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PERMISSION TO MEMBERS TO BE ABSENT Under the provisions of clause 2(d) of Article 46 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore, the following Members have been granted permission to be or to remain absent from sittings of Parliament (or any Committee of Parliament to which they have been appointed) for the periods stated: Name From (2006) To (2006) Mr Loh Meng See 16 Mar 18 Mar 24 Mar 27 Mar Mr Heng Chee How 31 Mar 08 Apr Mr Khaw Boon Wan 31 Mar 02 Apr
PERMISSION TO MEMBERS TO BE ABSENT ABDULLAH TARMUGI Speaker Parliament of Singapore
BILLS - MONEYLENDERS (AMENDMENT) BILL to amend the Moneylenders Act (Chapter 188 of the 1985 Revised Edition) ?,
BILLS - MONEYLENDERS (AMENDMENT) BILL presented by the Senior Minister of State for Law (Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee); read the First time; to be read a Second time on the next available sitting of Parliament, and to be printed.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [7th Allotted Day].
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Resumption of Debate on Question [8th March, 2006],
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 "That the total sum to be allocated for Head I of the Estimates be reduced by $100." - [Mr Sin Boon Ann].
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Question again proposed.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Mr Chairman, I thank the Members for their speeches and ideas that they shared with us yesterday.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Mr Sin Boon Ann is absolutely right when he identifies building a cohesive and resilient society is and will be a central preoccupation for us as a nation. This is going to be work-in-progress and it is going to be for the long haul. To paraphrase Mr Sin, we must not allow resentment, jealousy and a sense of alienation to divide us even if globalisation and the free market economy increase income inequality. I believe the key pre-requisites for us remaining as one united people are, firstly, to ensure that opportunities are available to all, regardless of race or parentage, in order to maximise his or her potential; secondly, to ensure that there remains social mobility in a fair and just system; thirdly, that we will share in the fruits of success (with more provided for those who are less well off); and, lastly, perhaps just as important, that those who are more successful feel an instinctive reflex to help the rest of society. This is a multi-faceted challenge which requires a multi-pronged approach. In this context, the delivery of social assistance is just one part of a larger whole.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 During last year s COS debate, my Ministry had two key themes: first, to
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Mr Chairman, the point is I can now assure this House that there is no reason for any child not to attend pre-school. Finance is not the limiting factor. What we need is outreach and to persuade those parents to send their children to kindergartens. We will also increase the childcare subsidy for the first and second child under the Enhanced Centre-based Financial Assistance for Childcare (CFAC) scheme. There will be new subsidy caps ranging from $200 to $300, depending on the family s household income. But let me remind Members that this quantum is over and above the $150 subsidy per child that we are already providing for working mothers whose children attend such centres. As announced by the Prime Minister, we will also set up a $2 million Opportunity Fund which will be distributed to the self-help groups. The Opportunity Fund can be used to provide educational assistance for children from low-income families. Next, under the Home Ownership Plus Education Scheme (HOPE), we will liberalise the eligibility criteria so that more families will be eligible. We expect that these enhancements will benefit some 1,000 families over the next three years. And I would like to remind Members of this House that each package is worth up to $100,000 per benefiting family. An Appeals Committee, chaired by my Minister of State, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, will provide flexibility in administering this scheme, especially in borderline cases. We will also spend $30 million to help people go out to work, and to become self-reliant through the MCYS' Workfare package. We expect that this will reach
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 ensure that no one is left behind so that we can all move ahead as one nation; and second, to nurture the family and community relationships that give each of us happiness, fulfilment and a sense of significance, and ultimately bind us to this place called Singapore. I would like to refer Members to the first document in the folder that we circulated [Copies of document circulated to hon. Members]. The first part is entitled Key Achievements in 2005 ?, which provides a brief summary of our key initiatives and projects that we undertook last year. The most prominent among them, obviously, was ComCare. This was launched on 28th June last year. In the six months from July to December 2005, it reached out to 51,000 families and children, and disbursed some $23.4 million. It was a tangible form of our commitment to ensure that no one would be left behind. It was also a working model of flexibility and decentralisation, highlighting particularly the role of the grassroots organisations and the expanding role of the Community Development Councils in the provision of social services. The