SINGAPORE COUNCIL OF SOCIAL SERVICE BILL (As reported from Select Committee)

Order for Third Reading read.

5.44 p.m.

The Minister for Social Affairs (Inche Othman Bin Wok): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Third time."

Members of the House may remember that the Singapore Council of Social Service Bill was referred to a Select Committee by a resolution of Parliament passed on 22nd May, 1968. In response to an advertisement in the Press on 28th May, 1968, and to the publicity over Radio and Television, inviting the public to make representations on the Bill, only one written representation was received. In addition, the Select Committee also heard oral evidence from the person who had submitted the written representation as well as the representatives of the Singapore Council of Social Service after a statutory declaration was submitted to the Committee declaring that the Bill had the agreement of the members of the Council.

Some of the amendments suggested by the representors have been accepted. These amendments are set out on pages C3, C4, C5 and C6 of the Select Com mittee's Report presented to Parliament on 16th August, 1968, as Paper Parl. No. 3 of 1968. Excluding minor drafting amendments to tidy up certain clauses of the Bill, the amendments made to the Bill included:

(1) provision for the Act to be brought into operation on a date to be appointed by the Minister;

(2) the name of the statutory body to be known as "Singapore Council of Social Service" rather than "the Singapore Council of Social Service";

(3) the widening of membership of the Council to include not only organisations engaged in social and charitable activities, but also organisations or bodies engaged in social, community or humanitarian work or services;

(4) the removing of the absolute discretion of the Board in accepting members to the Council by allowing organisations to appeal to the Minister where necessary;

(5) the clarification of rights of associate members to attend meetings of the Council and to take part in its proceedings except the right of voting;

(6) the spelling out of rights to elect from among associate members two persons to represent them on the Board and for such members on the Board to take part in all proceedings of the Board, including the right to vote on any issue at any meeting of the Board;

(7) the clarification of membership of the Board to include a maximum of four co-opted members of the Board;

(8) provision to prevent co-opted members from running the Board by the exclusion of such members for the purposes of a quorum needed for meetings of the Board;

(9) the merging of the year of activities of the Board with the financial year; and

(10) certain other minor amendments restricting the nomination of the Patron-in-Chief or Patrons, the sub mission and adoption of the Council's Annual Report, Annual Accounts and the Report of the Auditor at the Annual General Meeting of the Council and not at any other general meetings of the Council.

Sir, the Bill, as now tabled before the House, incorporates the recommendalions of the Select Committee.

Sir, I beg to move.

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Third time and passed.