Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1698838783235.pdf (Singapore)
FOURTEENTH PARLIAMENT OF SINGAPORE ___________________ FIRST SESSION ___________________ ORDER PAPER MONDAY, 2 NOVEMBER 2020 No.

11 1.30 pm 1 QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWERS* *1.


Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how are soft skills inculcated, nurtured and evaluated in our education system; (b) how is the impact of e-learning and digitalisation on soft skills acquisition being assessed; and (c) what measures are being taken to ensure that soft skills continue to be learned amidst COVID-19 safe distancing measures including in higher education.

*2.
*2.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment as we move towards further easing measures in the community, how will the social distancing ambassadors be aided to enforce rules on the ground as there will be more grey areas on when and how to mask on.

*3.
*3.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry can require career coaches to handhold job seekers, especially our low wage workers, till they find jobs as it is reassuring to job seekers knowing that there are employment professionals they can turn to who can provide guidance and support to them.

*4.
*4.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Manpower in view of the slowdown in the aviation sector, how will the Ministry help students majoring in aerospace, aviation and hospitality who are graduating in 2021.

*5.
*5.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Manpower by the end of the Job Redesign Grant in March 2020 (a) what is the total number of applications received and how many jobs have been successfully redesigned for elderly workers; and (b) what are the lessons learnt that have been incorporated into the Job Growth Incentive to increase the participation of companies to redesign jobs for the elderly.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 2 *6.


Ms Ng Ling Ling: To ask the Minister for Health what are the key drivers of cost increases in healthcare and what is the target to keep cost increases in the next five years to a publicly announced range.

*7.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the justification for the impending increase in MediShield Life premiums; and (b) what strategies are being deployed to control escalating healthcare costs.

*8.
*8.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the basis for the increase in MediShield Life premiums; (b) how can the premiums be kept affordable especially for the seniors; and (c) what are the assistance schemes available to help seniors who are unable to afford the premiums.

*9.
*9.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Health whether the full actuarial report for the current MediShield Life scheme and the including actuarial proposed MediShield Life scheme assumptions used, can be made available.

revisions, *10.
revisions, *10.

Mr Xie Yao Quan: To ask the Minister for Health (a) in the last 20 years, how much have daily ward charges and daily treatment fees in public hospitals increased; (b) how much have prices of standard drugs, tests and investigations increased in the same period; and (c) based on the proposed revisions to MediShield Life, how much is the expected real increase in MediShield Life coverage, net of medical cost inflation.

*11.
*11.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the actuarial formula for the required reserves in the MediShield Life Fund; (b) whether it is unusual by international standards for a health insurance scheme to increase its premiums by 35% in a single adjustment; and (c) what is the total premium paid by a Singaporean for MediShield Life in his lifetime assuming the premiums are compounded at 2.5% interest and 4% interest respectively.

*12.
*12.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health in respect of the increase in premiums following the review of MediShield Life (a) what is the surplus or loss since introduction of MediShield Life in 2015; (b) whether the Ministry can introduce more flexibility so that premiums are paid based on choice of coverage and illnesses covered; and (c) how will the Government guarantee coverage of an elderly when they default on the premiums mid-way through medical treatment.

*13.
*13.

Ms Ng Ling Ling: To ask the Minister for Health for Singaporeans who are retrenched or self-employed with significantly reduced income during this period, both of whom will be concerned about their MediSave sufficiency to cover the increases in MediShield premiums for the years ahead, whether the Ministry will review and supplement targeted subsidies to ensure that there are no further financial hardship to these groups.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 3 *14.


Mr Xie Yao Quan: To ask the Minister for Health whether he can elaborate about the Government's plans to support persons who are not able to afford the increase in MediShield Life premiums even after subsidies.

*15.
Mr Xie Yao Quan: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what portion of an average bill for a surgical procedure in each Table for Surgical Procedures, including pre-operation scans, medical tests and other work-ups as well as post-operation rehabilitation, is paid through MediSave; (b) what portion of this average bill is paid out-of-pocket; and (c) whether MediShield Life coverage for surgical procedures can be further enhanced for a member above 80 years old, beyond the present recommended deductibles for day surgeries.
*16.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance with regard to the recent theft of Budget 2020 grocery vouchers from residents' letter boxes (a) whether the Government has explored other distribution methods to issue the grocery vouchers seamlessly and securely to residents; and (b) whether technology can be used to provide seamless distribution of the grocery vouchers or future vouchers to households, for example, using PayNow.

*17.
*17.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what are the reasons for sending the Budget 2020 grocery vouchers by post to eligible recipients; and (b) whether the Government has made any assessment on the risk of lost or stolen grocery vouchers.

*18.
*18.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how many sets of the $150 Budget 2020 grocery vouchers have been given to Singaporeans; (b) how many sets have been stolen; (c) whether other ways of distributing the grocery vouchers instead of posting them have been considered; and (d) whether digital distribution of the vouchers have been considered.

