Business motion 1.

Leader of the House: REARRANGEMENT OF BUSINESS: That, under Standing Order 1 0(2), the motion on Paralympic Achievements be taken as the first item of business at this day's sitting.
ORDERS OF THE DAY AND NOTICES OF MOTIONS (Those marked • are Orders of the Day) •1.

Constitution of (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

28/2016] -(Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for National Security)- Second Reading.

the Republic of Singapore [For amendments on the Bill, see Supplement No.3 dated 7 November 2016.]

Credit Bureau Bill [Bill No.

27/2016]- (Prime Minister)- Second Reading.

Income Tax (Amendment No.3) Bill [Bill No.

34/2016]- (Second Minister for Finance) - Second Reading.
Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

30/2016] - Communications and Information) - Second Reading.

(Minister for Fire Safety (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

31/20 16]- (Minister for Home Affairs) - Second Reading.

•2.

•3.

•4.

•5.

•6.

National Registration (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

32/2016] - (Minister for Home Affairs)- Second Reading.

•7.

Child Development Co~Savings (Amendment No.

2) Bill [Bill No.

33/16] - (Minister for Social and Family Development)- Second Reading.

•8.
•8.

Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

29/2016]- (Minister for Transport)- Second Reading.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 17 9.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies: GRANTS TO IMF'S POVERTY REDUCTION AND GROWTH TRUST: That this Parliament, in accordance with section 6A(2)(d) of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act (Chapter 27 of the 2012 Revised Edition), resolves that the maximum amount of grants that the Monetary Authority of Singapore may give under the bilateral agreement (or its subsequent variations) to be made by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore) with the International Monetary Fund to support the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust, is 14,510,000 Special Drawing Rights (approximately 20,017,415 United States Dollars).
10.
Deputy Prime Minister and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies: GRANTS TO IMF'S CATASTROPHE CONTAINMENT AND RELIEF TRUST: That this Parliament, in accordance with section 6A(2)(d) of the Bretton Woods Agreements Act (Chapter 27 of the 2012 Revised Edition), resolves that the maximum amount of grants that the Monetary Authority of Singapore may give under the bilateral agreement (or its subsequent variations) to be made by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (on behalf of the Government of the Republic of Singapore) with the International Monetary Fund to support the Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust, is 226,000 Special Drawing Rights (approximately 311,781 United States Dollars).
11.

Minister for Culture, Community and Youth: PARALYMPIC ACHIEVEMENTS: That this House congratulates the Team Singapore Paralyrnpians on their achievements at the 2016 Rio Paralyrnpic Garnes.

12.
12.

Second Minister for Finance: SUBSCRIPTION TO THE INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION: That this Parliament, in accordance with section 4(2) of the International Development Association Act, total subscription of Singapore to the International Development Association be increased to a sum not exceeding One Million, One Hundred Thousand United States Dollars (US$ 1,1 00,000).

resolves that the 2 4 6 8 2 4 6 8 10 2 4 6 No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 18 13.
Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Finance): GOVERNMENT SECURITIES: That this Parliament, in accordance with Article 144(1)(a) ofthe Constitution ofthe Republic of Singapore and section 11(1) of the Government Securities Act (Chapter 121A ofthe 2014 Revised Edition), resolves that the Minister for Finance be authorised to borrow, by the issue of Government Securities in Singapore under that Act, a further sum not exceeding Two Hundred Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$200,000,000,000), thereby in total a sum not exceeding Six Hundred and Ninety Thousand Million Singapore Dollars (S$690,000,000,000).
2 4 6 8 MEMORANDUM Matter proposed to be raised on the Motion for the Adjournment (Standing Order No.

2(8)(b)): Mr Pritam Singh (Aljunied) Preventing the Scourge of Online Gambling in Singapore.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER 1.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Transport whether he can provide an update on the causes for the dislodged platform door at Sixth A venue Downtown Line Station on 4 October 2016 and whether any related issues affecting safety have been resolved.

2.
2.

