Hansard, Monday, 20 February 2017

1 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) whether the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme can be extended to (i) university education and (ii) workers who wish to study for a first or second degree in order to switch careers and specialise in a different field, so as to address the growing skills mismatch in the labour market.

Mdm Speaker, the SkillsFuture Earn and Learn Programme is an important work-learn initiative targeted primarily at fresh graduates from the polytechnics and Institute of Technical Education to facilitate their entry into the sector they are trained for, while enabling them to deepen their skills and attain higher qualifications.

There is less impetus to do this for universities because most graduates will not, at least not immediately, go beyond an undergraduate degree.

Notwithstanding, there is much benefit to incorporate the concept of work-learn in undergraduate education and lifelong learning. Hence, the Singapore Institute of Technology already offers the integrated work-study programme, where undergraduates are attached to industries up to a year. Various universities are also working with industries to develop work-learn undergraduate programmes. Each degree programme caters to the specific needs of the industry with the aim of developing industry-ready graduates.

As for lifelong learning, adult learners can tap on various programmes under the Adapt and Grow initiative, such as the Professional Conversion Programmes (PCPs). PCPs are available across a broad range of industries, including aerospace, logistics and social services, and are also work-learn in nature.

2 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) whether there are immediate plans for Government-sponsored universities to increase enrolment for graduate and post-graduate programmes so as to increase educational opportunities for acquiring deep skills; and (b) if so, which are the key graduate and postgraduate programmes that will see increased enrolments.

Madam, the Ministry of Education (MOE) has been steadily increasing the intake for full-time publicly-funded undergraduate degree programmes at our autonomous universities (AUs). By 2020, we expect 40% of each cohort will make it to AUs, compared to 34% now. This increase will come largely through places in the applied degree programmes at the Singapore Institute of Technology and the Singapore Institute of Management University.

It is important to note that this is a cohort participation rate which matches the demand of our diverse and sophisticated economic structure. If the cohort participation rate far exceeds what the economy needs, there can be widespread graduate unemployment, which many economies are experiencing.

Mr Henry Kwek also asked about graduate and post graduate programmes that will see increased enrolment. However, the nature of skills deepening is that it may not necessarily involve getting higher qualifications, from Bachelor to Masters to Doctors of Philosophy (PhDs). Often, it is about gaining more in-depth skills in a particular area, or learning an adjacent set of skills, through short modular courses.

That is why the AUs are expanding their offerings of shorter, industry-relevant skills-based modular courses that are accessible to working adults. Since 2015, the publicly-funded universities have launched more than 200 skills-based modular courses in diverse areas, such as advanced manufacturing, power and clean energy, and programming. MOE is working with all Institutes of Higher Learning to step up their efforts in this area.

3 Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether there is any link between body tattoos and identification with criminal gangs; (b) how many tattoo shops have opened over the past five years; and (c) whether the Ministry will regulate the industry and impose a minimum age for any person who wants to put a tattoo on his/her body.

Mdm Speaker, while some people apply body tattoos to show their affiliations to unlawful gangs, many others do so for reasons that are non-gang related, such as for beauty, fashion and self-expression. There is no indication from the Police that applying body tattoos lead individuals to join gangs.

Given the many valid reasons why people choose to apply body tattoos, it may not be feasible to regulate the tattoo industry. The Ministry of Home Affairs also does not track the number of tattoo shops in Singapore.

Nonetheless, the Police will continue to take a tough enforcement stance against unlawful gangs.

Mr Saktiandi Supaat.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for answering the question. One reason I asked the question is that I have a few residents who have asked about the impact of minors having tattoos early on, and the effect of them attending schools, because of specific regulations in schools if the tattoos are visible. My supplementary question is whether there will be plans to have laws to make sure that parental consent is needed for minors, especially those aged 14 and below. Currently, for minors aged 14 and below, there is no need for parental consent for having tattoos. There are some repercussions and cascading effects for the students, especially in terms of schools.

I thank the Member for his concern. It is not regulated per se, but under common law, if an invasive procedure were to be carried out, and some of these involve the use of tattooing machines, then there are requirements to obtain appropriate consent from a person, who is competent, to give that consent. This is already existing common law.

Having said that, beyond just the common law and the Police, there is also the role of the family and the schools in helping young people find their identity, including on issues, such as applying of body tattoos which become permanent features on the body.

4 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for Home Affairs what are the guidelines and monitoring mechanisms in place pertaining to the large congregations of persons, especially over the weekends and holidays, in the vicinity of Paya Lebar and Tanjong Katong Complex.

Mdm Speaker, the vicinity of Paya Lebar is popular among foreign workers, especially on Sundays. They tend to gather around the Paya Lebar Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and nearby shopping malls, such as City Plaza, 1KM Mall and Tanjong Katong Complex.

The Police patrol these areas to engage the foreign workers on crime prevention messages and also advise them to abide by the law. Police closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras (PolCams) are deployed at public areas to deter crime and help Police detect and respond to incidents. The foreigners are generally law-abiding and orderly.

To manage social disamenities, the Police also deploy Auxiliary Police Officers (APOs) to conduct daily high visibility patrols in the vicinity of Paya Lebar MRT, Tanjong Katong Complex and City Plaza, particularly in the evenings. The APOs take enforcement action against littering, urinating in public and smoking in prohibited places.

The Police also regularly engage the security guards at Paya Lebar Square, 1KM Mall and City Plaza. The security guards are advised to look out for suspicious behavior and highlight any issues to the Police immediately.

The Police will continue to monitor closely the congregation of crowds in the vicinity of Paya Lebar.

Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef.

Mdm Speaker, I thank the Senior Minister of State for his response. Much as we know the foreign workers are generally well-behaved, we cannot run away from the fact that such congregations do offer a fertile soft target for other groups to infiltrate, which include, from my regular walks and observations, drug-related and other unhealthy illegal activities. We also cannot run away from the fact that such congregations may be viewed as an ethnic-based congregation, especially in certain areas. These are the concerns and I was wondering whether the Ministry is keeping a close eye and what else we can do instead of just keeping a close eye on the area.

I thank the Member for the supplementary questions. I have earlier articulated in my reply that efforts put in by the Police to engage directly the foreign guest population who congregate around the area, as well as with the security guards in the malls around which these workers congregate. Beyond that, the Ministry of Manpower has its outreach to workers in foreign dormitories to encourage them to understand and abide by our laws. There are also Auxiliary Police Officers on the ground. Supplementing the Police efforts are also PolCams that help to keep an eye over large crowds of people.

Certainly, we will be prepared to engage the hon Member on further measures if she thinks they are necessary to manage the situation on the ground.

5 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many residents have complained about the free-ranging chickens at Sin Ming; (b) what percentage of residents living around Thomson View and Blocks 452 to 454 Sin Ming Avenue have complained about the chickens; (c) whether AVA has considered asking people to adopt the chickens or other more humane alternatives; and (d) whether AVA will set a threshold in terms of the number of complaints and complainants before culling other chickens or animals.

6 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for National Development (a) at which point does AVA decide to cull populations of wildlife in an area due to public complaints; (b) whether AVA consults and communicates with residents living with the wildlife in their midst, wildlife experts and other stakeholders in making the decision; and (c) how does AVA ensure that the culling does not affect similar but endangered or indigenous species of wildlife.

Madam, may I have your permission to take Question Nos 5 and 6 together, please?

Yes, please.

Madam, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) is the designated Government agency that responds to all public complaints about animals. While AVA responds to such public feedback, its actions are guided by a professional assessment of the risks that these animals might pose to public health and safety. In other words, when feedback is received, AVA conducts surveillance to determine the actual situation on the ground. If there are no significant public health or safety concerns, AVA will advise feedback providers on ways to mitigate the issues. These include removing food sources within properties, animal proofing homes, or even pruning vegetation in the vicinity of the area of complaint.

In the case of free-roaming chickens near Sin Ming Avenue, AVA found that the population had more than doubled to 50 birds. Studies have shown that chickens are more susceptible to the bird flu virus, compared to other birds like pigeons. In other words, there is a higher risk of free-roaming chickens being exposed and infected with bird flu from migratory wild birds, which are often reservoirs for the bird flu virus. There is also scientific evidence that chickens can, in turn, transmit the disease to humans, creating a zoonotic disease. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that the majority of human cases of bird flu infection have been associated with contact with infected live or dead poultry, including chickens. That is why AVA felt that it had to take action to manage the chicken population in Sin Ming. Unfortunately, AVA's actions were perceived to be motivated solely by noise concerns, which is not the case. That said, AVA acknowledges that engagement and communications with residents and other stakeholders on this issue ought to have been better managed.

Some have suggested that the chickens could be relocated to the wild, for example, in places like in Pulau Ubin or other forested areas. But the chickens in Sin Ming and in most of our urban settings are highly unlikely to be of native stock and are, therefore, different from our indigenous breed of Red Junglefowl, which is an endangered species known to occur only in Pulau Ubin and the Western Catchment area. They were brought in by humans at some point, perhaps to be raised as pets. So, releasing the free-ranging chickens into the wild can adversely affect the stock of the native species genetically, especially if there is inter-breeding that takes place thereafter.

The community, I must say, also plays an important role in helping to achieve harmonious human-animal interactions. The reality is that there is often a lack of natural predators in any urban ecosystem, such as Singapore. So, the delicate balance of nature does not always function in a predominately urban setting. In this regard, we all need to act responsibly, by not feeding wildlife. Such a practice further disturbs the balance in the ecosystem and will invariably increase human-wildlife contact, and then, subsequently, lead to conflict. It will also potentially increase the risk of human-animal cross transmission of diseases. We should also refrain from abandoning our pets, as it is not only cruel and against the law, but also a cause of imbalance and has an adverse impact on our native wildlife population.

At the same time, AVA is continuing to undertake research with academics, wildlife experts and other public agencies to find the best ways to manage the population of free-ranging chickens and other birds. For example, in January 2016, AVA initiated a study with the National University of Singapore (NUS) to better understand the ecology and population of selected bird species in Singapore. One of the bird species that this study is focusing on is the free-ranging chickens.

Through these research studies and public engagement efforts, AVA aims to strengthen its capabilities and develop more effective science-based methods to manage the animal population in our midst. AVA will also involve different stakeholders including community and animal welfare groups, in exploring various approaches and solutions. Culling will only be done as the very last resort.

Ultimately, we want to thrive as a city in a garden, living in harmony with nature and enjoying the flora and fauna around us.

Mr Louis Ng.

I thank the Minister of State for the response. But I think he did not reply to the point about how many people complained about the Sin Ming chickens that I have posed in the Parliamentary Question. Add-on clarifications from that, can the Minister of State clarify why AVA considered relocation as an option, if the concern was bird flu rather than noise?

Also, AVA cited the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) statement in 2014 about battling bird flu to justify the culling, but FAO actually stated that it does not support the culling of wild birds. I quote, "Attempts to control the spread of H5N1 by culling large numbers of wild birds are not recommended." It is not recommended as it is ineffective, according to FAO, and amongst many other reasons cited, and I quote, "because they require resources to be diverted from more effective ways of combating the virus, such as improving biosecurity and clamping down on the illegal or unregulated movement of poultry." Can the Minister of State clarify why then did AVA cull the birds which the experts advised against?

Third, why did AVA not vaccinate the birds instead which is, again, what the experts recommend, rather than culling them? Lastly, there are now more chickens in Sin Ming. Can the Minister of State clarify if AVA will be culling the remaining population of chickens there?

Madam, I thank the Member for his clarifications. Let me first state clearly that chickens, though free-roaming, are not wild birds. So, they are two different species altogether. That is an important fact to know because the risk profile in terms of transmitting avian influenza or bird flu is different. Let me just run through this whole thing again so that everybody can follow the sequence.

The Member asked how many complaints AVA received. In 2015 and 2016, AVA received more than 20 feedback from various residents living in the vicinity of Thomson View and Blocks 452 to 454 in Sin Ming Avenue. This is in contrast to the six feedback that have been received in the year before, in 2014. So, there is an increased number of feedback over this time period.

Feedback from residents highlighted that they have spotted more chickens in this area. So, there is an observation by the residents that the chicken population is increasing in this area. AVA conducted surveillance upon receiving the feedback, to determine the situation on the ground. The surveillance findings showed that the population of chickens in that area had indeed increased significantly over the last two years. The number of chickens had grown from about 20 in 2014, to more than 50 in 2016. So, it has more than doubled.

Chickens, as I said, are different from wild birds and are scientifically known to be more susceptible to the bird flu virus than other birds, and they can transmit the diseases to humans. Essentially, a low pathogenic strain of bird flu, once it goes into a host in a free-ranging chicken, has a higher chance of undergoing genetic mutation, genetic recombination and, subsequently, acquire a more virulent behaviour with a higher chance of transmission to humans, creating zoonotic diseases.

So, given the increase in chicken population in that area, the decision taken then was to remove some of the chickens − some, and not all. AVA, thus, removed over 20 free-roaming chickens, of which more than 60% are roosters which created some of the noise nuisance as well. So, in effect, AVA has removed the number of chickens to reduce the population of free-roaming chickens close to its baseline level.

The question then is: what is an acceptable number of chickens allowed to be free-ranging? The reality is that there is no magic number and there is no science to say that there is a sweet number to say that 10 is good, 50 is bad, 20 is even better.

The World Organisation for Animal Health's (OIE's) guidelines recommend culling poultry infected with highly pathogenic avian flu. For low pathogenic strains, more countries, like the United States, Canada, the European Union (EU) and Australia, will cull the infected poultry as well because the virus in chickens can evolve rapidly into a more virulent form as I said earlier. The EU actually has made a decision dated 14 February 2017, just recently, on the transmission of highly pathogenic avian influenza from wild birds to poultry. During high-risk periods in high-risk areas, EU member states are prohibited from keeping poultry in the open air unless the poultry birds are protected against contact with wild birds, be it with nets or roofs, or by any other appropriate means. This effectively means, that as far as the EU is concerned, no free-roaming chickens are allowed because that increases the risk of disease transmission.

While there are no specific recommendations to cull free-roaming chickens when there is no infection existing in a country, there are recommendations to house them in a bio-secure environment, just like any other chicken farm with the intent to prevent bird flu transmission and infection. Hence, conceivably, one can surmise that any free-roaming chicken can be postulated to be at risk of acquiring bird flu and, subsequently, transmitting to humans.

The factors for determining the risk level in an area include detection of bird flu in the faeces of wild birds and location along migratory bird fly ways, and Singapore is located along a migratory bird fly way. So, if we were to reduce the bird flu risk to zero, then, technically, all chickens would have to be culled.

Therefore, in this instance, because of a lack of guidelines to say what the actual number should be, AVA takes a very calibrated and measured approach to reduce the risk posed to public health to what we hope is an acceptable level.

Assoc Prof Daniel Goh.

I thank the Minister of State. Whether rightly or wrongly, there will be residents who see the chickens, cats or dogs that are free roaming as part of the community. So, I am asking whether AVA will be consulting the residents in the future before any of this culling takes place and, if so, how AVA will conduct the consultation exercise.

Madam, as I said earlier, AVA takes a calibrated approach by first assessing the ground situation through surveillance and, in fact, does engage residents in much the same way as how residents feed back about what they observed. AVA takes a holistic approach to also assess the situations. In certain situations where there are suitable rehoming options, we will explore that as one approach. But having said that, rehoming chickens in Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats is not possible. So, that is different from rehoming a dog or cat. In any case, the zoonotic risk between a cat, dog and a chicken is quite far apart. So, in this case, because the chicken does carry a risk of transmitting avian influenza, the approach has to be different from dealing with cats and dogs.

Dr Tan Wu Meng.

I thank the Minister of State for his explanation on an issue which has caused the public's imagination to take flight. I have two supplementary questions.

Firstly, will the Ministry continue to study the size of the congregation of birds that will be required to trigger an enforcement action, the reason being that, at some point, this number may change, depending on the epidemiological risk? It may be useful to study that, so that the public is reassured that this calibrated approach is ongoing.

The second supplementary question is that, from time to time, friends, people on social media may post pictures of having encountered a chicken near their home. I was wondering what the Ministry's advice would be to residents and other folks who encounter such chickens, free-ranging or otherwise, and whether they would need to report these animals to AVA.

Madam, I thank the Member for his questions. Yes, AVA does conduct scientific studies to enhance the effectiveness of their animal management strategies. So, for example, AVA conducts the annual bird survey that we do. For this survey, volunteers are engaged to conduct surveys of urban birds across Singapore to get a sense of the patterns of bird migration within Singapore itself. AVA is also working with NUS on a two-year urban bird research study which began in January last year. This study will provide a deeper understanding of the biology and ecology of selected urban birds, thereby enabling AVA to improve on management methods.

