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.]”
The complete record
Every one of 2,293 lines we hold for Grace Fu Hai Yien, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 46.
“Most of the water supplied to data centres is met through the supply of NEWater instead of freshwater sources.”
“My Ministry has not conducted assessments of residents' exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) arising from smoking at open spaces in residential estates. We recognise that some residents, particularly those living on lower floors, may experience SHS when smokers smoke in open spaces near their homes. We urge smokers to be considerate and refrain from smoking for extended periods in areas where the SHS can affect nearby residents. We will take public feedback into consideration as we continue to review our smoking prohibition policies.”
“Under the Hazardous Waste (Control of Export, Import and Transit) Act, exporters of hazardous and other wastes controlled under the Basel Convention must obtain a Basel Permit from Singapore's designated competent authority, the National Environment Agency (NEA), before any export of the waste can take place. NEA grants a Basel Permit to exporters only after receiving written consent under the Basel Convention Prior Informed Consent (PIC) procedure from the competent authorities of the states of import and transit regarding the export proposal. In 2024 and 2025, none of such waste exported under a Basel Permit and PIC procedure was rejected or returned by destination countries.”
“During a food recall, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issues a direction to implicated businesses to remove affected products from all points of distribution. They are then required to inform SFA upon compliance. SFA checks the consolidated recalled products at businesses' premises after completion to verify compliance with the direction. Failure to comply with a direction constitutes an offence and may result in prosecution in Court. SFA also publishes press releases to notify the public of recalled products and monitors feedback from the public for follow-up enforcement actions, if needed. To strengthen the food recall process, importers and licensed food businesses involved in key nodes of distribution are required to keep records for traceability and recalls under the Food Safety and Security Act by 2028. SFA does not prescribe the product traceability system to be used by businesses. They have the flexibility to adopt any system that allows them to make swift and precise recalls.”
“When the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) issues food recall directions, implicated businesses must remove affected products from all distribution points within 48 hours and report back to SFA once the recall is completed. SFA checks the consolidated recalled products at businesses' premises after completion to verify compliance with the direction. Failure to comply with the direction constitutes an offence and may result in prosecution in court. In the past three years, SFA has not had to take enforcement action against any business issued a recall direction, as they have complied with the direction. In the event that affected products are found for sale, SFA will investigate and take the relevant enforcement actions.”
“I have addressed Parliamentary Question No 18 in my combined oral reply on 12 February 2026. [Please refer to "Assessment of Transboundary Haze Episodes, and Review of Bilateral and Regional Haze-mitigation Measures", Official Report, 12 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 17, Oral Answers to Questions section.] For Parliamentary Question No 19, Singapore has not received any requests from Malaysia for assistance to put out the recent peat fires in Johor. We are in touch with the Malaysians and will continue to monitor the situation.”
“Both casinos in Singapore have implemented smoking restrictions as part of their house rules, with smoking and non‑smoking gaming areas separated. Under the Workplace Safety and Health Act, casino operators are responsible for identifying safety hazards and taking appropriate measures in ensuring the safety and health of their workers. Examples of measures which they have put in place to mitigate the potential impact of second‑hand tobacco smoke (SHS) include maintaining negative air pressure in smoking gaming areas to prevent SHS from drifting into non-smoking areas and improving exhaust airflow rates to reduce smoke accumulation. Casino operators should also consider allowing staff working in a smoking environment the use of suitable Personal Protective Equipment, such as face masks, where practicable, based on their own risk assessment and the need to protect workers' health.”
“As of 31 December 2025, about 130, or 2%, of cooked food stalls and 280, or 4%, of market stalls across hawker centres managed by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and NEA-appointed operators have been vacant for over six months. NEA monitors stall vacancies and assesses the need for intervention on a case-by-case basis. This may include changes to allowable trade types where feasible to improve the take-up of vacant stalls.”
“Public Waste Collectors are required to meet licensing conditions, which include daily collection of refuse and up to thrice a week collection of recyclables. The National Environment Agency (NEA) imposes financial penalties for non-compliance, such as failure to collect recyclables on scheduled days without valid reasons. For the Pasir Ris-Bedok sector, the Public Waste Collector is required to collect recyclables thrice a week for 660-litre recycling bins and once a week for 2,200-litre side loader bins. Our records show that there have been no missed collections of recyclables since 2024. On top of the regular collection schedule, NEA has also been working with the Public Waste Collectors to increase the collection frequency of refuse and recyclables during periods, such as festive seasons.”
