CONFERENCES ABROAD ATTENDED BY MINISTERS

Mr Lee Choon Eng asked the Chief Minister to state

(a) how many conferences held abroad were attended by Ministers of the Singapore Government this year;

(b) the nature and period of such conferences, and the names of Ministers who attended them;

(c) the cost to the Singapore Government to send these Ministers to such conferences; and

(d) what has the Singapore Government benefited by representation at such conferences.

The Chief Minister (Dr Lim Yew Hock): Mr Speaker, Sir, the answer to

(a) is four.

The answer to (b) is:

(1) The Singapore Constitutional Conference from 7th March to 14th April, attended by the Hon. Dr Lim Yew Hock, the Hon. Inche Abdul Hamid bin Haji Jumat and the Hon. Mr Chew Swee Kee.

(2) The 40th session of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) Conference from 25th May, 1957, to 30th June, 1957, attended by the Hon. Dr Lim Yew Hock.

(3) The Colombo Plan Consultative Committee Conference from 21st October, 1957, to 25th October, 1957, attended by the Hon. Mr J. M. Jumabhoy.

(4) The Asian Regional Conference of the ILO in New Delhi from 13th November, 1957, to 26th November, 1957, attended by the Hon. Dr Lim Yew Hock.

The answer to (c), on cost: Under (b) (1) the total cost is $64,773. This is the cost of the whole mission. Separate figures of the cost of sending the three Ministers are not available. Under (b) (2) the cost is $6,754; (b) (3) - $825 estimated, final amount not yet available; (b) (4) - $ 1,750 estimated.

The answer to (d) is the benefits derived from ministerial representation at the Singapore Constitutional Conference are many. To mention only two, they include the new Constitution which will come into force next year and the creation of a separate Singapore citizenship within the Commonwealth. With regard to the ILO and Colombo Plan Conferences attended by Ministers, the benefits derived cannot be expressed in precise quantitative and monetary terms. I would emphasise, however, the considerable material benefits given under the Colombo Plan and the technical training and service advice given both under the Plan and under ILO auspices. Almost all participating countries send a minister to these conferences and Singapore cannot accept a lower level of representation for itself, either to say thank you for the benefits received or successfully to press its case for continued assistance or to explain, in the case of the ILO Conference, labour or social policies of this country.

Mr R. Jumabhoy (Telok Ayer): Will the Hon. the Chief Minister state if his visits and those of the other Ministers overseas beyond what he has described were on their own or at the expense of the public revenue?

The Chief Minister: Sir, ministers of some other countries do not of course have constitutional problems, so therefore in regard to the first part of the question, I do not think so. But in regard to the ILO and the Colombo Plan, when Ministers are on official visits they are in receipt of an allowance from the Government.

Mr R. Jumabhoy: Sir, I do not think the Hon. the Chief Minister has understood my question, which is this: have our Ministers visited overseas at the public expense beyond what is mentioned here?

The Chief Minister: The answer is no.