*19.
*19.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Education whether autonomous universities can provide clear communications with their students whenever there are allegations of misconduct involving teaching staff and students so that students can be better protected.

*20.
*20.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Education (a) how is the Ministry supervising the institutes of higher learning on their progress on fighting sexual misconduct or violence on campus; (b) whether the Ministry will consider regular reports on sexual misconduct or violence on campus; and (c) whether there is currently training being carried out for educators in Singapore on proper conduct with students.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 4 *21.


Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Manpower what will be the impact of wage cuts in the next 12 months given the recent announcement by the National Wages Council that employers can consider temporarily cutting workers' basic pay if necessary to stave off retrenchments.

*22.
*22.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to the National Wages Council (NWC) 2020/2021 supplementary guidelines on the tripartite consensus not to reduce employers' CPF contributions, what is the potential disproportionate impact on local employees should there be such a reduction.

*23.
*23.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Malaysia and implementation of Movement Control Order in selected states of Malaysia (a) how will this development affect provision of goods and services to Singapore; and (b) how prepared has the Ministry been to meet supplies disruptions since the start of COVID-19.

*24.
*24.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health what are the specific reasons for deciding that TraceTogether will be made compulsory for certain situations given previous assertions that there are no plans to make it compulsory.

*25.
*25.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Prime Minister (a) whether the TraceTogether tokens have been distributed to all seniors; and (b) how does the Smart Nation and Digital Government Office ensure that citizens without smart phones and who have not been able to collect the TraceTogether token are able to access cinemas.

*26.
*26.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Health whether there are plans to include mental health services in the polyclinics to be open to walk-ins, rather than through referrals or on an appointment basis, to reduce treatment delay of mental healthcare in the community.

*27.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Manpower what measures the Ministry has taken in ensuring emotional and mental health wellness in workplaces.

*28.
*28.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs since the decriminalisation of suicide in 2019 (a) how many cases of suicide have been recorded; (b) in how many cases of attempted suicide have the police and SCDF intervened to help such persons as part of the safeguards put in place upon the abolishment of the criminal offence of attempting suicide; and (c) how has the decriminalisation of attempted suicide improved the situation for persons tempted to commit suicide.

No.
No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 5 *29.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current state of demand in the construction sector and the extent of project delays and postponements; (b) whether the construction capacity has fully recovered; and (c) whether there will be sufficient capacity to meet additional demand due to backlogs from delayed projects.

*30.
*30.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Defence (a) in the past year, how many complaints has the Ministry received from the public relating to noise from helicopter operations at Sembawang Air Base; and (b) in light of more residents working from home, what measures will be taken to mitigate noise pollution on a more permanent basis around Sembawang and Yishun.

*31.
*31.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how often do NEA and SFA conduct checks on the hygiene of food stalls and catering licensees; (b) whether these have been affected by the circuit breaker measures; and (c) what steps are taken to work with food stall licensees to improve cleanliness and hygiene standards when such stalls are faced with licence suspensions.

*32.
*32.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the average waiting time for approval of subsidies under the Seniors Mobility and Enabling fund for hearing aids from time of application; (b) how much do hearing aids typically cost without subsidies; and (c) as Singaporeans live longer lives, whether there are plans to extend the subsidy beyond the first device.

*33.
*33.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the median age of a first-time recipient of a subsidised hearing aid; and (b) what is the median, 10th percentile, and 90th percentile operational lifespan of a subsidised hearing aid device.

*34.
Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Minister for Manpower with regard to retrenchments from April to September 2020 (a) how does the Ministry investigate complaints that the retrenchments did not adequately comply with advisories to retain a strong Singapore core; (b) what levers does the Government have to intervene in cases where the employer is assessed to have not complied with advisories to maintain a strong Singapore core; and (c) whether employees who are permanent residents are considered part of the Singapore core in the Ministry's assessments of retrenchments.
*35.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with COVID-19 restrictions on the inflow of foreign labour (a) what is the Ministry doing to drive companies towards automation in tandem with the Government's financial assistance schemes to transform the economy; and (b) whether the Ministry will work with companies to draw up a timeline to automate their operations to qualify for financial assistance.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 6 *36.


Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) why online applications for the COVID-19 Support Grant can only be submitted between 9am to 6pm; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider allowing online application 24 hours a day, except for periodic maintenance windows.

*37.
*37.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there are plans to regulate and assess the design and construction carbon footprint of new buildings including materials, process and lifecycle maintenance requirements, and material recyclability to ensure that progressive and sustainable construction technologies are gradually being implemented.

*38.
*38.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the reasons behind the small, but persistent, numbers of COVID-19 infection among our migrant workers; and (b) what are the measures that will be put in place during Phase 3 to prevent another spike among our migrant workers.

*39.
*39.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider (i) mandating more comprehensive insurance coverage for migrant workers and (ii) providing a subsidy to help employers afford such additional coverage.