Ms Tin Pei Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport what will be done to improve the quality of life of residents in Central Grove condominium who have been adversely affected by the loud and consistent noise of passing trains on the MRT track that is adjacent to the condominium.

3.
3.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) (a) what has been the performance of Singapore's trade in services compared to trade in goods, especially in the context of the weak performance of the latter; and (b) how can the Government further help SMEs to export their services.

· 4.
· 4.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) how can the Government better help the micro and small SMEs to venture overseas to tap a bigger market so that they can continue to grow.

No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 19 5.

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower what recourse does an employer of a foreign domestic worker have where the worker has abandoned her work agreement and owes sums to her employer.

6.
6.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Manpower how can the Government better help SMEs, particularly the small and micro SMEs, to hire the staff they need as they attempt to transform and upgrade their businesses.

7.
7.

Assoc Prof Daniel Gob Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the Government's position on employers requiring prospective employees to declare if they have a history of mental illness and whether the Government should lead by example by removing such declarations from public service employment application forms for non-sensitive positions.

8.
8.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information how can the Government better help the micro and small SMEs to take advantage of the digital infrastructure of the Government to benefit their businesses.

9.
9.

·Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) how many people registered for the REACH Public Forum on the Elected Presidency on 29 September 2016; (b) what was the intended attendance and how was it derived; (c) what is the threshold for attendance below which it is deemed necessary to cancel such forums; and (d) who made the final decision on cancelling that particular event.

10.
10.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what is the recidivism rate for Long Term Imprisonment 1 (LT1) and Drug Rehabilitation Centre (DRC) inmates who are released from 2010 to 2013.

11.
11.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs what are the differences in rehabilitation programmes for the different risk profiles in the enhanced Drug Rehabilitation Regime implemented in 2014 and how is the effectiveness of the outcome of the rehabilitation regime for the respective risk profiles measured.

12.
Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs of the 837 persons taken into custody for attempted suicide in 2015 (a) what have been the specific measures used to arrest them; (b) how many have been placed in lock up and for how long on average; (c) whether any investigations have been conducted to look into the actual impact of these measures on their well-being; and (d) how many of these persons have been referred to Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) and Institute of Mental Health (IMH) respectively.
No.

26 7 NOVEMBER 2016 20 13.

Ms Foo Mee Bar: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether payment of ransom is legal and how corporations and consumers should respond to ransom threats on the Internet.

14.
14.

Assoc Prof Daniel Gob Pei Siong: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the cause and origin of the Jurong West market and coffeeshop fire; (b) how did the fire spread quickly and widely; (c) whether the presence of automatic sprinkler systems at the market and coffeeshop would have slowed or stopped the fire from spreading; and (d) whether the risks of fire spreading and requirements to minimise the risks for markets and coffeeshops should be reviewed for the Fire Code.

15.
15.

Mr Chen Show Mao: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many jackpot licences have been issued thus far; (b) of these, how many have been issued after 201 0; (c) how many licensed jackpot outlets are there currently; and (d) how much revenue have been generated from licensed jackpot outlets in each of the years from 2006 to 2015.

16.
16.

Mr Chen SJ,tow Mao: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what is the number of officers assigned to the Serious Sexual Crimes Branch of the CID; (b) what is the rationale for the staffing numbers at the Serious Sexual Crimes Branch; (c) what is the annual number of cases investigated by the Serious Sexual Crimes Branch since its establishment; and (d) what are the criteria for referring cases to the Serious Sexual Crimes unit.

17.
17.

Mr Chen Show Mao: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how many people have been identified with psychological or psychiatric issues related to problem gambling in each year from 2006 to 2015; and (b) ofthese, what are the most common psychological or psychiatric issues identified.

18.
18.

Mr Thomas Chua Kee Seng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) how can Government agencies be more coordinated and holistic when helping our SMEs to transform in an environment where many SMEs may have immediate concerns of survival.

19.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Finance (a) in the past 20 years, how many Government-related bodies have undergone a special audit by the Auditor-General outside of the regular annual audit exercises by the Auditor General; and (b).
what are the details and rationale of each case.