ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 31ST MARCH, 2008

ESTIMATES OF EXPENDITURE FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1ST APRIL, 2007 TO 31ST MARCH, 2008:

(Paper Cmd. 2 of 2007): Order read for consideration in Committee of Supply [1st Allotted Day].

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]:

The Chairman: Main and Development Estimates of Expenditure of Singapore for the financial year 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2008, contained in Paper Cmd. 2 of 2007.

For convenience, I shall take the totals for each Head of Expenditure in the Main and Development Estimates as they appear in the last columns of the schedules of estimated expenditure under the Main and Development Estimates Outlays for FY 2007 on pages 6 and 7 respectively of the Command Paper.

A total of 372 amendments to the Estimates of Expenditure have been submitted this year. The guillotine times to the discussion of the Heads of Expenditure under Standing Order 92(7)(a) have taken into consideration the earlier commencement time of the Committee of Supply for each allotted day. I must remind honourable Members that the total time for discussion of each Head of Expenditure includes the replies from the front bench, and the time for the tea break, wherever applicable. With the help of the digital timer in the Chamber and Members' experience last year, I trust that honourable Members will be able to keep to the speech times indicated against their amendments. Since we have tight time schedules, I would urge all honourable Members to adhere to their time limits, as I promise to be rather stringent in my time keeping.

I shall deal first with the Heads of Expenditure in respect of which amendments stand on the Order Paper Supplement.