As to how we would want the public to respond, to say, an observation of a presence of a chicken that is free-ranging, I think the clear scientific data against contact with just one isolated free-roaming chicken is not strong. What the risk would be is not quantified. But in this present context where there is no active bird flu going on within our country or in a nearby region, I think the risk posed to the public from just one free-roaming chicken is probably not very high. But it would be a different scenario if there is an active disease outbreak. Then, the advice to the public will have to be different − to avoid contact when necessary and to flag it up to AVA so that we can take pre-emptive action to reduce further the population of free-ranging chickens. I hope that clarifies the question. It is more to calibrate against the current perceived risk.

Mr Louis Ng.

Madam, just a few more clarifications. I would really like to know how many people actually complained rather than how many complaints were received. Second, so, we have culled 24 chickens, there are 26 remaining. It is a matter of time before the 26 will become 50 again. Will AVA then proceed to cull another 24 chickens? Lastly, I just want to mention that I have seen the photographs of the chickens or some of them at Sin Ming Avenue. They are, indeed, a Red Junglefowl. There are two birds there: the domestic chickens and the Red Junglefowl. Just to clarify because AVA had mentioned earlier that the free-ranging chickens seen on mainland Singapore are not the Red Junglefowl. That statement is inaccurate.

Madam, in answer to the Member's question about how many people did provide feedback, based on our records, in 2014, there were three feedback providers; in 2015 there were five. That is in the area of Sin Ming and Thomson View; and in 2016, there were 13. And clearly, this correlates with the increased sighting of birds and therefore, the number of feedback providers and the number of feedback have gone up accordingly.

As to whether the birds that were running around are the Red Junglefowl or just the foreign species, AVA will have to conduct genetic studies to determine or maybe get the experts to ascertain. So, this is a point that is difficult for us to ascertain the truth just by speaking like this in this House.

7 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for National Development (a) how many bird-related complaints have been received in the past three years; (b) what is being done to solve the problem of birds invading hawker centres to feed on leftover food; and (c) what is the Ministry doing to curb the bird population in the heartland estates.

Madam, in the past three years, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) has received around 21,000 cases of bird-related feedback. The vast majority pertain to pigeons, especially the feeding of pigeons, by the public and pigeon nuisance in general.

The birds are attracted to hawker centres due to the availability of food. Food scraps left behind will also create public health issues if they attract pests, such as cockroaches and rats. To minimise this, the National Environment Agency (NEA) works with Town Councils and table-cleaning contractors to clear leftover food in hawker centres as quickly as possible. NEA has also been encouraging patrons to return their trays and crockery to the tray-return stations. These measures help to reduce the pet problem of birds feeding on leftover food in hawker centres.

Besides removing leftover food, NEA and Town Councils have been progressively adopting designs that deter birds for hawker centres, such as bird spikes and bird wires on ceiling beams, to prevent birds from perching in these areas.

For residential estates, AVA has been working with Town Councils on measures to manage the bird population. These include the use of bird deterrent gels, oral contraceptives for the pigeons, and fogging trees to deter mynahs. For example, AVA worked with Choa Chu Kang Town Council on a bird deterrent gel trial from February 2015. The gel was found to be effective in the block where it was tested, and AVA has shared the solution with other interested stakeholders who may be keen to adopt such a measure.

Most importantly, the public has a role to play in curbing the bird population by maintaining the cleanliness of the overall environment and to not feed the birds. To this end, AVA, NEA and Town Councils are working together to educate residents not to litter or to feed the birds, through advisories, posters and even through grassroots events. NEA will take enforcement action against any offenders who do not comply.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.

I have two supplementary questions for the Minister of State. The first question is on pigeons. We have given feedback many times that there are a lot of pigeons along Mass Rapid Transit lines. Despite that, the population of pigeons is still a lot. I would like to ask the Minister of State: is there any other action that can be taken because I have just seen it yesterday; it is a lot.

And the second question is about mynahs. Early last year, there was a new fogging method that was used for the mynahs in Nee Soon South. However, it did not work out and, after that, it just stopped there. I would like to ask the Minister of State: is there any new way or method that we can do because, by trimming the trees, it is just chasing the mynahs from one tree to the next tree.

Madam, I thank the Member for her supplementary questions. First of all, on the issue of pigeons, there is no one-size-fits-all method and it is going to be multifactorial in terms of why the birds come back. Part of the key reason is that they are attracted by leftover food. The approach has to be through multi-faceted engagement with multiple stakeholders, chief of all, our residents, to make sure they do not throw food out of the window from the kitchen, and also to make sure that we cut down on littering. Food centres are another source of attraction. Close the bins, this is a simple measure, but it is easier said than done. We have all experienced difficulties with these in our own estates as well. So, public education is important and that is the only way to reduce the source that will attract the birds to come. Otherwise, no degree of culling, no degree of using gels or contraceptives, will stop the birds from coming back.

As for other methods to deal with the mynah issue, other than the gel that I illustrated before, the other trial that AVA has done in 2016 was to use the fogging method that was tried out in the Member's area before. The result of that is still ongoing; the effectiveness is probably patchy. So, it also has to depend on how the fogging is done and the frequency as well. The trial is still ongoing to figure out what is the most optimal way to apply it, what is the most optimal frequency of using that method.

The other alternative, for example, will be to use oral contraceptives. In October 2015, AVA embarked on a year-long trial at Palmer Road to test the effectiveness of a corn-based feed that contains nicarbazin, which is an oral contraceptive. This was used in the context of managing the pigeon population. Such a trial has been shown to work in, for example, Italy. However, the efficacy is only observed after a period of five years on a trial involving about 100 pigeons. As you can imagine, oral contraceptive takes a longer lead time to work, because you are trying to prevent multiplication of the population, but the current population will still be around for some time. So, you do not see an observable effect in the near term.

For mynahs or crows, for example, if they are more aggressive and they attack humans, one of the other options that has been applied before is to actually use arms to cull them because they can pose an immediate threat to humans by attacking humans. For the pigeons, they are usually more mild and they do not attack humans directly. So, we can try other avenues before we take culling as the final option.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.

I thank the Minister of State. For the pigeons in the Khatib area, it is beyond education. There are people who feed them and I would urge stricter enforcement action. Please look into that.

For the mynah, I was told that it is not effective, not successful, and they have called it off. And residents have been complaining about the population of mynahs and lots of noise that affect their living environment as well. Perhaps the Minister of State could find out from his officer. What I was told is different from his reply.

Madam, I agree with the Member that when feeding is the key issue that attracts the birds, then, at some point, enforcement has to take place because a deterrent signal has to be sent to the recalcitrant people who are continuously feeding the birds and attracting them to come.

For the trial results, we will continue to review the efficacy and, at some point, we will make adjustments, if need be, and we will communicate to the Member accordingly.

Dr Tan Wu Meng.

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I was wondering, in light of his earlier reply to the Parliamentary Question, saying that chickens carry a higher risk of transmitting bird flu compared to other birds like mynahs, surely the number of birds would matter as well. I was wondering from the Ministry of National Development's (MND's) viewpoint, is there a threshold for the size of the flock at which this risk would increase to the public? If so, would MND consider taking additional measures and a more active approach to managing the bird pest issue in estates, such as Clementi, where I serve?

Madam, I thank the Member for his question. Let me make a correction on what he said. Chickens have a higher risk of transmission compared to pigeons, not the other way round.

For the bird population, as opposed to free-ranging chickens, the difference is this: birds do fly around, they can shift from one place to another quite quickly. So, it is not so easy as catching chickens which can only run around on the ground. So, in terms of managing the bird population, the challenge is much more difficult compared to managing a few chickens running around in one fixed locality.

At this point in time, we are conducting background surveillance on the types of birds and whether they are migratory, and what is the migratory pattern of birds that go through the Singapore flyway. If we perceive that the risk is high and there are actually monitored instances of more bird flu occurring around the region, close to home, for example, or if the migratory pattern of birds that come to our shore carries some strains of the bird flu virus, then, yes, we may have to step up even more aggressively in culling, whether it is pigeons, mynahs or crows, to reduce the risk of birds within this area that carry the viruses. But today, if we were to take a one-size-fits-all approach, then we will be unnecessarily culling pigeons and mynahs when the risk of bird flu infection may not be high at this point in time.

Clearly, there is no perfect answer. If you want a perfectly safe environment, then, yes, we should go all out, all guns blazing, and remove every single bird from the sky of Singapore. But Members know that that is not a practical approach and it is not always going to be as easily achieved. You can cull a thousand birds today, tomorrow another thousand will fly in from somewhere else. We are just chasing a tail. So, it is something that we have to take a very practical view and escalate when necessary.

Miss Cheryl Chan.

I have two questions for the Minister of State. The first one is that I understand we do not have enough enforcement on the ground to catch the recalcitrants or the offenders. So, are there better methods to work around this because maybe the penalties are not stiff enough and we should review the penalties in place?

The second one is with regard to the population of the birds. In certain locations, we have seen that the birds actually only nest or tend to frequent around certain types of trees. Have there been any co-relationship studies done to see whether the type of trees planted results in the kind of population of birds that come around?

Madam, I agree with the Member that, at some point, we need to strengthen the enforcement. Some of the measures that can be employed, other than using actual human beings walking around to catch people feeding, could be to use the deployment of technology, such as surveillance cameras. That has been used in some estates as well. I know – I use it in my estate to catch people who are feeding or throwing rubbish out of their windows. That has sometimes produced a good deterrent effect on the rest of the blocks from doing the same thing. I urge the Member to work with NEA and see if deployment of such surveillance cameras to catch the culprit in the act would be useful to send a deterrent signal.

For the population of birds in correlation to the types of trees, I do not have information on that. But I can surmise that, actually, birds can find any place to just rest. So, regardless of the tree type, if there is something that attracts them like a source of food, for example, they will still go there and they can actually rest on the tree, no matter what type of tree that is.

8 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Health in light of efforts to encourage Singaporeans to seek primary healthcare services at polyclinics and family clinics (a) what is the current proportion of patients visiting general practitioners (GPs) within their neighbourhood or their family doctors; and (b) what has been the referral rate of cases from GPs to specialists.

Mdm Speaker, in 2015, the number of primary care visits totalled 7.3 million, based on our records which cover polyclinic and Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) general practitioner (GP) visits. Non-CHAS visits to GPs are not included as the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not routinely collect such data from GPs. Of the patients included in our records, 82% visited polyclinics and 36% visited GP clinics. Some among them visited both polyclinics and GPs.

Referrals from polyclinics and GPs make up 32% and 7% respectively of new attendances at our Specialist Outpatient Clinics (SOCs). The rest include hospital referrals and walk-ins.

MOH has introduced initiatives to anchor the care of patients in the primary care setting. We enhanced CHAS and the Chronic Disease Management Programme to make care in the community more affordable. We also provided GPs better access to support services, such as diabetic eye and foot screening, through the Community Health Centres.

In addition, we have introduced standardised management and referral protocols between polyclinics and SOCs, starting with high volume conditions in the areas of orthopaedics, gastroenterology, and cardiology. The early results are encouraging. On cardiology, for example, preliminary findings showed that about 57% of heart patients who previously would have been referred to specialists can be safely managed mainly in the primary care setting.

MOH will continue with efforts to strengthen primary care and anchor the care of more patients, especially those with chronic conditions, in the primary care setting.

Miss Cheryl Chan.

I thank the Minister of State for his answer. I have two supplementary questions for him. The first one is: in order for us to reduce the waiting time and the load at our polyclinics, are there more measures that MOH is planning to put in place?

Second, in order for us to encourage, especially the elderly to go to the GPs, because it reduces their transportation towards the polyclinics or even some of the private hospitals, are we going to put in place more community health workers or volunteers who can help them gain access to the GPs if they are not willing to take the first step?

I would like to thank the Member for the questions. MOH is increasing infrastructure development as one way to cope with the increased waiting times in the polyclinics. In the coming few years, we will be building more polyclinics. But at the same time, we are also encouraging patients who qualify for CHAS to utilise some of the services that are provided by the CHAS GP. This is one way we can shift the utilisation of polyclinic services to the GPs, where they have more spare capacity.

With regard to having more community volunteers, that is a good suggestion that we can take up. We can work with partners and other stakeholders within the community to see how we can provide such services to the elderly who find that going to the polyclinics or GPs can be a bit of a hindrance because of the distance and their physical conditions.

Mr Seah Kian Peng.

Just a question for the Minister of State. Some years back, we rolled out the Family Medicine Clinics. I would like to ask, as we have piloted it for a while, what is the outcome of this? Are we going to see more of this or are we putting a stop to it?

I would like to thank the Member for the supplementary question. MOH is constantly trying out different pilot programmes to see how we can provide better primary care and enhance primary services in the community.

The Family Medicine Clinics have shown some positive results but, at the same time, we do understand that the scalability can be a challenge because of the fact that we need to mobilise the GPs, who are mainly in the solo practices, to come together to form a Family Medicine Centre. At the same time, MOH is trying out other initiatives and one of these initiatives that MOH will be embarking on is that of a primary care network, where a network of GPs can come together to provide team-based care on a virtual basis, where they will still practise at their own clinic premises but, at the same time, share processes, resources as well as other ancillary support.

9 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Health what efforts have been taken to reach out to and include persons with disabilities and/or special needs in past and ongoing health and screening campaigns.

The Ministry takes an inclusive approach in the implementation of health promotion and disease prevention programmes and campaigns for the population. Such programmes also cater to persons with disabilities and special needs.

The Health Promotion Board's (HPB's) School Health Services (SHS) and School Dental Services (SDS) provide health and dental screening, and immunisation services to students with special needs in Special Education (SPED) schools, in addition to those in mainstream schools. The HPB works closely with the doctors, dentists, parents and staff of the special schools to ensure that these services are delivered in a manner that is appropriate for the students.

Similarly, Response, Early intervention and Assessment in Community mental Health (REACH) teams cover both mainstream schools and special needs schools. REACH teams work with special needs schools to help students with psychological, emotional and behavioural problems. They also provide training and support to allied health staff of special needs schools to strengthen their ability to identify, manage and, if necessary, refer at-risk children to the team for intervention.

HPB's Screen for Life (SFL) programme, which offers age-appropriate subsidised health screening tests for chronic diseases and selected cancers are open to all Singaporeans, including persons with disabilities and special needs, at participating Community Health Assist Scheme (CHAS) general practitioner (GP) clinics.

Health screening is also available in locations such as polyclinics and community centres, which are easily accessible for people with disabilities and their caregivers. In addition, health promotion and education programmes that aim to foster healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activities, target all Singaporeans.

We recognise that persons with disabilities and special needs are a diverse group, with a wide range of disabilities and functional capabilities, and possibly a variety of underlying medical conditions. Some may also require customised preventive health advice, health screening and care, which are best done by their family physicians.

Nevertheless, we will continue to review and finetune our health education and promotion initiatives to meet the needs of our population, including those with disabilities or special needs.

Mr Dennis Tan.

I thank the Senior Minister of State for her answers. The basis for my Parliamentary Question is to find out what are the specific efforts that have been carried out to reach out to persons with disabilities or special needs, with regard to common illnesses that the community faces.

Two supplementary questions: first, does the Ministry consider having specific campaigns to target persons with disabilities and special needs, regarding information on common illnesses and prevention? The reason is because I believe that there may be higher chances that, for such people, especially in certain families, it is quite likely that the illnesses may go undiagnosed for longer periods of time than for normal people.

Second, does the Ministry intend to step up efforts to reach out to these groups of people who are at risk of suffering from, say, breast cancer or dementia, and also by working with the voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) which are active in these areas?

Let me say that for the SFL programme, for instance, it is a person-centric letter that is sent out to all Singaporeans and Permanent Residents who are eligible for this programme at various ages and depending on the gender. So, one letter is sent out to females in that year when they are 25 years of age for cervical cancer screening. At age 40, all eligible Singaporeans will be sent a person-centric customised letter for them to go for screening for chronic diseases. It will include people with disabilities or special needs. At age 50, there is another letter for chronic disease as well as for certain cancer screening, such as mammogram, colorectal cancer and so on.

