Grace Fu Hai Yien
Singapore
“The Government takes a multi-pronged approach to address the disamenities from second-hand tobacco smoke. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works with Government agencies, Town Councils and community leaders to promote considerate behaviour and strengthen social norms.”
“The Government recently announced land-use changes in Lim Chu Kang to optimise our scarce land to meet our growing and evolving needs. We are at the initial planning stage and agencies are still working out the detailed development proposals.”
“Public Waste Collectors and Town Councils have trialled the collection and treatment of segregated food waste from households. However, participation rates are poor despite regular engagement and reminders.”
“The quality of incense offerings and the practice of burning incense are not regulated by law. Instead, the National Environment Agency (NEA) works with stakeholders, such as Town Councils, agencies and religious organisations, to encourage responsible burning of joss paper and incense.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) monitors public cleaning contractors through regular physical audits and remote monitoring, complemented by video analytics. NEA also regularly assesses the cleaning quality and outcomes of public cleaning contractors.”
“This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment’s combined answer to Question Nos 15 to 18 on the Order Paper for 7 July 2026. [Please refer to "National Recycling Rates, Plans and Targets", Official Report, 7 July 2026, Vol 96, Issue 32, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
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“For example, I will not be able to go into details of the incident itself, or what contributed to the incident. In my Statement, I will cover, briefly, the incident and how it was handled by MSE and NEA; NEA's response to the charges; and NEA's ongoing commitment to workplace safety. Let me first briefly recount the incident. Most of this information is already in the public domain. On the afternoon of 23 September 2021, an Induced Draft Fan could not be switched off from the central control room, where the equipment is normally controlled. The Induced Draft Fan is used to extract gases from the incineration process for discharge via the chimney and is about two metres wide. Mr Kwok Yeow Wai, Mr Wee Eng Leng and Mr Low Yin Choon from the Electrical Maintenance Branch obtained permission from the control room to troubleshoot the electrical fault. Mr Kwok, Mr Wee and Mr Low were the three most senior officers in the Electrical Maintenance Branch. The troubleshooting led them to an electrical switch room. At the electrical switch room, a localised explosion happened near the switch gear. Mr Kwok died at the scene and Mr Wee was seriously injured. Mr Wee succumbed to his injuries three days later. Mr Low was also injured in the explosion, but has recovered and returned to work. I will now speak about how NEA responded in the immediate aftermath of the incident. First, what was done to ensure safety at the Tuas Incineration Plant and other incineration plants. Second, what was done to investigate the incident. These were done concurrently. Immediately after the incident, Tuas Incineration Plant stopped receiving waste for incineration and was safely shut down.”
“Mr Speaker, on 26 December 2023, charges were filed against the National Environment Agency (NEA) and two senior NEA officers, in relation to an explosion that took place at an electrical switch room at Tuas Incineration Plant on 23 September 2021. The incident was extremely painful for all of us in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) family. Two NEA officers, Senior Engineering Manager and Head of the Electrical Maintenance Branch Mr Kwok Yeow Wai and Executive Engineering Manager Mr Wee Eng Leng, lost their lives. Between them, they contributed nearly 85 years of service to NEA. They continue to be missed and will be remembered as caring and good-natured colleagues. A third officer, Engineering Manager Mr Low Yin Choon, suffered third-degree burns during the incident. He has since recovered and returned to work. Following the incident, NEA provided the families of all three officers with care and support, covered all medical expenses and provided workplace injury compensation. Till this day, NEA remains in contact with the families of the two late officers. The charges against NEA and its officers are serious. I had indicated, on the day the charges were filed, that I would be making a Statement in Parliament about the incident and charges. In addition, Members have asked questions: Ms Poh Li San asked about how NEA has strengthened its workplace safety practices and culture; Mr Melvin Yong asked about measures put in place to ensure such an incident does not recur. These are important questions which I will address. However, as the case is currently before the Courts, I seek Members' understanding that what I can share today will be limited, so as not to prejudice the ongoing judicial proceedings.”
“Mr Speaker, this being the first Sitting of the year, may I wish you "Happy New Year", and through you, wish everyone in the Chamber, as well as all supporting staff of Parliament, an equally prosperous and happy new year. May I have your permission, Sir, to answer oral Question Nos 1 and 2 in my Ministerial Statement to be delivered later at today's Sitting, please?”
