SINGAPORE IMPROVEMENT (AMENDMENT NO. 2) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

11.59 a.m.

The Assistant Minister for Local Government, Lands and Housing (Mr Tan Theng Chiang): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

This legislation is only concerned with minor amendments to the Singapore Improvement Ordinance (Chapter 259 of the Revised Edition). As will be seen from the explanatory note, section 5 of the Ordinance is concerned with the constitution of the Board. It is considered desirable that Ministers serving on statutory bodies should be replaced by permanent officials, and clause 3 accordingly provides that the Deputy Secretary to the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Housing shall replace the Financial Secretary.

With regard to clause 3, in view of the fact that the Singapore Improvement Trust now controls over 14,000 tenancies, which are increasing in number annually, it has become necessary to delegate the authority to sign notices to other appropriate officers of the Trust, and to discontinue the use of facsimile signatures which, for security reasons, have never been used in practice.

At the Committee stage, Sir, I shall introduce minor amendments to this Bill. Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.