SINGAPORE ESSENTIAL (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1955

The Attorney-General (Mr E. J. Davies): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move the motion standing in my name on the Order Paper, namely,

That this Assembly, pursuant to subsection (2) of section 3 of the Transfer of Powers and interpretation Ordinance, 1949 (No. 9 of 1949), resolves that the Singapore Essential (Amendment) Regulations, 1955, published as Notification No. S 216 in the Gazette Supplement No. 65 of 13th August, 1955, as contained in Sessional Paper No. S.L. 26 of 1955, be approved.

Sir, the Essential Regulations originally passed in 1945 have been kept alive for the purpose of enabling the determination of a very substantial claim for compensation by the major oil companies arising out of the requisition of stocks of oil by the British reoccupying authorities. The claim is being heard by the Compensation Board set up under those Regulations, and the President of the Board, who is a Judge of the Supreme Court, has made representations to Government that Regulation 54, which refers to appeals from decisions of the Board, should be clarified so as to ensure that there is no doubt whatever as to the right of appeal by either party to the dispute from the decision of the Board.

Very complicated issues of law, both international and municipal, are involved, as well as a considerable sum of money, running into millions of dollars, and the dispute will probably be taken all the way to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

The amendments which the Regulations make are based on those provisions relating to appeals from the Income Tax Board of Review. They have had the approval of the President of the Compensation Board and the agreement of counsel on both sides. In these circumstances, Sir, I would ask that this Assembly approves of the Regulations.

The Financial Secretary (Mr T. M. Hart): I second it.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly, pursuant to subsection (2) of Section 3 of the Transfer of Powers and Interpretation Ordinance, 1949 (No. 9 of 1949), resolves that the Singapore Essential (Amendment) Regulations, 1955 published as Notification No. S 216 in the Gazette Supplement No. 65 of 13th August, 1955, as contained in Sessional Paper No. S.L. 26 of 1955, be approved.