Yeo Cheow Tong
Singapore
“Mdm Ho Geok Choo asked the Minister for Health in light of the recent report on fungal corneal infections (a) whether those who contracted the contact lens related fungal corneal infections will suffer permanent damage to their eyes; and (b) how long will his Ministry take to conclude its investigations into the causes of these contact le…”
“My Ministry performs a regulatory role and what we do is that we try to ensure that we have a conducive regulatory environment for the growth of this industry in Singapore. Let me tell him what we are doing in some areas.”
“Sir, on her two questions, whether we are satisfied that the school buses are collecting fares during the school holidays, as I mentioned just now, the school bus service is a contractual service between the parents and the service provider. It is therefore up to them to work out the terms and to abide by the terms.”
“Sir, on the first question, whether there is any abuse by owners of buses while using the 50% rebate, the answer is no, because LTA monitors very closely.”
“Sir, I have to repeat my answer. We are not responsible for regulating school buses and therefore will not be involved. SCHOOL BUSES (Installation of seat belts) 5. Assoc. Prof.”
“Ong Soh Khim asked the Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports (a) if his Ministry will increase the cap of $10,000 per disabled person over their lifetime for the Assistive Technology Fund scheme; and (b) if not, whether there will be a flexibility to adjust the funding cap for this scheme based on the applicant's need, as j…”
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“Sir, the Member refers to a problem. In the experience of my Ministry's maternal and child health clinics, we have not come across any evidence of such a problem.”
“Sir, my Ministry does not monitor the emotional and physical health of children under the care of foster mothers. 11.10 am [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair]”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the reasons for he decline would be, firstly, the continual removal of incentives over the last few years. Secondly, the counselling process that we have started and, thirdly, in line with the New Population Policy, I think women are becoming more aware of the need to not permanently terminate their ability to have children. With regard to the unrecorded leave for Government servants, I wish to inform the Member that this has been revised, and that with effect from March 1987 only officers without any GCE 'O' level passes who undergo sterilization after they have had their third child would be available for the seven days unrecorded leave. CHILDREN UNDER THE CARE OF FOSTER MOTHERS (Emotional and physical health) 6. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Acting Minister for Health whether his Ministry is monitoring the emotional and physical health of children under the care of foster mothers.”
“Yes, Mr Speaker, we are aware that some of them do resign to work as part-time private nurses. RETRENCHMENT AND RE-EMPLOYMENT OF WORKERS (Figures) 7. Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon asked the Minister for Labour how many workers were affected by retrenchment during the 12 months ending 29th February, 1988; and what is the situation concerning the re-employment of these workers.”
“The Ministry itself will not be recruiting nurses from overseas for the time being. But we have freed the process to enable the private hospitals to recruit nurses from non-traditional sources.”
“I am not aware of that. But if the Member for Ulu Pandan has specific knowledge of those cases, I would appreciate if she could let me know.”
“I think I have answered that question just two or three months ago. Although we have a shortage of nurses, we have been able to overcome the impact through the large number of trainee nurses that we have within the service. We have also managed to take a hard look at the work being performed by the nurses and, where possible, we have replaced those non-nursing activities with other staff so that we can free those nurses and deploy them to their proper nursing functions.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the Member for Potong Pasir should be aware that recently we have embarked on quite a massive exercise to improve the image of the nursing profession. Mr Yeo Choo Kok (Delta): Sir, does the shortage of nurses seriously affect the operation of government hospitals and clinics?”
“If the Member for Potong Pasir has any suggestions as to how we can further improve the image, we would be very happy to hear from him.”
“At the appropriate time we will definitely consult with the union.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, the private sector's salary is only marginally higher. It only needs to be marginally higher because they are attracting the nurses who are already within the service. The key factor is to be able to attract new entrants into the service, and to do that you have to make sure that the commencing salary is attractive versus the commencing salaries of the other professions. That is the direction we are looking to in terms of salary scales.”
“I would like to thank the Member for giving the suggestion. Salary is only one of the factors. We are looking into all the other factors as well, including working conditions.”