*40.
*40.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the number of primary and secondary school students who still do not have access to digital devices to do home-based learning (HBL); and (b) what are the available schemes to ensure that children from less fortunate families have sufficient access to digital devices to do HBL.

*41.
*41.

Mr Liang Eng Hwa: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the progress on providing student care centres in all schools; (b) whether the existing school-based centres are able to cope with the demand; and (c) whether there are efforts to enhance the programme offerings run by student care centres.

*42.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the last three years, what is the number of complaints on disamenities caused by neighbours such as high-rise littering, excessive noise or smells, and smoking; (b) what is (i) the percentage of cases that refuse mediation (ii) the number of repeated cases after "successful" mediation and (iii) the average time taken from mediation application to resolution of the case; and (c) whether there are plans to further enforce and control disamenities caused by residents and encourage neighbourliness.
No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 7 *43.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) in the past 12 months, how many rental or temporary housing have been offered for individuals undergoing divorce proceedings or a division of matrimonial assets; and (b) whether HDB will consider a structured scheme to allow access to temporary housing or rental flats to individuals in such circumstances.

*44.
*44.

Dr Lim Wee Kiak: To ask the Minister for Transport with regard to the MRT service disruptions on 14 October 2020 (a) whether there is a standard operating procedure (SOP) for technical teams to follow when investigating such disruptions; (b) how will strict compliance with the SOP be ensured to prevent similar recurrences; and (c) what steps will be taken to ensure safe distancing at the bus stops during such disruptions.

*45.
*45.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Transport in view of the recent MRT breakdown on 14 October 2020 (a) whether there are sufficient business continuity plans and emergency preparedness exercises conducted on a regular basis to ensure that the relevant teams know what to do in the event of a power failure; and (b) how long has it taken for the crowd control process to kick in and what have been the measures implemented.

*46.
*46.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what was the cause of the cable insulation fault which triggered the MRT disruption on 14 October 2020; (b) why did the circuit breaker in the vicinity of Tuas Link and Tuas West Road fail to isolate the cable insulation fault; and (c) why was the cable insulation fault not isolated before SMRT attempted to draw power from the Buona Vista intake station resulting in the power supply disruption to Circle Line.

*47.
*47.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) given its past experience, whether SMRT could have taken much less time to complete passenger recovery or evacuation during the MRT disruption on 14 October 2020; and (b) what were the reasons for the delay.

*48.
*48.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with the setting up of Singapore's first car-making plant (a) how many jobs will be created by this venture; and (b) how does the Ministry plan to grow the electric and autonomous driving industries in the longer term.

*49.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information under the Hawkers Go Digital programme, what is the total amount of incentives disbursed to date to the hawkers who have adopted digital payment.
No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 8 *50.
Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) what are the direct and indirect social benefits given to lower- income and middle-income households considering that lower-income and middle-income households receive proportionately more benefits than the taxes they pay; and (b) whether the Government will conduct a review on the current social benefits to ensure no one in lower-income and middle- income households has been left out and be more inclusive in support of the disadvantaged and less fortunate groups.
*51.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for National Development whether there are plans to look into the carrying capacity of our green and blue spaces and how trash can be better managed on our Southern Islands given that more Singaporeans have been visiting these nature parks.

*52.
*52.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Education in respect of Primary 3 to 6 students (a) how many hours are dedicated for new Mathematics and Science subjects in each year and by each level; (b) how much time is set aside for revision of concepts previously learnt in earlier years; and (c) whether the school curriculum allows time for students to have leisure reading time.

*53.
*53.

Dr Wan Rizal: To ask the Minister for Education what is the current percentage of children who enter Primary 1 without completing at least three years of preschool (including nursery, kindergarten 1 and kindergarten 2).

*54.
*54.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) why a threshold of 30% local shareholding was set for qualifying SMEs for grants such as the Productivity Solutions Grant and Enterprise Development Grant; and (b) whether there are periodic reviews to this shareholding threshold.

*55.
*55.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Law what steps are taken by the Government to review the sustainability of convictions and sentences imposed against persons arising from a change in the applicable law as determined by a court of law.

*56.
Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) whether the Ministry is reviewing the eligibility criteria for the distribution of grants based on per capita income per household whereby the 'household' is defined by unique address; and (b) whether the Ministry is considering alternative ways of distributing support grants that can account for breadwinners supporting family members beyond the immediate household so that the sandwiched generation can be assisted through these difficult times.
No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 9 *57.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) how many persons with disabilities (PWDs) are currently employed and how many PWDs are looking for employment; (b) how many employers currently have PWDs in their employ; (c) what further support can be extended to employers to encourage them to employ more PWDs; and (d) what further support can be extended to families of PWDs.

*58.
*58.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) in each of the past three years, how many cases of employment disputes have been reported; (b) how many are the result of abuse by the foreign workers; and (c) whether the Ministry will review and enhance the current framework to prevent abuse by foreign workers or to prevent foreign workers from victimising their employers.

