Hwang Soo Jin
Singapore
“I remember that soon after the Blue Paper was published, a career woman came to see me at one of my Meet-the-people sessions. Speaking for some friends, she complained to me that after hearing the news concerning the Blue Paper, they could not sleep for several nights as they were apprehensive that they would not be able to maintain their…”
“To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether he will direct the Housing and Development Board to look into the need to construct more public lavatories in that part of Ang Mo Kio New Town which falls within Jalan Kayu Constituency, especially in areas where senior citizens regularly meet: (b) what is the number of complaints o…”
“Sir, permit me to just make a short observation. Listening to hon. Members, it gives me the impression that maybe we should forget the whole MRT study and save all the millions of dollars and instead spend it on carrying out a study on the operational efficiency of SBS, Like the Member for Serangoon Gardens, I thought that the answer give…”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I think there is still too much of a delaying tactic here as far as I can see. Probably next year the same words will be said again. I just like to remind the Hon. Minister for the second time that the police post at Ang Mo Kio is the result of the closure of the police post in Yio Chu Kang in my constituency.”
“Sir, a rather more pertinent question to ask is whether the handcuffing procedure should not be looked into or reviewed so as to make sure that it is not applied indiscriminately and causing unnecessary embarrassment. I think this is the point of the Member for Radin Mas.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, whether you call it an impasse or foot-dragging or whatever, we have been hearing the same words for more than a year. Last year, the Minister said exactly the same thing. Last year he said that we gladdened his heart, and again this year he says we gladden his heart and we are on his side.”
The complete record
Every one of 521 lines we hold for Hwang Soo Jin, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 9 of 11.
“Mr Speaker, Sir, it is all very well to have all the rules and regulations, but how about their enforcement? I think the Factory Inspectorate is not adequately staffed. I am just wondering what is the latest position regarding the staffing of the Factory Inspectorate. Will the Minister please inform the House?”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I just wish to seek further clarification on the point which the Minister has earlier made. Am I correct in assuming that if I submit a question for oral answer on the same basis as I put it to him earlier on, I will not get an answer in this House?”
“Can I be permitted to raise a small point, Sir? I am just wondering whether the Minister would like to take the opportunity to inform the House what progress has been made by the Development Bank of Singapore in its efforts to salvage its investment in Eupoc.”
“Sir, I would also like to ask the Parliamentary Secretary this question. Last year when we were debating the same topic, the Minister said that they were investigating the conditions of our farming community. I do not know whether this investigation or survey has been completed. Because of this lapse of time, it has led to certain members of farming households having to work as taxi drivers, etc.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I wish to thank the Minister for his explanation. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1401 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1331. Sir, it appears to me that the strength of the Guard and Escort Unit is not quite adequate to meet the present demands of the business community. I have been told that a great number of regular users of the services of the unit have recently had their services withdrawn from them without sufficient warning. I have also been told that fresh applications for the services of the Guard and Escort Unit are no longer being entertained. I would like to take the opportunity of asking the Minister what plans he has to expand the services provided by this unit. Sir, in view of our inability to provide the services required, I would also like to know whether the Minister will allow private firms providing similar services to be adequately armed. I believe that the present position is that they are not allowed to arm themselves. So long as we allow valuable property to go unprotected, it seems to me that this is rather a dangerous situation and we are, in fact, indirectly encouraging the commission of crime.”
“In view of the fact that the Minister seems to be aware of the problems involved, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $52,753,270 for Head 1202 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1203 - The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Conceicao - (1) That the sum to be allocated for Head 1203 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1071.”