Indeed, these are very targeted. They will also be sent to the people with disabilities and special needs. In many instances, they will probably be able to respond to the letters. In fact, we give them a reminder at the ages of 26, 41 and 51. As I have said, people with disabilities and special needs are a diverse group, with a wide range of disabilities and functional capabilities. So, for some, the caregivers may be able to respond and bring them for health screening.

In addition to that, as I have said, our programmes and campaigns are inclusive. We adopt an inclusive approach. So, for programmes and campaigns, say, "War on Diabetes" where we talk about healthy lifestyle, healthy diet, healthy eating, they are applicable to everybody, including those with disabilities.

We also have some special programmes, for instance, at the Senior Activity Centres or the Senior Care Centres, physical activities for people who are not mobile, on wheelchairs. There are special exercise programmes for them. We work with the operators of the Senior Care Centres, the VWOs and so on, to give health talks and encourage these patients to go for health screening.

So, as I have said, we will bear in mind that even as we review and finetune our health promotion and educational programmes, it will be to meet the needs of the population, including people with disabilities and special needs.

10 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower whether the Ministry will consider requiring immediate reporting by doctors to the Ministry of work injuries that require 24 or more hours of hospitalisation or when three or more days of medical leave is required, considering that the current system relying on employers to report voluntarily may lead to the under-reporting of injuries.

Madam, under the Workplace Safety and Health Act and Work Injury Compensation Act, it is mandatory and not voluntary, for employers to report any work-related accident resulting in an employee's death, or hospitalisation for at least 24 hours, or medical leave for more than three days.

It is an offence for employers not to notify the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) of the reportable accidents. MOM has taken enforcement actions against errant employers for persistent late reporting of minor injuries after repeated reminders, or delayed reporting of a serious work injury. Since 2014, seven such employers were taken to task.

Currently, injured employees, their dependants and representatives as well as doctors can submit an incident report directly to MOM online or in person if they are concerned that the employer may not report the accident. However, I would like to emphasise again that the primary responsibility to report accidents should rightfully rest with the employer.

Mr Louis Ng.

I thank the Minister of State for the reply. I have two clarifications. One, from 2010 to 2011, the number of reported cases of Occupational Diseases (OD) already almost doubled from 432 to 839 cases. As MOM noted, this rise was primarily due to efforts to address potential under reporting. Specifically, MOM had been engaging medical practitioners to encourage them to report ODs. Can the Minister of State clarify whether the under reporting for OD previously, would be the same for work injuries?

I asked this Parliamentary Question because the Minister of State has stated that more accurate reporting will aid better analysis of workplace health issues, so that we can better address concerns holistically. I also understand that there are concerns of administrative burden to doctors. Can the Minister of State clarify whether doctors can also use the "iReport", which they currently use to report ODs, for work injuries as well?

I thank the Member for the supplementary question. Currently, employers are still primarily responsible for ensuring the safety and health of their employees at work. They are required to report any work-related injuries or OD when the reporting conditions are met. They should be promptly notified and be involved in the investigation process as well. But unlike injuries, the onset of OD, as the Member has stated, is usually gradual and, in some instances, the victim may have changed employers or the workplace may have ceased to exist.

Hence, it could be difficult for the employer to detect and be aware of an OD under such circumstances. Therefore, we require the doctors to report ODs to give us a better picture of the occupational health situation. This is an approach that is similar to countries, such as Germany, Denmark and Hong Kong. More than 95% of the cases for injuries that MOM sees are reported by employers today. This is a relatively high compliance. We will continue to monitor closely before taking further action or impose further requirements on doctors. And yes, they can use the "iReport".

11 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) how has the community volunteer scheme helped in reducing cases of littering in public; (b) how many litter bugs booked last year have arisen from public tip-offs; and (c) whether the reporting of litter bugs will be made easier for the public to assist NEA.

Littering is an unacceptable and irresponsible behaviour that dirties the living environment and causes potential public health problems. As part of our efforts to tackle littering, the National Environment Agency (NEA) launched the Community Volunteer (CV) programme in 2013 to foster greater ownership of the environment.

CVs have to meet stringent selection criteria and fulfil the requisite training to be appointed. They are required to adopt specific geographical areas and lead by example to promote good social norms, through participation in monthly environmental activities, such as litter picking and educating environmental offenders within their adopted areas.

CVs help to strengthen the social norm of keeping the environment clean by encouraging fellow members of the public to bin their litter. I am heartened that more than 330 individuals from all walks of life have come on board the CV programme. Our CVs have engaged more than 3,700 litter bugs, most of whom were cooperative when asked to pick up their litter.

NEA will continue with their enforcement efforts in support of the community. In 2016, NEA issued more than 31,000 tickets for littering offences, 17 of which were to uncooperative litterbugs that our CVs had encountered and whose particulars had been forwarded to NEA for further action.

Members of the public can report a littering offence through various channels, including by email, the online feedback form on NEA's website, the MyENV mobile app or the NEA Contact Centre hotline. Many of the tickets issued for littering from vehicles, for example, arise from reports from civic-minded members of the public. We welcome suggestions on how to make it even more convenient for the public to give feedback.

The problem of littering cannot be solved just by enforcement or public feedback. I urge everyone to take ownership of the environment and keep it clean. To this end, I also hope that more members of the public will come forward to volunteer as CVs.

Er Dr Lee Bee Wah.

Mdm Speaker, as we can see, littering is still everywhere. On the record number of 31,000 persons fined, if we had a bigger pool of enforcement officers, I am sure that figure would have shot up. I have two supplementary questions. First, how many enforcement officers does NEA have currently and is NEA going to deploy more employment officers? Second, how can we encourage more CVs to come forward to help to nab the litter bugs? Of course, enforcement is not the only way. There is education. But I think we cannot do away with enforcement. Yesterday, I was picking up litter with my residents at East Coast Park. Actually, there is still a lot of litter there.

With regard to the first question about the number of environment officers enforcing, I do not have the exact number. So, I will follow up with the Member. Whether we will increase the number of enforcement officers, I think we have, over the years, increased the number of enforcement officers. But obviously, there is a limit as to the number that we can increase. We have also engaged the help of our CVs, not just those who are signed up as CVs, but also volunteers under our "Keep Singapore Clean" programme and so on, to help encourage as well as build up the community's sense of ownership for the environment and to do the right thing.

With regard to how we are going to encourage more volunteers, we have, over the years, been doing this through various campaigns and programmes. For instance, NEA actively engages the premises owners, such as the shopping malls, various grassroots community organisations, to encourage them to get their members, including non-government organisations, to get their members to sign up to be our CVs.

12 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for Transport whether the Ministry will review and control the number of vehicles that can be used for private vehicle hire in addition to the vocational licence requirement for such car drivers.

Madam, the growth of private hire car services has benefited commuters as they supplement taxi services. We will continue to monitor the situation. Our preference for now is to leave it to the market to determine the growth of the industry.

Mr Gan Thiam Poh.

I thank the Minister for the reply. There is a public concern that if you do not control the number of such vehicles, it will actually affect the current system because, currently, taxi companies are exempted from Certificate of Entitlement (COE) bidding. So, whether it will lead to higher COE prices for private vehicles.

Mdm Speaker, the entire transport scene is going through major changes. I am quite certain that within the next 10 to 15 years, how we move from Point A to Point B will be quite different from what we are doing today, and from what we are more familiar with, partly because of technology, disruptive business models and rising expectations from commuters.

So, what will be the likely steady state scenario of our transport scene? It is not something that the Government can determine in a top-down approach. The best approach, I think, is to let Singaporeans, consumers and commuters, decide. For example, in this whole new space of private hire, point-to-point transport, exemplified by Grab and Uber, the whole scenario is still changing. Within three years of their introduction, our recent survey showed that Grab and Uber have grabbed half of the market share. In other words, the taxi operators' market share today is only about half. At the same time, what is comforting is that the number of taxi trips chalked up by taxi drivers has remained quite stable. There was a slight shrinkage.

What does it mean? What it means is that the whole point-to-point market has actually doubled in size after the introduction of Grab and Uber. That means that the new players have been meeting new demands or under- or unmet demands in the past. So, that is a good thing. It shows in the survey results. When consumers and commuters were asked for their opinion about new services like Grab or Uber, they rated them high and higher than taxis. What is also very comforting is that their rating on taxis has also improved and, when asked, they said it is because of competition.

So, in this particular space, competition has been good, and our approach in not stifling these new services that are being brought in because of innovative business models, is something that has been good for Singaporeans and commuters, and I would like to maintain that approach. As I said, we cannot tell how it would be like in 10 or 15 years' time. It is best that we leave it to the market, meaning leave it to Singaporeans and consumers, to decide. Our operating principle must be: does it improve services to the commuters? Does it lift the quality of life of Singaporeans? If it does, then, as a regulator, we should try to nudge it in that direction. That would be the approach I take.

As for COEs, there has been some speculation that the COE is being pushed up because of Grab and Uber. Let us look at the evidence. And the evidence does not suggest that, because when we look at the top players in this field of private hire services, the bids that they put into the COE in each cycle were more or less at the market rate. They were not being particularly aggressive.

13 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Minister for Transport whether LTA will consider supplementing the existing timer-controlled street lamp infrastructure with ambient light sensors so that public roads can be better illuminated during heavy rainstorms and similar situations of low daytime visibility.

Mdm Speaker, the Land Transport Authority will be installing ambient light sensors as part of a major upgrade of our street lighting system. We will begin with the Central Area next year and complete the installation for the rest of Singapore by 2022.

14 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Finance (a) what is the expected impact of automation on our Civil Service in the next five years; (b) what has been the progress of automation in our Ministries, Statutory Boards and Government agencies so far; and (b) what is the estimated increase in productivity.

Mdm Speaker, the Public Service has been automating and computerising its processes and services since the 1980s.

Automation has helped many agencies improve work efficiency and effectiveness, resulting in manpower and cost savings. As an example, in 1998, the National Library Board (NLB) was the first in the world to use radio-frequency identification to track its books. It is now using AutoSorters to reduce the manual effort needed to sort returned books. The AutoSorter piloted in Sembawang Public Library sorts about 2,500 items a day, a task which would otherwise require at least one person to complete. After this automation is rolled out to all 26 public libraries by 2018, NLB expects to save $780,000 per year.

Another example would be the use of drones. The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has found that using drones to take aerial photographs at its construction sites, to monitor and track progress has reduced the time taken by 75%.

Automation is also helping the Public Service to enhance our service delivery standards and provide greater convenience to customers. Since end-2016, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) has equipped all motorcycle counters at the Woodlands and Tuas checkpoints with automated capabilities to clear eligible motorcyclists and pillion riders. They now enjoy about 30% faster clearance, and ICA is also able to redeploy at least 60 officers from the manual counters to other roles.

Citizens can expect to see more automation that will benefit them in the years to come. The Ministry of Transport and LTA are working with partners from academia and industry to trial various self-driving vehicle technologies and concepts. In time to come, self-driving shuttles can be deployed in neighbourhoods to bring commuters from their homes to the train station, thereby improving first- and last-mile connectivity. Ongoing initiatives to trial self-driving buses, truck platooning and autonomous utility vehicles can alleviate the shortage of drivers.

It is difficult to come up with a single measure of productivity increase in the Public Service. In terms of the public sector's share of the total labour force, it has decreased from 4.3% in 2006 to 4% in 2016. This is one of the lowest internationally, and is lower than in countries, such as Korea, 7.4%; New Zealand, 11.5%; and the United Kingdom, 21.4%. This has been a result of policies to constrain our public sector manpower growth, and efforts to leverage technology, including automation.

15 Dr Tan Wu Meng asked the Prime Minister what are the measures that MAS takes to ensure that the automated teller machines (ATMs) of local banks are fully interoperable to enable cash withdrawals and bank transactions to be more accessible to the elderly and those with mobility needs.

I thank Dr Tan Wu Meng for his question. First, let me say that we have seen a very significant increase in the number of automated teller machines (ATMs) over the last decade. In fact, the total number of ATMs increased by 65% in the 10 years to 2015. Taken as a percentage of the resident population, the number increased by 47%, a very significant increase over 10 years. As a result, 90% of Housing and Development Board (HDB) households have a local bank ATM within 500 metres of their homes.

If I compare this, for instance, to Hong Kong, which is the closest to us as a densely populated city-state, the coverage of ATMs in Singapore is about 38% greater on a geographical basis, in other words, per kilometer (km), and also significantly higher on a per capita basis.

This coverage that I have mentioned is based on households' access to two local bank networks, that is, the Development Bank of Singapore (DBS)/Post Office Savings Bank network on one hand, and the United Overseas Bank/Overseas Chinese Banking Corporation network on the other. But each of these two ATM networks has a high coverage in their own right. In other words, each of them has at least 90% of HDB households having access to their ATM networks within 500 metres of their homes.

Furthermore, I should say that ATMs and bank branches are not the only ways in which people get convenient access to cash, and access to cash is, in fact, the main usage of ATMs today. Cash-back services at retail outlets enable customers to make cash withdrawals from their bank accounts when they make purchases at these outlets. For example, the three local banks have partnered 7-Eleven stores to provide cash-back services. That is quite convenient because they are in most neighbourhoods. DBS has also partnered eight other large retailers, such as Giant, Sheng Siong, Cold Storage and SingPost outlets to provide cash-back services.

So, to repeat, there has been a very significant increase in the ATM network in the last decade. There are currently, if I add the cash-back services and other banking touchpoints that exist, there are currently more than 3,600 banking touchpoints across the island. These are bank branches, ATMs and non-bank cash withdrawal points, taken together.

Nevertheless, we continue to monitor the accessibility of basic banking services in Singapore for different segments of the population. We know that the older population will become increasingly important. We also continue to work with the banks to promote awareness of the various other touchpoints besides the banks and ATMs. And we continue to promote, particularly for the younger and middle-aged population, the use of digital payments and other digital basic banking services.

Dr Tan Wu Meng.

I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for his answer. I was wondering if the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) might want to explore different ways of measuring the distance to the nearest ATM, if MAS is not already doing so. For example, distance according to "the crow flies" versus distance traversed on the ground by able-bodied pedestrians or, for that matter, barrier-free distance on the ground. These various metrics may be useful to understand how different segments of the population will be affected, especially as our population ages.

I think that is a good point. The figures I mentioned are based on distances by how "the crow flies". I am not sure if this is wild crows or domestic crows, but I can check on that and let the Member know. It does make sense to look at walking distances and, in fact, we are using third-party software to try and estimate how long it takes and how far it is on walking routes in the various neighbourhoods.

Mr Dennis Tan.

I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for the answer. Just one supplementary question. Are there ongoing efforts on the part of the Ministry to encourage the banks and the two ATM networks to continue to consider the possibility of a closer association, so that there could be a better prospect of Singaporeans being able to benefit from the total number of ATM machines?

I would not foreclose the issue. It is a commercial issue between the two bank networks, and there are considerations that are not just to do with branding, but some cost-benefit issues involved. There are also, for instance, issues of queues if you were to make everything completely interoperable. But we are not foreclosing the issue from MAS' point of view.

I just want to repeat the point that currently, each of the two local banks' ATM networks has a very high degree of coverage. They are competing with each other in the same neighbourhoods, but each of them has got at least 90% of HDB households having access to their ATMs within 500 metres of their homes. But it is something which we would continue to look at.

Mr Png Eng Huat.

I just have one supplementary question. Since there is already 90% coverage, for the remaining 10%, will the Ministry be working with the banks to ensure this 10% will be taken care of as well?

My sentiments are in line with Members on this. We do want to have adequate coverage of basic banking services. We have to break that down into cash withdrawals, cash deposits, transfer of funds and different services which are used by different segments of the population. An ATM is not the only solution. It does cost something and it is not the only solution. We should maximise availability of other cash withdrawal touchpoints across the island. I am glad that the banks are doing this, not just with 7-Eleven stores but other stores, in a way that is convenient to residents.

So, let us take a holistic view, maximise access for the normal, basic transactions people need to make and be mindful of the older population because we do not want them to walk too far when they have to make a transaction. But it is not just a matter of ATM networks.

Ms Sun Xueling.

Mdm Speaker, I would like to seek a clarification. For the distance of 500 metres for each household that the Deputy Prime Minister has mentioned, does that apply to families in new towns or is that a number for mature estates?

It is a national average. Let me reiterate one point. We have, in fact, the densest network of ATMs internationally. Of course, it is not easy to compare across countries because there are very obvious geographical differences, but if I compare it with Hong Kong, which is the closest to us in its geographical and density characteristics, we have significantly more ATMs than Hong Kong, in fact, more than one-third more ATMs per kilometre. I am not saying that that is the only benchmark. We do want to improve the availability of basic banking services around the island. We will look at the ATM network to see whether access can be further improved, but it is not the only solution.

