Committee of Supply

Mr Speaker: Committee of Supply, what day?

Mr Hart: Now, Sir.

Motion and Schedule considered in Committee of Supply.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Mr Hart: Schedule

The Chairman: The summary is at page 32.

Head D 19-

The sum of $30 for Head D 19 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 29 -

Question proposed,

That the sum of $113,500 for Head D 29 stand part of the Schedule.

Mr Lim Koon Teck (Paya Lebar): Mr Chairman, Sir, on item 314 on page 16, Quarters for Preventive Staff, the original estimate was $880,000. The revised estimated cost is now double that. Can we have some explanation as to why the estimated cost is now $1,750,000?

Mr Hart: The answer here, I think, is that it is not an increase in the cost of the buildings originally proposed but that the Customs have proposed an increase in their programme of quarters and, consequently, the revised estimate of cost covers that increased programme. On the other hand, those items in the 1957 programme which have been brought forward to 1956 were in the original programme. It is proposed to build this year 24 Class III quarters at Peck Seah Street; 6 Class III quarters and 6 Class IV quarters at Woodlands; 1 Class II quarter and 6 Class III quarters at Changi; and 1 Class II quarter at Bedok.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $113,500 for Head D 29 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 48-

Question proposed,

That the sum of $1,417,500 for Head D 48 stand part of the Schedule.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Chairman, Sir, I listened with some interest to the explanation given by the Hon. the Financial Secretary on the savings made in respect of the Teachers Training College and the great increase that is expected in the case of the Polytechnic.

Mr Chairman, there is a great deal of public disquiet about this Polytechnic, not only because they have decided now that it is going to cost $11 million. For quite some time, the public have been wondering what progress has been going on and we are told that there is a strict priority of buildings. But the public sees that buildings have gone up for quarters to house the staff while no effort is being made to launch the building itself. There is a great deal of disquiet also as to the chairmanship of this Polytechnic. There has always been a certain amount of criticism about the undue lavishness with which those connected with this Polytechnic have been spending public funds, particularly when they travel abroad. We want an assurance that the expenditure that will be incurred on this Polytechnic will be strictly scrutinised.

Mr Hart: I am not certain whether this question of the Polytechnic arises under this particular Head, Sir.I see no mention of the Polytechnic under this Head.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Page 7, Subhead 9.

Mr Hart: But we are dealing with Head D 48 on page 17.

The Chairman: Order, please. I think the Member for Tanjong Pagar has raised the point because it did arise out of the remarks made by the Hon. the Financial Secretary when he dealt with this supplementary provision. I myself was not quite certain whether or not the Hon. the Financial Secretary was in order in mentioning the Polytechnic when we, in fact, were going to deal with Schedule B. I, for one, have not found any item in Schedule B dealing with the Polytechnic but the remarks, I take it, by the Hon. the Financial Secretary were merely incidental and I think the Member for Tanjong Pagar was quite in order in commenting on those remarks.

Mr Hart: Sir, my remarks about the Polytechnic came under the question of the revision of the estimate of cost and were applicable to both Schedules A and B, as I said in my opening speech. I feel that in all probability the remarks made by my hon. Friend the Member for Tanjong Pagar more appropriately come under general discussion of the motion, but since he has raised them now, I would like to say that we are conscious of the accusations and criticisms of alleged lavish expenditure in connection with the Polytechnic. I have examined all these allegations with the greatest of care and find them completely unjustified.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $1,417,500 for Head D 48 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 49-

The sum of $49,990 for Head D 49 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 52-

The sum of $1,120,926 for Head D 52 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 56-

The sum of $99,980 for Head D 56 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 58-

The sum of $300,000 for Head D 58 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 60-

Question proposed,

That the sum of $16,000 for Head D 60 stands part of the Schedule.

Mr Nair: Sir, I really cannot understand this. We have here on pages 2 to 14 certain items, particularly Postal Services, where there have been some deletions and we are now dealing with supplementary provision from page 15 onwards. Now, I have some important comments to make on the Postal Services regarding the deletions and I do not know the appropriate time to make them.

The Chairman: The item we are on is item 337. which deals with New Subhead-Post Office and Quarters at Pulau Semakau. The hon. Member must confine his remarks to that.

Mr Nair: Yes, Sir, but that estimate is made arising out of certain deletions. Is it in order for me to deal with these deletions?

The Chairman: Will the hon. Member please continue with his submission?

