Volume 94 Monday No 50 11 September 2017

PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES SINGAPORE

OFFICIAL REPORT CONTENTS

Written Answers to Questions

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1. Number of Singaporeans without Bank Account (Ms Tin Pei Ling) 1 2. Number of Singaporeans without Active SingPass Account (Dr Tan Wu Meng) 2 3. Rate of Uptake of Parent-care Leave in Public and Private Sectors from 2014 to 2016 (Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang) 3 4. Effectiveness of OneInbox (Mr Leon Perera) 4 5, 6. Regulations to Prevent Import of Motor Vehicles with Known Defects into Singapore (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin and Mr Ang Hin Kee) 4 7. Breakdown on Cases of Illegal Parking or Misuses of Taxi Stands from 2015 to 2017 (Mr Ang Hin Kee) 6 8. Lift Construction at Braddell Road Overhead Bridge (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin) 6 9. Impact of Ride Hailing Apps on Taxis (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin) 6 10. Traffic Accidents Involving Drivers of Private Hire Vehicles in 2016 (Mr Desmond Choo) 7 11. Extension of Additional 50% Rebate and Surcharge for Taxis under Vehicle Emissions Scheme to Private Hire Cars (Mr Yee Chia Hsing) 7 12. Number of MRT Train Incidents from January to August 2017 (Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong) 8 13. Rail Operators' Compliance with LTA's Operating Performance Standards on Service Quality (Mr Murali Pillai) 8 14. Update on Review of Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement with India (Mr Chen Show Mao) 9 15. Moneylending to Work Permit Holders (Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef) 9 16. Extension of Foreign Domestic Worker Levy Concession to Persons/Siblings with Major Illnesses or Medical Conditions (Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan) 10 17. Exclusion of Overtime Pay in Workfare Income Supplement Computation of Monthly Salary (Mr Liang Eng Hwa) 10 18. Employment Agencies Industry Averages for Foreign Domestic Worker Retention and Transfer Rates from 2015 to 2017 (Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang) 11 19. Percentage of CPF Members Who Have Nominated their Beneficiaries (Dr Chia Shi-Lu) 12 20. Number of Work-related Traffic Accidents involving Food Delivery and Courier Service Staff from 2015 to 2017 (Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye) 13 21. 'Change of Employer' Option Granted to Work Permit Holders from January to June 2017 (Mr Kok Heng Leun) 14 22. Steps to Improve Take-up Rate of SGSecure Mobile App (Er Dr Lee Bee Wah) 14 23. Number of Singapore Foreign Spouses Granted PR and Citizenship in 2016 (Mr Gan Thiam Poh) 15 24. Statistics of Successful Citizenship Application from 2012 to 2016 (Mr Gan Thiam Poh) 15 25. Enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System Fingerprint Detection Failure Rate (Ms Joan Pereira) 16 26. Singapore Citizenship of Late Mr Tan Lark Sye (Mr Low Thia Khiang) 17 27. Measures to Reduce Risk of Fires in Cooked Food Centres (Mr Chen Show Mao) 17 28. Moneylenders Recovering Fees and Interests above Principal Sum (Mr Desmond Choo) 18 29. Psychiatric Expert Evidence Found Unreliable in Criminal Trials (Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan) 19 30. Pre-trial Remandees Offered Bail but Declined (Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan) 20 31. Defence Counsel Scandalising and Insulting Moral Integrity of Complainants or Witnesses during Cross-examination in Criminal Trials for Sexual or Child Abuse Offences (Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan) 21 32. Common Health Problems Detected during General Health Screening for Children (Ms Joan Pereira) 21 33. No-claim Discount on Annual MediShield Premiums (Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan) 22 34. Including Siblings in List of Persons Permitted to Contribute to CPF Accounts of Citizens and PRs for Payment of MediShield Life and ElderShield Premiums (Mr Murali Pillai) 23 35. Primary and Secondary Students Diagnosed with Myopia and Astigmatism (Miss Cheng Li Hui) 24 36. University and Hospital Mobile Research Teams Approaching Residents for Blood Samples for Research into Vector-borne Diseases (Ms Sylvia Lim) 25 37. Use of Physical Restraints in Eldercare Centres and Nursing Homes (Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong) 26 38. World Health Organisation Recommendation on Consumption of Added Sugars (Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong) 26 39. Regulation of Quantum and/or Length of Prepayment Schemes Offered by Businesses Identified to be Most at Risk of Default (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin) 27 40. Industries Contributing to Positive Increase in Productivity (Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan) 28 41. Economic Promotion Agencies' Roles as to Industry Sector and Size of Company Supported (Mr Leon Perera) 29 42. Assistance to Arts Groups to Cope with Rising Rental and Maintenance Cost (Mr Kok Heng Leun) 30 43. Disallowing Athletes from Promoting Non-official Event Sponsors during Major Sporting Events (Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong) 32 44. Effects of Individuals Seeking Donations through Social Media and Crowdfunding Platforms (Mr Sitoh Yih Pin) 32 45. Number of Older HDB Multi-storey Carparks Installed with Lifts (Miss Cheng Li Hui) 34 46. Plans for Preservation of Ellison Building Affected by Construction of North-South Expressway (Mr Kok Heng Leun) 35 47. Factors Influencing Rental Cost of Hawker Stalls (Er Dr Lee Bee Wah) 35 48. Update on Sungei Road Flea Market Vendors (Mr Kok Heng Leun) 36

NUMBER OF SINGAPOREANS WITHOUT BANK ACCOUNT

1 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Prime Minister (a) what is the number of Singaporeans who do not have a bank account, broken down by age group; and (b) what is the number of Singaporeans who do not have ATM, debit or credit cards, broken down by age group.

Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam (for the Prime Minister): A high proportion of Singaporeans have bank accounts. While we do not have the exact numbers, based on the 2014 World Bank Global Findex survey, 96% of Singapore residents above the age of 15 have bank accounts. The figure would be higher for adults. Another source of information comes from the GST Voucher Scheme. About 40,000 Singaporeans have encashed the cheques they receive under the scheme, which could be because they do not have bank accounts. About 80% of local banks' customers hold either an ATM, debit or credit card. Within this group, more than 90% of customers aged between 16 and 59 hold a card; for customers aged 60 and above, the percentage is 70%. Those who are under the age of 16 generally do not hold cards. This is not surprising, given that child accounts are normally set up to accumulate savings and not for transactional purposes. Parents can, however, apply for ATM or debit cards for their children, and set the appropriate withdrawal and spending limits for their children. To ensure that Singaporeans have access to affordable and convenient basic banking services, major retail banks in Singapore already offer Basic Banking Accounts and these have been available since 2002. Such accounts, which generally come with ATM/debit card and Internet banking services, can be maintained at very low cost. In fact, some banks provide the service free for school-going children and the elderly by waiving the account service fees. MAS is also working with the industry and retail merchants to develop and promote new electronic payment options that are widely accepted and convenient to use, and which may not require the user to have a bank account or bank card. These include electronic wallets that can be downloaded to everyone's mobile phones easily, and wearable devices that operate similarly like wallets and can be topped up by family members conveniently. An example is the POSB Smart Buddy, which is a watch that children can use to buy food at school canteens. A similar device can be developed and customised for use by the elderly. We will continue to monitor accessibility to banking and payment services, and work with 2 the industry to ensure that Singaporeans' needs can be most conveniently met. Back to Contents NUMBER OF SINGAPOREANS WITHOUT ACTIVE SINGPASS ACCOUNT

2 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister with regard to the Smart Nation initiative (a) what is the number of Singaporeans who do not have an active SingPass account, broken down by age group; and (b) what is the number of Singaporeans with an active SingPass account who (i) have not yet enabled 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) or (ii) have not used 2FA in the past one year, broken down by age group.

Mr Lee Hsien Loong: All Singapore Residents (Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents) who are 15 years old and above are eligible to sign up for SingPass. Out of 3.5 million Singapore Residents who are eligible for SingPass, 3.2 million have signed up for SingPass. 0.2 million of these account holders are inactive, i.e. have not used their SingPass for the last three years. Of the 3 million active account holders, 2.6 million have enabled 2-Factor Authentication (2FA), and most of them (2.5 million) have used 2FA in the past one year. As the breakdown at Table 1 below shows, adoption of SingPass and 2FA are lower among the young and the elderly groups. One contributing reason is that both these groups have fewer transactions with the Government. Residents who have yet to sign up for a SingPass account can do so at the 46 SingPass counters islandwide, located at community centres and CPF service centres.