“So high economic growth in the future would be more difficult to come by. There is also a danger that our society may lose some of its dynamism as it matures. Such loss of dynamism has taken place in many countries. In Europe, for example, they have coined a word for it to describe this process of getting old - when the arteries and tissues hardened and we lose our suppleness and nimbleness. They call it Euro-sclerosis. Loss of dynamism will take place in Singapore if our population does not rejuvenate itself, and this problem will be compounded should able Singaporeans emigrate. This economic turning point, coinciding with the change in political leadership, will make our job of bettering the lives of Singaporeans much more difficult. But it will not be an impossible task provided we can release a new burst of energy, a wave of new ideas, and mobilize people to do things in new and better ways. This is what our Vision of a Nation of Excellence is all about. Our Vision is not just for the rich and the able. It is for all Singaporeans belonging to whatever social or economic class, Singaporeans of whatever race or religion. The Vision deals with ideals. The Agenda for Action deals with the fundamentals, the basic goals and the formidable challenges. Once Parliament adopts it, we will move on to the next stage, which is to prepare the programmes. With the full weight of the Government and the people behind it and behind us, we will achieve a better life for all. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Or we could let them know now so that Singaporeans could decide whether to embark on the plane with us. We believe it would be unfair to Singaporeans not to let them know early what we stand for and where we intend to lead them. We believe it would not be in Singapore's interests to keep them in the dark. For example, before investors decide to put their money here, they want to know what Singapore will be like after Lee Kuan Yew. If they are uncertain what our policies will be, they will hold back. If they are uncertain as to whether the new guard leaders can implement these policies, they will not come. That was why we decided as early as December 1984 to let Singaporeans know our Vision of Singapore. Then they would know the destination in which we intend to lead them to. That was why we followed up with the National Agenda discussion. The aim was to reach an accord with the people on the type of society they want. This Green Paper, the Agenda for Action, is the quintessence of the year-long discussions with Singaporeans from all walks of life. It captures in a few pages, not just the goals of the younger leaders, but also the hopes and fears of all Singaporeans. It is a consensus document. It is presented under my name but it is the collective effort of the new guard leaders. The National Agenda Committee, chaired by BG Lee Hsien Loong, must take the main credit for it. Apart from the transition in political leadership, we are facing another turning point. Singapore has enjoyed steady economic growth since Independence; growth exceeding 10% per annum from 1966 to 1973 and high single-digit growth from 1974 to 1984. But we are nearing the upper limit of our resources - land, human resources, water supply.”
“Jayakumar); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed. AGENDA FOR ACTION (Goals and Challenges) The First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (Mr Goh Chok Tong): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, 'That this House adopts the Goals and Challenges contained in the Agenda for Action and presented to Parliament as a Green Paper (Paper Misc. 2 of 1988) as the basis for nation building and Government policy.' We are coming to the close of one chapter in our political history and laying the groundwork for a new one. It is for this reason that I am seeking the House's endorsement of the Goals and Challenges as we see them. Sometime after the next General Election, Cabinet will consist entirely of new guard leaders, Ministers who were inducted by the Old Guards into the governing party since 1972. Senior Minister, Mr S. Rajaratnam, had said publicly that he would not be contesting the next General Election. He could be wrong, however, when he said that that would be his last birthday celebration in Kampong Glam as an MP. He has just turned 73. The Prime Minister is phasing himself out of Cabinet. Mr E.W. Barker, the third Old Guard in the Cabinet, is easy either way. Parliament too is dominated by a new generation of MPs. More new faces will appear after the next General Election. Our political leadership is in transition. We will be without the old pilots within a couple of years. We could wait until then to forge a new consensus with the people. Or we could do it during the transitional stage. We could wait until we are in charge before letting Singaporeans know what our vision is, what our goals are and how we see the challenges.”
