Volume 94 Monday No 44 3 April 2017

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES

OFFICIAL REPORT CONTENTS

Written Answers to Questions

Page

1. Waiver of Non-transferability of COE for Categories A and B Vehicles (Ms ) 1 2. Employers' Attitudes towards Hiring of Older Workers (Er Dr ) 1 3. Inspections Conducted on Accommodation for Foreign Workers (Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong) 2 4. New Jobs Created for University Degree Holders (Mr ) 3 5. Driving Lessons to Navigate Traffic Roundabouts (Mr ) 3 6. Police-to-population Ratio Including and Excluding Auxiliary Police Officers (Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap) 4 7. Participation of Private Healthcare Institutions in National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) System (Miss ) 4 8. New Features and Utilisation Rate of HealthHub Portal (Miss Cheng Li Hui) 5 9. Usage of Medisave Funds (Assoc Prof ) 5 10. Areas of Focus Identified by Future Nursing Career Review Committee (Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef) 6 11. Update on Space Crunch for Subsidised Dialysis for Kidney Failure Patients (Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong) 7 12. Estimated Incremental Cost to Extend Health Subsidies to Long Term Visit Pass Holders for FY17/18 (Mr Leon Perera) 8 13. Plans to Enhance Productivity in the Tourism Sector (Mr ) 9 14. Impact of 2% Budget Cut on Ministries and Agencies from FY2017 (Mr Kok Kwang) 10 15. Classification of Revenue Earned from Government Land Leases (Ms Sylvia Lim) 11 16. Plans to Redevelop Katong Swimming Complex (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) 11 17. Criteria for Classification of HDB Estates as Mature or Non-mature (Mr ) 12 18. Estimate of Five-year-old Private Non-landed Properties not Subject to Seller's Stamp Duty (Mr ) 12 19. HDB Flats Reaching Minimum Occupation Period of Five Years from 2017 to 2020 (Mr Gan Thiam Poh) 13 20. Applications from Single Unwed Mothers Aged 35 Years and Below to Purchase or Rent a HDB Flat (Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang) 13 21. Sectoral Statistics on Waste Management and Recycling from 2014 to 2016 (Er Dr Lee Bee Wah) 14 22. Building a Wet Market and Hawker Centre at Upper Serangoon Crescent (Ms Sylvia Lim) 15 23. Statistics on Students Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder from 2012 to 2016 (Mr Lip Fong) 16

WAIVER OF NON-TRANSFERABILITY OF COE FOR CATEGORIES A AND B VEHICLES

1 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Transport under what circumstances has LTA waived the policy of non-transferability and permitted a transfer of COEs for Category A or B vehicles from one individual to another.

Mr : The Land Transport Authority (LTA) allows the Temporary COE for Category A and B vehicles to be transferred only if there are very serious and unforeseen changes in the COE holder’s circumstances which are beyond his or her control, such as when the COE holder has passed away. The Temporary COE can only be transferred to immediate family members. Back to Contents EMPLOYERS' ATTITUDES TOWARDS HIRING OF OLDER WORKERS

2 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Manpower (a) whether any study has been done to look into local employers' attitudes towards hiring older workers especially in the IT sector; (b) how many complaints has the Ministry received in the past three years on employment practices against older workers; and (c) what is being done to actively engage employers to encourage them to accept qualified older hires.

