ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEALTH (AMENDMENT) BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

2.45 p.m.

The Minister of State for the Environment (Mr Wee Toon Boon): Mr Speaker, Sir, I beg to move, "That the Bill be now read a Second time."

The Ministry of the Environment is now responsible for administering the Environmental Public Health Act (Cap. 155). Prior to the setting up of this Ministry, the Act was administered by the Ministry of Health, and the Commissioner of Public Health was responsible for its administration subject to the supervision of the Public Health Authority established under section 3 of the Act. The Public Health Authority comprises the Director of Medical Services and the Deputy Director of Medical Services of the Public Health Division, Ministry of Health. Both these offices are no longer directly concerned with the administration of the Act. It is, therefore, necessary to delete all references to "the Authority" in the Act and for the Commissioner of Public Health to be responsible for the administration of the Act subject to the directions of the Minister for the Environment.

The opportunity is also taken to make other amendments to the Act which have become necessary.

Our policy is to resite street hawkers into premises including eating establishments. The powers of the Commissioner should be extended to the control of hawkers within these establishments, i.e, hawkers and stalls in coffee shops including those in HDB estates will he licensed directly. Provision is also made for ticketing of unlicensed stallholders and seizure of stalls, appliances and goods belonging to unlicensed stall-holders in the eating establishments.

The present definition of "premises" in the Act requires amendment to enable prosecution of unlicensed hawkers of any goods, including food and drinks, who operate in public places like parks and car parks.

To provide for more effective control of food handlers in food establishments and at food stalls, the Act requires amendment to permit ticketing of offenders.

Inadequate capacity, inept operation, poor maintenance and consequent breakdown of air-conditioning plants in places frequented by the public such as hotels, cinemas, offices, shopping complexes and restaurants pose a public health problem. The Commissioner of Public Health should, therefore, be empowered to require owners, occupiers or licensees of such buildings to take necessary measures to ensure that the air-conditioning system is functioning properly.

The definition of "public health auxiliary" requires amendment consequential to the redesignation of the post of Public Health Assistants which is now titled Assistant Public Health Inspectors.

It is also proposed to delete repetitions of the definition of "public health officer" in several sections of the Act and to insert a single definition in section 2 of the Act which will apply throughout the Act.

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 Wee Toon Boon].

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