Parliamentary Debates Singapore Official Report
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Volume 94 Monday No 9 14 March 2016 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SINGAPORE OFFICIAL REPORT CONTENTS Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer Not Answered by 3.00pm Page 23 Helping Pioneers Sign Up for Pioneer Generation Package and Understand MediShield Life (Miss Cheng Li Hui) 1 25 Divorcees Applying to Rent or Buy HDB Flats (Mr Gan Thiam Poh) 2 29 Regulating Private Businesses or Individuals who Collect Donations for Charitable Causes (Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng) 2 30 Bed Capacity Requirement for Tender of Sites for Nursing, Step-down and Long-term Care Facilities (Mr Leon Perera) 3 31 Legislation for Two Days of Eldercare Leave Per Year (Miss Cheng Li Hui) 5 32 Progress of Installation of CCTVs at HDB Void Decks and Common Areas (Mr Gan Thiam Poh) 6 33 Waiver of Replacement Fee for Damaged Identity Cards (Mr Darryl David) 6 34 Extension of Selective Lift Replacement Programme (Mr Pritam Singh) 7 35 Incentives for Building Owners and Developers to Provide Space for Community Facilities (Mr Ang Wei Neng) 7 36 Measures to Limit Price Hikes on Motorcycle COEs (Mr Zainal Sapari) 8 37 Network of Linkways for Orchard Road Malls (Mr Ang Wei Neng) 9 38 Consumer Education for Students (Mr Lim Biow Chuan) 9 39 Undergraduate Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Courses (Mr Png Eng Huat) 10 42 Covered Walkways from MRT Stations to Public Hospitals (Mr Ang Wei Neng) 11 44 Impact of Electro-magnetic Waves on Residents Living near Power Sub-stations (Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye) 11 45 Long-term Viability of Shops in HDB Heartlands (Ms Tin Pei Ling) 12 HELPING PIONEERS SIGN UP FOR PIONEER GENERATION PACKAGE AND UNDERSTAND MEDISHIELD LIFE 23 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Finance (a) of the estimated 450,000 persons in the Pioneer Generation group, how many of them have been contacted by the Pioneer Generation Ambassadors (PGAs) so far, (b) how many senior citizens are not included in the Pioneer Generation Package; and (c) whether the PGAs can be tasked to reach out to them as well to help them understand MediShield Life. Mr Heng Swee Keat: The Pioneer Generation Ambassadors (PGA) Programme was created in August 2014. PGAs, who are volunteers, carry out personalised outreach to Pioneers and their caregivers to explain the benefits of the Pioneer Generation Package (PGP). Since July 2015, PGAs have also been engaging Pioneers and their families to share with them details on MediShield Life (MSHL) and related support measures, such as MSHL PG subsidies and Medisave top-ups. As at end February 2016, 3,000 PGAs have successfully visited 240,000 Pioneers (or about 6 in 10 Pioneers) and their caregivers in their homes. The PGA Programme has made significant progress since its launch given that this form of outreach is very resource-intensive and personalised. Our PGAs will continue to try and reach out to the remaining Pioneers to explain the benefits of both PGP and MSHL. The PGA Programme complements our other mass communications efforts, including print advertorials, TV interstitials and videos. These collective efforts have helped to raise awareness of the PGP and MSHL amongst Pioneers and their caregivers, and provided them assurance that their healthcare costs would be affordable to their families. Based on MCI’s survey conducted in August 2015, 96% of Pioneers were aware of the PGP and 87% felt assured that their healthcare costs would be significantly more affordable. Pioneers, who are aged 67 and above this year, make up about 65% of Singaporeans aged 60 and above1. While the PGA Programme is focused on Pioneers, MOH has been reaching out 1Based on data from the Department of Statistics (DOS), there are 670,200 Singaporeans aged 60 and above as at June 2015. Data from the Central Provident Fund Board (CPFB) showed that there are about 434,000 Pioneers as at December 2015. 2 to all Singaporeans on MSHL through mass media publicity efforts and extensive engagement and outreach sessions with community partners, such as People’s Association and grassroots organisations. To date, MOH has reached out to over 32,000 Singaporeans through more than 100 broad-based dialogues, roadshows and community events, including individualised financial counselling sessions. MOH will continue its public education efforts on MSHL to all Singaporeans. Back to Contents DIVORCEES APPLYING TO RENT OR BUY HDB FLATS 25 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) in each of the past five years, what is the number of divorcees who have (i) applied to either purchase a BTO flat or a flat in the Sale of Balance Flats scheme, or to rent a HDB flat and (ii) purchased a resale flat; and (b) what has been the success rate. Mr Lawrence Wong: From 2011 to May 2015, about 13,300 divorcees applied for a flat from the HDB under the Build-To-Order (BTO) or Sale of Balance Flats exercises. This