PAYMENT FOR FAILED ERP DEDUCTIONS WITHOUT INCURRING ADMINISTRATIVE FEE
Faisal Manap asked if payments for failed ERP deductions could be made without incurring administrative or punitive fees.
Khaw Boon Wan said an administrative fee was required to cover costs for “processing the ERP violation, notification and payment”.
Read the full exchange here.
REPAIRS BEYOND DEFECTS LIABILITY PERIOD
Faisal Manap asked how many requests for repair assistance beyond the one-year DLP under the Home Improvement Programme has the HDB received.
Desmond Lee replied that the number of reported cases is “small”, and that HDB will look into the nature and cause of the feedback, and advise owners accordingly.
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RESOLUTION OF SIGNALLING PROBLEMS ALONG CIRCLE LINE
Dennis Tan asked what measures will be taken to ensure commuters are not inconvenienced by the same signalling problems again.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that LTA will develop “targeted measures” to prevent similar problems and improve the “general resilience” of the Circle and North-East Lines.
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REVIEW WIDTH OF FOOTPATHS
Dennis Tan asked if the Ministry would review the minimum width of footpaths, given that bicycles, Personal Mobility Devices and pedestrians will share the use of footpaths.
Khaw Boon Wan said that trees and utilities might constrain widening of footpaths. He also said the LTA will build more dedicated cycling lanes to have a “cycling path network in every HDB town by 2030”.
Read the full exchange here.
NUMBER OF PERSONS WHO ATTEMPTED SUICIDE
Dennis Tan asked how many suicides and attempts there have been annually over the past five years, in particular, the elderly, and whether they were living alone or with families.
Tan Chuan-Jin replied that since 2011, an average of 415 suicides occur annually, of which an average of 116 involved seniors above 60 years old. However, the Ministry does not have the data of their living arrangements.
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FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKERS (FDWs) WHO HAVE UNDERGONE BASIC ELDERCARE COURSE
Daniel Goh asked how many FDWs have been trained and deployed under the Basic Eldercare Course and the Eldercarer FDW Scheme.
Gan Kim Yong said that 167 FDWs have attended the course, of these, 52 were employed by households also receiving the FDW Grant. The Eldercarer FDW Scheme has trained 30 FDWs with 25 placed with families.
Read the full exchange here.
CAMPAIGN TO ENCOURAGE INTERVENTION IN FAMILY VIOLENCE SITUATIONS
Daniel Goh asked for an update on the “Break the Silence” intervention campaign and if a dedicated reporting hotline can be established.
Tan Chuan-Jin said that social media collaterals have been circulated along with roving community roadshows and training sessions to raise public awareness. Witnesses can call or approach the nearest Family Service Centre, Family Violence Specialist Centre or community-based Child Protection Specialist Centre and the ComCare Hotline.
Read the full exchange here.
STATE CORONER’S SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER POLICE INVESTIGATION
Daniel Goh asked whether the State Coroner’s suggestions to mitigate the risks of suicide and adverse psychological effects for young people under police investigation will be accepted.
Ng Chee Meng said that a multi-agency committee had undertaken a comprehensive review of the investigation processes and measures will be implemented in schools by February 2017.
Read the full exchange here.
STATE CORONER’S SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE UNDER POLICE INVESTIGATION
Daniel Goh asked if adding the “Appropriate Adults” to the investigation process will complicate things and questioned why the school counsellor is not the key person involved in the process.
Ng Chee Meng replied that, according to the Review Committee, an Appropriate Adult will be more suitable because this person “should be neutral.” He said that a counsellor may be a better person to support the young person’s well-being but “may not be neutral.”
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FEEDBACK FROM IMPLEMENTATION OF COURTESY CROSSING UNDER SILVER ZONE INITIATIVE
Png Eng Huat asked for the feedback on the implementation of the Courtesy Crossing under the Silver Zone initiative and what is the number of Silver Zones with public bus stops but with no bus lay-by.
Khaw Boon Wan said the feedback has been mostly positive with some users expressing that they are unsure about how to use the crossings.
He also added that “LTA has assessed that the impediment to traffic is only momentary”.
Read the full exchange here.
SOURCE OF CYBER ATTACK ON STARHUB IN OCTOBER 2016
Leon Perera asked whether the source responsible for the Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack on StarHub in October 2016 has been identified, what actions are to be taken against them and preventive measures.
Lee Hsien Loong said that investigations are nearing completion and findings will be released soon. He also answered that prevention is a “collective effort from Government, industry and public” as “there are no fool proof solutions”.
Read the full exchange here.
DISPLAY OF PRICES AT WET MARKET STALLS
Leon Perera asked if it is compulsory for wet market stallholders to display prices prominently and how does the ministry enforce this.
Amy Khor said that it is required for wet market stallholders to display prices (or price range) as part of their license conditions. However, the ministry recognises that prices of market produce fluctuates daily and are currently looking into “revising this requirement.” There are also place managers to monitor the display of prices by the stallholders.
Read the full exchange here.
PROGRESS ON PLAN TO SET UP SCHOOL-BASED STUDENT CARE CENTRES (SCC) IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS
Leon Perera asked if the programmes run by SCCs are reviewed by MOE and whether the teachers are trained to provide care for special needs students.
Low Yen Ling said that MOE works closely with Student Care Officers working in SCCs and provides them with professional development support. She also added that the officers receive support from MOE and MSF for students with special needs but did not mention if the officers are trained.
Read the full exchange here.
ENHANCING SKILLS AND CAPABILITIES OF NURSES AND NURSING AIDES
Leon Perera asked whether the level of professional training for nursing home staff is benchmarked to countries known for their high standards in eldercare and nursing care such as Japan.
Amy Khor replied that the ministry conducts study visits and information sharing with healthcare institutions in different countries, and a committee is currently “reviewing the curriculum and training of nurses.”
Read the full exchange here.
EMPLOYMENT ELIGIBILITY IN POLICE, AUXILIARY POLICE FORCE (APF) AND PRIVATE SECURITY INDUSTRY
Sylvia Lim asked if there is a change in policy on restricting eligibility for employment in the police, APF and private security industry, if so, which additional source country has been approved and what is the dependency ratio ceiling for the employment of foreigners to Singaporeans.
K Shanmugam said that the APFs and security companies are required to adhere to the dependency ratio ceilings set by MOM. Malaysia had been the only approved foreign source for APO, however, MHA has recently allowed the recruitment of Taiwanese APOs to meet growing demand.
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APPOINTMENT OF NEW ATTORNEY-GENERAL (AG) IN ACCORDANCE WITH ARTICLE 35 OF CONSTITUTION
Sylvia Lim asked whether the appointment of the new AG, who is above 60 years of age, is in accordance with Article 35(4) of the Constitution.
K Shanmugam cited past appointments of AGs who were above 60, said that the government has “taken advice from the AGC” and that he is “satisfied.”
Read the full exchange here.