*59.
*59.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the proportion of nursing positions under the 7,500 jobs and 1,600 traineeships that will be created from now till end-2021; and (b) what is the average training and on boarding time needed for someone without a background in healthcare to take on these jobs.

*60.
*60.

Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of imported COVID-19 cases who are non-citizens for the respective time periods of September 2020, between July and September 2020, and since 7 April 2020; and (b) what is the breakdown of these cases by country of origin.

*61.
*61.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is the current number of game development companies operating in Singapore; and (b) what is the projected number of PMET positions that is needed to support the growing e-sports industry in Singapore.

*62.
*62.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance whether the Government will seek to use its influence as the shareholder of Temasek Holdings to require that SIA reviews its practice of fuel hedging.

*63.
*63.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance in view of the many key schemes under the COVID-19 measures for individuals and households, whether the Ministry can send letters to all Singapore citizens detailing what they will receive so as to prevent confusion amongst our elderly who may not be up to date with the news.

*64.
*64.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry what are the plans for ASEAN to collectively move towards and support more renewable energy production in the region.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 10 *65.


Mr Leong Mun Wai: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) what is the breakdown of the consumer electricity market share by retailers and SP Group; (b) what percentage of SP Group's electricity supply to consumers is covered by the vesting contracts; and (c) what is the expiration schedule of the vesting contracts by electricity production.

*66.
Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether HDB will consider defects that are identified after the expiry of the defects liability period but which clearly result from systematic design or construction defects by a single subcontractor to still fall within the scope of reasonable rectification action; and (b) whether HDB will consider availing funds under the Home Improvement Programme for cost-sharing between lessees that experience such systematic defects especially with demonstrated financial need.
*67.

Mr Seah Kian Peng: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs whether entry into Singapore can be accorded to foreigners to allow them specifically to register their marriages with their fiance/fiancee who are Singapore citizens at the Registry of Marriages provided that they adhere to the prevailing health checks and quarantine measures as prescribed.

*68.
*68.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development how many seniors have been placed under Adult Protective Services since the scheme began and what efforts are made to work with the families of such seniors to make them more care-ready.

*69.

Ms Foo Mee Har: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the favourable interest rates provided to CPF members amidst record low market interest rates will prevail to preserve retirement adequacy.

*70.
*70.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Co-Funding for Assisted Conception Procedures (ACP) scheme can be extended to private Assisted Reproduction (AR) centres.

*71.
*71.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) whether the market for Integrated Shield Plan (IP) insurance products has been studied from a competition perspective and, if so what are the findings; and (b) whether such competition study has considered the situation of existing IP insured who wish to change their IP provider.

*72.
Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for National Development with regard to URA's announcement on the Restriction on Re-Issue of Option to Purchase (OTP) for the Same Unit to Same Purchaser, what is (i) the total number of such cases over the last two years (ii) the average length of time taken to exercise OTPs for successful cases (iii) the number of cases that were eventually aborted (iv) the current number of cases outstanding and (v) the average number of weeks that developers have committed to purchasers for the re-issuance of OTPs.
No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 11 *73.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development whether HDB will consider extending the grace period of free parking to 30 mins for appointed private vehicles escorting or ferrying persons with disabilities from their homes to a medical facility and back.

*74.
Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether there are plans to ensure that ride hailing and delivery platforms play an active role with their platform partners to strengthen and secure medical and accident protection of their partners, develop pathways to acquire skills and build up their platform partners' ability to retire; and (b) whether there are plans to ensure fair and reasonable access to the platform and sufficient protection of these platform partners from taking on unnecessary business risks.
*75.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what public education efforts has the Ministry undertaken to educate pedestrians and other users of public paths on the pedestrian code of conduct which enforcement has started in August 2020; and (b) whether footpath ambassadors will be deployed to increase public knowledge of the code of conduct in order to prevent rider-pedestrian accidents.

*76.
*76.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the performance management system of stack ranking (a) what is the quota for each of the grades A, B, C+, C, C-, D and E for teachers respectively; and (b) for each year in the past five years, what is the number of teachers who have gotten an A, B, C+, C, C-, D and E grade respectively.

*77.
*77.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what is the Government's response to the Financial Action Task Force's (FATF) report on Money Laundering and the Illegal Wildlife Trade; and (b) what steps does the Government intend to take to address the findings in the report.

*78.
*78.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) what is the rationale for SFA's latest revised position on the maximum residue limits for ractopamine in pork and cattle imported into Singapore; (b) what are the known and possible health risks arising from consuming meat with such residue limits of ractopamine including risks for young people or any vulnerable group; and (c) whether SFA is concerned that ractopamine is banned in various other countries.

*79.
*79.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Transport with regard to the fire in the MRT tunnel between Orchard and Somerset stations on 16 October 2020 (a) how many engineering locomotives were in service then; (b) whether the damaged engineering locomotive will impede maintenance works by SMRT; and (c) what safety measures are in place for fighting MRT tunnel fires.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 12 *80.


Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what is the median time period from the date of offence to the date a summons is issued by LTA to alleged offenders; and (b) whether LTA has guidelines in place to ensure that summonses are not issued more than three months after the date of offence.

*81.
*81.

Mr Ang Wei Neng: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how is the Ministry distributing the $100 tourism vouchers digitally; (b) how will Singaporeans who do not know how to handle the digital tourism vouchers be taken care of; and (c) whether the Ministry will minimise fraud pertaining to the digital tourism vouchers.

* 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.

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

Prime Minister: Payment Services (Amendment) Bill.

2.
2.

Minister for Transport: Multimodal Transport Bill.

3.

Second Minister for Law: COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Amendment No.

3) Bill.

[The Member in charge proposes, on a Certificate of Urgency under S.O.

86, to proceed with this Bill throughout all its stages until the Bill has been read the third time.]

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 13 ORDERS OF THE DAY Personal Data Protection (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

37/2020] – (Minister for Communications and Information) – Second Reading.
[For amendment on the Bill, see Supplement No.

2 dated 2 November 2020.]

Apostille Bill [Bill No.

35/2020] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading.

Income Tax (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

38/2020] – (Second Minister for Finance) – Second Reading.

Goods and Services Tax (Amendment) Bill [Bill No.

39/2020] – (Second Minister for Finance) – Second Reading.

Insolvency, Restructuring [Bill No.

36/2020] – (Minister for Law) – Second Reading.

and Dissolution (Amendment) Bill 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.
2.

3.

4.

5.

QUESTIONS FOR WRITTEN ANSWER 1.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Prime Minister what is the current number of employees in the Civil Service and statutory boards who are (i) Singapore citizens (ii) permanent residents and (iii) foreigners.

2.
2.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Prime Minister whether the Government will consider introducing more flexibility for those aged over 70 years to refinance their private properties so that they can invest more or tide over cash flow problems that may arise due to medical emergencies.

3.
3.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Prime Minister (a) what percentage of seniors aged 65 and above do not have a SingPass account; and (b) whether the Smart Nation Digital Government Office will be exploring ways to allow seniors without a computer or smartphone to register for SingPass without having to physically register at a counter.

4.
4.

Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Prime Minister what is the (i) number and (ii) proportion of Singaporeans who do not have an active SingPass account, broken down by age group.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 14 5.


Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance (a) how frequently does the Government consider revisions to the minimum individual income level for taxation, which was last revised in 2001; and (b) whether the Government will consider raising the minimum individual income level for taxation in light of inflation.

6.
6.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) over the last three years, what is the number of accidents involving casual and competitive cyclists cycling in large groups on public roads; and (b) what is the Ministry's approach in managing the safety of road users amidst the growing appeal of group cycling.

7.
7.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs how does the police collect evidence for offences under section 27A of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act where a person cannot be naked in a private place while being exposed to public view.

8.
8.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs (a) of the more than 10,000 scam cases reported in the first eight months of the year, how many cases involved local scammers; and (b) given the rising trend where millions of dollars are lost to scams annually, whether the Ministry intends to increase criminal penalties against scammers.

9.
9.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs in each of the past five years, how many Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) applicants have requested for non-spousal sponsorship for their LTVP renewals.

10.
10.

Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman: To ask the Minister for Law with regard to Writ of Seizure and Sale (WSS) proceedings for non-commercial cases that are currently on hold (a) what are the concerns that are holding back the WSS proceedings that have been paused at different stages; (b) what is the expected date of resumption for these WSS proceedings; and (c) what arrangements are in place to handle the backlog of cases accumulated since the circuit breaker period.

11.
11.

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Law for women who have filed for divorce in the past three years, (a) what is the average duration taken respectively for the dissolution of marriage stage and the ancillary matters stage; and (b) how many applications have been made for court orders for the enforcement for maintenance, custody and settlement out of the total number of divorces.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 15 12.


Dr Tan Wu Meng: To ask the Minister for Law (a) what is the number of Community Dispute Resolution Tribunal (CDRT) claim submissions in 2017, 2018 and 2019 respectively, broken down by age group; and (b) what avenues of access to CDRT processes and the Community Justice and Tribunals System are available for elderly Singaporeans without IT access or SingPass.

13.
13.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Health in respect of CPF members above the age of 55 who have passed away in 2019 (a) what is their remaining MediSave balance (i) in total and (ii) in average amount per CPF member; and (b) where do these savings go to subsequently.

14.
14.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider introducing a higher annual deduction limit for Flexi- MediSave or a higher MediSave withdrawal limit for those above 70 years old for outpatient consultation and medication.

15.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will look into reducing the waiting time needed for seniors to get a pair of dentures from government dental clinics.