Mr : From a 2016 survey conducted by the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices (TAFEP), about seven in 10 employers were willing to redesign job scopes to accommodate older workers. This is also evident from the employment rate of older residents aged 55-64 which has steadily increased over the last five years, from 64.0% in 2012 to 67.3% in 2016. We are already among the top in terms of employment rate of older workers aged 55-64, compared to other OECD countries. Specifically for the ICT sector, which Er Dr Lee asked about, the share of older workers remained stable over the same period. In the last three years, TAFEP and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has, on average, received less than 80 age discrimination complaints against employers per year. This constituted about 10% of the total complaints received by TAFEP and MOM each year. Age discrimination complaints involving workers from the IT sector form around 7% of all age discrimination 2 complaints. For cases with clear evidence of age discrimination, MOM had further investigated and taken action against the errant employers, including curtailment of their work pass privileges.TAFEP had also engaged these employers to help them rectify their employment practices. Older workers are assets to the workforce. To change mindsets, TAFEP runs campaigns to raise awareness of the value that older workers bring to the workforce. However, some employers may still be concerned about the suitability of older jobseekers. To help overcome this, the Career Support Programme under the Adapt and Grow initiative provides greater wage support to employers who hire mature PMETs. We have also increased salary support for mature PMETs who participate in Professional Conversion Programmes, so as to encourage employers to tap on the pool of experienced and skilled PMETs. Older workers must also play their part to continually upskill, reskill and deep-skill to enhance their employability. Skills upgrading is the best safeguard for older workers during this period of economic and job transformation. We encourage older workers to take advantage of the various Government training schemes such as SkillsFuture and Adapt & Grow. Back to Contents INSPECTIONS CONDUCTED ON ACCOMMODATION FOR FOREIGN WORKERS

3 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Manpower (a) in the past three years, how many housing inspections have been conducted and how many employers have been found to have provided unacceptable accommodation for foreign workers; and (b) whether follow-up actions have been undertaken for all errant employers to ensure compliance with the regulations for acceptable accommodation.

Mr Lim Swee Say: From 2014 to 2016, MOM conducted close to 4,000 foreign workers (FW) housing inspections. Over this period, MOM ramped up our housing inspections from 700 in 2014 to 1,800 in 2016, to proactively inspect all larger dormitories and other smaller housing types suspected to be in poor conditions as well as respond to complaints. The foreign worker housing landscape has improved in recent years, with the stepping up of enforcement and raising of regulatory standards. We have seen a decline in the number of public complaints related to foreign workers housing, from close to 600 in 2014 to 500 in 2016. 3

Most of the cases found with poor living conditions were private residential units, typically with multiple employers housing workers in a single unit. The larger FW housing, such as Purpose Built Dormitories and Factory Converted Dormitories, are in better condition. Where infringements were found, MOM has ensured that employers or dormitory operators take immediate rectification action, such as making improvements to the housing condition for minor breaches, or relocating the workers to other approved accommodation altogether for severe breaches. In total, about 4,000 employers and/or dormitory operators were issued with warnings, composition fines, or prosecuted, arising from these inspections. Back to Contents NEW JOBS CREATED FOR UNIVERSITY DEGREE HOLDERS

4 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Manpower what is the proportion of new jobs created in each of the last five years which requires a university degree.

Mr Lim Swee Say: The Ministry of Manpower does not collect data on new jobs created by specific qualification requirements, including university degrees. This is because such data may not meaningfully reflect the quality of a job or the responsibilities associated with it. In line with the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE)’s recommendations, the Ministry encourages companies to adopt progressive HR practices and focus on skills and competencies as the key yardstick in the recruitment and development of workers, beyond academic grades or qualifications. Back to Contents DRIVING LESSONS TO NAVIGATE TRAFFIC ROUNDABOUTS

5 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many traffic roundabouts are there in Singapore and whether students taking their driving lessons are taught how to navigate traffic roundabouts.

Mr K Shanmugam: There are 46 traffic roundabouts on our public roads. The curriculum for learner drivers as well as the driving theory tests cover the navigation of roundabouts. Back to Contents

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POLICE-TO-POPULATION RATIO INCLUDING AND EXCLUDING AUXILIARY POLICE OFFICERS

6 Mr Muhamad Faisal Bin Abdul Manap asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the current police-to-population ratio in terms of including and excluding auxiliary police officers respectively.

