REASONS FOR CANCELLATION OF “DIALOGUE AND DISSENT” PROGRAMME AT YALE-NUS
Sylvia Lim sought to clarify if MOE had initiated the review of the incident, or was the review initiated after Yale-NUS College’s (YNC) own introspection on the incident.
Ong Ye Kung replied that YNC had initiated the review on their own introspection, and they informed MOE thereafter.
Read the full exchange here.
IMPACT OF ATTACK AT SAUDI ARABIA OIL SUPPLY FACILITIES ON SINGAPORE’S ECONOMY
Leon Perera sought an assessment of the impact of the recent attack on: Saudi Arabia’s oil production facility, on our oil imports from there, on prices and inflation; and the risk from rising oil prices.
Koh Poh Koon shared that the impact on Singapore’s economy and consumer prices was likely to be limited. Singapore had strategies on energy supply security and energy price competitiveness, such as diversifying sources of crude and gas, and leveraging the wider oil trading ecosystem to ensure stable supplies.
Read the full exchange here.
HIKE IN CHILDCARE FEES FOLLOWING INCREASE IN GOVERNMENT’S CHILDCARE SUBSIDY
Noting that some parents will not benefit from the recent rise in childcare subsidies, Dennis Tan asked how the Government intended to help such parents cope with the childcare fee hikes.
Desmond Lee replied that families that do not qualify for the enhanced Additional Subsidy can benefit from other kinds of support: including higher subsidies under Special Approval for full-time caregiving mothers, financial assistance for the low-income, and lower fee caps for government-supported preschools in the medium term.
Read the full exchange here.
SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES’ TRACKING OF CHIN SWEE ROAD TODDLER WHO DIED FIVE YEARS BEFORE
Daniel Goh asked why the Government had not been aware that a toddler, found recently dead in a Chin Swee Road flat, was missing for five years.
Dennis Tan asked if the toddler who had been recently found deceased in a Chin Swee Road flat, had been registered at birth, and if so, why Government agencies had not detected the child’s absence from education and other records.
Desmond Lee shared that investigations and criminal proceedings were currently ongoing. But added that the family had interactions with various agencies and organisations over the years. In addition, ICA had confirmed that the child’s birth was registered.
He shared that family had contact with several various Government and community agencies such as MSF Social Service Office, Child Protective Service, Home Team agencies, MOE, the Early Childhood Development Agency and Family Service Centres. But that a 2 year-old child would generally have no interaction, on a regular basis, with agencies.
The general assessment made from these engagements by officers and social workers was there was no suspicion that the child had gone missing or had come to any harm, and the family had said that the child was being looked after by relatives
Read the full exchange here.
HAZE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR SINGAPORE HEALTHCARE INSTITUTES
Daniel Goh asked if the public hospitals had specific guidelines on protecting patients from haze and if wards should be air conditioned and fitted with air purification filters.
Gan Kim Yong said that the Ministry of Health (MOH) had issued guidelines to public healthcare institutions to protect the welfare of its patients and staff during periods of haze, which apply to all public hospitals, polyclinics and nursing homes.
MOH also funds public hospitals, polyclinics and non-private nursing homes to purchase air purifiers and portable air coolers for use in naturally ventilated wards during haze situations. During sustained severe haze, subsidised wards in public hospitals and government-built nursing homes can deploy fans, portable air coolers and air purifiers to mitigate the effects of haze.
Read the full exchange here.
HDB RENTAL FLAT APPLICANTS WHO HAVE EXCEEDED INCOME ELIGIBILITY CEILING
Part 1
Daniel Goh asked how many applications under HDB’s Public Rental Scheme had been rejected due to applicants exceeding the household income ceiling in the three years, prior to recent criteria flexibility policy changes.
Lawrence Wong replied that HDB took a needs-based approach when assessing public rental flats requests, accounting for factors such as household income, and whether applicants had other housing options and family support. HDB would continue to assist those in need with a public rental flat even if their income exceeds $1,500.
There was no available data on the number of applicants who were rejected on the basis that they had incomes above $1,500, as applicants were not rejected solely based on their household income.