Mr Cedric Foo.

May I ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether or not the strategy of MAS is towards cashless society for Singapore? It seems to me that with our mobile penetration being very high at 150%, and with eight million mobile phones within our small city-state, clearly, that should be the strategy. If so, why would ATMs matter so much in the future?

I am glad Mr Cedric Foo has raised this point and it is something which I referred to earlier. We are mindful of the fact that, for the older population, this does not come easily, so we do need to provide physical access. But the key strategy going forward is to maximise the use of digital modes, be it Internet or mobile, every way in which we can move away from cash and also improve the efficiency or the whole system, which means bringing down the cost of the payment system as a whole. That is the key strategy; and the Member has put it very well.

Ms Chia Yong Yong.

Mdm Speaker, I have a supplementary question for the Deputy Prime Minister. In considering the issue of accessibility and increasing the number of banking touchpoints, given the vulnerability of the elderly as well as persons with mobility needs, it is important that the Government should also consider enhanced security measures.

I agree. That is a very good point.

16 Ms Chia Yong Yong asked the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) (a) what is the rationale for annotating examination certificates to indicate that examination accommodation has been given; (b) whether he can assure the House that such annotation will not result in discrimination against the student in future studies and/or future employment; and (c) whether it is now time to remove such annotations.

Madam, to cater to students with Special Educational Needs, long-term or temporary medical conditions, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) extends access arrangements, which may range from exemption from specific components of the examination and provision of extra time, to provision of a separate room or enlarged print. For such students, optimised testing conditions may result in them being unable to take the examinations altogether, or, if they can, an incomplete or inadequate assessment of their abilities.

Examinations are meant to certify academic achievements of candidates. From an examiner's point of view, a key principle is to ensure that results are fair. Therefore, in any optimised examination, it is expected that the testing conditions would be similarly optimised to ensure fairness of the results. When access arrangements have been granted, annotation may be done to indicate factually that the candidate has taken the examination under conditions that are different from the standard prescribed conditions. This is to uphold the integrity of the system.

In Singapore, SEAB's policy is to annotate only where there are significant modifications of the examination, such as exemption from specific components and provision of extra time to complete the examination. Annotation is neither intended to indicate a disability nor to discriminate against the candidate. Our approach is similar to the practices of overseas examination boards, such as in Hong Kong and the United States.

When our autonomous universities, polytechnics and the Institute of Technical Education consider admission applications, they do not take into consideration the annotation of access arrangements in the certificates of the students during the admissions process. Employers are also expected to abide by the principles of fair and responsible employment set out by the Ministry of Manpower and the Tripartite Alliance for Fair and Progressive Employment Practices.

To the candidates concerned, according flexibility of access arrangements benefits deserving candidates, as it enables them to still sit for the examination and have their abilities adequately assessed. To the larger candidate population, annotation serves to ensure transparency and fairness. While annotation indicates the non-standardised conditions − without any details − it may also positively suggest that these candidates have overcome challenges to achieve the results. At the same time, annotation discourages non-deserving cases from unfairly securing access arrangements, as the assessment of whether to extend this flexibility is not always straightforward.

My Ministry has not come across cases of discriminatory hiring due to annotations of access arrangement given. But we will continue to work with the post-secondary education institutions and community agencies, such as SG Enable, to monitor feedback from graduates.

17 Mr Chong Kee Hiong asked the Minister for National Development what technological improvements in engineering and material sciences have been incorporated into the building of our HDB flats in recent years to ensure enhanced structural integrity, higher noise insulation, improved ventilation and heat reduction.

Mdm Speaker, over the years, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has enhanced the building performance and liveability of our housing estates by leveraging on technology during the development of our HDB flats.

To enhance a building's structural performance, HDB keeps abreast of improvements in concrete technology and introduces new materials after they have been tested for performance and cost effectiveness. For example, we have been continually improving the grade of concrete used in HDB developments. The higher performance concrete is denser and more impermeable to water, thereby mitigating problems of water leakage and spalling concrete.

About a decade ago, HDB also started installing structural health monitoring sensors in key structural columns of new HDB developments. These sensors help engineers better understand the behaviour of building structures through its life cycle and continually monitor their structural integrity.

Separately, over the years HDB has been developing in-house expertise in urban environmental modelling (UEM) to better take into account urban environmental parameters, such as wind flow, solar irradiance, shading and noise, at the planning and urban design stage.

HDB started using UEM some years back in the planning and design of the Build-To-Order (BTO) development known as Punggol Treelodge, and is now using UEM on a much wider scale in BTO projects in Bidadari and Tengah. Through model simulations, we are able to better understand how different housing typologies, building layouts and orientation, greenery provisions and road networks affect wind flow, solar heat gain and noise level, enabling us to refine our plans to improve liveability.

To mitigate noise impact in buildings, advanced noise modelling is used to guide the orientation of HDB blocks and the placement of physical barriers to enhance aural comfort. Greenery features deployed at strategic locations identified through solar irradiance analysis help to reduce ambient temperatures as well as reflected heat and glare. The placement of communal facilities is also similarly optimised by locating them in areas which tend to be shaded.

HDB will continue to enhance its macro scale simulations to improve the planning and urban design for all new towns and estates. HDB will also continue to tap on advances in building technology and materials and work collaboratively with various institutes of higher learning and research institutes to develop even more environmentally sustainable and cost-effective solutions for our HDB developments.

Mr Chong Kee Hiong.

I thank the Senior Minister of State. To counter the tropical heat, would ventilation louvres be installed to shield units from direct sunlight and facilitate cross ventilation, because such louvres have been installed in some condominiums and public buildings, such as the halls at Nanyang Technological University.

The other supplementary question has to do with countering noise transmission between floors, a common complaint among HDB residents. What kind of floor impact noise reduction underlayment does HDB intend to use to improve the situation?

Mdm Speaker, as I said earlier, HDB does modelling in order to determine the design and layout of blocks and also the design and layout of individual units. I will take back the Member's suggestion on the placement of louvres to improve cross ventilation, though I believe the building engineers may already have considered some of these suggestions.

The other question that the Member raised was regarding noise impact between floors. I am sure all of us in this House will, from time to time, get feedback about neighbours or neighbours' children on the upper floors jumping around or playing certain kinds of games that may cause noise to be transmitted below. So, this is one of the common challenges that can impact the quality of living in built-up urban environments and high-rise living. So, mitigating noise issues, such as these, is an essential part of HDB's ongoing efforts to provide a better living environment for the comfort of residents.

With advancements in building technologies as well as in materials science, HDB has been tapping on these advancements in the market. HDB has also reached out to Institutes of Higher Learning and research institutes to work collaboratively on solutions that could reduce noise transmission between floors. So, it is design and also materials science.

Mr Ang Wei Neng.

Mdm Speaker, I am glad that the Senior Minister of State has said that HDB uses modelling to build flats so as to reduce noise pollution and also to increase ventilation. However, we see a lot of new flats are built facing the main road or the Pan Island Expressway (PIE). I used to stay in a flat that faces the main road as well as the Mass Rapid Transit track. It is very noisy! Can HDB consider that as a factor as well as having more flats that are North-South-facing to improve ventilation?

Keep the reply short, please, Senior Minister of State.

Mdm Speaker, in my earlier reply, I said that HDB uses modelling. Certainly, in the design of the new estates, including some of those that front, say, expressways, these are taken into account to ensure as much noise-buffering as possible. Apart from appropriate planting, there is also the need for proper buffering and distance away from major transport pathways, and also the design and facing of buildings. For example, as far as possible, we try to put the end of the block to face some of these. But we continually look at these plans and try to ensure that, as far as possible, in a very dense and highly built-up environment in Singapore, where land is very scarce, we try to design both the units but also the estate in a way that takes into account the comfort of residents.

Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the Notices of Motions.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]

Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph 4(a) of the Standing Order No 100 do consider and report on such amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary."

Madam, the Government is initiating a review of the Standing Orders for two purposes.

First, to make consequential amendments to the Standing Orders arising from the constitutional amendments principally in relation to the Elected Presidency Scheme that were passed by this House last November.

Second, to take the opportunity to do a more general review, to ensure that this House continues to have an efficient set of procedures to support its work.

Members can make written submissions to the Standing Orders Committee if they have any amendments to propose. The submissions should be sent to the Clerk by Friday, 17 March 2017. Madam, I beg to move.

[(proc text) Question put, and agreed to. (proc text)]

[(proc text) Resolved, "That the Standing Orders Committee appointed under paragraph 4(a) of the Standing Order No 100 do consider and report on such amendments to the Standing Orders of Parliament which the Committee may deem necessary." (proc text)]

Order. I propose to take a break now. I suspend the Sitting and will take the Chair again at 3.30 pm.

Sitting accordingly suspended

at 3.02 pm until 3.30 pm.

Sitting resumed at 3.30 pm

[Mdm Speaker in the Chair]

Minister for Finance.

Mdm Speaker, before I begin the Budget Statement, may I express my deepest thanks to the House. I wish to thank Mdm Speaker, the Prime Minister and Members of the House for your well wishes when I was not well. Thank you also to all friends and colleagues, and residents of Tampines, fellow Singaporeans and friends from overseas. Your kindness and encouragement are both humbling and uplifting to me and my family. I am happy to be back in the Chamber and grateful for the opportunity to continue alongside Members of this House to serve Singapore and Singaporeans to the best of our abilities. Thank you very much. [Applause.]

Mdm Speaker, I beg to move, "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018."

When I presented the last Budget, Brexit seemed remote and the United States had just started the process of electing their new President. Events since then are a stark reminder of how quick and unpredictable change can be.

There is an inward-looking mood in several of the most advanced economies. Should this translate into protectionist actions, it will slow global trade and investments.

Meanwhile, advances in technology are picking up pace, disrupting traditional businesses and jobs. But they also present opportunities for countries and people who can learn and adapt quickly.

These deep shifts around the world will create new challenges but also open up new opportunities for many years to come. We must understand these shifts and do our best to adapt and thrive.

Singapore is also undergoing a key transition as our economy matures. With falling birth rates and a rapidly ageing population, labour force growth will eventually fall to zero. Many developed economies going through the same experience have seen their annual gross domestic product (GDP) growth decelerate to 1% or lower. We can aim for quality growth of 2% to 3%, if we press on in our drive for higher productivity and work hard to help everyone who wishes to work find a place in the labour force.

Singapore should develop strong capabilities in our firms and workers, so that they can adapt to the changes in economic structures and technology. Digitalisation, innovation and highly-skilled workers will enable cities and regions to prosper while staying open and connected to the world.

In addition, we must forge deep partnerships in our economy. The Government's role is not to plan every move, but to forge a common understanding of the changes, and foster partnerships with businesses, unions, firms and workers, with each playing a key role. We need to pool our resources and ideas and solve problems together. Such networks of trust will allow us to seize opportunities and respond to unexpected challenges.

Similarly, we need to foster partnerships in the wider society. We can maintain a good balance between state action and community initiative. The Government can do good in many instances, but so can individual citizens. When friends, neighbours and fellow citizens come together in support of a cause or one another, we forge deep bonds and grow our social capital.

It is critical that we take decisive action to reposition ourselves for the future. Budget 2017 will outline measures for our economy and our society, together with fiscal policies. We will take a learning and adaptive approach, try new methods, continue with them when they work well, cut losses when they do not, and draw on feedback and experience to refine and adjust our plans. That is the Singapore way.

Let me start with the economy and jobs.

Last year, we achieved GDP growth of 2.0%1. This is similar to the 1.9 % growth achieved in 2015. This is within range, but at the lower end of our potential growth over the medium term.

But this aggregate growth figure belies the uneven performance across sectors. Sectors, such as electronics, information and communications, and education, health and social services, did well. Some sectors have been harder hit by cyclical weaknesses, including marine and offshore and, to some extent, construction. Other sectors, like retail, are facing structural shifts.

The picture of the labour market is similarly mixed. Overall, unemployment rate remained low at 2.1%2 in 2016, but redundancies have been increasing and more workers are taking longer to find jobs. Sectors such as healthcare and education, offered more jobs, while others shed them. In 2016, resident employment increased while foreign employment contracted3.

Given the uneven performance across different sectors, we need to go beyond general stimulus, and target the specific issues faced by different sectors.

For firms and sectors that are doing well, we must focus on the long term and build on the momentum to seize new opportunities. For example, firms in the manufacturing sector should adopt advanced manufacturing technologies to build competitive advantage. In last year's Budget, I announced the $450 million National Robotics Programme. This year, I will be announcing measures to help firms with good prospects scale up and internationalise. I will talk about these measures later.

For sectors facing cyclical weaknesses, we have introduced specific support measures like the Bridging Loan for Marine and Offshore Engineering companies, which provides access to working capital to help them bridge short-term cash flow gaps. I will introduce specific measures to address continued cyclical weaknesses in the marine and process sectors, and the construction sector.

Last year, we deferred foreign worker levy increases in the marine and process sectors. In view of the continued weaknesses, we will defer the earlier announced levy increases in these two sectors by one more year. [Please refer to Annex A-1.]

To support the construction sector, we will also bring forward $700 million worth of public sector infrastructure projects to start in financial year (FY) 2017 and FY2018. Our construction firms will be able to bid for and participate in these projects, which include the upgrading of community clubs and sports facilities. To sustain the momentum for productivity improvement, we will proceed with the foreign worker levy increases for construction announced in 2015.

Firms in sectors that are facing structural shifts will need to dig deep to change their business models to stay viable. For example, firms and workers in retail will need to embrace digital capabilities to access new markets through online-marketing and e-commerce platforms.

The Government will help workers adapt to structural shifts in the economy, especially those who seek to move to a different sector. Last year, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) launched the "Adapt and Grow" initiative to help workers looking to take on new jobs. We will strengthen the support this year.

We will increase wage and training support provided under the Career Support Programme, the Professional Conversion Programme, and the Work Trial Programme.

We will introduce an "Attach and Train" programme for sectors that have good growth prospects, but where companies may not be ready to hire yet. Instead, industry partners can send participants for training and work attachments. This will increase the chances of these workers to find a job in the sector later.

An additional sum of up to $26 million a year will be committed from the Lifelong Learning Endowment Fund and the Skills Development Fund to support these initiatives.

The Minister for Manpower will elaborate on the initiatives at the Committee of Supply (COS). [Please refer to Annex A-2.]

Over the next two to three years, the different sectors of our economy will be in transition, repositioning themselves for the future economy. Some firms may need help to manage cost or cash flow. They will continue to receive support from schemes announced previously. Let me mention three.

The Wage Credit Scheme will continue to help firms cope with rising wages. We expect to pay over $600 million to businesses this March. Roughly 70% of this amount will be to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).

The Special Employment Credit will continue to provide employers with support for the wages of older workers till 2019. Over $300 million, which will benefit 370,000 workers, will be paid out in FY2017.

The SME Working Capital Loan will continue to be available for the next two years. This is where the Government co-shares 50% of the default risk for loans of up to $300,000 per SME. There has been good take-up for this scheme. Since its launch in June 2016, the scheme has catalysed more than $700 million of loans.

I will introduce two more measures to support firms.

First, I will enhance the Corporate Income Tax (CIT) Rebate. Last year, I enhanced the CIT rebate from 30% to 50% of tax payable, capped at $20,000 each year for Year of Assessment (YA) 2016 and YA2017.

This year, I will further enhance the CIT rebate by raising the cap from $20,000 to $25,000 for YA2017. The rebate will remain at 50% of tax payable.

I will also extend the CIT rebate for another year to YA2018, at a reduced rate of 20% of tax payable, capped at $10,000. The enhancement and extension will cost an additional $310 million over YA2017 and YA2018.

Second, we will provide more support for firms hiring older workers. MOM will raise the re-employment age from 65 to 67, with effect from 1 July 2017. This will apply to workers younger than 65 on that day.

To encourage employers to continue hiring workers who are not covered, we will extend the Additional Special Employment Credit till end-2019. Under this scheme, employers will receive wage offsets of up to 3% for workers who earn under $4,000 per month, and who are not covered by the new re-employment age of 67. Taken together with the Special Employment Credit, employers will receive support of up to 11% for the wages of their eligible older workers.

The extension of the Additional Special Employment Credit will benefit about 120,000 workers and 55,000 employers and will cost about $160 million. This helps to extend the employability of older Singaporeans. Details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex A-3.]