“Sir, before I withdraw my amendment I would just like to draw the attention of the House to the fact that about 50 per cent of the number shown against Woodbridge Hospital are apparently readmissions. This does seem to suggest that perhaps the treatment given at the hospital is not really good. I have heard complaints that patients are sent home too soon. In fact, I know of one particular case my constituent - who was beaten up twice by his son who was apparently let out too soon from the hospital. Another point which I would like to mention is that I use Yio Chu Kang Road quite often and some nights on my way home, I was surprised to see some patients apparently doing a striptease by the roadside. They are not only a hazard to themselves, but also a danger to people driving along that stretch of the road. This is one matter which I feel might be due to the lack of supervision and possibly could be due to the shortage of staff at the Woodbridge Hospital. 6.30 p.m.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir. I beg to move. That the sum to be allocated for Head 1202 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1733. Sir, as our society becomes more urbanised and more industrialised and as the pace of life quickens, it seems inevitable to me that more and more people will crack up mentally. As a result, they are unable to adjust themselves and to come to terms with the tremendously increased pressure and changed circumstances of a modern society. This seems to be the sad story behind the statistics supplied by the Minister for Health to the Member for Katong yesterday. It will be seen that the total number of people who sought psychiatric help has gone up from 28,431 in 1968 to 39,847 in 1970. These are patients who attended the outpatient clinics. The increase is definitely quite frightening. I am rather surprised to see that in Woodbridge Hospital itself, there is only one psychiatrist. I cannot see how one psychiatrist can cope with the total number of some 3,000 inmates at any one time. Perhaps the Minister would like to clarify this point.”
“I beg leave to withdraw, Sir. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $2,965,400 for Head 1003 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 1004 -”
“Sir, before I withdraw my amendment, I would like to clarify a small point. As far as I am concerned, I cannot recall having received the Annual Reports of the Fire Brigade Department for the two years 1968 and 1969. These Reports are also not available in the Parliament Library. According to the Library records, the last report received from the Department was for 1967. I do not know whether later reports have since been presented to Parliament.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1003 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. Sir, although the point I am raising here is a comparatively minor one, nevertheless I think it worth while to take up the time of the House as it concerns the dignity of the House. If what we discuss here concerning the various aspects of Government administration is not to be taken seriously by the departments concerned, then I think we are making a mockery of the parliamentary system. During last year's debate, I drew the attention of the House to the late publication of the Fire Brigade Annual Report for the year 1967, and the Minister in reply said that he regretted very much that it had come out two years late. He promised that something would be done immediately. Up to date we still have not got the report for the year 1968. We are not only two years late but more than two years behind time! I hope this is not characteristic of the manner in which the Fire Brigade responds to fire alarms. I would appreciate some explanation from the Minister.”
“I would like to thank the Minister for his explanation but, at the same time, I wish to suggest that perhaps a little time and effort should be spent on public relations. Very few people seem to know about the Bureau. I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 1001 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1101. Sir, it appears to me that the Central Complaints Bureau has outlived its usefulness. I say this because there seems to be an obvious preference on the part of the general public to bring their complaints to Members of Parliament or air them through the press. Many people seem to be running their own independent complaints bureaux. Even Radio and T.V. Singapore has a Chinese programme called Tah Chung Ter Hua. So with all this competing demand for attention, I think it is a waste of money to continue to maintain the Central Complaints Bureau. We might as well close it down and divert the staff to, say, the Factory Inspectorate, a move which I am sure will please my union colleagues here very much.”
“Sir, I thank the Minister for the explanation and beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $418,720 for Head 0701 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0703 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, my point is that the minimum of five cents should be applicable to school children and not to adults.”
“Mr Speaker. Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0701 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1001. Sir, I merely wish to take the opportunity of asking the Minister about the implementation of the Wilson Bus Study. I believe the Minister has publicly announced that he has accepted this report in principle. I do not know whether he will follow strictly the recommendations contained therein, or whether there will be a subsequent revision. As the report stands at the moment, it looks as if the people in my constituency are going to be left with much less bus services than they have at present. For instance, route numbers 5 and 6, which I think are known to the Minister, will be withdrawn and the total number of buses in service will also be substantially reduced. Another matter which I would ask the Minister to consider is that the minimum fare for school children should remain at five cents and not ten cents.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The following amendment stood in the name of Mr Conceicao - That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 3001.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2016. This is an item on rehabilitation and retraining of disabled persons. The amount allocated under this subhead has been reduced from $9,500 to $8,000. I do hope that this is not an indication by the Minister that he is placing less importance on the rehabilitation and retraining of disabled persons. Sir, in view of the greater number of industrial accidents, it is fair to presume that the number of disabled persons will increase from year to year. As I see it, there is a need to increase the facilities for the rehabilitation and retraining of disabled persons. However, in view of the very small provision of $8,000, I do not really see what kind of facilities can be offered. I should appreciate it if the Minister could give some information on the facilities at present available in his Ministry.”