“The study by the Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI) sought to understand the highest potential for contaminants to form in drinking water from the leaching of polymer additives by performing "stress" tests under experimental conditions, such as higher chlorine concentrations and extended contact time between tap water and the plumbing fittings. These conditions are not representative of Singapore's water distribution system. The concentration of chlorine in our tap water is usually about half of the four milligrammes per litre concentration used in the study. The contact time between tap water and the plumbing fittings is also a matter of seconds, compared to the two-week period used in the study. PUB's tests of our potable water under actual conditions indicate that the risk of formation of these contaminants is very low. PUB has a comprehensive and robust sampling and monitoring programme that runs from source to tap. It ensures that water supplied is safe for consumption. This includes conducting over 500,000 tests annually, covering a range of physical, chemical, radiological and microbiological parameters, such as pH, chlorine and Escherichia coli. PUB welcomes NEWRI's research, which helps to improve our understanding of potential contaminants of concern. PUB has been actively engaging the research team to further understand the implications of the study findings on public health in the Singapore context and will continue keeping abreast of the research and developments in international benchmarks in this area.”
“The construction of Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre is targeted to be completed by end of the year and is projected to open in the first half of 2024.”
“The hawker centre at Bukit Batok, which is co-located with assisted living residential flats, is currently in the construction stage. As the hawker centre is part of a larger Housing and Development Board (HDB) development, the completion date of the hawker centre will be aligned with the overall progress of the HDB development, which will be completed in 2024. The National Environment Authority is coordinating with HDB on the project timeline and will share the expected completion date of the hawker centre when the plans are confirmed.”
“When the Beverage Container Return Scheme (BCRS) is implemented, consumers can get a refund of their deposits when they return empty beverage containers at designated return points. This includes containers from beverages consumed at funeral wakes. The National Environment Agency will work with the BCRS Operator to engage premises owners and other stakeholders to set up accessible and convenient return points, as well as other suitable take-back arrangements. The locations could include premises at or close to where funeral wakes are held.”
“The statutory presumption provision for littering from residential flats came into force on 1 July 2023. Between 1 July 2023 and 8 October 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) received and followed up on close to 7,800 feedback cases on high-rise littering. Over the same period, about 140 acts of high-rise littering from over 80 residential flats were recorded by surveillance cameras deployed by NEA. Enforcement action has been taken against 36 offenders, of which four individuals have been charged under the statutory presumption provision after they failed to respond to NEA’s letters providing them with the opportunity to justify why the presumption provision should not be applied to them. As high-rise littering is a serious offence, NEA will continue to take swift and firm enforcement against offenders.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) deploys surveillance cameras with video analytics to record acts of high-rise littering. In a small number of cases, deployment of surveillance cameras is not possible due to the design and layout of the block. For such cases, NEA will step up educational outreach to households in the affected stack, conduct stakeouts and initiate investigations if there are eyewitness accounts. We urge residents to be considerate and not commit high-rise littering acts, which is an anti-social behaviour that threatens public safety and hygiene. The statutory presumption provision on littering from residential flats, introduced from 1 July 2023, has placed greater onus on flat owners and tenants to prevent such acts.”
“Non-domestic water users refer to those beyond households and comprise various industries, commercial buildings, schools, community centres, and so on. In 2022, the total consumption of potable and non-potable water by non-domestic water users is around 360 million cubic metres, which is about half of Singapore's total water consumption. Potable water constitutes about half of the water consumed by non-domestic water users, with the remaining half of water needs met by NEWater and industrial water. About 25% of non-domestic water users consume more than 40 cubic metres of potable water per month. This is dependent on the scale of their operations and reflects the nature of their businesses, such as food establishments and manufacturing.”
“MOH has also worked with healthcare institutions, including public hospitals, polyclinics and nursing homes, to put in place haze preparedness measures to deal with any increase in the number of patients with haze-related medical conditions and ensure that they have adequate air-purifying equipment and medical supplies. At the regional level, the ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC), hosted by Meteorological Service Singapore, continues to support ASEAN member states by providing regular assessments of the regional haze situation, daily hotspot information and early warnings of transboundary haze. The ASMC also presents its forecasts and assessments at annual ASEAN haze meetings, such as the Conference of Parties to the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP). At the 18th Conference of Parties to the AATHP, which convened in Vientiane on 24 August 2023, ASEAN countries concluded an agreement to establish the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control in Indonesia, which will work with the ASMC to strengthen the region's capabilities in dealing with hotspots and transboundary haze.”
