APPROPRIATION BILL

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

2.53 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, the Main Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for public services during the year 1960 have been considered and approved by the Assembly at its last sitting as Sessional Paper Cmd. No. 32 of 1959.

It is now necessary to give legislative approval to the expenditure of the sums shown in these Estimates and the annual Appropriation Bill now before Members is intended to so provide.

Under section 97 (1) of the Singapore (Constitution) Order in Council, 1958, an Appropriation Bill containing under appropriate heads of expenditure, the sums of money which are required for the several services of Government shall be introduced into the Assembly. The Appropriation Bill lays out all the amounts approved by the Assembly in the Estimates of Expenditure and arranged under the Heads of Expenditure shown on page 31 of Cmd. No. 32 of 1959. These sums shall be paid out of the Consolidated Fund and once the Appropriation Bill has been approved, the Minister for Finance will be empowered to issue warrants authorising expenditure up to the amount under each Head in the Appropriation Bill to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund.

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."

Mr Speaker: Before I put the Question, perhaps I may draw the attention of the Parliamentary Secretary to page 1, line 12 of the Bill. It appears to me that the word "thereto" should read "hereto". If the Parliamentary Secretary agrees, then the alteration could be made as a typographical emendation.

Mr Low Por Tuck: I agree, Sir.

Mr Speaker: The correction will be made.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.