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Table 1: SingPass Statistics for Singapore Residents (‘000) (Data accurate as at September 2017)

Young Working Elderly S/n Category Adults Total (15-24) (25-64) (>=65) 1 SingPass-eligible users (Singapore Residents) 503 2,439 553 3,495 (a) Signed up and have been using SingPass 386 2,303 352 3,040 - Active accounts (b) Signed up and have not been using SingPass 14 82 94 189 - Inactive accounts (c) Not signed up -No account 104 54 107 265 2 Singapore Residents with Active SingPass 386 2,303 352 3,040 accounts (a) Active accounts which have enabled 2FA 304 2,080 243 2,627 (b) Active accounts which have not enabled 2FA 81 223 110 414 3 Singapore Residents with Active SingPass 304 2,080 243 2,627 accounts which have enabled 2FA Active accounts which have used 2FA in the past 1 (a) 279 1,976 198 2,453 year Active accounts which have not used 2FA in the (b) 25 104 45 174 past 1 year

Back to Contents RATE OF UPTAKE OF PARENT-CARE LEAVE IN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS FROM 2014 TO 2016

3 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Prime Minister (a) what is the rate of uptake of parent-care leave by public servants for each year in the past three years; and (b) what is the number of private companies that currently offer parent-care leave.

Mr Teo Chee Hean (for the Prime Minister): Civil servants can take up to two days of parent-care leave a year. In the past three years, 39% (2014), 40% (2015), and 42% (2016) of civil servants took parent-care leave. Parent-care leave is not legislated. Based on a Ministry of Manpower survey in 2016, only 19% of employers offer parent-care leave. Back to Contents 4

EFFECTIVENESS OF ONEINBOX

4 Mr Leon Perera asked the Prime Minister (a) what is the total amount of public funds spent on developing and maintaining OneInbox; (b) how many people signed up for OneInbox as at 31 March 2017; (c) what are the main reasons for the low take-up rate; and (d) whether the Government plans to develop a new system to replace paper notices sent to citizens.

Mr Lee Hsien Loong: OneInbox was in operation from December 2013 to June 2017. It offered free digital mailbox services for citizens to receive Government correspondences electronically.The total development and maintenance cost of OneInbox was approximately $7 million. OneInbox was discontinued due to the low take-up rate. This was despite several publicity campaigns to increase awareness and adoption among citizens. As at end of March 2017, OneInbox had a total of 51,807 subscribers and delivered 296,418 digital letters. These subscribers made up less than 2% of SingPass users. OneInbox had low take-up rate because it did not offer significant value to the subscribers. Firstly, OneInbox was designed as a single-function digital mailbox service, which did not encourage sign-ups. Secondly, agencies already have well developed digital channels to serve the public, hence reducing the need for an overall Government channel. Thirdly, the traffic volume of digital letters was not high, whereby a typical individual receives less than 10 letters from the Government annually. In being innovative in exploiting technology, we would not always succeed in all that we do. We have to take risks. As part of our digital Government drive, we will continue to review and adjust our strategies and make it easier for citizens to use Government services. Back to Contents REGULATIONS TO PREVENT IMPORT OF MOTOR VEHICLES WITH KNOWN DEFECTS INTO SINGAPORE

5 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport whether there are regulations in place to prevent the import of motor vehicles into Singapore that have known defects or have been subject to a manufacturer's recall.

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6 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport (a) when was the LTA notified and made aware about the manufacturer's recall and rectification of Honda Vezel vehicles owned by Uber in Singapore; (b) what were the actions taken in this case; (c) how does LTA ensure that all imported vehicles are safe especially when they are used as vehicles for hire and reward; and (d) what actions will be taken against corporate entities or individuals who knowingly violate safety measures or ignore safety concerns.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Importers and dealers must provide documentary proof that their motor vehicles meet international vehicle safety standards before the motor vehicles can be registered for use in Singapore. Should defects be uncovered after registration, they are required to notify LTA, affected vehicle owners and prospective buyers of the defects and also arrange to recall and repair the vehicles. Vehicle owners must also produce their vehicles for rectification after receiving recall notices from their importers or dealers, after which it is the duty of importers and dealers to verify that the rectifications have been done in accordance with the manufacturers’ specifications and update LTA on the rectification progress. Importers and dealers who do not comply with the vehicle recall regulations will be fined up to $2,000 for each vehicle, subject to a maximum fine of $50,000. In April 2016, LTA was informed of Honda Japan's recall of their Honda Vezel cars, some of which are owned by Lion City Rental (LCR), a subsidiary of Uber. LTA immediately informed all importers and dealers of affected vehicles to recall the vehicles for rectification. LTA also requested the Automobile Importer & Exporter Association (AIEA) and Singapore Vehicle Traders Association (SVTA) to remind their members to begin recalling affected Honda Vezel cars for rectification. Out of the 113 importers and dealers who sold affected Honda Vezels, 89 have notified their customers of the recall and started rectifying the vehicles. Of the remaining 24 importers and dealers who have not done so, LTA has taken legal action against three and is investigating the rest. As of 4 September 2017, 42% of all affected Honda Vezels have been rectified. Back to Contents

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BREAKDOWN ON CASES OF ILLEGAL PARKING OR MISUSES OF TAXI STANDS FROM 2015 TO 2017

7 Mr Ang Hin Kee asked the Minister for Transport (a) what is the breakdown in the number of cases of illegal parking or misuse of taxi stands by taxis and private hire vehicles in 2015, 2016 and first half of 2017; and (b) what will the Ministry do to further deter such behaviour.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The number of notices issued to taxis and private hire cars for illegal parking and stopping at taxi stands and taxi stops in 2015, 2016 and first half of 2017 are as follows:

LTA will continue to deploy enforcement officers and CCTVs to deter misuse of taxi stands and taxi stops. Back to Contents LIFT CONSTRUCTION AT BRADDELL ROAD OVERHEAD BRIDGE

8 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport whether LTA can consider constructing a lift at the overhead bridge at Braddell Road (near Blk 219 Toa Payoh Lorong 8) in order to facilitate the many elderly residents who use the overhead bridge on a daily basis.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: LTA is studying the request, to check if the site conditions are suitable and whether it meets the criteria for installing lifts to an overhead bridge. Back to Contents IMPACT OF RIDE HAILING APPS ON TAXIS

9 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Transport (a) whether the increasing number of taxis relying on ride hailing apps, including platforms provided by Uber and Grab, have significantly reduced the number of taxis available for street hire or at taxi stands, thereby 7 restricting commuters' choices; and (b) if so, whether LTA has any plans to regulate this.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Ride hailing apps increase the range of options for commuters in hailing a taxi. Based on commuters' satisfaction with taxi services (surveyed by the Public Transport Council) and waiting times at taxi stands, both of which have improved in the last year, there is no evidence to suggest that the number of taxis available for street hire or at taxi stands is insufficient to meet current demand. Back to Contents TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING DRIVERS OF PRIVATE HIRE VEHICLES IN 2016

10 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Transport (a) over the last one year, what has been the number of traffic incidents involving drivers of private hire vehicles; and (b) how is the Ministry working with operators of private hire vehicles to help such drivers drive and operate safely.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: From 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017, there were 1,139 accidents involving private hire cars. Private hire car drivers are required to obtain a Private Hire Car Driver's Vocational Licence (PDVL). To do so, applicants must attend and pass the PDVL course, which has modules on safe driving. PDVL holders will also be given demerit points for unsafe conduct. LTA will continue to work closely with the National Private Hire Vehicles' Association and private hire car service operators to promote safe driving. Back to Contents EXTENSION OF ADDITIONAL 50% REBATE AND SURCHARGE FOR TAXIS UNDER VEHICLE EMISSIONS SCHEME TO PRIVATE HIRE CARS

11 Mr Yee Chia Hsing asked the Minister for Transport whether the additional 50% rebate and surcharge applicable for taxis under the new Vehicle Emissions Scheme that is effective from 1 January 2018 will be applied to private hire cars since these cars have similar high mileages as taxis.