“The National Environmental Agency (NEA) works with other Government agencies through the Haze Task Force to develop and implement plans to manage the impact of haze on Singapore. The Haze Task Force convened in April prior to the start of the haze season and again on 7 October 2023, when the air quality in some regions of Singapore exceeded PSI 100 and entered the Unhealthy range. Following the October meeting, NEA began publishing daily haze advisories up until 24 October 2023. This provided the public with timely information to plan their activities and safeguard the health and well-being of themselves and their loved ones. Specific advice was provided to the elderly, pregnant women, children and persons with chronic lung or heart disease. The public was also advised to refer to the 1-hour PM2.5 levels and personal guide when deciding on immediate activities. In the event of a severe haze episode, when the 24-hour PSI exceeds 200, the People's Association, together with relevant agencies, will distribute N95 masks to lower-income and vulnerable residents. So far, this year, we did not need to activate such distributions. All classrooms of primary and secondary schools, MOE Kindergartens, and Special Education schools are equipped with air purifiers to enhance the well-being of students during a haze episode. Preschools are similarly required to ensure sufficient air purifiers to accommodate children in the event of haze. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has advised medical practitioners on how to manage and treat patients with haze-related conditions, such as asthma or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.”
“This provides assurance that ICCs issued under their registries and used to offset taxable emissions are robustly validated, verified, issued and retired.”
“Singapore is catalysing the development of credible carbon markets. Singapore actively co-facilitated Article 6 negotiations at the United Nations Climate Change conferences and participates in initiatives, such as the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative to promote harmonisation of rules and standards. We are actively fostering partnerships in international carbon credits (ICCs) and have signed Memoranda of Understanding with more than 10 countries. Of these, Singapore has substantively concluded negotiations on government-to-government implementation agreements with Ghana and Vietnam, while negotiating with several other countries. Companies can source for ICCs from these host countries to offset up to 5% of their taxable emissions from 1 January 2024. Singapore is committed to ensuring the environmental integrity of ICCs that companies can use to offset their carbon tax liabilities. In October 2023, we published the eligibility criteria which requires ICCs to comply with Article 6 of the Paris Agreement and meet seven internationally recognised principles to demonstrate that they are of high environmental integrity. Later this year, we will publish a list of eligible host countries, carbon crediting programmes and methodologies that adhere to Singapore's ICC eligibility criteria. The National Environment Agency has signed Memoranda of Understanding with five carbon crediting programmes to leverage on their assessments, expertise and capabilities. These carbon crediting programmes have established due diligence processes, including the use of independent, accredited third party verifiers to monitor, report and verify the integrity of ICCs.”
“In the past five years, the Singapore Food Agency has not received any reported cases of catered food for migrant workers living in dormitories being provided without a “consume by” time-stamp.”
“The current number of dengue cases remains high and the risk of a surge of cases persists. This is because the expected warmer than usual year-end weather due to the current El Nino phenomenon and wetter conditions in the coming weeks may create more favourable conditions for mosquito breeding and dengue transmission. The National Environment Agency works closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) and other Government agencies through the Inter-Agency Dengue Task Force to monitor and manage the dengue situation. While most dengue cases can be managed by general practitioners and polyclinics, MOH ensures that hospitals have adequate capacity to provide timely medical care for dengue patients who need it, including severe cases which require hospitalisation. I urge members of the public and all other stakeholders to take immediate actions to remove potential mosquito breeding habitats and avoid mosquito bites in order to prevent a surge of dengue cases in the coming months.”