Mr K Shanmugam: There are about 170 regular Police Officers in the Singapore Police Force per 100,000 population. Including the Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs), there are about 300 regular Police Officers and APOs per 100,000 population. Back to Contents PARTICIPATION OF PRIVATE HEALTHCARE INSTITUTIONS IN NATIONAL ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD (NEHR) SYSTEM

7 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the participation in the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) system by private healthcare institutions including hospitals, general practitioners and institutions run by voluntary welfare organisations.

Mr : Since the National Electronic Health Record (NEHR) was introduced in 2013, usage has been on the increase. Today, more than 21,000 healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses and pharmacists, from more than 1,000 healthcare providers have access to the NEHR. In a typical month, more than 767,000 patient record searches are being made. The providers using NEHR come from different settings. For example, 56% of GP clinics and 70% of the Intermediate and Long Term Care providers have access to NEHR. In the past year, more care providers from the private sector, including specialist clinics, dental clinics, and x-ray labs, have come on board. We will continue to encourage healthcare providers and professionals to adopt NEHR so as to bring more benefits to patients. 5

Back to Contents NEW FEATURES AND UTILISATION RATE OF HEALTHHUB PORTAL

8 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Health what are the new features of the HealthHub portal and its utilisation rate.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: HealthHub is a one-stop portal and mobile application developed by the Health Promotion Board (HPB). It provides a range of health related content, e-services and incentives that encourage Singaporeans to stay healthy. It also enables Singaporeans to access some of their personal health information. As of end January 2017, more than 84,000 Singaporeans have downloaded the HealthHub application. The HealthHub portal has an average of 530,000 page views per month. A new Caregiver Access module was introduced in 2016 to allow authorised caregivers to access the medical appointments and records of those whom they are taking care of. This assists caregivers in keeping records and tracking appointments for their loved ones, who can decide on the level of access granted to the caregivers. In April 2017, HPB will introduce a new Personal Health Management module, known as the HealthHub Track. This provides users with digital tools, including action plans, to monitor and manage their health. HPB will also introduce personalised and localised content to support pregnant women in their pregnancy journey. In September 2017, HPB will introduce a new Diabetes Risk Assessment tool that helps adults, especially younger ones aged 18 to 39 years, to assess their risk for undiagnosed diabetes. Back to Contents USAGE OF MEDISAVE FUNDS

9 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health how many people have applied, and been successfully approved, in the use of their Medisave funds under the Flexi Medisave scheme since its implementation.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Flexi-Medisave scheme was introduced in April 2015 to allow older Singaporeans to use up to $200 of Medisave each year to pay for their outpatient medical treatments at public sector Specialist Outpatient Clinics, Polyclinics, and General Practitioner 6 clinics under the Community Health Assist Scheme. All Singaporeans aged 65 and older are eligible for this scheme, they do not need to submit applications for approval. In 2016, more than 260,000 Singaporeans, or about one in two Singaporeans aged 65 or older, have benefitted from the Flexi-Medisave scheme. Back to Contents AREAS OF FOCUS IDENTIFIED BY FUTURE NURSING CAREER REVIEW COMMITTEE

10 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Health whether the principles of inter-professional education and practice will be incorporated into the three strategic areas of focus identified by the Future Nursing Career Review Committee in developing a future-ready nursing workforce.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Inter-professional education and practice are integral to our education and training of nurses. For example, degree nursing students at NUS have joint learning and training sessions with medical and pharmacy undergraduates on inter-professional communication and team work. They are also taught advance care planning with social work students. Nanyang Polytechnic organises an annual “Inter-professional Day” where students from health science disciplines, including nursing and social work, form teams to work on case scenarios and projects together. At our ITEs, students in nursing undergo simulations of team- based care comprising doctors and nurses. All nursing students will also experience team-based care during their clinical attachments in our public healthcare institutions. As part of continuing education and training efforts, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and allied health professionals in our public healthcare institutions will undergo joint training on areas such as crisis management, patient safety and emergency resuscitation. In addition, MOH has been sponsoring close to 50 in- employment nurses every year to undergo team-based skills training overseas. Going forward, the principles of inter-professional education and practice will be incorporated into the implementation of the three strategic areas of focus identified by the Future Nursing Career Review Committee. The first area of focus is care, which is about enabling nurses to focus more on patient care through job and process redesign. This will entail a streamlining of inter-professional and team-based processes to achieve better care and nursing productivity. 7