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Mr Khaw Boon Wan: The additional 50% Vehicle Emissions Scheme (VES) rebate and surcharge applicable to taxis will not be applied to private hire cars. This is because private hire cars generally have much lower mileages compared to taxis. Back to Contents NUMBER OF MRT TRAIN INCIDENTS FROM JANUARY TO AUGUST 2017

12 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport what is the total number of incidents of MRT train or track faults, delays and disruptions (of any length of time) from January to August 2017 and, of this number, how many have been due to the signal integration work being done for the North-South and East-West Lines.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: From January to August 2017, there were a total of 149 MRT delays lasting longer than five minutes. Of these, 90 were due to the installation of the new signalling system on the North-South Line and Tuas West Extension. Such delays are temporary in nature, and as the new system stabilises, will fall in occurrence. The number of such delays peaked at 27 in June and has dropped to seven in August. The declining trend continues. However, testing on the East-West Line has not yet begun. We seek commuters’ continued support and patience during this period. Back to Contents RAIL OPERATORS' COMPLIANCE WITH LTA'S OPERATING PERFORMANCE STANDARDS ON SERVICE QUALITY

13 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Transport (a) how does LTA independently ensure the rail operators' compliance with LTA's operating performance standards dealing with service quality; and (b) how does LTA handle train commuters' complaints on service quality issues.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan: Rail operators are required to adhere to the Operating Performance Standards (OPS) imposed by LTA as part of their licensing conditions. This covers areas such as safety, reliability and service quality (eg, train headways, punctuality, and frequency of delays). LTA assesses the quality of service through regular checks of the stations and trains, special audits of the processes and commuter feedback. All feedback is taken seriously and 9 conveyed to the rail operators for improvement. Back to Contents

UPDATE ON REVIEW OF COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH INDIA

14 Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Trade) whether he can provide an update on (i) the review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) with India and (ii) discussions, if any, with India on the movement of natural persons, including professionals, business visitors, intra-corporate transferees and short-term service providers, under CECA.

Mr Lim Hng Kiang: The Second Review of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement ("Second CECA Review") is ongoing. The review is taking some time as both countries have our respective interests to work through, such as in the area of labour mobility. Our agencies regularly engage Indian counterparts to work through issues collaboratively. This is with a view to arriving at mutually beneficial outcomes, before the conclusion of the Second CECA Review. To this end, Singaporean and Indian officials have had discussions on a wide range of bilateral economic topics, including CECA and the movement of natural persons. These discussions are useful in promoting better mutual understanding of the rationale behind each party’s policies and policy changes, as well as addressing implementation details that may arise from time to time. Back to Contents MONEYLENDING TO WORK PERMIT HOLDERS

15 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Manpower whether work permit holders are legally allowed to borrow money from licensed and unlicensed moneylenders.

Mr Lim Swee Say: Our law does not prohibit members of the public, including work permit holders, from borrowing from licensed moneylenders. However, under the Moneylenders Act, it is illegal for moneylenders to operate without a 10 license. For their protection, all members of the public, including work permit holders, should not borrow money from unlicensed moneylenders. The Singapore Police Force (SPF) takes strong enforcement actions against unlicensed moneylenders such as loansharks. If convicted, an individual who acts as an unlicensed moneylender can be sentenced to a fine of up to $300,000, seven years imprisonment, and 12 strokes of the cane. Back to Contents EXTENSION OF FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKER LEVY CONCESSION TO PERSONS/SIBLINGS WITH MAJOR ILLNESSES OR MEDICAL CONDITIONS

16 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Manpower whether the foreign domestic worker levy concession can be extended to persons with major illnesses or medical conditions and their ill siblings.

Mr Lim Swee Say: The concession is already available today. Households with the following family members will be eligible for a foreign domestic worker levy concession: a) Elderly aged 65 and above; b) Children below the age of 16; or c) Persons certified by authorised healthcare professionals to require assistance with at least one Activity of Daily Living (ADL). Examples of ADL include showering, dressing, feeding or toileting. Back to Contents EXCLUSION OF OVERTIME PAY IN WORKFARE INCOME SUPPLEMENT COMPUTATION OF MONTHLY SALARY

17 Mr Liang Eng Hwa asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will exclude overtime pay in the computation of monthly salary to qualify for the Workfare Income Supplement as workers' overtime allowances are irregular and may disincentivise workers with gross monthly income near the $2,000 cut-off mark not to take up overtime work.

Mr Lim Swee Say: The Government had considered using basic pay (ie, excluding overtime pay and bonuses) in the computation of income for the purposes of the Workfare 11

Income Supplement (WIS) Scheme, but decided not to pursue it because basic salary, overtime pay and bonuses are part of a worker’s total income that will help support the worker and his or her family. Given that WIS is intended to help low-wage workers by supplementing their income, it is fair to look at the total income in assessing the level of support provided through WIS. This will also not incentivise employers and workers to reduce basic pay and increase overtime which would not be in the workers' interest. Back to Contents EMPLOYMENT AGENCIES INDUSTRY AVERAGES FOR FOREIGN DOMESTIC WORKER RETENTION AND TRANSFER RATES FROM 2015 TO 2017

18 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower (a) for each year over the past three years, what are the employment agencies industry averages for the foreign domestic worker (FDW) retention rate and transfer rate respectively; (b) what steps is the Ministry taking to improve these rates; and (c) whether it will require employment agencies to prominently display their FDW retention rate and transfer rate at their premises.

Mr Lim Swee Say: The average retention rate1 for foreign domestic workers (FDWs) placed by employment agencies (EAs) has been stable for the last three years at around 50%, an improvement from about 40% in 2013. The average FDW transfer rate2 has been low, below 1.5% since 2013. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has been taking steps to improve the professionalism and service standards of the EA industry. Since last year, employers' ratings of EAs' services have been systematically captured by the EA Customer Rating System. EAs are thus incentivised to ensure better matching between FDWs and prospective employers to improve the retention and transfer rates. The customer ratings of EAs are made available online on MOM's website under the EA Directory. Together with other information such as placement volume, retention and transfer

1 The retention rate is the percentage of FDWs placed by the EA, who have stayed with the same employer for at least a year. 2 The transfer rate is the percentage of FDWs placed by the EA, who have been placed with three or more employers within a year.

12 rates, the EA Directory helps employers make an informed choice on which EA to engage. The EA Directory is updated weekly and enables employers to make comparisons. As it is working well, we have no plans to require EAs to physically display such information at their premises. We also introduced the Advanced Placement Scheme (APS) pilot in August last year. Under the scheme, employers with caregiving needs are able to interview prospective FDWs face to face. Feedback has been positive as the face to face interviews have helped both parties better understand each other's needs and expectations. The majority of FDWs placed under APS are still with their first employer. Back to Contents PERCENTAGE OF CPF MEMBERS WHO HAVE NOMINATED THEIR BENEFICIARIES

19 Dr Chia Shi-Lu asked the Minister for Manpower what is the current percentage of CPF members who have nominated their beneficiaries and whether members are made aware of the list of fees charged by the Public Trustee for the administration of un-nominated monies.

Mr Lim Swee Say: As of end December 2016, about half of all CPF members aged 16 and above have made a nomination for their CPF savings. When a CPF member passes away without making a nomination, his CPF savings will be transferred to the Public Trustee's Office (PTO) for distribution according to intestacy laws. The PTO charges an administration fee for this distribution of members' CPF savings and publishes the fee schedule on their website. CPF Board informs members of PTO’s administration fee and encourages them to make a nomination for their CPF savings through efforts such as including customised messages in members’ Yearly Statement of Accounts as well as educating them on the nomination scheme through CPF Board’s social media channels, talks, roadshows and website. The Board also prompts members with no valid nomination to make one when they attend the CPF Retirement Planning Service at age 54. Back to Contents

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NUMBER OF WORK-RELATED TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS INVOLVING FOOD DELIVERY AND COURIER SERVICE STAFF FROM 2015 TO 2017

20 Mr Melvin Yong Yik Chye asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what is the number of work-related traffic accidents involving food delivery and courier service staff in the past three years; and (b) what are the measures taken by the Ministry to reduce the number of such accidents.

Mr Lim Swee Say: From 2014 to 2016, there were six work-related traffic accidents that resulted in death, and 12 cases3 that resulted in serious injury, involving food delivery and courier services riders/drivers. With the growth of delivery services, MOM is collaborating with the WSH Council, tripartite partners, Traffic Police and the Land Transport Authority to step up our engagement efforts with companies and riders/drivers. To spread safety awareness among riders, the Singapore Ride Safe Campaign was launched on 19 August 2017. It sought to inculcate safe riding habits such as avoiding blind spots, keeping within speed limits, and wearing proper protective gear. To improve safety practices for companies, WSH Council has initiated regular engagement sessions to share best practices. These include providing proper protective gear for delivery riders/drivers4, sending them for advanced training such as defensive driving or riding courses, conducting in-house safety training, and installing vehicle/helmet-mounted cameras for greater safety consciousness. For both riders/drivers and companies, the WSH Council, in collaboration with key industry partners and unions, has also developed educational resources including videos and guides on safe driving tips. These are made available on the WSH Council website. WSH Council will also develop a guide on safe motorcycle, bicycle and PMD riding by the end of the year. It will contain advice on road traffic rules, hazard avoidance, and safety checklists.