“The aggregated contamination rate for recycling bins and recycling chutes under the National Recycling Programme has remained at about 40%. This is due to the incorrect placement of non-recyclable items in blue recycling bins and chutes and contamination from food and liquid residues. The most common items incorrectly deposited for recycling include electrical and electronic waste (e-waste), clothing and composite plastics, for example, toys. E-waste should be deposited at the various e-waste collection points, and the public is encouraged to donate used clothes and toys if they are in good condition.”
“The National Environment Agency does not conduct surveillance on items being disposed of into refuse chutes, and there have been no enforcement cases on throwing lit cigarette butts in refuse chutes to date. Statutory Presumption under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 is only applied for high-rise littering from a residential flat into a public place and is not applicable for such cases. We urge smokers to exercise responsibility in ensuring that cigarette butts are extinguished before being disposed into a refuse chute or bin.”
“Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) frameworks place the responsibility and cost of managing the end-of-life treatment of products upstream on the producers. Singapore's EPR frameworks require products at their end-of-life to be properly recycled. However, as Singapore's domestic market is small and most products sold and consumed in Singapore are manufactured overseas for multiple markets, manufacturers are unlikely to adjust their product designs specifically to meet Singapore's needs. Hence, in addition to our EPR schemes, the Government provides support for targeted eco-design and circular economy outcomes through funding and partnership programmes to help local businesses and the community innovate and adopt environmentally sustainable practices. For example, companies pursuing redesign locally to facilitate circularity can apply for support from funding sources, such as the 3R Fund. We will continue to work with industry stakeholders to promote eco-design alongside other circular economy practices to reduce waste disposed of.”
“We price water to reflect the cost of supplying the next drop of water. This reflects its scarcity value where every drop of water is precious. Those who use more water, such as some industrial users, pay a larger water bill and thus bear a larger share of the costs. The Government provides targeted support to those who may require assistance with their water bills. Eligible lower- and middle-income Housing and Development Board households enjoy U-save rebates to help offset utilities expenses. The Mandatory Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme helps households make informed purchasing decision on water-efficient appliances and fittings, which will reduce their overall water consumption and bills. Households can also tap on the $400 Climate Vouchers under the Climate Friendly Households Programme to offset such purchases.”
“The Singapore Food Agency, the National Environment Agency and the Public Utilities Board, Singapore's National Water Agency, have been monitoring the level of microplastics and PFAS in our food, drinking water, coastal waters and sediments. There have been no recent changes or expansions to the monitoring programme. Most recent monitoring data show that the level of microplastics and PFAS remains low or undetectable.”
“When there is feedback from residents affected by secondhand tobacco smoke from neighbouring homes, the National Environment Agency, Housing and Development Board, Health Promotion Board or the relevant Town Council receiving the feedback would issue advisories to surrounding residential units to encourage smokers to be considerate towards their neighbours. Residents who wish to resolve the matter through the help of a trained mediator can approach the Community Mediation Centre for free mediation service. For persistent cases, residents may consider filing a claim with the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunal as a last resort. We will continue to monitor international best practices and review our policies periodically.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) has licensed Beverage Container Return Scheme Limited (BCRS Ltd) to operate the Beverage Container Return Scheme. BCRS Ltd is an industry-led, not-for-profit company incorporated by a consortium of beverage producers. BCRS Ltd is responsible for the collection and recycling of returned beverage containers. This includes leasing and deploying Reverse Vending Machines (RVMs), managing the logistics of collecting the empty containers and making payments to partners, such as town councils, for utility costs incurred by the RVMs. The scheme operator is funded through the producer fees it collects and through the sale of recyclables collected. The 10 cents charge per bottle referred to by the Member would be the deposit refundable to consumers who return the empty bottles to the RVMs under the scheme. Members may wish to refer to the combined reply made on 3 February 2026 when the Scheme was discussed extensively. [Please refer to "Mitigating Cost Impact on Customers with Beverage Container Return Scheme's Roll-out in April 2026", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The refreshed Singapore Aquaculture Plan (SAP) is a collaborative effort among various stakeholders, that is, Government agencies, academia, industry and nature groups, to co-create a living blueprint to uplift Singapore's aquaculture sector. It supports the Grow Local pillar of the Singapore Food Story 2.0. Key initiatives under the SAP include the National Broodstock Centre (NBC) and Hatchery Development and Recognition Programme (HDRP). The NBC supplies genetically superior eggs that have higher grow-out rates and are free from key production diseases, and commercial hatcheries under the HDRP raises the eggs into fingerlings for farming.”
