APPROPRIATION BILL

Order for Second and Third Readings read.

2.45 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Dr Goh Keng Swee): Mr Speaker, I have the Yang di-Pertuan Negara's recommendation that this Bill be proceeded with. I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Mr Speaker, Sir, the Main Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for the public service during the year 1961 have been considered and approved by the Assembly at its last sitting as Sessional Paper Cmd. No. 26 of 1960.

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 so to 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. 26 of 1960. 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.

Sir, I beg to move.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Third Reading

Mr Speaker: Will the Minister proceed with the Third Reading?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.