CENSUS BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

4.15 p.m.

The Minister for Finance (Mr Hon Sui Sen): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Census Bill seeks to revise the law relating to taking a census in Singapore from time to time, and to repeal the Census Act (Chapter 297 of the Revised Edition) which was enacted in 1930.

With rapid economic development, it is necessary to have more comprehensive and accurate information not only of the population, but of housing, agriculture, trade industry and other sectors of the economy. The present Ordinance enacted 43 years ago is now out of date, and the present Census Bill is meant to revise and update the law for census taking.

This Bill will enable the Minister to direct that a census be taken on any of the subjects indicated in the Bill or any other matters as he may consider necessary or desirable. It may be, for example, necessary to have an agricultural census or a census on building and construction to provide better benchmark data and to update such data from time to time. The present Census Act only allows a population census to be taken.

On the same basis as the Statistics Bill, provision is made in the Census Bill with regard to restrictions on the disclosure of census information. Secrecy will be safeguarded in that in any report or abstract of information obtained under the Act, the information shall be arranged so as to prevent any identification of individuals, except with the consent of that individual person. In addition, the Bill provides that the Minister shall avoid disclosing trade secrets, trading profits or any other information, the disclosure of which is likely to prejudice the person furnishing the return.

However, exceptions are provided to the general rule on secrecy. These include compiled statistics on the operation of an industry which may be published irrespective of the number of persons engaged in that industry, unless the industry is exempted by the Minister in charge. Information of a general nature which could be obtained from other sources can also be disclosed. The exceptions also apply in cases where the individual person cannot be identified and an appropriate time has passed, or if disclosure is for the purpose of any proceedings for an offence under this Bill, or any report of these proceedings. The exceptions as provided are meant to maximise the use of statistics for research and analysis without prejudicing the interests of the individual.

Penalties in regard to offences under the Act have also been increased in line with present money values and penalties for impersonation of a Census Officer are now spelt out in the Bill.

The repealing of the Census Act by the enactment of the present Census Bill would go a long way towards tidying up the law to enable the taking of census and through this make available accurate and comprehensive information for planning and policy making.

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. -[Mr Hon Sui Sen].

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