“With climate change and geopolitical developments, food supply chains increasingly face fragmentation and disruption. The Global Partnerships pillar under the Singapore Food Story 2.0 recognises the need for Singapore to increase cooperation with countries to strengthen resilience of food trade. Partnerships manifest in various ways, such as trade facilitation or information sharing. A recent example would be the two memorandum agreements on rice trade signed with Vietnam and Thailand last year. These agreements promote rice trade between our countries and provide an avenue for Singapore to activate additional rice supplies when needed. As another example, Singapore and Brunei will be undertaking a joint feasibility study on the establishment of a Brunei-Singapore Agri-Tech Food Zone. The study will explore how both countries can leverage our respective strengths to enhance agri-food trade and food supply resilience.”
“Metal, paper, glass and plastics make up the majority of the recyclables collected from blue recycling bins. Over the past years, we estimate that about 90% of these recyclables from the blue bins have been exported, mainly to other Asian countries. In line with our obligations under the Basel Convention, Singapore has put in place controls which ensure that the export of hazardous wastes and certain controlled non-hazardous recyclables, such as mixed plastic waste, can only take place with consent from the importing country, which confirms that the importing country is able to manage the waste in an environmentally sound manner. For the export of recyclables that are not covered by the Basel Convention, such as sorted streams of metals, paper and glass, companies would have to adhere to the relevant domestic regulations of the importing country.”
“The midge population at Bedok Reservoir in the period from November 2025 to January 2026 is higher compared to previous years. The Public Utilities Board's (PUB's) data shows that the current biological larvicide remains effective. PUB, thus, does not have plans to rotate its chemical controls. In response to the higher midge population in this period, PUB has increased the application of biological larvicide and the frequency of fogging. Light-emitting diode (LED) spotlights concentrate the midges which allows for more targeted fogging. For this reason, LED spotlights remain a useful part of the suite of measures, even though PUB has not been able to quantify their effectiveness. PUB will continue to monitor the midge situation at our reservoirs closely and review the measures as needed.”
“Government agencies work together to address the impacts of adverse weather on various stakeholders. For example, the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment and the National Environment Agency launched a Heat Stress Advisory in July 2023 to help the public make more informed decisions on undertaking prolonged outdoor activities. This was developed in consultation with the Ministry of Health's expert panel. The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) will continue to collaborate with agencies to manage the impacts of adverse weather. Besides the Aviation Meteorological Programme which focuses on addressing weather-related impacts on the aviation sector, MSS works with various stakeholders, such as the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) and the Ministry of Manpower, to identify weather-related challenges. To address these challenges, MSS launched the Climate and Weather Research Alliance Singapore (CAWRAS) in September last year to advance research and development in this area. CAWRAS will leverage technological advancements, such as high-resolution modelling and artificial intelligence to enhance weather prediction capabilities for downstream users to mitigate weather-related risks and optimise decision-making in weather-dependent sectors. This includes providing more timely and localised weather information to manage adverse weather risks for workers, and supporting MPA's Port Operations Control Centres by providing vessel traffic information services to ensure safety of navigation and port operations.”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. As I have explained earlier in my reply and also in my reply to the supplementary questions, we have not reached the threshold for a haze pollution episode. But we are monitoring closely and if we get close to that threshold, we will activate the plans.”
“I thank the Member. For the first question, the answer is no. As I have explained in my reply, we have not crossed the threshold of a haze episode, because the PSI reading has been well below 100. The second supplementary question, we have an investigation that is open at this moment, with four companies under investigation. We will continue to work hard to get to some conclusion on these investigations.”