“The Resource Sustainability Act was introduced in 2019 to address the three priority waste streams, including food waste. Large commercial and industrial food waste generators, including hotels, shopping malls and food manufacturers, will be required to segregate food waste for treatment and submit food waste reports to the National Environment Agency. These requirements, which will be implemented for new buildings from 1 January 2024, help ensure that food waste from large food waste generators is diverted for treatment or converted into useful products, such as compost and animal feed, instead of being incinerated. We have also piloted the use of segregated food waste to generate biogas to boost electricity generation. This will be scaled up at Tuas Nexus, which is expected to commence operations in phases from 2026 onwards. Currently, while we do not have plans to require households to segregate their food waste, we continue to support ground-up initiatives to manage food waste in the community.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) requires all food catered from licensed caterers to bear a time-stamp that indicates the date and time by which the food should be consumed. Under the Foreign Employee Dormitories Act (FEDA), dormitory operators licensed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) must ensure that catered food is procured from licensed caterers and take reasonable measures to ensure that food delivered is protected from contamination until it is collected by the workers. MOM conducts inspections on licensed dormitories for FEDA compliance at least once per year. Any FEDA-related lapses identified during the inspections are expected to be rectified immediately. Workers with food-related issues can approach MOM’s Forward Assurance and Support Team officers or report the issues via FWMOMCare mobile application. Food safety issues that are specific to licensed caterers will be further investigated by SFA.”
“To safeguard food safety, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) requires food establishments involved in food poisoning incidents to take immediate corrective action to rectify the food safety lapses. SFA may also issue a direction to stop the sale of food until the lapses are rectified. This is done for incidents assessed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to have significant public health risk, or where SFA had detected severe food safety lapses. Based on joint investigation findings by SFA and MOH, SFA will take the necessary enforcement actions against the offender for lapses detected. Examples of these include prosecution in Court and the issuance of composition fines. SFA will also assess if a downgrading of the premises' food hygiene grade is warranted. In cases involving prosecution, this takes place after the offender has been convicted of the alleged offences. This allows all relevant facts to be taken into account. The time taken for food establishments to be downgraded can vary, depending on the complexity of the case, such as whether multiple food establishments are involved. It ranges from six to eleven months, with the median being eight months.”
“El Niño is a large-scale climate phenomenon over the tropical Pacific Ocean. It typically brings drier and warmer weather to much of Southeast Asia, but may also cause heavy rains or extreme weather events in other parts of the world. El Niño conditions are now here. While we are unable to ascertain the impact of El Niño specifically on food production, extreme weather events are known to cause crop loss and adversely affect food security. Singapore imports more than 90% of our food and we are not able to isolate ourselves from global food supply disruptions. Such disruptions could arise from a variety of causes, including extreme weather events, geopolitical tensions or decisions by foreign governments. Our multi-pronged approach to food security through diversifying our import sources, producing locally and stockpiling essential food items remains relevant and effective in mitigating the impact of a wide range of disruptions.”
“The number of enforcement actions taken differs from year to year, depending on the overall dengue situation. From the start of this year, the National Environment Agency (NEA) has taken enforcement actions in about 5,200 cases against premises owners for mosquito breeding. In 2020, 2021 and 2022, enforcement actions were taken against premises owners for mosquito breeding in approximately 14,700, 11,300 and 15,900 cases respectively. NEA has increased inspection and mitigation efforts at dengue hotspots and will continue its dynamic deployment of vector control resources to close dengue clusters as quickly as possible. However, NEA’s measures need to be complemented by individual and collective community actions to prevent mosquito breeding and reduce the Aedes mosquito population.”
“El Niño conditions are now here and will likely bring drier and warmer weather to Singapore in the next one to two months. The El Niño is expected to last till at least early next year, with the warmest temperatures potentially from March to April 2024. To safeguard water security, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has diversified Singapore’s water supply strategy through the Four National Taps: local catchment water, imported water, NEWater and desalinated water. While drier and warmer weather may impact our water supply from local catchment and imported water, NEWater and desalinated water are weather-resilient sources. PUB has invested and will continue investing for the long term to strengthen our water security and drought resilience amidst the effects of climate change. All of us have a role to play in managing water demand. By using water wisely, everyone can contribute to the sustainability of our water resource.”
“Under the Environmental Public Health (Food Hygiene) Regulations, food establishments are required to obtain a pet café licence from the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) if they wish to permit pets into their premises, including outdoor dining areas. This is to ensure that additional food hygiene practices required to maintain food safety are adhered to.”
