SWIMMING POOL IN UPPER SERANGOON (Provision of funds)

Mr Ng Kah Ting asked the Minister for Finance, now that a site has been obtained for a swimming pool in Upper Serangoon for the benefit of the residents and in particular the thousands of school children in the Upper Serangoon/Punggol areas, if and when he will provide the necessary funds for the construction of the pool, bearing in mind that there is no public swimming pool in those areas.

Mr Hon Sui Sen: Mr Speaker, Sir, the necessary funds for construction of sports facilities including any swimming pool in Upper Serangoon/Punggol areas must come from the approved yearly Budget allocations to the National Sports Promotion Board, or from donations and contributions which, under its Acts, it is empowered to receive. The swimming pool must therefore vie for priority within the Budget allocations with all other projects which the NSPB will consider.

The total need for facilities must depend on the overall strategy for the promotion of sports and healthy recreation. At the same time, it is necessary to determine also the total facilities already available including those developed by the Government, statutory boards, clubs, etc. With a plan and information on existing facilities, it will then be possible to determine the additional facilities that should be developed and the priority that should be assigned to each project. When such a plan has been formulated by the National Sports Promotion Board and the National Stadium Corporation, my Ministry will then be prepared to consider the financing aspects of such a plan.

Total dependence on Government financing for the swimming pool at Upper Serangoon/Punggol, therefore, will mean delay, particularly if the funds required are large. If the Member for Punggol is anxious for the immediate development of sports facilities in his area, there are other ways of public or private involvement in the provision of such facilities. In this connection, I would suggest to him the method adopted by the Member for Queenstown. Through his initiative, a Queenstown Schools' Swimming Pool Building Fund was started. The Fund will be used to construct a swimming pool mainly for the use of school children in Queens-town. The Government helps by giving tax exemption to donations to the Fund and by running the pool after its construction.

Mr Ng Kah Ting (Punggol): Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Minister for Finance not agree with me that it is the Government's declared policy to provide more recreational facilities for the people, especially those living in the rural and suburban areas? If so, would he not consider that the construction of a public swimming poo1 in the Upper Serangoon/Punggol area a development project and therefore, notwithstanding its cost, provision should be included in the Development estimates?

Mr Hon Sui Sen: I have nothing to add to what I have already said, which is, that when a strategy for the development of facilities is provided, the matter would be looked into. This means that I am prepared to consider on an overall basis the provision of facilities for the whole of Singapore, including the rural areas.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, just now the Minister mentioned that Queenstown is getting its swimming poo1 through its own effort. May I draw the Minister's attention to the fact that the people in the rural areas are not that well off. We have had many campaigns to raise funds for certain projects, and more often than not we found that we had to rely on the people in the urban areas.

Mr Speaker: What is your supplementary question, Mr Ng?

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Sir, what I wanted to know is whether or not the Minister is aware of the fact that the rural people are not well off, whereas the Government has been responsible for building swimming pools like those in River Valley, Yan Kit, except in new Housing Board estates. And as these pools were built by Government, why does the Government now stop building swimming pools and pass on the responsibility to the NSPB?

Mr Hon Sui Sen: Sir, the NSPB is a Government agency for the provision of facilities such as the Member has in mind.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: If that is the case, I would be grateful if the Minister for Finance would convey our request to the NSPB to look into the question of providing a swimming poo1 for the people in the Punggol/Upper Serangoon area.

Mr Hon Sui Sen: The usual practice is for the NSPB to submit the proposal for our consideration.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: No, Sir,I am given to understand by the Minister for Social Affairs that we would have to look for a site for a swimming pool. Now that the site has been found, we are told, "Look, such and such an agency is now taking charge of it, why not go to that agency." I do not know where to turn to in the end.

Mr Ho See Beng: Mr Speaker, Sir, would the Minister not agree that the need of a swimming pool in rural areas close to the seaside is lesser than such a need in the urban areas?

Mr Hon Sui Sen: I agree with the sentiments expressed.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Mr Speaker, Sir, to put the record straight, does not the Member for Bras Basah, my good Friend, know that although Punggol may have a beach the Ministry of Social Affairs has plans in hand to develop that stretch of Punggol beach into a seaside resort? But, sad to say, I do not know whether he is aware of the fact that up till today nothing has been done.

The Minister for Social Affairs (Encik Othman Bin Wok): Sir, just to put the record straight. There is no plan by the Ministry to develop Punggol beach into a seaside resort.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: Does not the Minister for Social Affairs remember that in the Estimates, a sum of not less than $50,000 has been allocated for this particular purpose?

Encik Othman Bin Wok: It must be for other projects; not for Punggol beach.

Mr Ng Kah Ting: I wonder if the Minister is aware that though it may not be for Punggol in particular, it is also meant for other beaches like Changi and Bedok as well.