“Mr Speaker, I would like to say that, in my past encounters with my counterparts at the ASEAN level, the issue of finance has not arisen, because I do not think our neighbours are looking for financial assistance. They have capabilities and they are aware of their own accountability to their people. So, there is no discussion about financial assistance from Singapore. As I mentioned earlier in my reply, meeting with them, the discussions on forecasting, a review of the hotspots in the past six months, 12 months, it is an ongoing process that we have with them and it is not triggered by the recent dry period. So, what I am trying to summarise is that the effort to put transboundary haze on the agenda is continuing and it has achieved its outcome because we have seen haze incidents declining over the years. Having said that, we should not be complacent, because we are dealing with changing weather patterns and we expect climate change will bring about drier conditions, at the same time hotter temperatures, which make them good conditions for more potential wildfires. So, I just want to assure Members that we are doing our utmost to have that discussion at the regional level. But even with all good intentions and all good efforts by all parties involved, including our neighbours, climate change effects are being felt and we cannot rule out more wildfires contributing to haze conditions. Therefore, even as we try to manage upstream, we must also be prepared downstream to deal with hazy days when they arrive.”
“At the sub-regional level, we meet up with our neighbours regularly to go through past data and also go through forecasts, so as to get everyone ready for the weather that is coming our way. So, I would like to assure Members that this is really an area of focus, an area that we pay attention to and we will do our very best to get regional cooperation in managing transboundary haze.”
“Thank you very much, Mr Speaker. I do share the Member's concern for Singaporeans' well-being and indeed, that has been an issue for us to pay significant attention to, both in terms of getting our own domestic regulations in place, such as the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, as well as to work very closely with our own agencies for preparedness. We do not wish it to recur, but if it does, we believe that we have developed a scientifically-based hierarchy of responses, catering to different segments of the society and we stand ready to activate them. Having said that, I do share the Member's wish to see if we can, in a more effective way, go upstream and to have neighbours also paying attention to their management of air pollution. And I would like to say that my experience in this area has shown that actually the air quality has improved. The incidents of transboundary haze has actually reduced over the years. This is in no small way, due to the efforts made by our neighbours in managing their own regulations and also their own communities domestically, but also cooperating regionally at the ASEAN level. So, I would just reaffirm the suggestion of working closely with our neighbours. We do that in a few ways: we provide information; we provide capability building; we supply forecasts regularly, quarterly, half-yearly. When we see that we are getting into a potential dry season, we will step up the communications. We share our models very closely. We even have some of the officers attached to the ASMC, so as to build up trust and also common understanding of how forecasting works. At the ASEAN level, this is a constant platform for meetings and discussions.”
“We will continue to monitor the ongoing haze situation closely. Should the haze situation worsens, the Haze Task Force (HTF), led by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and comprising 28 Government agencies, will implement measures to safeguard public health, particularly for vulnerable populations, such as the elderly, pregnant women, children and people with chronic lung and heart diseases. These measures include the issuing of advisories to minimise outdoor activities and ensuring sufficient supply of N95 masks. Indoor air purifiers will also be deployed in premises where vulnerable groups are likely to congregate, such as schools, public hospitals, nursing homes and polyclinics. Members of the public may stay updated through NEA's website, the MyENV app and the dedicated haze microsite at haze.gov.sg.”
“The Meteorological Service Singapore has assessed that hotspot activity could increase in the coming weeks over nearby areas due to wind patterns and drier conditions in the current dry phase of the northeast monsoon. This could result in hazy conditions affecting Singapore. Cloud seeding for rain will not be effective, given our size and geography. Any induced rain might not fall on Singapore due to variable wind patterns. Regional and bilateral cooperation are therefore essential to address transboundary haze and Singapore is committed to these efforts. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) based in Singapore provides regular updates to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states on the weather and haze situation, including hotspot information and early warnings to support their respective haze prevention and response efforts. Singapore also engages our neighbours through platforms, such as the ASEAN Agreement on Transboundary Haze Pollution (AATHP) and the Ministerial Steering Committee on Transboundary Haze Pollution. We strongly support Indonesia's efforts to operationalise the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Transboundary Haze Pollution Control, to be based in Indonesia. The Centre will enhance regional preparedness and response to transboundary haze by facilitating cooperation and coordination in managing the impact of land and forest fires that cause haze pollution. Our 24-hour Pollutant Standards Index (PSI) readings have remained in the "good" to "moderate" range this year, with a peak PSI reading of 69 on 8 February, well within the "moderate" range. Hence, at this stage, the haze has not reached such levels that warrant investigation under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, my response to this Parliamentary Question (PQ), will also cover related questions raised by Members Joan Pereira, Fadli Fawzi and Elysa Chen regarding transboundary haze scheduled for Sittings on 24 February and later. The Members may wish to ask supplementary questions later and I will be happy to address them.”