“The policy is already very clearly laid down and surely the directive that civil servants should not pass the buck to the M.P.s should go down the line. This is wasting the time of the applicants, not just the time of the M.P.s, which is less important than that of the public.”
“Can I just make a small point? On those cases which are still under active consideration, I hope the Minister will direct the staff that whenever they are approached by members of the public, they should explain to them that there is no point in wasting their time coming back. There have been occasions where such applicants were referred by the officials to Members of Parliament. This is wasting everybody's time. It is an easy way out for a civil servant to say, "Well, if you want something to be done, go and see your M.P." This attitude is wrong basically.”
“I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“I think the Minister of State misunderstood my question. I asked, when would he be able to announce the revision? I did not ask when it would be implemented.”
“Since the matter has reached a very advanced stage, can we hold the Minister of State to a definite date as to when the revision will be announced?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0601 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 1002. Sir, at the risk of being accused of playing the same old record, I would like to harp on the subject of workmen's compensation once again. During the past month the Minister of State for Labour has on at least two occasions mentioned that the benefits under the Workmen's Compensation Ordinance will be revised. May I know when and to what extent it will be revised? I would also like to take the opportunity of asking the Minister of State for Labour when he will be introducing new sets of safety rules applicable to building construction. The number of accidents at building sites is going up, and at quite a fantastic rate too. Therefore, I think this area deserves his earliest attention.”
“Sir, I beg leave to withdraw. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. The sum of $11,009,840 for Head 0501 ordered to stand part of the Estimates. Head 0601 -”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 0501 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 2096. Sir, I am just taking the opportunity of seeking some information. Will the Minister inform the House when an overseas mission will be established in Moscow, and who will be the first Ambassador?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would just like to seek clarification on a small point. According to the Memorandum on the Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure. It is stated that one reason that accounts for the bigger vote required is that "the Department would like to conduct special investigation which would examine such problems as wastage and effectiveness." Sir, problems such as wastage and effectiveness, I should have thought, are already being looked after by the Organisation and Methods Branch of the Treasury and duplication of the same service surely will only result in wastage. Can the Minister please clarify?”
“Finally, Sir, as a Member of Parliament from an agricultural area, I would like to associate myself with the sentiments expressed by the Member for Jurong when he spoke on the Government's policy, or lack of policy, on agricultural development. I do hope that the Minister will take the opportunity to assess the entire situation and formulate a rather more realistic approach to the matter.”
“But in our endeavour to attract these foreign companies to come in, there is, to my mind, a danger that our entire economy may be so geared to serve these giants that we may, wittingly or unwittingly, neglect the need to continue to encourage and to assist in the development of the medium and small industries, particularly those started by our own nationals. I say this because I have been told that with increasing competing demands for services from these big firms, our smaller firms in both the manufacturing and other sectors are beginning to experience difficulty in obtaining financial support from their bankers who obviously consider it safer and more profitable to finance the established international giants than the small companies with somewhat limited resources. The plight of these small industries was brought up during a recent forum held at Nanyang University which was fully reported in the press, and it is unnecessary for me to repeat what was said. What has prompted me to bring forth the matter is the Minister's quotation of the analysis made by Mr S. Okita, President of the Japan Economic Research Centre. According to Mr Okita, as quoted by the Minister for Finance, one of the reasons that account for Japan's high growth rate is the "widespread small and medium sized industries developed mainly by private initiative". If we agree with Mr Okita, I feel that more should be done by the Government to assist in the development of small and medium industries and, in particular, the Development Bank of Singapore should be directed to reserve a substantial part of its available funds for the specific purpose of financing these small industries.”