“Since the implementation of the tray return policy, the Singapore Food Agency has not observed a reduction in cleanliness standards for tables in coffee shops. The rate of feedback received on table cleanliness in coffee shops has decreased.”
“In June 2022, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore co-developed and issued the guidelines on the use of light-emitting wreaths and inflatables at funeral wakes. The guidelines include a limit on the number of such wreaths per wake, where they can be placed and the hours they are allowed to be turned on. NEA had worked with stakeholders to promulgate the guidelines through the terms and conditions of permits for wakes held in public spaces. Funeral service providers have generally been compliant with the guidelines. From June 2022 to July 2023, the number of feedback received by NEA has decreased from eight feedback per month to an average of three feedback per month. NEA has no plans to set up a centralised platform at this time and will continue to work with relevant stakeholders to monitor the situation and to promote compliance with the guidelines.”
“This would avoid prolonged traffic diversion along Bukit Timah Road and the inconvenience it would pose for residents, motorists, business owners and other stakeholders. However, as a result, the completion of drainage improvement works will be delayed from 2024 to 2026. We seek the patience and understanding of stakeholders during the construction works. To reduce flood risks in the interim, PUB has completed several additional measures in 2022. These include raising a 450-metre stretch of Dunearn Road and deepening a 600-metre stretch of Bukit Timah Canal. With more intense weather events arising from climate change, it is not feasible to expand our drains to cater for every extreme rainfall event. This would require massive land take and much higher costs. We will need to be prepared for occasional short incidences of flash floods. I strongly encourage members of the public to use PUB’s communication channels to receive alerts on flood warnings, so that they can adjust their commuting plans accordingly. Managing flood risks is a collective effort.”
“Mr Speaker, the Bukit Timah area has been historically prone to flooding due to its topography and high level of urbanisation. Over the past decade, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has been progressively upgrading its drainage infrastructure to mitigate flood risks in this area. Notably, PUB completed the construction of the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal in 2019. In the same year, PUB commenced drainage upgrading works to widen and deepen the Bukit Timah Canal from Rifle Range Road to Jalan Kampong Chantek. When these works are completed, Bukit Timah Canal can convey 30% more rainwater to better meet the long-term challenge of increasing rainfall intensity. This is part of PUB’s continual efforts to enhance our drainage network to better mitigate inland floods. PUB has invested almost $2 billion on drainage improvement works in the last decade and another $1.4 billion has been set aside to carry out further improvements to the drainage system from 2021 to 2025. Climate change does not only bring about heavy rainfall but also drier weather conditions which may affect our water supply. Long-term planning and investments in weather-resilient water sources like NEWater and desalination are important. In the last five years, PUB has invested about $3 billion in key long-term water supply investments, including desalination plants, NEWater factories and expansion of its used water infrastructure, and will continue with such investments. Since the announcement of PUB’s upgrading plans of the Bukit Timah Canal, NParks has also confirmed plans to implement the Bukit Timah-Rochor Green Corridor in the same area. PUB has been working closely with NParks to dovetail the drainage improvement works with the Green Corridor works.”
“As the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance explained in the House in November last year, land that is owned by the state and used by a Government Ministry, such as for Government schools and hospitals, remains as state land. New standalone hawker centres are built on land owned by the state and used by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE). Since there is no disposal, such land remains as part of the Past Reserves and the issue of payment into the Past Reserves does not arise. For hawker centres located within integrated developments, MSE would pay rent accordingly to the land and/or building owner. MSE plans and builds hawker centres based on factors, such as residential catchment and the availability of comparable dining options in the vicinity. Land cost is not a consideration in determining how many and where new hawker centres will be built.”
“Currently, there are over 6,000 cooked food stalls in the 114 hawker centres owned by the Government. Over the last 10 years, the percentage of stallholders paying subsidised rent has decreased, from about 40% to about 30%, as the pioneer group of hawkers gradually retired and new hawkers joined the trade. Cooked food stallholders on the subsidised rental scheme typically pay either $192, $320 or $384 per month, depending on the scope of upgrading works that were carried out during the Hawker Centres Upgrading Programme at the respective hawker centres where they are located. The median rent for non-subsidised cooked food stallholders has remained relatively stable at around $1,250 per month over the last 10 years.”