“Sir, the disposal of radioactive isotopes in hospitals is governed by the Radiation Protection Act under my Ministry and the Water Pollution Control and Drainage Act under the Ministry of the Environment. Liquid waste arising from the use of solutions of radioactive isotopes is kept in special storerooms to allow the radioactivity to reduce to a safe level before it is discharged into the sewers. Solid waste, which includes contaminated syringes and needles, is stored until it is safe to be disposed of by burying at the Ministry of the Environment's designated sites. The safety limits imposed on the disposal of these wastes by my Ministry and the Environment Ministry are in line with international practice and are, in fact, even more stringent than most countries in order to protect our limited land and water resources. Sealed sources of radioactive isotopes such as Cobalt 60 and Caesium 137 used in the treatment of patients in radiotherapy are re-exported to the suppliers when they are exhausted. All sealed sources of radioactive isotopes are individually monitored by my Ministry's Radiation Protection Inspectorate from the time they are imported until the time they are re-exported. This system ensures that there is no improper disposal of such high level sources. There has been no case of radioactive contamination in the hospitals due to improper disposal of radioactive isotopes. My Ministry conducts regular checks on users of radio-isotopes in the hospitals to ensure that they comply with the regulations and to prevent any radiative contamination due to improper disposal. BILL INTRODUCED 11.45 am DANGEROUS FIREWORKS (AMENDMENT) BILL "to amend the Dangerous Fireworks Act (Chapter 72 of the Revised Edition)", presented by the Minister for Home Affairs (Prof. S.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, newborn babies in Singapore are currently not being tested for HIV antibodies. It is unlikely that the infection has spread to this segment of the population as so far only one female, the wife of a patient with clinical AIDS, has been found to be infected with the AIDS virus. Only two of the 19 males found to be infected are married and the majority are homosexuals. In countries with a similar low level of heterosexual spread of AIDS, infected children are either haemophiliacs infected through contaminated blood products, or are the offspring of infected intravenous drug users. In Singapore no haemophiliacs have been found to be infected, and there are very few intravenous drug users. My Ministry will continue to monitor the situation through periodic screening of the population, including newborns, should the need arise. RADIOACTIVE CONTAMINATION 17. Dr Ho Tat Kin asked the Acting Minister for Health what is the ruling and method of disposal for all radioactive isotopes used for treatment in hospitals; whether there has been any case of radioactive contamination due to improper disposal of used radioactive isotopes; and what measures his Ministry has taken to ensure that such incidents will not occur.”
“Mr Speaker, Sir, there has been a decrease in deaths from home accidents among children and infants over the last 10 years. In the late 70's an average of 19 children died each year as a result of home accidents. Over the last three years this figure has dropped to an average of 11 a year. Vigilance in the home is the key to preventing home accidents. Towards this end, my Ministry and the National Safety Council have been working together to promote home safety. Talks on prevention of home accidents are regularly given to mothers attending the Maternal and Child Health Clinics. Talks and exhibitions on home safety are organized by the National Safety Council in schools, community centres and at other public gatherings. Talks are also given over the radio and TV on the different aspects of home safety. Unlike road and industrial safety where laws can be enacted to enforce observation of safety rules and regulations, home safety can only be achieved, especially in the case of young children and infants, by parents being alert and taking proper precautions at home. Parents should also train their children to adopt safe habits and to understand the potential hazards in the home. 11.35 am [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] HUDC FLATS AT ANTHONY ROAD (Occupancy rate and sale) 13. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the occupancy rate of the HUDC flats at Anthony Road; and (b) when these flats will be sold to the public and what are the estimated selling prices.”
“For those that are due to be completed in 1988 and 1989, the dates are fairly firm in terms of the year. The months may shift a little bit. HOME ACCIDENTS (Infant mortality rate) 12. Dr Koh Lam Son asked the Acting Minister for Health whether there is an increase in the mortality rate of children and infants attributed to home accidents and what measures have been taken to reduce such mishaps.”
“Members will recall that about a year ago a similar question was asked about waiting time in polyclinics. My answer then was that the patients tend to come at certain periods of the day. For example, they tend to come early in the morning at 9.00/9.30 and therefore it is not possible to man the polyclinics just for the peak loads. We try to encourage regular patients to come at other times of the morning so that they do not have to wait so long. For example, those who come in the later part of the morning will find that their waiting time is very short but those who come together with the huge numbers who arrive at about 9.00 am which is the peak load will find that they will have to wait much longer. It is inevitable when peak loads occur.”
“The answer is no. PARKING OFFENCES IN HDB/URA CARPARKS 13. Dr Koh Lip Lin asked the Minister for National Development what is the monthly average number of motorists who committed parking offences in Housing and Development Board and Urban Redevelopment Authority carparks, and how many of them were charged in court for not paying up the fines.”
