IMPROVING LEVEL OF SOUND-PROOFING OF HDB BTO FLATS
Dennis Tan asked whether the level of sound-proofing in our HDB BTO flats has declined with the more recent building designs.
Lawrence Wong replied that changes in building design do not reduce the level of sound-proofing in the flats. It is important that residents do their part by being considerate, such as through keeping the noise level down especially late at night.
Read the full exchange here.
DIFFICULTY TO SELL HDB FLATS
Pritam Singh asked how much feedback has gone to HDB on minorities’ inability to sell their unit because of the Ethnic Integration policy (EIP).
Lawrence Wong replied that between 2015 and 2017, about 1,600 appeals were received for waiver of EIP.
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COMPANIES THAT DISCRIMINATE BASED ON ATTRIBUTES LIKE GENDER AND ETHNICITY
Faisal Manap asked whether MOM maintains a watchlist for companies that engage in discriminatory employment practices related to gender and ethnicity.
Low Yen Ling replied companies will be engaged by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP) to improve their employment practices should complaints be received.
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NOISE EMISSIONS FROM BUSES
Dennis Tan asked the Minister for Transport whether measures will be taken to reduce noise emissions from buses.
Lam Pin Min replied that all public buses are required to meet the noise emission standards stipulated in the Environmental Protection and Management (Vehicular Emissions) Regulations. LTA conducts regular inspections to check that noise levels are within permissible limits.
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INCIDENCES OF MOLESTATION ON MRT PREMISES
Daniel Goh asked whether incidences of molestation on MRT premises are treated as high priority for staff intervention when reported.
Janil Puthucheary replied that there is protocol in place to inform the network of support structures; the LTA and TransCom work closely with the Public Transport Operators to ensure the safety of our commuters.
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LASTING POWER OF ATTORNEY
Dennis Tan asked about the average waiting time required for the registration of a Lasting Power of Attorney.
Desmond Lee replied that the average waiting time is approximately 60 working days. This includes the mandatory 6 weeks’ waiting period required under the law.
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SOCIAL ENTERPRISES MANAGING HAWKER CENTRES
Daniel Goh asked whether audits have been conducted on social enterprises managing hawker centres to prevent the use of hidden fees and charges.
Amy Khor replied that operators need to make all charges known to potential stallholders before signing tenancy agreements, and any new charges, including optional ones, are subjected to NEA’s approval for cost transparency.
Read the full exchange here.
SOCIAL ENTERPRISES MANAGING HAWKER CENTRES
Daniel Goh asked what level of surplus of income is deemed acceptable for social enterprises which manage hawker centres.
Amy Khor replied that current NEA measures limit the potential profits of operators to ensure rentals are affordable for stallholders. Stall rentals and operating costs at new hawker centres are significantly lower than those in comparable food courts and coffee shops.
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SOCIAL ENTERPRISES MANAGING HAWKER CENTRES
Daniel Goh asked if NEA was aware of the extra costs that were at the centre of the recent public concerns.
Amy Khor replied that the extra cost referred to was an optional one. All mandatory charges have to be declared upfront to the stallholders before they sign on the tenancy agreement, and any new charges have to be approved by NEA before execution.
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SOCIAL ENTERPRISES MANAGING HAWKER CENTRES
Daniel Goh asked if NEA conducts regular surveys of hawkers with respect to satisfaction with management.
Amy Khor replied that place managers visit the new hawker centres weekly to engage stallholders, among conducting other tasks. Stallholders can raise any pertinent issues with the place managers.
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HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME
Pritam Singh highlighted that spalling concrete continues to be an issue for residents even though it is an essential item of improvement under Home Improvement Programme I (HIP I). He suggested having hydrostatic solutions for kitchens, so as to slow down the seepage of moisture between floors; and also shower trays for toilets for HIP II.
Lawrence Wong replied that HDB would study these suggestions.
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MISLABELLED MEDICINES
Daniel Goh asked what led to over 100 clinics prescribing the wrong dosage for 800 patients and whether there were any adverse effects for the affected patients.
Lam Pin Min replied that the IT vendor had made some changes to the application code which resulted in incorrect medication labels being printed. The vendor did not report any errors from tests done. Affected patients were monitored by the clinics and there have not been any reports of adverse effects thus far.
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ELECTRICITY DISRUPTION IN SEPTEMBER
Daniel Goh asked what caused the power failure on 18 September 2018 and how many homes were affected by the blackout.