“El Niño is a large-scale climate phenomenon over the tropical Pacific Ocean. It typically brings drier and warmer weather to much of Southeast Asia, but may also cause heavy rains or extreme weather events in other parts of the world. El Niño conditions are now here. While we are unable to ascertain the impact of El Niño specifically on food production, extreme weather events are known to cause crop loss and adversely affect food security. Singapore imports more than 90% of our food and we are not able to isolate ourselves from global food supply disruptions. Such disruptions could arise from a variety of causes, including extreme weather events, geopolitical tensions or decisions by foreign governments. Our multi-pronged approach to food security through diversifying our import sources, producing locally and stockpiling essential food items remains relevant and effective in mitigating the impact of a wide range of disruptions. With regard to Mr Alex Yam’s question on what the Government has done to address the impact of India’s export ban on non-Basmati white rice, we had made a request to the Indian Government for a waiver from the ban for our domestic food security requirements and the Indian Government has acceded to our request. This being said, industry and consumers also have a part to play for our food security. Businesses should have Business Continuity Plans in place and diversify their food supplies. Consumers can be flexible and consider other food options when any supply disruption occurs.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) adopts a science-based approach to assess and manage food safety risks, including for eggs, and does so through its regulatory regimes as well as consumer education. SFA accredits and approves all overseas farms before they can export eggs to Singapore. The farms need to meet SFA’s food safety and animal health requirements, including being free of Salmonella Enteritidis. At import, eggs are subject to SFA’s inspection and testing regime to ensure food safety. Inspected consignments that fail will not be allowed for sale in Singapore. Food safety remains paramount even as we enhance Singapore’s food security. Even as we diversify our sources of meat and eggs, we ensure that all new sources are subjected to a robust regulatory regime.”
“Mr Speaker, my response will also address the question filed by Mr Gan Thiam Poh1, which is scheduled for a subsequent Sitting. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) adopts a science-based surveillance and monitoring regime to ensure that food imported into Singapore is safe for consumption. When the Fukushima incident happened in 2011, Singapore restricted food imports from affected Japanese prefectures. In the years since, we have gradually allowed food imports from the region to resume with measures to ensure food safety. This includes a radiation testing regime that covers a range of radioactive contaminants. Results from tests conducted since the discharge of treated water have met our safety requirements, which are well within internationally established safe levels. SFA will continue to closely monitor radiation levels in our food imports.”
“In 2021, the National Environment Agency and the Ministry of Manpower conducted a one-off study on the ventilation in migrant worker dormitories using carbon dioxide measurements as a proxy. There are currently no plans to conduct another study. As such, the information requested by the Member is not available.”
“With more intense weather events arising from climate change, we will need to be prepared for and be used to occasional short incidences of flash floods, such as the one on 20 July 2023. I strongly encourage members of the public to use PUB’s communication channels to receive alerts on flood warnings so that they can adjust their plans accordingly. Managing flood risks is a collective effort.”
“Thunderstorms are common occurrences in our warm and humid climate and can be intense under certain atmospheric conditions. The heavy rainfall on the morning of 20 July was due to widespread intense thunderstorms over many parts of Singapore. Nearly half a month’s worth of rainfall fell within one hour. The heavy rainfall on that morning resulted in a localised flash flood that occurred along Dunearn Road. PUB issued early flood risk warnings about 20 minutes before the flash flood occurred and the flash flood subsided within 15 minutes. The Public Utilities Board (PUB)’s Quick Response Team was also on site to render assistance and the road remained passable to traffic. Dunearn Road is a known hotspot for floods. We completed the upgrading of the Bukit Timah First Diversion Canal in 2019. Longer-term measures, including widening and deepening a 900-metre stretch of the canal from Rifle Range Road to Jalan Kampong Chantek, are expected to complete by 2026. Since 2021, PUB has carried out interim works to alleviate flood risks in the Dunearn Road area. These include raising a 450-metre stretch of Dunearn Road and deepening the adjacent Bukit Timah Canal. Over the years, we have reduced the flood-prone areas in Singapore from over 3,000 hectares to less than 30 hectares today. PUB has also been planning and carrying out similar drainage improvement works for areas with higher flood risks, subject to land and other site constraints. In planning for flood resilience, PUB takes into account the long-term impact of climate change, which could potentially lead to more extreme rainfall events observed in our region and beyond. It is not sustainable to rely solely on drainage works in land-scarce Singapore for flood resilience.”