“Site selection for Project Wolbachia is based on the assessed dengue risk of the area, and the main considerations are the historical dengue situation, current Aedes aegypti mosquito population and the size and landscape of the area. Currently, Project Wolbachia covers 35% of private landed estate households. The National Environment Agency (NEA) has announced that Project Wolbachia will be expanded to the Housing and Development Board estate in Pasir Ris, which includes parts of Changi division, from March 2026. NEA will announce new sites for further expansion of Project Wolbachia when ready.”
“Nightlife establishments, such as pubs and discotheques, are required to comply with noise control requirements as stipulated in the licensing conditions in their Public Entertainment licence issued by the Singapore Police Force (SPF). Where necessary, these establishments may also be required to implement additional noise mitigation measures. The National Environment Agency (NEA) does not regulate nightlife establishments. Upon feedback from residents, NEA will work with SPF and other agencies to engage these nightlife establishments to take further mitigation measures as far as practicable.”
“Central kitchens must generally be located within designated food zone areas or in approved food factories with the infrastructure in place to support the food processing operations. In view of the nature and scale of the use, central kitchens are not allowed in shophouses. Central kitchens are involved in significant food handling and have a larger scale of distribution than other food and beverage establishments. They are therefore subjected to more frequent inspections by the Singapore Food Agency based on factors, such as the food safety risk of food they prepare and their food safety track record.”
“There is no central register of asbestos in buildings. Building owners are responsible for ensuring compliance with the requirements relating to work involving asbestos in their buildings. Under the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM's) Workplace Safety and Health (Asbestos) Regulations, asbestos surveys need to be conducted prior to carrying out building works in buildings built before 1 January 1991. The need to remove asbestos-containing materials (ACMs) depends on the condition of the material. ACMs in buildings pose minimal health risks if the materials are in good condition and are not damaged. However, if the ACMs are damaged or likely to be disturbed due to building works, building owners must engage an asbestos-removal contractor approved by MOM to remove the ACMs.”
“The Public Utilities Board does not actively plan for fishing zones, but will assess requests for recreational fishing along waterways and reservoirs, based on safety considerations and with input from relevant land planning agencies.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) has stopped accepting applications for new smoking corners in retail food establishments since June 2017. Existing smoking corners will be phased out when the licences of the establishments are terminated or cancelled. For existing hawker centres, NEA has been engaging local stakeholders, such as the Hawkers' Associations and Town Councils, on the progressive removal of smoking corners when opportune, such as during repairs and redecoration works. In June 2017, there were about 1,000 smoking corners across hawker centres and retail food establishments. This decreased to about 600 when we last updated Parliament on this issue in October 2022. As of December 2025, the number of hawker centres and retail food establishments with smoking corners has further reduced to about 10 and 270 respectively. There are no current plans to require their removal as a condition for licence renewal.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) appoints Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) through open tenders to provide refuse and recyclables collection services for domestic and trade premises. The Government does not incur additional cost for the collection and incineration of contaminated recyclables from blue bins as such costs are included in the overall fees paid to the PWC. However, PWCs do incur additional costs to segregate the recyclables and channel the contaminated recyclables for incineration. These costs will vary depending on each PWC's specific sorting processes and operational efficiency. Contaminated recyclables also contribute to additional demand on our waste management infrastructure and lost potential revenue from recycling. Currently, sampling for contamination of recyclables is done at the Materials Recovery Facilities on an aggregated basis. NEA will continue to explore ways to strengthen our data collection to provide more targeted, community-specific interventions. We urge all residents to be mindful of depositing only recyclables in our blue bins to make a positive contribution to our sustainability effort.”