These additional near-term support measures, with the existing Wage Credit Scheme and Special Employment Credit, will give businesses support of over $1.4 billion over the next year.

The measures I have described will help our firms and workers, especially in sectors that are facing cyclical or structural weaknesses. Even more important is how we increase our growth in the medium to long term, so as to sustain our potential growth of 2% to 3%. Let me now speak about measures to build our capacity for the future economy. These measures largely respond to the ideas put forth by the Committee on the Future Economy, or CFE.

The CFE has laid out seven mutually reinforcing strategies to tackle the challenges ahead. These strategies are not prescriptive blueprints but focus on developing adaptability and resilience. These qualities will keep Singapore relevant even as the world changes.

Emerging economies are now able to produce rather than import higher value components. There is also a growing consumer class in many Asian cities. Even as we stay open and connected, we have to understand our global partners and customers much better and more deeply. Our enterprises and people will need to venture overseas and to immerse themselves in these markets to gain deep insights.

Technology is reshaping businesses, jobs and lifestyles across the world. We must spot the opportunities in the digital economy and make the most of our strengths as a nimble, well-educated, tech-savvy society.

As we mature as an economy, we must compete on the quality and novelty of our ideas and our ability to create value. We need to build a strong innovation and enterprise engine, to complement our traditional strengths in efficiency and speed.

These moves will entail building capabilities of our enterprises, the capabilities of our people, and bringing all parts together in partnership to act as one agile, adaptable whole. This, in essence, is the key thrust of the CFE recommendations.

Let me start with enterprise development.

Enterprises are the heart of vibrant economies. For our enterprises to stay competitive and grow, they will need to develop deep capabilities. Which capabilities matter − this depends on the industry that the firm is in, and the firm's own stage of growth. But there are three capabilities that many firms will need in common − being able to use digital technology, embrace innovation and scale up.

Digital technology has a unique potential to transform businesses, large and small, across the economy. The first way to strengthen our enterprises, especially SMEs, is to help them adopt digital solutions.

We will introduce the SMEs Go Digital Programme to help SMEs build digital capabilities. The Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) will work with SPRING and other sector lead agencies in this effort. The SMEs Go Digital Programme will have three components.

First, SMEs will get step-by-step advice on the technologies to use at each stage of their growth through the sectoral Industry Digital Plans. We will start with sectors where digital technology can significantly improve productivity. These include retail, food services, wholesale trade, logistics, cleaning and security.

Second, SMEs will get in-person help at SME Centres and a new SME Technology Hub to be set up by IMDA. SMEs can approach business advisors at SME Centres for advice on off-the-shelf technology solutions that are pre-approved for funding support or connect to infocommunications and technology (ICT) vendors and consultants. The more digitally advanced firms can get specialist advice from the SME Technology Hub.

Third, SMEs that are ready to pilot emerging ICT solutions can receive advice and funding support. We will work with consortiums of large and small firms to help them adopt impactful, interoperable ICT solutions to level up whole sectors.

We will also strengthen our capabilities in data and cybersecurity. With increased digitalisation, data will become an important asset for firms, and strong cybersecurity is needed for our networks to function smoothly. The Cyber Security Agency (CSA) of Singapore will work with professional bodies to train cybersecurity professionals.

I will make available more than $80 million for these programmes. The Minister for Communications and Information will elaborate at the COS.

The second way to strengthen our enterprises is to support firms in their broader efforts to tap on innovation and technology. With our consistent investments in research and development, we have built up excellent research institutes. We want to help companies better tap on these resources.

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) currently works with firms to conduct operation and technology road-mapping to identify how technology can help them innovate and compete. A*STAR will expand its efforts to support 400 companies over the next four years.

For companies seeking access to intellectual property (IP), Intellectual Property Intermediary, a SPRING affiliate, matches them with IP that meets their needs. It will work with the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) to analyse and bundle complementary IP from Singapore and overseas. A*STAR also partners SMEs through the Headstart Programme. The Headstart Programme allows SMEs that co-develop IP with A*STAR to enjoy royalty-free and exclusive licences for 18 months in the first instance. In response to industry feedback, this will be extended to 36 months.

We will also support companies in the use of advanced machine tools for prototyping and testing, which may require costly specialised equipment. A*STAR will provide access to such equipment, user training and advice under a new Tech Access Initiative. The Ministers for Trade and Industry will elaborate at the COS.

The third way to strengthen our enterprises is to help them scale up globally. Many Singapore-based firms already have a presence in other markets, often with support from International Enterprise (IE) Singapore. Last year, IE Singapore supported companies in over 37,000 cases, a 9% increase from 2015.

To further support our firms to grow, we will continue to develop a smart financing ecosystem. We will commit up to $600 million in Government capital for a new International Partnership Fund. The Fund will co-invest with Singapore-based firms to help them scale-up and internationalise.

An important opportunity for our companies is the growing market for infrastructure development in emerging economies, especially in Asia. However, there remain gaps in financial markets for project finance in the region. The Government will enhance its schemes to bridge these gaps, by catalysing private finance and sharing risks with financial institutions.

We set up Clifford Capital in 2012 to finance overseas projects by Singapore companies. To date, over $2.4 billion have been committed4.

We will enhance IE Singapore's Internationalisation Finance Scheme to further support growth in this sector. We will catalyse private cross-border project financing to smaller Singapore-based infrastructure developers, by co-sharing the default risk of lower quantum non-recourse loans. We will also catalyse financing for projects undertaken by large firms in higher-risk developing markets, by providing a share of the needed sovereign risk insurance coverage. Overall, these enhancements will enable more companies to take on more overseas projects. The Ministers for Trade and Industry will provide more details at the COS.

To sum up, these are the measures to help enterprises build capabilities to go international, go digital, and innovate. [Please refer to Annex A-4.]

Next, I will speak on how we will help our people deepen their capabilities.

Our people are valued for their skills and adaptability and have enjoyed high employment rates and rising wages. We must build on these strengths. As the pace of change quickens, we will do more to help them stay ahead. I spoke earlier about how we will support those affected by economic restructuring to reskill to find new jobs. I will now touch on two areas: new skills to operate overseas; and deepening skillsets to remain relevant on the job.

We will set up a Global Innovation Alliance for Singaporeans to gain overseas experience, build networks and collaborate with their counterparts in other innovative cities. The Global Innovation Alliance will have three programmes.

First, the Innovators Academy will enable our tertiary students to build connections and capabilities overseas. We will build on the National University of Singapore Overseas College programme, which connects students to startups overseas. Many of these students have gone on to start companies or pursue interesting careers. The Innovators Academy will go further by making these opportunities available to students from other Singapore universities. We aim to grow the annual intake of students from 300 to 500 over the next five years.

Second, we will establish Innovation Launchpads in selected overseas markets. These create opportunities for our entrepreneurs and business owners to connect with mentors, investors and service providers.

Third, through Welcome Centres, innovative foreign companies can also link up with Singapore partners to co-innovate, test new products in Singapore, and expand in the region.

The Global Innovation Alliance is a novel collaboration among our educational institutions, economic agencies and businesses. In the initial phase, we will launch the Alliance in Beijing, San Francisco and various ASEAN cities. The Ministers for Trade and Industry will share more details at the COS.

Firms that want to expand overseas need capable leaders who have spent time in these markets, with insights and connections that can help their businesses scale up globally. The SkillsFuture Leadership Development Initiative will support companies to groom Singaporean leaders by expanding leadership development initiatives. This includes sending promising individuals on specialised courses and overseas postings. For a start, the programme will target to develop 800 potential leaders over the next three years.

I will set aside $100 million to build capabilities under the Global Innovation Alliance and Leadership Development Initiative.

As our companies innovate and digitalise, we will help our people acquire and use deep skills, taking the SkillsFuture movement further.

To enhance training and make it more accessible, we will offer more short, modular courses and expand the use of e-learning. Our universities, polytechnics and ITE have started offering such modular courses.

Funding support for Singaporeans to take approved courses will continue to be available under SkillsFuture. In addition, union members can get subsidies for selected courses through the National Trades Union Congress-Education and Training Fund. We have set aside $150 million to match donations to the Fund.

Besides learning new skills, our people must also apply and use these skills on their jobs. This requires employers, trade associations and chambers (TACs), unions and the Government to work together.

First, we must make sure that skilled workers are matched to where they can best use their skills. We will make the National Jobs Bank more useful for jobseekers and employers, and work with private placement firms to deliver better job matching services for professionals.

Second, employers, TACs, and unions should play an active role in structuring training for workers. Some have been successful in this effort. For example, SHATEC5 was set up by the Singapore Hotel Association over 30 years ago to provide hands-on training and certified courses. It has since helped to build up a skilled hospitality workforce, with its alumni winning accolades worldwide.

We hope more employers and TACs can do likewise. Employers and TACs who develop training programmes for their workers and the industry can receive funding support from SkillsFuture Singapore.

I have spoken about how we will support the development of our enterprises and our people. Beyond developing individual capabilities, we must also come together in partnerships − share expertise, tackle common challenges and reinforce our mutual efforts.

To systematically facilitate such partnerships, I announced in last year's Budget a major initiative, the Industry Transformation Maps, or ITMs. ITMs are integrative platforms, bringing together various stakeholders − TACs, unions and the Government −to align our efforts around a common plan to transform each sector. We will develop ITMs for 23 sectors, covering about 80% of our economy. Six have already been launched. We will keep this going at a good pace and launch the remaining 17 within FY2017.

The ITMs help us to identify key enablers, which involve different stakeholders, to transform sectors. For example, the Centre of Innovation for Supply Chain Management at Republic Polytechnic works with companies to level up their capabilities6 and provides students with hands-on experience.

As I said last year, the ITMs are "live" plans that we will adjust along the way. Where we spot opportunities, including ones that do not fit any existing industry, we will adapt our ITMs to seize them. We must also maximise synergies between related ITMs, such as between the food services and hotel industries.

Our companies, TACs and unions can play a key role in the success of our ITMs.

One example is Singtel. Singtel not only trains its IT services employees to transition into cybersecurity roles, it also works with CSA and IMDA on the Cyber Security Associates and Technologists programme to develop mid-career talent for the broader cybersecurity industry. Singtel has also launched its Cyber Security Institute to train technical professionals, management and boards to better handle cyber breaches. It also engages students through internship programmes.

With the emphasis on innovation, Government agencies need to play enabling roles, to help realise new ideas. Our regulatory agencies must balance managing risk and creating the space to test innovations.

For example, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) has just announced a simplified regulatory framework tailored to the needs of venture capital firms. This will give them greater flexibility, making Singapore more conducive to venture capital investment, thereby enhancing the supply of financing for startups.

We can also create more space for innovation through regulatory sandboxes. This involves setting boundaries within which some rules can be suspended, to allow greater experimentation.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has done this with self-driving vehicles, setting out specific zones where they can be tested on roads. Likewise, MAS has set up a regulatory sandbox for financial technology.

Regulatory agencies will further explore how we can facilitate innovation. For instance, our regulators can make their risk assessments for new products and services more swift and effective. A good example is the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), which will be setting up a priority review scheme to evaluate new and innovative medical devices. This will accelerate the commercialisation process and make Singapore a preferred location to launch these devices.

We will also support our agencies to procure products and services in a way that builds capabilities in the economy and supports innovation.

For example, in the construction sector, we will introduce the Public Sector Construction Productivity Fund, with about $150 million. This will allow Government agencies to procure innovative and productive construction solutions, which may have higher costs as these solutions may be nascent and lack scale. The fund will allow these solutions to enter and gain traction in the market.

In addition to the funding for the measures mentioned earlier, I will top up the National Research Fund by $500 million to support innovation efforts, and the National Productivity Fund by another $1 billion to support industry transformation.

All in, we are putting aside $2.4 billion over the next four years to implement the CFE strategies. This will be over and above the $4.5 billion set aside last year for the Industry Transformation Programme.

Mdm Speaker, may I have your permission to distribute materials to the Members in this House?

Yes, please. [Handouts were distributed to hon Members.]

Mdm Speaker, even as the voices against globalisation rise, we must strive to remain a vibrant and well-connected city that is highly liveable for our people and businesses. In this way, our people will be constantly in touch with and be energised by new ideas, concepts, people, services and products from all over the world. We will continue to make significant investments in critical economic infrastructure, such as the new Changi Airport Terminal 5, the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High Speed Rail and the Tuas Terminal to deepen Singapore's connectivity to global markets.

We will also invest in shared infrastructure for economic clusters, so that industry players can network, pool resources and share knowledge. Last year, I spoke about how the Jurong Innovation District would be an exciting development to live, work and innovate in. The upcoming growth cluster in Punggol will co-locate cybersecurity and digital industries, with industry collaborating closely with the nearby Singapore Institute of Technology.

A vibrant city must also have diverse social spaces where people can come together, create shared experiences and forge stronger bonds. We are currently working with the community to design the new Jurong Lake Gardens as our new national gardens in the heartlands. We will also continue to invest in more sports and arts facilities around the island. Beyond physical infrastructure, we are also enhancing sports and arts programmes. I will share more on these efforts later.

Our vibrant and connected city must also be sustainable and resilient. A high-quality living environment endears the city to its residents and visitors.

Around the world, the effects of climate change and air and water pollution are worsening public health and quality of life. These harmful effects transcend national boundaries. As an island, Singapore is vulnerable to rises in sea levels due to climate change. Together with the international community, we have to play our part to protect our living environment. In doing so, we secure a better future not only for ourselves, but for generations to come.

Singapore has joined more than 130 countries, including China, Japan and South Korea, in having ratified the Paris Agreement, reaffirming our commitment to address climate change and reduce emissions. It is in our own interest to support the international coordination required to deal with an issue that affects all countries and, in particular, small island states like ours.

There are different ways to reduce emissions. One is to ensure consumers understand the effects of their actions. So, we have energy efficiency labels, like the ticks on air-conditioners or refrigerators. Another is to regulate for higher standards. Singapore has good environmental protection standards and the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources continues to ensure that our regulations are up to date. But the most economically efficient and fair way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is to set a carbon tax, so that emitters will take the necessary actions.

Singapore has studied this option for several years. We intend to implement a carbon tax on the emission of greenhouse gases. We will consult widely with stakeholders and aim to implement the carbon tax from 2019. The tax will generally be applied upstream, for example, on power stations and other large direct emitters, rather than electricity users.

We are looking at a tax rate of between $10 and $20 per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions. This is in the range of what other jurisdictions have implemented. It will create a price signal to incentivise industries to reduce their emissions, complementing the regulatory measures which we are also introducing. It will help us to achieve our commitments to reduce emissions under the Paris Agreement, do so efficiently and at as low a cost to the economy as possible. This may also spur the creation of new opportunities in green growth industries, such as clean energy. Revenue from the carbon tax will help to fund measures by industries to reduce emissions. The impact of the carbon tax on most businesses and households should be modest.

The Government has started industry consultations and will continue to reach out. Public consultations will begin in March. The final carbon tax and exact implementation schedule will be decided after our consultations and further studies. We will take into consideration the lessons from other countries and prevailing economic conditions in Singapore in implementation. We will also provide appropriate measures to ease the transition.

Let me now turn to another source of environmental pollution − diesel. Apart from carbon emissions, diesel emits highly pollutive particulate matter and nitrogen oxides which are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer and respiratory infection

7. The over-use of diesel cars has resulted in cities like London, Paris and Rome being enveloped in smog in recent years. Many of these cities have started taking action to reduce these harmful emissions. Athens, Madrid, Mexico City and Paris have announced plans to ban diesel vehicles from their city centres by 2025. Singapore must learn from these hard lessons.

Today, motor fuels, such as petrol and compressed natural gas, are taxed based on how much is used. This approach incentivises users to reduce consumption and manufacturers to develop more energy-efficient vehicles. However, for diesel, we levy a lump sum Special Tax on diesel cars and taxis, regardless of the amount of diesel used.

I will, therefore, restructure diesel taxes. I will introduce a volume-based duty at $0.10 per litre on automotive diesel, industrial diesel and the diesel component in biodiesel. Taxing diesel according to usage incentivises users to reduce diesel consumption. At the same time, I will permanently reduce the annual Special Tax on diesel cars and taxis by $100 and $850 respectively. In this way, we shift from an annual amount of tax to one which is related to usage. These changes will take effect today.

The Special Tax reduction will offset the impact of diesel duty for the majority of drivers. I strongly urge taxi companies to pass on the Special Tax reduction to taxi drivers.

