MERCHANT SHIPPING (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

3.45 p.m.

The Deputy Prime Minister (Dr Toh Chin Chye): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Bill seeks to amend the Merchant Shipping Ordinance (Chapter 207) to enable a Singapore register of ships to be set up.

The Bill will enable the Minister to prescribe regulations for preventing collisions at sea and to make the necessary provision that ships registered under the new Singapore Registry shall be governed by the provisions of the Merchant Shipping Ordinance.

The Bill provides that the Singapore Registry shall be confined to ships owned by Singapore citizens and bodies corporate established under and subject to the laws of Singapore. This is in accord with the principles of the Commonwealth Shipping Agreement with which Singapore has been associated all this while. The principles of the Registry are also in accord with accepted international practice, and the Minister is empowered to exempt any ship or class of ships from the requirement to register in Singapore.

As a member of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation, Singapore has been asked to accept the 1960 International Regulations for preventing collisions at sea. Provision has been made in the Bill for the Minister to prescribe such regulations, and as soon as this is done, Singapore will be able to inform the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation of our acceptance.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole House.

The House immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. -[Dr Toh Chin Chye].

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