3 2014: 1 fatality, 4 serious injuries 2015: 4 fatalities, 4 serious injuries 2016: 1 fatality, 4 serious injuries 4 This include employees or freelancers who use all modes of transport such as vans, cars, motorcycles, bicycles and personal mobile devices (PMDs) for delivery.

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At the same time, we have stepped up enforcement efforts. Since July, MOM has targeted 50 food delivery and courier services companies for inspection. This will be completed by September. The inspections will focus on companies' measures related to training, fatigue management, and risk management to improve the safety of delivery riders/drivers. All these measures seek to improve workplace safety for delivery riders/drivers. We are also looking into helping self-employed delivery persons get adequate insurance coverage. A Tripartite Workgroup has been formed to look into this matter as well as address other main concerns of self-employed persons. This was announced by the Ministry in its Committee of Supply debate this year. Back to Contents 'CHANGE OF EMPLOYER' OPTION GRANTED TO WORK PERMIT HOLDERS FROM JANUARY TO JUNE 2017

21 Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for Manpower in the first six months of 2017, how many work permit holders (excluding foreign domestic helpers) have been granted the option of 'change of employer' by the Ministry and, of these, how many have found new jobs with new work permits issued without first going home.

Mr Lim Swee Say: All foreign workers with valid salary claims are allowed to change employers. In the first six months of 2017, about 600 of such foreign workers indicated that they wished to change employers. Of these, about half found new jobs in Singapore. MOM does not track if the workers went home in between jobs. Back to Contents STEPS TO IMPROVE TAKE-UP RATE OF SGSECURE MOBILE APP

22 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Defence (a) what is being done to improve the take-up rate of the SGSecure mobile app apart from making it compulsory for full-time national servicemen (NSFs) to download it; (b) why are websites not used for the e-learning modules instead of an app; and (c) whether the Ministry will re-examine its policy for ensuring that NSFs download the app.

Dr Ng Eng Hen: As the Member has suggested, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) is 15 indeed utilising e-learning including through websites to better equip all MINDEF and SAF personnel, including NS men for training in counter -terrorism. The e-learning training programme is structured to be comprehensive with a number of modules to be rolled out progressively. E-learning modules will gain wide acceptance if they are functional, useful and easy to use. Making it compulsory is neither an enlightened approach nor effective to facilitate learning. The SG secure application is not a core part of the SAF’s counter-terrorism training package nor compulsory for NS men to download. However, in support of MHA's nation-wide efforts against terrorism, MINDEF and SAF personnel are encouraged to download the SGSecure application so that like other residents, they can receive important alerts or provide information to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) authorities during major emergencies. Back to Contents NUMBER OF SINGAPORE FOREIGN SPOUSES GRANTED PR AND CITIZENSHIP IN 2016

23 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs how many foreign spouses of Singaporeans have been granted PR and citizenship respectively in 2016.

Mr K Shanmugam: Foreign spouses married to Singapore Citizens (SCs) may be granted Permanent Residence (PR), and subsequently Singapore Citizenship (SC), under the Family Ties Scheme (FTS). In 2016, around 4,600 and 3,400 foreign spouses of SCs were granted PR and SC respectively. Back to Contents STATISTICS OF SUCCESSFUL CITIZENSHIP APPLICATION FROM 2012 TO 2016

24 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Home Affairs in each of the last five years, how many PRs and non-PRs were successful in their application for citizenship respectively, broken down by age group.

Mr K Shanmugam: In the past five years, about 20,900 individuals were granted 16

Singapore Citizenship (SC) annually. More than half of them were aged 30 years and below when they were granted SC. About 85% were Permanent Residents (PRs) when they were granted SC. The others were children of Singapore citizens born overseas who subsequently registered for SC, as well as the minor children of successful SC applicants. Under the Constitution, minors do not need to obtain PR status first in order to be eligible for citizenship.

Back to Contents ENHANCED IMMIGRATION AUTOMATED CLEARANCE SYSTEM FINGERPRINT DETECTION FAILURE RATE

25 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in respect of the enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (a) what is the failure rate of fingerprint detection; and (b) whether measures can be implemented to assist travellers with dry fingers such as placing bottles of moisturiser near the scanners.

Mr K Shanmugam: The enhanced Immigration Automated Clearance System (eIACS) allows Singapore Citizens, Singapore Permanent Residents, Long Term Pass Holders and other eligible users with machine-readable passports, and whose fingerprints have been pre-enrolled with the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to clear immigration via the automated gates. However, travellers with faded, scarred, or excessively wet or dry fingerprints may face 17 difficulties using the eIACS. On average, such cases amounted to about 3% of all travellers who used the eIACS. These travellers are referred to the manned counters for immigration clearance. ICA plans to introduce iris scan technology progressively at our checkpoints over the next two years. Travellers who face difficulties with fingerprint matching will be able to use iris scan when they clear immigration via the automated gates. Iris scan technology will complement the current fingerprint matching process for automated immigration clearance, and provides an additional avenue for ICA to verify a traveller's identity. Back to Contents SINGAPORE CITIZENSHIP OF LATE MR TAN LARK SYE

26 Mr Low Thia Khiang asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Singapore citizenship of the late Mr Tan Lark Sye was reinstated after it was revoked; (b) if so, what were the years in which his citizenship was revoked and reinstated; and (c) what are the reasons for the revocation and reinstatement.

Mr K Shanmugam: The late Mr Tan Lark Sye was deprived of his Singapore citizenship in 1964. He had engaged in activities prejudicial to the security and public order of Malaya and Singapore, in particular, in advancing the Communist cause. There has been no change in his Singapore citizenship status since then. Back to Contents MEASURES TO REDUCE RISK OF FIRES IN COOKED FOOD CENTRES

27 Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Home Affairs what measures are in place to reduce the risk of fires taking place at hawker stalls at cooked food centres.

Mr K Shanmugam: The Fire Code stipulates that hawker centres need to have hose reels and fire extinguishers, and adequate, unimpeded access to facilitate escape in the event of a fire. There are also regulations on the use of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for cooking, and cleaning requirements for kitchen exhaust ducts. Some common causes of fires at hawker centres are the accumulation of grease within poorly-maintained kitchen exhaust ducts which ignite during the cooking process, stallholders leaving their cooking unattended, and forgetting to switch off appliances at the end of the day. 18

A large number of such fires can be prevented. As part of its Community Emergency Preparedness Programme, SCDF partners NEA to educate stallholders on how to prevent and respond to fire emergencies. SCDF has also implemented mitigating measures to reduce the risk of fires in hawker centres. For instance, SCDF, with HDB and the Town Councils, have worked together to replace all individual LPG cylinders in hawker centres with safer centralised LPG pipeline manifold systems or Town Gas. Hawker centre owners and stallholders have a big part to play. They can prevent fires by thoroughly cleaning their kitchen exhaust ducts at least once a year, not leaving cooking unattended, and switching off all appliances when they leave for the day. Back to Contents MONEYLENDERS RECOVERING FEES AND INTERESTS ABOVE PRINCIPAL SUM

28 Mr Desmond Choo asked the Minister for Law (a) how many moneylenders have been taken to task for recovering fees and interests above the principal sum; (b) how does the Ministry prevent moneylenders from giving out short-term loans in the guise of charging administrative fees; and (c) how can the Ministry improve the public awareness on the rules governing moneylenders.