“Sir, I am not a unionist but I think it is fair to say that the relatively stable situation obtaining in Singapore has been due, I think, largely to the responsible attitude of our unions in not pressing for excessive wage demands on the slightest excuse, as is the practice with unions in other countries which have bad records of inflation and which suffer from the perennial problem of spiralling wages and prices. However, the brunt of keeping inflation in check should not, in my opinion, be borne entirely by the workers alone. Quite apart from taking the appropriate fiscal measures, it is the duty of the Government to maintain a close watch at all times on the price movements of necessities, and where unjustifiable increases take place, it should not be reluctant to take appropriate action. The Member for Telok Blangah, who spoke before me, quoted the recent price increase in bread. I think that is a situation which I would strongly urge the Minister to look into. The official Consumer Price Index does not appear to be adequate to do the job for which it is intended, and an early opportunity should be taken to work out a more realistic formula in line with the present-day standard of living so that it would reflect more accurately the ups and downs of our cost of living. I would now like to make a few observations on industrial development. If success in this direction is to be measured in terms of the number of foreign companies we are able to attract here, there is no doubt that we have been doing extremely well. One has only to look at the number of international giants that have set up or are in the course of setting up here.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, coming amidst complaints of the rising cost of living, the painless budget is indeed most welcome and public jubilation is very much in evidence. During the course of the Minister's speech he has, among other things, made mention of the continued inflationary conditions in some of the major industrial countries. He has also expressed concern over the cost increase in the building industry and has promised to maintain a close watch upon the situation. However, touching upon the question of the cost of living, I am inclined to agree with Members who have spoken before me that the Minister has treated the subject some-what too lightly and quoted the official Consumer Price index to show that there has only been a very slight fluctuation in the monthly average between 1969 and 1970. Without knowing the basis upon which the statistics are compiled, it is difficult for me to quarrel with the figures, but from regular conversations held with my constituents and judging by the number of letters addressed to the press on the subject lately, and indeed the complaints made by quite a few Members who spoke before me, I rather fear that there has been a definite rise in the overall cost of living affecting most, if not all, wage-earners in recent months. But I have been assured by reliable experts that the increase in our cost of living is comparatively mild if one considers the trends in other countries, particularly some of the more affluent countries such as the United States, Japan, Australia and the United Kingdom.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Minister for Finance, in replying to me in January 1970 [Vol. 29 No. 7 dated 27-1-70, col. 372], stated that he would make the findings available to the public. I am just wondering what has changed the mind of the Ministry.”
“Sir, I would like to know why it is not intended to publish the findings of the Ministry into the activities of chit fund companies.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I rise to make a few observations on the Bill. Under clause 4, with the introduction of a new Part Villa, the Authority is empowered to raise and remove any vessel or aircraft sunk. This, to my mind, is very necessary in view of the fact that over the last two years there have been quite a number of collisions within the harbour limits. On at least one occasion I think the salvage operations proceeded very slowly. Members of the House may recall that on 19th March, 1969, a vessel by the name of Kuala Kangsar sank within the harbour limits. Despite considerable efforts made, the ship was not raised until 2nd September, 1970, a delay of a year and a half. With this new provision I presume that the P.S.A, will now take a rather more active part in all salvage operations, such as the one which I have quoted. The one aspect which occurs to me is that our existing facilities for salvage do not seem to be very adequate in Singapore. Is it the intention of the P.S.A, to set up a salvage corps? Or is it the intention that a salvage association be formed, as is the practice in some other ports? I shall appreciate the Minister's clarification on this. The other point is this. Looking at the Bill as a layman, it does seem to me that there are certain ambiguities. The Bill mentions only "vessel or aircraft sunk". What about the cargoes in the vessels? Will the Authority be authorised to raise and remove the cargoes from the vessels?”