The second area of focus is community, which is about strengthening community nursing. Community nurses will be equipped with nursing care competencies to meet patients’ needs by working with inter-professional teams at the primary, transitional, home, as well as long term care settings. The third area of focus is competency, which is about developing broad-based nursing competencies and preparing nurses to practise team-based care across different settings. This work will be undertaken by a Committee involving representatives from various professional groups in order to incorporate an inter-professional perspective in the review of the nursing education and training framework. Back to Contents UPDATE ON SPACE CRUNCH FOR SUBSIDISED DIALYSIS FOR KIDNEY FAILURE PATIENTS

11 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health (a) how serious is the space crunch for subsidised dialysis for patients with kidney failure; (b) how is the Ministry planning ahead for the increasing number of dialysis patients; (c) what is the current percentage of patients opting for home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis; and (d) what programmes are there to subsidise and support home hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The number of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients requiring dialysis has risen from 5,200 in 2012 to 6,400 in 2016. This is likely to increase further, due to the burden of diabetes and ageing population. Currently, 92% of dialysis patients are on haemodialysis (HD) while 8% are on peritoneal dialysis (PD). MOH provides subsidies for patients on PD as well as those receiving outpatient HD at 35 dialysis centres operated by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF), and People’s Dialysis Centre (PDC). At the national level, there are still available HD places, although there may be some geographical mismatch between demand and supply. Compared to HD, PD offers greater convenience and independence to patients as it can be administered at home by the patients themselves. PD also offers greater flexibility for patients as

8 they are not restricted by the HD centres’ schedules1. Hence, MOH has embarked on initiatives to promote PD as an alternative dialysis modality to patients who are medically suitable. This is done in a few ways. First, MOH subsidises PD at higher levels to keep PD costs affordable for lower-income patients. Second, MOH is strengthening education programmes in public hospitals to raise patient awareness and acceptance of PD. Third, MOH has worked with the NKF and public hospitals to develop and expand home support programmes for PD patients, where PD nurses will visit the patients to guide and assist them in carrying out PD at home. At the same time, HD capacity will be increased to serve an additional 1,300 subsidised patients by 2020. Four new HD centres will be opened later this year to serve an additional 500 subsidised patients. Besides promoting PD and expanding subsidised HD capacity, it is important that we strengthen upstream prevention of ESRD. MOH has recently announced new screening, detection and early intervention as well as more effective treatment efforts as part of the War on Diabetes. Back to Contents ESTIMATED INCREMENTAL COST TO EXTEND HEALTH SUBSIDIES TO LONG TERM VISIT PASS HOLDERS FOR FY17/18

12 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health what is the estimated incremental cost of extending health subsidies to all Long Term Visit Pass holders for FY17/18.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The subsidy framework for healthcare services is guided by a set of policy principles, which include differentiation by citizenship status. As we had previously explained in this House, Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents receive Government subsidies at public healthcare institutions, with citizens receiving a higher level of subsidies. To support Singaporeans with foreign spouses who are holders of Long Term Visit Pass Plus (LTVP+), they are also eligible for healthcare subsidies for inpatient services. Long Term Visit Pass (LTVP) holders do not enjoy subsidies.

1A potential HD modality is Home-HD which allows patients to undergo HD at home, instead of the HD centres. Currently, the uptake of Home-HD is very low at around three patients in Singapore (less than 1% of all dialysis patients). MOH is carefully studying the patient acceptance, safety and affordability of Home-HD before considering mainstreaming this service.