Committee on Ageing Issues completed its review and submitted 39 major recommendations to the Government, and you all have heard our Prime Minister say that all these recommendations have been accepted in principle. And over the course of the last few weeks, you have heard how the various Ministries are actively working on implementing these recommendations. For people with disabilities, we increased the subsidies for assistive technology, and established a specialised Assistive Technology Centre for the Disabled. We set up a one-stop Disability Information and Resource Centre. We established two therapy hubs for seniors and the disabled so that they have access to affordable rehabilitation therapy. Moving on to babies, we enhanced the Parenthood Package by introducing greater flexibility in the schedule for co-savings, and liberalised the use of the Baby Bonus. We moved on to implement the recommendations that arose from an earlier youth consultation exercise. As you can see in the list and that list is not exhaustive numerous youth-related projects were conceived, led and implemented by young Singaporeans themselves. Members will recall that we very successfully hosted the 117th session of the International Olympic Council. So it has been a busy year. Let me refer Members now to the next document in the file, which lists the key initiatives that my Ministry will pursue in the year ahead. Our special priorities this year are to focus on the less well off; to empower and integrate seniors and the disabled into mainstream society; and to restore public confidence in charities and voluntary welfare organisations. Mr Chairman, there are four basic principles that undergird all the programmes that you can see in there. First, we must never have a permanent, unconditional needs-based welfare system. We must not have this not because we lack sympathy but because this is the road to ruin and it is not sustainable. People who argue for a permanent unconditional needs-based welfare system are harkening back an ideology which was implemented 60 years ago, and has now reached the end of the road, and you can see that in Europe. Second, our social assistance packages will therefore be low on entitlements but high on flexibility. We need that flexibility to ensure that no one falls through the cracks in such a low entitlement system. Third, we must focus on children because they are our future. And, fourth, we will help people by empowering them to help themselves. That is why you can see in all our programmes, for instance, in public assistance, we are so strict on eligibility criteria. Only those who really cannot work and have no family are eligible for public assistance. We want to foster this sense of self-reliance so that Singaporeans will still feel the need to strive and work hard for a better life, and for each of us to take responsibility for our own lives. Our efforts in Workfare illustrate our approach to provide targeted and sustained assistance to those who need it, but doing so in a way which emphasises the necessity for work. ComCare illustrates our flexibility in delivering social assistance by involving grassroots organisations, self-help groups and VWOs. Thus, we can ensure that help is provided quickly, precisely and in a targeted way, and yet has enough flexibility to make sure that when there are cases on the borderline or cases which would otherwise fall into the cracks, the system is flexible enough to address their needs. In line with this approach, ComCare will support the Workfare package which was recommended earlier by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Low Wage Workers by augmenting social support in order for two things to occur: for parents to go out to work and for children to have a better educational environment, whether this environment is in kindergartens, childcare centres, or before-or-after school care. We will be committing a sum of $100 million over the next two years on programmes to help needy families. As Dr Lily Neo suggested, we will adopt a family-centric model in delivering assistance. I acknowledge Dr Warren Lee s point that changing family dynamics, decreased fertility, rising singlehood and an ageing society and the very real possibility of children working overseas for extended period of time, will place our model of the family being the first line of support under strain. But the response, surely, cannot be for the state to step in to be the surrogate family. On the contrary, we need to emphasise the mutual responsibilities that each and every family member has to each other, regardless of where they are in the world. In fact, the other thing that we are going to have to study much more carefully is the role of the extended family, particularly in so far as it relates to singles. More resources will be devoted to the younger generation to help them break out of the poverty cycle. Over the next two years, $70 million will be spent on programmes for children and youth from needy families. We expect to reach out to more than 12,000 children per year, as well as programmes which target the family as a whole. This is the surest way, the only sustainable way, to break out of the poverty trap. Under the Kindergarten Financial Assistance Scheme (KiFAS), we have increased the maximum monthly subsidy from $50 to $65 per month for children from low income families with effect from January this year. Over and above this, we will now provide a start up grant of up to $200 for needy families with young children to help them offset expenditure on items such as textbooks, school uniforms and the one-time deposit which some centres charge. If even more help is needed I think all the PAP MPs in this House know the community organisations like the PAP Community Foundation (PCF) will step in to take up the slack. 