“Sir, I would just like to ask a small point. The Bill concerns the pollution of the sea. I am just wondering, what is the position in regard to the pollution of the air by vessels in Singapore waters? I do not think that this point is covered under the Environmental Health Act. Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: Mr Speaker, Sir, we believe in dealing with matters in stages. This is a Bill for the prevention of pollution of the sea. We shall in time deal with the atmosphere above the sea. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Bill considered in Committee. [Mr Speaker in the Chair] 2.51 p.m. Clause 1 -”
“Sir, it gives me considerable pleasure to rise in support of the Bill currently before the House, because in the past two years I have on two occasions raised questions concerning the Stock Exchange in this House. In 1968, I urged the then Minister for Finance to consider the setting up of an independent commission in order to supervise the Exchange. Although the scheme now proposed is very much different from what I urged, I am nevertheless satisfied that the stringent provisions and requirements will put to a stop to all the malpractices that have been going on in the Stock Exchange, very much at the expense of the small man - people who put their life savings in the Stock Exchange and one fine day wake up to find that their savings are all gone. It is all very pathetic. That is a situation that could not have been allowed to perpetuate for too long, bearing in mind particularly the socialist policy adopted by this Government. I would like to take this opportunity of congratulating the Minister on bringing about a very timely piece of legislation. It is particularly encouraging to note that the Minister will be forming a special Standing Committee to watch over the implementation of the Ordinance. This is, to my mind, a very clear demonstration of the flexibility of the Minister and his willingness to co-operate with the private sector in ensuring that the measures introduced will be a success. I have no doubt that in the course of implementation, if it is found that there are areas which are not practicable or satisfactory, the Minister will be prepared to make suitable amendments. 8.24 p.m.”
“May I ask the Minister of State what accounts for the lack of success in getting a Principal? Is it because the salary is low or because we have not cast the net wide enough?”
“Mr Govindasamy, Sir, I would like to take this opportunity to raise a question. I believe Ngee Ann Technical College is still without a permanent principal. En view of all the extensive projects coming up, surely it is important to see that the College finds itself a Principal instead of having the Minister of State for Education continuing to act as Principal of Ngee Ann Technical College. Can I have some clarification, please?”
“Sir, can the Minister of State for Labour indicate to the House to what extent the workmen's compensation will be revised?”
“And as it must be the first occasion locally where a fairly large number of companies go into merger together, their success will inspire others both in commerce and industry to undertake similar exercises in order to obtain the benefits of economies of scale. I sincerely hope, therefore, that in structuring the management of the three new companies, those concerned at the top will not hesitate to introduce modern management techniques. In particular, it is important that they appreciate and accept the need for professional managership to ensure efficiency in management. Sir, a sound management without the co-operation of the workers will however not give us an efficient bus service. And as far as this is concerned, I have-no doubt that our union colleagues will see to it that union members are made to realise their responsibility to the public and will co-operate to the utmost with the management in bringing about an efficient bus service to the people of Singapore. Speaking of the union, Sir, I am reminded that the proposed Transport Co-operative will be given certain privileges and will therefore be playing a fairly important part in helping to bring about the changes envisaged. As such, they should be organisationally prepared and competent to undertake the task ahead. May I ask the Minister what arrangements or preparations are being made by the union in this connection? 6.23 p.m.”