“Leaving refuse bags beside the litter bins constitutes a littering offence under the Environmental Public Health Act 1987 and it is enforced by the National Environment Agency (NEA). NEA does not track the number of enforcement actions taken for specific ground littering scenarios, such as leaving refuse bags next to litter bins. For persistent cases of litter being left beside litter bins in Housing and Development Board (HDB) void decks, NEA works with Town Councils, which manage cleaning of HDB estates, to educate residents on proper disposal practices. NEA also works with Town Councils to deploy or make use of existing surveillance camera systems to gather video evidence to facilitate NEA's investigations and enforcement of the littering offences.”
“I thank the Member for his question. This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's answer to Question Nos 1 to 5 at the Sitting of 3 February 2026. [Please refer to "Mitigating Cost Impact on Customers with Beverage Container Return Scheme's Roll-out in April 2026", Official Report, 3 February 2026, Vol 96, Issue 15, Oral Answers to Questions section.]”
“The Public Utilities Board (PUB) plans ahead and invests in water infrastructure to meet Singapore's growing water needs from its population and economic activities. This includes building up our weather-resilient sources, such as desalinated water. PUB is thus carrying out a feasibility study for a potential new desalination plant, the costs of which will be determined only after the study. PUB will continue to price water to reflect the cost of supplying the next drop of water. This allows PUB to finance its long-term investments sustainably to meet future water demand and safeguard Singapore's water security.”
“The National Environment Agency sets environmental noise limits to safeguard public health and well-being in residential settings. These limits reference international standards which determine safe noise thresholds based on health risks at different noise levels. Noise experienced by commuters within mass rapid transit (MRT) systems is monitored by the Land Transport Authority (LTA). The MRT system is designed to maintain average noise levels within the train cabin to below 85 decibels. Where the train goes through tight curves, noise levels within the train cabin may exceed this threshold momentarily. Over certain stretches of the Thomson-East Coast Line, where there are more curved tracks, additional noise reduction measures have been implemented, such as the moderation of train speeds and grinding of track surfaces to smoothen contact between the tracks and train. LTA is also trialling the use of tuned mass dampers to further reduce noise along the noisiest stretches. Both agencies will continue to review their noise management policies and efforts to ensure that they remain current and effective in protecting public health.”
“Smoking is prohibited in most common areas, such as at Housing and Development Board void decks, playgrounds, exercise areas, pavilions and covered walkways, to limit residents' exposure to second-hand tobacco smoke (SHS). My Ministry has not conducted studies on exposure to SHS from such common areas as smoking at these places is not allowed. We will continue to review our policies on smoking prohibition regularly and will take feedback from the public into consideration.”
“The National Environment Agency (NEA) or NEA-appointed operators manage and maintain hawker centres owned by the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment, including both general and table cleaning. The town councils (TCs) manage and maintain hawker centres owned by the Housing and Development Board, including general cleaning, alongside hawkers' associations, which manage table cleaning. Cleanliness levels may vary across different centres regardless of whether they are managed by NEA or TCs. Multiple factors affect the cleanliness at hawker centres, including the size and age of the centres, patron profiles and cleaning service providers. Ultimately, upholding cleanliness standards at hawker centres requires all stakeholders to work together and play their part. While there are no plans to change the current arrangement, NEA will continue to monitor cleanliness outcomes at hawker centres to ensure they remain clean and comfortable dining spaces.”
“Contractors of construction sites within 150 metres of noise-sensitive premises, such as hospitals, schools and residential premises, are required to install noise meters. The National Environment Agency (NEA) specifies the number of noise meters to be installed and their locations, based on the construction site characteristics. These noise meters take measurements continuously and record the equivalent continuous sound level (Leq) at five-minute intervals throughout the day. They are also able to measure spikes, such as the maximum noise level (Lmax). NEA refers to the recorded Leq noise levels to determine compliance with the permissible noise limits stipulated under the Environment Protection and Management (Control of Noise at Construction Sites) Regulations. This is aligned with the World Health Organization's guidelines which recommend Leq measurements for continuous and ongoing noise. NEA takes strict enforcement action against contractors who exceed the permissible noise levels, with more severe enforcement action typically taken for repeated offences as well as those with a longer duration of exceedances. NEA will continue to review the regulations, including the possible use of Lmax, to ensure that they remain relevant and effective in protecting public health.”