2,200 families per year through these initiatives. Let me now move on to social enterprises, a subject which was covered by Miss Penny Low and Mr Sin Boon Ann. They have quite rightly recommended exploring a larger role for social enterprises in Singapore. I agree with them. Community and charity organisations can explore ways to create sustainable business models which will do two things firstly, hopefully, generate jobs for the beneficiaries; and secondly, provide an alternative revenue stream for charities rather than to be totally dependent upon the charity dollar. We will provide seed funding for these social enterprises and we will help create a conducive environment for them to grow and flourish. If there are regulatory obstacles, we will definitely help to smooth them away. My MOS will provide further details on all these initiatives as well as give an update on ComCare s key achievements later. Let me now turn our attention to the issues we face as an ageing society. Singapore will experience a fundamental demographic shift over the next 24 years. Today, 8% of our population are aged 65 and over. But by 2030, 20% or one in every five Singaporeans will fall into this category. The Report by the Committee on Ageing Issues (CAI), therefore, is very timely and it quite rightly highlights the key thrusts that we need to take now and not wait for the two decades to elapse. Our goals are to enable seniors to lead a healthy, fulfilling and meaningful life. The CAI correctly concluded that we will need to tackle five critical aspects. These are housing, accessibility, healthcare, employment and social integration. Of the 39 recommendations that the CAI put forth, 15 have been or are in the process of being implemented as we speak. The other 24 have been accepted, in principle, by the Government and we will get to them in due course. My Ministry is responsible for 17 of these proposals. So I will certainly owe this House an update at an appropriate time. Members can refer to the Government s responses to all these recommendations at Annex 4 of our file. My colleague, Dr Maliki Osman, who is co-chair of the CAI, will go into the detailed recommendations
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 as well as answer questions later on. But let me briefly illustrate how the CAI s vision will shape our present and, more importantly, our future.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 12.15 pm
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 The CAI pushed a bold plan to make Singapore an 'Accessible City' to all. Let me assure Dr Ong Seh Hong that seniors and the disabled will be able to move around the island seamlessly. And parents with young children will also gain from the changes that we will make. As I myself will be pushing a pram for my baby in a couple of months time, I can assure this House that the agencies involved will be receiving feedback directly from me too.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Our seniors will also find diverse housing options for them, with the option to monetise their assets. They will have community-based healthcare, accessible, reachable and convenient for them which is, as the Ministry of Health has illustrated, the need for better ways of working using the family physician as the primary focus of delivery. I think this is an idea which I am sure Dr Lily Neo will support.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Having said that, accessibility, housing, healthcare, whilst vital, are essentially means to an end. At the end of the day, what brings fulfilment in the lives of seniors must be the ability to age graciously and have full and active life for
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 In a recent Straits Times interview, Mr Chan Chee Seng, former MP for Jalan Besar and, in fact, the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for the Ministry of Social Affairs, which is the predecessor of my Ministry, said that we need to get older people to 'take control of their own lives' and involve them in seeking solutions to problems. He also urged us, the Government, to tap on the experience of this group. I think this is very, very wise advice from my predecessor. And I have decided to accept and act on his advice.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 I think Mr Sin Boon Ann, Mr Ang Mong Seng and Mr Wee Siew Kim will also agree with his advice when they called for seniors, in their speeches yesterday, to have more opportunities to be more active. The CAI recommended that we set up a $10 million GO! Fund (Golden Opportunities Fund) to promote active ageing through activities run by seniors for seniors. I have decided to double this. We will put $20 million into this fund and will let the seniors conceive, organise and execute these projects.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 The GO! Fund will provide seed funding for seniors as they bring these projects beyond what is in their minds and beyond just plans into actually executing them on the ground. There will be an element of co-funding because we want community ownership of the projects, and this is an essential ingredient for success and sustainability.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 I see the GO! Fund also helping budding entrepreneurs, old and young, to kickstart the silver industry in recreation, leisure and third age pursuits. They may do feasibility studies or product
