SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION (Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 27 of 1955)

Mr Hart: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have His Excellency the Governor's authority to move,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $5,640,872 should be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure and for the services specified in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 27 of 1955.

An explanation for each item of expenditure contained in this message is given in the Command Paper. I will, however, be glad to answer any further questions which Members may care to put.

Sir, I beg to move.

Mr Seah Peng Chuan: Sir, I second the motion.

Question proposed.

Mr John Ede (Tanglin): Item No. 318, Sir. I believe that the original grant under this head for 1955 was in the neighbourhood of $4 millions. The additional vote now asked for is close to $3 millions, coming near to the end of the financial year. May I ask the Hon. the Financial Secretary if he would give some explanation of this large sum?

Mr Hart: I think that my hon. Friend the Member for Tanglin (Mr Ede) will recall that sometime in November or December last year an offer of increased aid was made to all Chinese schools on the basis of full aid given to English schools. The Estimates for 1955 had already been framed by that time, and, speaking from memory, I think $4.4 millions or $4.5 millions had been entered for aid to Chinese schools. It was then clear that further sums would be required for grants-in-aid to Chinese schools, but that the exact sum could not be determined until such time as we knew how many schools would apply for full aid. At that time, only 22 schools, if my memory serves, had applied. I discussed the matter with the Standing Committee on Finance of the Legislative Council and with the Director of Education, and it was agreed that we would wait until we knew what our actual requirements would be before taking a supplementary vote. It was estimated that the amount provided in the Estimates would, in all probability, be sufficient until about June, depending upon the number of schools which applied for full aid.

Now, the position is that some 80 schools out of over 200 schools in the city have applied for aid, and this extra sum is required to bring the original provision up to the amount required to provide that aid to the end of the year.

Mr Lim Koon Teck: Mr Speaker, Sir, may I refer to item No. 314? Under subhead 24 - launch, 110 feet - provision is required to cover an increase in the estimated cost of constructing a vessel for the Customs Department. I see a very alarming item of $215,000. I would like information, Sir, as to the estimated amount for the original cost of this launch, whether this work was undertaken by tender, or just on a cost plus basis, and how this sudden large increase has been incurred.

Mr Hart: The original provision in the Estimates last year for the cost of this launch was $785,000. This was the estimated cost of building and engining a launch of 115 feet which was required to patrol the outer approaches of Singapore, to keep station in all weathers with ocean-going vessels and shepherd them into Singapore in order to prevent opium being dropped from these vessels in the outer approaches. The cost of the vessel was estimated at $785,000. It could not be estimated with any greater degree of accuracy because detailed plans had not been prepared and the precise type of engine required had not been decided upon.

Tenders have now been called for the hull, and orders have been placed for the engines - diesel oil-burning engines - which will give this launch the requisite speed. The cost of the engines is, speaking from memory, close on $400,000. As a result of these tenders, it is now clear that the provision originally estimated for the cost of the hull and other fittings is too low, by approximately $215,000. The question whether we should continue with the building of this launch in view of the increased cost has been most carefully considered by the Council of Ministers, and it has been decided in all the circumstances of the case that it is an essential requirement for Singapore.

Mr M. P. D. Nair (Seletar): Sir, item No. 311. I would like to have some particulars of this Regional Literature Agency and the advantage that Singapore will derive out of this Agency.

The Chief Minister: Mr Speaker, Sir, the officer in question came out to Singapore, the Federation, British North Borneo, Sarawak and Brunei in order to study the possibility of the establishment of a Regional Literature Agency. In view of the fact that there is so little vernacular literature emanating from the territory, and taking into consideration our aim for ultimate independence and the necessity for giving opportunities for appreciating the meaning of loyalty to the territory in question, it was thought advisable that there should be some effort made to encourage local authors and local publications. A report has been received and is under consideration by the respective Governments. No decision has yet been reached as to whether the recommendations of the report would be accepted or not, but the matter is under active consideration.

Mr Lim Choon Mong (Serangoon): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I refer to item No. 331 which involves an expenditure of $662,545? I would like to know how many officers are involved in this case and from that deduce their expenditure per individual officer.

Mr Hart: I regret, Sir, that I cannot say exactly how many officers are involved. I can only say that the Leave Regulations of the Government of Singapore do give expatriate officers of the service an entitlement to passages for themselves and their families once within the normal tour of service. Similarly, locally-domiciled officers who go overseas for training or on leave are paid from this vote. I cannot say how many people have gone overseas in that connection.

Similarly, provision is made in this vote for the cost of sending delegates to overseas conferences. Apart from this question of officers who go to conferences or who are sent for training, expenditure from this vote is governed by the Leave Regulations of the territory.

As regards the cost of the passages, that is fixed by the shipping companies and airline companies who supply the passages, and that is not a matter over which we have any control.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Will the Financial Secretary give us a rough estimate of the proportions between local and expatriate officers who have enjoyed this singular privilege?

Mr Hart: The great bulk of the vote is spent on expatriate officers, as one would expect since they are entitled, under their terms of service, to leave passages.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $5,640,872 should be supplied to the Government under the Heads of Expenditure and for the services specified in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 27 of 1955.