PUBLICATION OF FULL REPORT OF 22 MARCH FATAL TRAIN INCIDENT
Faisal Manap asked if LTA would publish the full report of the Accident Review Panel which investigated the fatal train accident near Pasir Ris MRT station and whether the Panel had concluded that the train driver was at fault.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that the Panel was convened by SMRT and it is “their prerogative to decide whether to make the full report public.” He added that findings will only be made public after all investigations, including a possible Coroner’s Inquiry, have been completed.
Read the full exchange here.
GROUNDS FOR DISMISSAL OF SMRT EMPLOYEES FOR 22 MARCH FATAL TRAIN INCIDENT
Faisal Manap asked for clarifications of the grounds for dismissal of the two SMRT employees who have been sacked over the 22 March fatal train accident.
Lim Swee Say said that MOM has “called for information on the grounds of dismissal from SMRT.” He said that an inquiry may be conducted to determine if SMRT had “just cause” for dismissal. The Union is currently engaging the two workers and helping them to secure employment.
Read the full exchange here.
RATIONALE FOR CURRENT COE VALIDITY PERIOD
Faisal Manap asked why the COE renewal period is to be fixed at 5 and 10 years; and whether the Ministry will allow flexibility for vehicle owners to choose the period of renewal of their choice.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that allowing vehicle owners to renew their COEs for any number of years they choose favours existing owners over those who wish to buy a new vehicle. This could also cause uncertainty over the supply and demand of COEs.
Read the full exchange here.
TEACHER’S FEEDBACK FOR NEW PSLE SCORING SYSTEM
Faisal Manap queried how MOE sought feedback from teachers in deciding on the new PSLE scoring system.
Ng Chee Meng replied that MOE ran “several rounds of focus group discussions and dialogues” with educators to test various proposals on PSLE scoring and Secondary One posting. MOE also received professional advice from the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board.
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DECISION NOT TO HOLD STATE FUNERAL FOR LATE FORMER PRESIDENT ONG TENG CHEONG
Dennis Tan asked whether the Cabinet had offered the family of the late former President Ong Teng Cheong the choice to hold a state funeral and whether the Government will consider honouring all past presidents with a State Funeral when they pass on.
Grace Fu said that the decision of how to honour the person, including whether to hold a State Funeral, is made by the Government after consulting the family. In 2002, the then-Cabinet had “arranged a State-Assisted funeral for Mr Ong after consulting with his family.”
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CULTIVATING INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS
Dennis Tan asked how the Ministry ensures that mainstream schools provide a suitable and inclusive environment for their special needs students, and how many of such students have switched out from mainstream schools over the past five years.
Ng Chee Meng replied that all teachers have the “basic professional awareness of special needs”, and that students learn specific ways to demonstrate care for people with special needs in the classroom, during CCAs and through Values in Action programmes. Over the past five years, about 180 students each year moved to SPED schools.
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GRASSROOTS LEADERS AND ADVISERS RECEIVING GOVERNMENT BENEFITS
Dennis Tan asked how many grassroots leaders and advisers who receive Government benefits PAP members but not volunteers with PA; and how many are both PAP members and PA volunteers.
Chan Chun Sing said that the PA does not have such records as it “does not require grassroots volunteers to declare their political affiliations.”
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GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WITH QUALIFIED OR ADVERSE ACCOUNTS FROM AUDITORS IN PAST 20 YEARS
Dennis Tan asked how many Government-related bodies have received qualified or adverse accounts by their auditors in the past 20 years.
Heng Swee Keat said that seven statutory boards had received qualified audit opinions. These stat boards are: the People’s Association (PA), LTA, URA, PUB, NAC, MUIS, and SEAB. He added that “in all the above cases, the qualifications were due to isolated causes” and “there was “no evidence of widespread non-compliance.”
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REDUCTING FREQUENCY OF ACCIDENTS CAUSED BY PMD AND ELECTRIC BIKES
Dennis Tan asked for further plans to reduce the frequency of accidents caused by PMDs and electric bikes.
Josephine Teo said that there are weight, size and speed limiters on usable PMDs in Singapore. There is also regulation of speed limits on footpaths and cycling paths, coupled with increased enforcement and education efforts.
Read the full exchange here.
