NEW BENCHMARK FOR MADRASAHS UNDER NEW PSLE SCORING SYSTEM
Faisal Manap asked what will be the new benchmark set for the six madrasahs under the new PSLE scoring system.
Ng Chee Meng said that the benchmark is pegged to the average PSLE Score of Malay pupils in the six lowest-performing national primary schools who take four Standard-level subjects.
Read the full exchange here.
CONSIDERATIONS BEHIND DECISION TO CONVERT COUPON PARKING TO ELECTRONIC PARKING SYSTEMS IN HOUSING ESTATES
Faisal Manap asked what are the considerations and deliberations behind the decision to convert coupon parking to electronic parking systems within residential neighbourhoods.
Lawrence Wong said that the EPS is a fairer system as motorist pay for the actual duration of parking with a per-minute charge structure, instead of half hour blocks if they use parking coupons. Motorists are also informed when a car park is full so that they can park in another location. The EPS has resulted in cost savings of 25% in the daily operating costs of car parks as compared to the coupon parking system.
Read the full exchange here.
FORMULA USED IN DERIVING NEW PUBLIC PARKING RATES
Faisal Manap asked how the new public parking rate (with effect from 1 December 2016) was tabulated and derived.
Lawrence Wong said that parking charges in HDB estates are sized to cover the cost of building, operating and maintaining residential car parks. He added that costs have increased by about 40% since 2002.
Read the full exchange here.
REASONS GIVEN BY TEACHERS FOR QUITTING TEACHING SERVICE OR NOT RENEWING CONTRACTS
Faisal Manap asked the Acting Minister for Education (Schools) what are the top three reasons given by teachers who (i) quit the teaching service (ii) choose not to renew their teaching contracts and (iii) take no-pay leave respectively.
Ng Chee Meng said that top three reasons for resignation are for childcare, other family considerations, and a desire for a change of job.
The top three reasons for officers taking no-pay leave are for childcare and the accompanying of spouse who is going overseas, and to attend to other private matters.
He added that teachers are generally appointed on permanent service and not on contract service. As such, if they do leave, it is through resignation and not because of the non-renewal of contracts.
Read the full exchange here.
MONIES PAID BY PILGRIMS TO GENERAL SALES AGENTS FOR PILGRIMAGE PACKAGE
Faisal Manap asked (a) whether MUIS and the Association of Muslim Travel Agents (AMTAS) receive a portion of the monies paid by pilgrims to the general sales agents for the pilgrimage package; and (b) if so, whether pilgrims are informed of this and what is the total amount collected and its proportion in relation to the total sum received in the last three years.
Yaacob Ibrahim said that MUIS collects $300 per pilgrim to recover costs of its Haj Mission operations. The payment is reflected as ‘Medical and Administrative Cost’ in the haj package price. The fee comprises a small proportion of the total haj package which range from about $7000 to $18000. He added that the fee does not fully cover MUIS’s costs for medical and welfare services, which has been about $700 per pilgrim in the last three years.
Read the full exchange here.
ACCREDITATION OF ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS TEACHERS UNDER ASATIZAH RECOGNITION SCHEME
Faisal Manap asked whether the Asatizah Recognition Scheme (ARS) will apply to non-Singaporean religious teachers, especially for those who are invited to Singapore to give sermons and speeches on Islam? If not, then how do we ensure that they maintain the same standards as the ARS registered teachers?
Yaacob Ibrahim said that those who are invited to Singapore to give public talks will have to apply for Miscellaneous Work Pass through the Ministry of Manpower. MUIS works together with the Ministry of Manpower to ensure that those who are invited will meet the requirements.
Read the full exchange here.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT TUBERCULOSIS SCREENING FOR PRE-SCHOOL STAFF
Dennis Tan asked (a) what are the courses of action when a potential teacher or staff tests positive for tuberculosis (TB) during pre-employment screening; (b) what are the precautionary measures that affected and non-affected schools or child care centres should take; and (c) what is the potential for TB spreading in schools or child care centres given exposure to an infected person.