Mr Nair: Sir, under the Head, Postal Services, on page 11 it is noted that the estimated expenditure during 1956 for the Post Office in Jalan Kayu is only $25,000. I must remind this House, Sir, that the sum of $80,000 was voted for this Post Office sometime in 1954 and there have been delays. I was given to understand that there was some delay in acquiring the land but, I think, Sir, this delay of nearly two years is beyond the comprehension of anybody. The people are entirely dissatisfied and I would have thought that the Post Office could have been completed, at the latest, by 1956. No amount of explanation can convince me, Sir, because there is a standard specification for these rural post offices and only some supervision is needed by the Public Works Department. Yet we see that the Post Office is not built.

Mr Hart: I am afraid I cannot add to the explanation given on page 11, Sir, which says:

"As the site for this Post Office (Jalan Kayu) has only now been finally approved work will start later in the year than was originally expected."

The site has been obtained and work will start. More than that I cannot say.

The Chairman: I would like to suggest that all these matters and the manner of presentation of supplementary financial requirements should be very carefully looked into by the Estimates Committee, because it does appear that hon. Members are just as puzzled as I myself have been in looking at the document which we are now dealing with, and it is my intention to see that the Estimates Committee meet at an early date.

Mr Hart: Sir, I am most disturbed to find that you fail to follow the way that this -

The Chairman: We cannot have a debate on the subject now.

Mr Francis Thomas: I am myself slightly puzzled, Mr Chairman. I have got a note here which might be of a little help. The basic trouble with the site in Jalan Kayu has been because a number of cooks have been stirring away and muddling it up and it had been very hard to get a final decision because people wanted it here or there, or there, or there, and once the site was finally decided, then we had to get the squatters off it and all the places of acquisition. It is very regrettable that we have this trouble with sites again and again. We had it with the new City Exchange and Telephone Board. We are always getting it and we shall have to go on plugging away with our land clearance and resettlement trying to get the sites quickly so that we can go on with these development jobs.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $16,000 for Head D 60 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 61-

The sum of $8,000 for Head D 61 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 63-

The sum of $20,000 for Head D 63 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

Head D 64-

Question proposed,

That the sum of $265,000 for Head D 64 stands part of the Schedule.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Mr Chairman, Sir, I would like to refer to item 345 where we are told there will be a further expenditure of $40,000 to carry out certain works requested by the Speaker.

Mr Chairman, many of us have spent over a year in this building and we are somewhat disturbed that so much money has been spent on this old building. In spite of all the replastering inside, the damp is seeping through, particularly in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association room, and every three or four months, we see carpenters and painters having to spend more public money to keep up the appearance of this building. I would like very much to know on what this $40,000 is going to be spent. Is this in connection with the stone from Westminster that was taken in here, or what is it for? As I have said, unless it is absolutely necessary, I think it is unwise to sink more money into this building.

Mr Hart: I understand that the money is required for extensions to the seating accommodotion of the Strangers' Gallery, certain alterations outside the Chamber and the provision of extra furniture for the Assembly House. As far as I am aware, no part of this provision is for the eradication of damp or for the maintenance of the building. It is primarily for capital works.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew: Can we know how many more will be accommodated by these alterations? It is not a project that we are opposed to if, in fact, the money is to be spent to arrange for more seating accommodation for the public and for the comfort of those who have to work in this building, but we would like to know how many more are expected to be accommodated by these alterations.

Mr Hart: I regret, Sir, that I cannot answer that question offhand. I suggest that since this is a matter involving measures which you yourself have put in train, if any questions arise in connection with them, they should be referred to the House Committee and they should not be the subject of a debate here.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Sir, would it not be wise to postpone the implementation of this item in view of the coming elections for 50 Members and the consequent extension of the Gallery? I think it will be wise not to spend the money at the present time. Would the Hon. the Financial Secretary consider this?

Mr Hart: That, Sir, is a valuable suggestion which we will bear in mind before any expenditure is incurred under this vote.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $265,000 for Head D 64 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

The Chairman: Turning to the motion, the Question is,

That the sum of $3,410,926 stand part of the motion.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $3,410,926 ordered to stand part of the motion.

Mr Hart: Sir, I move,

That the motion and Schedule be reported to the Assembly.

Question put, and agreed to.

Motion and Schedule reported, without Amendment.

Question,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $3,410,926 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure and for the services specified in Schedule B contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 44 of 1956.

put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $3,410,926 shall be supplied to the Government under the heads of expenditure and for the services specified in Schedule B contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 44 of 1956.