Part 2
Pritam Singh asked how many successful HDB rental flat applicants had exceeded the income eligibility threshold of $1,500 over the past five years.
Lawrence Wong said that over the last five years, HDB had allocated rental flats to about 720 applicants who exceeded the income guideline of $1,500.
Read the full exchange here.
WAITING PERIOD FOR ELIGIBLE APPLICANT TO BE ASSIGNED PUBLIC RENTAL FLAT
On public rental flats, Png Eng Huat asked for the number currently unoccupied, as well as the total current waitlisted applicants for such flats and the expected waiting time for eligible applicants to be assigned one.
Lawrence Wong shared that not all of the current 8,000 rental units were meant for new rental applications due to redevelopment plans for many of the older rental blocks. Currently, there were about 200 households waiting to collect their keys to a public rental flat. Due to sufficient present supply, the time taken for an applicant to be assigned a public rental flat was about 2 months, especially if the applicant was not particular about location.
Read the full exchange here.
ENSURING MEDIA LITERACY COUNCIL’S MATERIALS ARE APPROPRIATE FOR SCHOOLS
Leon Perera asked how many copies of the “Get Smart with Sherlock” booklet on fake news had been printed, and distributed to students, and if MOE would review the current vetting processes for such material.
S Iswaran replied that 29 schools had requested copies of the “Get Smart with Sherlock” guide and 32,000 copies were provided. The Media Literacy Council has since stopped the guide’s distribution, with advisories sent to the 29 schools. He added that the Council regularly reviewed its materials and processes in consultation with the Ministry and other stakeholders.
Read the full exchange here.
STUDIES ON WORKPLACE BULLYING IN SINGAPORE
On workplace bullying, Pritam Singh asked if local or independent studies or surveys had been conducted in light of the findings of the inaugural Kantar Inclusion Index.
Josephine Teo shared that MOM’s 2018 survey revealed a 2.4% reportage of bullying at the workplace, with a specific definition of bullying encompassing episodes of verbal abuse, threats or assault during the course of their work. This differed from Kantar’s definition which focused on conflating bullying, harassment, and being “undermined”. MOM has based their methodology on the European Working Conditions Survey, against Kantar’s 14 countries sample, and cautioned people to exercise judgment when assessing Kantar’s findings and other such reports or indices.
Read the full exchange here.
DATE LATEST ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES REVIEW COMMITTEE FORMED
Pritam Singh asked for the date on which the latest Electoral Boundaries Review Committee was formed.
Chan Chun Sing shared that the latest Electoral Boundaries Review Committee was formed on 1 August 2019.
Read the full exchange here.
INCREASE IN DENTAL TREATMENT CHARGES IN LAST 10 YEARS AND EFFORTS TO STEM RISING COSTS
Daniel Goh sought information on the rise in dental treatment costs over the past ten years, and what was being done to stem the rises.
Gan Kim Yong replied that the inflation rate for dental services, after government subsidies, was 2.1% per annum between 2009 and 2018, with average bill size for polyclinics and average charges for CHAS dental clinics for subsidised dental treatments growing by about 1% per annum from 2012 to 2018.
Subsidised dental care services at CHAS facilities, referrals for subsidised dental treatments at the National Dental Centre Singapore and National University Centre for Oral Health Singapore, and MediSave savings were some ways to mitigate costs for dental services.
Read the full exchange here.
MEAN AND MEDIAN MORTGAGE SERVICE RATIO FOR SINGLE HDB FLAT IN LAST FIVE YEARS
Leon Perera asked for information on the mean and median mortgage service ratio for those servicing mortgage loans for only a single HDB flat, and how many HDB lessees had been allowed to exceed the ratio ceiling.
Lawrence Wong replied that between 2014 and 2018, the mean and median mortgage service ratios (MSRs) of HDB housing loans disbursed at key collection were similar, at a stable around 20% for new flat purchases, and 25% for resale flat purchases.
For a small number of flat buyers (around 3% of those who collected keys to their HDB flats in 2018), while their approved loan amount adhered to the MSR cap over the maximum applicable loan tenure, their mortgage instalment over the shortened loan tenure may exceed 30% of their monthly income.