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Let me now move on to strong families. Our needs, priorities and roles would change as we move on in life. But one thing remains constant. Our family will always be our core reason for being. What we reap in our golden years really depends on what we invest in our families now.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Mr Sin Boon Ann and Dr Chong Weng Chiew have quite rightly emphasised the need for strong family and inter-generational ties. My Ministry has found that family and inter-generational relationships are still generally strong and healthy. According to the 2005 National Survey of Senior Citizens, which was commissioned by my Ministry, more than 70% of seniors interviewed still talk to their children every day and close to 70% will discuss important matters with their children. You wish it is 100%, but 70% is still quite good. The 2003 HDB Household Sample Survey showed that 64% of seniors either live in the same flat or in the same estate, or in an adjacent estate to their children. The same survey found that seniors ranked family life No. 1, in terms of personal satisfaction, out of 16 other items which included things like housing, transport and public security.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 But we can do more to achieve a consistent, holistic family-centric, inter-generational approach in our policies, programmes and projects. For this reason, I full endorse the CAI s recommendation to introduce Family Passes so that the entire multi-tier family can use our sports facilities at concessionary rates. It is a simple but very concrete step that seniors should use sports facilities to keep fit but also to do
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 And this ties in neatly with our commitment to ensure that all public sports facilities will be senior-friendly by 2010. I understand that the Jurong West Sports Complex already has ramps for access into the teaching pool and even the jacuzzi pools, and these are facilities which are popular, especially with our seniors.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 On top of the Family Pass initiative by the SSC, the People s Association will also review all the current schemes and activities in order to promote such multi-tier family activities.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Sir, we can look forward to a bright future as Singapore ages. It will be one built upon strong families and active seniors. While we can put in place the infrastructure, policies, programmes and services, it will ultimately be up to each of us, seniors and young, to play our part to complete this picture and to ask to remain active and young in spirit, regardless of age.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Sir, let me now move on to disabilities. Our vision for an inclusive nation must certainly mean that the disabled will be integrated into the mainstream, wherever possible. This means studying, working, living, moving around us and being cared for, just like any one of us.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 This is our goal. Have we arrived? The answer is not yet. But have we made progress? The answer is yes. This is the
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Over the last five years, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and my Ministry have spent close to $350 million for people with disabilities. My Ministry alone increased our budget seven-fold from $5.4 million in 1999 to $35.1 million this year. This affirms in a very tangible way our commitment to people with disabilities.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 However, no single stakeholder, even the Government, will ever have sufficient resources to meet every need and everyone out there. Needs and wants are infinite. Resources are limited. We therefore need a many-helping-hands model in order to make the overall pie grow and to help the disabled. By this, I mean the Community Chest, voluntary welfare organisations and members of the public must play their part to making this come about. Families and persons with disabilities too also need to do their part and this is where they need to contribute according to their ability.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 We also need to make the best use of limited resources. This means channelling them into areas where it really makes a difference to the lives of the disabled and hopefully enable as many of them to become self-reliant as possible, and we want to make sure that they will be able ultimately to contribute back to society.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 But financial figures and strategies hardly begin to describe the progress that we have made with the disabled. So, let me just take you through the life course of a person with disability in Singapore.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 We have today nine centres for the Early Intervention Programme for Infants and Children (EIPIC), from just three centres in 2003, today, it is nine. This