“Hawker centres and markets typically undergo cyclical Repairs and Redecoration (R&R) every six to eight years. During R&R, the centre would usually be closed for two to three months. Affected stallholders are informed in advance about the R&R and are granted rental remission for the duration of the closure. Service and conservancy charges are also typically waived during the closure. The National Environment Agency will assist interested stallholders if they wish to apply for temporary stalls in other hawker centres during this period.”
“Since September 2014, all cleaning businesses providing general cleaning services are required to be licensed by the National Environment Agency (NEA). The licensing requirements include a trained workforce and payment of Progressive Wage Model wages and bonuses to resident cleaners. Training requirements for cleaners have also been enhanced from 31 December 2022 to align with the Tripartite Cluster for Cleaners' recommendations in 2021. As announced earlier this year, NEA will implement the revised cleaning business licensing framework from 1 January 2024. The revised framework will have three classes of licences to differentiate cleaning businesses according to their capabilities and allow buyers of cleaning services to make more informed decisions when procuring such services. For example, the highest Class 1 licence requires cleaning businesses to ensure that their cleaning workforce is trained in at least three Workforce Skills Qualifications training modules, to meet a higher paid-up capital requirement and to have a good track record, including having no convictions under the relevant written laws. Attainment of the Class 1 licence will provide greater assurance that these cleaning businesses are equipped with more resources, experience and capabilities to undertake larger cleaning contracts.”
“The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) works with the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation (SAFEF) on initiatives to drum up demand for local produce. An Alliance for Action (AfA) on Local Produce Demand Offtake and Consumer Education is ongoing, to bring together stakeholders across the food supply chain to come up with solutions to raise demand for local produce. The AfA has also supported the Farm-to-Table Recognition Programme, launched to recognise food businesses in the hotel, restaurant and catering sector that procure locally farmed produce. These Farm-to-Table logos help consumers to identify and support food establishments that use locally produced ingredients. The success of our farms, ultimately, rests on consumers giving greater support for local produce in order to enhance Singapore’s food security.”
“Of course, we will monitor reports coming from those areas. As you see, we do not have jurisdiction in those areas. So, it is really not very realistic for us to expect NEA to be monitoring the quality of waters several thousand miles away from Singapore. Having said that, we do assess the plan that has been put up by the Japanese authorities on how they intend to discharge the wastewater. We do watch what IAEA is doing because IAEA is obviously monitoring the discharge and also on the lab reports very closely. More importantly is that we do take food samples to manage the risks. So, I can assure the Member as well members of the public that this item is on our agenda and we will be taking all necessary actions to keep food coming into Singapore safe.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Melvin Yong, for the question. We take a risk-based approach when it comes to food safety and these risks could be many different types of risks. It can be from nuclear activities, nuclear active materials, it can be contamination from the environment. We are inundated actually with many, many different types of risks. So, I would not want Members to go away thinking that nuclear contamination is the only thing that we are concerned with or this is an issue that we are concerned about right now. As I have mentioned earlier in my reply, we have actually been monitoring a whole host of risks and you can see that SFA, from time to time, does take action against food items that do not meet our requirements. So, this regime will continue and, of course, we will watch the situation with the discharge of Fukushima wastewater carefully. We will also rely on international assessments and we do exchange data and intelligence with other food safety authorities.”
“I thank the Member for the questions. I would like to assure Members here as well as members of the public that we do keep a close watch, as I have mentioned earlier, including the readings from the 40 monitors that Member Joan Pereira has mentioned. And we do include readings on radiation and, if necessary, we will make some of these known if we need the public to be aware. Because these monitors actually collect a lot of data, so, we do not think that it is necessary to highlight one of them, unless it is in the public interest to do so. And we have in the past, for example, when it comes to haze, we do highlight certain readings when we think that it is necessary for the public to take action. Otherwise, there will be a lot of data that may inundate the public and actually may not have the desired impact. Having said that, we will monitor closely. For some indicators, we do intend to increase the number of monitors, but I will just assure the Member that we will look into the overall requirements of environmental protection and assess our capability from time to time.”