16.
16.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider allowing more flexibility for the elderly to use MediSave for dental procedures not involving surgeries such as the making of dentures or root planning to treat advanced gum disease.

17.

Mr Christopher de Souza: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will look into greater subsidies for dementia medication and other types of medication needed by a higher number of seniors and retirees.

18.
18.

Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider allowing seniors to use MediSave for certain treatments at selected Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) clinics approved by the Ministry and, if not, what are the considerations for not allowing MediSave to be so used.

19.
19.

Mr Yip Hon Weng: To ask the Minister for Health (a) to date, how many COVID-19 infection cases have been successfully tracked from the TraceTogether tokens; (b) how does the Government track the actual utilisation rate of issued TraceTogether tokens; and (c) whether there are plans to integrate the SafeEntry feature into TraceTogether tokens.

20.
20.

Mr Shawn Huang Wei Zhong: To ask the Minister for Health (a) what are the current projections on the cost of primary and secondary healthcare services for the next five years; and (b) whether there are active plans to flatten the curve of rising medical cost and medical insurance.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 16 21.


Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Health (a) how much has been spent on developing (i) the SafeEntry system (ii) the TraceTogether app and (iii) the TraceTogether tokens including their production and distribution; and (b) whether the Ministry has allocated funds for, or envisages further developmental costs associated with, such contact tracing systems and, if so, how much it is estimated to cost.

22.
22.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Health whether the range of dental services for Community Health Assist Scheme orange card holders may be widened to include tooth extractions and fillings whilst maintaining the current subsidy limit of $50 to $170.50 per procedure.

23.
23.

Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) what is the take-up rate for the Seniors Go Digital Programme amongst low-income seniors; and (b) what are measures put in place to educate seniors on online scams and digital crimes, especially in the e-payments component of the seniors' Digital Literacy Programme.

24.
24.

Ms Poh Li San: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information whether subtitles will be included for all news broadcast on free-to-air TV channels and, if so, when can this be introduced.

25.
25.

Ms He Ting Ru: To ask the Minister for Communications and Information (a) whether he can provide details about current efforts at digital, media, privacy, and political literacy; (b) what are the measures and assessments of the effectiveness of these efforts; and (c) what are the next steps for review and improvement, timelines and roadmap given growing threats of hacking, data leaks, and misleading information from content farms.

26.
26.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether the Ministry will consider introducing a tax on plastic packaging products in view of their negative environmental impact.

27.

Mr Lim Biow Chuan: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment whether more enforcement action can be taken against high- rise litterers and litter bugs at our parks and other common areas.

28.
28.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) how is the 2035 lifespan of Semakau landfill determined; (b) in the past 10 years, how much of the waste generated is domestic waste versus industrial waste and what are their respective growth rates; and (c) what has been the reduction in waste generation since the launch of the Zero Waste Masterplan in 2019.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 17 29.


Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry from 2014 to 2019 (a) what is the annual revenue generated by the cleaning and landscape sectors respectively; and (b) what is the value added per worker in each of these sectors.

30.
30.

Mr Desmond Choo: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry with China's launch of the blueprint for Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area and Shenzhen given greater autonomy for development, how can Singapore and its companies participate in the growth of the cluster.

31.
31.

Mr Chua Kheng Wee Louis: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry (a) how does the Ministry intend to encourage the 53% of households still not on the Open Electricity Market to switch over, for electricity savings and lower price volatility; and (b) whether any target take-up rate has been set.

32.
32.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry whether the season parking fee waiver for private bus/coach season pass holders at all Government-owned car parks will be extended after 2 October 2020.

33.
33.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the current ratio of foreign recipients of tuition grants versus foreign recipients of scholarships versus full-paying foreign students in our autonomous universities; (b) what is the average post-graduation income for the former two categories versus full-paying foreign students; and (c) what is the ratio of graduates from each category who have gone on to secure permanent residency and citizenship status.

34.
34.

Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang: To ask the Minister for Education with regard to the performance management system of stack ranking, what is the annual number of appeals in the last five years from Education Officers who appeal their performance grade.

35.
35.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (a) whether details can be provided with regard to the plan to provide all secondary school students with laptops by 2021; (b) whether there will be direct provision of a standard laptop; and (c) whether there will also be complementary digital support measures to support the rollout of these laptops in schools.

36.
36.

Assoc Prof Jamus Jerome Lim: To ask the Minister for Education (a) what is the plan for integrating the usage of laptops into the secondary school curriculum; and (b) whether such integration will be via a national syllabus or to be decided on a school-by-school basis.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 18 37.


Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Development in each year of the past 10 years (a) how many Singaporean children have been born to Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders versus Singaporean women; (b) how many divorces have happened between couples, at least one of whom is an LTVP holder, who have Singaporean children; and (c) what are the comparable national-level figures for the same period of time.

38.
38.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Transport what is the expected timeline for the completion of the conversion of all street lights to LED lighting, in light of COVID-19 related disruptions to public works.