“We have taken action to recover the money used in the four cases of abuse. If there is extensive abuse, then the Ministry will definitely see how we can further increase the penalties. DEMOLITION PROGRAMME FOR OLD HDB ESTATES AND BUILDING OF FLATS FOR 3-GENERATION FAMILIES 14. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many blocks/units in the old Housing and Development Board estates have been demolished to date and in how many constituencies; (b) whether the programme has been carried out according to schedule; and (c) whether the HDB will consider building smaller and compact types of flats with separate entrances to encourage more 3-generation families to live together.”
“The Medisave funds belong to the account holder. Singaporeans generally are quite careful about the usage of their money. With the setting up of the audit committees that we have planned, we will have a better knowledge of the amounts and the usage patterns.”
“Under the regulations, if the Medisave account has been used to pay for hosipital expense, then any reimbursement by any family member to the account holder should be paid back into the account holder's Medisave account. If the Member has any specific knowledge of such payments being made to the account holder without being reimbursed back into the Medisave account, we will definitely be interested to know.”
“For the Member's information, 40% of the Medisave usage has been for the account holders' own use. The remaining 60% have been split almost equally between the spouse, the children and the parents, ie, 20% each. I am not aware of any specific instances where relatives other than the approved relatives have been allowed to use the Medisave accounts of account holders. If the Member has any specific knowledge, we will definitely appreciate such information and we will follow up on such information.”
“Sir, the Ministry has so far detected four cases of abuse of Medisave involving false declaration of relationship between the patient and the Medisave account holder. Random audit checks also revealed that there were errors in the submission of claims. These included incomplete filling up of the Letter of Certification by the doctor, and incorrect coding and classification of surgical operations. Claims were also made for multi-stage procedures as separate operations instead of as one single operation. We have viewed such errors as having occurred because doctors were initially unfamiliar with the Medisave claim procedures. To minimize such errors, the Ministry has issued comprehensive guidelines to all private hospitals and doctors on the settlement of Medisave claims. My Ministry plans to monitor more closely the use of Medisave and to check on its possible abuse. The CPF Board and my Ministry will be setting up, by the end of March this year, audit teams to scrutinize the financial and medical aspects of Medisave claims. Private hospitals have also been required to set up their own audit committees. We will also be sending study teams to various countries with well-developed national health insurance schemes. They will study how these countries monitor medical claims and prevent abuses. These measures, when implemented, will allow my Ministry to better monitor Medisave usage and to prevent its misuse or abuse.”
“There are no plans at the moment to increase the 6% contribution rate. However, my Ministry is closely monitoring the usage and the profile of the balances in the Medisave accounts to see whether there is any need to increase it in the future. [Mr Deputy Speaker in the Chair] 11.40 am ABUSE OF MEDISAVE (Measures to prevent) 13. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Acting Minister for Health (a) what is the number of reported or known cases of abuse of Medisave; and (b) what other follow-up measures will be taken to prevent abuse of Medisave besides those reported recently in the press.”
“This year, the Ministry has, for the first time extended its Health Manpower Development Programme to include nurses. Under the HMDP, nurses will be sent to reputable centres in countries such as Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States for training in the various clinical specialities. As from next year, 15-20 scholarships will be available for 'A' level students to pursue nursing degree courses in universities abroad. All these measures will help upgrade and enhance the status and image of the nursing profession. With regard to nurses performing administrative work, it is inevitable for some nurses to perform a certain amount of administrative work in the course of their duties. Where the duties are more clerical in nature, the Ministry has created clerical posts to replace the nurses. My Ministry will continue to review the deployment of nurses to optimize the use of their nursing skills. HDB LAND REVERTED TO GOVERNMENT (Effects on public housing programme) 21. Dr Koh Lip Lin asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the acreage of land which the Housing and Development Board will revert to the Land Office with the scaling down of its public housing programme in the next 5 years; and (b) how the HDB will project the demand for its flats in the light of its revised housing programme.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, every Government hospital is facing a shortage of nurses. The total shortage is about 1,000 nurses. However, there are about a thousand nurse trainees to provide the very basic patient care in hospitals under the supervision and guidance of trained nurses. This has helped to alleviate the shortage. Despite the shortage of nurses, hospitals have been able to provide a good standard of nursing care. Work procedures have been simplified and unnecessary paper work removed. However, due to the shortfall, the nurses have not been able to respond as promptly to patients' requests as they would like to as the more seriously ill will have to be attended to first. With regard to the recruitment of nurses, my Ministry is taking the following measures to recruit and train more nursing staff: (i) A publicity programme is being launched to promote nursing as a career. Open houses will be organized by the hospitals. We will also be participating in career exhibitions and giving career talks to students at schools and public libraries. (ii) Private hospitals have been asked to recruit and sponsor their own trainees for training at the Ministry's School of Nursing; (iii) Retired nurses are being encouraged to return to the profession, if necessary, on a part-time basis. Steps are also being taken to upgrade the status and image of the nursing profession. The Ministry is promoting nursing as a rewarding and satisfying career. We will increase the public's awareness of nurses as respected professionals with specialized skills. Training opportunities for nurses are also being increased. Since 1980, a total of 102 nurses have been sent overseas to attend various training courses and seminars to improve their skills.”