Mr K Shanmugam: In October 2015, the Registry of Moneylenders ("the Registry") under the Ministry of Law implemented new controls on licensed moneylenders to better protect borrowers. The new controls included a cap on the total cost of borrowing to 100% of the loan's principal sum, which helps to ensure that fees and interest do not spiral out of control. To date, no licensed moneylender has been found to have breached this rule. Last year, the Registry received complaints and observed that some licensed moneylenders were making repeated short-term loans of less than one month and split loans. The former allowed them to charge the administrative fee several times in a month whenever an initial loan was renewed, even when no new funds had been disbursed. The latter meant that multiple late payment fees could be incurred when a single loan was split into multiple smaller loans. In response, MinLaw issued the Registrar’s Directions ("RD") No. 1 of 2016, which prohibits licensed moneylenders from offering short term loans or split loans to borrowers who are unable to keep up with repayment plans. The Registry also issued RD 1 of 2017 which 19 prohibits moneylenders from repeatedly "rolling over" existing loans and re-charging the administrative fee, when a borrower is unable to pay an instalment. The Registry will continue to monitor the industry closely, to eliminate abusive practices intended to circumvent the Moneylenders Act and the Moneylenders Rules 2009 ("the Rules"). It will issue new RDs when necessary. The Registry also conducts regular inspections at licensed moneylending premises, and investigates potential breaches of the Moneylenders Act, the Rules, and the RDs. Errant licensed moneylenders will be taken to task. To raise public awareness on the rules governing moneylenders, MinLaw has been issuing media releases with infographics on the moneylending rules and the RDs. MinLaw has also been working closely with the Moneylender’s Association of Singapore to educate borrowers. In addition, under the Moneylenders Act and Rules, MinLaw requires licensed moneylenders to inform borrowers of the loan terms and conditions such as the interest rate and fees of each loan granted. The RDs also require moneylenders to provide a cautionary statement in writing to borrowers before granting any short-term loans or split loans, or 'rolling over" loans to refinance existing debts. Back to Contents PSYCHIATRIC EXPERT EVIDENCE FOUND UNRELIABLE IN CRIMINAL TRIALS

29 Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked the Minister for Law in each year since 2011 (a) what is the number of cases in which psychiatric expert evidence has been found to be unreliable in criminal trials; and (b) whether this number is impacted by standards established by the relevant professional accreditation body.

Mr K Shanmugam: In a case where psychiatric expert evidence is adduced, the judge may accept or reject it for various reasons. The same goes for any other expert evidence (and indeed any other evidence which is tendered in court). Not all of these instances and reasons may be recorded in written judgments. The most common reason for rejecting such evidence is that the judge did not accept the expert’s evidence in the light of the specific factual context of the case. This could be because of other evidence adduced, or because a different expert's opinion was more convincing when applied to the facts and the existing state of medical knowledge, or some combination of similar factors. 20

The precise reasons for rejecting psychiatric expert evidence on purely factual grounds thus depends on the factual context of each particular case. They do not necessarily imply any fault on the part of the expert. For this reason, the number of such rejections are not necessarily related to the professional standards governing psychiatrists. There have been cases where the courts have said that they rejected an expert's opinion because he or she failed to meet the minimum standards and objectivity expected of an expert witness. For example, in the case of Mehra Radhika v Public Prosecutor [2015] 1 SLR 96, the Chief Justice observed that the expert psychiatric evidence adduced in that case was "patently lacking in objectivity" and was "plainly erroneous". The Chief Justice also observed that the expert in that case "did not give … the sense that he had even a basic conception of the responsibility he owed the court when he put himself forward as an expert". The proposed amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code will set out the duties of an expert witness (whether psychiatrists or otherwise), consistent with existing norms. A panel of psychiatrists will also be set up, such that members of this panel will be allowed to give psychiatric expert evidence in criminal cases. Back to Contents PRE-TRIAL REMANDEES OFFERED BAIL BUT DECLINED

30 Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked the Minister for Law in each year since 2011 (a) what is the number of pre-trial remandees who have been offered the option of being released on bail but do not avail themselves of it; and (b) how many persons within this group have been ultimately remanded for a longer period of time than their custodial sentences or have been given non-custodial sentences or acquitted by the courts.

Mr K Shanmugam: We do not track the number of pre-trial remandees who have been offered the option of being released on bail but do not avail themselves of it. Back to Contents

21

DEFENCE COUNSEL SCANDALISING AND INSULTING MORAL INTEGRITY OF COMPLAINANTS OR WITNESSES DURING CROSS- EXAMINATION IN CRIMINAL TRIALS FOR SEXUAL OR CHILD ABUSE OFFENCES

31 Asst Prof Mahdev Mohan asked Minister for Law in each year since 2011, how many instances have there been of cross-examination by defence counsel which have been calculated to scandalise and insult the moral integrity of complainants or witnesses in criminal trials concerning sexual or child abuse offences.

Mr K Shanmugam: We do not have the specific numbers requested. However, our discussions with both the courts and the Bar indicate that while this is not yet a serious problem, such conduct does take place. Back to Contents COMMON HEALTH PROBLEMS DETECTED DURING GENERAL HEALTH SCREENING FOR CHILDREN

32 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Health with regard to the general health screenings for children including those conducted in schools (a) which are the more common health problems detected; (b) whether the Ministry keeps track of subsequent intervention and outcomes; (c) how often does the Ministry review and update the lists of tests; and (d) whether the Ministry will consider including more tests and detailed examinations such as blood tests, ECG and mental health tests to detect health problems and abnormalities.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Singapore operates a comprehensive screening system for children, starting from when they are very young. New-born babies are screened for congenital conditions including Glucose-6 Phosphate Dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency5, hearing impairment, hypothyroidism, and metabolic disorders in which the body cannot properly turn food into energy. In addition, developmental screening is also carried out from birth, to detect any

5 G6PD deficiency is a hereditary, sex-linked enzyme defect that results in the breakdown of red blood cells when the person is exposed to the stress of infection or certain drugs.

22 disability even amongst apparently healthy children. Such screening is conducted at hospitals, polyclinics, by family doctors as well as private paediatric specialists. Children suspected to have developmental disabilities such as autism spectrum disorder, are referred to the Child Development Units for further assessment and intervention, if necessary. In the schools, the Health Promotion Board (HPB)'s School Health Service conducts oral and physical health screening, including vision screening, screening for hearing impairment, growth and developmental assessment. The most common medical conditions picked-up from health screening in the schools are myopia, obesity and scoliosis. Students who need specialist care or further assessment are referred to the Specialist Clinics at the Student Health Centre or to restructured hospitals. School teachers are trained to identify students who show signs of emotional distress and provide them with the needed support or refer them to school counsellors for help. In addition, the Response, Early Intervention and Assessment in Community Mental Health (REACH) teams work closely with schools, and train the school counsellors to identify students with mental health needs. Peer support is also encouraged and students are taught to look out for their peers, and seek help from trusted adults around them, such as their school counsellors. MOH regularly reviews the screening tests and preventive health programmes, taking into consideration the local context and scientific developments. HPB's screening programmes are reviewed every three to five years, and the last review was done in 2015. Back to Contents NO-CLAIM DISCOUNT ON ANNUAL MEDISHIELD PREMIUMS

33 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider providing a discount on annual Medishield premiums for those who do not file any claim within a requisite period of time.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: There are currently no plans to introduce a discount on annual MediShield Life premiums for those who do not file any claims. This idea was considered by the MediShield Life Review Committee when they conducted their review in 2014. After careful deliberation, the Committee decided against the idea. The Committee was concerned that, with such premium discounts, Singaporeans might delay necessary medical treatment even though they are ill, which could result in worse 23 outcomes such as medical complications, prolonged illness, and poorer health outcomes. Health conditions that are not well managed could result in higher healthcare costs to the individual in the long run. Such features may therefore not be suited for MediShield Life as a national and basic health insurance scheme. Nevertheless, we understand the desire to recognise those who make an effort to stay healthy. The Ministry encourages healthy living through separate initiatives under the Health Promotion Board. For example, under the current Eat, Drink, Shop Healthy Challenge, Singaporeans who purchase healthier food options at participating outlets can earn Healthpoints, redeem them for supermarket and F&B vouchers, and stand a chance to win a staycation. Similarly, the National Steps Challenge also encourages participants to take more steps through vouchers and prizes. Back to Contents INCLUDING SIBLINGS IN LIST OF PERSONS PERMITTED TO CONTRIBUTE TO CPF ACCOUNTS OF CITIZENS AND PRS FOR PAYMENT OF MEDISHIELD LIFE AND ELDERSHIELD PREMIUMS

34 Mr Murali Pillai asked the Minister for Health whether the Ministry will consider extending the group of persons currently permitted to make contributions to the CPF accounts of Singaporeans and PRs for payment of their MediShield Life and ElderShield premiums to include their siblings to address the concerns of those who have insufficient CPF funds as a result of their disabilities preventing them to be gainfully employed.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: All Singaporeans and PRs can make voluntary cash contributions to the Medisave accounts of their loved ones, including siblings. This can be used to pay for MediShield Life and ElderShield premiums, as well as other healthcare expenses. Medisave accounts can be topped up to the applicable Basic Healthcare Sum of the recipient, subject to the annual cap on total contributions (mandatory and voluntary) of $37,740 across all the recipient's CPF accounts. CPFB also allows MediShield Life and ElderShield premiums to be paid directly from the Medisave Account of the insured's siblings on a case-by-case basis, if the insured and immediate family members do not have sufficient Medisave, and the insured is financially dependent on their siblings. This is to help preserve the siblings' Medisave for themselves and their own 24 immediate family members. No one will lose their MediShield Life coverage because they cannot afford the premiums. Singaporeans who require additional support after receiving means-tested subsidies and help from their families can apply for Additional Premium Support. Back to Contents PRIMARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS DIAGNOSED WITH MYOPIA AND ASTIGMATISM