Read the full exchange here.
MEASURES TO COPE WITH HAZE AND AIR POLLUTION
Part 1
Dennis Tan requested for an update on the haze outlook for Singapore in the coming months, and the diplomatic efforts to mitigate haze generation in Indonesia, and domestic efforts to mitigate the impact on public health.
Masagos Zulkifli said that he had written to his Indonesian counterpart to offer Singapore’s assistance to tackle land and forest fires. Further correspondence at various levels have continued since. In addition, closer cooperation amongst ASEAN countries and stakeholders was necessary to make progress towards a haze-free ASEAN.
Such efforts included the regional haze-related meetings, such as the 21st meeting of the Sub-Regional Ministerial Steering Committee (MSC) on Transboundary Haze Pollution held in Brunei on 6 August.
Part 2
Sylvia Lim asked for the considerations for, and assessment on, reporting air quality based on 24-hour PSI and 1-hour PM 2.5 readings as compared to other indices or measures.
In reply, Masagos Zulkifli said that during transboundary haze episodes, PM2.5 was the dominant pollutant and had the most influence on the Pollutant Standards Index. The 1-hour PM2.5 levels provided an indicative measure of the current air quality, and thus was a useful indicator to guide immediate activities, such as whether or not to exercise outdoors. The timely daily advisories provided the forecast of the PSI for the next 24 hours which could be used as the basis for major decisions, such as school closure.
Part 3
Sylvia Lim asked how the enactment of the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) 2014 had enhanced Singapore’s response to transboundary haze pollution.
Masagos Zulkifli replied that the THPA complemented Indonesia’s efforts and other countries to hold offending companies to account, especially for damage to the environment of other States or areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. Since 2015, NEA has served legal notices to six companies under the THPA, and while none of the investigated companies had been prosecuted yet, the THPA has put added pressure on companies to behave responsibly, and the Government have no plans to amend the THPA at this moment.
Read the full exchange here.
UPDATE ON NEA LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT STUDY ON PLASTICS
Pritam Singh asked when NEA would publish the life cycle assessment study on plastics in its entirely for use by academics, professionals, and lay persons, to promote an evidence-based approach to climate solutions suited for the Singapore context.
Masagos Zulkifli said that NEA had released a factsheet on the key findings of the lifecycle assessment study on carrier bags and food packaging by NUS in 2018. NEA would work with NUS to release more information on the study, focusing on the methodologies and assumptions, and to enhance readability and ease of understanding by the general public. The additional information would be released when ready.
Read the full exchange here.
INSECT FARMS IN SINGAPORE
Leon Perera asked how many insect farms were currently located in Singapore, the insect types permitted for cultivation there, and if there were plans to allow post-consumer food waste to be used in insect farming as part of food waste recycling.
Masagos Zulkifli shared that there were currently two licensed establishments in Singapore that rear insects, with one licensed by the Animal & Veterinary Service as it reared insects for pet food. The Singapore Food Agency licensed the other to rear animal feed, specifically the Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL) using waste streams from local food manufacturing companies. The BSFL were processed into aquaculture feed for fish.
As insect farming was still a developing field, SFA was closely monitoring developments, such as rearing practices, research and scientific literature, as well as relevant regulations adopted by overseas regulatory authorities, and thus would continue to refine its regulations and support for insect farming in Singapore.
Read the full exchange here.
CARE-GIVERS GIVEN SPECIAL APPROVAL FOR HIGHER SUBSIDY SUPPORT FOR INFANTCARE AND CHILDCARE
Daniel Goh asked how many current caregivers have been given the Special Approval for higher subsidy support for infantcare and childcare as they were not working or were non-parent caregivers, as well as the average higher subsidy support received.
Desmond Lee replied that under Special Approval, eligible applicants who were not working or non-parent caregivers may receive the higher subsidy support that working mothers receive. Currently, 2,100 applicants received higher subsidy support under Special Approval, and on average, received $520 and $950 per month in total subsidies for childcare and infant care respectively.
Read the full exchange here.