REARRANGEMENT OF ORDER OF BUSINESS

Mr Speaker: Order. A suggestion has been made that item 20 should be taken immediately after item 1. At the same Time, the Prime Minister has indicated that a White Paper will be published setting out the details of all the talks -

The Prime Minister: Not immediately, Mr Speaker, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Order. Yes, not immediately - when the talks have been completed, and he has indicated that there will be a debate on that White Paper. I do not know whether the Member for Cairnhill, in view of that, will still insist that this motion be debated today.

Tun Lim Yew Hock: May I explain my stand, Sir? My motion is not on the terms of the arrangement to be arrived at between the two Governments, but rather on the way this Government has gone about in trying to arrange those terms, and I am calling on this House to express concern because of the manner in which the Prime Minister has been trying to get at those terms.

The Prime Minister rose ---

Mr Speaker: I am sorry. I want this Business Motion now. The Prime Minister wishes to say something else? We are nearing three o'clock.

The Prime Minister: I was wondering whether those were, in fact, the terms of the motion - express concern at the progress.

Mr Speaker: Yes, the terms of the motion are:

`That this Assembly views with concern the progress made by the Singapore Government in its talks with the Federation of Malaya Government on the financial arrangements relating to Head 17 (Finance) of Paper Cmd. 33 of 1961.'

But if the Member for Cairnhill insists that a debate be taken on that item today, then I will ask the Leader to move a motion.

Dr Toh Chin Chye: I beg to move,

That item 20 on the Order Paper be taken immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on item 1 on the Order Paper.

Question proposed.

Mr David Marshall: Can we have copies of the statement made by the Prime Minister?

The Prime Minister: Surely.

Mr Speaker: The Prime Minister has indicated that copies will be made avail-able.

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That item 20 on the Order Paper be taken immediately after the conclusion of the proceedings on item 1 on the Order Paper.

Mr Speaker: It is three o'clock. The Clerk will read the Orders of the Day - Business of Supply.

Mr David Marshall: On a point of information, Sir. The Questions on the Order Paper will go over till tomorrow, do they?

Mr Speaker: The position will be that immediately after we have completed the proceedings on item 1, Questions come on as a matter of course. We will dispose of the Questions and then go on to item 20.