SUBSIDY FOR MATERNITY AND DELIVERY SERVICES FOR NON-SINGAPOREAN WOMEN
Daniel Goh asked whether pregnant non-Singaporean women, whose child will become a Singaporean citizen, should receive government subsidies for maternity and delivery services at restructured hospitals.
Gan Kim Yong said that healthcare subsidies and contributions to the Child Development Account are applicable for newborns who are Singaporeans. He added that MOH had extended inpatient subsidies to non-citizen spouses who are on Long-Term Visit Pass-Plus, but further subsidies to foreigners who are neither PR nor LTVP+ holders need to be carefully considered.
Read the full exchange here.
SPECIAL DEPENDANT PASS FOR FOREIGN WOMEN WITH SINGAPORE CITIZEN SPOUSES OR CHILDREN
Daniel Goh asked whether foreign spouses of Singaporeans, who are mothers of children who are Singaporeans or pregnant with children who will be Singaporeans, should be issued a special dependant pass so that they will not need to be interviewed by ICA officers at the checkpoints.
K Shanmugam said that to pre-exempt any person or group from ICA checks and interviews would create a security gap. However, ICA may facilitate the clearance of travelers with special needs, such as pregnant women or elderly persons, where necessary and practicable.
Read the full exchange here.
ACCIDENTS INVOLVING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT
Daniel Goh asked how many accidents involving unmanned aircraft had been reported in the past year and whether there could be designated special flying parks for flying enthusiasts.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that there was only one report of a remote control aeroplane that damaged the roof of a housing block in Bishan. The operator could not be located. He also said that the shared use of space, rather than designating special flying parks, is preferred given Singapore’s land constraints.
Read the full exchange here.
VALUE OF REWARDS FOR PARALYMPIC MEDALLISTS
Daniel Goh queried whether Singapore’s Paralympians should be equally rewarded and recognised as our Olympians for their sporting excellence.
Grace Fu replied that the Government currently provides para-athletes with the same level of infrastructural, funding and training support as able-bodied athletes. She added that the Singapore National Olympic Council and the Paralympic Council will conduct a review of the awards scheme based on their own timeline and agenda.
Read the full exchange here.
PUBLICATION OF NATIONAL OUTPUT AND INCOME INDICATORS OF INDIGENOUS SINGAPOREANS
Chen Show Mao asked why the Ministry has stopped publishing the indigenous GDP and GNI in the annual Yearbook of Statistics since 2013.
Lim Hng Kiang said that there was a “lack of public interest in the two series”. However, the Department of Statistics continues to compile the two series internally and will provide them on request.
Read the full exchange here.
NATIONAL OUTPUT AND INCOME INDICATORS FOR INDIGENOUS SINGAPOREANS FROM 2012 TO 2015
Chen Show Mao asked what are Singapore’s indigenous GDP and GNI on a per capita basis from 2012 to 2015.
Lim Hng Kiang provided a table showing that indigenous GDP per capita grew from $54,924 in 2012 to $61,495 in 2015, while indigenous GNI per capita grew from $65,011 in 2012 to $74,166 in 2015.
Read the full exchange here.
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENTS FOR 2015 SEA GAMES
Chen Show Mao asked whether the statement of accounts and financial statements of the 2015 South East Asian Games will be disclosed to the public.
Grace Fu replied that the income and expenditure for the 2015 South East Asian Games have been included in the Annual Financial Statements of the Sport Singapore Annual Reports over FY 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Read the full exchange here.
DEALING WITH HIGHER UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
Daniel Goh asked if the Career Support Programme can be extended to PMETs under 40 years old without the 6 months unemployment restriction.
Lim Swee Say replied that for PMETs who are under 40 years, the age requirement is waived but only after six months of unemployment.
Read the full exchange here.
PENSION PAYMENTS IN PEOPLE’S ASSOCIATION’S ANNUAL REPORTS
Png Eng Huat asked why the PA’s Annual Report includes pension contributions of $366,000 and $802,000 for 2016 and 2015, when the pension scheme no longer exists.
Chan Chun Sing said that the pension contributions were paid to staff who were already on pension schemes, who were either transferred to the PA from then-Ministry of Community Development in 1993; or seconded to PA from their parent organisations. It also includes retention bonuses paid to junior grade officers.
Read the full exchange here.