39.
39.

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) whether LTA regulates how private hire car operators carry out their driver assignments for all booked trips; (b) if so, whether LTA requires private hire car operators to assign booked trips to their drivers nearest to the pick-up locations, to minimise unnecessary travelling by drivers; and (c) if not, whether LTA will consider having such requirements to minimise unnecessary travelling time and pollution.

40.
40.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Transport from 2000 to 2019, what is the annual number of COEs going to (i) Singapore citizens (ii) permanent residents and (iii) foreigners.

41.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) what factors have been pushing up motorcycle COE prices in the last few months; and (b) whether the Ministry will consider implementing cooling measures to ensure that this mode of transportation remains affordable for the lower income group.

42.
42.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport what are the criteria by which industry projects and the Joint/Collaborative Industry Projects topic contributors will be evaluated and selected by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore in the call for joint industry projects to build a resilient and competitive maritime sector post-COVID-19.

43.
43.

Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) in the past five years, what has been the incident rate of commercial vehicles; and (b) whether there will be regulations requiring heavy commercial vehicles travelling at speeds over 70km per hour to be equipped with lane departure warning, front collision warning and electronic braking systems.

44.
44.

Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye: To ask the Minister for Transport (a) how many car parks do not accept CEPAS (Specification for Contactless e-Purse Application) cards; and (b) what are the reasons why these car park operators do not upgrade their systems to accept CEPAS cards.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 19 45.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for Transport whether there are plans to build more sheltered walkways beyond the current parameters set by LTA's Walk2Ride programme, i.e.
400 metre radius of MRT stations and trip generation hubs or 200 metre radius of transport nodes or education facilities, to encourage more residents to walk or cycle.

46.

Mr Leon Perera: To ask the Minister for Manpower since Phase 2 of Re- Opening began (a) what has been the total number of migrant workers who have been issued Stay Home Notices and Quarantine Orders; and (b) whether there have been cases of transmission across groups of migrant workers staying in different locations.

47.
47.

Mr Don Wee: To ask the Minister for Manpower (a) what has been the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CPF members' investment portfolios so far; and (b) whether the Ministry will review the list of investment products under the CPF Investment Scheme for better protection of CPF members.

48.

Ms Hazel Poa: To ask the Minister for Manpower what is the amount of late payment interest collected by the CPF Board (i) each year from 2009 to 2019 (ii) since inception and (iii) in 2020 to date.

49.
49.

Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the Government will work with employers who have laid off or are laying-off workers to inform workers of job search avenues and Government support schemes, specifically to support mature workers who may not be Internet- savvy or English-literate.

50.
Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Minister for Manpower for an update on the use of recreation centres by migrant workers who have been cleared for work (a) what percentage and how many migrant workers who have been cleared for work have been able to utilise recreation centres on their off days; (b) for those who are cleared for work but have not returned to work, whether they are given a schedule for access to the recreation centres; and (c) what is the approximate timeline for allowing migrant workers to return to their usual social and recreational spots on their off days.
51.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Manpower whether the CPF Basic Retirement Sum requirements for the cohort of Singapore residents turning 55 years of age in 2021 or later will be reviewed in light of the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic which has affected CPF contributions.

52.
52.

Mr Gerald Giam Yean Song: To ask the Minister for Manpower since the inception of the SGUnited Jobs and Skills Centres (a) how many jobseekers have sought assistance with the centres; and (b) how many have been successfully placed with jobs, with a breakdown of jobseekers' highest education levels and age groups.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 20 53.


Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Manpower in each year of the last five years, how many Letter Of Consent applications by unique applicants has the Ministry received from Long Term Visit Pass holders.

54.
54.

Mr Mohd Fahmi Bin Aliman: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) what is the current breakdown of employees, by residential status and occupations, who are working for managing agents of Management Corporations Strata Titles (MCSTs); and (b) whether there are mandatory training or certifications that these employees must attain in order to manage strata-titled properties.

55.
55.

Ms Nadia Ahmad Samdin: To ask the Minister for National Development what is the average percentage of families living in HDB rental flats who subsequently move on to HDB home ownership and how long does this typically take.

56.

Ms Joan Pereira: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB will consider replacing all laundry pole holders with elderly-friendly drying racks in HDB flats in the immediate future instead of waiting for the Home Improvement Programme.

57.
57.

Mr Sharael Taha: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) how is the electrical load upgrading programme for neighbourhoods and blocks prioritised; and (b) when will all electrical load upgrading works for blocks fitted with the older standard 30-amps switch be completed.

58.
Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong: To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether every Council for Estate Agencies' Real Estate Salespersons Examination is subject to a fixed quota for a pass regardless of how well students of each cohort may actually have performed; (b) whether all students who have signed up for the course leading to the examinations are provided with all the materials that form the examination content; and (c) whether students are required to acquire knowledge outside of the materials provided in order for them to pass the examinations.
59.