Tan Chuan-Jin said that child care centres are required by law to immediately report any known or suspected TB cases to parents of all children enrolled in their child care centre, a health officer, and ECDA. Schools are required to report such cases to MOE.
New staff members need to undergo a chest X-ray and be certified to be free from active TB by a registered medical practitioner before they can start work. Centres are advised to monitor for any persistent coughing among their staff members and children to allow for early diagnosis and treatment. Staff members who test positive for active TB are not permitted to enter the child care centre or school until they are certified to be fit for return by a registered medical practitioner.
Persons without symptoms do not pose further risk of infection to others. Most persons with the latent form of TB also do not develop the infectious form. Furthermore, persons with active TB rapidly become non-infectious once they start their treatment.
Read the full exchange here.
MEETINGS OF PRESIDENTIAL COUNCIL FOR MINORITY RIGHTS
Dennis Tan asked (a) how many meetings of the Presidential Council for Minority Rights have been held each year from 2012 to 2016; (b) what is the duration of each meeting; and (c) how many of the Council members attended each meeting.
Lee Hsien Loong said that the Presidential Council for Minority Rights held a total of 31 meetings between August 2012 and July 2016 with sufficient quorum of at least eight members including the Chairman. The duration of each meeting varied depending on the number of Bills being considered by the Council.
Read the full exchange here.
MEASURES TO PREVENT MOSQUITO BREEDING
Dennis Tan whether NEA will be stepping up checks for mosquito breeding in construction sites and workers’ dormitories all over Singapore and not merely in areas where the first cases of Zika infection are detected.
Daniel Goh asked whether the monthly inspection regime should be applied to construction sites close to residential areas rather than just large sites.
Masagos Zulkifli said that the number of SWOs imposed on errant sites increased from 2013 as a result of a tightened regime. Between January and July this year, the NEA issued around 50 Stop Work Orders, 410 Notices to Attend Courts and also proceeded with over 40 court prosecutions of errant contractors for repeat offences.
The NEA has also ordered four dormitories to impose stricter requirements on them to maintain good housekeeping, check for mosquito breeding, clear stagnant water regularly, carry out thermal fogging if the mosquito population is high, and mandatory residual spraying in their premises on a quarterly basis.
While the NEA has given attention to construction sites, he reiterated that a large number of mosquito breeding sites is still found in homes. Since 14 March 2016, NEA has taken enforcement action against all the home owners found to have breeding, regardless of whether the homes are within the existing dengue clusters – 2,200 households were fined between January and July this year.
Read the parliamentary questions here and Ministerial statement here.
FINANCIAL DEFICITS IN HDB CAR PARK OPERATIONS
Daniel Goh asked what are the reasons and projected cost breakdown for the sharp worsening of the fiscal position from a $19 million surplus to a $80 million deficit this year and a $100 million deficit next year in the operation of HDB car parks
Lawrence Wong said that while the implementation of EPS has saved about 25% maining on daily operating costs, the savings are not sufficient to outweigh other cost increasesdue to:
(a) Rising costs to construct new carparks;
(b) Cyclical improvements, as well as additional repair & redecoration (R&R) works required to maintain an increasing number of ageing carparks; and
(c) More capital expenditures in new and existing HDB carparks, such as installation of lifts and roof-shelters at multi-storey carparks and their maintenance costs
Read the full exchange here.
REMOVAL OF GST ON WATER CONSERVATION TAX
Low Thia Khiang asked whether the Ministry will consider removing GST on water conservation tax (WCT).
Heng Swee Keat replied no, because WCT is to reflect that water is precious, while GST is a tax levied on consumption of all goods and services – and the latter is usually accompanied with GST vouchers at selected times.
Read the full exchange here.
CHINA’S PLANNED FLOATING NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN SOUTH CHINA SEA
Low Thia Khiang queried whether the Ministry has done a risk assessment and planned mitigation measures regarding China’s planned floating nuclear power plant in the South China Sea.