35 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Health (a) what is the number of primary and secondary students diagnosed with myopia and astigmatism over the last five years as a result of eye checks in schools; (b) what are the current eye-care campaigns in schools; and (c) whether there are assistance plans in place for students from lower-income families to obtain corrective lenses

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The Health Promotion Board (HPB) conducts vision screening in pre-schools and schools. Over the last five years, the proportion of students with vision problems, including myopia and astigmatism, has been stable at about 28% among Primary 1 students, 65% among Primary 6 students, and 70% in Secondary 4 students. Since 2001, HPB and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have put in place the National Myopia Prevention Programme (NMPP). The NMPP aims to delay the onset of myopia and reduce its progression in children, through public education targeting young children, their parents and teachers to inculcate good eye care habits, and vision screening to detect and correct poor vision early. Spending more time outdoors can prevent or delay the onset of myopia. Under a NurtureSG initiative, the Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) requires that children in a full day preschool programme spend at least half an hour outdoors daily. HPB has also been advocating for children to take part in outdoor activities after school and on weekends. To make spectacles affordable and accessible to students from lower income families, HPB partnered ophthalmic optics company Essilor to establish the Spectacles Voucher Fund in 2006. This provides students on MOE’s financial assistance schemes who require spectacles with a $50 voucher for spectacles frame and a voucher for free lenses. Back to Contents 25

UNIVERSITY AND HOSPITAL MOBILE RESEARCH TEAMS APPROACHING RESIDENTS FOR BLOOD SAMPLES FOR RESEARCH INTO VECTOR- BORNE DISEASES

36 Ms Sylvia Lim asked the Minister for Health (a) whether the Ministry approves or condones mobile research teams from universities or hospitals approaching residents at their homes to request blood samples for research into vector-borne diseases such as dengue and Zika; (b) if so, what approvals must be sought before carrying out such exercises; (c) what oversight role does the Ministry play to ensure that residents are not exploited; and (d) how are residents' health, safety and confidential information protected during such research.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Research is important to help us better understand the distribution, causes and effects of diseases so as to strengthen the detection, prevention, control and management of these diseases. Approaching residents at their homes to seek consent for participation in such research is one way of reaching out to participants. It provides greater convenience for the research participants. Prior to embarking on any research involving human subjects, the research proposal would have to be approved by an Institutional Review Board (IRB). IRBs play an important role in carrying out an independent ethical review of the need for research, and ensuring that there are adequate safety measures to protect research volunteers, including obtaining their informed consent. Informed consent should be sought from participants in an appropriate and voluntary manner, prior to commencement of the research. The benefits and risks of the research should be clearly explained, and measures put in place to protect the confidentiality of research participants against accidental loss, disclosure or unauthorised access of confidential health information. Under the Human Biomedical Research Framework of the Human Biomedical Research Act (HBRA), the role of researchers and IRBs will be formalised, and they will come under the supervision and control of a Research Institution. MOH will conduct regular audits of the Research Institutions to ensure that its systems and governance are in compliance with the HBRA. This will further strengthen the measures to protect the welfare of participants in research studies. 26

Back to Contents USE OF PHYSICAL RESTRAINTS IN ELDERCARE CENTRES AND NURSING HOMES

37 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health how widely are physical restraints being used in eldercare centres and nursing homes and whether these centres and homes are being audited for following the safeguards on the use of restraints in the Guidelines for Centre-Based Care.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: Based on audits conducted by the Ministry of Health, physical restraints are not widely used in aged care facilities and generally only used as a last resort under specific circumstances, when other methods have been unsuccessful. These include situations where the senior poses an immediate risk to themselves or others, particularly those with high fall risk or those who have a tendency to pull out their life-supporting tubes. This is a professional matter which is reviewed on a regular basis by doctors and nurses in the aged care facilities. The use of restraints to ensure patient safety is also documented and discussed with caregivers. The Ministry will continue to partner the providers to strengthen care processes to bring about safer and better care for seniors. To this end, the Agency for Integrated Care facilitates regular training programmes for aged care providers as part of ongoing quality improvement efforts, including alternatives to using restraints. Back to Contents WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION RECOMMENDATION ON CONSUMPTION OF ADDED SUGARS

38 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Health (a) whether HPB follows the recommendation of the World Health Organisation that a person should reduce the consumption of added sugars to less than 5 per cent of the normal daily energy intake, at around 22g of added sugars a day; and (b) if so, whether this is recommended to institutions and in public programmes.

Mr Gan Kim Yong: The World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommendation is for 27 adults and children to reduce daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake. This is consistent with the policy position adopted by the Health Promotion Board. The 5% level is what WHO refers to as a "conditional recommendation". WHO has explained that a conditional recommendation is one "where the desirable effects of adhering to the recommendation probably outweigh the undesirable effects but these trade-offs need to be clarified; therefore, stakeholder dialogue and consultations are needed before the recommendation is implemented as policy." Back to Contents REGULATION OF QUANTUM AND/OR LENGTH OF PREPAYMENT SCHEMES OFFERED BY BUSINESSES IDENTIFIED TO BE MOST AT RISK OF DEFAULT

39 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) whether there are any plans to regulate the quantum and/or length of prepayment schemes offered by businesses identified to be most at risk of default.

Mr S Iswaran: Given the wide range of businesses that offer prepayment schemes, it is challenging to impose broad-based measures that would protect consumers against loss of prepayments. Also, such measures would inevitably raise the cost of doing business which would be passed on to consumers. Most overseas jurisdictions also recognise these challenges and generally do not impose broad-based prepayment protection measures. However, our Government agencies are studying the need and scope for targeted sector- specific measures to protect consumers against the loss of their prepayments. The Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) has also worked with industry associations to develop CaseTrust accreditation schemes for specific industries including spa & wellness, renovation and motor workshops. The majority of these industry-specific schemes offer prepayment protection for consumers and we encourage consumers to patronise CaseTrust accredited businesses. In general, our approach to consumer protection is to promote fair trading practices and to help consumers make informed purchasing decisions including those that involve prepayments. Back to Contents

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INDUSTRIES CONTRIBUTING TO POSITIVE INCREASE IN PRODUCTIVITY

40 Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) what are the main reasons and which are the industries which contributed to the positive increase in productivity of 1% in 2016; and (b) what is the forecast for 2017 taking into consideration the productivity figures for the first half of 2017.

Mr S Iswaran: Labour productivity, as measured by real value-added (VA) per worker, grew by 1.0 per cent in 2016, reversing the 0.2 per cent decline in 2015. When measured as real VA per actual hour worked (AHW), labour productivity growth was 1.4 per cent in 2016, compared to 1.0 per cent in 2015.6 At the overall level, labour productivity growth in 2016 was supported by growth in real VA on the back of a pickup in external demand, which had benefitted outward-oriented sectors such as the Manufacturing sector. At the same time, both employment and the total number of hours worked grew at a slower rate, in part due to a slowdown in local workforce growth and a decline in foreign employment (excluding foreign domestic workers), especially in the Marine and Construction sectors. By sectors, overall productivity growth in 2016 was primarily driven by the outward- oriented sectors. Collectively, the productivity of outward-oriented sectors rose by 3.1 per cent based on real VA per AHW or 1.8 per cent based on real VA per worker in 2016, while that of domestically-oriented sectors declined by 1.3 per cent based on both measures.7 Among the sectors, the highest productivity gains were seen in the Manufacturing (8.2 per cent based on real VA per AHW or 7.1 per cent based on real VA per worker) and Accommodation (5.6 per cent in both cases) sectors. Within the Manufacturing sector, productivity growth was led by the Electronics and Biomedical Manufacturing (BMS) clusters. The productivity of the Electronics cluster was bolstered by strong growth in the semiconductors segment on the back of a pickup in global