To help businesses adjust, I will provide 100% road tax rebate for one year, and partial road tax rebate for another two years, for commercial diesel vehicles. There will be additional cash rebates for diesel buses ferrying school children. For the large majority of vehicles, the first year's rebates will more than offset the diesel duty incurred in the same period. Details of the duty changes and offset measures are in the Annex [Please refer to Annex A-5.]

I will also adjust two vehicle incentive schemes to encourage the use of cleaner vehicles.

The current Carbon Emissions-based Vehicle Scheme, or CEVS, was implemented in 2013 to encourage the take-up of cars and taxis with low carbon emissions. We will replace this with a new Vehicular Emissions Scheme, which will consider four other pollutants on top of carbon dioxide, so as to account more holistically for the health and environmental impact of vehicular emissions. With this scheme, we hope to nudge car buyers towards cleaner and environmentally-friendly models.

The new Vehicular Emissions Scheme will run for two years, starting from 1 January 2018. We will review it before it expires. In the interim, we will extend the current CEVS until 31 December 20178.

We will also enhance and extend the Early Turnover Scheme for commercial diesel vehicles. This scheme was first introduced in 2013 to encourage the early replacement of older and more pollutive commercial diesel vehicles. Since then, vehicle owners have switched 27,000 vehicles to cleaner models.

As the scheme is due to expire on 31 July 2017, we will extend the scheme for vehicle owners who turn over their existing Euro II and III commercial diesel vehicles for Euro VI vehicles until 31 July 2019, and further enhance the COE bonus period for Light Goods Vehicles. The Minister for Transport and the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources will share more details at the COS.

Let me now speak about water. Water sufficiency is a matter of national survival. Imported water and local catchment water currently meet more than half of our water demand, but both sources depend heavily on weather conditions. To meet increasing water demand and strengthen the resilience of our water supply, we have invested in desalination and NEWater plants. These are costly but necessary investments which we must continue to make.

We have priced water to reflect the higher costs of desalination and NEWater production because every additional drop of water has to come from these two sources. The cost of water production and transmission has increased as we build more desalination and NEWater plants and lay deeper pipes through an urbanised environment. Water prices were last revised in 2000, almost 20 years ago. We need to update our water prices to reflect the latest costs of water supply.

We will increase water prices by 30% in two phases, starting from 1 July 2017. As part of this exercise, we will be restructuring the Sanitary Appliance Fee and the Waterborne Fee into a single, volume-based fee. This is more reflective of the volume of used water discharged. The details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex B.]

For three-quarters of our businesses, the increase will be less than $25 per month, once the increase is fully phased in on 1 July 2018. For 75% of households, the increase in monthly water bills will be less than $18. We will have measures to help lower- and middle-income households manage this increase. I will give details later.

Today, we impose a Water Conservation Tax on potable water to promote conservation. To encourage the conservation of NEWater among industrial users, we will also impose a Water Conservation Tax on NEWater, which will be 10% of the NEWater tariff, starting from 1 July 2017.

The various emissions and water-related measures in Budget 2017 are necessary to protect our living environment. These will help keep our home in good shape for future generations. It is the right thing to do, even though some of these measures will lead to increases in household costs. The Government will help households, especially low-income ones.

Before I speak on these household support measures, let me first speak on our measures to build a caring and inclusive society.

We are building an inclusive and caring society, one where Singaporeans of all backgrounds can improve their lives, where the vulnerable are uplifted and where people of all ages can look to the future with optimism.

The Government will continue to support families, help the needy and catalyse community efforts. In the last decade, we have significantly increased our social spending and strengthened safety nets

9. Many Singaporeans are also stepping forward to help others in need.

However, our needs are growing. Our population is ageing, families are smaller and our social needs are more complex. Even as the Government strengthens direct support, more people need to help out. In many areas, the human connection is critical − taking care of loved ones and neighbours, volunteering for worthy causes, organising community events or raising donations. We must strengthen the gotong royong spirit where each one of us does our part to help one another.

Let me first speak about what we will do to keep Singapore a Great Place for Families. In the past two years, we enhanced parental leave10 and grants for new-borns11.

In this Budget, we will provide additional support for families, in the areas of housing, pre-school and post-secondary education.

Many couples start their lives together by applying for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat12 which is highly subsidised.

For others, a resale flat may better meet their needs. Some may wish to live near their parents. Some may prefer to move earlier into their own home. To help them, we will increase subsidies for those who buy their first Housing and Development Board (HDB) home from the resale market.

With immediate effect, we will increase the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Housing Grant from $30,000 to $50,000 for couples who purchase 4-room or smaller resale flats, and from $30,000 to $40,000 for couples who purchase 5-room or bigger resale flats. Together with the Additional CPF Housing Grant and Proximity Housing Grant13, a couple can now receive a total of up to $110,000 in housing grants when buying a resale flat, depending on the flat location, flat type and their income. Other eligible first-timers will also benefit from some grant enhancement.

This measure will cost an additional $110 million per year. The Minister for National Development will announce other measures to help young families get their first home at the COS.

We will improve the accessibility of preschool. Over the last five years, we increased childcare places by over 40%, to about 140,000. Now, there are enough places for more than half of all children between 18 months and six years of age. All receive Government subsidies.

We will provide more support for those with infants, that is, children under 18 months of age. At present, about 4,000, or 8% of all infants are enrolled in centre-based infant care. To meet growing demand, we will increase the capacity of centre-based infant care to over 8,000 places by 2020.

The Minister for Social and Family Development will give more details at the COS. The Senior Minister of State in charge of population issues at the Prime Minister's Office will also speak about our efforts to keep Singapore a Great Place for Families.

We will increase annual bursary amounts for those attending Post-Secondary Education Institutions, or PSEIs. The amount of increase will be up to $400 for undergraduate students, up to $350 for diploma students, and up to $200 for ITE students.

Next, we will extend PSEI bursaries to more families by revising the income eligibility criteria. About 12,000 more Singaporean students are expected to benefit, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 71,000. In total, PSEI bursaries will increase from about $100 million to $150 million per year. The Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) will provide more details at the COS.

Let me now speak on how we will assist households with their expenses.

Earlier, I said that we would help households offset some of the increase in water prices. We will increase the Goods and Services Tax (GST) Voucher − U-Save Rebate for eligible HDB households, by an amount ranging from $40 to $120, depending on flat type, as seen in the table. This increase will be permanent.

Families living in 1- and 2-room HDB flats will receive $380 of U-Save rebates each year compared to $260, while families living in 3- and 4-room HDB flats will receive $340 and $300 per year respectively, compared to $240 and $220.

Taking into account these higher U-Save rebates, 75% of all HDB households will see an average increase of less than $12 in their monthly water expenses; 1- and 2-room HDB households will, on average, have no increase in their water expenses.

About 880,000 HDB households will benefit. This will cost an additional $71 million each year.

The U-Save rebate will soften the impact of the water price increase. Even as we provide this assistance, we should not lose sight of the scarcity of water and thus should conserve it.

To help lower-income households with expenses, we will provide a one-off GST Voucher − Cash Special Payment of up to $200 for eligible GST Voucher − Cash recipients. This is in addition to the regular GST Voucher − Cash. In total, eligible Singaporeans can receive up to $500 in cash for 2017, as seen in the table.

The one-off Special Payment will cost about $280 million and benefit more than 1.3 million Singaporeans.

We will also extend the Service and Conservancy Charges (S&CC) rebate and raise it by 0.5 months for FY2017. As seen in the table, this year, we will provide 1.5 to 3.5 months of S&CC rebate to eligible HDB households; 1- and 2-room HDB households will receive a total of 3.5 months of rebates, while 3- and 4-room households will receive 2.5 months of rebates.

This will cost the Government $120 million and benefit about 880,000 HDB households.

Finally, I will give a Personal Income Tax Rebate of 20% of tax payable, capped at $500, for tax residents for YA2017, that is, for income earned in 2016. This will give households a reduction in their tax bills for this year. The rebate will cost the Government $385 million.

In total, we will provide additional support of over $850 million this year to help households with their expenses. [Please refer to Annex C.]

To support the increase in U-Save I announced earlier and other future GST Voucher payments, I will make a $1.5 billion top-up to the GST Voucher Fund.

Since the last top-up in FY2013, MediFund utilisation has increased by an average of 9% per year from FY2013 to FY2015. I will, therefore, also top up MediFund by $500 million, bringing the total fund size to $4.5 billion.

In addition, I will top up the ComCare Fund by $200 million. This fund supports families and individuals in need.

I will now speak on measures to foster a caring and inclusive society.

All of us can play a part in our communities. All of us have something to offer, be it time, expertise or the extra attention, to care for one another. It takes all of us to build an inclusive society. Let me first touch on how we will increase support for persons with disabilities and persons with mental health conditions.

The Enabling Masterplans are five-year national plans to support persons with disabilities and their caregivers. Under the two previous Masterplans, we increased support in areas, such as early intervention and education, employment, care services, assistive technologies and accessibility.

We will launch the Third Enabling Masterplan, which was put together by a committee of private and public sector representatives. The Masterplan calls for the Government and the community to better integrate persons with disabilities into the workforce and to give more support to their caregivers.

Today, higher-functioning graduands from Special Education schools who can work are matched to special training programmes to prepare them for employment. We will make these training programmes available to not only graduands with mild intellectual disability and autism, but also those with moderate intellectual and multiple disabilities.

To support caregivers, we will set up a Disability Caregiver Support Centre to provide information, planned respite, training and peer support groups. The centre will also work with voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to pilot programmes catering to caregivers of newly-diagnosed persons with disabilities.

Including existing initiatives, we expect to spend around $400 million per year on initiatives supporting persons with disabilities. The Minister for Social and Family Development will elaborate at the COS.

We must also rally around those with mental health conditions, including dementia. Mental health issues may not be easy to talk about, but we can make good progress when the community comes together.

Since 2012, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has partnered VWOs to set up 36 teams that provide outreach and allied health support in the community. Last year, MOH also launched Dementia Friendly Communities in Hong Kah North, MacPherson and Yishun. These communities are networks of residents, businesses and services trained to look out for and help those with symptoms of dementia.

We will resource VWOs to set up more community-based teams to support those in need, as well as educate the public on mental health issues. MOH will provide mental health care services in polyclinics, as part of its broader effort to improve the delivery of care within the community.

We will also involve the wider community and expand the number of Dementia Friendly Communities. The National Council for Social Services will also lead efforts to integrate persons with mental health issues at the workplace and in the wider society.

As part of our Community Mental Health efforts, we will spend an additional $160 million in the next five years. The Minister for Health will elaborate during the COS.

Beyond supporting families and those with greater needs, this Budget also aims to strengthen community bonds.

Since 2002, the VWOs-Charities Capability Fund has helped VWOs and charities train their staff, expand their reach and serve people better. So far, we have committed over $180 million of funding. This has helped around 400 VWOs and charities. Over the next five years, we will provide additional funding, up to $100 million in total, to further develop the capabilities of our VWOs and charities. The Minister for Social and Family Development will provide further details at the COS.

Our Self-Help Groups have also been doing good work, working closely with the community to help needy families and children. To enable them to do more, I will provide an additional $6 million grant to the Self-Help Groups over the next two years.

One way we bring our society together is through sports, be it playing sports with friends and neighbours, or cheering on our sportsmen and women. Last year, we cheered our Olympic and Paralympics athletes who gave their very best and did us proud. It was Team Singapore at its finest!

We will do more to make it easier for all Singaporeans to participate in sports. Over $50 million has been set aside to support community sports. We will expand the Sports-In-Precinct Programme, so that more Singaporeans can play sports near their homes. We will also expand the SportCares Programme, which encourages disadvantaged youth to discover their strengths through sports.

To help aspiring athletes reach their full potential, we will commit an additional $50 million in grants over five years. On top of that, we will provide up to $50 million to match sports donations dollar-for-dollar. This will build a wider base of support for Team Singapore. The Minister for Culture, Community and Youth will provide more details at the COS.

Like sports, cultural activities build bonds among our people. Increasingly, many people not only visit museums and attend performances, but also participate actively as docents and donors. The Cultural Matching Fund currently provides dollar-for-dollar matching for donations to cultural institutions. Since the Fund was implemented in 2014, about $150 million has been committed, and donations to arts and heritage causes have more than doubled. To sustain this momentum, I will top up the Cultural Matching Fund by $150 million.

Budget 2017 is an investment in our economic transformation and social resilience. We will continue to invest in security measures to keep Singaporeans safe, and in infrastructure to support economic growth and improve quality of life.

We have been able to commit to these medium-term investments because we have a sustainable fiscal system. Previous generations planned ahead and set aside savings when our economy was growing rapidly. We now benefit from the returns on our Reserves.

At the same time, our pro-growth and progressive tax system has given us a steady revenue stream. Together, these have allowed us to fund new priorities without cutting back on essential areas.

In the coming years, we expect expenditure needs to rise rapidly, particularly in healthcare and infrastructure.

Over the last five years, our annual healthcare spending has more than doubled to around $10 billion in FY2016 as we enhanced subsidies and expanded healthcare services. Healthcare spending will continue to rise as our population ages.

We will also continue to enhance our public transport infrastructure, almost doubling the MRT network by 2030. This will put eight in 10 households within a 10-minute walk of a rail station. This alone is expected to cost the Government more than $20 billion over the next five years.

The new Changi Terminal 5 is another critical national infrastructure that will cost tens of billions of dollars. Changi Airport is our gateway to the world. By enhancing our connectivity, we expand opportunities for our people.

In the longer term, we must also prepare to upgrade and renew existing projects, to keep Singapore a good home. As these infrastructure projects are costly, we have to plan ahead.

With our spending needs increasing, the Government must continue to spend judiciously, emphasising value-for-money and drive innovation in delivery. We can do better, and more, with less.

We will apply a permanent 2% downward adjustment to the budget caps of all Ministries and Organs of State from FY2017 onwards, to emphasise the need to stay prudent and effective. For four Ministries that are serving security needs, or significantly expanding their services, namely, the Ministries of Home Affairs, Defence, Health and Transport, the 2% adjustment will be phased in over FY2017 and FY2018.

Some of the funds will be used for cross-agency projects to deliver value to citizens and businesses. Examples include initiatives by the Municipal Services Office.

Mdm Speaker, apart from managing our resources prudently, we must grow our revenues to finance our growing expenditures.

Growing our economy is the first and most important step to increasing our revenues sustainably. We need to achieve this growth by implementing the strategies set out in the CFE.

Next, we need to strengthen our revenue base in a pro-growth and progressive manner. Over the past five years, we have revised our tax structure as well as the Net Investment Returns framework to ensure that we have sufficient revenue for our increased spending needs till 2020.

Like all Finance Ministers before me, it is my duty to take the long view. Our domestic needs will grow over time and the global environment will shift. We must study the implications and prepare our options early.

One international development affecting tax systems worldwide is the Base Erosion and Profit Shifting, or BEPS, project. The BEPS project seeks to ensure that companies are taxed where substantive economic activities are performed. Singapore supports this principle. We are, in consultation with businesses, refining our schemes and implementing the relevant standards.

Countries, large and small, are also reviewing their corporate tax regimes to keep them competitive. With increasing digital transactions and cross-border trade, some countries have taken steps to adjust their GST system to ensure a level playing field between their local businesses which are GST-registered, and foreign-based ones which are not. We are studying how we can do likewise.

Domestically, we will also face rising expenditures over the longer term as we invest more in healthcare and infrastructure. We will have to raise revenues through new taxes or raise tax rates. We are studying the options carefully. We must make these decisions in good time to ensure that our future generations remain on a sustainable fiscal footing. As the Chinese idiom goes, 未雨綢繆, let us thatch the roof before it rains.

Finally, let me move on to the remaining tax measures in this Budget.

I will extend and strengthen tax incentives to enhance our business competitiveness, such as in the financial and global trading sectors. The details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex A-5.]

I shall introduce refinements to vehicle taxes for motorcycles. Today, all motorcycles incur the same Additional Registration Fee, or ARF, at 15% of their Open Market Value (OMV). A small but rising number of buyers are buying expensive motorcycles. Their motorcycles have OMVs similar to those of small cars. Just as we introduced tiers to the ARF for cars in 2013 to improve progressivity, I will introduce two more tiers for more expensive motorcycles. The ARF for motorcycles with OMV of up to $5,000 will remain at the current 15%. The next $5,000 of motorcycle OMV will be subject to an ARF rate of 50%. The remaining motorcycle OMV beyond $10,000 will be subject to an ARF rate of 100%.