“We still do not have a sufficient core of local construction tradesmen. In conclusion, the construction industry is undergoing a restructuring process. The industry must continue to adjust and adapt to this new situation. New employment prospects can be found in the export market and the maintenance and retrofitting sector. PRICE HIKE IN BUILDING MATERIALS (Effect on HDB flats) 15. Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there has been a recent price hike in some building materials; and (b) whether this will result in higher building costs of Housing and Development Board flats.”
“However, the fall in the number of jobs appears to be slowing down. This is due to an increase in the level of construction activity associated with the private sector market and maintenance and retrofitting work. According to the 1986 NUS Graduate Employment Survey, the employment rate for architecture and civil engineering graduates had actually improved marginally from 1985. The situation suggests that our graduates have come to terms with economic realities. They have accepted a drop in starting pay ranging from $100 to $400 per month. he survey also revealed that a significant proportion of building and civil engineering graduates managed to find jobs outside the construction industry. With greater emphasis on professionalism in construction, many contractors are also employing graduates to supervise on-site works. The employment outlook for the Polytechnic graduates appears to be similar. These graduates have also gone through a period of adjustment. As a result, they have more realistic salary expectations and are prepared to be more flexible in their job expectations. The depressed domestic job market has also encouraged many of them to work overseas. One leading international construction firm recently recruited 60 Singapore technicians for a project in China. Foreign workers still account for a large proportion of the construction labour force (almost 50%) at the tradesmen level. Thus construction work continues to be unpopular amongst our local school leavers. There is a need to train more local workers to take up the skilled construction trades. The trend is for local workers to become supervisors or set up their own firms to undertake minor construction and renovation works after they have gained some experience.”
“Sir, we will only be able to gauge the response from the beginning of next year since the new incentives and the new policy were only announced in March this year. CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY (Employment prospects) 14. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister for National Development if he will give a report on the present state of the construction industry and indicate also the current employment prospects for Singaporeans in this industry. The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for National Development (Mr Lee Yiok Seng) (for the Minister for National Development): Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am answering on behalf of my Minister. (a) State of the construction industry Sir, the construction sector of the economy continues to remain depressed. Compared with the first quarter, the industry contracted by 1.5% in the second quarter of this year. However, the second quarter saw signs of an upturn of construction activity in the private sector. There was a three-fold increase in the value of contracts awarded in this sector over the same quarter of last year. This is linked to the growth of the manufacturing sector and renewed confidence in the property market. At the same time, the number of maintenance and renovation projects is also increasing. This will help towards making up for the slack in new construction work. All this resulted in a growth of 2.8% in the third quarter over the second quarter. However, it is too early to say that the industry has bottomed out. (b)Employment prospects in the industry The total construction labour force shrank by 2.8% in the second quarter of 1987 compared with the previous quarter. This is in line with the general decline in the level of construction activity.”
“Sir, on the basis of the latest statistics available, the response to the various incentive schemes announced in March 1987 under the new population policy are as follows: (i) As at 30th June, a total of 2,632 Government and statutory board officers had applied for the special child care leave scheme. (ii) A total of 1,918 claims were made against the Medisave account for third-child delivery expenses as at 30th June. (iii) A total of 449 children from 3-child families had benefitted from the primary school registration priority scheme for the 1988 admission. (iv) There was a net increase of 1,276 children enrolled in approved childcare centres as at 30th September. (v) A total of 141 families applied for the upgrading of their HDB flats as at 31st October. Sir, I am not able to provide any information on the tax incentive schemes since they will only take effect in the Year of Assessment 1988.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Member has asked a question on an entirely different topic but anyway I will answer him. Members of the public who wish to take their Hepatitis B immunization shots are free to ask for a blood test on their antibody status, and it is freely available. NEW POPULATION POLICY (Response to incentive schemes) The following question stood in the name of Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon - 13. To ask the Acting Minister for Health since the implementation of the various incentive schemes to encourage couples to have more children, how many per cent of working parents have made use of the tax relief scheme, child care leave and other schemes that are provided.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I do not recall the exact figure but I can assure the Member that it is not as high as 36%. Otherwise our loss of donors would be extremely high.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, it is not possible for the BTS to conduct this test for every donor. As the Member well knows, there are also 30 other blood tests that can possibly be carried out. For donors who wish to know the status of their blood chemistry, they can take advantage of the blood test services offered by the Ministry.”