6 Real value-added per actual hour worked is internationally recognised to be a better measure of labour productivity as the number of hours worked captures the intensity of labour input more accurately. This measure has also become more relevant for Singapore given the rising share of part-time workers in the economy. 7 Outward-oriented sectors refer to Manufacturing, Wholesale Trade, Transportation & Storage, Accommodation, Information & Communications, Finance & Insurance and Professional Services. Domestically-oriented sectors refer to Construction, Retail Trade, Food Services, Other Business Services and Other Services Industries. 29 semiconductors demand. Similarly, the productivity of the BMS cluster was supported by robust expansions in both the pharmaceuticals and medical technology segments due to strong external demand. On its part, the Accommodation sector benefitted from a recovery in visitor arrivals, with gross lettings at gazetted hotels rising by 6.0 per cent in tandem with a 7.7 per cent increase in visitor arrivals. For 2017, MTI expects the Singapore economy to grow by 2.0 to 3.0 per cent, with growth likely to come in at around 2.5 per cent on the back of a continued recovery in external demand. This is higher than the 2.0 per cent growth achieved in 2016. Consequently, labour productivity growth in 2017 is also expected to come in stronger than last year's.8 Back to Contents ECONOMIC PROMOTION AGENCIES' ROLES AS TO INDUSTRY SECTOR AND SIZE OF COMPANY SUPPORTED

41 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) how do the various economic promotion agencies such as EDB, IES, SPRING, STB demarcate their roles with respect to industry sector and the size of the company being supported.

Mr S Iswaran: The Government takes a holistic approach towards economic planning and development, and fosters close collaboration among the Government agencies and partners to implement our economic strategies effectively and create good jobs for Singaporeans. Over the years, our economic agencies have developed deep knowledge, specialised capabilities and networks, which allow them to support our enterprises in their respective areas. For instance, the Economic Development Board (EDB) focuses on bringing in investments and strengthening Singapore as a global hub for business, while SPRING Singapore and International Enterprise (IE) Singapore are the key agencies supporting our local enterprises. Specifically, IE focuses on growing trade and overseas investments by helping Singapore-based enterprises export and internationalise, while SPRING focuses on building the capabilities of start-ups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs). At the same time, the various Government agencies work closely together to meet the

8 In the first half of 2017, overall labour productivity in terms of real VA per worker rose by 2.8 per cent over the same period of last year. At present, real VA per AHW is only available on an annual basis.

30 needs of our enterprises. For instance, while lead agencies have been appointed for each of the 23 Industry Transformation Maps (ITMs), the ITMs have been an important platform to bring together Government agencies and non-Government stakeholders such as Trade Associations and Chambers, Institutes of Higher Learning and training providers, to deliver integrated planning and implementation efforts to address the specific needs of each industry. The Government regularly adapts our programmes to better tailor to companies' changing requirements. When necessary, we are also prepared to restructure in order to better serve Singaporeans and our enterprises as the economic environment and business needs evolve. As highlighted by the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE), Singapore's next phase of growth will require stronger Singapore companies that are more innovative, nimble, and better connected to global markets. The capacity to innovate, harness new technologies, scale up and internationalise are increasingly intertwined for all companies regardless of size or stage of development. Hence, to better support our companies in this dynamic economic environment, we recently announced the merger of SPRING and IE to form a new Government agency, Enterprise Singapore. Enterprise Singapore will build on the strengths of both agencies and integrate its knowledge of industries with its network of local and overseas partners, to comprehensively support our local enterprises in their efforts to innovate and internationalise. Enterprise Singapore and EDB will form two critical and complementary Government agencies that will help formulate and implement strategies for the development of industry clusters and enterprises in Singapore. Both will work closely together to drive more collaboration between multinational corporations, innovative start-ups, as well as enterprises of all sizes, to reinforce each other’s strengths, enhance the competitiveness of our industries, and develop Singapore into a global trading hub. Back to Contents ASSISTANCE TO ARTS GROUPS TO COPE WITH RISING RENTAL AND MAINTENANCE COST

42 Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth what help is given to arts groups to cope with rising rental and maintenance cost of arts housing spaces.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: NAC recognises the need to keep rental and maintenance costs 31 for arts spaces affordable. NAC currently offers two schemes to assist artists and arts groups: (i) the Arts Housing Scheme (AHS)9 and (ii) the Framework for Arts Spaces (FFAS). Through both schemes, NAC provides substantial subsidies to defray rental costs. In addition to rental costs, tenants pay subsidised sinking funds or service charges for maintenance which depend on the type of arts housing they occupy. Rental for arts housing is set by the SLA under Civic & Community Institution (C&CI) rates, and is significantly lower, by as much as 60% of commercial market rates. NAC provides a further 90% and 80% rental subvention under the AHS and FFAS respectively, so that tenants are only required to pay 10% and 20% of these reduced rental rates respectively. For arts housing spaces with an appointed place manager to oversee facility management, tenants pay a service charge that is also kept lower by 60% compared to market rates, through cost effective measures like bulk tenders, and NAC or the place manager absorbing any remaining costs. Arts groups occupying AHS spaces also contribute to a sinking fund for cyclical works for the building they occupy. Their contributions range from $0.06 to $0.08 psf, and this rate has remained unchanged for many years. This has helped to cushion arts groups against rising costs. NAC has also provided substantial top ups when these contributions were insufficient to upkeep the properties. Aside from housing support, NAC takes a holistic approach to enable arts groups to build capabilities and better support their operations. NAC also needs to work within the overall arts space allocation assigned by URA to ensure that there is fair opportunity and access for the increasing number of arts groups and artists requiring space. Over the past three years, the open calls for available spaces at Goodman Arts Centre and Aliwal Arts Centre have seen demand exceeding supply by three times. NAC has therefore augmented efforts to free up spaces by working with arts groups and community partners such as People’s Association to explore alternative spaces and venues, such as the recent offering of housing spaces to three arts organisations at Our Tampines Hub. Back to Contents

9 NAC is in the process of transitioning all arts housing spaces to the Framework for Arts Spaces.

32

DISALLOWING ATHLETES FROM PROMOTING NON-OFFICIAL EVENT SPONSORS DURING MAJOR SPORTING EVENTS

43 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth in view of the rule where athletes are not allowed to promote non-official event sponsors during the period of the SEA Games, Olympics or other major sporting events, what mitigation measures are in place to ensure that the athletes do not suffer any loss or compromise on their existing, long-term or potential sponsorships.

Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: The rules on sponsorship at the Major Games are decided by the International Olympic Committee, the SEA Games Federation and respective organisers, and their attendant impact on the National Olympic Committees and athletes of participating countries are established practices which have been in effect for some time. Sponsors would have taken the blackout periods into consideration when deciding on their sponsorship packages for athletes. The Government does not interfere in these decisions. Apart from private sponsorships, our Team Singapore athletes receive support from the High Performance Sports (HPS) system overseen by the Singapore Sport Institute. Under the HPS system, Team Singapore athletes are provided comprehensive support in the form of financial grants, training and competition opportunities, as well as coaching, sports science and medicine support. In addition, Team Singapore athletes, who are not spexScholars, also receive campaign funding to help them prepare and train full-time in the lead-up to Major Games. Back to Contents EFFECTS OF INDIVIDUALS SEEKING DONATIONS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA AND CROWDFUNDING PLATFORMS

44 Mr Sitoh Yih Pin asked the Minister for Social and Family Development (a) what are the effects and conflicts, if any, which the rising trend of individuals seeking welfare donations through social media and other crowdfunding platforms have on the Government's welfare system; and (b) whether the Ministry has plans to regulate these activities in light of the potential fraudulent online claims to exploit public sympathies.

