LOCAL GOVERNMENT INTEGRATION BILL (As reported from Select Committee)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

Order for Third Reading read.

2.32 p.m.

The Minister for Health and Law (Mr K. M. Byrne): Mr Speaker, Sir, I lay upon the Table a Certificate of Urgency signed by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara in respect of the Local Government Integration Bill.

Certificate of Urgency handed in.

Mr Speaker: I take it that hon. Members are in possession of printed copies of the Bill. If they are not, the Clerk will, supply the copies. The Certificate is in order. Please proceed.

Mr Byrne: Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

This Bill has been referred to Select Committee twice and as this Assembly is to meet for the last time on Thursday, a Certificate of Urgency has been obtained from His Excellency the Yang di-Pertuan Negara to enable proceedings on tie Third Reading of the Bill to be taken today which would not otherwise have been possible in view of the period of notice required by the Standing Orders.

Sir, unanimity was reached in Select Committee on the amendments which have been made to the Bill. There were two important amendments: one to clause 5 to provide that City Council properties should vest in the Government on integration subject to existing rights and obligations; and the other to clause 179 to provide a period of limitation of three years for bringing proceedings against any breaches of the Ordinance and the Regulations. The rest of the amendments were minor drafting amendments.

Sir, when this Bill becomes law, the legal work concerning the integration of the City Council departments with the Government departments will have been accomplished and the Local Government Ordinance of 1957 will have been repealed in toto. The winding up of the City Council and the Rural Board was one of the major planks in the platform of the P.A.P. in the 1959 general elections, and I am glad to report that this work has been completed today at a time when the P.A.P. Government is about to seek a fresh mandate from the people.

A number of senior Government officials have spent a lot of time and study on the work of integration of the City Council departments and the Government departments, and I should like to place on record our deep appreciation of the good work they have done.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.