Vivian Balakrishnan said that he was “unaware of any official announcements by the Chinese government” regarding the nuclear plants, and asserts that China would be aware of its obligations (United Nations Convention on Law of the Sea) and responsibilities pertaining to nuclear-related activities.
Read the full exchange here.
DATA ON HDB’S MECHANISED PARKING SYSTEM PERFORMANCE
Leon Perera asked for data on utilisation rates, waiting times, breakdown rates and maintenance costs of HDB’s Mechanized Parking System (MPS) at Changi Village, Bangkit Road and Yishun Ave 4.
Lawrence Wong said that the average utilisation rate at the three sites during peak period was 80%; waiting times took up to 10 to 15 minutes; with a low breakdown rate of 0.02% and maintenance costs up to $100 per MPS lot per month.
Read the full exchange here.
CRITERIA USED IN DETERMINING MRT NOISE BARRIERS
Leon Perera queried the determining criteria for location, nature and length of MRT noise barriers, and whether the Ministry would consider extending the barriers for residential areas which currently do not have.
Khaw Boon Wan said that priority is given to elevated MRT tracks where the noise level in adjacent residential areas due to MRT exceeds NEA’s recommended threshold criterion of 67 decibels (averaged over an hour).
Read the full exchange here.
HDB VOID DECKS WITH ACCESSIBILITY ISSUES
Leon Perera asked how many HDB void decks are raised platforms vis-à-vis the pavement surrounding the void deck, how many of such void decks have been modified to improve accessibility and whether there are plans to modify all of such void decks.
Lawrence Wong explained that the Barrier Free Accessibility (BFA) programme was completed in 2012 to “provide access in a pragmatic way”, hence, some there may “still be opportunities to further enhance BFA”. These works could include levelling-up aprons to eliminate the step or installing more ramps at strategic locations, and should be done via Town Council’s improvement works or the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme (NRP).
Read the full exchange here.
SOLAR PANELS FOR COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
Leon Perera asked whether the Ministry will make the installation and operation of solar panels on commercial and residential buildings mandatory.
Koh Poh Koon replied that instead of a mandatory requirement, the deployment of solar panels is scaled up, with demand driven by the public sector. The plan is to have solar panels installed on 5,000 HDB blocks and 100 Government buildings by 2020.
Read the full exchange here.
RETRENCHMENT BENEFITS FOR UNIONISED AND NON-UNIONISED WORKERS
Leon Perera questioned the “industry norms” cited by the Minister for Manpower regarding paying of retrenchment benefits (pay retrenchment benefit between two weeks and one month of salary per year of service).
Lim Swee Say replied that the Tripartite Partners issue tripartite guidelines which includes the payment of retrenchment benefits.
Read the full exchange here.
INVESTIGATIONS ON FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS FOR BREACHING CAR LOAN RESTRICTIONS
Pritam Singh asked for the numbers of financial institutions that have been investigated for bypassing loan restrictions on motor vehicles in the past three years, and what plans are there to tighten regulation, especially regarding hire-purchase agreements.
Ong Ye Kung said that there were no regulatory actions taken against financial institutions since 2013. This was alluded to new motor financing rules and loan application procedures. However, if there are indeed possible violations or abuse of loopholes in hire-purchase agreements, MAS and MTI will look into them.
Read the full exchange here.
RECOVERY OF SINGAPORE EXCHANGE’S REPUTATION AFTER RECENT TECHNICAL GLITCHES AND DOUBTS OVER QUALITY OF LISTINGS
Sylvia Lim queried whether the Government is optimistic that SGX’s performance and reputation can be revived and what steps it is taking to collaborate with SGX management for the desired outcomes.
Ong Ye Kung acknowledged SGX has indeed faced challenges in recent years. A key priority now is to raise the quality of listings, whereby the entry bar has been raised and a minimum trading price was introduced. MAS is also supervising SGX’s progress in enhancing its system resilience and recovery processes. Ong further mentioned that a new industry working group was started to study the disruptions and will present their findings later on.