Koh Poh Koon replied that an equipment fault caused a power generating unit to trip, followed by another failure of a different equipment component resulting in another power generating unit to trip.
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HIGH-SPEED RAIL PROJECT
Dennis Tan asked what was the basis for the agreed reimbursement of S$15 million by Malaysia to Singapore for abortive costs arising from the two-year suspension of works for the HSR.
Khaw Boon Wan replied that with the project suspension, Singapore needs to pay contract breakage costs to contractors for terminating ongoing contracts. Abortive costs such as backfilling the excavation also cannot be used for the HSR Project after it resumes.
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APPLICATIONS FOR TERM FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR NSFS
Leon Perera asked whether the figure of 80% of applications approved for Term Financial Assistance (TFA) for NSFs refers only to the applications supported by commanders.
Ng Eng Hen replied that 80% of applications for TFA were approved and they included applications that were not supported by the commanders.
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VACCINES MADE BY CHANGSHENG BIOTECHNOLOGY
Leon Perera asked if vaccines made by Changsheng Biotechnology are used in Singapore and what measures are being taken to ensure these are safe.
Gan Kim Yong replied that no Changsheng Biotechnology vaccines are approved for use in Singapore.
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MINISTERIAL SALARIES
Leon Perera asked what the actual national bonus and annual variable component paid in months to Cabinet ministers from 2013 to 2017 were.
Teo Chee Hean replied that the question had been addressed by oral reply to PQ2324 taken on 1 October 2018.
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MEASURES TO PREVENT ELDERLY SUICIDE AND ISOLATION
Dennis Tan asked what new or additional measures are in place to prevent elderly suicide and isolation.
Gan Kim Yong replied that the elderly suicide death rate has declined over the past decade. In the area of prevention, there are campaigns in place to help build mental resilience. Proactive outreach and support by the Community Networks for Seniors connects isolated seniors with befrienders. Programmes have been established by the Agency of Integrated Care to identify at-risk seniors with Family Service Centers providing counselling services. Finally, 24-hour hotlines by the Samaritans of Singapore and Institute of Mental Health assist in staging crisis interventions when necessary.
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UNFAIR DISMISSAL
Leon Perera asked what alternative remedies are available for those seeking mediation for unfair dismissal, and how often they have been applied in the last 5 years.
Josephine Teo replied that the Minister for Manpower can direct an employer to reinstate an employee and pay for the loss of income, or compensate the employee. Of an average of 200 annual cases in the past 5 years, 80% are resolved through mediation. 20% are escalated and compensation rather than reinstatement is ordered.
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ICA’S BLACKLISTING OF MS CLARE REWCASTLE-BROWN
Dennis Tan asked for the source, basis and reason for ICA’s blacklisting of Ms Brown, as well as whether an objective review system was in place with regard to these requests.
K Shanmugam answered that a foreigner’s right to entry is decided by ICA, which takes into account national interest and security, as well as foreign requests. Ms Brown was not denied entry to Singapore. She entered Singapore on 14 September 2018 and was interviewed by ICA officers as part of the immigration clearance process when she left on 15 September 2018.
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NUMBER OF CYCLISTS CAUGHT FOR TRAFFIC OFFENCES
Dennis Tan asked for the number of cyclists on non-power assisted bicycles caught for traffic offences between 2008 and 2017, as well as the breakdown of these offences.
K Shanmugam answered that data for traffic offences committed by cyclists are not broken down into those on power assisted bicycles and non-power assisted bicycles. He provided a generic breakdown of offences by all cyclists in the last 10 years.
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CPF WITHDRAWALS
Daniel Goh asked about the number and percentage of eligible CPF members who made withdrawals from age 55 in the last five years and how much they withdrew.
Josephine Teo said that for the CPF members who turned 55 from 2014 to 2016, around 59% of them made a withdrawal within a year of their 55th birthday. The average amount withdrawn was about $34,000.
Read the full exchange here.
SKILLSFUTURE SERIES
Daniel Goh asked about the number of Singaporeans who would have received training in Continuing Education and Training (CET) modules in Institutes of Higher Learning (IHL) under the SkillsFuture Series by the end of 2018.
Ong Ye Kung shared that by end 2018, the Government expects that more than 16,000 participants would have completed training under the programme.
Read the full exchange here.