Mr Murali Pillai: To ask the Minister for National Development whether HDB can explore the extension of rainwater harvesting systems, first piloted under the HDB Greenprint @ Yuhua programme, to mature housing estates so as to reduce the use of potable water for common area washing and watering of plants.

60.
60.

Ms Carrie Tan: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) how much of the $55 million announced in March 2020 has been disbursed to the arts sector; (b) through which policies have they been disbursed; and (c) what is the plan and timeline to disburse the rest of the monies.

No.

11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 21 PAPERS PRESENTED 2020 S.L.

72 Date Presented Road Traffic (Electronic Road Pricing System) (Amendment No.

3) Rules 2020 ….. 15 October 2020 S.L.

73 Planning (Amendment No.


2) Rules 2020 (Development Charges) ….. 15 October 2020 S.L.

74 Planning (Fees) (Amendment) Rules 2020 ….. 15 October 2020 S. S. S. 57 58 59 S. 60 S.L.

75 S.L.

76 S.L.
75 S.L.

76 S.L.

77 Energy Market Authority Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 16 October 2020 Enterprise Singapore's Annual Report 2019/2020 and FY 2019 Audited Financial Statements ….. 19 October 2020 Sentosa Development Corporation's and Annual Report Audited Statements 2019/2020 2019/2020 Financial Consumer and Competition Commission of Singapore Annual Report 2019/2020 COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Amendment of Schedule) (No.
2) Order 2020 COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Amendment of Schedule) (No.

3) Order 2020 COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (Amendment of Schedule) (No.

4) Order 2020 ….. 19 October 2020 ….. 19 October 2020 ….. 20 October 2020 ….. 20 October 2020 ….. 20 October 2020 S.L.

78 Planning (Use Classes) (Amendment) Rules 2020 ….. 20 October 2020 S. 61 Nanyang Polytechnic Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 No.
11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 22 PAPERS PRESENTED - continued 2020 Date Presented S. S. S. S. S. 62 63 64 65 66 S. 67 S. 68 Pres.

Co. 2 Pres.

Co. 3 Pres.
Co. 4 Republic Polytechnic Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 Singapore Polytechnic Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 Temasek Polytechnic Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 SkillsFuture Singapore Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 Institute of Technical Education Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund Financial (LLEF) Report Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 and Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements 2019/2020 Report of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights on the International Arbitration (Amendment) Bill [Bill No 29/2020] Report of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights on the Environmental Public Health (Amendment) Bill [Bill No 31/2020] Report of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights on the Civil Law (Amendment) Bill [Bill No 33/2020] ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 21 October 2020 ….. 22 October 2020 ….. 22 October 2020 ….. 22 October 2020 No.
11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 23 2020 Pres.

Co. 5 Pres.

Co. 6 S. S. S. S. S. 69 70 71 72 73 S.L.

79 S. S. 74 75 S.L.
80 PAPERS PRESENTED - continued Date Presented Report of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights on the Medical Registration (Amendment) Bill [Bill No 30/2020] Report of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights on the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill [Bill No 32/2020] ….. 22 October 2020 ….. 22 October 2020 Sport Singapore Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 22 October 2020 Public Transport Council Annual Report FY 2019/2020 ….. 22 October 2020 Ngee Ann Polytechnic Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute Report and Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 ….. 23 October 2020 ….. 23 October 2020 National Heritage Board Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 23 October 2020 COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) (Amendment No.
17) Regulations 2020 Economic Development Board Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements 2019/2020 Singapore Tourism Board's Annual Report 2019/2020 and Audited Financial Statements 2019/2020 Central Provident Fund (MediSave Account Withdrawals) (Amendment No.

4) Regulations 2020 ….. 23 October 2020 ….. 26 October 2020 ….. 26 October 2020 ….. 26 October 2020 No.
11 2 NOVEMBER 2020 24 PAPERS PRESENTED - continued 2020 Date Presented S. S. S. S. 76 77 78 79 Council for Estate Agencies Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 its National Parks Board subsidiary Financial Statements for the Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 and Urban Redevelopment Authority Report and Financial Statements Financial Year ended 31 March 2020 ….. 27 October 2020 ….. 27 October 2020 ….. 27 October 2020 Casino Regulatory Authority Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 27 October 2020 S.L.
81 MediShield Scheme (Amendment No.
3) Regulations 2020 Life ….. 27 October 2020 S. S. S. S. S. S. S. 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 The People's Association Annual Report Consolidated (Annual Financial Statements) 2019/2020 its Building and Construction Authority and Financial Subsidiaries Statements Year ended 31 March 2020 ….. 28 October 2020 ….. 28 October 2020 National Arts Council Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 28 October 2020 Home Team Science and Technology Agency Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 28 October 2020 Singapore Totalisator Board's Audited Financial Statements 2019/2020 ….. 30 October 2020 Singapore Totalisator Board's Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 30 October 2020 Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Annual Report 2019/2020 ….. 30 October 2020