“We will share the outcome of the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's internal investigations when ready. The Building and Construction Authority is also conducting an investigation under the Building Control Act.”
“This question has been addressed in the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment's combined answer to Question Nos 1 to 5 on the Order Paper for 3 February 2026.”
“Singapore's national carbon emissions in 2023 was 55.5 million tonnes (Mt), a 5.3% reduction from 2022's 58.59Mt. This was primarily due to reduced output in the petrochemical sector, driven by a global downcycle in the sector. Consumption of petrol and diesel in the domestic transport sector also continued to fall, reflecting progress towards achieving our target of 100% cleaner energy vehicles by 2040. Singapore is committed to global climate action and positioning ourselves for success in a low carbon future. We are progressively implementing our decarbonisation plans across all sectors of the economy to meet our 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), as well as our 2035 NDC which we submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in February last year. For example, we are working closely with companies to help them improve their energy efficiency and lower the carbon intensity of their products and services, through schemes like the Enhanced Resource Efficiency Grant for Emissions. For a country like Singapore, our lack of resources requires us to depend heavily on global technological advancements and effective international cooperation to decarbonise. We are closely monitoring global developments, particularly on technology, renewable energy and carbon markets, to decarbonise in the most cost-effective way possible.”
“As of 30 January 2026, the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) and the Communicable Diseases Agency (CDA) have identified three cases who had consumed the affected products with mild symptoms likely associated with cereulide exposure. All cases have since recovered. SFA ensures both imported and locally manufactured infant formula meet safety requirements through our food safety surveillance. Cereulide is an uncommon contaminant in infant formula products that should not be present with effective controls in the manufacturing process. SFA was alerted to overseas recalls of infant formula contaminated with cereulide in a raw ingredient in early January 2026 and has stepped up testing of infant formula products for cereulide. SFA has directed and announced the recall of infant formula products detected with cereulide. The CDA is also working closely with SFA, and conducting surveillance with doctors and hospitals to monitor for potential cases of cereulide poisoning in children.”
“As part of the building approval process, the National Environment Agency requires developers of new residential and noise sensitive developments, such as hospitals and nursing homes, located near pre-existing land traffic noise sources to conduct and submit a Noise Impact Assessment (NIA). Developers will need to put in place mitigation measures to ensure that traffic noise identified in the NIA meet noise limits specified in the Technical Guideline for Land Traffic NIA. Examples of such measures include placing windows or openings away from noise sources, or using non-noise-sensitive buildings, such as multi-storey carparks and electrical substations, as noise buffers. That said, even as developers ensure that noise levels remain within the applicable noise limits, it is inevitable that some level of traffic noise will remain. Buyers of residential properties are therefore encouraged to conduct their own assessment on surrounding noise before making property purchases.”
“The carbon rating service providers – BeZero Carbon, Calyx Global, and Sylvera – were appointed by The National Environment Agency (NEA) through a competitive tender process to provide independent assessment of carbon credit methodologies and projects, supplementing the Government's environmental integrity assessments under the International Carbon Credits (ICC) Framework. Providers were selected based on their independence, transparent publication of their ratings, methodologies and frameworks, capabilities, market expertise, team qualifications, track record and cost competitiveness. NEA maintains oversight through disclosure and declaration requirements to identify potential or perceived conflicts of interest during the contract period and regularly monitors the providers' commercial relationships. NEA will manage work allocation to providers to ensure that no single provider develops undue influence on assessment outcomes, and that providers are excluded from assessing projects where they have existing commercial relationships or financial interests that could compromise independence. These providers serve to supplement, rather than replace NEA's environmental integrity assessment of carbon credit projects. Approvals remain with the Government, evaluated against Singapore's Eligibility Criteria to ensure the high environmental integrity of ICCs.”
“Fireworks events are transient and infrequent, and therefore not a main source of carbon emissions and air pollutants. The Government does not track the carbon emissions from them. The National Environment Agency has not observed any significant impact to the air quality in Singapore arising from fireworks displays.”