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Now, we move on to schools. Dr Chong Weng Chiew s point was about boosting education opportunities for the disabled. In 2004, the Ministry of Education set aside $55 million a year till 2008 to enhance the educational prospects and opportunities for children with disabilities. This additional funding was to improve the quality of Special Education schools by enabling them to recruit better qualified teachers, provide training for the existing teachers and improve the curriculum. This funding is also provided to designated mainstream schools so that there will be over time a pool of dedicated staff with training in special education, and this will provide a combination of in-class support, as well as specialist intervention for children with physical disabilities and hearing impairment in mainstream schools. My Ministry also has the Community Integration Support (CIS) programme which spends over $1 million a year on this programme. To date, some 310 students have benefited from this programme. They have shown good results, integrated into schools, have full
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Let me move on to the second point raised by Dr Chong Weng Chiew and this touches on employment for people with disability. Our motto here is succinct: Disabled does not mean Unable. To date, 1,100 people with disabilities have engaged in sheltered workshop employment provided by VWOs. The ComCare Enterprise Fund has also committed $840,000 to seven projects which have generated employment for the disabled. Since 2003, Bizlink, a VWO co-funded by MCYS and NCSS, has helped some 760 persons with disabilities to find jobs in the open market.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Employment must be based on merit this is what the disabled want and what the disabled need. Yet, we know that there are some employers who will shy away from hiring a disabled because of fear about the costs of modifying the workplace to suit the disabled.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 To address this, the WDA and MCYS will pilot a Job and Workplace Redesign Scheme for employers who hire persons with disabilities. We will fund up to $520,000 over the next two years for this scheme. The money will help defray the additional costs incurred by companies to embark on workplace modifications. It will cover job modification, such as workflows and work processes as well.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 These enhancements will be capped at $100,000 per redesign project. Under this scheme, there will also be 90% funding for the actual cost of leasing or the purchase of equipment and making infrastructural modifications. And I hope the employers will make good use of this scheme, and take that additional bold step to give opportunities for people with disabilities.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 We will also use the $2 million Assistive Technology Fund (ATF) to further help the disabled. To answer Dr Warren Lee, $250,000 from the ATF has since benefited 126 children and adults by making assistive technology affordable to them. We have also piloted an Assistive Technology Centre (ATC) to engage in research and development, and the procurement of these devices for the disabled.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Sir, we have made progress but there is too much we can do to develop the disability sector in order to meet the needs of the disabled and help them to integrate. We need to address the critical manpower shortage through better training and greater recruitment efforts. We need to improve the cost-efficiency and effectiveness of the programmes. We need to cut waiting times, shorten the queues. And we need to strive for transparency in fee structures, standards of services and effectiveness of outcomes. There is much to be done, but I assure Members of this House that the commitment is there, increasingly the funding is there, now we only have to get ourselves organised.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 My Minister of State will cover more details on ComCare.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 as long as they can do so. And we believe that seniors must be empowered to embark on pursuits which give them this sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. customisation, with inputs from seniors as consultants and potential customers. If the pilot projects succeed, our seniors will benefit but, more important than that, we would have added another dimension to our economy, the silver or the golden economy. so collectively with their families. So with one pass, we can achieve both aims: activities for seniors and family togetherness. And I hope other institutions and public attractions will also consider introducing such multi-tier extended Family Passes. But we will do so in all Singapore Sports Council s (SSC) facilities for a start, and this will include swimming pools, gymnasiums, badminton, tennis and squash courts. essence of Dr Warren Lee s question. Let me share with the House the significant steps that had occurred over the last few years, in addressing this need by the people with disabilities. will provide early intervention at therapy services for children from birth up to the age of six. Since January this year, PCF Punggol School Kindergarten has also tied up with the Autism Resource Centre to pilot a one-year pilot scheme which will take in some autistic children from the EIPIC Programme. Today, we have 18 childcare centres island-wide that care for special needs children alongside their peers. These initiatives allow children, whether they are able or disabled, to be friends with each other and to play with each other from a young age. MOE has also announced a new initiative yesterday called Project SEAL (Sustained Early Assistance for Learning). And MOE will work with 10 neighbourhood kindergartens to identify children with learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. PSLE passes and indeed nine students passed their ˜O level this year. This is money well spent.