“Sir, the present charges for Hepatitis B vaccination in the Government hospitals and outpatient clinics, in fact, mainly cover the purchase cost of the plasma-based vaccine used. Our cost is lower than in the private sector because of the benefit of bulk purchase. My Ministry will continue to explore for less expensive sources of vaccines manufactured strictly according to the World Health Organization's standards. Should the cost of the vaccine be lower in future, this benefit will be passed on to the public. DIFFERENTIAL PRICING OF HDB FLATS (Details) 23. Encik Othman bin Haron Eusofe asked the Minister for National Development if he will (i) provide details of the proposed different pricing of Housing and Development Board flats within the same block of flats or estate, indicating when the new pricing will be introduced, (ii) indicate whether this proposed pricing will result in price reductions of flats which are less favourably located and (iii) explain how the proposed pricing will affect the present system of allocating flats, including the allocation of flats to resettlement cases. DIFFERENTIAL PRICING OF HDB FLATS (Justification) 24. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for National Development if he will (i) explain the justification for different pricing of flats within the same estate or new town and (ii) indicate whether future prices of flats will remain within an affordable range for applicants of Housing and Development Board flats. DIFFERENTIAL PRICING OF HDB FLATS (Extension of policy) 25. Mr Chng Hee Kok asked the Minister for National Development if he will extend the policy of differential pricing of Housing and Development Board flats to differential pricing between HDB estates so that prices in less popular estates may be lowered.”
“Thank you. The Government hospitals and outpatient clinics are using the plasma-based variety of Hepatitis B vaccine. It is a highly purified inactivated product manufactured under rigorous quality control procedures complying with WHO standards. These procedures are designed to kill viruses, such as the Hepatitis B or AIDS virus, that may be present. All batches of the vaccines are required to be pre-tested for safety and effectiveness. The particular vaccine that is used by the Government hospitals and clinics has been in use for the past 10 years in many countries with no known long-term side effects. HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME (Cost) 22.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, as both Questions Nos. 20 and 21 are on the same topic, may I answer them together?”
“Immunization for babies against Hepatitis B is on a voluntary basis as it is our experience that the informed parents of today rarely need to be compelled to immunize and protect their children against infection. I am happy to say that our faith has not been misplaced, as 91% of the babies born in September at the four Government hospitals have been immunized. My Ministry will continue to monitor the response and to continue educating expectant mothers on the need to immunize their babies. With regard to Medisave for vaccination in private clinics, my Ministry is agreeable to allowing Medisave to be used for Hepatitis B vaccination in private clinics and is now working out the details of implementation with the Central Provident Fund Board, the Singapore Medical Association and the Association of Private Medical Practitioners of Singapore. HEPATITIS B IMMUNIZATION PROGRAMME (Government vaccine) 20.”
“The criteria will include factors like whether they have children who are able to support them, whether they have a Medisave account, the amount of savings that they have, and whether the household members' incomes qualify under the means test as determined by the Ministry of Finance. HOME OWNERSHIP (Review of downpayment) 12. Dr S. Vasoo asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether the Housing and Development Board will review the down payment requirement in order to encourage more home ownership; and (b) what other steps will be taken to encourage more HDB home ownership.”
“The Minister of Health plans to build a new polyclinic in Yishun New Town. Construction work is expected to begin in 1988 and is scheduled for completion in 1990. OLD VACANT HDB FLATS AT TASEK UTARA (Demolition of) 5. Dr Wong Kwei Cheong asked the Minister for National Development (a) when the old and vacant Housing and Development Board flats at Tasek Utara will be demolished; and (b) how many new flats will be built there.”
