SINGAPORE SAILORS' INSTITUTE INCORPORATION (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.14 p.m.

The Minister for Labour and Law (Mr K. M. Byrne): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Sailors' Institute, commonly known as Connell House, was established in 1924, under the provisions of the Singapore Sailors' Institute Incorporation Ordinance (Chapter 321 of the Revised Edition), to provide accommodation and recreational facilities for members of the mercantile marine using this port. Being the only statutory institution providing such facilities at that time, it was necessary to have some system of priorities in dealing with a large number of visiting seafarers seeking accommodation there. Hence it was provided in section 4 of the Singapore Sailors' Institute Incorporation Ordinance that preference was to be given in all cases to British subjects. But as a result of the general improvement and expansion in the accommodation facilities at the Sailors' Institute, and after the establishment of the Singapore Asian Seamen's Club, it has been found that it is no longer necessary for any such system of priorities to be adhered to, and accordingly this preferential treatment has, in practice, been discarded over the last few years. Therefore, the Government seeks, in clause 2 of the Bill presently before the House, to regularise the position.

Further, in the past, it was common for all matters connected with shipping and seamen, regardless of whether they were concerned with technical matters of port administration or shipping, or merely recreational or welfare activities, to be left under the administrative control of the Master Attendant. Under such circumstances, the Master Attendant, a nautical officer who should only be concerned with technical matters, was, under the provisions of the Singapore Sailors' institute incorporation Ordinance, charged with responsibility for management of the Sailors' Institute in his ex-officio capacity of Chairman of the Committee of Management appointed under section 7 thereof. With all seamen's welfare matters recently transferred to my Ministry, the Government seeks, through clause 3 of the Bill presently before the House, powers to enable, me, as Minister in charge, to appoint a member of the Committee other than the Master Attendant to be chairman of the Sailors' Institute Committee. This would leave the Master Attendant free to devote his full attention to those technical duties for which purpose he has been appointed.

Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Mr Byrne].

Bill considered in Committee; reported without amendment; read a Third time and passed.