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BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Sir, I would like to thank Members for their suggestions and concern about the performance of ComCare. Mr Sin Boon Ann has asked for an update of what ComCare has achieved to date.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 As my Minister mentioned earlier, ComCare has helped about 51,000 families and children since its launch in July last year, and we have spent about $23.4 million through ComCare's three pillars, namely, ComCare Self-Reliance,
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 I thank Members for their concern for greater community involvement and improvement of processes, especially quite a number of Members also referred to greater decentralisation and flexibility. As Mr Wee Siew Kim has rightly pointed out, decentralisation has been a key feature of the ComCare Fund. It has brought about greater flexibility in administering help to the needy and to ensure that our rules do not shut out those who are truly needy. We have also focused on decentralisation and increasing flexibility as a means of promoting greater community involvement.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 A key part of this strategy is the $4 million Citizens Consultative Committee ComCare Fund, which has empowered grassroots organisations to better carry out the task of ensuring that those who are in urgent financial distress get the help they need. As at end December 2005, the CCCs have spent $1.2 million of the CCC ComCare Fund to help about 8,000 applicants.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 We also wanted to improve processes so that people in need get assistance more quickly. I am pleased to update Mr Sin Boon Ann that the CDCs, which administer our nation-wide assistance schemes, have improved on their processing of social assistance applications. I would like to thank the People's Association, CDCs, the Mayors, VWOs, all the Advisors of the CCCs, and the grassroots leaders, for helping to shorten the process. 82% of applications are now being processed within six weeks, compared to the 73% announced at last year s Committee of Supply. The
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Mr Sin Boon Ann and Dr Lily Neo have suggested that there should be a central register for the needy, so that effective assistance can be given to them. In fact, the ComCare Database was launched last October for this purpose. The Database gives the case workers a better understanding of the client s needs, so that he is better able to assess what is the appropriate assistance for the client, and provide assistance more promptly. At present, the ComCare Database is used by all the CDCs, CCCs, and Family Service Centres, MUIS, Yayasan Mendaki and the Association of Muslim Professionals. For the next phase, MCYS plans to bring on board other Government agencies, such as MOE and MOH, the self-help groups, and relevant voluntary welfare organisations, to improve on the database.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Dr Lily Neo has also asked if our social assistance schemes can be consolidated so that they are more comprehensible. Mr Wee Siew Kim has also expressed concern for those cases that may still fall through the cracks, and which would need multiple agencies to address their issues. Our ComCare system works on the basis that a person in need does not have to know about all the schemes available to help him. There is a multitude of help available, from Government, as well as community-based organisations. It is the case worker s job to identify the appropriate intervention and, if necessary, coordinate help, for a needy family. There is no "wrong door". All that a needy Singaporean has to do is to go to his CDC, CCC or Family Service Centre to get the right help.
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Can this system help those with multiple needs adequately? This is an
BUDGET - ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2006 TO 31ST MARCH, 2007 - Paper Cmd. 3 of 2006 Dr Lily Neo is also concerned about the consolidation of the various schemes. I am pleased to inform Dr Lily Neo that my Ministry has done a review and we have rationalised the number of assistance schemes from 51, which was reported at last year's Committee of Supply, to 27. I have asked the Clerk of Parliament to hand out a list of these 27 schemes [Copies of list distributed to hon. Members]. For example, the CDCs have consolidated 20 of their local schemes and programmes into three.