PLANNING (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

7.23 p.m.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, I have His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara's recommendation that the Bill be proceeded with, and I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Bill seeks to amend the Planning Ordinance, 1959, on account of the integration of the City Council with the Government and is solely concerned with staffing. Members will recall that on the abolition of the Singapore Improvement Trust in February 1960, about 89 employees of the Trust were transferred to the Planning Department in the Singapore Government and the remainder to the Housing and Development Board. The employees of the Trust who were transferred to the Planning Department were members of the staff engaged in the planning functions of the Trust. Their terms and conditions of service, including their superannuation, were governed by the same rules as applied to employees of the City Council. It has been the intention that the staff of the Trust, transferred to the Planning Department, and the employees of the City Council who will not be transferred to the Government as a consequence of the integration, should enjoy the same terms and conditions of transfer and superannuation. In order that these former employees of the Trust would also enjoy similar superannuation benefits as those applicable to employees of the City Council who are about to be transferred to the Government as a result of integration, it is necessary to amend the Planning Ordinance to provide for identical provisions with those contained in the Local Government Integration Bill.

The extension of the benefits of the Government's pension scheme to former Trust employees in the Planning Department will involve the Government in some small expenditure. In a few cases these persons will find that the benefits of the Government's Pensions Scheme are greater than those to which they were entitled in their previous employment with the Trust. May I mention here, Sir, that these persons will find-as a result of their own calculations which may not be mathematically and objectively correct, but it is a fact that when people do make decisions on these matters-that the attraction of larger sums of immediate payment weighs more heavily upon them than continuous payment of smaller prospective sums over a longer period. So when I say that they will find the benefits greater than the Government Pensions Scheme I am not at all stating that that is the actuarial position but the position as these persons themselves assess. It is, therefore, most probable that in these few cases they would choose the benefits of the Government's Pension Scheme. The exact cost cannot be ascertained until their final retirement, but in all probability there will only be a few cases, and it is unlikely that the additional cost will be very large.

Sir, I beg to move,

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time.

Dr Goh Keng Swee rose ---

Mr Speaker: Committal to Select Committee?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: No. Committee stage.

Mr Speaker: Committee stage now? I was under the impression that this has some connection with the Local Government Integration Bill. I do not know whether the Minister wishes to take this Bill to Committee now or refer it to the Select Committee which has been appointed in connection with the Local Government Integration Bill. There is no note on the Order Paper that the intention was to take this matter through Committee stage, but, of course, there is nothing to prevent the Minister from changing his mind.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, my inclination is not to refer this Bill and other related Bills to Select Committee, because you will recollect that the Planning (Amendment) Bill, the Pensions (Amendment) Bill and the Housing and Development (Amendment) Bill relate solely to certain staffing and pension matters. These points had been fully and satisfactorily dealt with in the previous Select Committee whose recommendations have been accepted and embodied in this Bill. Therefore, I think no advantage would be gained by referring these three Bills to Select Committee. It is of some advantage for the Government to get on with the implementation of the provisions of this amending Bill. And, as I have said, these matters had been referred to Select Committee and the representors, i.e. The unions who made representations in that Select Committee, had received satisfaction. I therefore move that -

Mr Speaker: The other reason why I mention this matter is that there is no indication on the Order Paper that these three Bills are to be taken through Committee Stage and Third Reading. But, as I have said, there is nothing to prevent the Minister from changing his mind.

Committee stage, what day?

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Now, Sir.

Mr Speaker: Please move.

Dr Goh Keng Swee: Sir, I move, "That this Assembly will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the Bill."

Question put, and agreed to.

Resolved,

That this Assembly will immediately resolve itself into a Committee on the Bill.

Bill considered in Committee.

7.31 p.m.

Clause 1 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 2 -

Question proposed, "That clause 2 stand part of the Bill."

Mrs Seow Peck Leng: Mr Speaker, Sir, I merely want to point out a difficulty suffered by some officers in case the Minister has not realised it. I know this is nothing new that the Minister has invented. This comes from the old Ordinance. But it does say here in paragraph (d) (ii):

`except upon the condition that he shall first pay to the Government the total amount paid by the Government and any of the authorities mentioned in Part II of the said schedule to any of the said funds....'

which means ---

The Chairman: Can I have the clause? We are on the Planning (Amendment) Bill.

Mrs Seow Peck Leng: I have the wrong Bill!

Question put, and agreed to.

Clause 2 ordered to stand part of the Bill.

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