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It is not meaningful to compute the incremental cost of extending healthcare subsidies to all LTVP holders, as it will involve assumptions on the number of LTVP holders, their healthcare needs, and the extent of the subsidy to be granted when there is currently no plan to do so. Back to Contents PLANS TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY IN THE TOURISM SECTOR

13 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) what is the progress in uplifting the productivity of the hotel industry; (b) how has the Business Improvement Fund helped companies in the tourism sector; and (c) what are the other plans to enhance productivity in the sector.

Mr S Iswaran: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched the 1st Hotel Productivity Plan in 2011, to enhance productivity in the sector through initiatives such as driving hotels’ adoption of manpower-lean technology, encouraging sharing of best practices amongst hotels and redesigning of back-of-house processes. From 2011 to 2015, the nominal value-add (VA) per worker in the hotel industry increased at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.14%, which exceeded the national average CAGR of 0.95%.2 Building on this plan, the Hotel Industry Transformation Map (ITM) was launched in November 2016. One key strategy is to build manpower-lean business models through productivity. STB has made good progress in collaborating with other Government agencies, as well as the industry, associations such as the Singapore Hotel Association (SHA), unions and workers, to implement initiatives under this strategy. For example, STB has worked closely with Workforce Singapore (WSG) and McKinsey & Company to develop the Lean Hotel Initiative (LHI), a four-month programme to guide hotels in identifying and implementing productivity measures. From April 2017 onwards, hotels participating in the LHI will undergo training in lean operations, as well as on-the-job coaching by McKinsey consultants. The Business Improvement Fund (BIF) was enhanced in April 2015, and aims to support tourism companies in areas such as technology adoption and enhancement of business processes, to boost operational efficiency and improve competitiveness. Since 2015, the enhanced BIF has

2Source: MOM/CPF and MTI/DOS. The 2016 data is not available yet. 10 supported 93 projects across different industries. For instance, the hotel industry has tapped on BIF to implement Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology for inventory management and robotic deployment in housekeeping functions, to reduce the reliance on manpower. Similarly, the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) industry has used BIF to develop event management solutions for better operational effectiveness. There are several on-going plans to enhance productivity across the tourism sector, such as the launch of a Travel Agent Roadmap in August 2016, which seeks to enable the travel agent industry to overcome manpower constraints and low technology adoption through various initiatives. As different tourism industry partners have different needs, STB will continue to work closely with them to build their capabilities to achieve better productivity gains. Back to Contents IMPACT OF 2% BUDGET CUT ON MINISTRIES AND AGENCIES FROM FY2017

14 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Finance whether the 2% cut in the budget caps for all Ministries and agencies from FY2017 onwards will result in hiring freezes or headcount reductions in the public service.

Mr : The 2% downward adjustment is applied on the budget caps of Ministries and Organs of State to reinforce the importance of spending prudently and effectively. Ministries and Organs of State are provided with (i) budget caps for ongoing functions under the block budget, and (ii) budget for specific projects on top of the block budget. The budget adjustment applies to the budget caps. Even with the budget adjustment, the total budget of Ministries and Organs of States will continue to grow partly due to the budget for specific projects funded on top of the block budget. Some savings from the budget adjustment will be channelled to projects that enhance service delivery to citizens and businesses. Agencies can decide for themselves how best to meet their objectives under the adjusted budget. MOF does not prescribe specific measures such as cutting particular programmes, hiring freezes or headcount reductions, because each agency faces a different operating context. Agencies are expected to prioritise and deliver their programmes and projects in the most 11 effective manner. To manage the budget adjustment, some agencies may expand certain programmes while phasing out programmes which are no longer relevant. Other agencies may maintain the same programmes but use less resources. Back to Contents CLASSIFICATION OF REVENUE EARNED FROM GOVERNMENT LAND LEASES

15 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Finance in respect of the revenue earned from leases of Government land, what is the cut-off lease duration (in months or years) that is used to distinguish between revenue that is classified as operating revenue and revenue that is classified as a capital receipt under Sales of Land.