Based on today's registration trends, we expect that more than half of new motorcycle buyers will continue to pay the current ARF rate of 15%.

The tiered ARF will apply to motorcycles registered with COEs obtained from the second February COE bidding exercise onwards. Details are in the Annex. [Please refer to Annex A-5.]

As a complementary measure, the Ministry of Transport will cease the contribution of motorcycle COE quota to open category COE quota. This will help to address the gradual decline in motorcycle population, as very few open category COEs have been used to register motorcycles.

Let me now summarise our overall budget position. For FY2016, we expect a budget surplus of $5.2 billion, or 1.3% of GDP. This is higher than the surplus of $3.4 billion, or 0.8% of GDP, budgeted a year ago.

Nevertheless, when we exclude Government top-ups to funds and Net Investment Returns Contribution from Past Reserves, we expect a basic deficit of $5.6 billion, or 1.4% of GDP. FY2016 was, hence, an expansionary budget.

In FY2017, the Government's budget remains expansionary.

Ministries' expenditures are expected to be $3.7 billion, or 5.2%, higher than in FY2016.

Overall, a smaller budget surplus of $1.9 billion, or 0.4% of GDP, is expected in FY2017. As we expect expenditures to continue rising in the long term, this budget position is prudent, while supporting firms and households in the midst of continued economic restructuring. [Please refer to Annex D.]

Mdm Speaker, let me conclude. Budget 2017 outlines how we can thrive in an uncertain and rapidly changing world. It is a call for us to pull together − the Government, firms, unions, community organisations and individuals, with everyone doing his part. Our bonds will help us to develop greater resilience in the face of unexpected shifts and improve our ability to adapt.

On the economic front, Budget 2017 sets out some support measures to address near-term concerns, particularly for sectors currently facing cyclical headwinds. It also sets out how we will implement our medium-term economic strategies to create new opportunities and jobs. We will build capabilities in our firms and workers so that they can operate well internationally, use digital technology and innovate. We will strengthen partnerships across the economy, with the Government playing an enabling role and drawing different stakeholders together to align efforts.

Budget 2017 also reaffirms our commitment to keep Singapore a vibrant city with a quality living environment. We will study a carbon tax, change the tax structure for diesel and adjust vehicle incentive schemes. We will also increase the price of water to reflect the latest costs of water supply. At the same time, we will provide support to lower-income households.

On the social front, Budget 2017 supports families who wish to buy a home, enjoy the joys of parenthood and help their children through post-secondary education. It also takes further steps towards building an inclusive society, for persons with disabilities and those with mental health conditions. Just as importantly, this Budget will strengthen community bonds and partnerships among the Government, community organisations and individuals to build a better society together.

I want to take a moment here to applaud the good work done by the thousands of volunteers, working in partnership with Government agencies. Government schemes and funding can play a supporting role, but it is ultimately human relationships and community bonds that build a society. Only through concerted partnership between Government and people can we realise our vision of a caring and inclusive society.

We will do all this while maintaining fiscal discipline. This will lay a sustainable foundation for future generations to thrive.

Our future is full of promise. Singaporeans are chasing their dreams in various fields and are excelling on the international stage: Mathew Tham topped the Young Chef Olympiad; Ding Eu-Wen won an international design award for his smart bicycle helmet; Nathan Hartono did us proud at the Sing! China competition; Nur Syahidah Alim won double gold medals in archery at the ASEAN Para Games; Yip Pin Xiu won multiple medals at the Paralympics, and Joseph Schooling, was our first Olympic gold medallist.

This strong can-do spirit will serve us well in the years ahead.

Let us go forward together.

Mdm Speaker, I beg to move. [Applause.]

The Question is, "That Parliament approves the financial policy of the Government for the financial year 1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018." In accordance with paragraph (1) of Standing Order No 89, the debate now stands adjourned.

Debate to be resumed on what day?

Tuesday, 28 February 2017, Mdm Speaker.

So be it.

[(proc text) Resolved, "That Parliament do now adjourn to Tuesday, 28 February 2017." – [Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien]. (proc text)]

Adjourned accordingly at

4.54 pm to Tuesday, 28 February 2017.

19 Assoc Prof Daniel Goh Pei Siong asked the Minister for Defence whether there are any plans in the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of National Service to honour women for the sacrifices they have made as mothers and wives of Singaporean men who have served National Service.

As we commemorate 50 years of National Service (NS) this year, we are giving the NS50 Recognition Package to the more than one million NSmen who have served two or more years of NS duties, as a token of appreciation for their primary role in ensuring Singapore's defence and security. NSmen can enjoy the vouchers and free Singapore Armed Forces Reservist Association (SAFRA) and Home Team NS membership in the package with their families.

The wider community – families, employers, volunteers, religious groups, businesses and other community organisations – also plays an important role. Their support enables our NSmen to serve with pride and dedication. We recognise these contributions through ongoing initiatives, such as the Total Defence Awards and annual tax reliefs for spouses and parents of NSmen. This year, we will continue to do so through the various NS50 events and activities, such as the NS50 Week and NS50 Dinner Reception.

21 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for National Development (a) for each year in the past three years, how many cases of illegal wildlife trade have been detected at our border checkpoints and within Singapore past the border checkpoints respectively; (b) from these cases, how many live animals have been confiscated annually at our border checkpoints and within Singapore past the border checkpoints respectively; and (c) how many of these animals currently remain under our care.

In the last three years, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA) detected 10 cases of illegal wildlife trade at our border checkpoints. During the same period, 58 cases were detected within Singapore. Arising from these cases, AVA confiscated 660 live animals. While the vast majority were given to the Singapore Zoo or repatriated to the source country, 77 animals are still in AVA's custody pending further investigations and Court trials.

AVA works closely with Singapore Customs and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on the detection of illegal wildlife trade cases. Information is also shared among our enforcement agencies to facilitate enforcement. While the authorities at all our border checkpoints remain vigilant, we also urge the public to do their part to refrain from such trade and report any suspicious cases. By working together, we can help stop the illegal trade in wildlife.

22 Mr Darryl David asked the Minister for National Development whether the Government can prohibit the indiscriminate pasting of bills, flyers, advertisements and other similar materials at public places in HDB estates, such as lifts, lift landings, doors, gates, circuit-boxes and other areas, in line with that taken by agencies, such as LTA in respect of the sticking of materials on lamp posts, traffic light posts, railings and other public areas under its jurisdiction.

The Town Councils Act empowers Town Councils to set by-laws to regulate the use of common property and impose fines for any contravention. Hence, Town Councils can take action under their by-laws against any person found pasting flyers and advertisements without the Town Councils' authorisation.

If stickers are pasted on residents' doors or gates, the affected residents may seek help from their respective Town Councils. In practice, Town Councils would typically warn the advertisers against such actions. Town Councils may also remove the stickers or ask the advertisers to do so.

23 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth for FY2015/16 what is (i) the amount of income earned by grassroots organisations (GROs) from community trade fairs, (ii) the percentage of the earned income used by GROs for welfare assistance, scholarships and bursaries and (iii) the amount of sponsorships in kind and cash collected by the GROs for staging community events.

Grassroots organisations (GROs) help the People's Association achieve its mission of building cohesive communities. Amongst its many community building activities, GROs help organise various community service programmes, such as those that help seniors remain active in the community and support needy families.

To help fund some of these activities, GROs raised about $27 million in sponsorships and donations and $7 million from community trade fairs in financial year (FY) 2015/2016.

In FY2015/2016, GROs also gave out $10 million in direct financial help such as welfare assistance, scholarships and bursaries. This complements Government assistance programmes for residents who need a bit more help.

24 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry) (a) what are some of our recent commercial investments with Australia; and (b) whether the Government intends to strengthen engagements with key Australian state governments with the objective of promoting bilateral business, trade and investment.

Australia and Singapore enjoy strong bilateral trade and investment ties. In 2015, Singapore’s stock of direct investments into Australia was S$34.9 billion, making Australia one of Singapore’s top 10 overseas investment destinations. Singapore companies have invested into diverse sectors, including telecommunications, tourism, utilities and real estate. Our companies are also keen to explore opportunities in sectors, such as agri-business.

Australia continues to remain an attractive investment destination, given its strong fundamentals. For example, last year, Surbana Jurong invested nearly S$400 million in Australian-based SMEC Holdings to form a global consultancy group specialising in urban and infrastructure development across countries in Asia, Australia, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas. Ascendas Reit also acquired properties in Sydney and Melbourne last year for A$168 million.

Likewise, Singapore continues to attract Australian companies. One of the world’s largest integrated mining companies, BHP Billiton, has established its global headquarters in Singapore. Australia’s largest telecommunications company, Telstra, has its regional headquarters in Singapore from which it also funds startup initiatives.

We are continuing to strengthen bilateral ties with Australia at multiple levels. First, Singapore and Australia have elevated our bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership (CSP). The Singapore-Australia Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) was upgraded last year as part of the CSP negotiations. The upgraded SAFTA will help deepen commercial links and provide greater opportunities for bilateral exports and investments. We are working towards the ratification and implementation of the upgraded SAFTA this year.

Second, we are working with the Australian government to launch an Australian "landing pad" in Singapore to facilitate access to investment, mentorship and strategic partnership for Australian high-tech startups. Singapore will be the fifth and final international location for the Australian government-promoted innovation "landing pads". The initiative will create opportunities for Australian entrepreneurs and Singapore companies to collaborate and do business in Asia, using Singapore as a base.

Third, we have stepped up our engagement with Australia at the state level through International Enterprise (IE) Singapore and the Economic Development Board. Our companies are regarded as credible partners to collaborate with the agri-business sector to grow the export of quality Australian products to Asia. For example, IE Singapore's work with the Queensland State to introduce their growers to Singapore-based traders and cold-chain logistics companies has yielded a partnership between Australia's Story Fresh and Singapore’s Indoguna for the export of leafy vegetables to Asia, including Singapore and Hong Kong. IE Singapore has also been working with the South Australian government and private enterprises to explore collaborations with Singapore's food traders and logistics players.

Singapore has also hosted visits to Singapore by many Australian state delegations. All six Australian states have established trade offices in Singapore which have helped to further strengthen bilateral ties at the national and state levels.

26 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for National Development (a) what is the Ministry's plan to fix new lifts that continue to break down despite a recommissioning exercise; and (b) whether the expected increase in maintenance and repair cost over a "lemon" lift's shelf life due to the frequent breakdowns is less than the replacement cost.

The Ministry of National Development takes a serious view on the safety of lifts in Singapore. We have previously explained the Housing and Development Board's (HDB's) comprehensive approach spanning lift procurement, installation and maintenance to ensure that lifts in HDB estates are safe and fit for operation. There is a lift commissioning process in place, which includes an independent audit of key safety features and a stress test of 1,000 start-stop operations. These are over and above existing regulatory requirements.

The lifts in Ms Tin Pei Ling's ward which have been experiencing higher than usual breakdown and fault rates are part of a batch of 469 lifts recently installed by Sigma. HDB's investigations revealed that while the design and installation of the affected lifts complied with the prevailing codes and standards, the doors and sensors are more susceptible to misalignment.

HDB has been working closely with Sigma to address this issue. Apart from the recommissioning exercises which Ms Tin mentioned, Sigma has also been undertaking improvement works to make the doors less susceptible to misalignment. The works include modification, replacement and addition of some auxiliary components of the lift door to enhance door operations. As a result, we have seen an improvement in the performance of the Sigma lifts. To ensure that all issues are addressed and the improvements in lift performance are sustained, a separate team of quality inspectors has been brought in by Sigma to conduct 100% checks on every one of the 469 lifts.

HDB is closely monitoring the work done by the company and will continue to hold Sigma responsible for the corrective action necessary to ensure that the lifts meet the required performance standards on a sustained basis.

28 Miss Cheng Li Hui asked the Minister for Health (a) how has the progress of automation in our hospitals been in the last three years; (b) how prevalent is the use of robotics; and (c) what is the estimated increase in productivity.

As Singapore's population ages, we are faced with tighter labour constraints and a rising demand for healthcare services. Healthcare providers have to focus on productivity and improve operational efficiency to continue delivering quality care to patients.

Productivity in healthcare is about increasing value to patients, for example, by doing more with the same amount of resources. One initiative under our Productivity Drive is to use automation and robotics as a workforce multiplier to reduce the amount of manual work and enable older employees to continue working for a longer period of time.

Since 2012, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has supported healthcare providers to invest in productivity improvements. We have funded more than 200 projects so far, including those involving automation and robotics. Examples include the use of pneumatic tube systems for sending documents and specimens, and the automation of laboratory analysis processes. Hospitals are also using Automated Guided Vehicles to transport inventory items and deliver meals, and deploying automated cleaning robots, remote patient monitoring devices to improve their productivity.

Another example is the Pharmacy Automation System, which allows medications to be picked more accurately and quickly. This has reduced pharmacy waiting times by up to 50% in KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. The Outpatient Pharmacy Automation System (OPAS) at KKH's Emergency Pharmacy was further developed to incorporate a new robotic bottle medication dispensing system that automatically loads, picks, and packs bottles. One year into implementation, OPAS has helped KKH to increase its pharmacy capacity by close to 30% with the same staff strength.

We are also exploring new ways to deliver healthcare, such as through tele-health, where consultations can be performed via video to reduce physical clinic visits. Physiotherapists could prescribe rehabilitation exercises to patients at home and monitor their progress remotely using wearable sensors and analytics. To bring healthcare beyond hospitals into the community, we are scaling up our national tele-health platforms to more healthcare institutions and community care providers.

In addition, public healthcare institutions are reviewing their workflow and processes. This includes redesigning job roles and upskilling healthcare staff to provide better care for patients. MOH will continue to work closely with our healthcare institutions to support productivity initiatives that enhance patient care and service quality and make our healthcare system more productive and sustainable.

29 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Health (a) what has been the impact of the Government's anti-smoking campaign over the past three years; (b) how many smokers have given up smoking during this period; (c) how has the campaign prevented young people from taking up the habit; and (d) whether the Ministry has plans to increase the minimum age for buying cigarettes.

As a result of our long-term tobacco control programme, smoking rates among those aged 18 to 69 have decreased from 18.3% in 1992 to 13.3% in 2013, based on National Health Survey data. However, over the past three years, smoking rates seemed to have stayed at about 13%. Of concern is also the relatively high smoking rate among our men where nearly one in four or 23.1% smoke. We need to do more.

To discourage smoking, we have adopted a multi-pronged approach on tobacco control and public education. The Health Promotion Board (HPB) has expanded its outreach to help smokers to quit. The number of smokers who took part in HPB's smoking cessation programmes has more than doubled from about 6,000 in 2013 to about 15,000 in 2016.

For youths, we focus on preventing initiation and helping young smokers to stop smoking. HPB works with educators and community organisations to promote smoke-free living among our youths. For example, smoking cessation training workshops are conducted for educators and youth workers to equip them with the skills and strategies to help youth smokers quit the habit. In addition, anti-tobacco messages are incorporated into the curriculum and Student Health Advisors are stationed in some schools to provide counselling to youth smokers.

We need to sustain our efforts to discourage smoking. We are constantly studying various tobacco control initiatives and learning from the experiences of other countries and will consider adopting suitable measures here, including the possibility of increasing the minimum age for buying cigarettes.

30 Mr Kwek Hian Chuan Henry asked the Minister for Education (Schools) in view of Cambridge International Examinations' discontinuation of the Angus Ross Prize for English Literature, whether the Ministry can set up (i) an equivalent A-level literature prize for Singapore and (ii) corresponding A-level literature prizes for mother tongue languages of Malay, Chinese and Tamil.

The achievements of Singaporean students in the Angus Ross Prize were an additional testimony to the performance of our Literature students. The discontinuation of the prize is unlikely to have a significant impact on our students' interest in studying Literature at "A" level. This motivation is more associated with our students’ passion for the subject and efforts by our Literature teachers to make the subject come alive for students.

The Ministry of Education does not award a top academic award for any individual subject, and it is not necessary to start doing so now. While quality performance in examinations remains important, it is more important for us to emphasise the quality of our students' learning experience throughout the entire "A" level course.

1 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Prime Minister (a) to date, what is the total increase in the number of eligible electorates since the last General Election; (b) which is the electoral division that has the highest number of increase; and (c) what is the projected increase in the number of eligible electorates in three years' time.

The latest certified registers of electors contain the names of all Singapore Citizens qualified as electors as at 1 February 2015. The increase in the number of electors since the last General Election in 2015 and the electoral division with the highest increase will only be known when the registers of electors are next revised.