“As donor kidneys will continue to be in short supply even after the new legislation is brought into operation, the cadaveric kidney transplant programme will be restricted to Singapore citizens and permanent residents only. A non-Singaporean will not be able to benefit from the programme. Table - NO. OF ACCOUNT HOLDERS WHO WITHDREW THEIR CPF SAVINGS BEFORE AGE 55 (Cols. 1417 - 1418) ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS NOT REACHED BY 12.00 P.M EUNOS CONSTITUENCY (Building of Additional schools) 1. Encik Zulkifli bin Mohammed asked the Minister for Education when will additional schools be built, and at which locations, in Eunos Constituency.”
“In other words, Sir, these provisions are to prevent abuse, malpractice and corruption. Insurance The provisions on insurances to be effected by management corporations and subsidiary proprietors of lots in a subdivided building have been revised by the Select Committee to take care of the comments of insurers, developers, subsidiary proprietors and mortgagees. Strata Titles Board I would like to draw the attention of hon. Members to the new Part VI in the Bill which deals with the establishment of strata titles boards. Several representors made requests to the Select Committee urging the establishment of such boards, and to follow the example of New South Wales, Australia, where there is legislation providing for the establishment of strata titles boards to adjudicate disputes between subsidiary proprietors and management corporations and between one subsidiary proprietor and another. As at 9th July 1987, based on the records at the Registry of Titles, there are more than 1,200 management corporations in Singapore in charge of more than 54,000 strata units. If such disputes were not to be adjudicated by the strata titles boards, they will have to be resolved in the courts. Proceedings in the courts are complex, protracted and costly. Furthermore, we should not overload our courts with such disputes. In closing, Sir, let me say that the changes in the Bill, as reported, are quite technical. The Select Committee was grateful for assistance given by members of the Law Society as well as other representors. I believe that the changes in the Bill, as reported, significantly improves the Bill. Sir, I beg to move. Question proposed.”
“Subdivision of strata lot affecting common property A subsidiary proprietor of a lot must obtain the prior approval of the management corporation if he divides the lot in such a manner as will result in the creation of additional or new common property. In other words, this provision seeks to protect the interest of existing subsidiary proprietors of other lots and to ensure that they will not have to bear the burden of maintaining any additional common property thrown up by the redevelopment of a lot. Recovery of maintenance contributions Under the new section 40 a prior mortgagee of a unit has to take into account any contribution due and owing to the management corporation. The mortgagee's power of overreaching the outstanding contributions is curtailed when he exercises the power of sale to recover monies secured by the mortgage which are due from the subsidiary proprietor of a lot. Next, Sir, I want to touch on certain provisions dealing with Council members, managing agents and penalties. Council members Section 63 in page 57 of the Bill requires council members to disclose their interest in any contract or proposed contract with the management corporation. The reason for this new provision is to seek to curb abuses by council members. Managing agents The new section 65 requires a managing agent who is directly or indirectly related to a proprietor of a lot to declare the nature of his relationship prior to his appointment. Penalty Section 64 makes it an offence for a member of the council or a managing agent of a management corporation to use his or their position to gain directly or indirectly an advantage for himself or other persons or to cause detriment to the management corporation.”
“The new section 10A in clause 6 makes it clear that the share value of a strata lot shown on a strata title plan registered with the Registrar of Titles cannot be varied except by the Registrar of Titles for correction of technical errors or by the Court where it is satisfied that the share value was assigned fraudulently to the lot. Duties of developers A new section 31 at page 15 of the Bill requires a developer of a subdivided building to open an account with a bank in the name of the management corporation upon the establishment of the management corporation and to pay into that account for the benefit of members of the management corporation any surplus funds in the trust fund which was earlier set up by the developer for the main- tenance of the building pursuant to section 9 of the Buildings and Common Property (Maintenance and Management) Act. The developer is also required to keep proper accounting records for audit purposes for the period when he is in control of the management corporation prior to the election of council members at the first annual general meeting of the management corporation. Annual general meetings The developer is also required to convene the first meeting of the management corporation within one month of the expiry of the 'initial period' or within six weeks of a request in writing made by the subsidiary proprietors of not less than one-tenth of the total number of strata lots, whichever is the earlier. The Select Committee has introduced this more flexible definition of 'initial period' and the period is now 24 months from the date of establishment of the management corporation or such other period as may be substituted by regulations made under the Act.”