Mr Heng Swee Keat: Under the Protection of Reserves Framework in the Constitution, revenue from the disposal of State land is protected as part of Singapore’s Past Reserves and not available to the Government for spending as operating revenue. State land is deemed to be disposed of when the Government issues freehold titles, or issues leasehold titles for a total period of ten years or more. Our approach of protecting State land, and revenue from land sales, as Past Reserves is fiscally prudent and responsible. It ensures that all budgeting and spending decisions by the Government are based on sustainable, regular revenue sources, including the Net Investment Returns Contribution (NIRC) from our Past Reserves. In this way, we guard against the possibility of a government attempting to sell land quickly, especially when there is a property boom, just to raise immediate revenues to spend more. Back to Contents PLANS TO REDEVELOP KATONG SWIMMING COMPLEX

16 Mr Lim Biow Chuan asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether there are any plans to re-develop Katong Swimming Complex.

Ms Hai Yien: The full redevelopment of the Katong Swimming Complex will be considered under later phases of Sport Singapore’s (SportSG’s) Sports Facilities Master Plan. However, SportSG plans to carry out rejuvenation works to enhance the user experience at the 12 swimming complex within the next few years. Back to Contents CRITERIA FOR CLASSIFICATION OF HDB ESTATES AS MATURE OR NON- MATURE

17 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for National Development what criteria does HDB use when classifying estates as 'mature' or 'non-mature' and whether this criteria is made known to the public.

Mr : Non-mature towns/estates refer to those where there is more land available for public housing development, whereas mature towns/estates are usually those with limited land for public housing development. To guide applicants in Build-To-Order (BTO) and Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises, the estate classifications of the flats on offer are stated in the HDB’s press releases and e-sales brochures. Back to Contents ESTIMATE OF FIVE-YEAR-OLD PRIVATE NON-LANDED PROPERTIES NOT SUBJECT TO SELLER'S STAMP DUTY

18 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the projected number of five-year old private non-landed properties in 2017 and in the next three years whereby sellers will not be subjected to the seller's stamp duty; and (b) how many of these properties are in the Core Central Region and outside of the Core Central Region respectively.

Mr Lawrence Wong: From 2017 to 2020, the estimated total number of private non- landed properties that were purchased five years ago, whereby sellers will not be subject to Seller’s Stamp Duty, is about 12,000 in the Core Central Region and 67,000 outside of the Core Central Region. Property transaction data can be obtained via URA’s Real Estate Information System (REALIS) at https://spring.ura.gov.sg/lad/ore/login/index.cfm. Back to Contents

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HDB FLATS REACHING MINIMUM OCCUPATION PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS FROM 2017 TO 2020

19 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development how many HDB flats will reach their Minimum Occupation Period of five years in 2017 and in the next three years.

Mr Lawrence Wong: HDB flat owners are required to fulfil a Minimum Occupation Period (MOP) before they are eligible to sell their flats on the open market. For flats bought directly from the HDB, about 12,000 of them will fulfil their five-year MOP in 2017 and another 56,000 flats will fulfil their MOP from 2018 to 2020. For flats bought from the resale market, about 22,000 will fulfil their MOP this year and another 56,000 flats will fulfil their MOP from 2018 to 2020. Back to Contents APPLICATIONS FROM SINGLE UNWED MOTHERS AGED 35 YEARS AND BELOW TO PURCHASE OR RENT A HDB FLAT

20 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development for each of the years in the past three years (a) how many single unwed mothers under the age of 35 have applied together with their children and without other family members to purchase or rent a flat from HDB; and (b) how many of such applications have been approved.

