SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISION (Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 48 of 1958)

5.03 p.m.

The Financial Secretary (Mr T. M. Hart): Mr Speaker, Sir, I have His Excellency's authority to move,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $891,100 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of expenditure and for the services specified in the Schedule contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 48 of 1958.

Sir, this is a rather lengthy list of A.S.Vs. requiring additional funds to the extent of $891,100. The great majority of applications refer to votes for recurrent expenditure which, as a result of the increase in cost in the services of the Government, have been or are in danger of being overspent. Some of the applications of this nature are substantial, for example, items 206, 221, 224, 238 and 247. It will also be noted that $500,000 is sought for the Constitution Exposition. Each application is described very fully, Sir, but I shall be happy to augment the explanation in any particular case.

Sir, I beg to move.

The Assistant Minister for Education (Inche Mohamed Sidik bin Haji Abdul Hamid): Sir, I second it.

Motion committed to Committee of Supply.

Motion and Schedule considered in Committee of Supply.

[Mr SPEAKER in the Chair]

5.05 p.m.

The Assistant Minister for Education (Inche Mohamed Sidik bin Haji Abdul Hamid): Schedule-

The Chairman: The summary is at page 24.

The sums stated for the Heads stated below ordered to stand part of the Schedule. Head Title $ 2 Judicial 8,800 4 Legislature 2,778 6 Audit 7,815 7 Chief Minister 26,913 8 Chief Secretary 205,699 9 Broadcasting 13,000 11 Defence Services 84,865 14 Information Services 523,538 15 Police 407,752 17 Prisons 105,330 20 Legal 6,403

Head 22-

Question proposed,

"That the sum of $8,113 for Head 22 stand part of the Schedule."

Mr William Tan: Mr Speaker, Sir, what I am concerned about is item 237 - Losses of Public Money and Stores. This involves a case where a steel locker was stolen from the office of the Commandant, Special Constabulary, over the weekend, 29th-31st October, 1955. I am at a loss to understand how this locker with guards at the front gate in the "In" and "Out" entrances and with policemen around was stolen. Can the Hon, the Financial Secretary explain why this steel locker was stolen from the police station?

Mr Hart: I think the reason why it was stolen was because the people who stole it wanted to get at the contents! I appreciate the hon. Member's difficulty in understanding how a steel locker could be stolen from this particular place. I confess that that particular problem has baffled everybody who has investigated it! We have not been able to obtain clarification. It is one of those insoluble mysteries which we will never be able to solve. The officer responsible has been surcharged to a considerable extent and has been relieved of his post. As I said, I do not think that we will ever discover how the locker came to be removed.

Mr William Tan: Mr Speaker, Sir, I have been to the Commandant's Office at the Central Police Station. Besides the two guards at the "In" and "Out" entrances, there are two more constables; one sitting in front of the office of the Commandant, and the other one in the corridor; and yet the steel locker - I suppose it was kept in that office - was stolen from the office with four armed guards.

Mr Hart: It is now some time since this took place and I read the file very carefully at the time. I think it is not the Central Police Station -

Mr William Tan: The Central Police Station.

Mr Hart: - it is a fairly big building. The theft took place at night and there were guards at the main entrance, but - subject to correction - it did appear to me at the time when I read the file that it was possible to move this locker out of the Commandant's room without ever going near the main entrance. As I said, Sir, it is one of those insoluble mysteries how the locker ever got out of the police station! I do not think we will ever be able to obtain a satisfactory solution. I am sorry that I cannot give more information to the hon. Member.

Question put, and agreed to.

The sum of $8,113 for Head 22 ordered to stand part of the Schedule.

The sums stated for the Heads stated below ordered to stand part of the Schedule. Head Title $ 24 Pensions, Retired Allowances, 175,000 Gratuities, etc. 25 Contributions and Charitable 13,052 Allowances 27 Customs and Excise 40,500 30 Ministry of Commerce 8,070 and Industry 45 Education 15,075 48 Medical and Health 1,988 52 Social Welfare 452,700 54 Civil Aviation 57,900 55 Meteorological Services 20,865 58 Public Works, Recurrent 92,000 D43 Land and District Offices 89,710 D59 Telecommunications 4,235 D61 Colonial Development and 7,314 Welfare Schemes

The sum of $891,100 for the Heads of Expenditure and for the services specified in the Schedule ordered to stand part of the Motion.

Motion and Schedule reported, without Amendment.

Question on the Motion put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly resolves that the sum of $891,100 shall be supplied to the Government under the Heads of expenditure and for the services specified in the Schedule contained in Sessional Paper No. Cmd. 48 of 1958.