Read the full exchange here.
ANTI-SLIP TREATMENT FOR BATHROOM TILES UNDER ENHANCEMENT FOR ACTIVE SENIORS (EASE) PROGRAMME
Daniel Goh asked the Minister about the no. of households who benefitted from the anti-slip treatment for bathroom tiles under EASE, total cost, average lifespan, and complaints if any.
Lawrence Wong said 70,000 households benefitted, totalling $10m in government subsidies, and last about 5 years. HDB advises residents on proper cleaning and maintenance.
Read the full exchange here.
RATIONALE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FEE FOR TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF STAY FOR SELLERS OF RESALE HDB FLATS
Daniel Goh asked about the recourse sellers can seek if buyers terminate the extension and leave them homeless.
Lawrence Wong replied, sellers are not expected to be left homeless in case of a dispute, as they should have already bought another property that is ready for occupation.
Read the full exchange here.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND NATIONAL REGISTRY FOR ZIKA
Daniel Goh and Png Eng Huat asked the Minister about health management of workers in construction sites and dormitories close to residential areas, and if MOH will be putting up more information about Zika to educate the public.
Gan Kim Yong replied in a ministerial statement.
Read the parliamentary questions here and Ministerial statement here.
STATISTICS ON TEACHERS NOT RENEWING TEACHING CONTRACTS AND ON NO-PAY LEAVE
Chen Show Mao asked about the no. of teachers who did not renew their contracts, those on no-pay leave, and of those, the average duration they were away from service.
Ng Chee Meng replied, teachers are on employment, not contractual services, and those who leave, resign. About 2% are on no-pay leave, and the duration is about 2 years.
Read the full exchange here.
RESTRICTIONS ON POLITICAL ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION AT YALE-NUS COLLEGE
Chen Show Mao asked the Minister what the restrictions are on political activity and discussion at Yale-NUS College, and how these compare with the six publicly-funded universities in Singapore.
Ong Ye Kung said, universities should be neutral places for learning, they generally do not allow activities that will result in them being used as platforms to advance sectarian or partisan political interests.
Read the full exchange here.
TOTAL DEBT-SERVICE RADIO AS PERCENTAGE OF INCOME FOR SINGAPORE RESIDENT HOUSEHOLDS
Chen Show Mao asked what is the total debt-service ratio as a percentage of income from 2010 – 2015.
Tharman Shanmugaratnam provided the statistics from data from MAS, HDB and DOS.
View the statistics and full exchange here.
STATISTICS ON PATIENTS DEFAULTING ON MEDICAL BILLS
Chen Show Mao asked the Minister about the no. of patients defaulting on medical bills from 2010 – 2015, the no. of Singaporeans, PRs, and others, and the total amount of debt owed.
Gan Kim Yong replied, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents account for about 86%. The average amount owed was around $350.
The equivalent figure for foreign patients was $1,400.
Read the full exchange here.
BENEFITS AND ALLOWANCES FOR GRASSROOTS LEADERS AND ADVISERS
Png Eng Huat asked the Minister about benefits given to grassroots leaders and advisers in terms of housing priority, primary school admission, allowance, and others.
Chan Chun Sing stated, GRLs may apply for a special parking label, apply for P1 registration for their children under Phase 2B in schools within the constituency they reside in, and apply for BTO flats and ECs under a HDB scheme.
Read the full exchange here.
APPEALS TO CPF BOARD FOR INCLUSION IN SILVER SUPPORT SCHEME
Png Eng Huat asked, for those who qualify for Silver Support, the criteria, if they are subject to review annually or is it set for life?
Lim Swee Say said the eligibility for Silver Support is reviewed annually. But, any time during the year if any of the seniors feel that their family circumstances have changed, they can request for a review any time during the year and the CPF Board will conduct a review.
Read the full exchange here.