Mr Lawrence Wong: From 2014 to 2016, about 100 single unwed parents under the age of 35 appealed to buy a flat with their children and without other family members. Over the same period, about 300 single unwed parents under the age of 35 appealed to rent a flat from HDB with their children. For both types of appeals, HDB approved about one-fifth of the cases. The remainder could continue living with their parents, could afford other housing options or were already co-owners of a flat. Back to Contents

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SECTORAL STATISTICS ON WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING FROM 2014 TO 2016

21 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) in the last three years, what percentage of companies in our industrial and commercial sectors are actively engaged in waste management and recycling; (b) what percentage of households are engaged in recycling; and (c) what measures are in place to improve the recycling rates for companies and households.

Mr B M M: The recycling performance of the domestic and non- domestic sectors are key indicators which are tracked by my Ministry. In 2016, the non-domestic sector (comprising industrial and commercial premises) recycled 76% of its waste while the domestic sector (comprising households and trade premises) recycled 21% of its waste. We have set ambitious recycling targets to be achieved by 2030. In addition to an overall recycling rate of 70%, we aim to reach a non-domestic recycling rate of 81% and a domestic recycling rate of 30%. The non-domestic sector has shown consistently higher recycling rates. The National Environment Agency (NEA) works closely with companies to implement waste reduction and recycling programmes. For example, under the mandatory waste reporting initiative, large hotels with more than 200 rooms and shopping malls with net lettable areas of more than 50,000 square feet are required to submit annual waste data and waste reduction plans. Based on the reports received, NEA engages the building managers of these premises on how to better manage their waste streams. NEA also works with stakeholders to develop and update 3R guidebooks for different industry sectors. These step-by-step guidebooks are accessible on the NEA website. Regular engagement is also done with the industry to promote adoption of 3R practices. Our domestic recycling rate has remained at around 20% in the last few years. Our approach to improve the recycling rate for households is to make recycling more convenient and to raise awareness on recycling. Currently, every HDB block and private landed property is provided with a recycling bin while condominiums are mandated to provide recycling receptacles. To further enhance the recycling infrastructure, all new HDB Build-to-Order flats launched since 2014 are installed with dual chutes for refuse and recyclables. As announced 15 earlier, the provision of recycling chutes will be extended to private residential developments. Buildings taller than four storeys in all new non-landed private residential developments will be required to install dual chutes for refuse and recyclables from 1 April 2018. This will make recycling as convenient as refuse disposal for households. However, infrastructure provision alone is not enough, and we need everyone to make recycling a habit. To raise awareness on recycling, NEA provides information on proper recycling habits on its website and the myENV mobile app. A ‘3R’ video for households is also available on YouTube. NEA also works with schools and other community partners on public education programmes to promote recycling habits in households. Back to Contents BUILDING A WET MARKET AND HAWKER CENTRE AT UPPER SERANGOON CRESCENT

22 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Government will build a wet market and hawker centre at Upper Serangoon Crescent or its vicinity in view of the new housing developments in the area.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The National Environment Agency (NEA) takes into account several factors in the siting of new hawker centres and markets, such as the location of existing facilities, the availability of suitable land for new sites, and the population of the town. There are currently eating establishments and commercial facilities in the vicinity of Upper Serangoon Crescent. In particular, there are wet markets in Rivervale Plaza and market produce shops in Hougang Central. There are also two hawker centres with wet markets located at Block 209 Hougang Street 21 (Kovan Market and Food Centre) and Block 105 Hougang Avenue 1, as well as a hawker centre located at 51 Hougang Avenue 9 (Ci Yuan Hawker Centre) which was opened in 2015. There are no plans to build a hawker centre nor wet market in Upper Serangoon Crescent. Notwithstanding this, we review the need for new hawker centres to serve new housing developments regularly. Back to Contents

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STATISTICS ON STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER FROM 2012 TO 2016

23 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Education (Schools) how many students in Singapore have been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in each year over the past five years.

Mr : Based on data reported by both mainstream and Special Education schools, the number of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder enrolled in these schools range from about 3500 in 2012 to about 5000 in 2016. Back to Contents

Office of the Clerk of Parliament Singapore, 3 April 2017