“The Select Committee received 25 written representations and heard oral evidence from 10 representors. They made valuable suggestions, many of which have now been accepted and incorporated in the Bill. The Report of the Select Committee was presented to this House on 25th June 1987. The Bill, as set out in Appendix I of the Report, incorporates various amendments made by the Select Committee. The explanations for all the amendments are contained in Appendix V of the Report. The rationale for the Bill itself was well covered by the Minister for Law during the Second Reading. I shall therefore not repeat them nor the explanations which are set out in detail. I propose only to draw the attention of hon. Members to some of the more important changes which have been recommended by the Select Committee. Share value The amended section 7 in clause 4 of the Bill prohibits a developer from selling any unit in a subdivided building unless a schedule of strata units with share value shown in respect of each unit has been filed with and accepted by the Commissioner of Buildings. The Commissioner is required to give his decision within six weeks of the filing of the schedule of strata units or of any subsequent amended schedule. A developer cannot change the share value assigned to a unit that has been sold unless he obtains the purchaser's consent. However, the purchaser's consent is not required for minor adjustments to the share value after the unit has been surveyed on completion.”
“Mr Deputy Speaker, Sir, I agree with the Member for Kaki Bukit that the present arrangement is still not the ideal arrangement, and I would like to inform him that the Ministry of the Environment is looking into ways of improving it, including the possibility of enacting a separate legislation that would enable the Ministry to properly control the import, sale, storage, and transportation of hazardous substances. I also agree with the Member that increasing the penalties will not by itself lead to the curtailment of those illegal activities that some shops are engaging in. I wish to assure him that the Ministry will continue to take strong enforcement actions to ensure that those shops that are continuing to sell such drugs illegally can be detected and brought to justice. Sir, with regard to drugs that have been banned elsewhere, the Ministry receives regular notification from the World Health Organization on drugs that have been banned from sale elsewhere. When informed by the World Health Organization, the Ministry's Inspectorate will then do a check on whether those drugs are on sale in Singapore and, if they are, order their removal. 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 Yeo Cheow Tong]. Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed. LAND TITLES (STRATA) (AMENDMENT) BILL (As reported from Select Committee) 4.05 pm Order for Third Reading read. The Second Minister for Law (Prof. S. Jayakumar): Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time." Sir, the Second Reading of the Bill took place on 29th July 1986. It was then referred to a Select Committee.”
“Question put, and agreed to. Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed. ADJOURNMENT Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to a date to be fixed." - [Mr Wong Kan Seng]. Adjourned accordingly at One Minute past Five o'clock pm to a date to be fixed. WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS SWEDISH BAN ON ARMS EXPORTS 1. Mr S. Chandra Das asked the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence (a) why the Swedish Government has again imposed a ban on the export of defence materials to Singapore; (b) whether this will have any impact on our defence requirements; and (c) whether his Ministry and its defence related companies have alternative sources for similar defence materials.”
“If we are going to do that, then we should publicize the list of objectors. I think we will rely on the mass media campaign that we will be carrying out, that those people who feel that it is desirable, in the interest of saving lives, not to opt out would not opt out. We hope that those people who have opted out will over a period of time be persuaded by our arguments to change their decision. In which case, we would welcome their withdrawal of their objection. The Member for Telok Blangah has also asked about the criteria of brain death and in case of doubt will the Minister have the final say. A set of criteria will be drawn up and the actual certification of death will be carried out by a team of doctors or specialists whose job is to determine the time of death and the state of death. So it will not have to come to me at all. It will be settled at the hospital level by the specialists who are the best persons to be involved. In terms of the priority system, the key criterion is medical suitability. Based on that we will then find out which are the potential recipients who would form the pool of potential recipients. From there, the priority system will be worked out and the final group of recipients will be identified and the other criteria will then be applied. So the other socio-economic criteria will apply at that stage. The Member for Bo Wen has asked whether in that case the criteria for selection would be publicized. In terms of the broad criteria, ie, the broad socio-economic criteria, yes, we can make them known. But in terms of the actual details, I think those tend to be rather emotional. It is best that they be left to the team of committee members who will be charged with ensuring that the selection of the recipients is carried out equitably.”