Mr Desmond Lee: There has been a number of reports recently on individuals who have 33 started online crowdfunding campaigns, some of which have gained large sums in donations. We are encouraged to see many Singaporeans step forward to help others in need. More acts of kindness and generosity for those who face challenging circumstances is a positive thing, because this can help nurture a more caring and gracious society. At the same time, such crowdfunding initiatives present certain concerns. First, do-gooders may not always know where their donations are going to. In some cases, we have found that some information presented by the individual raising funds was inaccurate, or facts were only partially presented. For instance, some individuals said that they are raising funds as they have not received assistance from the Government, when in fact they were beneficiaries of subsidies and other assistance from Government. Every so often, there are also stories published on mainstream and social media about some individuals in difficult circumstances. Some of these individuals are indeed in challenging situations, and are deserving of assistance from Government and the community. But not all of the accounts presented were accurate. MSF officers found that some of these individuals were not seeking help, or were ineligible for ComCare assistance – we have even come across individuals with accumulated savings to the tune of five or six figures. That is why MSF has provided factual clarifications on some reported cases of vulnerable persons. Additionally, fund-raisers, whether individuals or organisations, are expected to provide accurate information to the public, properly account for donations received and disbursed, and ensure that all expenditure is above board. However, some fund-raising practices are lacking in transparency and accountability and this leaves some questions unanswered: Are records of donations received and funds disbursed properly maintained? What proportion of the proceeds will be used for the intended purposes? How are unused funds being accounted for? These are important questions that donors need to ask, especially when public appeals are involved. If many cases of fund-raising are discovered to have exploited the generosity of donors, the public may become sceptical towards truly worthy fund-raising initiatives. It may make Singaporeans think twice whether to help someone in need. This would run counter to our goal to nurture a gracious and compassionate society. Another concern is if easy access to public donations through crowdfunding leads to a weakening of our work ethic or the important role of family support. We should be concerned if crowdfunding becomes the preferred way out for an individual, even before he taps on his own 34 resources and efforts, or support from his family. Finally, we would like to encourage the public to remain vigilant and discerning in responding to fund-raising appeals, so as to avoid falling victim to improper fund-raising activities. When in doubt, they should find out more from the fund-raisers before making a donation. If the public have concerns regarding any improper fund-raising activities, they should report the matter to the Office of the Commissioner of Charities. If fraud and scams are suspected, they should file a Police report immediately. All fund-raising appeals, including those conducted online, to any member of the public or community in Singapore for charitable, benevolent or philanthropic causes are regulated under the Charities (Fund-Raising Appeals for Local and Foreign Charitable Purposes) Regulations 2012 ("the Fund-Raising Regulations"). The Fund-Raising Regulations spell out the duties and obligations of fund-raisers, which include the need for disclosure of clear and accurate information to donors about the beneficiary and the purpose of the donation, proper usage of donations, as well as keeping proper records of donations received and disbursed. Back to Contents NUMBER OF OLDER HDB MULTI-STOREY CARPARKS INSTALLED WITH LIFTS

45 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for National Development (a) over the last five years, what is the number of older HDB multi-storey carparks that have been installed with lifts; (b) what is the number of carparks earmarked for future lift installations; and (c) what is the cost of such installations and subsequent maintenance of the lifts.

Mr Lawrence Wong: Over the last five years, HDB has completed lift installation works for 510, or about 94%, of the 544 older HDB multi-storey car parks (MSCP) without lifts. Works are planned or already on-going to the remaining 34 car parks, to ensure that they are fitted with lifts or other barrier-free access solutions, such as ramps. The average cost to install a lift in an MSCP is about $350,000, while the average maintenance cost is about $13,000 per year. Back to Contents

35

PLANS FOR PRESERVATION OF ELLISON BUILDING AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION OF NORTH-SOUTH EXPRESSWAY

46 Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for National Development whether he can provide an update on the alternative plans of preserving of Ellison Building in light of the construction of the North-South Expressway.

Mr Lawrence Wong: The Land Transport Authority’s (LTA) engineers and conservation specialists have been studying various options to minimise the impact on the affected corner shophouse unit during the construction of the North-South Corridor (NSC). This is still ongoing, as there is a need to weigh the risks to both Ellison Building and the NSC carefully in order to come to a good decision. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) and LTA will engage heritage groups again, before the final decision is taken. Back to Contents FACTORS INFLUENCING RENTAL COST OF HAWKER STALLS

47 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what are the factors that influence the rental cost of hawker stalls; (b) aside from the tender amount, what other criteria determine the success of a tender applicant; (c) what is being done to keep monthly rentals of hawker stalls more affordable; and (d) why do Yishun Park Hawker Centre tenderers have to pay at least twice the average bid to get a stall.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: The Government lets out hawker stalls to interested Singaporeans and Permanent Residents through open tenders. A hawker stall is awarded based on the bid amount and the proposed food to be sold which, in turn, has to comply with the designated trade for that stall as indicated in the tender notice. For example, if a cooked food stall is designated as a “Halal Cooked Food” stall, a bidder who proposes to sell drinks would not be successful, regardless of the bid amount. The amount that an applicant bids for a hawker stall would likely be influenced by factors such as the location and condition of the hawker centre, stall size, the applicant’s assessment of the potential business volume of the stall as well as previous successful bid amounts at the 36 hawker centre. To moderate stall rents, we have introduced key policy changes since 2012, such as disallowing stall assignment and subletting to prevent stall owners who have no intention of operating the stalls themselves from engaging in rent seeking behaviour. In addition, we removed the concept of reserve rent to allow the rentals to fully reflect the market demand for the stalls. Since the removal of the reserve rent in 2012, about 53% of the tendered cooked food stalls were awarded at below what the reserve rent would have been. On the whole, more than 85% of our hawkers pay less than $1,500 per month in stall rent. This is generally lower than stall rents in coffee shops or food courts in comparable locations. The Yishun Park Hawker Centre is a new hawker centre which will be managed by the Timbre+ Hawkers Pte Ltd on a not-for-profit basis. The managing agent was selected following the evaluation of the proposals received for the management of this centre. The evaluation was based on a matrix of price and qualitative criteria to deliver value to both patrons and hawkers. Among the qualitative evaluation criteria are the costs that potential stall-holders will pay as well as the ideas to keep food prices affordable and the productivity measures to help the stall holders manage their manpower costs. The rents of the Yishun Park Hawker Centre are also comparable to other new hawker centres. Timbre will select the stall-holders based on a set of evaluation criteria, which are the stall applicant’s food type, the food taste and quality, the price of the food and their online presence. The Government will continue to work closely with Timbre to ensure that the Yishun Park Hawker Centre meets the needs of the residents in providing affordable and hygienic food. Back to Contents UPDATE ON SUNGEI ROAD FLEA MARKET VENDORS

48 Mr Kok Heng Leun asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether he can provide an update on the number of Sungei Road flea market vendors who have received assistance from the Government or have moved into new stalls to date; (b) how many of the vendors who have been allocated new stalls are still in business; and (c) for those who have stopped operating at these new stalls, what are the reasons for the closure of the stalls.

Mr Masagos Zulkifli B M M: Prior to the closure of the Sungei Road Hawking Zone 37

(SRHZ) on 10 July 2017, the National Environment Agency (NEA), Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF), Workforce Singapore (WSG) and the Central Singapore Community Development Council (CSCDC) had engaged about 200 SRHZ users to offer them assistance so that they can either continue their trade at alternative venues or make a living through other means. To date, close to 80 SRHZ users are now receiving some form of assistance even as they make the necessary adjustments. At the Parliament sitting on 3 July 2017, my Ministry shared that the NEA has set aside more than 40 lock-up stalls at our hawker centres for the SRHZ users who wished to carry on their trade. To date, more than 30 SRHZ users have taken up and commenced business at these lock-up stalls. To help them transit and succeed in their new environment, the NEA has provided rental subsidies and facilitated their participation in a course to teach them merchandise display skills and explore a new range of items for sale. The NEA has also helped to raise the awareness of the location of their stalls through banners, signage and social media posts. For the 11 original permit holders, the NEA has offered them lock-up stalls at our hawker centres at subsidised rental with a full rental waiver for the first year and 50% subsidy off the subsidised rental for the second year. Of the 11 original permit holders, four have taken up the offer to operate a lock-up stall at our hawker centres. So far, of all the users who have taken up stalls from the NEA, only one has changed his mind and decided to give up his lock-up stall as he felt that his merchandise might be unsuitable for sale in a hawker centre. In addition, the NEA has also worked with the People’s Association (PA) and the CSCDC to assist SRHZ users who wish to operate in flea markets. So far, 27 SRHZ users have taken up stalls at existing flea markets around Singapore. Besides the provision of lock-up stalls at our hawker centres and flea markets, the WSG has provided job placement assistance to SRHZ users who wish to seek employment. The MSF and the CSCDC have also actively helped those who require financial assistance through the ComCare and other schemes. So far, 28 SRHZ users have received either financial or job placement assistance. The Government will continue to keep in contact with those SRHZ users who require assistance but have yet to accept our offers. Meanwhile, we are glad to know that a number of the SRHZ users have already started to operate stalls at trade fairs organised by private operators 38 and that others have ventured into sales through online platforms. We hope the Member and the community will continue to lend their support to the SRHZ users at our lock-up stalls, flea markets, trade fairs or online platforms. Back to Contents

Office of the Clerk of Parliament Singapore, 11 September 2017