“Mr Speaker, sorry, I could not catch hold of the Member's second and third points – made known to the public on what?”
“Thank you very much. The Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) adopt a science-based approach towards assessing food safety risks and environmental impacts respectively. To ensure food safety, food imported into Singapore is subjected to SFA's surveillance and monitoring regime, which includes radiation surveillance. Food products that fail SFA's inspections and tests will not be allowed for sale. SFA has been closely monitoring food imports, including those from Japan, and our surveillance results have been satisfactory. SFA also keeps abreast of international developments and expert reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and foreign food safety authorities to augment our surveillance and monitoring regime. NEA assesses that Japan's planned discharge of treated radioactive water from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea is unlikely to impact the seawater quality in or around Singapore waters. Since 2019, NEA has been closely monitoring Singapore's waters as part of NEA's environmental baseline radiation monitoring programme. The radioactivity measured continues to remain within our natural background levels. SFA and NEA will continue to monitor closely radiation levels in our food imports and our environment respectively.”
“Mr Speaker, may I have your permission to answer Question Nos 8 and 9 together in the Order Paper today, because they relate to the same matter?”
“Particulate matter is generated by vehicle tyres and brakes, including those of electric vehicles which tend to be heavier and create more wear on tyres. We are tracking this issue closely and monitoring international developments in research and regulation. The National Environment Agency has also invited research proposals on studies on particulate matter generated by tyres and brakes under the Air Quality Monitoring and Control Funding Initiative. This will improve our understanding of this issue and serve as a reference as we determine what steps we need to take to address such pollution.”
“Under the Resource Sustainability Act, larger supermarket operators with an annual turnover of more than $100 million are required to charge at least five cents for each disposable carrier bag provided at their Singapore Food Agency-licensed supermarkets. For public accountability and transparency, they are also required to publish information on how the proceeds were used. The Government strongly encourages supermarket operators to channel the proceeds from the bag charge to environmental or social causes and all supermarket operators have indicated that they intend to do so.”
“In situations where the feedback provider knowingly provided false or misleading information to the Singapore Food Agency (SFA), SFA will take enforcement action under section 88A of the Environmental Public Health Act for providing false or misleading information. This could result in a fine not exceeding $5,000 for first offenders, a fine not exceeding $10,000 or imprisonment up to three months or both for repeat offenders. If a food business operator has good reasons to suspect that someone has deliberately contaminated their food, they may wish to lodge a Police report so that an investigation can be conducted.”
“In general, the National Environment Agency (NEA) and the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) do not specify the number of tray and crockery return points that food establishments should provide. Food establishments are required to provide sufficient tray and crockery return points for the diners to return their used trays and crockery, taking into account factors, including the number of diners, size of the establishment, visibility and ease of accessing the tray and crockery return points. Based on feedback received from members of the public, NEA and SFA may engage food establishments to adjust the number of tray and crockery return points, if required.”
“Since 1 June 2023, the National Environment Agency and the Singapore Food Agency have stepped up enforcement against table littering at hawker centres, coffee shops and food courts. As at 19 June 2023, 112 written warnings have been issued, of which nine were issued to able-bodied individuals at or above the age of 70. No fines have been issued to date. Elderly patrons who are physically able to return their used trays and crockery should do so. Enforcement action will not be taken against persons who have genuine difficulties returning their trays due to frailty or physical disability. We encourage their accompanying family members or caregivers to return the used trays and crockery on their behalf. If they are dining alone and no assistance is available, cleaners will help to clear the trays and crockery left behind by them.”
“To assist residents affected by second-hand tobacco smoke from neighbours smoking in their homes, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Housing and Development Board, Health Promotion Board or the relevant Town Council would jointly issue an advisory to surrounding residential units to advise smokers to be considerate to their neighbours. Based on NEA’s records of feedback on smoking in homes from 2018 to 2022, most of the feedback cases did not recur after advisories had been issued. If the issue remains unresolved, the relevant agency or Town Council may engage residents in person to advise smokers to exercise consideration and avoid smoking at windows and balconies. Affected residents can also seek help from the Community Mediation Centre for mediation to resolve the issue. If the situation persists, they can file a claim with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal.”