PUBLICATION OF SMRT’S FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AFTER TAKE-OVER BY TEMASEK HOLDINGS
Leon Perera asked whether SMRT will continue to publish detailed financial and operating information when it becomes wholly owned by Temasek Holdings.
Khaw Boon Wan said that SMRT will be required to file its annual audited financial statements with ACRA, and the public can obtain the information from ACRA.
Read the full exchange here.
COST INCREASE TO EMPLOYERS FOR MANDATORY CORPORATE MEDICAL INSURANCE
Leon Perera asked about the cost impact on employers and the government’s Budget if portable corporate medical insurance was mandatory.
Gan Kim Yong said that with MediShield Life, “all Singaporeans now have portable medical insurance”, and employers are required to make mandatory contributions to their employees’ Medisave to help pay for the premiums of MediShield Life. Nonetheless, he said MOM and tripartite partners offers tax deductions to encourage employers to structure their voluntary medical benefits on a portable basis.
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MEETINGS OF COUNCIL OF PRESIDENTIAL ADVISERS
Leon Perera asked for meeting frequencies and attendance data of the Council of Presidential Advisers from FY2012-16.
Lee Hsien Loong replied that the Council of Presidential Advisers held between 10 and 17 meetings a year from FY2012 to FY2015. Each meeting lasted up to two hours. Attendance at Council meetings was between 6 to 8 members.
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CIVIL SERVANTS IN PART-TIME AND JOB-SHARING ARRANGEMENTS
Leon Perera asked how are Ministries and statutory boards ensuring more mothers and caregivers are provided with flexible work arrangements.
Teo Chee Hean replied that mothers and caregivers may apply for flexible work arrangements like staggered start-work hours, telecommuting and part-time work.
Read the full exchange here.
SOLAR PANELS FOR HDB FLATS UNDER SOLARNOVA TENDER
Pritam Singh asked how many HDB blocks under the purview of each Town Council (TC) have been selected to be outfitted with solar panels on their rooftops.
Lawrence Wong to date, about 1,800 blocks have been selected across all TCs. For the upcoming Solarnova tender, 600 blocks in Ang Mo Kio and Marsiling-Yew Tee TCs were selected.
Read the full exchange here.
RECONSTRUCTION OF APRON DRAINS AND UNEVEN VOID DECK FLOORS IN NEIGHBOURHOOD RENEWAL PROGRAMME
Pritam Singh asked whether HDB will include the option to reconstruct apron drains and rescreed void decks under block-related works for Town Councils in its Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP) manual.
Lawrence Wong replied that the scope of the NRP has been expanded to include those options since September 2014. The expanded scope is applicable to projects selected from FY2015 onwards.
Read the full exchange here.
UTILISATION AND TOP-UP OF SKILLSFUTURE CREDITS
Pritam Singh asked whether the Ministry intends to provide a top-up to the Skillsfuture credit in light of rising unemployment and the prospect of a skills deficit among some Singaporeans.
Ong Ye Kung said that the Government will review when to make the top-ups after taking into account various factors such as utilisation rates and the Government’s fiscal position.
Read the full exchange here.
SAFEGUARDS TO PREVENT RISE IN ONLINE GAMBLING ADDICTION
Pritam Singh asked how long would the exemptions for Turf Club and Singapore Pools valid for, and on what basis does the Ministry assess these exemptions in an on-going way?
Tan Chuan-Jin did not mention how the long the exemptions are valid for. He said that “there are measures” that the government is “looking at putting in place” and it will “constantly review this in terms of its effectiveness.”
Read the full exchange here.
PILOT PROGRAMME TO VIDEO RECORD STATEMENTS FROM SUSPECTS
Sylvia Lim asked for a status update of the pilot programme for the police to video record statements from suspects.
K Shanmugam said that although MHA had announced that the pilot will start in the first quarter of 2016, it was decided that it would be better to first put in place the necessary legislative amendments before starting the pilot programme.
Read the full exchange here.
REVIEW PARKING VIOLATIONS ENFORCED UPON PRIVATE ESTATE RESIDENTS
Sylvia Lim asked whether the government would consider a review of parking enforcement legislation so that private estate residents who park in front of their own gates without causing obstruction to pedestrian paths or road users can be exempted from enforcement for parking violations.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that the Government cannot give residents of private estates exemptions from the law in the use of public roads.
Read the full exchange here.