“Sir, I do hope that this does not suggest immediate replacement and that a reasonable grace period will be allowed during which the vehicles should preferably be submitted to regular stringent inspection by the authorities in view of the fact that these vehicles are the greatest offenders on the road in terms of air pollution. Whatever the grace period finally decided upon, it should be sufficiently long to allow for adequate replacement so as not to disrupt our commercial and industrial activities. The tremendous expansion in both sectors, I understand, has considerably increased the demand for lorry service. Calculating on the basis of an average price of $20,000 per lorry - although some lorries may cost a lot more a total of $44 million is required to finance the replacement of our complete fleet of overage lorries. Bearing in mind that a great number of these lorries are owned by individuals of no substantial means, I am doubtful whether they will be able to find adequate financial support to effect the necessary replacement within a short period. I feel sure that this point has not escaped the attention of the Minister and that the programme drawn up to phase out these goods-carrying vehicles will be reasonable and sufficiently flexible to ensure a smooth change-over. Last but not least, I would like to touch upon the proposed merger of the 10 Chinese bus companies and the establishment of three separate companies. Sir, the ultimate success of the comprehensive changes proposed for the entire public transport system hinges largely upon the successful operation of the three new companies. Their performance will therefore be watched most closely by all concerned.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, since the publication of the White Paper, quite considerable public interest and concern have been aroused. Apart from the proposed age limits of the various types of vehicles, two other areas have caused most concern. One of these is the all-out action against the pirate taxis and the other is the total abolition of SCH taxis. Whilst it may be argued that it is not the duty of the law to protect the illegal, one cannot help but sympathise with the plight of those who have been compelled by circumstances to resort to pirating on the road. These so-called pirates, I submit, Sir, have been the by-products of our own restrictive and unrealistic taxi licensing system and a totally inefficient public transport system which has failed miserably to cater for the needs of the travelling public and, as a result, has encouraged the growth of the pirates. Now that the ills have been diagnosed and the cures prescribed, I feel that we should not ignore altogether the useful albeit illegitimate, contribution made by the pirates and the legitimate contribution from those operating SCH taxis. Accordingly. I feel that certain special arrangements ought to be made to commence registration of all those who have been engaged in pirating and in the operation of SCH taxis with a view to finding them suitable alternative employment opportunities. Like the Member for Sembawang, I am concerned, Sir, about the fate of the 2,200 goods-carrying vehicles which are more than 15 years old. Sir, whilst a grace period will be allowed in the case of other vehicles that are to be phased out on account of age, there is no indication as to how the 2,200 overage goods-carrying vehicles are to be phased out. There is no recommendation anywhere in the White Paper.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, in view of the very substantial amount of money that is required to develop the port facilities of the Jurong Town Corporation, I am just wondering if the Minister can tell us what arrangements will be made to ensure that there is no duplication of the services that are already being provided by the Port of Singapore Authority. Or, as time goes on, could there be a conflict of interests between the two Authorities as regards the type of services that can be rendered?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, firstly, it appears to me that the planning forecast of the Board was quite wrong, in view of the substantial adjustments that have to be made. Can the Minister inform the House what steps are being taken to ensure a more accurate forecast in future years? Secondly, the Minister has attributed all the erroneous calls to so-called human errors. I am just wondering whether they could be due possibly to poor maintenance of the exchange rather than to human errors.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to raise a very small point. As far as I can see, it will require a great number of qualified surveyors of ships to ensure the proper implementation of this Bill. I am just wondering whether the present number of qualified surveyors in Singapore is adequate to cope with this work. Mr Yong Nyuk Lin: The Member for Jalan Kayu has raised a fair point. That is why we have made provision to accept certificates issued by classification societies which are well known throughout the world. It will not be necessary for our surveyors to survey the ships. They need only accept the certificates and classify them as being adequate for our purpose. We have a few surveyors in service who will be able to handle the rest. Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House. The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Yong Nyuk Lin]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. ENLISTMENT BILL Order for Second Reading read. 3.21 p.m.”
“I beg leave to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, That the sum to be allocated for Head 93 be reduced by $10 in respect of subhead 207. Mr Speaker, Sir, last year the Minister very kindly explained to us what hydroponics involved. I should appreciate it if the Minister would inform us to what extent progress has been made in experimenting with hydroponics. When can the knowledge and experience gained by such experiments be passed on to the private sector for commercial exploitation?”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, may I know what has accounted for the delay in carrying out the agricultural survey?”
“I beg to withdraw my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.”