PORT OF SINGAPORE AUTHORITY BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.37 p.m.

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

In 1957, the Report of the Commission of inquiry into the Port of Singapore (Sessional Paper No. S10 of 1957) made the following main recommendations:-

(i) That a single Authority should be set up to be responsible for the whole of the port area. The Authority should take over the functions, staff and premises of the present Singapore Harbour Board together with certain functions performed by the Marine Department and P.W.D. Marine Section;

(ii) That a Dock Labour Corporation should be set up to be responsible for the supply and regulation of dock labour at the present Singapore Harbour Board wharves;

(iii) That the Dockyard and Ship Repair organisation of the present Singapore Harbour Board should be separated from the new Authority and become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Port Authority;

(iv) That the Port Authority should accept responsibility as bailee for cargo (i.e. accept responsibility for loss or damage to cargo in its care) and that a satisfactory form of joint tallying should be introduced.

Subsequently a Cabinet Sub-Committee comprising the Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister for Finance and the former Minister for Education, agreed that a Port Authority Bill be drafted to implement the recommendations of the Inquiry Commission, except that no provision need be made for the setting up of a Dock Labour Corporation as it was not considered that the introduction of such a corporation was either feasible or desirable in Singapore.

The Bill accordingly established a Corporation to be known as "The Port of Singapore Authority" to take over the functions, assets and liabilities of the Harbour Board. The Bill provided that the Dry Docks and Ship Repair sections of the Singapore Harbour Board shall be separated from the Authority under a wholly owned subsidiary company as soon as is practicable. The name of this company will be "The Singapore Drydocks and Engineering Company Limited." The control of movement of shipping within port limits and the handling of explosives and dangerous goods are transferred from the Master Attendant to the Port Master of the Port Authority. The Pilot Board is replaced by a Pilotage Committee to be appointed by the Port Authority and pilots will in future be employed by the Authority.

The Bill was considered by a Select Committee of the last Legislative Assembly but no Report was submitted because of the dissolution of the Assembly. This Bill is now being re-introduced with slight amendments in the light of representations made by various interested parties to the Select Committee and also to make provision for the appointment of a Deputy Chairman.

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. -[Dr Toh Chin Chye.]

Bill considered in Committee.

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

2.45 p.m.

Clauses 1 to 131 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

First Schedule -

Dr Toh Chin Chye: Mr Speaker, I have given notice that an amendment will be made to paragraph 3 of the First Schedule, i.e.,

In page 54, to leave out lines 38 and 39 and insert ---

"(2) A Deputy Chairman so appointed may, subject to such directions as may be given by the Chairman, exercise all or any of the powers exercisable by the Chairman for the purposes of this Ordinance.".

Amendment agreed to.

First Schedule, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Second and Third Schedules ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Bill reported, with an amendment; read a Third time and passed.