The Elections Department does not make projections on the number of qualified electors and works on the basis of the actual number of electors when the registers of electors are revised.

2 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Prime Minister (a) what studies or research have been conducted to understand the impact of various pro-family measures, such as baby bonus and faster access to HDB flats, on raising fertility rates; and (b) how will the findings guide implementation of future Government interventions.

The Government regularly reviews the Marriage and Parenthood (M&P) Package to see how we can better provide a supportive and family-friendly environment in Singapore. We conduct surveys and studies to better understand the impact and take-up of our measures. For example, we carry out the M&P Survey every three to five years to better understand Singaporeans' attitudes towards marriage and parenthood, including their views on relevant support measures. We also draw on studies by academics and other groups, such as the survey by The Straits Times and Employer Alliance on Work-Life Integration in 2014. Relevant studies of M&P trends in other countries are similarly referenced for insights.

In addition, we hold consultations with diverse groups of Singaporeans, including married couples with and without children, singles, students in tertiary education institutes, caregivers of young children, and people sector representatives. Through these consultations, we have received positive feedback that measures, such as the Baby Bonus Scheme, have helped parents defray child-raising costs, while others, such as housing measures, have facilitated young couples' plans to settle down and build their families.

The learning points from these studies and consultations have been important in helping us to refine the M&P Package, which has been enhanced progressively and significantly since it was first introduced in 2001. For instance, last year, we announced further enhancements to Paternity Leave and Shared Parental Leave to better support shared parental responsibility between mothers and fathers.

Even as we continue to refine policy measures, we are cognisant that birth rates do not depend only on Government initiatives. Social norms shape M&P decisions and these are, in turn, a result of multiple factors. Fortunately, aspirations for marriage and parenthood among Singaporeans remain strong. To get ready for Millennial families, we will need the support of the whole of society – employers, co-workers, community organisations, businesses and the Government – to promote a more family-friendly environment where marriage and parenthood are achievable, enjoyable and celebrated.

3 Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Manpower whether he can provide a breakdown of the current number of foreign domestic workers in Singapore from each of the 13 source countries.

As of June 2016, there were 237,100 foreign domestic workers in Singapore. The Ministry of Manpower does not provide a breakdown of the data by nationality.

4 Mr Chen Show Mao asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether victims of sex crimes are required to make a Police report before they can get a forensic medical examination done and, if so, why; and (b) whether this examination is only available at three hospitals in Singapore and, if so, why is this not more widely available.

Sexual crimes are serious and reportable crimes. The Police encourage all victims to come forward to report these offences, so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.

Forensic medical examination is an important part of the criminal investigation into sexual crimes. The Police issue Sexual Assault Examination Kits to Singapore General Hospital (SGH), KK Women's and Children's Hospital and National University Hospital, because these are the only hospitals with 24/7 Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Specialist Clinics that can facilitate forensic medical examination at any time of the day.

Trained O&G specialists use these kits to gather and preserve physical evidence in cases of serious sexual assault, including semen, blood, body fluids and hair, in order to assist the criminal investigation and any subsequent prosecution. It is thus important that a Police report is lodged first, to enable the Police to commence investigations swiftly. The forensic medical examination is not a medical treatment process. A Police report is not needed for the victim to seek immediate medical attention.

The Minister for Home Affairs recently announced a new initiative to make forensic medical examinations more convenient for rape victims. The Police have partnered SGH's O&G department to operationalise the new One-Stop Abuse Forensic Examination Centre, or OneSAFE Centre, at Police Cantonment Complex. Since 15 January 2017, adult rape victims whose cases are reported within 72 hours of the assault, and who do not require any other medical attention can go through the necessary forensic medical examination at the OneSAFE Centre, without needing to travel to one of the three hospitals.

5 Ms Tin Pei Ling asked the Minister for Law (a) over the past 12 months, how many community dispute applications have been received by the Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals; (b) of these, how many have been (i) accepted by the tribunals, (ii) successfully resolved and (iii) given orders for one of the parties to receive a mental health assessment.

The Community Disputes Resolution Tribunals (CDRT) was established on 1 October 2015 as a forum to help neighbours with difficult disputes resolve their conflicts after avenues such as community mediation, have been exhausted.

Between 1 October 2015 and 31 January 2017, CDRT received 109 applications. Out of these 109 applications, 102 claims have been disposed of and seven claims are pending. Out of the 102 claims that have been disposed of, a total of 73 claims were successfully resolved, with 55 claims withdrawn/discontinued and a Consent Order granted in the other 18 claims. As for the remaining 29 claims, CDRT granted orders after trial or dismissed/struck off the applications.

The Community Disputes Resolution Act 2015 does not provide CDRT with the power to order a party to undergo a mental health assessment. However, there are existing measures in place to facilitate the referral of parties who may be suffering from mental health issues for examination. The CDRT's in-house psychologists and Court counsellors will first conduct a preliminary assessment on the party's suspected mental health issue. They will then provide inputs to the Judge on whether the party will benefit from a referral to the Institute of Mental Health for medical examination and treatment and facilitate the referral.

6 Miss Cheryl Chan Wei Ling asked the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) whether there are any development plans for Bedok Stadium and Bedok Sports Complex; and (b) if there is none, whether the running tracks within Bedok Stadium will be upgraded as their current condition poses safety concerns for users.

In 2011, under the Housing and Development Board's "Remaking our Heartlands" initiative for the East Coast area, the Bedok Sports Complex was identified for redevelopment as part of the upcoming "Heartbeat@Bedok" integrated complex, which will also house the Kampong Chai Chee Community Club, Bedok Public Library, Bedok Polyclinic, as well as other facilities. When ready, the sports facilities at Heartbeat@Bedok will comprise a sports hall, sheltered tennis courts, gymnasium, as well as aquatic facilities, such as a sheltered swimming pool and interactive play pools. The development will be opening in phases at the end of this year.

Bedok Stadium was last refurbished in 2002. Sport Singapore plans to replace the stadium's running track by September 2017.

7 Ms Foo Mee Har asked the Minister for National Development what is the number, size and location of Government properties and facilities that are currently vacant or unused, including schools, institutes, factories and industrial facilities.

Based on returns collated from key Government agencies that own a significant number of properties, there are around 1,000 Government properties that are vacant. These properties are of various sizes and located all over Singapore.

The properties are vacant for various reasons, such as in the process of being leased, under review for redevelopment or pending demolition.

8 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for National Development (a) whether there are updates on new and innovative technologies that can offer HDB residents, whose units are located in infrastructurally challenging positions for lift access to their dwelling units; and (b) what is the proportion of such units within our HDB catchment.

The Lift Upgrading Programme (LUP) was launched in 2001 to provide direct lift access to flats and enhance convenience for residents, especially the elderly and less mobile. At the start of the programme, there were more than 5,300 HDB blocks without 100% lift access. Among them, more than 1,000 blocks were initially found to be unfeasible for LUP due to cost or technical constraints.

Over the years, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) has adopted innovative technical solutions and conducted some lift pilot trials to help such blocks with lift access. Some examples of these solutions that have been successfully implemented include lifts that do not have a machine room at the top of the shafts, that is, machine room-less elevators and bubble lifts. In some blocks, HDB has also successfully reconfigured lift access with new entry points to residents’ homes. More recently, HDB piloted the Pneumatic Vacuum Elevator and the Vertical Platform Lift in an effort to offer LUP to more blocks. However, both solutions have been assessed to be unfeasible for heavy residential use and will not be implemented in HDB estates.

Through the various innovative solutions, the vast majority of the 5,300 blocks are now able to benefit from LUP. There remain only about 150 blocks where HDB has not found any solutions to overcome the existing constraints. On a flat basis, less than 1% of our sold flats do not have direct lift access. Singaporeans who are in urgent need of direct lift access due to medical conditions or disability may approach HDB for housing and financing assistance. HDB assesses each request on a case-by-case basis to see how best to render help.

9 Assoc Prof Fatimah Lateef asked the Minister for National Development (a) what proportion of first-time applicants for HDB BTO flats have not succeeded in getting a unit after balloting for five times or more in the recent years; and (b) what are the main reasons for the unsuccessful attempts.

Most first-timer families who apply for a Build-To-Order (BTO) flat in the non-mature estates are able to book a flat within their first or second try, and definitely on their third try.

Those who are unsuccessful in getting a flat after five or more attempts would have applied for BTO flats in the mature estates or flats under the Sale of Balance Flats (SBF) exercises. Such flats have very high application rates and lower chances of success in the ballot. Hence, we encourage first-timer families to apply for BTO flats in non-mature estates, so that they can get their homes soon.

10 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources whether the Ministry can clarify what is (i) the contamination rate of recyclables from household recycling and (ii) the most common form of or reason for this contamination.

Under the National Recycling Programme (NRP), Public Waste Collectors (PWCs) are required to provide a blue co-mingled recycling bin at every Housing and Development Board block and for all landed residential premises. Recycling receptacles must also be provided in condominium developments. This co-mingled recycling bin system under NRP makes it convenient for residents as they do not have to spend additional time and effort to segregate the different types of recyclables (that is, paper, metal, plastic and glass) nor set aside space in their homes to store different types of recyclables separately.

While much effort has been put into encouraging domestic recycling, our domestic recycling rate was only 19% in 2015. We need to work harder to achieve our target of a domestic recycling rate of 30% by 2030. This includes inculcating responsible recycling habits, such as preventing the contamination of recyclables in the co-mingled recycling bins, by placing only items which can be recycled in such bins.

According to the PWCs, about 40% of items found in the recycling bins have to be disposed of as they cannot be recycled. Some of the common non-recyclable items found deposited in recycling bins include soft toys and old shoes. Food waste found mixed with recyclables is another problem. Recyclables contaminated with food waste cannot be recycled and also create pest and odour problems.

All co-mingled recycling bins in the NRP have clear labels that indicate what items can be recycled, such as clean paper, plastics, metal cans, glass and old clothing. Through public education programmes in schools and at grassroots events, my Ministry and the National Environment Agency strongly encourage everyone to contribute to our recycling efforts and to ensure that only items which are suitable for recycling are deposited in the co-mingled recycling bins.

11 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources considering the ready availability of "haze-free" cooking oil or certified sustainable palm oil in Singapore (a) whether the Government will consider subsidising its higher cost to increase the uptake by restaurants; and (b) what other methods the Ministry is considering to encourage its uptake.

The Ministry supports efforts by industries and non-government organisations to promote the use of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO). Uncontrolled burning for land preparation is not permitted in the production of CSPO. Wider adoption of CSPO would help to reduce the likelihood of haze pollution in Southeast Asia where nearly 90% of the world's palm oil is produced.

Globally, the availability of CSPO is limited. The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an internationally recognised certification body for sustainable palm oil, certifies only about 17% of the total palm oil produced globally. Emerging markets, such as China and India, account for nearly half of the global palm oil imports. We hope that greater awareness of the impact of unsustainable farming practices in the palm oil sector will encourage consumers to demand more CSPO. This is already happening in Europe, where companies and governments have started to harmonise initiatives across countries to green the palm oil supply chain.

The Ministry is pleased to see ground-up efforts in Singapore, by industries and NGOs, to promote the adoption of CSPO. We support the mission of the Singapore Alliance on Sustainable Palm Oil, founded by the World Wide Fund Singapore, Unilever, Danone, Ayam Brand, IKEA and Wildlife Reserves Singapore. In addition, the Singapore Environment Council has launched a new product category for products that contain palm oil under its Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS). Consumers can play a part by purchasing products with either the RSPO label or, in future, the SGLS label.

We are heartened that Singapore's biggest supermarket chain, the National Trades Union Congress' FairPrice, carries CSPO products. The People's Movement to Stop Haze, a local NGO, has also produced a "Haze-Free Cooking Oil" Guide for local consumers and businesses to encourage them to make the switch to cooking oil from CSPO sources. Contrary to general perception, the price of CSPO cooking oil can be comparable to that of non-CSPO cooking oil.

Together, we can work towards the vision of CSPO becoming the norm in Singapore and internationally.

12 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) what is the reason for the rise in littering resulting in more than 31,000 summonses issued by NEA last year; (b) whether any analysis has been done to understand the underlying cause; and (c) what is the Ministry doing to address this problem.

A survey commissioned by the National Environment Agency (NEA) in 2010 found that around a third of Singaporeans would litter if they think they can get away with it. In addition, the survey found that while people realise that littering is an anti-social act, many still hold the false perception that throwing small items, such as tissue papers and plastic wrappers, does not constitute littering.

To tackle the littering problem, NEA has stepped up enforcement against littering. Last year, NEA issued more than 31,000 tickets to littering offenders, about 18% more than in 2015. We have also enhanced the penalties for litterbugs. In April 2014, the Environmental Public Health Act (EPHA) was amended to double the maximum fines for littering to $2,000 for the first Court conviction, $4,000 for the second conviction and $10,000 for the third and subsequent convictions. Repeat offenders would also be issued Corrective Work Orders.

In 2013, NEA launched a Community Volunteer (CV) programme to foster greater ownership of the environment by engaging volunteers to encourage members of the public to bin their litter. More than 330 individuals have come on board the CV programme and engaged over 3,700 litterbugs.

We have also been working with stakeholders, such as the Public Hygiene Council (PHC), to encourage everyone to keep Singapore clean and inculcate a sense of responsibility towards our environment. The annual "Operation WE Clean Up!" is one such activity by the PHC which aims to galvanise the community through litter-picking activities across the island. The NEA and the PHC, together with partners, such as the Singapore Kindness Movement, have also worked with the Ministry of Education to encourage students to undertake daily cleaning in their schools, to inculcate a sense of responsibility among the students.

The problem of littering cannot be solved just by enforcement or by the Government alone. Everyone has to take greater care of our environment and play a part in keeping Singapore clean.

13 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) whether there will be assistance for households which cannot cope with the forthcoming increase in the price of water; (b) what is the current percentage of households that are consuming more water than the national average; and (c) whether the Ministry has conducted a study on the water usage of non-residential facilities.

14 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources for the past 10 years, what have been the average number and percentage of households whose annual water consumption are below the national average, broken down by HDB flat types and private housing types respectively.

15 Mr Png Eng Huat asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources for the past 10 years, what has been the domestic water consumption per capita of Singapore compared to other First World countries.

In raising the water price to ensure sustainability in water supply, the Government will be providing assistance to help lower-income households manage the price increase. Details on the revisions in water prices and measures to assist households, will be announced by the Minister for Finance in the Budget Statement on 20 February 2017.

Members have asked about water consumption by households and businesses. Currently, 45% of water demand is from the domestic sector, while 55% is from the non-domestic sector, which covers industries and commercial buildings.

Today, the national average water consumption for households is 17 cubic metres of water per month, down from 19 cubic metres 10 years ago. About 40% of households consume more water than the national average today, as was the case 10 years ago. For more details on the monthly average water consumption by dwelling type, Members may refer to the SP Services website.

If we look at per capita usage, households' water consumption in Singapore is 148 litres per capita per day (LPCD). This is lower than that of Melbourne (159), London (155), New York City (476), Tokyo (220) and Hong Kong (211). But we should not be complacent. We must continue to learn from other cities, such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam, which have achieved lower LPCD levels of 101 and 136 respectively. Notwithstanding contextual differences, such as climate, we can still save more water by adopting more water-saving habits and making use of more water-efficient appliances in our households.

As for the non-domestic sector, the Public Utilities Board (PUB) has since 2015 required the submission of Water Efficiency Management Plans (WEMP) for large water users that consume 60,000 cubic metres or more a year, equivalent to 24 Olympic-sized swimming pools. These plans help companies identify ways to reduce consumption. In 2016, more than 600 large water users have submitted their plans. With the data collected from WEMP, PUB will develop water efficiency benchmarks and good practice guidelines for water-intensive sectors to help them further identify opportunities to improve water efficiency.

16 Mr Leon Perera asked the Minister for Education (Schools) (a) when was the Primary 1 registration form, or pupil data form, last updated; and (b) whether there are plans to update the form so as to modify the occupations listed for both parents to reflect the gender diversity in an increasing number of occupations.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) periodically updates the Pupil Data Form, when necessary. It was last updated in 2016, to make changes to the declaration clause.

The occupations listed in the form are those that have been more commonly reported by parents. Parents whose occupations are not listed can specify their occupation under "Others".

MOE is planning to digitise the form via an upcoming online portal for parents called Parents Gateway. As part of this shift, we are undertaking a comprehensive review of the various data fields in the form, including the lists of occupations, for both parents.