NATIONAL SPORTS COMPLEX AND SPORTS GROUNDS (Flood-lighting facilities)

Mr Ng Yeow Chong asked the Minister for Social Affairs whether it is planned to provide flood-lighting facilities for all games which will be accommodated in the new National Sports Complex in Kallang Park; and whether flood-lighting facilities will be provided for sports grounds elsewhere in the Republic to enable national recreation to take place in the late evenings without affecting productivity.

The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Social Affairs (Mr Chan Chee Seng) (for the Minister for Social Affairs): Mr Speaker, Sir, flood-lighting facilities will be provided in the National Stadium now being built at Kallang Park. Similarly, the covered stadium which forms the second phase of the National Sports Complex, together with the swimming pools and tennis courts, will be flood-lighted.

As regards flood-lighting for sports grounds elsewhere in the Republic, Jalan Besar Stadium is already provided with flood lights. Three or four public swimming pools have also flood-lighting facilities. Installations of flood-lighting involve capital and running costs. Therefore, unless there is sufficient justification in usage and there are funds available, it is not intended to provide flood-lighting facilities for other public sports grounds.