SUPPLEMENTARY APPROPRIATION BILL

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

2.51 p.m.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, I have the Yang di-Pertuan Negara's recommendation that this Bill be proceeded with.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Finance (Mr Low Por Tuck): Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Mr Speaker, this Bill is intended to give legislative sanction for the expenditure of additional sums of money voted on by the Assembly during the course of this year.

The Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for 1959 were approved by the last Assembly in 1958. It is obvious that some unforeseen or new expenditure like that on the National Loyalty Week or the expenditure on the creation of the two new Ministries of Culture and National Development would require to be incurred in addition to the estimates since it is not possible to budget for all eventualities. Therefore, during the course of the year, the Government had occasion to submit supplementary estimates for the approval of the Assembly to meet unforeseen expenditure. In addition, it was also necessary for supplementary estimates to provide for certain financial requirements laid down in the Constitution. For instance, in Cmd. (New Series) No. 14 of 1959, $4 million was provided to establish a Contingencies Fund. Then in Cmd. (New Series) No. 34 of 1959, $42.5 million was voted to create Advance Accounts. In all, therefore, a total of $58,039,072 was voted by the Assembly as Supplementary Estimates in the Ordinary Budget and $3,808,590 as Supplementary Estimates in the Development Budget.

Now, under section 97 (2) of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, a Supplementary Appropriation Bill containing under appropriate heads of expenditure, the sums of money which have been approved by the Assembly in the Supplementary Estimates for 1959 shall be introduced into the Assembly. The Bill lays out all the amounts approved by the Assembly and arranged under the heads of expenditure shown in the 1959 Estimates as amended. These sums have already been paid out of the Consolidated Fund and the Supplementary Appropriation Bill merely legalises the position.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Third Reading

Mr Speaker: Will the Parliamentary Secretary proceed with the Third Reading?

Mr Low Por Tuck: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read the Third time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.