translates to between 1,900 and 3,700 applicants each year. Overall, about two in three were invited to select a flat. From 2011 to 2015, about 13,600 divorcees bought a resale flat in the open market. This translates to between 2,300 and 3,000 transactions each year. In the same period, about 12,100 divorcees applied for rental flats. This similarly translates to between 1,500 and 3,700 each year. Overall, about one in two were successful in their application. Back to Contents REGULATING PRIVATE BUSINESSES OR INDIVIDUALS WHO COLLECT DONATIONS FOR CHARITABLE CAUSES 29 Ms Denise Phua Lay Peng asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what permissions and safeguards are there to govern businesses or individuals who claim to collect public donations on behalf of charitable causes. Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Anyone (including businesses and individuals) conducting fund- 3 raising appeals in Singapore for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic purposes are regulated under the Charities (Fund-Raising Appeals for Local and Foreign Charitable Purposes) Regulations 2012. The Regulations spell out the duties and obligations of fund-raisers, which include disclosure of clear and accurate information; proper management and usage of donations; as well as keeping accounting records of donations received and disbursed. Additionally, anyone intending to raise funds for foreign charitable causes is required to apply for a Fund-Raising for Foreign Charitable Purposes (FRFCP) permit from the Commissioner of Charities (COC) prior to the commencement of the appeal. While a permit from the COC is waived for fund-raising appeals for local charitable purposes, a licence from the Police will be required when the fund-raising is conducted in publicly accessible places or from house to house. If in doubt, members of the public can check if a fund-raising appeal is for a registered charity and has a valid permit or licence through the Charity Portal or by using the SMS verification service. If there is reason to believe that a fund-raiser has violated any of the Fund-Raising Regulations, the Office of the Commissioner of Charities will look into the matter. The Commissioner may also invoke his powers to restrict or prohibit the conduct of any fund-raising appeal if there is reason to believe that the appeals have been improperly administered. Fund-raisers should be mindful of their obligations under the Fund-Raising Regulations. They should also ensure that the causes for which they are fund-raising are legitimate, as part of their duty to donors. On the other hand, members of the public should remain vigilant and be discerning in responding to such public appeals so as to avoid falling victim to improper fund- raising activities. Back to Contents BED CAPACITY REQUIREMENT FOR TENDER OF SITES FOR NURSING, STEP-DOWN AND LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES 30 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Health (a) whether there is a requirement for land sites released for nursing, step-down and long-term care facilities to have a minimum number of beds to be provided by the tenderer and, if so, why; and (b) whether these facilities need to maintain a minimum proportion of rooms with four beds or more for their patients to 4 receive Government means-tested subsidies for intermediate and long- term care services and, if so, what is this proportion. Mr Gan Kim Yong: The intermediate and long term care landscape in Singapore has to evolve to meet the needs of an ageing population. MOH is expanding the capacity of nursing home services, and as land is scarce in Singapore, we must ensure efficient use of space so that we have sufficient capacity to meet the increase in needs. The design and layout of nursing homes also has to take into consideration the different care needs of the residents, the required manpower to provide adequate monitoring of the residents and that residents in nursing homes can live in a safe environment. There are currently three main modalities in developing new nursing home capacity. First, MOH develops purpose built nursing homes, and appoints operators through competitive tenders to operate these nursing homes under the Build-Own-Lease (BOL) scheme. Under this approach, MOH fully funds the development cost based on the scope of works and service provisions determined by the Ministry. MOH also directly determines the design of the facility, taking into consideration space norms and site characteristics. Most BOL nursing homes have some four to eight beds per cubicle, but we provide for some single-bedded rooms to cater to instances where patients require clinical isolation. Appointed BOL nursing home operators, whether private or voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs), receive operating subventions to serve subsidised patients, as long as they meet the service requirements under the tender, which include setting aside the bulk of their licenced bed capacity for subsidised residents.